Inspection: Operations

Posted on 18 Aug 2026 @ 5:26pm by Commander Madelina Barnes & Lieutenant JG Aerie Mak

1,431 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Acceleration
Location: Operations
Timeline: February 2, 2391 || 0900 Hours

The doors to Operations parted with a soft hiss, and Commander Madelina Barnes stepped through, boots striking the deck with a steady, unhurried rhythm. The space was alive with motion—voices trading updates, consoles humming, status lights pulsing in quiet patterns. It wasn’t chaotic, but it was busy in the way only a well‑run department could be.

Maddy let her gaze sweep the room, taking in the cadence of the crew as they worked. A few glanced up, offering respectful nods before returning to their stations. She moved further inside, hands clasped loosely, absorbing the layout, the flow, the subtle personality of the place she’d now help command.

A young woman in Operations yellow passed by with a padd tucked under her arm. Maddy stepped into her path with a polite, authoritative ease. “Excuse me,” she said, voice warm. “Could you point me toward your Chief?”

The ensign blinked in surprise for only a heartbeat before offering a bright, professional smile. “Of course, Commander," she said, then gave up the Lieutenant's current location.

“Thank you,” Maddy replied with a small nod. With that, she continued forward, weaving through the department with purpose, heading toward the indicated location and one of many introductions she’d be making aboard the Black Hawk.

Mak casually hid behind a junction, diagnosing a broken terminal. It suffered a small overload as someone on this deck didn't observe the proper power balance and overloaded the crystal. Caressing the burnt out crystal, he crouched and studied the open panel with the other chips. Placing the crystal on his tricorder, he tapped a few icons on the screen and scanned the crystal itself. In his head, he continued humming, trying to piece together the issue. It offered him a quiet place away from the noise.

Removing the burnt crystal, he pocketed it and replaced a few chips in the data port. Closing the panel, he stood while closing the tricorder and stepped out onto the deck., not noticing someone headed her way. His uniform appeared a tad messy with the occasional grease on his hands and tunic.

Maddy followed the Ensign’s directions through the alcove, the ambient hum of Operations fading slightly as she stepped into the narrower space. The scent of overheated circuitry lingered faintly in the air. She spotted him immediately—Lieutenant Aerie Mak, half‑turned from an open panel, tricorder in hand, uniform smudged with the kind of grime that only came from hands‑on work.

She paused a respectful distance away and cleared her throat, just enough to draw his attention without startling him. “Lieutenant,” she said once his head lifted, her tone professional but not unkind. “Do you have a few moments?”

Mak looked at her and nodded, "Yes, Commander. Barnes?" He paused, trying to recall her name, and pieced the name with her image. Rubbing his hands, he replied, "Sorry I'm a lil dirty. I have a few."

Maddy lifted a hand lightly, brushing off the apology before he could say more. “No need, Lieutenant. A little dirt comes with the job—if anything, it tells me you’re actually doing it," she said before straightening her posture just a touch. “I’m Commander Madelina Barnes, the Black Hawk’s new Executive Officer.”

She glanced around the alcove, then back to him. “I’m taking an official tour of the ship and meeting all the department heads as I go. Since Operations is your domain, I was hoping you might spare a few minutes to give me a quick tour. If now’s a good time, of course.”

"Yes," Mak bit his tongue slightly to avoid apologizing again for the mess of his department and straightened up, "Sure, its a good time, sir. How should we start?"

“Wherever you feel most comfortable, Lieutenant,” she said, tone warm but carrying the steady confidence of someone used to guiding the pace without forcing it. “This is your domain. I’m here to get a sense of how you run things.”

Maddy shifted her stance slightly as she glanced around then back to him. “So whether that’s the main consoles, the systems hub, or the workflow stations—lead the way. I’m happy to start wherever makes the most sense to you.”

“We can start with the main console,” Mak replied, barely noticing someone crossing his path. Moving for the main console, he dismissed the person occupying it. Placing his hand on his shoulder, he nodded and tapped a few commands, watching the display flicker to life.

"Rerouting the power couplings. Checking the EPS conduit lines. The readings are nominal, Commander," Mak replied, nodding. Making eye contact with her. The device sitting behind his ear hummed silently only he could feel. Continuing, he added, "I monitor all comm traffics here and the power flow. My team and I operate at max efficiency to ensure the ship runs smoothly. Any questions or concerns they have about the systems, they relay to me and I make sure the issues are resolved. It gets added to my daily report for your approval."

Shifting in his stance, Mak straightened up his back to appear professional even if it wasn't required.

Maddy stepped in beside him, letting the soft glow of the console reflect across her features as she listened. Mak’s explanation was crisp, efficient, and—despite the grease on his hands—carried the unmistakable cadence of someone who knew his department down to the last conduit. “Clear and concise, Lieutenant. I appreciate that.”

Her gaze flicked to the display, tracking the power‑flow schematic he’d pulled up, then back to him. “And it shows. Your team’s rhythm out there speaks for itself—busy, but not frantic. That usually means the department head is doing something right.”

She shifted her weight slightly, hands clasped behind her back in a posture that was relaxed but unmistakably command‑level. “Daily reports are fine, but I prefer to stay ahead of problems rather than read about them after the fact. If anything crops up that you think I should know sooner—anomalies, bottlenecks, personnel concerns—I expect you to notify me directly.”

Her tone wasn’t stern; it was steady, the kind of expectation that came from someone who valued competence and communication in equal measure.

Maddy let her eyes linger on the console a moment longer before meeting his again. “Now—walk me through how you prioritize incoming issues. With a department this active, I imagine you’re juggling more than the system makes obvious.”

Mak cleared his throat, processing his next response, "I look at each systems and prioritize whats important and whats least. The critical systems are looked at first. If a power gets too low, I work through it by balancing it with a secondary system or a bypass from a backup system. I have a good team. We work together to make each systems flow easily."

The XO nodded slowly as he spoke, letting the explanation settle before she responded. "That's exactly the kind of thinking I like to hear, Lieutenant. Critical systems first, backups ready before you need them, and a team that knows how to fill the gaps without waiting to be told. That's not luck—that's discipline."

She let a small, genuine smile touch her features. "Thank you for being so thorough. I know I dropped in on you unexpectedly, and you still walked me through all of it without missing a beat. That says as much about you as it does about them."

Her gaze drifted briefly back toward the main floor of Operations, taking in the low murmur of activity, the easy rhythm of people who clearly knew their jobs. "And you do have a good team. It shows—not just here, but everywhere I've been today. Every department I've walked through so far has had that same feel to it. Efficient. Calm. Nobody scrambling, nobody idle." She looked back to him. "Honestly, Lieutenant, from what I've seen, this whole ship runs like a well‑oiled machine. That doesn't happen by accident."

"Thank you, Commander," Mak nodded, folding his arms behind his back and straightening up his spine.

Maddy offered him a smile. "Do you have any questions or concerns you wish to make known before I let you get back to your duties?"

Mak shook her head, "No, Ma'am. Thank you for stopping by."

"Thank you as well, Lieutenant. I'll leave you to get back to it," the redhead said. And with that, she excused herself to continue on her way.

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