Meeting the XO

Posted on Mon Oct 13th, 2025 @ 4:25am by Lieutenant Commander Steve Ryan & Lieutenant Ilana Marquez

991 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Children of the Stars
Location: XO Office

After having met the Captain, Ilana knew that she had better meet with the XO. She did not want to slight him before taking her post. Consequently, she made her way over to him for an introduction.

[XO Office]

Steve sat at his desk, PADDs keeps piling up.
"If only they told me I was to be submerged by paperwork I wouldn't have accepted the role," he muttered as he flipped off the screen of the PADD containing the latest report on the current diplomatic situation with the Klingons.

He shook his head and rubbed his tired eyes sinking into his comfortable chair.

After finding the XO's office, Ilana straightened herself up and rang the chime, patiently waiting to report to the XO. She only hoped that he was pleasant.

Steve groaned as he heard the chime ringing.

"Come in" he answered while shooting a glance towards the door to see who was bothering him.

Smoothly, Ilana moved into the XO's office. She took a quick look around to see how it was decorated to see if she could get any clues about the man that was before her. "Good day, Commander. I am Doctor Ilana Marquez, your new Chief Medical Officer. I have just finished reporting to the Captain and I thought it would be appropriate to next check in with you."

The XO visually inspected the newcomer while smoking at her.

"Welcome doctor, please get a seat." He pointed to one of the ones in front of his desk. "I still didn't have the time to go through your personal file." he admitted showing the mess over his desk. "Mind telling me something about you?" He asked.

The Doctor slid into the seat seamlessly. It was so fluid that the XO was not certain if he saw her bend. She sat upright and said, "This is my first post as a Chief Medical Officer. I believe in combining herbal and traditional medicines to get the best results for my crew and patients."

Ilana audibly hummed for a moment while she considered what else to say. "Let's see, I have a very tight relationship with my family even though I'm way out here. I also play the acoustic guitar...."

"A musician!" He exclaimed. He seemed uninterested in her medical concept, not because he didn't care but because he thought that whoever was posted out there was professionally sound, whichever his or her profession was.

"You know," he continued, "I can't even sing in sync with the rest of the crew but would definitely love to hear you playing from time to time." He straightened his back on the chair before continuing. "What made you choose the medical career?" He asked.

"Ever since I was a young child, I was fascinated by the 'why.' Why do things live? Why do things die? Why do things break down? How do you fix them?" She shrugged lightly with a small smile as she thought back to her childhood. "I always wanted to fix things and make them better, whether machines, animals, or people. I guess you could say that I was built with a lot of empathy and compassion. It was just hardwired into me."

"So, your choices would either be Engineering or Medical." He smiled "but machines don't have feelings."

"They don't," Ilana confirmed, her pearly white teeth showing when she smiled. "And I care about all of God's creations too much." She giggled lightly before saying, "So, I could not limit myself to being a veterinarian either. There's just too much out there, well, here, to ignore."

"I guess sometimes you have to play veterinarian," he joked considering all the different species, even unknown, that they might encounter while exploring the unknowns.

The doctor did not laugh. She did not hear a joke. For her, all life was sacred, and species did not matter. "I know that you said that you would like to hear me play some time. I would be happy to do so or even give a concert."

"Oh definitely, I'm sure the mess hall could host the concert. We can organize something for the crew," he excitedly agreed.

"Are you sure that you want to do that?" Her smile was contagious, but she maintained her humility. "You've never actually heard me play."

"Why not?" The XO replied. "The crew might enjoy some music to unplug from the mission from time to time. Look...." He paused. "Let's do it this way. You can take your time, get accustomed here and maybe gather some comments from our crew, and when you feel like it's time to blow your cover, we'll arrange for it. Deal?" He asked.

"As you wish, Commander. I would be happy to play any time and share some of my culture with everyone at any time. Music is healing, too, you know?" Her smile beamed, showing her pearly white teeth.

"I guess so." He smiled her back. "Well, I guess that's a deal, then. If there's nothing new, I guess I have a few more paperwork to go through before calling it a day," he told her pointing at the messy desk in front of him.

"Paperwork," she replied with a frown. It was something that she believed got in the way of any sort of efficiency. "I worry about that myself. I am sorry to have bothered you. Perhaps we can chat again another time, then...."

"Bothered?" he sounded surprised "Not at all. It has been a pleasure meeting you and keep in mind I'm always open to exchange even a brief chat with anyone in the crew. Feel free to drop by anytime you feel like," he assured her.

"Be careful what you wish for," Ilana replied with a friendly wink. "Thank you for your time, Commander."

Steve quietly acknowledged her salute and got back to work.

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Lt. Commander Steve Ryan
XO, USS Montana

Lieutenant Ilana Marquez
Chief Medical Officer
USS Montana

 

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