HaiRoa: Disembarkation
Posted on 27 Jul 2022 @ 12:21pm by Command Master Chief Tāne HaiRoa
Mission:
M3 - Into the Deep
Location: Obsidian Command
Timeline: MD06 0920Hrs
2997 words - 6 OF Standard Post Measure
The morning after his conversation with Zahn, the transport arrived at Obsidian Colony. HaiRoa had risen early, as was his routine, worked out, eaten breakfast, showered, changed into his duty uniform, with razor sharpe creases and spit-shined boots. Then packed his bags and cleared the transit cabin.
With still an hour or so before the estimated docking time HaiRoa went up to the observation lounge and found a seat by the forward windows.
The velvety darkness dotted with thousands of twinkling lights still held the same attraction for him after thirty years in space as it had when he was a young teenager, sitting in a dugout canoe with his Grandfather out on the ocean at night.
Those pinheads of light had guided his ancestors in their bold voyages of exploration across thousands of miles of the Pacific Ocean. His Grandfather had proposed he carry on that brave spirit and take the next journey into space. After a chat with a Starfleet recruiter, he had been sold and that decision had changed his life. He had settled down at school, put a dedicated effort into his studies, made the grades required and enlisted three days after graduation.
Enlisted Academy basic training had knocked the rough edges off a headstrong young Māori, focused his energies and talents, trained and honed his abilities and brought out some he did not know he had. He’d been tested in combat during the Dominion War, and numerous other skirmishes before and after. Risen though the junior ranks in Security, transferred into Operations and steadily risen to a position few achieved, Command Master Chief.
He stared out into the dark, Obsidian Command was to be his second assignment in that role, after Starbase Twenty-Three, a place that had held such promise four years ago to HaiRoa, his wife and young son. But a promise that had ended in the tragic death of Lilly and Kaui in a skiing accident six months ago.
Lilly had loved the stars too, and they had been teaching Kaui the Maori names for the constellations visible from Earth and some of the legends associated with them. He inhaled deeply, not wishing to become maudlin and a movement ahead caught his eye. A flight of starfighters had appeared, they looped around the Douglas and took up escort positions. His first visible sign of the alert procedures Calliope Zahn had informed him were in place.
Thirty minutes later the Starbase came into view, the immense structure hanging motionless over the grubby tan ball of Obsidian. From his research it was a hot, dangerous sandy desert of a world, no real oceans to speak off, a hellish climate and deadly radiation. A place that demanded respect or made you pay the price. It would be a challenge, he liked challenges and besides they stopped his mind from brooding.
Presently the Douglas was docked onto a pylon and HaiRoa joined the line of new personnel waiting to disembark. It was a long line but moved quicker than expected. As he reached the head of the line he saw why.
The Security checkpoint was manned by a couple of Security Officers, a Crewman and a Petty Officer Second Class, and an Operations Chief Petty Officer. She was doing most of the work, handing out quarters assignments, Obsidian Command commbadges and giving directions to the turbolifts while the Security team stood by and watched.
There was only the most cursory of identification checks, when the new arrivals told her their name, flashed an ID and waited for her to check them off her PaDD. There was a Security issue identification reader lying idle on the desk which the two Security Officers should have been using, next to it was a security tricorder, normally used to scan luggage and bags. Instead the pair chatted together and he overheard some comments about a pretty Engineering Ensign who had just passed through.
This was most certainly not what was required under regulations for normal operations, let alone under the increased requirements of a Sigma Level alert.
When it was his turn, he flipped up the back of his identification and said “Captain Tom Hanson, Flight Control” in his broadest New Zealand accent.
The Senior Chief looked at him and was completely distracted by his facial tattoos, as so many were on first meeting him.
“Oh, er sorry, er what name sir?” She asked, blushing a little and trying to drag her gaze from his face back to her PaDD.
“Commander Tal Hordon, Strat Ops” He stated, again in thick Kiwi
He caught the two Security officers looking at his now; both of them focused on his tattoos, as she had been and not paying any attention to anything he had said.
"Sory, one more time sir?"
“Chief Tor Heyerdahl, Station Ops, shall I spell it?” A little less accented now.
She flicked through the PaDD, getting a little flustered now. “‘er Higher-doll?” she asked confused
“Let me help you there Chief” HaiRoa offered and held out his hand for the PaDD, she willingly surrendered it to him and he scrolled through it. The Security duo watched on, amused now.
“There you go, that’s me” he said handing it back, having found a Theo Henderson, a Petty Officer Nursing Technician. A brown haired, blue eyed, Caucasian, with a full beard. by his picture
“Oh, good, thank you, er… right, “ She took the PaDD, smiling her grateful thanks, still trying not to stare at him. “Well Medical levels are…. ” She focused on the screen now, to avert her gaze and finally noticed the picture of Henderson looked nothing like HaiRoa
‘Umm sorry er did you say Henderson?” She asked, more confused now
“No I didn’t” He snapped “I said Captain Tom Hanson, Commander Tal Hordon and Chief Tor Heyerdahl, then you surrendered your secure device to me and let me browse through it before I picked on Nurse Henderson!”
The Chief blushed even more and stammered out “W W Well err. I um sir”
The Security duo smirked at her discomfort which was when HaiRoa rounded on them.
“What are you two clowns smirking at?” he demanded “Do you have any idea who I am?!”
One opened his mouth to speak
“Shut it! No! You don’t! Because you didn’t carry out your assigned duties, did you?! Security Dock patrol, Starship main hatchway duties include keeping always on the alert, and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing furthermore that during the embarkation or disembarkation of personnel to and from a Starship to a Starbase, Security personnel will check all identification and baggage, ensuring correct identification and that baggage is clear of contraband before personnel are allowed to pass beyond the security checkpoint on or off the vessel” He quoted a section of their duties
“Except you two have dumped your gear on the desk and left it to our Operations colleague here, whose own duties include “liaison and assistance to inbound personnel, assigning quarters and directions to reporting locations for relevant departments, after those personnel have been screened and authorized to enter the Starbase by Security! Which is you two!” He continued, jabbinga finger at both of them
“Furthermore, we are at a Sigma Alert level are we not?” Glowering up at the pair now, both of whom were taller than he was. “What does that mean?”
“Er increased checks and screening” One got out.
“And?!” HaiRoa demanded
“Extra personnel at assigned duty posts?” The other tried
“Correct!” HaiRoa snapped “Where are they then?”
“Er I…er Dunno..”
“Who does? Who’s your supervisor?”
“Ensign Evans!”
“Then you get Ensign Evans down here now” he pointed at one, the Petty Officer, and “You!” he pointed to the other “Pick up that ID scanner and Tricorder and start doing your damn job!”
They rushed to comply, the Petty Officer moving off to speak into his commbadge and while held out his identification to the other, the correct way around. “Who am I?”
The Officer scanned it “Command Master Chief Tane HaiRoa” he said
“You sure?”
“Yessir..er Chief.. I mean Command Master Chief. The scanner confirms a correct and valid Starfleet Identification”
“Good! That’s settled then. Our colleague can now find my assigned quarters, right?”
“Er Yes Command Master Chief!”
“Then you can stay busy and scan my bag” HaiRoa handed his scanned and approved identification to the Operations Chief.
She found him in her PaDD, issued him a commbadge and the entry code to his assigned quarters. When she handed back his card her hand shook a little “Sorry about earlier Command Master Chief”
“You’re a Chief Petty Officer, that makes you the Senior Non-Com at this post, if these two knuckleheads are not doing their jobs or slacking off, it is your duty and responsibility to order them to do so. If they won’t, then you inform their superior and me, is that clear?” He gave her a reassuring nod. "Its a team effort"
“Yes, Command Master Chief” She nodded, lifting her chin.
Meanwhile the Security Officer was running his tricorder over HaiRoa’s bags.
“Find anything?!”
“I er.. . think so Command Master Chief, some sort of solid object, possible weapon,. .? The rreadout says it’s made of an Earth greenstone?”
“So?! What do you need to do now?”
“Carry out a further visual and detailed investigation of the object to ensure it is not dangerous contraband Command Master Chief” The Security Crewman replied, gaining confidence now
“Good, are you ok if I remove it or do you want to?” HaiRoa asked
“It would be ok for you to do it Command Master Chief. Please do it slowly, place the object on the desk and step back” The man replied
“Good lad” HaiRoa nodded, softening his tone now the man was doing his job and did as asked. He opened his kit bag and drew out an object wrapped in thin leather. He unwrapped it to reveal a green stone paddle shaped club. then placed it down on the table and stepped back
“That is a Māori Mere Pounamu. It is a war club and a family heirloom, at least three hundred and fifty years old. It has been passed to me by my ancestors and it has a name, this one was called Awha which means Storm” He explained
“I am permitted to own it under the same regulations covering Personal Cultural Artifacts and Weapons, such as Klingon Bat’leths. You may inspect it but... Do Not Drop It!”
“No Command Master Chief!” the Crewman replied, gingerly checking over the club.
“Satisfied?”
“Yes, thank you, Command Master Chief. You may retrieve Awha” He managed to pronounce the name correctly
“Well done, ensure you annotate my possession of the weapon in my Starbase Security file and attach a copy of your scan, alright?” HaiRoa retrieved the Mere, rewrapped it and put it back in his bag
“Yes, Command Master Chief” the Crewman nodded
“Right then, now you know what to do, get your ass in gear and start checking off the rest of these personnel who are all waiting to get off the ship” he said to the Crewman
HaiRoa saw the Security Petty Officer moving off to meet with a newly arrived very young looking Security Ensign, the man looked like he could barely shave.
He moved his bags out of the way and waited for the Ensign to come over. The man did so, looking rather nervous and trying not to be too obvious about staring at HaiRoa’s tattoos.
HaiRoa waited for him to get close then snapped to attention. “Sir! Good morning, Sir! I am Command Master Chief Tane HaiRoa, Sir! Just arrived, Sir!. You are the Duty Security Officer for this section of docking pylons I presume Sir? Do you wish to check my Identification and Transfer Orders, Sir?!”
‘Ah.. Ensign Evans er… Chief?”
“Command Master Chief Sir!” HaiRoa replied. You’ll use my full rank since I was out fighting off the bloody Dominion five years before you were even born sonny! He thought to himself. “Permission to stand at ease Sir!” It was not a question and he stood easy.
‘Oh er yes Command Master er..Chief” Evans replied “Umm a I’m bit confused Command Master Chief.. er my Petty Officer claims you tried to impersonate a Commissioned Officer when your arrived, then er… created a disturbance by er..yelling at them? ”
“I see Sir” HaiRoa nodded and turned to the Petty Officer “What name and rank did I attempt to assume Petty Officer?” The man had been standing smugly besides Evans
The man paled “Well ah, you used er several names and ranks and-“
“- What were they?” HaiRoa demanded
“Er Captain Tim Hordum and… Commander er Tony er…. Hamptom and, and… Chief Thor somebody or other…” the Petty Officer tried
“You’re a Security Petty Officer, details and facts are important are they not? Yet you can’t even recall three names, you heard three minutes ago! How can you complete an accurate report if you can’t remember three names?”
“Now just hold on er.. Command Master Chief” Evans tried to save his man
“Captain Tom Hanson, Commander Tal Hordon and Chief Tor Heyerdahl were the names I used” HaiRoa stated “A Security Officer should be able to recall those kinds of detail in your position!”
“So, you admit to impersonating Commissioned Officers then?” Evans pounced “That’s a serious disciplinary offense! I could charge you right -”
“Not at all Sir!” HarRoa cut him off “On disembarking the USS Douglas and on my arrival at the Security post I observed that the assigned Security personnel appeared to be derelict in their duties. Those being the correct identification of inbound personnel and the security screening of luggage.
Therefore, under the authority granted to me by my rank and assignment on this station, I elected to carry out an unannounced ad-hoc security evaluation of these personnel.
During which I gave several fictitious identities as part of the evaluation. Neither of the personnel queried the names I gave nor formally checked my identification using their assigned equipment to confirm my actual identity. Neither did either one screen my luggage for contraband.
Confirming my suspicions that these two were not performing their assigned tasked in the correct manner, thereby placing the safety and security of this Station at risk, I identified myself to them and advised them on their responsibilities.
Since we are at a Sigma Alert level, I also queried them as to why additional security personnel were not assigned to the post as required under Sigma Alert requirements. I instructed them to summon their supervisor, which is you, Sir!
Further to my security evaluation, could you please inform me why such additional personnel have not been assigned? Sir.” HaiRoa quirked an eyebrow and waited
Evan’s face was a picture as several responses ran through his mind, he settled on "We’er short of staff, not everyone has arrived yet. Anyway, what makes you think you can evaluate my men?!”
“Part of my duties, Sir, is to ensure Enlisted personnel are performing their assigned tasks in the correct manner. Since they could be subject to disciplinary action for any derilictions or failures, it would be necessary to ensure that they were being correctly supervised by their designated duty officer. Which, again, would be you, Sir.
If you believe I have overstepped my authority, Sir, and you can state that you were actively supervising them while they were not performing their duties correctly, then I suggest we raise this matter with the Executive Officer, Commander Zayne. I am on my way to his office now, do you wish to accompany me Sir and arrange for the Chief of Security to join us?”
Evans looked baffled now, he opened and closed his mouth. "er Lieutenant Winslow is off the Station, on the Pathfinder...."
"I see Sir... well, alternatively,” HaiRoa offered “We can treat this as a learning opportunity, Sir. An informal test of security procedures, which identified several areas of improvement for you to take forward, discuss and address within the Security department…”
Evans was smart enough to recognize a lifeline when it was tossed to him and jumped on it. “Er yes, thank you Command Master Chief that er… sounds like a very sensible resolution.”
“Thank you, Sir. I’ll be by to see those suggested improvements are being actioned” You’re not getting off the hook just yet sonny he thought
“And I’ll also see what I can do to assist with your personnel shortages.
Perhaps we have some other department crew who can be temporarily resigned to assist”
“Yes, thank you, yes” Evan nodded
HaiRoa turned to the Petty Officer. “We just need you to do your job. I was in your very position on Starbase Eleven. I know what dock patrol is like. It can be boring and routine but lives may depend on it, especially with this alert going on.
You have an important job, you’re on the front line of keeping this Station and everyone aboard it safe.
We are depending on you and your colleagues, you chose Security for a reason, don’t let us, or yourself, down. Ok?”
The Petty Officer swallowed. “Yes, Command Master Chief, thanks”
“Good, now go help your Crewman” HaiRoa tipped his head to the Crewman who was now busy scanning identifications and the Petty Officer jogged over to join him
“Just keep them on their toes Sir, maybe rotate the teams around regularly, so they don’t get bored and complacent” He suggested
“Yes, thank you, Command Master Chief, I will” Evans nodded
HaiRoa collected his bags and set off for the express turbo lift to the Command level.
