"She Jaana Wanna Do It"

Posted on 30 Jan 2015 @ 8:49am by Commander Norvi Stace & Commander Andreus Kohl

1,824 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: Chief Research Officer's Office, Deck 4
Timeline: MD 43: 1406 hours

ON:

Stace placed down the padd on Kohl's desk and then sat back in her chair, taking up her cup of tea to finish it. "I agree that that's the best team that we can assemble for the deflector installation. It'll be nice to see some of the new additions work before we actually take off into space to test it out."

"Our own microcosm of a shakedown cruise, while we have the full support of the starbase." Kohl said, nodding in agreement. He took the PADD between his hands, and reviewed the list of names one more time. As he scrolled down the list, he continued, "Very wise. It should give us some idea of what to expect once we're alone out there in the void."

"Well," Stace interjected, spying Kohl with a familiar mischievous glance, "that leads me on to another topic I want to discuss with you, actually." She pulled out another padd from her backpack and, looking up to him with her green eyes, flashed an eyebrow at him. "Ensign Jaana Voutilainen. What do you know of her?"

As he studied Stace's expression, Kohl's lips curled into a perplexed wince. "Jaana Voutilainen?" was all Kohl said at first. He recognized the last name, but only because he was acquainted with her sister, Tuula. Kohl's gaze dropped down at the first PADD. "Is she one of the new transf-- Oh, no. Wait, no. I spent an hour working with her when we were at Lyshan Three. She seems nice? She knows her way around a star chart. She already seemed protective of the enlisted personnel in Astrometrics."

"Well, that's a good start," Stace replied looking keenly into Andreus' eyes. She passed over the other data padd and then looked down at her empty cup. Turning, she picked up the tea pot and poured herself another amber brew. "Shall I be mother?"

Kohl slid his empty cup and saucer across the desk towards her, and said, "Yes, please." As she filled his teacup, Kohl raised an eyebrow at her. "...A good start to what?" he asked. There was an edge of cautious optimism in his tone.

As Stace sat back down in her chair, she continued on the subject. "Ensign Jaana Voutilainen, twin sister of Tuula, and a brilliant scientist. She's been decorated by the boffins more than I care to count; accolades to her name that I could only dream of. But therein lies the problem." She took a draft of her tea and then placed the cup down on the saucer with a clink. "She's chugged along as an ensign for six years now. And, after her performance review last month, made it entirely clear that she finds this not only acceptable, but
agreeable. She has no drive much beyond her research. A sort of Yang to your Ying, if you will."

Stace smirked at her own comment but then returned to her train of conversation within a beat. "But I don't find that acceptable." She held up a hand in a mock protest. "I'm all for officers wanting to pursue their professional goals. But I see something in her. Something that needs nurturing. She joined Starfleet for the opportunities; and that's admirable. But she also has a duty to those around her and her own military progression. I want more for this woman. And I'd like you, in your nurturing way, to help me."

After taking a slurp of his tea, Kohl fixed Stace with a knowing smile. He said, "You already know my objection, but I'll say it anyway: If Jaana has no desire to lead people, then who are we to force the matter? We need brilliant scientists to forget the whys and the hows of running a starship, and to focus their brilliance on discovery. And getting us out of the red alert crises we always land in. We always need them."

"But." And now Kohl traded in his flippant tone for something more serious. "If you think she's a high potential officer. If she's demonstrated the behaviours of an emerging leader --behaviours I have seen for myself -- then we have to give her every opportunity to chose to be a leader."

Stace's face winced as she scrunched up her nose to Kohl. "Therein lies the problem, Andreus." She sighed and then broke contact with him, frustrated with herself as she exhaled hard. "I don't think this is something that she'll initially chose to do," she continued, now looking fully into his eyes. "We may need to guide her hand a little." She stopped for a moment as her face softened. Changing tact, she narrowed her gaze upon him. "You know, I never really noticed the colour of your eyes before. Have they always been that blue?"

Trying to clarify the puzzling non sequitur, Kohl echoed Stace. Trying the words out for himself, Kohl said, "Have they always been--" After trailing off, Kohl lifted one of the PADDs from the desk and tapped a couple of control contacts. His reflection appeared on the screen and he opened his eyes wide to have a good look. Then he shook his head. "There's nothing wrong my eyes, Norvi," Kohl said in a mixed manner of confusion and questioning. Irritation came into his timbre and his body language as well. "Why are we talking about my eyes? I thought were talking about Jaana?"

"I'm not changing the subject!" she exclaimed honestly. "I genuinely haven't noticed the intensity of your eyes before! I bet you could persuade anyone to do anything if you put your mind to it." A wicked, guilty smirk cracked across Norvi's face. "What? I'm being honest!"

Kohl's jaw went slack at the thought of what he was inferring. "Are you--" He leaned in closer to Stace, landed one elbow on the desk between them, and he rested his chin in his open hand. Quietly incredulous, Kohl asked, "Are you ordering me to have sexual intercourse with her?"

"Oh, dear God, no!" she blurted out, her eyes now spinning like pin-wheels. "I wouldn't wish that on anybody. Or have the cruelty to order it! To think of that poor woman!" She started to cough emphatically and then laughed. "Can you imagine. It'd be like a cold wet fish, flopping around senselessly on top of her! Oh, no. I'm not that harsh, Andreus!"

Of all the ways Stace characterized Kohl's sexual prowess, he got hung upon, "Senseless?" He scoffed, and he frowned. "Senseless??"

"You're hardly the epitome of sexual aggression, Commander," Stace then fired back with a grin. "Of all the men on this ship, and there's admittedly not a lot to chose from, I imagine all you'd have to offer a woman is clammy fumble in the dark before you go silent for a moment and then shudder in premature delight." She stared blankly into Andreus' shocked expression. "Or is what I've heard not accurate?"

"Heard. From. Whom?" was Andreus Kohl's chilly reply. He could only think of one person remaining in the crew who would have any experience, and he was the last person who would confide in Stace.

"I'm joking," came Stace's almost serious reply. "Relax. I'm just teasing you. but I can see that I've hit a nerve so let's get down to real business." She paused, took up her cup and then continued. "You've taken over the crew progression of late. Pushing officers one way or the other, and I just think that you should consider Jaana. I do think that she'll be a cracking officer one day. Should she get off the starting block."

As he considered Stace's words, he stared her down with those sapphire eyes of his and a lop-sided smile. "I'll go to Jaana to ask her for help," Kohl said. Reconsidering his tactic, he squinted a moment, and then he shrugged. "And I'll make it an order for good measure. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to go to her as a man overwhelmed, an officer promoted before his time."

"Well, it's a good job that my position, if not rank, is till slightly senior to yours. This ship would go down in a blaze of sensor failure before we even arrived at NIMBUS." She shot him a jestful, whimsical look and then raised her eyebrows affectionately. "Seriously though, so you have any ideas of where to start wit her?"

"I imagine we can make Astrometrics her very own fiefdom," Kohl suggested, his manner increasing in enthusiasm as the idea developed. "She could be made responsible for the officers and enlisted personnel -- for providing direction and training, motivation and progressive discipline, maybe even for the performance reviews at the end of this next mission. And, again, I'll make it an order."

"I think that would work perfectly," Stace agreed. "She may be only an ensign but she still is an officer. And part of being assigned on a military ship is to assist those subordinate to you. Don't I know it?" She smiled once again to him.

"She is an officer. I suppose," Kohl said, "she chose to take on at least some command responsibilities as soon as she graduated as one."

"Exactly, and that's all I mean with her. She should at least start down this path. See if it's the making of her." She paused a beat and then added, "Is this something that you want to embark on on your own or shall we tag-team her? Me approach her first?"

Kohl shrugged, and he lifted up his forgotten tea for another sip. "I'm prepared to speak with her, but if it came up in her performance review, it couldn't hurt for you to approach her as well," Kohl said, answering with maybe-yes / maybe-no.

Stace raised her eyebrows at the non-decision and then sighed. "Well, this is your area with the science crew. Perhaps you should take command of it from the off." She winced a little and then admitted, "If you're going to go to her with the story of struggling with your new duties, it doesn't make sense that should be in on that."

"Then that's what I'll do," Kohl affirmed in a sing-song lilt. He waggled a finger at Stace and looked at her with suspicion. "Now, then. Do you have any more PADDs hidden back there?" he asked.

"Not for you," Stace said, leaning over and plucking the top one off. "Risian chocolate dessert. A menu I downloaded from the database. I'm trying to make it myself by growing the coco beans in the arboretum. I'm not entirely confident I'll be successful but it's something to look forward to. I might offer you a slice if you behave!"


[OFF]

Lieutenant Commander Andreus Kohl
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

AND

Lieutenant Commander Norvi Stace
Chief Science Officer & Second Officer
USS Galileo

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