When I was in the Navy, I noticed that interactions with the upper chain were pretty similar to this. The higher you go up the hierarchy, the more chill and inviting the officers are. The Commanding Officer is just a guy like you or me, and he wants the same thing I want to give him: to be reliably informed about the state of his command. As long as you remember to be polite, be efficient, and have a plan to kill everyone you meet have your plan of action already in place, the captain will listen to just about anything you have to say. He doesn't like it if you talk casually (impolite), but he also doesn't want you to grovel or simper (inefficient). As to the last thing, the phrase I was taught to use with the captain is "I intend to," vice "should I" or "I'm going to." If the captain approves of your intention, he'll say, "Very well;" if not, he can redirect you.