With the exception of Rhys, who was probably the only other person she knew personally, and graced him with a brief smile and a nod, the unfamiliar faces and the looks of mild curiosity and muted wariness that met Catriona’s gaze as she looked around the room was a stark reminder that she would have to start from the beginning once again.

It was fun being on the Cherbourg, helping Captain and the XO keep things running smoothly from behind the scenes. She considered it a matter of pride with how she was able to contribute to turning what was once a undermotivated crew who felt stuck on an aging starship to a group of go-getters who all managed to turn the ship into one of the best in their task force until they completed their last tour before the ship was sent for its scheduled major refit.

Everyone had moved on to better things, including her, and she couldn’t be happier to know that she had a hand in making sure they got what they were hoping for in this new chapter of their lives, at least for the most part.

As for her, now it was time to do what she was good at, only at a larger scale and with more weight and and authority. She wasn’t just a second officer anymore who mainly served as the resident diplomat onboard. This time she was the Executive Officer, the one directly responsible for all the departments and the crew. And now her new crew just happened to be reeling from the recent incident involving the abduction of their skipper from right under their noses. To add to that, their previous XO also abruptly departed, so she was taking up the job of someone else they knew well before she came along, much like how Olivia was being viewed by the others.

She had her work cut out for her.

The senior staff were definitely an eclectic mix. From the broody man of a few words Chief Medical Officer, to the more imposing department heads such as their Chief Engineer who was one of the few Llanarians on the ship from what Olivia told her. Their Chief Tactical Officer could easily be mistaken for one too, but after her own mistake with Jayce, she had learned her lessons well.

They weren’t exactly despondent, but their mood wasn’t exactly the best either which she could completely understand. Pastries and coffee wasn’t going to improve things right now, all things considered, so she was glad she didn’t even try. The last thing she wanted was for them to think she was patronizing them and that wouldn’t be helpful to anyone.

However, that didn’t mean some tasty gifts when she spoke to them later on a more relaxed setting wouldn’t be appreciated. She had yet to meet a hardworking officer or crewman who said no to sugar and caffeine.

But while everyone stood out in their own way, the one who held Riri’s attention the most was their Chief Helm Officer who looked so determined at that moment that he seemed to be about ready to kit up and go out there to go on a mission by himself. As the meeting progressed, the more Thayer became agitated, even volunteering to lead the newly formed Hazard Team but the captain shot him down every time.

From looking at the 201 files in her PADD, and the notes listed there by was was likely the previous XO, she understood that the man was friends with their missing Captain Murphy. It didn’t take much sleuthing to see that they were even classmates in the academy, and Murphy himself was the one who got him transferred to the Canterbury after a significant incident involving his previous commanding officer.

As the Captain asked if there were any questions, and none were raised, Cat took that as the conclusion of the meeting, and with no more items of discussion from Olivia, she briefly took over. “I’ll be touring the ship later and visiting each of your departments so I can personally address any unmet needs and issues. Also it would be very helpful if you have the updated personnel files of your staff, specifically their their qualification and merit records that I can look over, along any points of concern that you and your officers have that we can discuss later.”

She already knew who she wanted to talk to the most but she’d wait till later after the end of Alpha shift.