A Tact-ical Response

Posted on 03 Jul 2013 @ 7:16am by Marine Captain Ray Fernandez (Ret.) & Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm

3,430 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 2, Captain's Quarters
Timeline: MD 11 - 2205 hrs

[ON]

After a most enjoyable sparring session with her friend Siren an hour ago, Lirha had made her way back to her quarters and taken a much needed sonic shower. Now, she lazily laid on her couch in casual clothes - a tight gray tank top accompanied by a pair of black leggings. In her hand was a PADD containing almost fifty pages of survey data which she had missed while she had been away at SB-185, and she let out a frustrated sigh as she began to comb through the findings and results in order to prepare her next report to Starfleet Command.

Ray, being Ray had decided that he needed to take another walk. His VIP quarters, as lovely as they were, had began to drive him mad. He forewent the typical marine uniform for a pair of faded green combat pants and a olive green tee. His cane was making soft thuds on the carpeted floor. The old veteran came up to the Captain's Quarters with relative ease and pressed the door chime. in the crook of his arm he had a PADD and a bottle of malt scotch.

No sense in talking shop without a couple.

The sound of the door chime had become commonplace for Lirha, and she always seemed to have visitors at the most unusual hours. Setting her PADD down on the table, she sat up straight on the couch and looked towards the door. "Enter." she called out.

"Don't mind if I do Captain. " He replied after the doors slide open. "Heard you were back and probably up to your neck in reports. " He said, and looked over to how the Captain had a PADD in front of her. "Looks like I was right."

Lirha watched the Marine captain enter her quarters and gave him a polite smile. "Hello, Captain Fernandez." she said in greeting, then motioned to the PADD next to her. "Yes, you are correct...there always seems to be a report which needs to be read or sent off to Starfleet." she added with a hint of frustration in her voice. "Please, have a seat. What can I do for you?"

He chuckled, nodding all the while, and made his way to a nearby chair, but set the bottle on the coffee table and produced two glasses. "I always found that reports were best written with a little liquid courage." He explained and cracked the cap. He filled up the two glasses and set one near Saalm. "Call it a gift of thanks for letting an old man on possibly one last adventure before having to settle down."

Eying the bottle of scotch, Lirha gave the older man a sideways grin then picked up her glass and gently tipped it towards him in thanks. She took a long sip of the thick liquor then exhaled slowly with a deep breath as the distinctive flavors played across her palate. 'Liquid courage', she mused to herself as she felt her insides begin to warm.

Taking a sip of a heady alcohol he smacked his lips and grinned. "Good stuff." He glanced over to the frustrated Captain. "You seem like you're one fuse away from an explosion." He remarked off offhandedly.

The Orion captain snapped out of her mild trance at the mention of an explosion. "I am sorry, I just feel rather tired...and overwhelmed, to be honest." she confessed as she looked into his brown eyes. "This system survey has been a monumental task for myself and the crew. I never really realized how much and how quickly the burden of command would catch up to me. I have only had Galileo for a little less than a year..." she elaborated for the older Marine.

"And in that year you had your arses handed to you by some Klingons and almost blew up the ship." He chuckled. "The majority of your crew is as new to this song and dance as you are and are dealing with a losses and surprises the universe had in store for them." Ray added.

"And you, the Captain are starting to wonder if she could have done things better?" Ray asked. He took another sip of bourbon and leaned back.

"Somewhat..." Lirha mumbled in reply. "I have never been one to second guess myself, but you are correct that our experiences so far have been less than ideal. I suppose it is mental fatigue more so than anything else." she explained while her thoughts suddenly shifted back to their first mission involving Project Sienna.

"But for the record, Galileo did manage to cripple one Bird of Prey and destroy another. Impressive...for a Nova Class." she added with a tiny smile and playful twinkle in her eyes.

"Mental fatigue is just as dangerous and deadly as anything else." He explained. "But taking a Bird of Prey or two down is impressive for just about any starship." He chuckled.

"Well, I suppose I should get down to business Lihra. Though I would love to continue talking 'ship'." He chuckled at his own joke. "I was wondering if you had any questions or concerns about this Tactical Response Team we're trying to establish on then ship. "

Lirha paused for only a brief second to recall the concept and proposed duties of her ship's new Tactical Response Team. When she had first heard of the idea, she was somewhat hesitant to create another subdivision of her ship's personnel - especially across multiple departments. But the more she pondered the issue and reflected back upon their previous mission, the more she realized that such an idea was probably ideal for a small Nova Class starship with limited resources.

"I like the idea." she said rather simply. "It seems as though it will allow us better emergency preparedness and decrease our response times during a crisis situation." she paused for a moment to push a lock of her dark hair back behind her ear. "Who will be leading the overall supervision and deployment of the team? Warrant Officer Kiwosk?" she asked for clarification.

"Actually Captain." Ray said with a smile. "The supervision will fall under the Security Department. As for the deployment of the team itself will fall to you, the XO or the Chief of Security." Ray explained quietly.

"Given the misgivings some of the crew have about the implementation of this multi-department defense team, Cyrus had discussed with Lieutenant Rhodes that it would be prudent to make sure that only the two most senior officers and the Chief of Security have the authorization to deploy the Tactical Response Team. For example we don't want them being deployed fruitlessly." He paused to sip his bourbon before continuing. "I was wondering what you thought of that idea, before we get into the heart of the testing."

"I think that is a prudent arrangement." Lirha agreed with a nod. No doubt it would be more sensical to have the senior-most staff be responsible for dispatching the team, especially in emergency situations where they had a better grasp of the ship's overall needs. "Exactly how many crew members and from which departments will be participating?" she asked, hoping for some hard details about the team's composition.

"Well, I've been 'testing' the candidates in my own way, and I'm happy to say that we should be able to furnish anywhere from eight to ten members of this team comfortably. Any higher and things might get a little unruly. We're not training soldiers here, it's more a like a specialized militia or a group of reservists that are highly trained." He paused again to swallow another sip. "As for the departments, we have candidates from Engineering, Medical, Science, Operations and Flight control as well as an officer from the Diplomatic corps...that Vulcan of yours...Lieutenant Liyar?" He asked offhandedly. "To be fair, we've had a couple officers offer their services to this team which is nice to see, though we are trying to limit their acceptance simply due to ranking issues. " He splayed his hands in a a helpless shrug. "But it you have the skills, no one is going to complain if they are saving your life. You're going to be damn grateful." He chuckled.

The captain listened to the breakdown of the team including the numbers and departments involved. It made sense in her mind as well; no need to have more personnel than necessary, and it was also a good idea for more of her crew to be cross-trained in multiple emergency skill sets.

"I think a ten-person team would be ideal." she concluded in agreement. "And yes, Lieutenant Liyar is a very experienced officer with many years of experience under his belt. He would no doubt be an asset to such a team." she added, then paused to take another sip of scotch from her glass. "What type of training program would you suggest implementing?" she proceeded to ask.

"Basic and advanced firearms training, endurance checks, a physical. The rudimentary evaluations that make the governing body of Starfleet a reliable part of society." He chuckled. "Stress tests, mental evaluations conducted and possibly the most important test is the initial stress test I have been conducting before all the real tests begin. " He looked over to Lirha for the first time. "I have been sitting down with each candidate and I've been evaluating their ability to work in cohesion with others. The other part of the test is I'm preying on their weaknesses, goading them into facing their most uncomfortable feelings and seeing how they will react." He grinned slyly. "By making them face their own inner turmoil without realizing it I can accurately judge how they will do when faced with problems that could relate to those issues during their time in the TRT."

"I've been using this form of evaluation since my initial time aboard the Fitzgerald and it's been widely successful, if not well received. " He chuckled at Stark's reaction to his testing and to Liyar's." He set his glass down on the table and refilled it. "The whole base is built off of two parts: I read their file, detect issues in their personal or professional careers that are quote/ unquote 'soft spots'" He waggled his fingers through the air at the mention of the word. "I bring them to the point of facing said issue I bring up that is detrimental to a teamed cohesion and that's when the second part of the test happens. " He paused to sip. " They will do whatever it takes to prove me wrong. If they surpass the limitations brought on by whatever the issue may be, they pass. If not: they fail."

Lirha listened intently to the older Marine while he explained his rather unorthodox method of evaluating and training personnel. Many different ideas and scenarios began to play out in her head at the thought of such a process, but she calmly reserved her judgement while she proceeded to ask more questions. "That is an...interesting training technique." she said in an even toned voice. "I have never heard of such a practice before. Are you confident that the selected crew members will respond well to such scrutiny?"

Ray laughed loudly and shook his head. "Of course not. Who likes facing the daemons that make them who they are? When push comes to shove all species of all colours, skins, and cultures tend to try and avoid the deep problems. " He gestured to Lirha. "For example, say you had a fear of spiders, to the point that it could cripple you, and you are ordered in the middle of a rescue operation to climb a spider infested pit. Would you do it without hesitation and face that fear or would you run the other way?" He chuckled. "nine times out of ten, most people will run away from the thing that scares them." He held up one finger. "It's the one out of ten, the ten percent of individuals that will stand up, admit their faults and carry on despite them, that are the ones you want to train on a specialized team, the ones that won't flinch from their duty and do what needs to be done for the betterment of their team."

The Marine captain's analogy was accurate, enough so that Lirha paused for a long moment to consider the benefits of such a selective program. She didn't say a word yet internally began to weigh the pros and cons, factoring in such elements as morale, functionality, and various psychological issues which might crop up under pressure.

"You said that you've been in control of the Galileo for less than a year?" He asked offhandedly. "Must be rough, I know when I first took command of my first Marine Company it was nerve wracking. "

For the second time during their conversation, the captain had to break herself away from her thoughts. Her fatigue was beginning to set in and her concentration was not exactly at its best. Nevertheless, she welcomed Fernandez's company and did her best to indulge him.

"Yes, ten months now under my command." she answered with a soft smile. "It has been a challenge, but also a great learning experience. I grew up in space aboard my parents' trade vessel so I am naturally used to the various elements of operating in space. But the duties and responsibilities of command sometimes force me to act and perform in certain ways which I would not normally do, and at times I feel as though it is changing my personality. It is...confusing at times. A conflict of interest, of sorts."

Ray chuckled..."You are in command of the lives of at least a hundred people. You're not allowed to who you used to be anymore. " He said simply. " And stress gets high and people do stupid things when their stress get high. " He leaned back.

"Command is not an easy thing, you lose sleep, you lose people and you will lose yourself and you will falter. " He blinked and finished his cup in a single swallow before resting comfortably in a chair. "But you have to understand one thing, and I want you to listen very well. " His one good eye misted over slightly and Ray's voice cracked slightly. " When you make that one mistake, the one that makes you question the reason you took the command chair in the first place remember this: Whatever you are feeling, whatever you guilt, despair or pain you feel. Your crew feels it a hundred times more. The people you know, some personally, some professionally have made friends, lovers, children that are going to feel that loss more than you ever will. You have a duty to support them and give them the time they need, the support the need. Or you will lose them all."

Lirha let out a soft laugh and shook her head with a smile after Fernandez gave her his speech. "You sound just like Admiral Jacobs back at Starfleet Command. He gave me a very similar speech during my command training in San Francisco."

"Then the Admiral is a smart man. You should listen to him." He retorted. "Else that mistake might come sooner than you think. " He sipped his glass once more and stood up. " I'll leave you to your reports. Keep the bottle. A pleasure as always Captain."

Watching the man promptly end the conversation and stand up, Lirha wasn't entirely sure why he was ready to depart so quickly. She welcomed his company and though she wasn't overly fond of being lectured, she didn't exactly mind taking advice from an older Marine. But most importantly, she had other things regarding the TRT which she wanted to briefly discuss. "If you can stay for a while longer, I have a couple suggestions concerning this Tactical Response Team. I would like to sort through this now as opposed to later." she replied, watching and studying his mannerisms and facial expressions while hoping they could both agree on the details of the special unit before the last of Galileo's surveys were complete.

"So long as you can keep the sleep from your eyes Lihra, because besides looking like a kettle about to boil over, you also like you're going to collapse at any given moment from sheer exhaustion." He stated, having been reading the Captain's facial features and mannerisms almost as much aas she was watching him. "So if you'll have me then I can't see why I shouldn't stay and talk about the team."

The Orion captain smiled inside after hearing the strange kettle analogy. Despite her time spent living on Earth, Lirha still had yet to master some of the intricacies of the Federation Standard language, but always found it a pleasant surprise to hear new terms and euphemisms. "I will try not to 'boil over'. Or fall asleep on you." she said in agreement.

Standing up and moving over to her desk, she procured a new PADD then returned to her seat on the couch where she began to enter some basic notes about the TRT. "In regards to the training routine...I would like to add some sort of emergency medical training, and possibly a brief course in emergency starship operations. I think it would help supplement the more physical aspect of the training - firearms and endurance - which you mentioned earlier. What do you think?" she proposed with raised eyebrows.

"Already ahead of you on that. We are hoping to cross train/ the majority of the volunteers so they will no the basics if not standard knowledge on multiple ship duties." Ray explained. "Medical is was going to be a necessary for the majority, but operations and engineering were also high on that list. We were hoping to find some officers that might be up for teaching those courses." Ray motioned for the liquor bottle. "I'm not drinking it all. " He chided.

He continued with his explanation. "With the vital ship functions covered this team will be able to respond in a variety of emergencies that any of the departments couldn't respond to. An engine failure of a damaged ship under fire, or a ground team that was wounded in a firefight. Those are only combat oriented scenarios, if a leak sprouts on board the ship and the team that would patch it up can't, because they are busy keeping shields up, the TRT could respond, patch it temporarily until the crisis has passed. He explained all of this with excitement and vigor, smiling the entire time.

Lirha glanced at the bottle and quickly held up her hand to decline the offer. "Oh, that would assuredly put me to bed prematurely." she said with a soft laugh, then briefly rubbed her eyes as she focused back on her PADD and entered in some more notes. "Well, I believe that is a sound course of action. It would be of much benefit to have several members of the team who are competent in multiple skill sets. I can help find some instructors for you." she offered.

"Please, I've read just about every personnel file on board, and a couple I was able to pull from my time in the SFI, but nothing is better than a first person encounter with a candidate. " He chuckled. "Who do you recommend? "

"Well," she began, "If you are interested in the tactical operations of our starship, there is no better person to consult than Commander Holliday. He was a former instructor at the Academy and is quite knowledgeable. In addition, our chief counselor, Lieutenant Blake, is a former Marine psych officer and field medic...I believe she would be qualified to teach an emergency medical preparedness course, and possibly assist you with firearms training." Lirha paused briefly to think of some of Galileo's other qualified personnel.

"As for engineering personnel, I would suggest either Ensign Peers or Petty Officer Watt, and from Operations I would recommend Ensign Horne or Lieutenant Amril. However...I am not sure if you feel comfortable working with a Vorta, considering their history with Starfleet. If you feel that working with Lieutenant Amril will be a problem, I would recommend contacting Miss Horne instead." she continued, then patiently waited as Fernandez contemplated his options.

[OFF]

--

CAPT Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

Marine CAPT Ray Fernandez
VIP
USS Galileo
NPC'd by Cyrus Kiwosk

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