Accountability

Posted on 01 Sep 2023 @ 2:12pm by Commander Morgan Tarin & Commander Scarlet Blake & Ensign Mimi

2,725 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: Regula I - Level 16, Senior Office Module
Timeline: MD 16, 1625 hrs

[ON]

Inside a small senior office module within the science station Regula I, Commander Morgan Tarin sat dutifully at her desk pouring over a plethora of Galileo-related issues in addition to the most recent Starfleet strategic operations reports from the surrounding sectors. The Nova-class had been away from the station for just shy of two weeks yet the backlog of pertinent, missed information had built up into several small towers of PADDs.

The new captain sighed, leaning back in her chair and rubbing her soft temples to futily alleviate the incoming headache she could feel brewing. She glanced to a stray personnel PADD laying on the corner of desk then picked it up and started to sift through it. Ensign Mimi. Morgan dropped the PADD with a clatter on her desk then rolled her eyes. It was yet another personnel management task she had to take of - sooner rather than later - and grudgingly admitted to herself that there was no better time than now. She pressed the commbadge on her left breast with two delicate fingers then spoke after it chirped. "Commander Blake, retrieve Ensign Mimi and escort her to my office."

Blake sighed softly as she received the call, sitting back heavily in her chair for a long moment, staring at the ceiling. This was guaranteed to be as fun as Vulcan theatre. She acknowledged the call before forcing herself up to head out on her escort mission.

It was several minutes later by the time Blake was rounding the corner to Tarin's office with Mimi at her side. She glanced to the other woman, shaking her head lightly to her. "Just keep a cool head," she advised quietly.

"I will try my best." Mimi replied. She had an inkling what this meeting was going to be about.

Scarlet glanced her way, unsure how far that best would stretch. She pressed the chime, letting out a soft breath. Either way, there was nothing she could do to actively help at this point. Only play the peacekeeper.

"Enter." The senior commander's voice presented its usual dry tonality and when the door hissed open, the sparsely decorated room with the eloquent view presented itself. Usually there were two chairs arranged in front of Tarin's desk but both had now been moved and placed along the side wall. "Ensign. Commander." The acknowledgement was its usually-curt self.

"Captain." Mimi greeted Tarin, she let out the slightest sigh of relief that she had still addressed her as 'Ensign' it was a good sign.

Tarin looked to the first officer then gestured to a vacant seat near to her along the side of her desk indicating for her to sit nearby. Then she returned her attention to the young Nekomi woman. She barked a stern order at the junior officer. "Stand at attention, Ensign Mimi."

Mimi ears twitched back slightly at the stern call from Tarin, she quickly came to attention as requested, her tail tucking itself in close against her leg as it always liked to do.

The New York City captain leaned forward in her chair then rested her forearms across the desk in front of her. Between her elbows was a single PADD containing the junior officer's private personnel file, psychological profile and service record. "Do you know why you're here right now, ensign?" asked Tarin. It was a basic test to understand how much, if any, self-awareness the woman possessed.

"I believe so Sir," Mimi replied. "This is about my actions during the dinner with the Klingons."

There was a short moment of silence while Tarin continued to stare at Mimi. She intertwined her fingers together and clasped her hands on the table. "Specifically, which of your actions?"

"Leaping over the table and attacking the Klingon Captain." Mimi replied trying not to sound sarcastic; she knew Tarin knew which action this entire thing was about.

Tarin raised her eyebrows with a stern, questioning manner. "That's it? That's all you can recall from that evening which might have been out of order?" An admission of one's own errors was paramount to any rehabilitation attempts, and right now Mimi was barely afloat in the sea of her past transgressions.

"Surely that is the thing that matters the most." Mimi said. "Comments about the disgusting smell and taste of their food and my disliking for them as a species does not compare to assaulting one of them."

A cough of incredulity came from Tarin's throat while she did a double-take. She couldn't believe what just came out of the ensign's mouth. Her hazel eyes glanced over to Blake as if she needed someone else to confirm what she'd just heard was real. Then she looked back to Mimi with intense fury boiling.

But Blake wasn't looking at them. Instead, she'd pinched the bridge of her nose and looked down with a soft sigh. Mimi hadn't helped herself with the comment...it showed xenophobic thinking that would need to be addressed as a member of Starfleet.

"Ensign, I'm the one determining what does and doesn't matter. Not you." The admonishment was clear and sliced through the room like a knife through butter. "You're a Starfleet officer who apparently believes 'my comments about our diplomatic guests' foods' disgusting smell and taste - and my disdain for their species as a whole' - somehow doesn't matter??" Tarin rose from her chair to full height then pointed a firm finger at the Nekomi. "Are you insane, Ensign? Your comments instigated your fight with Captain KehG. Your words are just as relevant as your actions!" Tarin was livid and her voice reached high decibels.

A adrenaline surge shot up Mimi's body and bristled her fur at Tarin's sudden outburst; her ears flattening back fully. "I do not remember my exact words but my intent was not to offend them, I did not choose my words carefully enough." She realised this situation was not the one she was expecting; a chance to explain her actions and the reasons behind them. It was a dressing down and little else right now.

"You're damn right you didn't!" continued Tarin with continued fury. "Your outburst put all of our lives in jeopardy and could've permanently damaged the Federation's long-standing relationship with the Klingon Empire!" She took a long breath then tried to calm herself. "Were you considering of any of this when you blurted out your insult or attacked their captain? Or were you just thinking about your own personal revenge?"

"The insult was not intentional but the attack...." Mimi paused "I let the stress and tension control my actions rather than rational thought." She desperately wanted to say more but decided it wasn't the best idea.

The words now spoken from the ensign were a mature shift in tone, one which Tarin had hoped to see from the beginning. Maybe there was hope for the Nekomi afterall. Tarin's voice turned softer and more lecturing in tone as her anger slowly dissipated. "Ensign, Galileo is a ship of rules executed through collective good order and discipline. You're an officer; the NCOs and junior enlisted look up to you for guidance and counsel. How can you provide that when you yourself aren't setting that same example?"

Mimi's demeanor changed slightly, looking even more dejected than before. "It is not possible."

Tarin slowly sat back down in her chair then looked down at the ensign's detailed service record PADD. It contained much more than her simple personal history and assignment details; it included confidential personality profiles and a list of prior professional transgressions in the line of duty. "It's not," agreed the captain. She looked up from the PADD and back to the ensign. "You don't have a great record, Mimi," she bluntly remarked. "This isn't your first time displaying violent tendencies. I'm wondering if Starfleet is the right place for you."

"Those violent ten.... times have only been when Klingons have been involved, because of my history with them. My people are not violent by nature." Mimi said hoping that Tarin would give her this moment to explain.

"Others of your species might not be violent, but you are," Tarin firmly clarified before glancing back down to her PADD for a brief moment. "Even your former captain, Saalm, noted this in your file." She set the slim administrative device down on the table with a soft click.

"I've read through your record. I know everything Starfleet knows about you and I can sympathize with you and your people on Kemi Colony. It was obviously a traumatic experience for a young woman to endure. I..." Tarin lightly shook her head with consolidation, "can't imagine what kind of person I would've become if I'd witnessed what you did. So tell me - tell us," Tarin gestured to Blake, "why you're unable to function properly around Klingons. Tell us why you're xenophobic."

"They massacred over a hundred of my people without reason or mercy, I live with the guilt and torment of being the only survivor, every ounce of my body calls out for revenge. But I try hard to not let it show and keep to my non violent upbringing." Mimi said relatively slowly as she struggled to keep her emotions in check and speak the more complicated words she wanted to use. "I have no.... issues with other species but I will forever hate Klingons for what they did."

Blake leant forward a little in her chair, feeling for what the young woman had been through, and respecting her honesty in voicing thoughts that many would hide. But they concerned her, there was no denying that. "Mimi," she said softly, to get her attention. "Part of being in Starfleet is acceptance and tolerance of other species, even when it's not easy. It's what makes us who we are...it's what makes us stronger. There is a big difference between feeling that emotion about the individuals who carried out those atrocities...and feeling that way about an entire race of people. I admire your honesty, they're not easy words to say, and trust me, there were a lot of people who felt the same way after the war. But it *is* something we need to address, and a counsellor can help you do that."

Mimi was quiet for several moments, with KehG dead though not by her own hand she had gotten a significant measure of her long sought after revenge, maybe it was time to somewhat temper her feelings towards Klingons. "I will accept counselling." She eventually said.

"Good," remarked Tarin who continued to stare at the Nekomi. "Let's make this clear: I don't care what you will and won't accept. You're a bigot, Ensign Mimi, and people who possess views like yours have no place aboard any Federation starship. Or in Starfleet all-together. Brin't'a was right when she confronted you. It hurts me to say that but it's the truth."

Mouthing the word 'bigot' Mimi tried to think what it meant but came up completely blank, her head cocked to the side slightly. "Sir, English is a second language for me," she said after a few moments. "I am not familiar with that word, what do you mean by bigot?"

"It means someone who is prejudiced against people who belong to a particular group, in this case, a particular race," Blake explained quietly, her voice remaining soft and calm, reverting to a counsellor's persona. "It's something that a lot of officers struggled with after the war, especially towards Cardassians...so our counsellors know how to help you work through the anger that seems to be driving it."

"Maybe I am a bit of a bigot towards Klingons but I have good reason." Mimi remarked. "I will try and work on my feelings towards them."

Tarin was starting to seethe again just after it appeared the Nekomi was taking her first steps in the right direction to address a very serious issue. "There is NEVER an excuse for bigotry, ensign," she snapped back. "Would you find it acceptable if I held extreme prejudice against all of your people for your personal statements here today? To consider all Nekomi violent and undisciplined officers in Starfleet and view them the same way I see you?"

Mimi shook her head. "No I would not, we do not use violence unless we have no other choice." She told Tarin words her biological mother had told her long ago.

Tarin exhaled through her nose, still fuming. "Well, you had a choice. No one forced you to assault Captain KehG. You did that on your own because you couldn't control your emotions. It seems your actions contradict your statements about your people."

"He admitted he was the leader at the massacre, I could not let that go without a response. There was no other choice." Mimi said, to her it was the only option, she could hardly have had KehG arrested for his crimes.

Blake glanced across to Tarin, shaking her head minutely, but she wasn't sure if she saw it or not. This wasn't something to go into now. This was best discussed with a counsellor who could approach the catalysts behind her triggers with carefully considered steps.

The acting captain behind the desk squished her brow with her fingers then rubbed her forehead. Her anger was now turning into frustration because the core concepts of Starfleet character, service and civility she was attempting to reinforce seemed to be falling on deaf ears. "Ensign, you don't have a great record," she continued by stating the obvious from the woman's file. "This isn't the first time you've engaged in this sort of behavior but mark my words, it will be the last." Tarin tightly bit her bottom lip. "You're one more major incident away from being dishonorably discharged from Starfleet. You need to be doing your job better than the other officers. No more excuses or I will put you on the next six-month transport back to Earth so you can find a new occupation. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir." Mimi said proudly reaffirming her attention stance that had slackened slightly as she had expressed herself during the discussion.

An uncomfortable silence developed in the starbase's office module while Tarin simply stared at the Nekomi with hardened eyes. The woman's formal posture and curt words appeared to convey an understanding of the gravity of the situation. She glanced over to the first officer then questioningly raised her eyebrows. "What do you think, Number One? Can we salvage her?"

Blake looked back to Mimi, taking a soft breath at how heavy the atmosphere had become in the room. "Yes, Captain," she said quietly, but kept her gaze on Mimi, nodding slowly. "I believe her to be a woman with resolve and strength. If she says she can work on it, then she can."

Tarin leaned back in her chair then pulled the junior officer's service record PADD into her lap. "Good. I concur." Her attention now focused solely on Mimi again. "You have a lot of work in front of you, ensign, and this won't be easy. But like the first officer, I have confidence in you. See to it that you don't disappoint us."

"Aye Sir." Mimi simply replied, there was more she really wanted to say but it wasn't the time or the place.

The senior commander glanced over to her first officer one final time. If Blake considered the conversation thus far to be productive enough, then Tarin had nothing further to discuss. "Anything you want to add, Number One?"

Blake shook her head lightly, straightening up unconsciously at feeling the resolve to the meeting. "That's all. I'll make sure that regular sessions are booked in with the counsellor."

Another long, seemingly-perpetual and severe stare emanated from Tarin to the young Nekomi before issuing her final order for the meeting. "You're dismissed, ensign. Make sure this is the last time we have this type of talk."

"Yes Sir." Mimi simply said, she turned away from the Captain and headed for the door.

[OFF]

--

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Acting Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Saalm]

Ensign Mimi
Deputy Operations Manager
USS Galileo-A

CMDR Scarlet Blake
First Officer
USS Galileo-A

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