Tip of the Spear (Part 2 of 2)

Posted on 25 Jan 2025 @ 5:31pm by Commander Morgan Tarin & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Chief Petty Officer Lysander Octavio & Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeysa Zeror & Master Chief Petty Officer Toren Vral

2,362 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 20 - Reconstruction
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 2, Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD 04, 0825 hrs

Previously, on Tip of the Spear (Part 1)...

Lysander remained very still. Was this a trick question? Or... genuine? The after effects of his hallucinogenic episode earlier in the day were still echoing around his head. "Well, sir, I would recommend ameliorating some aspect of that issue. As I understand no department head was forthcoming on the Yuron, so... perhaps an existing member of the team could, in principle, step up to assist in the 'overseeing operations' endeavour. As it were."

And Now, the Conclusion...

[ON]

"An existing member of your department?" Her gaze shifted to glance to Toren then Warraquim before returning to the petty officer. "Not a bad course of action. Who would you personally recommend? Which member of your team do you believe is most competent and capable of this new task?"

The penny began to shift in the air, nearing the ground, slowly, slowly, before finally dropping with a clink in Lysander's brain. He stood even more to attention. "Well, sir, Ensign Turell is a fine officer as far as I have experienced, and can certainly take on the 'big picture' vision in the department for the foreseeable future, I would say, sir, but if you were looking for someone to get the newbies into fighting shape then I would say look no further than I. Sir."

A slight tilt of her head spawned an evaluative stare into the man's black Betazoid eyes. "I usually frown on self-promotion but I'm curious now - how would you accomplish this? More specifically, what qualities do you possess that would make you an effective leader?" A bit of insight into the man psyche was warranted.

"I have a strategic mind, sir, it has allowed me to think outside of the box on many occasions." Lysander could recollect many times when this had been just so - it took a lot to have a mind as sharp as his. He was such a supremely complete package. "I do my best to be reactive to others needs, sir, to be a comfort and inspiration to my fellow crewmen as I can."

'Strategic'. 'Outside the box'. Nebulous concepts which Tarin believed often contradicted one another in practice. "Inspire - how?"

"Leading the charge, sir, being the first in the midst. Taking the initiative." His mind was a thesaurus full of myriad phrases. He could sense skepticism, but was certain that he could throw out the right turn of phrase to satisfy the Captain. "Being the man of the hour, sir, is what I aspire to."

"Tip of the spear. Edge of the knife?" Tarin wasn't a telepath or empath but this man oozed more confidence and bravado than a male targ during rut season. She glanced over to both Warraquim and Vral with a discreetly amused expression contained only within her hazel irises.

"And what of support? What of teaching, helping, and preparing others who might one day become your superiors?" Allyndra asked quietly.

"It is all part and parcel of it, sir," he shifted his attention slightly towards the delicately wing-ed Commander, "I have worked closely with crewmen and admirals., and everything inbetween I like to think I have at the very least provided effective support, if not taught them valuable lessons or fresh insights."

Allyndra nodded slightly. "Let us say for the sake of argument that you were given the position. What do you envision for the department?"

"Well, sir, I defer to the commissioned officers of course," Lysander responded immediately, "but as it is I would hope to mould the new generation of Galileo security officers into a sleek, well oiled unit." He gave a single, hugely eager, nod.

"Well oil'd unit, hm," Toren said with a slight smirk tugging at the edge of his mouth, "Now that'd be... messy, Octavio."

"Machine, Master Chief," Lysander almost rolled his eyes at the roughneck Andorian, "a well oiled machine."

"Hm," Toren nodded, "So, Officer Octavio," he continued leaning back slightly in his chair. "Here's a question f'you - simple, but tellin': What's the hardest lesson you ever learned servin' in Starfleet? Not somethin' from a book or an officer's lecture, but the kinda lesson that leaves a mark. How'd it change how you lead?"

"Ah, the hardest lesson, Master Chief? A poignant question indeed." He allowed a small sigh to escape, perfectly rehearsed to suggest humility rather than resignation. "It would have to be during my time aboard the USS Aegis. A routine convoy escort spiraled into a rather... chaotic affair when all the commissioned security officers were incapacitated due to a freak replicator malfunction. Terribly unfortunate, of course."

He clasped his hands behind his back, tilting his head as if burdened by the memory. "Left as the ranking security officer, I had no choice but to shoulder the responsibility. An Orion raiding party attempted to board the lead freighter, and there I was - armed with nothing but a Type-1 phaser and my wits. It wasn't merely my strategic acumen that saved the day, though I humbly admit my quick thinking was instrumental. No, it was my ability to inspire. My team - a collection of raw recruits and engineers more accustomed to data pads than disruptors - rallied under my leadership. A few well-chosen words and some deft maneuvers later, we not only repelled the boarders but secured their ship as a prize."

He grinned faintly, the corners of his mouth lifting just enough to convey triumph tempered by supposed modesty. "It taught me, Master Chief, that leadership is not always about brute strength or rigid adherence to protocol, but about adaptability and the ability to elevate those around you. Even in the darkest hour, with proper guidance, ordinary crewmen can become extraordinary heroes."

Jeysa almost laughed as each part of Lysander's answer came out, she'd heard stories like this from other security officers, single handedly saving the ship, fighting off someone twice their size with no weapons. Without even looking across to Tarin she knew this wasn't going to end well for him.

The captain's hazel eyes had quickly turned cold and judicious while observing the NCO's interaction with the COB. She'd listened to each boisterous sentence with increasing disdain until the public display of bravado finally reached her breaking point. "Extraordinary heroes..." Tarin's dry inflection threatened to dehydrate the entire room. "Petty officer, if you bullshit me again I'm going to confine you to quarters for a month. And if you do it again? One week in the brig; bread and water. I don't know who you take me for or if this sort of placation worked on others in Starfleet, but you just played a bad hand. Answer the master chief's question again - this time with honesty and integrity."

Lysander stiffened as the weight of Tarin's icy gaze pinned him in place. For a moment, he felt an uncharacteristic flicker of unease - quickly quashed. He drew a deep breath, reassessing his approach to storytelling. This required sincerity, the kind that struck just the right balance between vulnerability and competence.

"Of course, Captain," he said, his voice measured and genuine. "The hardest lesson I've learned... Given further thought… It was during my tenure on the USS Tempest, early in my Starfleet career. There was an away mission - routine planetary survey, or so we thought. But we were ambushed by local insurgents who didn't take kindly to Starfleet's presence. In the chaos, one of my team, Crewman Iannis, froze under fire. I was... furious. I thought he'd put us all at risk, and I wasn't kind in my response. But later, I realised I'd failed him first. I hadn't prepared him for that moment."

He straightened his shoulders, meeting Tarin's gaze directly, his dark eyes earnest. "From then on, I made it my mission to never take for granted the readiness or resilience of those under my command. Ordinary crew can achieve extraordinary things, Commander, but only if they have leaders who invest in their growth. It taught me to listen more, to teach more, and to lead not from a sense of personal pride, but from responsibility. That lesson has stayed with me, shaping every decision I've made since."

Toren watched Octavio’s recalibration with a subtle twitch of his antennae, the only sign of his attentiveness. He didn't move or speak, his gaze unflinching as the petty officer finally mustered something resembling humility. The shift in tone was noticeable - a step in the right direction, though it remained to be seen whether it was genuine or simply calculated under pressure.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Tarin continued to observe the petty officer with a most discerning and intense glare. She was far from convinced that his sudden change of personal duty philosophy was authentic. "Has it? The word on our corridors is that you're the walking definition of pride. One with historically exceptional bootlicking prowess. Where might these rumors have come from?"

Allyndra was observing more than interacting as she was also learning from the captain. Octavio reminded her of some surgeons she had had under her watch. They were usually an arrogant lot. However, some had reason to be as their skill was good, and others used bravado to cove their short comings.

"Rumors, Captain, are an inevitable side effect of serving among so many diverse personalities," Lysander began in a subdued tone. "I won't deny that I have a certain… flair. A propensity for storytelling, perhaps, that some may misconstrue as embellishment or arrogance. But I assure you, my pride - such as it exists - is not in myself, but in the team I serve with. If I speak of my accomplishments, it's because I see them as a reflection of the extraordinary people around me."

He formed his visage into the very essence of contemplation. "As for the 'bootlicking,' well," he continued, his voice light, "perhaps that's a perception born from my respect for the chain of command and my eagerness to learn. I've always sought wisdom in those above me, sometimes with a... shall we say, exuberance that might be misinterpreted. If I've erred, it's not out of insincerity, but rather an unrelenting desire to improve myself and, by extension, the crew I am so fortunate to serve with. My intentions, Captain, have always been, and remain, firmly rooted in the betterment of the Federation."

"Perfect words," Allyndra didn't wait for the captain to respond. "Tell me Officer Octavio, do you personally want a promotion and to the position being talked about." She held up a hand. "No fancy words. I want to hear from your heart."

Lysander paused, the usual glimmer of theatrics fading. "I do," he said simply, his inky black eyes meeting Allyndra's gaze. "Not for the title or the authority, but because I believe I can help make this department exceptional. Security is about trust - being ready when it matters most. If given the chance, I'd do everything to ensure we are."

Allyndra listened and she as a former chief counselor, she felt that what she had heard was true and as she had asked, from the heart. "I was a chief counselor at one time, before becoming chief medical officer aboard this ship for many years. I've heard enough that I think I've developed a feel for this. However, one last thing Lysander." Allyndra used his name directly. "You've told me as an officer, now tell me as nothing but a friend." She knew that the captain wouldn't like it, but it was the way she worked. The crew to her were more than crew, they worked together too much and she knew that friendships developed.

Lysander hesitated briefly, then allowed his usual polished smile to surface. "Commander, as a friend, I'd say this: I want to do what I do best - lead with confidence, inspire those around me, and ensure the safety of this crew. If a promotion enables me to do that more effectively, then yes, I want it."

"The line between confidence and arrogance is a thin one," spoke Tarin following her judgement of the man's verbal parlay with the first officer. "I'm willing to give you this chance - we, as a group, all are. But you'll only get one of these in life." She wasn't a person wit patience for interpersonal failure but the petty officer appeared to want this for himself. Her attention shifted to the COB, yeoman then to Warraquim. "Any final objections?"

"Captain Tarin, as I explained I've been a senior counselor in my career. I think I have come to know fiction from fact. I believe that Petty Officer Octavio will do a fine job," Allyndra said solemnly.

"I have no objections Captain." Jeysa replied, to her Lysander would be one to keep an eye on.

One final visual perusal of the tall blond petty officer was followed by a push back of her chair. Tarin stood to her full height then tugged the front of her uniform jacket down to smooth its creases. Her hands traveled behind her back where they professionally clasped one another. "You'll get your chance, then," she spoke to the security officer. "You're hereby promoted to the rank of chief petty officer with all the rights and privileges therein. I expect you to lead your shipmates according to the same perseverance and integrity you've just expressed here. Congratulations, Chief Octavio. Your department's counting on you - we all are. Do us proud."

Allyndra made a note in a PaDD as to the final decision as it was now her duty to keep track of all personnel on board. "Promotion duly noted, captain." She made a nod toward Octavio. "Congratulations."

[OFF]

--

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

CMDR Allyndra illm Warraquim
First Officer
USS Galileo-A

Chief Petty Officer Lysander Octavio
Security Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Vala]

PO3 Jeysa Zeror
Yeoman
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Mimi]

MCPO Toren Vral
Chief of the Boat
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Vala]

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