Meeting the Bosses

Posted on 02 Feb 2014 @ 9:16am by Lieutenant Min Zhao & Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Captain Jonathan Holliday & Commander Scarlet Blake

2,248 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 05 - Solstice
Location: Starfleet HQ - San Francisco
Timeline: MD 07 - 0910 hrs

ON:

[Starfleet HQ]
[San Francisco]

For the second time in as many months, Min found herself waiting in a hallway at Starfleet waiting to meet with senior officers who's decisions would have some bearing on her fate. This time however, she was facing the officers she'd be serving under during her first cruise back.

Despite the different circumstances, Min felt that same nervousness in the pit of her stomach as she waited to be called in. She had no idea what to expect from her new CO, other then he had a reputation for being a hardass.

Inside the commodore's office, Lirha sat with both John and Scarlet while they jointly reviewed the list of incoming transfers to their ship. Their conversation had so far been casual and jovial until a certain officer's name had come up who had a rather unorthodox background.

"Min Zhao," Lirha said quietly as she read the name off of her PADD while looking through her records and, most importantly, recent disciplinary actions taken against her. "Recently reinstated to Starfleet with a permanent reprimand on her record. Something about fraternizing with a fellow officer while on duty which led to negligence and a dangerous technical malfunction on board her ship..."

John was less than impressed as he read through the same document as his former commanding officer and mentor. When Starfleet had told then the Galileo would be receiving a special case, the CO had not been expecting to end up babysitting the fleet's rejects.

"Indeed....and I'm supposed to do exactly what with this woman? She's not exactly officer material if her past conduct is anything to go by."

"She does not have the most desirable Starfleet service record..." Lirha quietly commented in slight agreement.

"Not the most desirable? That's an understatement ma'am. Multiple disciplinary notices, leaving the fleet to avoid tribunal, it's a textbook case of how to get it wrong."

John replied with a sigh. It seemed that every extra page he read gave birth to one problem more than the Captain needed to know about.

"Perhaps that is exactly why she is being sent here," Scarlet replied quietly, looking between them. "A Commodore and a Captain with a reputation for keeping a firm grip on things. It might be exactly what she needs. It will either make her or break her. Either way, at the end of a mission with us, her future in the fleet will probably be decided one way or another with your methods."

The Orion shrugged, not sure what exactly Starfleet was expecting of her. She would do her best either way, but in her experience, often times individuals needed to find their own way in life. There was only so much she -- or others on Galileo -- could do for her. "I suppose we should call her in and meet her. Perhaps she can provide some insight into her own situation?"

"Agreed." John said, motioning to the security officer at the door to open the meeting room so that the command staff of the Galileo could meet their latest recruit.

Min entered the room. Going up to the desk the three senior officer's were sitting at, Min came to an almost attention. "Ma'am. Sir. Ma'am. You wished to speak with me?"

Lirha took in the sight of the dark-haired and pregnant Operations officer, then motioned with her green hand towards a nearby vacant chair. "Hello, lieutenant. Please have a seat," she indicated, then waited for John to continue. It was, after all, his ship, and she wanted him to be the one to formally introduce their staff and take charge of the meeting.

"Lieutenant Min Zhao. I am Captain Holliday, this is Commodore Saalm, and my First Officer, Commander Blake."

John paused to clear his throat and once again look over the paperwork on the PADD in front of him. He was not overly fond of allowing ne'er-do-wells and runaways onto his ship, but it seemed the Admiralty were about to force his hand.

"I have documentation from a Starfleet disciplinary hearing that instructs your assignment to the Galileo. Something I am not particularly pleased about given your...record. I have asked my previous CO and my XO to join us to assist in your integration onto my ship. I trust we won't be experiencing a repeat of your past performances?"

Min nodded. "No Sir. I don't intend to repeat the mistakes I made three years ago."

"Why did you make those mistakes in the first place? And what has changed since then?" Lirha chimed in, unable to resist asking the most important question of 'why'. Without fully understanding the reasons behind her decision, the commodore felt a valuable piece of information was missing.

"Commodore. I apologize if my answer comes across as impersonal but I've spent the past several months explaining this to various Starfleet personnel evaluating me, so it's become somewhat of a habit."

"The immediate cause of the incident which resulted in my courtmarshal was the result not of thinking with my head but of letting my own passions decide for me. The root cause that led me to that point, would best be classed as arrogance. Very few human's have ever been accepted into Vulcan's prestigious T'Sal Academy of the Sciences. I was among that select few, something that gave me a sense of arrogance."

"Immediately following the incident, I chose resignation rather then face the courtmarshal. That was driven by fear, pure and simple. I didn't want the exposure, the record, any of it. It would become a stain on my record, which in retrospect, would be far smaller if I'd faced the music then as opposed to waiting."

Min paused. "As to what has changed. Short answer is I grew up. After resigning, I struck out on my own and attempted to find my own way in the world. That too would fail."

"I encountered many things out there and did some things for a wage that I'm not proud of. The defining moment however, that changed everything for me was six months ago. I'd been working on Starbase 74 for a young Bajoran merchant. We started dating, one thing led to another," Min placed her hands on her swollen stomach, "and this is the result."

"That's when the truth came out. He was already married and I was nothing more then a distraction for him. He cut me loose and ran back to his wife. For me, this was the point I came to the end of my rope."

"I now had a child on the way and my life as I'd been living it was no world to bring a child into. The only real choice was Starfleet, facing the decisions of my past, and the faint hope I'd be accepted back."

Holliday was unimpressed, and was not shy of making this known through the expression on his face. John was what many called a Lifer - someone who had joined the Academy as soon as they were able and had no intention of doing anything other than staying in service until the very end. The idea that someone would abandon their post, run from a court marshal and then only come back to escape the idea of being alone made him ashamed that he would be serving with someone of such low morale fibre.

"So you came back to Starfleet because you had no other option. I hope you can understand why that doesn't exactly fill me with glee at your assignment to Galileo?

"I can, yes. Sir."

John wanted nothing more than to leave right now. He simply found it difficult to accept someone would willingly come back from such a life to the control and regiment of Starfleet. Perhaps that was what she needed right now, and perhaps the Galileo was supposed to be the place she could get it. The twisted thought patterns of the Admiralty started to ring clear in the captain's head.

"And how exactly do I know we aren't going to be repeating this whole thing again in a few months time?"

"All I can offer besides my word, such as it is, is this. Starfleet gave me a second chance after I made a serious series of errors in judgement. I want my daughter to grow up looking up to her mother as an example of how to live, not having to explain to my daughter that because I couldn't keep my legs crossed I was kicked out of Starfleet for a second time."

John paused for a moment, looking to the Commodore and the Commander to judge their opinions before continuing.

"You will operate under a tight leash aboard Galileo until I am convinced that you are not going to break the conditions of your assignment. The slightest violation of any regulation and I will have no choice but to remove you from duty pending a complete investigation. Commodore, Commander, your thoughts?"

"I think all three of us share many of the same concerns, lieutenant," Lirha commented while motioning to Blake and Holliday. "We could always use capable officers on board Galileo, but we need to know they will put forth their best effort and proudly represent the ship and the crew." She had her doubts about the woman just like John, but she saw potential in her.

"Captain, if I may suggest?" Blake looked to Holliday, her voice low and matter of fact. "Attending regular counselling sessions for the foreseeable future may help in keeping things focussed for the Lieutenant? As well as offer some support," she added the last as she looked back to Min, meeting her eyes.

John nodded in agreement with his XO. She had a far more social background than the Captain did given her training and experience and would be in a far stronger position to offer such advice.

"Lieutenant Zhao would you be agreeable to this? If so I suggest you speak with our counselling team upon reporting aboard."

Min nodded. "I would be agreeable, yes Captain. I have in fact already spoken at some length with Lt Miir yesterday regarding my circumstances and he has agreed to take me on as one of his clients."

Min glanced over at the Commodore. "Ma'am. I appreciate the chance to prove to the three of you, and the rest of the crew, that my past mistakes were just that, mistakes, that I have learned from them, and can be trusted as a valued member of the Galileo."

"I am not sure we are the ones you should be thanking," Lirha remarked while reading through some of the official details of Zhao's JAG proceedings. "It seems the admiralty has put a lot of faith in you and is willing to let you continue to serve in the fleet. The official decision to assign you to Galileo was theirs...I--we are just following orders," she explained, then set the PADD down and looked over the pregnant woman. "Nevertheless," she added with a lighter, more compassionate voice, "we are all here to support you and we hope to see you become the kind of officer we know you can be."

"Understood Commodore. " Min stood there quietly. So many questions went through her head. What was her assignment? What duty shift? Who would be bunking with her? She wasn't sure if those were questions she should be asking.

"Captain. If I may ask, what is my role to be aboard ship? I know I was assigned to operations but my orders did not indicate my duty assignment."

"You have been assigned as Assistant Chief of Operations. I trust that is self explanatory? If not I'm sure Mr Amril will be able to brief you once you report aboard."

John paused for a moment thinking of their recently arrived Vorta operations chief. No doubt starfleet were extremely interested in him, and the CO would have to check that he was being well treated.

"I run a tight ship Miss Zhao. I trust you will come to understand that. Operations is a challenging assignment for any officer."

"Yes Sir. I do understand what the position entails. I will speak with Mr Amril regardless." She paused. "One last question if I may. I know the Nova class is quite cozy so there's a lot of shared quarters. Given that, have I been assigned a bunk mate yet?"

"Such details are for the Operations Chief to worry about. I suggest you contact him as soon as you are able."

John prided himself on knowing what was happening aboard his ship, but to be honest, he had little concern with the sleeping arrangements of his crew. There was a department to look after such things, and as such, the Captain was happy to let them do exactly that.

"If you have any concerns with your posting then make them known to Commander Blake. Now unless you have any further questions Miss Zhao?"

"I do not Captain."

"Very well. Dismissed." Jonathan replied to the short response. The meeting had gone about as well as the CO had expected, and for now he would have enough to think on before the Galileo returned to space.

[OFF]

--

CDRE Lirha Saalm
Mission Advisor
USS Galileo

CAPT Jonathan Holliday
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

CMDR Scarlet Blake
First Officer
USS Galileo

LT j.g. Min Zhao
Asst Chief of Operations
USS Galileo

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