Stand Straight When You Tell Him
Posted on Sat Jan 31st, 2026 @ 6:05pm by Glinn Korel Tevek
Edited on on Wed Feb 4th, 2026 @ 9:03am
1,787 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Back To Basics - Empok Nor Episode 3
Location: Docking Port 3 - Upper Pylon Level 1 - Empok Nor
Timeline: MD005 0900 hrs
The transport's airlock cycled open with a hiss of equalizing pressure, and Glinn Korel Tevek stepped onto Empok Nor for the first time. He carried a single duffel containing his personal effects—he'd learned long ago that a military career meant traveling light—and wore his uniform with the same quiet pride he'd maintained since the day he'd first put it on nearly three decades ago. The station's environmental systems hummed around him, a sound he recognized immediately as modified Cardassian design overlaid with Federation efficiency improvements. Already, he thought. Already they're here.
The docking port was busy. Too busy. Tevek's eyes swept the area with the practiced assessment of someone trained to catalog details: three Starfleet officers clustered near a cargo manifest display, their uniforms marking them as operations personnel. A Bajoran technician working on an access panel, her movements efficient and familiar with the station's systems. Two more Starfleet officers—security, judging by their posture and the way they scanned the crowd—standing near the corridor junction. And there, finally, a single Cardassian uniform among the mix.
A young trooper, barely out of training by the look of him, straightened to attention as Tevek approached. The boy—because that's what he was, really, couldn't be more than twenty-two or twenty-three—executed a crisp salute that would have made his drill instructor proud.
"Glinn Tevek," the trooper said, his voice tight with the kind of nervous formality junior officers reserved for senior personnel they were desperate not to disappoint. "Welcome to Empok Nor, sir. I'm Garresh Kovar, assigned to escort you to the Command Center. Captain Hood sends his compliments and looks forward to meeting with you at your earliest convenience."
Tevek returned the salute with practiced economy of movement, then let his gaze drift past the young trooper to take in more of the station. A Starfleet Lieutenant Commander walked past, engaged in animated conversation with a Trill ensign. The Federation's presence wasn't subtle—it was pervasive. He'd read the operational reports, of course. He knew the staffing arrangements, understood the political rationale for joint operations. Cardassia lacked the personnel to fully crew a station of this size after the war's losses. The Federation had offered assistance. The Detapa Council had accepted.
Understanding the rationale didn't make it easier to witness.
"Captain Hood can wait," Tevek said, his tone carrying the dismissive edge of someone for whom patience with protocol was a luxury he'd long since dispensed with. "I have no intention of presenting myself directly from a transport after two days of travel. Show me to my office and quarters first. I will report to the Captain tomorrow morning at 0800 hours. Not before."
Kovar's eyes widened slightly. "Sir, the Captain was quite specific about wanting to meet with you immediately upon—"
"I'm sure the Captain has many wants, Trooper," Tevek interrupted, his voice cooling further. "I, however, have needs. I need to review station schematics. I need to familiarize myself with current operational status. I need rest after two days of transport travel." He shifted the duffel on his shoulder with deliberate slowness. "More importantly, I need to establish from the outset that I am the Executive Officer of this station, not a junior officer reporting for inspection. Unless there is a crisis requiring immediate attention?"
"No, sir. No crisis."
"Then Captain Hood will survive until tomorrow morning without my presence." Tevek's expression remained neutral, but there was steel beneath the words.
"My office and quarters, Trooper. Now."
"Yes, sir." Kovar's nervousness had ratcheted up noticeably, but he turned with commendable efficiency. "This way, sir."
They moved deeper into the station, and Tevek continued his observations. An operations center came into view where a mixed crew worked various stations—a Starfleet officer at the primary tactical console, a human at communications, at least one Cardassian monitoring environmental controls. The scene told the story his intelligence reports had already painted. This wasn't a Cardassian station with Federation support. This was a joint operation where the distinction between host and guest had blurred into irrelevance.
This was supposed to be a Cardassian station. Empok Nor had been built by Cardassian engineers, powered by Cardassian technology, designed according to Cardassian specifications. Yes, it had been abandoned during the Dominion War. Yes, bringing it back to operational status had required resources Cardassia currently lacked. But walking through corridors where Starfleet uniforms outnumbered Cardassian ones reinforced everything his years in intelligence had taught him about how absorption happened. Not through invasion. Not through conquest. Through helpful assistance that became comfortable dependence that became structural integration.
They reached a turbolift and ascended in silence. When the doors opened, Kovar led him down a corridor to a door marked with Cardassian characters identifying it as the Executive Officer's office.
The door slid open, revealing a space that immediately reminded Tevek why Cardassian architecture had once been the envy of occupied territories. The office was spacious in typical Cardassian fashion—designed to impress and intimidate in equal measure. High ceilings gave the room an air of authority. The desk was positioned against one wall, substantial and commanding, with a computer terminal and a small stack of PADDs awaiting his attention. A sitting area occupied another section of the office, complete with a low table and several chairs for meetings that required a less formal atmosphere. The viewport was larger than standard, offering an expansive view of the station's outer hull and the stars beyond. Architectural details in the walls—the characteristic Cardassian aesthetic of function meeting form—gave the space a distinctly martial elegance.
Tevek stepped inside, setting his duffel down beside the desk with the air of someone claiming territory. This was more like it. A proper office for a senior officer, not some cramped compartment. He activated the terminal, watching as the display came to life with the station's operational interface. Cardassian design, but he immediately noticed Federation coding elements in the system architecture. More integration. More blending of their systems with ours.
"The terminal has access to all station systems and databases," Kovar offered. "Security clearances are already configured for your rank and position."
"It will suffice," Tevek said curtly, already navigating through the menus. He didn't look up from the display. "And my quarters?"
"Two sections forward, sir."
They left the office and continued down the corridor. Kovar maintained a respectful half-step behind, his ongoing discomfort evident in his posture. A Cardassian engineer emerged from a maintenance access, tools in hand. Two Cardassian security officers stood at a junction point, their presence a small reassurance.
"Here, sir." Kovar stopped before another door. "Senior officers' quarters, assigned to the Executive Officer."
The door opened to reveal quarters that matched the office in their generous proportions. The space was divided into distinct areas—a sleeping section with a Cardassian bunk larger than standard issue, a working area with a substantial desk and chair positioned near a viewport, and a sitting area with comfortable furnishings. The ceiling was high, giving the quarters an openness that spoke to the importance of the position. A food replicator was built into one wall, and storage compartments lined another. The private washroom visible through an open doorway was equally spacious. The viewport offered a commanding view of the station's docking ring and the ships currently moored there.
This, Tevek thought with some satisfaction, was accommodation befitting an Executive Officer. Cardassians understood the importance of physical space as a marker of authority and responsibility. The quarters weren't ostentatious, but they were unmistakably those of someone who held significant position and power.
Tevek set his duffel on the bunk and turned to face Kovar. "You're dismissed, Trooper. Inform Captain Hood that I will present myself at his office at 0800 hours tomorrow morning. He may expect me at that time."
"Yes, sir." Kovar saluted, then hesitated. "Sir, the Captain... he's not accustomed to being kept waiting."
"Then this will be an educational experience for him," Tevek said with the faintest trace of a cold smile. "0800 hours tomorrow, Trooper. I will use this evening to review operational reports and familiarize myself with station status. That is how a professional officer prepares to assume new duties."
"Yes, sir." Kovar turned to leave, then paused at the door. "Sir, if I may... it's good to have another senior Cardassian officer aboard."
Tevek studied the young trooper for a moment. There was genuine relief in that statement, a weight behind the words that spoke to months of feeling outnumbered by Federation presence. His expression softened almost imperceptibly. "I understand, Trooper. Now go deliver your message. And Kovar?"
"Sir?"
"Stand straight when you tell him. You did nothing wrong. You followed my orders. That's what good soldiers do."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Kovar saluted once more and left.
After Kovar left, Tevek stood in the center of his new quarters and allowed himself a moment of stillness. The space around him—both this quarters and the office he'd just seen—represented something important. Cardassia might be diminished, might be accepting Federation "assistance," might be walking a dangerous path toward absorption. But these quarters, this office, this position—they were reminders that Cardassia still had authority here. Still had officers who commanded respect. Still had the capacity to assert itself.
Through the viewport, he could see the running lights of a Starfleet vessel docked at one of the upper pylons. Beyond it, the vast darkness of space stretched endlessly.
He'd made his choice when he'd delayed meeting Captain Hood until tomorrow morning. It was a small assertion of independence, but a deliberate one. He would not rush to present himself like an eager subordinate seeking approval. He was the Executive Officer of this station—a position of authority, not servitude. And if Captain Hood took offense at being made to wait, then they would have their first disagreement immediately and establish where the boundaries lay.
Tevek moved to the desk and began pulling up station reports on the terminal. Personnel rosters. Operational status. Maintenance schedules. Resource allocation. All the mundane details that actually determined whether a station functioned smoothly or descended into chaos.
He had the rest of the day and the evening to develop a comprehensive understanding of Empok Nor's current state. When he walked into Captain Hood's office tomorrow morning at 0800 hours, he would be prepared, informed, and ready to begin his duties as Executive Officer. On his terms. With no illusions about the delicate balance of power and principle he would need to maintain in this environment.
The real work would begin soon enough.
A Post By
Glinn Korel Tevek
Executive Officer, Empok Nor
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