Introductions

Posted on Mon Nov 2nd, 2026 @ 6:24am by Captain Antonia 'Tony" Stoffels & Lieutenant Commander Brent Castle

Mission: The Next Watch
Location: Chief of Staff Office

ooc takes place before the emergency starts

Newly arrived Lieutenant Commander Brent Castle looked around the office, there was still a lot to be unpacked as unopened boxes were lined up against the walls but the office was functional. As the Chief of Staff for the Commodore, people were going to find he wasn't an appointment secretary he was just what his title said Chief of Staff. That meant he was in a senior leadership role that acts as a strategic advisor, right-hand partner, and operational multiplier to a chief executive, president, or top military commander. In this case the commodore.

He pulled up the Resolution's personnel file, specifically its chain of command and saw that Captain Antonia Stoffels was the commanding officer. He would start with her. He sent a brief message to her computer asking her to stop by his office at her earliest opportunity. The message was sufficiently cryptic enough to arouse curiosity as well as interest. While he waited for a reply he read her file. he liked to know about those he had to work with.

The more he read, the more impressed he became and after finishing it, he leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head as he spoke to an empty room. "Captain Stoffels, I am looking forward to this meeting immensely."

Toni was off duty and had been on her way to the gym in her gym clothes when she got a very cryptic message from Xavier's new chief of staff. She had not met him yet nor had she had time to read his file. She cursed inwardly and paused for a moment. She only had half an hour to work out and going back and changing her clothes would eat up most of that time, so she jogged over to his office hoping this meeting would not take long. She really needed to keep in shape.

Five minutes later she hit the chime to his office.

Brent had done some more unpacking of a few books and other small stuff. He didn't want to get too involved as he waited for Captain Stoffels to hopefully arrive. He was looking forward to meeting her and he hoped she was as impressive in person as her file made her out to be. After a few minutes his door chime sounded. Moving to his desk he stood behind it. He checked his uniform for any dust invisible or otherwise, straighten the tunic, smoothed out any wrinkles. Satisfied he looked presentable he called out "Enter!" As he waited to greet his visitor.

"Commander?" She said when entering. "You needed me for something?" Toni tried not to look rushed. "Where are my manners. Antonia Stoffels." She held out her hand.

"Captain." He greeted her warmly as he held out his hand, taking hers in it and giving it a firm but not hard shake. "Enchanted to make your acquaintance. Won't you please come and have a seat?" He asked guiding her to one of the two chairs in front of the desk. " As for needing you.no cloak and dagger I'm afraid I merely wished to introduce myself. So, you could put a face with the name."

For a moment she thought of refusing seeing her precious free time sail out the window, but the man was nice and he had a point. So with only a small sigh she sat down. "It will take me some time to get used to the fact that there are a whole bunch of officers on board who are not under my command. Weird and also strangely refreshing."

Brent was nothing if not observant and aware of what was going on around him. he caught Toni's sigh and he asked. "If this is not a good time Captain we can continue this later when you are more comfortable. As I have no desire for us to get off to a bad start." He did chuckle softly at her comment of him and other officers not being under her command. "Perhaps but we still both work for the same company and that is the most important thing to remember at least I think so."


She waved it away. "Naw, let's do this now. I have run out of time anyway to go to the gym. And it is good if you and I get to know each other a bit better."

Brent hesitated, "No Captain, go to the gym. Do whatever it was you had planned." He paused as a smile came to his face. "I have a better idea. Have you eaten? if not, let's continue this meeting under in a more relaxed atmosphere, say dinner."

Toni was taken aback a little. It was hard to read the man in front of her completely so she had no idea what her intentions were. If he was sucking up to the captain or genuinely wanted to get to know her. "I am afraid I am very short on time these days, commander."

He gave in gracefully, a smile on his face. "Alright Captain. I was only trying to be considerate. But if you are too busy to even eat s meal but fine time to go to the gym. Then I think you have your priorities in the wrong order." His smile remained. "However, that is only my opinion. So, you can feel free to disregard it if you chose."

This rubbed her the wrong way entirely. "Are you trying to tell me how to do my job, commander?" She arched an eyebrow.

He threw his hand up in front of him as warding off an attack, his smile never faltering. "Certainly not captain. I would never dream of it. I meant no insult and I do sincerely apologize for causing you to become upset.

"I am not upset!" What was it with this man. "Look, I am sure you must be insanely busy as well getting to know everyone in the taskforce. It just is not an easy time. I eat on the job, I take time out to keep in shape, as simple as that."

Brent looked at her , tilted his head and replied "Really? Because you sound upset and you look upset. However I am only a Lieutenant Commander so my judgment could be flawed." He continued in his same easy tone.

"I don't give a shit about rank. So never pull a 'lowly' lieutenant commander with me. 'But yeah I do get the impression you are mocking me, acting like a therapist." Oh god this must have been how she had looked to patients for years. Another inward mental groan.

The smile faded from his face and the merriment his eyes. His voice grew hard. "For the record I never said lowly. However, as you have pressing needs I won't keep you any longer from the gym. Thank you from coming by. Should the need arise for another meeting, I will have tge commodore's secretary reach out to you."

Toni blinked at the sudden change in him. Maybe she had been a bit rude. "Look, it's been a stressful day...week, month, year, decade. Sorry if I was rude, it was not my intention." She turned to go.

"Of course. Now you can go to the gym and relieve your stress." He answered simply as he sat back down behind the desk, his hand reaching for one of the PaDDs on his desk.

"For the record, I don't think Xavier has a secretary and I have a reputation for being pretty approachable so I do hope you will try again." With that she moved out the door.

He was silent as he watched her leave only after she was gone did he look at the PaDD in his hand. It was the manifest for the Tomcat. His next meeting would come from there.