Engineering, Noodles and Life Lessons

Posted on Wed Jul 22nd, 2026 @ 10:40pm by Captain Akeno Misaki & Lieutenant Charlotte Averis

1,833 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Hunted
Location: Aft Observation Lounge - Deck 11

The aft observation lounge wasn't as popular as the main mess hall located on deck two. However, it was always seen as a nice spot to grab lunch, especially for those who worked in the Engineering hull. Being on deck eleven, it was often where you'd find the ships engineers on their breaks.

So when Captain Misaki stepped in that afternoon, it turned a few heads. "Please," she said holding up a hand. "I'm just here to grab some lunch." She said. Her eyes spotted her new chief engineet sitting alone at one of the tables. A smile crossed over her face as she crossed over to the replicator station.

Charlotte hadn’t reacted as the Captain made her entrance. Having someone walk in during her lunch wasn’t uncommon, even if it weren’t the glorified heights of Command. It wasn’t her call where they ate, just like back at Pegasus Falls, there were multiple locations and sometimes the ‘Duke’ happened to eat where she did. Damn him.

The whir of the replicator filled the room and Akeno walked away from the replicator with a plate of Yakisoba noodles, complete with chopsticks and a glass of cold water. She carried it over to Charlotte's table and set it down in the seat opposite.

She then pulled out the chair and slid into it. "Don't mind if I join you right?"

“My Lady.” Charlotte gestured with one hand to the table and chair that Akeno had already taken over, “You’re the Captain, My Lady, I suppose these technically are your chairs and table.” It was clear that Charlotte wasn’t happy, but she didn’t stand to leave, so it should be equally clear that the target of her ire wasn’t Akeno.”

"Its always polite and good table manners to ask. You were here first." She said. She placed both of her hands together and closed her eyes. "Thankyou for the food." She picked up her chopsticks and snapped them apart.

"So then Charlotte." She said as she scooped up some of the noodles with her chopsticks. "What happened?"

“Angry Cat decided to visit me in Engineering while I was starting up the reaction chamber.” Charlotte said simply, “I was alone in there, monitoring the readings when he came stomping in, demanded that I drop everything because His High Exalted Holiness had deigned to step into my deck plating and come to attention for him, and because I was monitoring for fluctuations, I basically told him to shut up until I was ready. I believe I used the phrase, ‘A matter/antimatter reaction doesn’t give a shit how many pips are on your collar, so until this is to my satisfaction, neither do I.’ Or something similar to that.”

Charlotte stabbed the salad in front of her with her fork as if it had offended her, “He took exception to that, said some mumbo jumbo about respect and how I didn’t have any, told me off for being unsafe and didn’t like the fact that I turned his own words on him.” The blonde chuckled, “So he threw a hissy fit.”

"Hmm." Akeno replied as she popped the noodles into her mouth and swallowed them. "So, if I came into Engineering and started being an angry cat; in the same situation. How would you handle it?" She asked softly.

“The exact same way.” Charlotte admitted, “If an Admiral came in, demanded I come to attention for however long they wanted it? The exact same way. My Lady, the only thing that matters when dealing with the reaction is safety. A wild fluctuation without someone monitoring it could kill everyone in heartbeats, ignoring some dumbass commands to ‘be at attention’ and losing my focus was the right thing to do in the moment. As soon as it was safe, I paid my attention to Angry Cat, came to attention and all that horse hockey. I think you would have seen what was going on and been a little patient until I was ready. Because you aren’t so full of yourself that you have to be the center of it all.”

Akeno pondered for a moment as she took another bunch of noodles and popped them into her mouth. After swallowing, ahe took a sip of her water. "Its good to know that you take your job seriously Charlotte. Especially when it comes to safety. I admire that about you." She replied softly. "I'm not going to pretebd that I know everything about Starship engineering. Neither would I expect anyone to bow down at my feet like other Captains do."

She took another sip of her water. "However, I believe that perhaps you could have handled it a little better?" Akeno added. "He might have been an 'angry cat' with you. But, this seems like you got off on the wrong foot... So, now that you've had time to reflect on it, how do you think this interaction should have played out?"

Charlotte dropped her fork into the bowl and sat back. still in the same exact uniform that she’d worn fir the entire morning, but now she crossed her arms across her chest, leaning her head back for a couple seconds before bringing it back up, “I don’t know, My Lady. Should I be your Chief Engineer? Probably not. I didn’t get the training and accustomization that a lot of senior engineers get. I was too junior on Flamberge and with the War and Pandora?” She shook her head, “I was one of three survivors in the engine room after Chin’Toka, it was maybe three months after I got aboard, my Chief was having me start to learn the process of running engineering. Then the CO and he got killed, the XO, too, so I inherited the engine room while we were getting repaired. So long as I kept the ship running, the new CO didn’t really care what happened, then he bought it as well before I was sent here. What I don’t know could fill a book, My Lady, so I do the best I can.”

Akeno nodded. "We all had to do what we had to do during the war." She said. "I wasn't ever meant to be the Captain of this ship. But long story short, stuff happened and I'm here now with the most weight on my collar." She ran a single finger across the four pips on her colllar. "Do I deserve to be a Captain at my age? With hardly any previous experience? After being field promoted? Probably not." She took a pause as she took another sip of water. "But, its the universe that deals the cards. We can either play witn what it gives us and take risks, you might get a Royal Flush. Or you fold and give up." She placed her glass down and swapped it for her chopsticks. "So, you raising or folding?"

“If you’re asking if I’m going to quit, My Lady, not on your fucking life.” Charlotte gave a lopsided grin, “But otherwise it’s up to you and Captain Angry Cat. I think he wants me busted out of the service, but he also can’t get an Intrepid into warp on only one nacelle. I’m sorry this puts you into a crappy situation, My Lady, especially after the talk we’d had, but there it is. I don’t want to go, but if it comes down to it that to save your job that I have to, I won’t hold it against you. But I don’t quit, ever. I left home to make a difference and by God I will, somehow.”

Akeno had by this time popped a few more noodles into her mouth. After chewing a little she cleared her mouth. "The only person who can issue any sort of punishment, or transfer anyone on the Wayfarer is yours truly." She explained. "Captain McEntyre is with us to see how we work. But, he's from an older generation of Starfleet officers that are focused and driven on rank and protocols. As much as I respect them, we all know that many of them are more greyscale than black and white."

The captain took a breath. "I'm not going to throw you off the ship. Neither will I expect you to run away. You're better than that." She said softly. "If I go 'by the book' I should be contacting JAG and sorting out a court martial... but..." she leant over the table a little and lowered her voice to a hushed tone. "Between you and me. I really really don't want the extra paperwork...."

She withdrew and straightened back up, cleared her throat. "Also, I don't think that you should hold the entire blame. After all, it takes two to tango." She gave Charlotte a soft smile. "So. Instead, as your punishment, you are lean forward slightly, right here and close your eyes a moment."

That made Charlotte curious, so she followed along, leaning forward and closing her eyes as she awaited whatever the Captain deemed proper for her punishment.

Akeno's reached out, her middle finger tucked in by her thumb. She held it close to the center if the engineers forehead. After a split second she released her middle finger flicking it against Charlotte's forehead.

Charlotte’s head snapped back at the contact, more out of surprise than anything else. She blinked several times, then reached up to run where the flick had happened, her face confused, “What the?”

Akeno looked at her as she with drew her hand and returned to her food. "Consider yourself punished. And consider this officially dealt with. You'll get more of those if you make more silly decisions without thinking." She smiled.

Confusion turned into a smile, which turned into laughter, causing some of the others in the mess hall to turn and look at the two senior officers in confusion of her own. Charlotte put her head in her arms on the table, unable to contain herself, finally subsiding and grinning at Akeno, “I’ll endeavour to do better, My Lady, truly I will, lest I get flicked beyond the borders of the ship!” She giggled again, still unable to stop, “And I promise I’ll keep Wayfarer running smoothly, no matter what.”

Akeno pointed her chopsticks at Charlotte. "There! Thats better than sulking jsn't it?" She said happily. "And I'm going to hold you to that promise." She added with a wink. "So, still going to fold? Or you going all in?"

Charlotte pushed her salad bowl to the middle of the table in response, “All in, My Lady, let’s show this Fleet who really rules the stars!”

"Good answer." Akeno replied simply as she beamed at Charlotte.

Posting by:

Captain Akeno Misaki
Commanding Officer
USS Wayfarer

Lieutenant Charlotte Averis
Chief Engineer
USS Wayfarer

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