‘I’ve spent too much time planet-side,’ Greggory thought to himself as he walked through the halls of Utopia Planitia, readjusting to the smell of recycled air and the feel of artificial gravity. ‘I’m going to have to spend time in the zero-g gym. And if the ship doesn’t have one, well, I can always set aside some corner of the Jeffries’ tubes.’ His new position is something he’ll have to get used to, as well. He may be used to leading teams, but being XO of a starship, even a small one, will take some adjustment.  ‘I know how every part of a ship functions, but communicating what I need to various department heads has a learning curve.’

He readjusted the satchel on his shoulder as he walked into the transporter room, letting the operator on duty know where he was headed. ‘Hopefully, doing my job well will finally allow me to drop the Lieutenant from my rank. That’s tedium I can do without.’
He had, of course, reviewed the crew manifest, such as it was, on his way over from Earth. One name stood out. He hadn’t seen her in a year, though there had been some brief correspondence in the first few months. He looked back fondly on their burgeoning friendship and hoped they could pick up where they left off, new position dynamic notwithstanding. Not like he needed to keep a close eye on her to run her department. He knew how capable and professional she was.

As the transport completed, he blinked his eyes and looked around, quickly finding the target of his thoughts standing at the control station.

“Shirik. Lieutenant Commander Greggory Griffith, reporting for duty.” He gave her a small smile.  “It’s good to see you.”