The Vashon Backstory - Part 3

Posted on Wed Mar 31, 2021 @ 7:52pm by Master Warrant Officer Angus Chaplin & Chief Petty Officer Ebony Bowman & Chief Petty Officer Steven Bryd & Petty Officer 1st Class Sienna Lin
Edited on on Wed Mar 31, 2021 @ 8:48pm

Mission: Birds of a Feather
Location: Starbase 10, Outside Galaxies Edge Bar
Timeline: After Part 2

Looking out across the sea of people, Angus spotted his Officer of the Deck, Petty Officer Sienna ‘Swain’ Lin, approaching. The last supper was a fun affair, for Bryd and Chaplin, it had been a ritual across many years, and one that Lin looked forward too across her last year of service on the Vashon.

The pair were approached by a woman who enquired, “Master Warrant Officer Chaplin?”

“Huh?” Angus was caught off guard, looking to the lady now standing in front of him saluting. Angus returned an awkward salute.

“Chief Bowman? Come inside it’s last supper,” Angus motioned, he held his hands up waving and indicated the trio would be inside to Lin who picked up skip in her step.

Ushering everyone in, the bar owner called out and came over to their regular booth, “My favorite crew and someone new?”

“Yeah Zin,” Angus said with a huge smile on his face, “Swain is still coming but we’ll have our usual and the new XO will probably need a menu. We’ll get a round too.”

“Of course, of course,” the bar owner happily replied, clapping a waiter over for a menu and drinks.

Swain walked in and jumped in the booth, “Oh the usual for me thanks Zin. Have you done something with your forehead ridges?”

“A new treatment, brings out the purple.” Zin replied showing his teeth in a smile, “if you need anything, my crew.” Zin turned and left, his staff bringing over drinks of synthol and prepared their places. A menu was placed infront of Bowman who was rightly confused by everything that was going on and sat stunned.

“New XO, hey?” Swain spritely popped up, “Ma’am, I’m Petty Officer Lin. They call me ‘Swain’…”

Angus interrupted, “Oh, intros, sorry. Everyone this is Chief Petty Officer Bowman, our new Executive Petty Officer.”

“This is Chief Petty Officer Bryd our ‘Charge’ and Petty Officer 1st Class Lin our ‘Swain’,” Angus continued.

“Chief Engineer and Operations Petty Officer, Charge and Swain. You’ll get used to it,” Swain spirited up, “Your first time on a Patrol Craft?”

“Thank you Petty Officer-“

“Swain, Ma’am”

“Thank you, Swain,” Bowman awkwardly replied, “and yes. My first time. What is all this anyway?”

“Oh well, the Skipper enjoys having a last good, cooked meal with his senior staff before we set off as the resources are pretty limited onboard and we’re usually gone about a month. It beats rations and the replicators we have,” Swain added in reply taking a swig as appetizers arrived.

“Things on these little boats are a bit different Chief, we use nick names and informal language, helps keep people’s nerves from fraying. There is not a lot of space and we’re in each other’s pockets pretty regularly,” Angus chimed up between feeding his face with garlic bread.

“Okay then,” Bowman replied still utterly confused and taken back by the lack of formality but turning her attention to the waiter, pointing at the menu to the meal she was after.

“So, anyway, a fairly regular mission…” Angus continued giving the rundown, it was going to be a long celebration for the group.