The Commander's Counsel

Posted on 18 Oct 2023 @ 4:38pm by Commander Morgan Tarin & Lieutenant JG Zara Ghemora

3,994 words; about a 20 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: Regula I - Level 16, Senior Office Module
Timeline: MD 18, 1427 hrs

[ON]

Even aboard the sprawling, winding, aging space station, Ghemora had managed to tap into the ever-present 'rumor mill' to learn of an interesting detail. After meeting with the Galileo's executive officer, as was customary for newly reporting officers, the Cardassian had requested a one-on-one with the commanding officer only to learn that Commander Tarin seemed equally as curious about the new deputy. While this thought delighted Ghemora, she was sure the reason for mutual interest was anything but mutual.

Three months on the Fargo had given the wannabe intelligence officer plenty of time to do her research on her new crewmates. While there were plenty of scientists to answer just about any question about the galaxy she could ask, it was Commander Tarin's history with Starfleet Intelligence that interested the Cardassian the most. Despite the available history, Ghemora was able to spot the gaps in the senior officer's past that pointed to work with the infamous and exclusive department. Even if she already knew Tarin wasn't supposed to speak of any suspected potential past, that wasn't going to stop her from trying to lure some tales out of the human.

After an earlier day of running around lost on Regula I, showing up to her scheduled meeting with Commander Blake tardy, Ghemora had made certain to not only be on time but to have the location of the commanding officer's temporary office cemented in her memory prior to her punctual arrival. Fairly certain she hadn't been spotted earlier while making a couple of passes to ensure it was indeed the correct location for their meeting, the Cardassian reached out to press the door chime, announcing, "Lieutenant Ghemora, your new Deputy Security Officer, sir," before awaiting the official invite from the commander in.

This was going to be a conversation Ghemora was certain would be memorable, and, hopefully, direct her on the correct path toward the first of her major career goals.

"Come," was the simple dry-toned reply from the other side of the door which then hissed open to present the office's interior. Circular in shape, the compact administrative room contained a small couch, replicator and several chairs which lined the far wall. Behind those seats were two large transparent aluminum windows which presented a beautiful view of the surrounding cosmos and the planet Remidia's distinctive purple atmosphere and puffy white cloud covering. A large desk was situated near the entrance behind which sat a tall, light-skinned red-collared woman. Tarin's dark brown hair had fallen across her cheeks while she tapped at the console in front of her, and it took several long moments before she looked up from her work.

Hesitating momentarily before almost marching into the office, Ghemora came to rest standing at 'attention' directly across from the senior officer. Her lips pressed together as she stared down Tarin, waiting until she looked up from her work before forcing a slight smile and announcing, "Commander Blake has already fulfilled the necessary requirements for my onboarding, but I know, as an oncoming Assis…'Deputy' Security Officer, that its important to introduce yourself to the ship's commanding officer.., especially when the crew compliment is as small as the Galileo's." Offering the woman a rather stiff hand in customary greeting, the Cardassian watched and waited to see how the human would react.

The captain closed her console with a tap of a button then reached up with both hands to push her loose curls of hair back behind her ears. Her hazel irises trained themselves on the Cardassian woman. "Lieutenant," she greeted, standing to her full height then clasping and shaking the offered hand. She gestured to one of the nearby chairs. "Pull up a seat. I hope you had a good journey to Regula I."

Firmly but briefly shaking the commander's hand, Ghemora muttered, "It was a journey," while taking the offered seat and sitting with a rather rigid posture. "A long three months is all I can really say, sir," she replied more formally but was purposely downplaying the lengthy travel aboard the Fargo

Tarin returned to her seat in tandem with the other officer then looked across the other woman's features. Seeing an individual's portrait on a PADD was much different than the reality of in-person perspective. Ghemora's height was unremarkable yet her bluish-green eyes were unique and highlighted her rather pale (for a Cardassian) skin tone. The distinctive facial ridges adorning her face very much reinforced her heritage, as did her dark black hair. "Well, welcome the Pleiades Cluster," she casually gestured to the large windows and the surrounding cosmos beyond. "This is the new final frontier. Where are you coming from? Earth?"

Ghemora's eyebrow twitched at the welcome, but her face fell flat once again to what some had joked/insinuated was of the 'resting bitch' variety, though she did wonder if that was solely because of her uniquely Cardassian features. "That's correct, sir," she replied, "I was stationed at Starfleet Headquarters before being assigned to the Galileo, with remedial training optioned during my travel here aboard the USS Fargo, given the length of time it had been since I'd served on a ship." While her stay on Earth between deployments wasn't particularly long, Ghemora's willingness to take on such duties, as well as her particular choice of words, was indicative of her character.

"I noticed. USS Alaska if memory serves." The captain pulled a small PADD from the stack situated on the side of her desk then casually scrolled through the contents of the junior officer's personnel file. She leaned back in her chair then crossed one of her long legs over the other. "Two years there as a security officer then a year of analyst work at HQ." Her eyes glanced back up to Ghemora. "Tell me about those postings."

"Twenty months, to be exact, sir," the lieutenant corrected in regards to the Alaska. "Captain Hinton runs a tight ship, so while my file says 'Security', the ship was primarily assigned to border patrol and outpost defense, which required me to be well-versed in the Tactical Control Systems. While we didn't see much 'action', my chief always stressed the importance of all departmental officers being able to do his job should casualties occur, given his service in the War with the Dominion. Given the level of complexity involved with the Defiant-class's tactical systems and unique configuration, I probably spent more time training in acting as my unofficial title of 'Auxiliary Tactical Officer' as opposed to providing service as a security officer given the level of discipline demanded on the Alaska.

"If I had stayed aboard, my chief probably would have promoted me to his assistant, but he knew I have always been more interested in pursuing a career in Starfleet Intelligence, so he recommended me for the ATTC, and included a recommendation from Captain Hinton as well, given my performance in service," Ghemora made sure to include, though she was sure the recommendations themselves were also included in the personnel file the commander was holding.

"Upon graduation from the ATTC, I was assigned to Starfleet Security at the FOC as an intelligence analyst, which I assumed was preparatory for being transferred to Starfleet Intelligence, but, as I'm sure you know, the needs of the Federation and Starfleet are always of importance over the desires of the individual officer. I was only an analyst for eight months, which, as I'm sure you know, is not a terribly exciting assignment, but I was well suited for it," she said in a way that almost seemed like a casual invite for Blake to agree with.

Leaving only a moment's pause, Ghemora continued, "I believe that is what contributed to my selection and assignment to the Galileo. While I don't have the years in service that most 'Deputies' are expected to have, what I do have is a very particular set of skills. Skills that I have acquired over the course of my life. Skills that provide me flexibility in the responsibilities I can take on as a security officer in such a limited department as the Galileo's."

The captain remained silent for a few more moments while she input several notations into her PADD after Ghemora finished speaking. She appreciated the details within the woman's elaboration; they revealed, perhaps, a certain element of pride in her experience and vocational training alongside a willingness to not obfuscate her history. At least, Tarin hoped. "You're right, lieutenant...you do have an interesting life. It seems your Starfleet personnel file only begins when you gained refugee status within the Federation in 2380." She held the other woman's blue-green eyes with her own. "Why is that?"

While Ghemora's candor was to inform as much as it was to impress, she grew quite still at the mention of her refugee status. The Cardassian seemed especially bothered by the commander's probing question, evident by the momentary tightening of her jaw. "...Because I was basically still a child before then, and the Federation is reluctant to grant such status to those under their legal consideration of what age constitutes an 'adult'," she answered, though with the rigidness as if she was stating an obvious fact.

The lieutenant could already anticipate such a response wouldn't suffice the other woman's curiosity, though. "I was orphaned by the Dominion Genocide of Cardassia and survived alone for a time during the following Klingon Occupation before fleeing Cardassia and seeking asylum with the Federation." While there was certainly more nuance to it all, Ghemora was reluctant to go into such details when, in her opinion, they didn't matter anymore. The past was the past, no matter how much of it had shaped her into who she was today.

Tarin now took intent interest in the gold-collared woman's personal history. Her gaze remained trained on the new officer and ignored the PADD she held in one hand. "You must have been resilient to survive such circumstances as a child. The Klingon Occupation was a difficult time for all of Cardassia's citizens," she remarked. "Especially as an orphan. What happened to your parents? Who were they?" her hazel irises slightly sharpened.

"Dead…and unimportant to my life now. While I may not have been born on Earth, I am 'of Earth' as far as I'm concerned. Your people…Our people are the ones I am dedicated to." Saying nothing more, Ghemora's lips pressed together as her shoulders stiffened in the face of the commander's scrutiny. If nothing else, the Cardassian was showing clear reluctance to discuss the details of her past prior to Starfleet.

The captain's eyes remained on the Cardassian. Watching. Evaluating. Silently judging her facial expressions and body language before her following words cut through the fat in the air. "I appreciate your candor but you haven't answered my question. Who were your parents? Their names and occupations." Her hands rose to the center of her chest where they tented.

Staring back at the commander, Ghemora seemed conflicted with the aggressiveness being displayed by the commanding officer. "...Is that an order, sir? To answer your questions about such details that have had no bearing on me for more than half my life? Is my reluctance to relive my traumatic childhood necessary to prove my allegiance to you?"

While the Cardassian posed the questions, she knew better than to actually wait for an answer. "As far as I'm aware, my father was a Gul who was killed while I was quite young, and my mother worked for the Union, as most Cardassians did. Their names were Ghemora, just as mine is, as is traditional." Watching the woman to gauge her reaction, the lieutenant wasn't sure what Tarin wanted to learn from this line of questioning. Both Starfleet and the Federation had seen her fit to become one of their citizens, and very few had ever questioned her loyalty to them since her lengthy time processing as a refugee.

The captain started to grind her teeth, the first visible hint that she was becoming slightly agitated. Where before the new crew member seemed to present an open sincerity, now Tarin could sense the obfuscation. "A Gul for a father and a mother who worked for the Union..." she repeated while un-tenting her fingers then subconsciously rubbing the knuckles along the back of her right hand. "Central Command? The Obsidian Order?" she continued her line of questioning as her dry tone of voice became more severe.

"I can't be sure, sir. My father was killed when my age was still in the single digits, and the last I saw or heard from my mother was when she dumped me off at a Cardassian Academy when I was eleven. If you feel such information is vital, might I suggest putting in a request to Starfleet Command? They may have intelligence on the Union prior to the Dominion War that could answer your questions." Ghemora wasn't sure what other way she could put it to appease the woman. The Cardassian was suspecting the commander's reaction to her might go beyond her lack of details but to the very nature of her heritage. Such reactions weren't uncommon in the woman's experience.

"Ghemora," Tarin used the woman's last name in a more casual manner for the first time, "I was 18 during my first year at Starfleet Academy in San Fransisco. Two months into my freshman year, the Breen attacked Earth and our facility. We...I, lost a lot of classmates and mentors. Friends." A deep breath within her chest could be seen within her uniform. "The war was hard for all of us. Every week we'd look at the casualty reports. 3,500 lost or MIA in just a single engagement. Entire fleets decimated in combat action. But Starfleet fell back and kept fighting. We kept falling back. Loss after loss after loss..." The captain's hazel eyes transitioned to one of the office's windows and the beautiful cosmos beyond for a visual respite from the Cardassian's face. "You know what kept us going? Through all those feelings of helplessness and the pain and suffering of a war we never started or wanted?"

Morgan returned her attention to the security officer. "Personal fortitude and survival. And hope for a better future. One in the same, I suppose." She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her desk. "I won't judge you for the sins of your parents, whatever those might be. But some of us in the Federation still wear those scars. Some, quite literally. I don't mean to question your commitment to Starfleet. The Federation saw to that already otherwise you wouldn't be sitting here in front of me. I need to know that whatever you might face out here - even if it's decades-long bigotry or prejudice because of your heritage - you can still do your job aboard my ship."

Regardless if that had been her initial intention or not, Ghemora had gotten used to hearing the stories and of the 'scars' those above and around her that bore witness to the War kept within them. Tarin's story was so familiar to the Cardassian that she didn't react to hearing it. Staring, almost blankly thanks to her reptilian eyes, as Morgan made her speech, the lieutenant waited until she was sure the commanding officer was finished; had made her point before letting a moment of forced silence dissipate some of the tension in the air before she was ready to reply.

"Sir, I have been faced with prejudice and bigotry since I first sought asylum at Deep Space Nine. For five-hundred ninety-seven days, I was detained by the Federation before I was granted my official status as a refugee. Since then, I have only known faces that see mine and are reminded of the atrocities that the Dominion and the Union committed.

"I've been in Starfleet long enough to have proven that I can withstand all of it, even as it all has calmed over the past decade. I bore witness to that hatred and loathing healing into a scar that will always be a reminder of what those who look like me did. If anything, I expect there are very few that can claim to have proven their continued loyalty to the Federation as I have, given what all I've had to suffer to be sitting here in front of you today.

"You will never have to worry about my dedication to my duty to you, your ship, its crew, or Starfleet, especially as I was raised Cardassian. The only dedication greater than the one Cardassians make to their people is to their family, and, since my first year at the Academy, Starfleet has been my family, and the Federation my people. I know in time, just as history has already proven, most will come to accept those who look like me despite the past. Just as Captain Worf overcame his Klingon heritage to prove his dedication, I will do the same to overcome my Cardassian heritage."

With that declaration made, Ghemora grew quiet and still once again, believing fully that she had dismissed any concerns or fears her new commanding officer might have. While there was certainly more the woman could speak of, the lieutenant saw no reason to dredge up the past when it didn't serve to enhance the future…her future as a Starfleet officer.

The judgemental features within the captain's face seemed to ease. The light rows of freckles on her forehead and cheeks subtly became more visible while she considered the intricacies of the security officer's affirmation. There was little doubt in Tarin's mind that she was committed; the captain didn't fear subterfuge or betrayal, and the recollection of the challenges Ghemora faced along her Starfleet journey rang true enough. "I believe you, lieutenant. And I'll place my trust in you," she nodded to her. "There's no shame in being a Cardassian. The Federation's strength is its diversity and acceptance of all species and cultures. We better ourselves by learning from each other to ensure we won't repeat the mistakes we've made in the past. And if you face any...'challenges' with other crew members? Inform me immediately."

Had she not had years and years of doing so, Ghemora's amusement at the situation may have shown itself. Staying stoic as the captain gave her the same spiel that she'd gotten from numerous commanding and supervising officers before, she waited for Tarin to finish, deliberating causing another pause, before speaking up in response.

"Sir, I mean no offense, but if I didn't have an issue challenging you when you brought up my difficult past, do you really think I will have an issue dealing with any of these 'challenges" should they present themselves? I've been a Cardassian living in a mostly Human society for my entire adult life. There is nothing I haven't heard before." Ghemora seemed almost cocky in her tone.

"Furthermore, what would that say about me as your Deputy Security Officer if I can't handle such a 'challenge' or situation? Both as an Officer and as a member of Security, it is expected of me to remain calm and adaptable in any situation, no matter how chaotic or offensive. I do suspect, next to those who hold positions like yours, there are no others who are as intrinsically involved with decisions that affect 'life and death' as a member of Security must."

Letting that idea linger and cement itself in the commander's mind, Ghemora gave a forceful, assertive nod, "I know my job, Captain, and will always strive to perform it to the best of my ability. In that, you can trust."

Tarin now resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the junior officer. Confidence was an admirable trait but the woman's proclamations were bordering the line between self-indulgence and arrogance. "Lieutenant...what do you know about this sector of space? The Pleiades Cluster, specifically?"

"Besides the mission report from the 'Velara III Incident' by the Enterprise-D, very little. That would be why the Galileo has been assigned to the sector, correct?" Ghemora asked needlessly. While she probably should have taken note of the use of her rank by Tarin, the Cardassian often didn't realize when her heritage's natural penchant for 'arrogance' was showing itself.

"Correct. And not just Galileo," answered the captain, "the majority of 1st Fleet is scheduled to deploy to our AO over the course of the next several years." She frowned to herself then shook her head lightly. "I ran strategic operations aboard Regula I for two years before you showed up. I know this sector better than anyone in Command, and certainly better than you." Tarin's dry tonality started to possess an aura of discordance. "We've already lost several starships here - good crews and captains - to both known and unknown hazards." Along with an entire cold station full of civilian and Starfleet scientists. "Overconfidence out here will get you killed and I don't want to have to write your obituary. You're ambitious and competent, I can see that. But also ignorant. You don't know what you don't know. So for now, your job will be to integrate, observe and learn. Understood? There's no place for egos on my ship."

Raising a rigged eyebrow at the woman, Ghemora was slow to answer, "...Understood, commander," with a sharp nod added for emphasis. She wondered if Tarin had heard herself, but assumed it could only be the result of cold, hard experience. It prompted her to ask, "Are there any specific mission reports I should review? So as to educate myself on the dangers of the region?"

Tarin's eyes once again flicked back to the office module's large windows before returning to the lieutenant. "Galileo's recent ventures are classified but Lieutenant Rice can brief you and explain the pertinent matters surrounding your new position here," she answered. The query was appreciated but unfortunately wasn't within the captain's authority to disclose. "Perhaps...after we finish our systems test - and if you perform well - we'll discuss the intricacies of the Pleiades Cluster in more detail together?"

"Perhaps, sir," Ghemora replied, not sounding terribly convincing, "but if the prior missions are classified, then I will have to await a proper briefing by my chief."

"That would be prudent," the captain agreed. "Lieutenant Rice has served aboard Galileo for several years, even before the Galileo-A was commissioned. She's young, but experienced."

Tarin paused then exhaled a light breath through her nose before looking over to the seemingly-never-ending stack of PADDs near the corner of her desk "Well, Mister Ghemora, it's good to have you aboard. I have more reports to file and I assume you have other appointments today. We'll speak again soon when time permits. In the meantime...there's a crew banquet at 1700 in Mess Hall 1 here on Level 16. Fresh food and drinks prepared by our chef. I hope you can make it?" she offered.

"While that does sound inviting, sir," Ghemora started as she rose from her seat, "Commander Blake was able to assign my quarters, and I was going to see to getting settled in before our busy day tomorrow. I do appreciate the invite, and will try to make it if I can," she offered in an encouraging tone before extending a hand. "I look forward to working with you, commander."

The captain pushed her chair back then stood and firmly clasped the Cardassian's hand. "Welcome aboard Galileo, lieutenant. I'll see you soon. Dismissed," she curtly nodded.

[OFF]

--

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Zara Ghemora
Deputy Security Officer
USS Galileo-A

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