Facing the Music: Part 3

Posted on 21 Jul 2014 @ 6:17pm by Commander Scarlet Blake & Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark & Commander Luke Wyatt & Commander Norvi Stace
Edited on on 22 Jul 2014 @ 8:40am

1,947 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: USS Galileo: Deck 2 - First Officer's Office
Timeline: MD 06: 0820 hrs

Previously, in 'Facing the Music: Part 2'...

Luke looked to Blake and then to stark before nodding, "sorry to do this to you again Mr Stark and to treat you like a school child but I'd like to speak to the commander privately about your statement so if you'd please wait outside for a moment," he gestured to the door with his free hand.

Gabriel nodded, swallowing as he made his way out. To be honest, it gave him a moment to catch his breath without eyes on him.

And now, the conclusion....

[ON]

Blake looked to Wyatt, searching his eyes for a long moment as she crossed her legs. "A nice little mess this one, isn't it," she said quietly.

Luke shook his head as he paced the room putting his hand on the desk stroking it before turning to Blake again. "I don't know what to think, on one side we have a hot headed officer, a department head more to the point, who clearly has no control over her subordinates and goes against every moral fibre I have as marine...and a security and an enlisted crewman in the same department as I who feels exactly what I do but expressed in an inappropriate way. How am I supposed to enact a punishment to something I agree with," he rolled his eyes, "the very most I can disagree with his conduct."

Blake nodded, giving a heavy sigh that said she knew what he meant. "We were both Marines, we have that feeling of never leaving a man behind drilled into us. Starfleet are....slightly different, more measured perhaps. You know yourself from your recent officer training that sometimes Starfleet officers have to make hard decisions to sacrifice one life over here to protect others over there. No matter how much it rallies against what you and I have fought and risked ourselves for in the past. And it seems Stark has caught that same 'never leave a man behind' ethos from somewhere in the Security department. And yet, we can't have crewmen thinking it's an 'acceptable' everyday thing to question an order...."

Scarlet rubbed her temple, thinking out loud. "From what I can tell, he didn't disobey an order, he questioned it, so at least there's that. There is, like it or not, occasion for an order to be questioned before the moment passes. I think we've both probably been in situations to understand what I mean by that. The key is to understanding when that rare occasion is, and when it isn't which is the vast majority of times. I mean, imagine if some orders hadn't been questioned over our history. And think of things that have happened in the past because people were just following orders without question. I get it. The point is, the majority of the time, they shouldn't be questioned and don't need to be questioned. It's whether we believe he understands that or if he is likely to just shout off over any old gripe again in the future."

Scarlet tapped the computer screen with Stark's record on it. "And Stark needs to learn how to express himself and keep himself calm....both Quinn and Stace clearly weren't pleased with how he expressed his concern, and he has a temper on him," she agreed with Luke's point on that, nodding. "He went to prison, for goodness sake....you know why? He was in a bar fight, after losing his temper when a man was putting his hands on a woman who didn't want it...when he was hauled in, he also had drugs in his system. He's been clean of drugs since, but he's clearly not learning so well on the temper front. So yet again, we have Stark trying to do what he thinks is the right thing, but in the worst way possible and ending up hurting himself for it..." she sighed, shaking her head. "My instinct on this occasion is for his punishment to be about on line with Stace's, and to make sure he goes back to his counselling and sticks to it. They were both in a difficult, lose-lose situation, and they both lost their temper somewhere along the line over it. Hopefully, everyone can then just draw a line under it and move on."

"It sounds like he does everything wrong for the right reason a lot of good people go to jail for the wrong reasons and as for bar fight do I have to remind you of basic?" He smiled "I agree with you decision on counselling they both need it and I do believe the lieutenant need a bit of reducatiob on what it means to be a department head so unless there's anything else shall we wrap this up?"

"Sounds bloody dandy to me," Scarlet assured with a nod, pressing the intercom. "Mr Stark, please rejoin us..." she sat back in the chair and shifted to try and get more comfortable...as comfortable as she could in this situation...as he made his way back in. "Mr Stark. We need to be assured that you understand that you cannot just question orders as you feel like it. You won't always agree with everything you're ordered to do. You have to trust that an officer is making a decision for a reason. And even if you disagree, the correct course of action is to make a formal objection when safe to do so."

"I know," Gabriel said quietly, nodding with a frown. "I know, I know, I do. I do try to keep my mouth shut, believe it or not. Just...this time...it was in that moment, find him or lose him..."

"We understand," she interrupted him quickly, shaking her head firmly. "We....believe that this was a rare occasion when you felt it a life or death situation to question an order before it was too late to change the outcome of it. What I need to be assured of is that you understand the difference between a rare, rare occasion and just shouting off as you want when you're not happy."

"I do," Gabriel said quietly, but solemnly, meeting Scarlet's eyes, and then Luke's. "I do. You can call me a hot head all you like, but I wouldn't lie. I understand what you're saying."

Scarlet paused, letting the importance of it sink in before nodding and looking to Wyatt. "You have got to learn to express yourself properly. It's the boy who cried wolf, Stark. You can be in the right, but people won't believe it if you've been picking arguments all the time....and they won't want to believe it if you say it in a way that makes it hard for them to accept your advice because they think it makes them look weak 'backing down' to a mouthy crewman," she pointed out.

Gabriel was silent, but nodded with a frown. He knew his faults well enough. He just found it so difficult to control them. It wasn't that he hadn't tried, just more that they sometimes got the better of him.

"And you have to get control of your temper," Scarlet said firmly, with no compromise on the matter. "You've already gotten yourself in trouble for it before, and you're still doing it now. So the Lieutenant lost her temper with you in the bar, what should you have done?"

"Walk away..." Gabriel murmured, eyes on the ground.

"Damn right," Scarlet motioned to him with frustration. "See? You don't even need us to tell you! You're not stupid, Gabriel, stop putting yourself in situations that make us treat you like you are," she sighed, shaking her head. "You're going to start following your orders to attend frequent counselling and medical sessions...and by frequent, I mean once every fortnight."

"I'm not crazy..." Gabriel said quietly with an almost pained frown.

"No one's saying you are. But you do have a temper problem. Your file clearly says that you were identified as having some deep seated issues, that's why you were ordered to ongoing therapy. You're going, Stark. And you never know, it might even help...."

Gabriel glanced up to her at the last of her words, a small smile back on his features at the way she said it in a 'wouldn't you know' kind of tone. "Yes, Commander."

Scarlet let out a long breath, nodding with a look that said she trusted him, and he shouldn't try and break that trust. "You are also going to write me a paper. Yours is going to be about the importance of the chain of command in combative and dangerous situations, and how enlisted crew should best deal with difficult orders in difficult situations. And if it's not good enough, I will take you off duty until you submit one to me that is good enough."

Gabriel watched her with mild surprise at that. It had been a while since he'd had to write an essay. "I can do that," he said softly.

"Good," Blake looked across to Luke. "Now, Mr Wyatt, as something of a mentor to Mr Stark in your department, what would you recommend as a good...training programme for him?"

"Actually for the time been I would suggest me and Stark take some time away from the department and think about recent events upon his return in say a couple of days once he has produced a good enough essay I will work with him as I see fit?" He offered he had been in these spots before and knew time off was just the begening of it and not at all a reward.

Scarlet rather liked the decision. It was different than just plain our laps or scrubbing floors, but it was tailored to the man's problems at hand. Luke was going to make a good officer. "Then that's what you two do, after we've finished with the mines at least. Stark, I suggest you take that time off duty to....catch your breath and get your head back in place. Dismissed."

Gabriel swallowed hard, nodding. It was more time to ruminate on it all, rather than keeping busy and pushing it aside. But he suspected that was half the point. "Yes, Commander. Sir," he nodded to them both before leaving quickly.

Luke watched as the man walked out if the office before pushing out a breath. "What a bloody good mess! I hope it's not always like this." He said leaning on the wall.

"Only about....90% of the time," Scarlet shrugged lightly, but it was clear she wasn't being serious. "You had some good suggestions," she assured.

Luke was pleased by the praise Scarlet gave him. "Thanks but I still don't enjoy any of this especially when it's so controversial!" Luke smiled before continuing "if there's nothing else 'today' then I better get my quarters ready for a new room mate... This'll be fun." Truthly Luke was looking forward to installing Spain mild marine know how to the officer.

Scarlet waved a hand casually. "No, that's fine, you go. I'm going to have a coffee after that little headache and try and find some rum to go in it...."

Luke laughed at the joke before back peddling towards the diner and waving "Have fun with your rum commander," he winked before turning around and leaving the room completely.


[OFF]


Senior Chief Petty Officer Luke Wyatt
Acting Chief of Security
USS Galileo

Lieutenant Norvi Stace
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

CMDR Scarlet Blake
First Officer
USS Galileo

PO1 Gabriel Stark
Security/Tactical
USS Galileo
[PNPC - Blake]

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