Friction

Posted on 16 Oct 2018 @ 11:28pm by Lieutenant JG Tris Shizn & Chief Warrant Officer 3 Azra Ghoc
Edited on on 29 Oct 2018 @ 11:43pm

1,146 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 17 - Crystal of Life
Location: USS Galileo-A - Holodeck 2
Timeline: MD -170, 1540 hrs

[ON]

The holodeck's interactions between light, forcefields, and matter faded from view. The intense training session had lasted nearly an hour. Almost none of the participating crew had done as well as their bosun had hoped they would. And truth be told, Azra was a bit frustrated by the relatively poor performance.

Well, she shouldn't say that it was a poor performance, just not up to the standard Ghoc had expected. Everyone who had participated had met or exceeded the standard Starfleet requirements, but Galileo's standards were higher. She had to push the crew to be better than they currently were.

"Thank you for your time. We'll run a similar simulation in two days. Please spend more time preparing so that you can all succeed at the next simulation. Have a good evening," Azra said.

Tris watched as the others exited the holodeck, with a bit of distaste in his mouth. He began to walk glumly behind them now, yet spoke confidently as he passed the Bosun, “This was a true disappointment.” He stopped to look at the Chief, “They were not ready for this level of intensity. And their failure rests on your shoulders.”

Azra frowned slightly. "Lieutenant," she said, "I agree that it was a disappointment. While I didn't expect everyone to receive perfect marks, I did expect this group to perform better than it did. These standards are the ones that our captain has approved and wants all crew to be able to meet. I would be doing everyone a disservice if I did not show them to what standard they should rise."

The Cardassian woman's voice was controlled and moderate, but there was an edge to her words. As ship's bosun she had the responsibility to train both officers and enlisted personnel, and that gave her some leeway with regard to what could be considered insubordination. Even so, she made sure to stay well away from that line.

The Andorian had stopped and turned back to Ghoc when she spoke to him. He looked slightly down and thoughtful letting her finish her comment. Looking up at her, he stated calmly, “You may be right and that is the level expected, but this,” pointing toward the middle of the holodeck, “what they just did, was not the way to get them there.”

"We can disagree on that point," said Azra, "after all, this is only the first step. If you are concerned about the course of training I've planned for members of your department, I would be happy to review it with you sometime in the future."

It was as professional a rebuttal as Azra could manage. The words had been clipped and sharp. She stared at the Andorian pilot and almost hoped he'd challenge her again. Hoped, but still recognized that as a self-destructive impulse.

Tris shook his head slightly as he looked down thoughtfully and said, “I’m not here to tell you how to run your program.” The Andorian looked up directly into the Cardassian’s eyes, “I just know that encouragement is the best teaching method. Determining how capable an individual can be, and then pressing those limits, stretching those boundries to help them grow in knowledge and strength.” He turned away placing hands on hips, realizing that he may have said too much. Without turning to look at her again, he said, “I’m sorry. I’m sure you’re a great instructor.” Tris closed his eyes and continued, “They wouldn’t have you in charge of this training unless they knew your capabilities.”

The change of tone was jarring, and forced Azra to reevaluate her approach to the situation. "Thank you, Lieutenant," he said, "and I apologize for becoming defensive. I am confident that you'll see the value of my approach as the training continues. Please trust that encouragement is coming."

Her comment brought just the hint of a smile to the corner of Tris’ mouth.

Azra's first reaction was still to be upset with Galileo's Conn officer, but that was not a professional opinion or reaction. She stifled it, moderating her tone.

The situation became quiet and then slightly awkward. Shizn pursed his lips in thought and said, “If there’s nothing else, I should go . . um shower or something.”

"Enjoy," Azra said, "You'll receive the evaluation of your performance and a recommended training regimen tomorrow. Let me know if you have any questions."

Tris had already turned and was walking away wiggling his hand in agreement to Azra. The Andorian then stopped dead in his footsteps, turned, and asked, “Chief Ghoc? Would it be inappropriate of me to recommend a one-on-one sparring with you? Possibly with some weapons?”

Azra grimaced. She didn't enjoy sparring, whether with weapons or not. She was proficient, and was a qualified self defense trainer. But she didn't enjoy it. It simply wasn't practical in her mind. "How about climbing instead?"

The Andorian raised a curious eye in Ghoc’s direction. “That sounds interesting. What type of climbing do you prefer?” Tris looked at the Chief, imagining which type might interest her. He considered, She certainly has the build and upper body strength.

"I usually do a free-climbing course set somewhere on Earth or Vulcan or the like. I have done a little bit of ice climbing, but I'm not nearly as good at it." Azra climbed as a hobby. It was also good exercise for times when training sessions weren't as frequent or intense as they currently were aboard Galileo. "What would you prefer?"

Tris listened intently, but when she mentioned the ‘ice climbing’ his eyes grew wider and his antenna extended straight up. He wasn’t sure what to comment on first, but knew he needed to speak and not draw this out too long, “I haven’t been climbing in a while, I have to admit, going through the basics as a refresher would be he most sensible thing . .” Then with more excitement in his voice, “. . but I have to admit . . the opportunity to climb ice again thrills me to no end.”

"Then if you schedule the holodeck for an off-duty period for us both, I'll join you. Let me know of the time." Azra still wasn't sure she wanted to spend more time with Tris, but she needed to at least try to get along with the man.

He paused thinking about the possibilities and program defining points to choose from. Realizing he had become distracted, Tris looked up at Ghoc and replied, “All right. I’ll schedule some time and get in touch with you.”

"Sounds good," Azra said. She finished logging the results and left the holodeck. She had more food for thought.

[OFF]

--

CWO3 Azra Ghoc
Boatswain
USS Galileo-A

Lt.JG Tris Shizn
Conn Officer
USS Galileo-A

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