Shadow teaching

Posted on Sat Oct 5th, 2024 @ 1:37pm by Lieutenant Commander Isabelle Savette & Lieutenant Commander Kevin Kilbane & Commander Shr'Nesh Karadis

1,040 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: The 'Eagle continues.
Location: XO’s office
Timeline: Current.

With the meeting over Isabelle had made a point of calling Karadis and Kilbane to her office. The office itself had yet to be sorted to her style but she made the most of it as she leant against the edge of her desk. It wasn’t so long ago both Kilbane and Karadis were her superior officers, now she was theirs and it was odd to say the least.

“I take it you both know the reason I asked you here?” She gazed between them. “Because you should...your attitudes towards the Captain during the meeting, if even in jest, were inappropriate to say the least.”

Karadis looked at Kilbane, he returned her look, then he looked at the Executive Officer.

"Are we to understand you're looking to reprimand us for what we said, Sir?" Kilbane asked.

Isabelle nodded. “I realise the two of you have known Finchley longer than I have, but as First Officer I am reminding both of you that you were speaking to your Commanding Officer! I’m surprised he hasn’t reprimanded both of you for talking to him like that.”

"If we're talking in an official capacity with your being Executive Officer Sir, I'd prefer you referred to him as Captain Kerr, the Captain or the CO" Karadis replied.

"Taking up on what you just said Sir" Kilbane added, "Yes, we've know the Captain a lot longer than yourself. I understand what you're saying and why you're saying it, but there's two things here. Firstly, we're not actually part of the crew, we're on secondment to the Captain personally so if anyone's to chastise us, it's him. Secondly, he trusts us and he knows that we know what it's takes to get him through situations such as the mission briefing there. We were with him before it, and you've no idea what he was like, us being acerbic during the meeting is what he expects of us, it grounds him, believe it or not, it focuses him. We've earned the right over and over to speak to him in that manner, and believe me when I say this, he's exactly the same with us. You may not see that as an explanation, you may not like us doing it, but we only do so when it's required, when we see him...unCaptain like."

Isabelle nodded. “It would have helped if I’d have been made aware of your status before the meeting. I maybe new to the Executive Officer spot but I’m doing my best. Actually...” she smiled. “Maybe you can both help me with my learning curve.”

"That would be the Captain's call" Kilbane replied, "as to helping you with your learning curve, had you anything specific in mind that we can help you with?" he added.

Isabelle paused to think. “Perhaps nudge me in the right direction where interacting with the Captain is concerned. Unlike both of you I don’t have years of experience to draw on, same goes for being a First Officer really.”

"A good First Officer will, at times, be able to anticipate what the Captain needs...and not necessarily what he wants" Karadis replied.

"You have to get to know the Captain" Kilbane added, "his record speaks for itself, both good and bad. Oh yes, he's been a bad boy on more than a few occasions, rubbing the Admiralty up the wrong way, not always doing things by the book but doing it the Kerr way. However, because he gets things done, Senior Officers have looked the other way from time to time. On the other hand, he's a stickler for his officers and crew following his orders to the letter. He'll take the heat for things if they go awry, he has your back, but getting to know him will go a long way to helping you with your working relationship with him."

Isabelle nodded. “I’ll endeavour to get to know him better then. It’s a conflict for me being both First Officer and Counsellor, I’m supposed to advise the Captain but I’ve noted he doesn’t always like that.”

"Only when he thinks you've spoken out of turn" Kilbane replied, "and if I'm honest, you kind of did."

"Don't worry about it though" Karadis chimed in, "It takes time to get to know what to say and when to say it. Believe me, you're not the only one to receive his ire, both of us have been on the end of it more times than we care to admit. I personally learned to say what I wanted to say in my head first before I said it. If it sounded good, I said it, if it didn't I kept shtoom. Of course, we can't always keep our reactions under control, but the more you get to know him, the easier it gets."

Isabelle nodded. “That sounds like solid advice to me, I appreciate the help from both of you. I know I’m probably the last person you’d expect to see as Exec, I know I have plenty to learn and I will. Anyway you both have duties to attend to.”

Karadis looked at Kilbane and said, "Anything else you want to add?"

"No, I don't think so" Kilbane replied, "and besides, half the fun of getting to be First Officer is finding out things the hard way."

Karadis gave a wry smile, "You've got a warped sense of humour, you know that?"

"It's part of my charm" Kilbane replied. Looking at Isabelle, he added, "Seriously though, feel free to call on either or both of us if you want to have a chat if you're having a difficult time adjusting to being both Chief Counsellor and First Officer. The Captain's not a bad sport, he really does have everyone's interest at heart, it just doesn't always show. Good luck with your tenure as First Officer Sir, and as we said, try to get to know him a bit better."

They both came to attention, nodded and left the room, leaving Isabelle to her thoughts.

Watching them go Isabelle couldn’t help but wonder just what she’d gotten herself into, no doubt time would tell.

 

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