The Weight of the Word

Posted on Fri Sep 25th, 2026 @ 4:10am by Petty Officer 1st Class Kael Draven

485 words; about a 2 minute read

The XO's doors closed behind Kael.

*Acting Chief.*

“Okay,” he muttered. “That's apparently a thing now.”

It should've felt better. Chief was exactly where Kael wanted to go, and Enor had spent years preparing him for it. Getting the opportunity because his best friend was unconscious took some of the shine off.

Right now, he needed a drink.

Kael stepped into the turbolift. “Deck Fourteen.”

A few minutes later, he entered one of Chimera's secondary storage compartments that had recently been approved for conversion into an enlisted bar and hangout. It wasn't fancy. A makeshift bar, tables, mismatched chairs, music, cards, and enough separation from the normal crew spaces to let the enlisted ranks relax without officers constantly wandering through.

Kael immediately approved.

“Now *this* is more like it.”

He replicated a synthehol whiskey and found a place at the bar. Several enlisted crew had already taken over a nearby table and were getting progressively louder.

Kael ignored them.

Then a chair crashed.

Petty Officer Third Class Mason Reddick, an Engineering damage-control technician, had another crewman by the uniform.

“Reddick,” Kael called. “Let him go.”

Reddick released him with another shove.

Kael closed his eyes and stared at his drink. “Please don't make me Chief tonight.”

Another round of laughter came from the table.

Kael sighed, set down his whiskey and headed over, promptly catching his boot on an abandoned chair and nearly going face-first into the table.

Now everyone was laughing.

“Careful, Draven,” Reddick chuckled. “Deck's dangerous.”

Kael straightened his uniform. “Hilarious. Now sit down.”

“Relax, Boatswain.”

Kael gave him a look. “About fifteen minutes ago, Commander Espersen appointed me Acting Chief.”

Silence.

Then they laughed even harder.

“*You?* Acting Chief?”

Kael let them have their moment until Reddick slapped him on the shoulder. “Congratulations, Chief.”

Kael looked down at the hand.

“Take it off.”

The tone changed instantly.

“You guys can laugh at me. Half the time I deserve it. But you put your hands on another crewman, I told you to stop, and now you're testing whether my authority is real.”

“Come on, Draven.”

“No. Petty Officer Reddick, you're confined to quarters while off duty until further notice. You'll report for every scheduled Engineering shift and return directly to quarters afterward.”

Reddick scoffed. “You're serious?”

“Very.” Kael stepped closer. “Do I have to call the Master-at-Arms down here to come get you, or can you find your quarters all by yourself?”

That finally wiped the smile from Reddick's face.

Kael waited until he left before looking around the suddenly quiet table. “Keep playing cards. Have your drinks. Get loud. We've earned that much. Just know where the line is.”

He turned and carefully stepped around the chair this time.

Someone snickered.

Kael stopped and looked back. Everyone froze.

A grin appeared.

“Okay. *That one* you can laugh at.”

Kael returned to the bar, picked up his whiskey and took a long drink.

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