A Bridge Officer Too Far (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on 27 Jan 2013 @ 4:32pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Command Master Chief Markum Quinn

3,158 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 1, Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD -02: 0045 hrs

[ON]

Having just walked into her ready room while leaving the bridge in the hands of her XO, Lirha yawned softly and moved around behind her desk where she plopped herself down in the large chair and leaned back against the plush cushions. The launch from Vega IX had gone well enough, she thought, but she wasn't quite yet finished with her duties for the evening. Several pieces of administrative work needed to be tended to regarding two of her senior officers, and now Lirha had the additional problem of her most recent distraction, a dog on the bridge. She also realized that, while she had had several discussions with other crew members concerning Galileo's newest security chief, she had never officially met the man in-person. On board such a small ship, that was a rare occurrence.

Stifling another yawn, she decided now was as good a time as any to speak to him, and she summoned the security officer to her office with a tap of her commbadge. "Lieutenant Stone, report to my ready room." she said.

Jeremy stiffened as he heard the summons from the captain. A few moments later he hit the indicator to summon the backup station operator. Taking up the lead he went to the ready room and hit the chime. He wanted to talk to Sidi, to let him know how important this was for him to be on his best behavior but there were too many eyes on him for that. Hopefully Sidi would perform well. Jeremy realized he needed to worry more about himself.

"Enter." the captain called out from behind her desk, looking towards the door in anticipation of her guest.

At the command to enter, Jeremy took a deep breath and tried to get himself to relax. He walked in and stood in front of the middle of her desk trying to tell himself that the door didn't slam shut with a clang. He gave Sidi the sit command and tried to remember to breathe deeply to keep his heart from beating out of his chest.

"Lieutenant Stone reporting as ordered, sir." He spoke while keeping his gaze on the edge of her desk.

Lirha watched as the tall, gold-collared security chief entered her ready room and announced himself. Her gaze then turned towards Galileo's creature-crewmember, Sidious, and she couldn't help but notice that he looked very attentive and...well, cute. She had always wondered why Humans were so fond of dogs, but one look at the animal's soft brown eyes was almost enough to make her put in a request for one of her own...almost. "At ease,Lieutenant. Please have a seat." she said politely, motioning with her green hand towards the nearby chair.

He looked at the chair then back to the desk, feeling his heartbeat rising. Coleman's guide covered this: have a seat was a polite order. "Yes, sir," he said as he sat, stiffly. He had Sidi resettle at his left knee. Unconsciously he twined the fingers of his left hand into the deep fur around his neck.

"Unfortunately I was not able to meet you when you first came on board, so I want to take this opportunity to formally welcome you aboard Galileo." she began as she crossed her legs beneath the chair. "How have you been acclimating to your new assignment?" she asked.

He swallowed hard as he stated at the middle of the floor, his leg started to bounce. Fortunately he still had Sidi by his side and the dog was calm so he didn't feel trapped. He had hoped not to have to meet with the captain for some time. When he settled in better, when the crew got more used to him. When he wasn't such a wreck. He swallowed again and realized that he hadn't answered yet and she'd been waiting. "It's been..." He paused not sure if he should continue. He'd either had to lie, and he was sure she would know he was lying, or the conversation would not go well for him. He glanced at Sidi and swallowed again. "It's been difficult, sir."

The Orion captain slowly nodded in agreement of his own assessment, but was curious to hear him elaborate on his troubles. She knew he came from a difficult past including his prolonged imprisonment at a Cardassian facility, and wanted to let him do his best to explain his own concerns, and to also give him the benefit of the doubt before she made her own assumptions. "Can you be more precise? What exactly has been difficult for you?"

Jeremy sighed and his the bouncing of his leg increased. "Sir, I'm..." he swallowed again and turned to look at Sidi. "I was reminded tonight that I can be difficult to get along with in new situations. I ran out of medication before leaving my former assignment and...forgot...to refill them. Because things were going so well there, I thought maybe I could manage without them, but that was a mistake." He shook his head and scowled at the floor. "Events here haven't made me popular with the crew," he remembered she said to be specific. "The arrest of Crewman Athlen and when I...mistakenly fired Chief Kiwoski have made me a target of...humor...from some of the crew. I have apparently had misunderstandings with Commander Holliday which has led to some...problems...between us."

He looked at Sidi again, seeing him looking back and panting, almost smiling. He looked up for the briefest moment and then back at Sidi. His leg settled slightly. "I'm sure other encounters haven't endeared me either."

The captain couldn't recall the exact number of complaints which her and her XO had received about the man, but needless to say, they were substantial. "Yes, so I have heard." she replied simply enough, then shifted herself in her seat and folded her hands in her lap. "I will be completely honest with you, Mister Stone; I am not overly pleased with your conduct aboard my ship, so far. Regardless what the reasons are, some of your actions have been...questionable, and disruptive to the crew as a whole. 'Firing' a member of your department and putting crew members in the brig for minor infractions are examples of these actions. And in the short time since Galileo has been commissioned, I have never had to deal with as many complaints against a single crew member as I have had to do recently. Simply put, I fear that you are facing an uphill battle now with the crew, so to speak. Respect is earned, not automatically given, despite whatever rank or position you might hold. We are a small ship and therefore a tightly-knit community, and any disturbances quickly spread through our personnel by word of mouth." she explained.

He let out the deep sigh that he wasn't sure he'd been holding while nodding. "I understand, sir. I'll be ready to depart in," he gave it a thought. His quarters weren't that far away and he didn't have much to pack. "Twenty minutes. I know you want to get to your next assignment and can't hold up long so I'll try to be quick."

He frowned. What about Sidi? Would he be staying with the Galileo or was he assigned to Jeremy specifically. It was one question he didn't want to ask but...it had to be decided. "Sir? Sidi...I..." he swallowed..."Commander Holliday said he was assigned to me but...does he stay with the ship or do I need to make sure to pack his things as well?"

Lirha listened to the man simply resign himself to being dismissed from the crew even though she had not given such an order, nor even mentioned the idea. She frowned and shook her head somewhat incredulously, wondering what was running through Stone's head. They were currently at warp on their way to their next destination, and there was really no where for him to go. She certainly wouldn't allow him to take one of her ship's only two shuttlecraft without bringing it back. "Mister Stone, I gave no such order for you to be dismissed." she said in a firm voice, then stared into his eyes with a raised eyebrow. "However, if you wish to take the easy way out and run from your problems rather than address and work through them, then I have no issue with depositing you at Starbase 185 when we arrive." she added, giving him a rather simple choice for his immediate future.

Jeremy looked to the door, noticing it was still closed but he hadn't heard it become locked. But...he...he tried to control his breathing as he sat stiffer, if possible, in the chair. Too many thoughts ran through his head but he couldn't say any of them. None of them. His leg bounced harder as his fingers dug into the flesh of his thigh. "Sir," he said, his tone sharp...he drew back and took a breath again. "Sir," he tried again, pausing to try to determine he was in the realm of respectable tone and comportment. His eyes finally settled on Sidi. "Sir, I don't run from problems. I confront them." He bowed his head. "Which is one of the problems. I'm trying, sir. But...the misunderstandings aren't all on my part. Even now with you..." he stopped and shook his head. Sidi licked his chops and moved closer to him as Jeremy continued to scratch between his shoulder blades.

Letting out a mental sigh, the captain shook her head again yet also softened her voice. "There is no misunderstanding from me. At least, I hope not. I am the captain of this ship and therefore my duties require me to deal with any personnel troubles on board. Which means I am more or less obligated to sit down and discuss these issues with you." she tried to explain. "Personally, I think that so far in your brief meeting with me, I have found you to be polite and respectful, and I am having a bit of trouble understanding why so many people consider you to be..." she paused to think of the correct word, "Abrasive." she decided upon. "Unless...you conduct yourself differently around the rest of the crew?" she asked cautiously, realizing that there was a good chance he might be treating her differently simply because of her rank and position aboard the vessel. Which ultimately was not a great way to conduct one's self, she thought.

He shook his head while frowning. He'd written reports and nobody bothered to even look at them. He'd explained his reasons...hadn't he? But she still said...he swallowed again. "Captain, it wasn't just..." he forced himself to close his mouth. It didn't matter apparently what had happened. It was in the past and should be forgotten. But things were escalating and his desire to flee was increasing. He looked at the door again, reasonably sure it would open as he went to it. He didn't hear the order for it to be locked. He wasn't trapped in here but it felt like it. "Yes, sir," he said finally...she hadn't issued any orders and he knew the response didn't quite follow but he also learned that it would be better to get it over with so he could leave.

"So...you do treat the rest of the crew differently? Not politely and respectfully?" she asked, trying her best to clarify what exactly he had responded 'Yes, sir.' to. She hoped she wasn't being overly harsh to the man, but at the same time she felt it necessary to try her best to identify the root causes of his problems. If it was a simple issue of manners and politeness, then there were fortunately ways to help him improve in those areas.

"What?" He asked looking directly at her for s moment before dropping his gaze. "Yes, of course I...no, wait...no, no I..." He stopped as he tried to bring himself back. Typo many questions at once and they conflicted with each other. "Sir, I do treat the crew differently, but that doesn't mean I don't treat people respectfully. But how can you define 'polite' on a diverse crew with so many cultural differences? I have to treat people differently."

"Well," Lirha began with a gentle wave of her hand, "Regardless of the different species and genders which make up our crew, they have all attended at least basic Starfleet preparatory courses, and should be familiar with Human customs. Simple things such as eye contact, and saying 'please' and 'thank you' really do wonders for interpersonal communication."

Now this was more familiar. Now she sounded more like Chief Alexander or Dr. Mulgrew. This was a conversation he'd been having for years and was on more familiar territory. Back to the idea of false pleasantries and social niceties that were meaningless in the greater scheme of things. It was an argument he'd been having for years. He felt as if it was an argument he would continue to have for the rest of his life. Or until somebody found a way to fix what was broken in him. Unfortunately, however, he still didn't have an answer for it. He blinked. "Sir," he said, sighing, "People are different. Not just from their species or gender but people are different. It would be wrong to treat Doctor Dhuinn as I would Lieutenant Panne. Both are very accomplished in their fields, both are human and both are female. But they are not the same. Lieutenant Panne is brilliantly argumentative, wonderfully intelligent and very accomplished pianist. I can have deep debates with her over her work, but I couldn't do the same with Doctor Dhuinn because she's...she's tough and caring and insightful, but she's not argumentative. To treat them the same would be to disrespect both of them for being who they are. I've been told that I have to respect the person but...you're telling me to treat everyone the same and disregard who they are?"

"No," she answered, "that is not exactly what I am trying to say. For example, your harsh reaction to Lieutenant Mialin's objection to having Sidious on the bridge was...very brash, to say the least, and knowing her, I do not think you made a friend. There was a way in which to communicate your displeasure with her statement in a tactful manner, but you instead took a direct and confrontational route instead." she tried to explain.

At that moment, it dawned on Lirha that Stone, for whatever reasons, probably did not fully understand the nuances of interpersonal communication, and therefore was not able to adjust his interactions accordingly. A simple enough fix, she thought to herself as she reached down into one of her desk's drawers and pulled out a PADD, then began to tap several commands into it. "Ultimately, you cannot continue as you have been doing aboard this ship." she continued, keeping her voice level and somewhat gentle. "Therefore, I am assigning you to our counseling department for daily sensitivity training." she said, then handed him the PADD which now contained his new orders. "One hour per day after your shift, for as long as is necessary until we begin to see some improvement."

He sighed. Here was more familiar territory. No matter how things happen, he's the one in the wrong and the one 'punished' for it. Does it matter that she made demands of him that she had no right or authority to make? No, of course not. Because she was false, she was 'pleasant' so of course she couldn't be at fault. "Will..." he scowled, what had the Captain said her name was? "Will Lieutenant Malevin be assigned to this as well or am I being singled out because of my condition?" he asked, following the subtle weave of the rug in front of the desk.

"Her name is Lieutenant Mialin, and no, she will not be assigned. I have never received a complaint about her behavior during the entire period she has been aboard, therefore I do not feel it necessary for her to work on her communication skills." she answered, then gave him a small yet understanding smile. "You are not being singled out for your condition, Jeremy," she added, using his first name in an informal and more personal manner, "You are being singled out because of your behavior, which is a result of your condition. I hope you understand the difference. As captain of this ship, I want nothing but the best for you, and I would be irresponsible if I did not attempt to help you with your troubles. I have read your personnel file and understand your history. It is very unfortunate that you had to face such adversity and hostility, and I am simply trying my best to help you. I care about all of my crew equally, and you are no different."

He rubbed the top of his head, realizing he was becoming too agitated now for him to remain subservient for much longer. "Then why aren't I afforded the same courtesies?" He asked, frustration clear in his voice and tone. Sidi whined and Jeremy looked at him blinking and realized the what and how of what he said. He shook his head. "Nevermind, sir. I'll speak with..." he started tapping his thigh while he checked his PADD, "Lieutenant Meridian to make arrangements to comply with your orders, sir." He glanced at the door. "Will there be anything else, sir, or may I leave now?"

Lirha nodded with approval as he seemingly accepted his new orders, albeit with a hint of reluctance. She was about to dismiss him when the dog's whining reminded her of a final order she needed to give him. "Yes, Lieutenant, you are dismissed. And for the future, I would prefer that Sidious not be on the bridge during your shifts. I appreciate your connection with him and my XO and I are pleased that you have taken a liking to him, however he is not able to operate a LCARS console or terminal, and therefore has no practical function in the command center. Most importantly, I am afraid that he might be a distraction to the other bridge officers. I'm sorry."

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

CAPT Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

LTjg Jeremy Stone
Suspended Chief Security/Tactical Officer/K9
USS Galileo

MCPO Markum Quinn
Chief of the Boat
USS Galileo

Sidious MWD 7223
Security Canine unit
USS Galileo
NPC'd by Jeremy Stone

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