SFPD Blues

Posted on 04 Apr 2022 @ 3:17pm by Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark & Lieutenant Aria Rice

3,837 words; about a 19 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: USS Galileo: Security
Timeline: MD 06: 1210

ON:

"Wait, wait, tell me again, how many laps did they make you run?" Gabriel grinned as he watched Aria with shining, dark eyes. He tried to picture it, but he only got a cartoonish image of Aria's little legs circling in dust clouds to keep up.

Aria, or Lieutenant Rice as Gabriel should be calling her, sat in her comfortable, brand new chair and watched him with something close to boredom. "16 laps," she said and gave a small shrug. "Which isn't that bad for a warm up. And we were timed. And Blake was leading it and she has long legs..." Shapely too, but Aria knew better than to say that to Gabriel. Besides, not like he didn't know Aria appreciated Blake's appearance.

Gabriel chuckled as he leant on the desk to get in closer to her, shaking his head. "Ah man, the first thing that happens around here that I could actually be half decent at, and I'm not bloody invited! Isn't that just typical. I'd pay good money to see a bunch of officers trying to work out hard."

"Oh, it will be every day now, so if you are lucky you can see it," Aria said and arched her back, moving her leg up and bending forward so it touched her shoulder. "It's no worse than the training we do. Just unexpected."

Gabriel let out a whistle, shaking his head with appreciation. "Look at these ballerina moves. Did you Ciseaux your way around the track?"

"Would have been fun to do," Aria said and lowered her leg until it was propped up on the desk. "But somehow I doubt that our Acting Captain would have approved."

"What's she like?" he asked with curiosity, shaking his head. All he'd seen of her so far was the address that she'd made when they'd been called back onboard. Aria would have a better picture than scuttlebutt.

"She's trying to show us how different she is from Lirha," Aria said as she met his eyes, her mouth twisting slightly in a grimace. "And any other Captain. I'm sure she is very good, or else I doubt she'd be given Command."

Gabriel nodded thoughtfully, watching her with a small smile. It was a solid theory. "But you can take it. You've served under rougher..."

Aria met his eyes before she nodded. "Oh, I am not concerned about me. Or you. Or my Department," she said, taking some ownership in the way she said it. "But the ship has a lot of more...sensitive souls."

"Well, no offence, Aria, but we're not running an art school here," he held his hands out to either side as he leant back, chuckling softly. " 'My department', that sounded good."

She sighed before she shook her head, thinking. "I am disappointed that...people are being vocal in complaining about it," she finally admitted. "The physical aspects of it. It's Starfleet, not..." she was not going to use art school. "...the Casual Diplomatic Scout Corps..."

Gabriel laughed warmly at that, resting his chin in his hand as he went over that again in his head. "The Casual Diplomatic Scout Corps...every part of that gets better as it goes on. Do they sell cookies do you think?"

"Yes, alongside little leaflets of Hug a Klingon and Ten ways of making a Vulcan smile," she said lightly and smiled back, laughing as well. "I mean, it is a balance. I just...I have more issues with how it is being done than that it is being done. Does that make sense?"

"I think so," Gabriel watched her with a gentle smile before looking casually down to his hands. "I mean...you and Captain Saalm were pretty close afterall..."

Aria looked at him, her eyes softening at that. "We are friends," she said softly. "But yes, of course it hurts that she isn't there, for me personally. I can...acknowledge and move on with that. Everyone transfers off eventually..." she swallowed, knowing they had both had friends come and go because of it. Aria had been off the ship twice already in her time.

He nodded with a weak smile at that. Yeah, he knew that feeling well enough. "And I don't suppose you know when Saalm will be coming back? If you're allowed to say, obviously," he added, not wanting to make it awkward if it was above his pay grade.

"Honestly? I didn't even know she was gone until we were standing there and Tarin showed up," Aria's voice was quiet and even a bit sad, her eyes going to the desk. She had been excited to be the Chief Security Officer, under Captain Lirha Saalm. This? It was not what she had hoped for.

Gabriel watched her for a long moment before shaking his head, slapping his hands lightly on the desk. "Okay, this won't do..." he half laid across her desk to reach her padd, pulling it between them. "We're going to work this out. First of all, make a list of the things that are making you do that adorable but sad pout..."

"No, it's fine!" Aria laughed, watching him fondly before she took his hand. "I just need a day or two to get over it. It'll take the pout away because...I'll just get into it all again. Work. Trying not to mess things up."

"Honestly, it works pretty well," he lifted the padd to her with a small smile. "Some shrink showed me. It was the only useful thing that arsehole did for me."

She looked at it before she took the PADD, waiting for a moment. She wrote down Not knowing what is going on as the top item on the list and showed him.

He nodded, letting out a long breath. "And you're a chief! Try being lowly scum like me," he chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Well that's perfectly reasonable to add to the list. Keep going. We know the Captain leaving is one..."

She added it, but looked thoughtful. "No matter what happens in Command, I will make sure you and the rest are alright," she said, her voice serious. "It's my job to keep you protected against that drama."

"I mean, yes, but there's always going to be the rumour mill," he shook his head with a soft smile. "There's already a bunch going around. Captain Saalm has been sent back to prison...Captain Tarin is a Starfleet Intelligence rep looking for new candidates...none of this is real and this is one big assessment..."

She smiled as she reached to touch his cheek, her thumb caressing it. "Gabriel. It's not a test and I know Captain Saalm is not in prison," she said firmly, knowing she could reassure him with that. "Most likely, my feeling is she is needed for something. Maybe the clean up from the last mission. And Tarin, she has her own mission, sure, but that will be our problem later." She took the PADD and bit her lip, thinking. Being underestimated she put in.

Gabriel watched her add it, nodding with a half smile. "Well I pity the fool who underestimates you, Aria Rice," he laughed gently, but watched her with understanding.

She chuckled softly and added another bit. Worried my people aren't being engaged enough, she wrote before she met his eyes. "You are an intelligent man. I don't want you to become bored."

He shook his head, watching her with surprise for a long moment. "Not often I hear that," he teased back, shrugging lightly. "Listen, I wake up, come to work, get it done, then go home."

She looked at him, searching his brown eyes for a long moment. "Hm..." she gave a small shrug before she looked at her list. "What did you get up to on shoreleave?" she finally asked.

"Well, what I wanted was to get lost in some dark, dodgy club for a week," he sighed and shrugged as he watched her with dramatically woeful eyes. "When I realised there was no such place, the aim changed to just staying drunk for as many days in a row as possible. Oh, and I went on a spacewalk with Constantin."

"Spacewalk?" Aria looked at him with surprise before she chuckled. "I did not expect that...sounds nice though! And you checked the seals, right? Of course you did, you're alive here with me..."

"He did," he shook his head with a soft smile, his chin in his hand. "He grew up doing it. He was raised on a small vessel with his family. It was the only way he could get some space. Literally."

Aria looked at him, studying him closely before she bit her lip. So many questions. So. Many. Questions. "And he wanted to have some space. With you. Amongst the stars."

"Actually, I kind of said I'd like to," he smiled with warmth, shaking his head absently from side to side. "I thought it would be nice...quiet." Romantic.

"Mmm..." Aria nodded as she narrowed her eyes at him before she sat back in her chair, considering it. "And he is a handsome man," she added after a moment's pause, trying to remember the face. She had seen him around, more clocked him when she saw him with Gabriel more than anything else. But she hadn't talked to him. So she didn't know him.

Gabriel gave a coy shrug at the words, his grin speaking for itself. "Is he? I hadn't noticed..." he blatantly lied.

"Sure..." Aria looked at him before she gave a small smile. He looked like he was happy and that was all she cared about. "Well, are you two planning on doing that again next shoreleave?"

"I guess we'll have to wait and see if he's sick of the sight of me after another urgent mission," he chuckled, watching her with warmth before shaking his head. "Also, this is a nice try at distracting me," he tapped the desk next to her padd. "Any more for the sad list?"

Aria sighed softly as she touched it. No alcohol! she added in before narrowing her eyes. "I miss my vodka. And my rum. I really miss my spirits...not even drinking them, but the bottles were so pretty and ready for shoreleave!"

"Yeah, it well and truly marked the end of the party season, huh?" he smiled sympathetically, shaking his head. "I think that's a fair one to put down."

"Tell me about it," she said, remembering having to supervise the collection of the alcohol. "I really feel for some people. I thought Sylver was going to cry when he parted with the bottle of wine and brandy."

"He'll cry even more when we can give it all back and he just gets empty bottles..." he gave an innocent smile, resting his hand under his chin.

"Don't. I don't want us to get into trouble," Aria said, but with a smile that said she knew he was really just teasing. "Thorne is a force to be reckoned with after all."

"The chaplain? He's a pussy cat," he chuckled softly, shaking his head as he tapped the edge of her padd. "If you're done with your blah list, you should start on your good one."

"There's a good one?" Aria asked, surprised as she looked at him, biting her lip almost thoughtfully as she met his eyes.

"Of course!" he laughed, leaning forward enough to rest on his elbows. "When you finish the bad list, you do the good list. Then we have to work out the karma circle of life."

Aria nodded as she took the PADD and wrote down Good friends, before she stared at it for a long moment. And she couldn't think of anything else, not really, so she lamely put down pride in my work and department.

"Er...promotion!" he laughed, tapping his finger insistently on the desk next to the padd. "Come on...put it down, right now. And new chair."

Aria added both, smiling as she thought of her chair, wriggling in it for a moment. "It is ever so comfy," she admitted almost shyly. "But the promotion? I am expecting a de-motion shortly..."

"Nonsense, for a start, who is going to replace you? The security team mascot bear?" Gabriel arched an eyebrow, trying to keep his features straight with his sarcasm, but his lips pulled with a smile.

She looked at him, a small smirk coming to her. "I mean, Chief Bear does do things his own way," she said playfully. "And he is great for when you need a cuddle."

"I like to take him for a squeeze in the crying corner when things have gotten really bad," he teased with a shake of his head. Well. Mostly teased.

"You're not the only one," Aria said without any shame, smiling gently. "Although I am hoping I won't be the cause of his use. But we'll see. Depends how hard they expect me to be."

"There's a way to do things, right?" he shook his head, spreading his hands out as he thought it through. "Whatever the order is, there's a choice in how you do it. I mean...there's a difference between 'sorry, but we're going to have to take your alcohol, but you'll get it back' and 'give us your alcohol, don't ask questions, do as you're told or else'. Even if the order sucks, you can still do it the Aria way?"

"Mm...and what happens when I have to kick our own arses?" she asked, reaching to poke his arm. "Because you know I will have to. If only to bring us down a notch. It's going to happen, it always happens in movies. The heroes being brought to their knees mid-way, because they rally and then win the day."

"Well you just said it...it turns out alright in the end," he chuckled, shaking his head as he watched her. "What's the point in worrying about the thousands of different scenarios that might happen? Worry about them if they happen, not before."

Aria watched him before she nodding, looking down at the PADD with a smile. "And here you go, pretending as if you're not a kind, sensitive, caring soul...and then you say something like that, with so much wisdom."

"It's not wisdom," he shook his head with a soft chuckle, watching her with honest, dark eyes. "I've been in mandatory counselling since I started my career in the fleet. I will probably still be doing it up until I leave. I'm not sure much of it sinks in, but I make a pretty good parrot, don't you think?"

She watched him, frowning slightly before she let out a breath. "Is...it helping, even if it doesn't sink in?" she asked, curious. She had never really asked him about his past. It...was in his file, sure, but she didn't dig there. It had never felt right.

Gabriel gave a half shrug at that, letting out a soft breath. "It's hard to tell. I mean, I can understand it, like when I'm talking with you or someone else, but when it's me? It's not so easy. I don't know, Aria, you ever feel like that bad crap that has happened to you has become so much a part of you that you can't undo it?"

Aria looked at him before she nodded. "Or that you shouldn't let it go, because you deserve it?" she asked softly, holding his eyes for a long moment. "You deserve to feel that bad crap?"

Gabriel was silent for a long moment, watching the desk as he let out a long, tight breath. "Constantin is going to run a mile when he gets to know me properly," he chuckled softly.

"I didn't," Aria said softly and reached out, her hand touching his. "Made me love you more, Gabriel Stark. And besides, he might have his own issues you'll need to work through. No one is perfect."

"Well that is true enough," he smiled gently, squeezing her hand with warmth. "Okay, that's enough of me, back to this list of yours. Anything else for the nice list?"

"I think right now, that is it," she said and gave him an apologetic smile, unable to stop it. "Just...there's a lot, you know? I am struggling to focus on how I am instead of...what needs doing."

"I get that," Gabriel assured with a small smile, nodding as he turned the padd sideways so they could both look at it. "Okay...so we have 'not knowing what is going on', 'being underestimated', 'worried my people aren't being engaged enough' and 'no alcohol' versus 'good friends', 'pride in my work and department', 'promotion' and 'good karma chair'...so now we weigh them up and work out what you can and can't do anything about..."

Gabriel half twisted against the desk to get a better look, smiling softly as he used a fingertip down the edge of the padd to run down the list. "Okay, so 'not knowing what is going on' is something you have absolutely no control over, so chuck it away. If you can't change it or balance it, there's no point in worrying about it. All you can do is accept it and take each day as it comes.

"'Being underestimated' is an uncomfortable feeling, but this balances with the 'pride in my work and department'. Let them underestimate you all they want...if you're proud in your team and work, then it will speak for itself. It also links to your promotion...that means at least one person, an important one, *didn't* underestimate you, and you should remember that. And of course, your good karma chair will help protect you...

"Now 'worried my people aren't engaged enough', that's something you *can* do something about, so draw up an action plan to develop or train your people, and it will feel like you're getting something done on this list. And 'no alcohol'? Well...why not balance that one with good friends? When you'd usually reach for a drink to unwind, go and spend time with a friend and unwind with them instead," he grinned to her, shrugging lightly. "Easy, huh?"

Aria looked at him for a long moment, studying him before she looked down. Thinking. Just thinking. He has great solutions and she did take them onboard, but the bit about engaging...it made her speak. And be honest. "You know, the one I worry about is you," she finally admitted. "I want you to...engage...to lead more. You're smart, Gabriel, and talented. I think everyone would benefit from you putting that extra training to better use. So...tell me how. How can I get you to a place you want to do that?"

He watched her with surprise at the words, taking in a shaking breath as he sat back properly, searching her eyes. "You shouldn't worry about me. I don't want to be a worry to you," he said softly but firmly. "Aria, I was kicked out of the Officer's Academy, I only got back in as enlisted because they needed a higher security intake that year. Hell, or maybe my father even pulled strings and got me in. That's even worse. I'm meant to say yes, Sir, no, Sir, three bags full, Sir."

"That was awhile ago," Aria said softly, watching her for a long moment. "You are not meant to say yes. You're meant to think. I think you're meant to lead, eventually. Maybe not as an officer, but you could become Chief Warrant Officer," she met his eyes with meaning. "If you want it, one day."

"You think so?" he asked quietly, searching her eyes for any sign she was just being nice. "I mean, that extra training, as I got to the latter half, I started to love it, but it was *hard*. Buckling down, discipline, not throwing tables when someone got in my face telling me what to do..."

"But you did it," Aria said and smiled, unable to hold it back. "And becoming a Warrant Officer, you know...you're a specialist. So people can't boss you around as much, they want to know your thoughts. Your real thoughts on things. I know you can do it, and if you want to...I want to get you there in your career."

Gabriel watched her intently, swallowing hard as his thumbnail rubbed against the desk awkwardly. "Would you want to know my thoughts?"

"I'd love them," Aria said, meaning it as she looked at him, her expression softening. "Hell, I need all the help I can get as well, you know. I'd want to know your thoughts, your recommendations...your take on a situation."

Gabriel watched her with gratitude at the trust and confidence from Aria. It meant a lot, it really did. "Aren't Warrant Officers specialists?" he asked softly.

"Yes," Aria said and nodded, holding his eyes. "And if you didn't want to be a specialist, you could become Chief Petty Officer easily enough. But if you ask me, you got it in you to be a specialist. You did your hazard training. You can do anything, Gabriel."

"What would you want me to specialise in?" he asked as he leant forward, setting his chin in his hand. If he did it, he would want to be useful to her.

Aria shook her head, holding her hand up. "No. This is not about me. It is about you," she said and lowered her hand, holding his eyes. "It's about where you want to go with your career. We're a small ship with a small team...we need everything."

"Then I want to be your hazard guy," he gave a half smile, shaking his head lightly. "I learnt a lot in that training. Not just what to do and how to do it, I mean...how I am when I'm doing it."

She nodded, giving him a small smile. "Then that is the plan. You do whatever you can to continue to specialise in that. Anything you need from me, you let me know. And we get you there. We get you to that position by the time we are back from this deep space mission. Agreed?"

He let out a long, sharp breath, watching her seriously for a moment. He held his hand out to her, shaking hers firmly. "You have a deal, boss..." he grinned.

Aria took it, giving a nod. "Good man," she whispered, meaning it. It might seem silly, but she wanted to make sure he succeeded. He had talent. She would have to be his motivation until he felt confident enough to take over.

OFF:

Lt. Aria Rice
Chief Security Officer
USS Galileo-A

&

PO1 Gabriel Stark
Security
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

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