Your ordeal is now over
Posted on Mon Aug 12th, 2019 @ 12:36am by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke
Edited on on Mon Aug 12th, 2019 @ 1:13am
2,876 words; about a 14 minute read
Mission:
Episode 7 - Home Again
Location: Confrence Room
Timeline: MD008 0830 hrs
Quinn and Tyler were already in the conference room, they were waiting on the arrival of his wife Ameri. He had to tell her, the reason why Dana was testing her. She was under orders, from Quinn. Granted, she went outside the scope of his orders, which caused an incident on the ship.
"She is going to be upset at me, do you have room on your couch, Tyler?" Quinn said, just having the two of them in the room, at the moment.
"You can sleep in the Ready Room if you wish..." Tyler said with a smirk. "But this is not going to go well in general. Quinn I allowed you to go forward with this I never thought it would come to this. Dana is going to have to be court martial-ed. She really went overboard on this one."
"It is very unfortunate. We can apply non judicial punishment instead?" Quinn asked. He felt guilty for putting her in this predicament. He put her in it, but he knew he was not responsible for her actions. Or how far she took it.
"I would prefer the non judicial route. However, the powers that be want to make an example of her. They want a trial, that is if your wife is going to press charges. Conduct unbecoming an officer is a charge that the fleet believes needs to be pursued. Especially since the average age of officers is becoming younger and younger. It is believed that they are out of control. The only thing we can hope for is that if it comes to a trial they will allow us to handle it as an in house trial." Tyler responded as he took a seat at the table with a cup of coffee.
"Will the trail be on Empok Nor?" Quinn asked, wondering if they had to cancel shore leave, and send the USS Pioneer back to a Federation controlled station. He was not sure what the course of action was going to be. He was more concerned, on why Dana did this? Why did she go out of her scope of authority. Quinn could not protect her.
"Not sure... It will either be on the station or on the Pioneer here at Empok Nor. All I know is that the Judge Advocate General is sending someone here to preside over the trial. I think you and I should head to the Brig once we meet with your wife. We need to find out why Dana went so overboard before JAG gets here. Perhaps we can nip this in the bud before careers end." Tyler responded as he sat down in his traditional seat.
"Aye Captain, but I am not sure if that will help. She will no doubt blame me for her current predicament." Quinn said, as he made a mental note to tread lightly on this topic, with Dana.
"Hmmmm..." Tyler nodded in agreement. "You are probably right, and the JAG may have something to say to you about it regardless. They are most likely going to want to know why you devised such a test, and what your motives were for the test. It is understood that Dana took the order too far, however, you have to understand that the basis is going to have to be known."
"Will get through this, I just hope we can protect Dana. I am not sure we can Tyler." Quinn said. He was trying to think, on what they could do, to protect her. But in honesty, there was not much.
TAG Tyler
Ameri was trying to collect herself and her she wasn’t even sure what to say. It was so out of character for her to get in a fight but Wakefield kept pushing her. Still, that was only an excuse. She rang the buzzer reminding herself this wasn’t Quinn but the first Officer she was facing.
"Come on in Lieutenant you're expected." We might as well get this party started Tyler thought. "Please help yourself if you would like anything and have a seat."
Ameri walked over and sat down. “Thank you Captain.” She was grateful he didn’t leave her standing. Ameri still waan’t certain what she was going to say. She was still wrapping herself around what had happened. All the way here she reminded herself that Quinn wasn’t her husband right now but the first Officer but that didn’t help one bit. Ameri looked from one to the other and waited.
"I guess I will get the ball rolling with something that is not too official. Lieutenant, how are you feeling? I know that you have been through a good amount the past few days." Tyler said with a smile.
Ameri blinked. This was not how she expected this to start out. “How do I feel?” She thought for a moment. “Embarrassed, a bit ashamed that I allowed myself to be manipulated into a fight by Lieutenant Wakefield.”
Tyler nodded, "I can see that. However, Lieutenant Wakefield was pushing an order to it's breaking point. Number One would you explain what this order was." Tyler figured it best to dive right in, rip it off like a band aid and it will go a lot quicker.
Way not to ease into it.Quinn thought as he looked over to Tyler and then back over to Ameri. "Lieutenant Wakefield was under orders from me, to start a little commotion on the bridge, and to test your actions on the bridge. As an assistant chief, I needed to make sure, you could handle the stresses of command. However Lieutenant Wakefield went outside the scope of my orders." Quinn said, waiting for Ameri response. He assumed she would be pissed.
Ameri heard what he said, she was having a hard time processing it. This was Quinn. No wait it was Commander O’Flannagain. “You tested my performance on the bridge by having Lieutenant Wakefield purposely humiliate Ensign Robertson and me.” She was pissed, no she was furious but she would not react. Maybe they wanted her to? She was barely processing getting in a fight and now she finds out this. “How did that work for you, Commander?” She was done with this bullshit of him being her husband one moment and the first Officer the next. It didn’t matter what he said Quinn had done this. “When I came home and you were sympathetic it was all a part of the game, Commander? Or wait, was that Quinn my husband, I am afraid I am a bit confused because the line is feeling muddied.”
Before Quinn could react Tyler put his hands out in an effort to calm the woman. "Lieutenant, before you give the Commander all of your ire. He did execute this order with my blessing. We had planned on doing something to this effect for all of the assistant department heads. However, as Quinn said Dana went entirely too far. It is for that reason that she is in the Brig and you are not." Tyler could let his first officer take all of this woman's anger when he was partially at fault as well.
There was so much Ameri wanted to say, she wanted to yell at them but she didn’t. Instead, she looked from one to the other, keeping her emotions checked. It was the hardest thing she had ever done. No matter how they tried to make her feel better it wouldn’t help. “I am not going to yell.” Ameri said with a calmness she didn’t feel. “You are the command staff, it is your right to do whatever you feel is best regardless of the consequences. Just tell it to me straight. Am I done?”
"No, but you will probably have reprimand on your file, worse case scenario. But not sure how this is going to play out." Quinn said, trying to give it to her straight. She was not completely innocent, but her actions were justified because of what Dana had done. But this still no excuse to take matters into your hands.
“Understood Commander,” Ameri replied. “I know I was wrong I will accept whatever is decided.” This was the easy part because it was true. The moment she realized Dana was unstable she should have left. She needed to hold on until they were finished so she could get out of there and process what she knew.
"Commander is it? Okay Lieutenant." Quinn said, trying to lighten the mood a little. "I'm still your husband, you are my wife. We are not in the court room yet." He said, wanting to see Ameri loosen up a little.
“I am dealing with a lot here,” Ameri said quietly. “You know I am not a fighter by nature. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out what led to the fight. I didn’t go looking for one I went to ask her to stop spreading rumors about me and other crew. Regardless of the fact that she started right in on me I should have walked away and I didn’t.” She looked at Quinn. “I feel betrayed by both of you and to be honest I would ask for a little latitude on that.”
"As your husband, I can understand that. As the Executive Officer, its my job to test your character. Make sure you will be an ideal candidate for the command program. To get your own department." Quinn said, hoping Ameri could see, that he had two roles. One as her husband, the other as first officer.
“And as my executive officer I understand,” Ameri replied. “But as your wife I do not. I know I should, I promised I would and I will deal with it as best I can so we can all move forward. It is my problem after all.”
"No such thing as my problem, when you have a partner in life. I'm here for you." Quinn said to her, as he held her close. They continued to walk down the corridor. So far they were alone. Typically he would keep his distance, while on duty. But this was an emotionally charged time.
“I don’t want to go home Quinn,” Ameri said. “Enya is going to think I approve of fighting. You haven’t said one word about how you feel, as my husband not as a commander. I’m so disappointed in myself for swinging back I should have just let her hit me! Now everyone thinks terrible things about me.” She wiped a tear away. “What am I going to do, Quinn?”
"You have every right to defend yourself, but the motives and actions leading the defense might be in question." Quinn said to her, hoping to relieve a little bit of stress.
Ameri looked at him. “I didn’t ask you that!” I asked you how you feel about what I did! Are you upset with me? Disappointed? Embarrassed? I know whether it is right or wrong, I want to know how you feel.”
"I am by your side, I can not be disappointed in you. I feel responsible for this situation. But this is part of leadership, learning from your actions. I am sorry you are in this situation." Quinn said, hoping that answered her question.
“You didn’t dump the water on her head or get in a fight. I did.” Ameri replied quietly. “It was a test, don’t blame yourself because I acted like a two year old.” She felt her eyes fill with tears. “I don’t know why I did It. I don’t know what I want, I am tired but I can’t sleep, I want to cry but I cant. I want go back and never speak to her.”
"The test was designed to test your character. What Dana did is inexcusable. In my opinion that was not an assessment of character." Quinn told her. He did not personally take offense or think less of his wife, because of her actions. She abused the scope of her authority.
“I love you,” Ameri said. “I know you didn’t mean for this to happen. Everything went crazy and now we have to put the pieces back together.”
Tyler had sat back and listened to the exchange between the officers, between the married couple. For a moment Tyler thought he should leave them alone to hash this out, and then he remembered that this was a situation that they all needed to hash out. "Quinn, Ameri in terms of Dana what is done is done. There is going to be a court martial and Dana will have to pay the price for her actions. The question is who replaces her in the interim?" Tyler leaned back in his chair and tented his fingers.
"Ameri would make a great choice, Lieutenant Michael is young, and has less time in service." Quinn said, allowing Tyler a moment, to let that sink in.
Tyler turned toward Ameri. "I know your service record shows that you were trained in ship operations. However, being trained and doing the job under pressure are two different things. Are you up to date on current ship's systems and technology? Can you handle it?" The latter question dripped with the notion that one can crack under the pressure. He asked Dana to kill with the push of a button and he would ask Ameri to do the same if he had to. Tyler had to make sure that she can handle it, and that her name wasn't being tossed into the ring because she was the XO's wife.
Ameri’s eyes met Tyler’s. “I know I can. I am prepared to step in and fill the position. I know the job can be stressful as well as there are times when what I am ordered to do will not be easy, but I can and will do the job. you won’t Regret it.”
Tyler glanced at his XO and the look there spoke volumes. Quinn was fully behind his wife both as a husband and Executive Officer. Tyler nodded and exhaled through his nose heavily. "OK let's give it a shot. As of right now you are the interim acting Chief of Operations. Before we go on I want you both to understand that this may be temporary. If Dana is exonerated then other measures will have to be taken. However, the ship needs to function." He paused as he spoke and smirked. "However, there is one thing that will not be temporary. He slid a small wooden box across his desk.
Ameri’s eyes widened. She looked from Tyler to Quinn and slowly reached out and picked it up. She opened it and a smile crossed her face, the first one on what felt like days. “Seriously!” Her smiled widened. “I won’t let you down and I do understand with Lieutenant Wakefield. Should things turn out okay for her I will understand.” Still, temporary ops chief was a start she thought.
"You past the test, despite the fallout from Lieutenant Wakefield. You are ready to lead your own department. You have a lot of talent and skills in operations, they are lucky to have you." Quinn told his wife, trying to reassure her.
Ameri listened to Quinn’s words and she couldn’t help but continue to smile. “That means so much to me. I feel so honored by both of your faith in me. I will make our operations department the best.”
"You will have to if the these fleet movements are any indication..." Tyler slid a PADD to each of them. It talked of a lot of movement within the Badlands. "So much for celebration duty calls. Congratulations Lieutenant, this place is going to get interesting. Especially now that the Commander has pulled off his greatest trick yet. Transferring my wife here without telling me. Well played Number One well played indeed. I guess that is what I get for putting the ship's crew compliment in your hands." Tyler smiled at his friend.
"I have my moments, sir." Quinn said with a boyish smile on his face. He really had nothing to add to his statement. It was true. Quinn had pulled a few strings to get Kat on the ship, and he did it without Tyler knowing.
Ameri smiled at Quinn, then looked at Tyler. “I know I am prejudiced but I mean it when I say that you will never have a first officer who sees what you need like Quinn. This ship and its captain are his priority.”
"Well said Ameri, could not have said it better myself." Quinn was smiling from ear to ear. His wife knew him to well.
A Joint Post By:
Captain Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
Commander Quinn Ó Flannagáin
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Ameri Ó Flannagáin
Chief Operations Officer, USS Pioneer
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