Darmok and Jalad, on the Ocean

Posted on 10 Aug 2023 @ 6:25pm by Commander Morgan Tarin & Commander Scarlet Blake

4,314 words; about a 22 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: Regula I - Level 16, Senior Office Module
Timeline: MD 17, 1120 hrs

[ON]

The morning following Galileo's return to Regula I had started early. Morgan had awakened at 0430 per her standard routine then conducted a session of PT with various officers from her ship. She'd returned back to her temporary quarters, showered, eaten, and now had spent the last three hours in her office juggling operational status reports, strategic operations intelligence and fleet movements, and communicating with Starfleet Command. There was, of course, a multi-hour delay between every message sent to Earth and vice verse due to the pure distances involved, but she'd been able to ascertain enough from the dialogue that she needed to inform her first officer of the latest updates.

Morgan slapped the commbadge on her fresh uniform while she sifted through a stack of PADDs between her widely-spaced arms. A large half-full glass of water was within reaching distance alongside a half-eaten cream cheese bagel. "Tarin to Blake, report to my office."

"I'll be there in five minutes," Blake's response was as to the point as the order. If it had been Lily, she'd have reminded her about the 'p' word. The slight delay was, indeed, because of Lily. After seeing her daughter had a suitable guardian, she made her way to Tarin's office, shrugging her jacket on and doing it up as she waited for her chime to be answered.

"Enter," was the senior commander's simple reply. The door swished open to present the sparsely-decorated interior of the office module. Several large full windows lined the walls with each offering their own spectacular view of the nearby colorful Mutara Nebula and the surface of Remidia. Morgan looked up from her PADDs then leaned back in her chair to greet the first officer. "Blake, good, you're here. Have a seat, I been exchanging communications with Starfleet Command this entire morning."

"Sounds like fun," Blake replied dryly as she made her way to the seat. She took a chance to enjoy the view as she settled back, rolling her shoulders to pull them back against the chair. There wasn't always a chance when there were a dozen things to get done on a ship.

From behind the desk, Tarin quickly resumed sifting through her stacks of PADDs and eventually started to pull a select few from their organizational mini-towers. Those were the most pertinent of the assortment which directly related to their current and future assignment here in the farthest outreaches of Federation space. She slid three PADDs across the table to Blake. "Which do you want to discuss first?" came a rare offer. "Starfleet Command's recurring requests to turn over our 'incomplete' recovered cold station data? Captain Saalm's current operational status? Or...Galileo's new commanding officer?"

Blake's eyebrows lifted at the last items of the agenda, and she sat back against the chair with a soft sigh. "It sounds like those last two points may be directly connected," she pointed out lightly, a tiredness creeping into her tone.

"Yes, they are," confirmed Tarin before tapping the one PADD most currently on her mind. "This contains my recent communiques with Command pertaining to Cold Station 31's status and recovered data. Needless to say...they're not pleased with our recovery efforts." Her dry voice became less audible within the room as she lowered the volume of her speech. "They're demanding we submit all recovered data -- damaged or irrecoverable or otherwise." The look she then gave Blake, holding the other woman's blue eyes, was one confirming their private knowledge and decision making they'd shared aboard Galileo several days ago. "I'm not sure how much longer I can delay this."

Blake nodded with understanding, glancing down with a frown of regret at the whole sad mess. She didn't relish shirking their orders either. On the contrary, she was usually someone who did things to the letter. But seeing what she had...she wanted it buried forever. "I suppose we had better check just how damaged it is."

Tarin observed her first officer's body language then nodded. It seemed they were both in agreement which was a welcome relief to an otherwise complex and multi-faceted conundrum. "Yes we should. I'll report to back to Command that we're still attempting to isolate and restore several corrupted blocks of pertinent research data. It may take several weeks. ...Understood?"

"Absolutely," Blake met her eyes, leaving no doubt in the matter. She didn't want to risk anyone recreating what had happened on that base. Everyone always thought they were the exception. They'd get it right. They'd make it work. Most times, they made just as much of a mess.

"Good." A slight exhale became audible from Tarin's thin lips. Command had been hounding her ever since Galileo's return to Regula I just 26 hours prior. Their messages and tonality conveyed a supreme interest in Cold Station 31's status and research as opposed to the presence of Ferengi marauders and a Klingon battlecruiser operating within the vicinity. Or perhaps...they were connected somehow?

Tarin pulled the first PADD back then pushed the next one forward for the first officer to pick up and read. She retrieved her half-full glass of water and quickly emptied it before wiping her chin with the back of her knuckle. "Captain Saalm's still on assignment," she prefaced before going into further detail. "I don't have clearance to view her recent operations but my sources tell me she's working with a small fleet of Starfleet vessels in a nearby sector to...'negotiate' with the Gorn to the galactic northeast." She held up two spread palms then shrugged. "I personally don't think that's possible, but if anyone could pull it off, it's her. Orions are cunning and well-cultured. In my experience, they always seem to have their next move planned in advance."

Blake kept her features neutral, but she chuckled inwardly. Perhaps their experiences with Orions had been different, but she found them more hot headed and impulsive than rational and diplomatic. With that thought, she contemplated asking why they didn't send a diplomat to deal with such a delicate negotiation, but she suspected she wasn't getting the whole story, and the parts that were left out were above her paygrade. "It's a shame, she'll be missed," she said softly instead.

"She's a good officer and a better captain, Blake. A role model to a lot of young Academy cadets. Especially the enlisted ones." The compliment was sincere and heartfelt. Yet it loomed over the coming revelation which any seasoned senior officer could begin to anticipate. "I hope she returns soon. But her absence creates a permanent void on our ship, and Command's assigned a new captain to Galileo." Tarin pushed the third PADD forward which contained official duty transfer orders from HQ. "Following the completion of our latest sortie -- and at the recommendation of Starfleet Command and the Planetary Science Division -- ...I've been assigned as USS Galileo's new commanding officer."

The beast, at Tanagra.

Blake just stared at her for a long moment, not quite able to believe her ears. 'After the completion of our latest sortie'? The one where Tarin had sent two away teams out on a highly dangerous mission and then left them without backup? Then had allowed the ship to get boarded and overrun by Ferengi, and had only been able to regain the situation because the Klingons had come to the rescue? Then had allowed Mimi to fight with a Klingon at a diplomatic function, with said Klingon later ending up dead on the deck of Galileo's Sickbay? The woman who was more interested in push-ups than a scientific tricorder...and had managed to alienate a decent chunk of the ship's more academically gifted crew...had been recommended by the Planetary Science Division? Things had to be a lot more desperate in the fleet than she had ever imagined. "Interesting."

Watching Blake's facial expressions, or the lack of, it was clear to Tarin that the first officer didn't approve. Even more so reinforced by the curt reply she'd given. There wasn't any resemblance of amiability in Blake's eyes nor her voice; no congratulatory expression for what was a career-defining moment shared between all Starfleet officers. That hurt the new captain even if she didn't outwardly show it. "You don't think I'm fit for the position. Or that I don't deserve it." she speculated. "Are you going to tell me this is another mistake made by Starfleet Command?" Her sharp hazel eyes stared at blue ones of Blake, discerning and judging every iris movement and facial twitch.

Blake just shrugged under the scrutiny, her features remaining cool and emotionless as she settled back in her seat to watch her, her elbows on the arms of her chair and fingers laced together. "It's not my decision," she replied simply, shaking her head, because it made her opinion pretty irrelevant.

"No, it's not. But, as my first officer, I thought you should know." Tarin continued to stare at Blake and her demeanor. The woman's shrug, minute acknowledgement of the important new situation, and the shake of her head all conveyed a potentially bad working relationship in the future. That was something Tarin wouldn't tolerate. Not aboard her first command. "If there's something you want to say to me, now's the time, Blake."

Blake arched an eyebrow before rubbing the side of her neck with a delicate hand as a barely perceptible breath escaped her lips. She had a feeling that despite the invitation, her thoughts would not be well received. She'd witnessed Tarin in full flow before, but Blake was often a woman of fewer words when it seemed like a futile effort. "To be honest, I feel that the results of the last mission speak for themselves."

Blinking with surprise at such a notion, Tarin did a slight double-take before letting out an incredulous half-breath. "No, they don't. So why don't you tell me?" She flipped open one of her pale-skinned palms to the other woman. "Out with it. Say what you mean and don't obfuscate it." Talk like a first officer, she was about to say.

Blake sat back heavily in her chair, just watching her for a long moment, considering her options. Because she suspected that she didn't actually *want* to hear it. Which was an important distinction. She lifted a hand, and touched a different fingertip with each point. "The ship was boarded by the Ferengi. The ship was so crippled by the battle that the Klingons had to come to the rescue. A function with them was turned into a fiasco when Ensign Mimi started a brawl with one of them. He was then *murdered* in our own Sickbay. You sent our Chief of Security to the Klingon ship, even though, given all that had happened, she was very much needed for her own job on her own ship. And that entire time, my away team was left with absolutely no back up." Blake let her hand drop, shaking her head slowly, her features cold and emotionless despite the list. "You told me not to obfuscate it. To put it plainly, I don't call that a successful mission. I call it FUBAR."

Galileo's commander tilted her head slightly and raised her eyebrows. So...this was what her first officer really thought of her and the peril their starship had endured over the past two weeks. Tarin's eyes turned severe as she trained them on the daughter-of-the-Maquis. "And what about you, commander? I sent you down to that cold station with a job to do and protected your mission while we engaged the Ferengi and negotiated with the Klingons. Two actions which you don't appear to appreciate. If we hadn't been successful, you and your teams would either be shackled on a Ferengi heavy cruiser to be sold as slaves, or Klingon bounty for any Nausicaan or Orion ship Praxis would come across. And all of the research data within Cold Station 31 would have been compromised...

"But no, it's my fault that you weren't able to preserve the cold station? My fault that your own away team members - Darius and Ullswater - turned insane after they returned? My fault that you only recovered two of the facility's personnel alive. I didn't blow up that cold station. You did. I didn't return with casualties for half of my teams. You did. So don't preach to me like you're some sort of judgeworthy saint. Take a good, long look in the mirror, Blake."

Blake's arms folded as she listened to the Captain's point of view. She could have refuted a lot of the things Tarin said, and point out where she felt other people were responsible for the things Tarin listed off, but she suspected that while the other woman's eyes had that look in them, it would fall on deaf ears. Instead, she held the severe eyes, her own icy, but calm. "But I'm not the Captain. You are. Which means the buck stops with you," she paused for a moment, to let the comment find its ground. "Hence my surprise at your continued appointment."

A scoff at the XO's words emanated from Tarin. "I was the captain and I returned us from our mission alive and intact with all primary objectives accomplished. And with a new potential ally, nonetheless," she matter-of-factly lectured. "Like you said: the buck stops with me. Not you. I won't entertain your after-hours quarterbacking about what should or could have been done." She sighed in an attempt to calm her feelings but with little luck. "Anything else you want to criticize me for while we're on the topic?"

Blake shook her head, glancing down to her hands with an arched eyebrow. They clearly had differing opinions on the words 'intact' and 'allies'. "I didn't *want* to criticise you on anything. *You* asked *me* to tell you what I thought, and you told me to make it crystal clear. So I did," she pointed out firmly as she looked back to her. They hadn't even touched on the obvious friction between Tarin and some of the crew, but this was definitely not the right time. She'd save it for a not so rainy day.

"Yes, I did. And in my opinion, your judgement is unjustified and a reflection of your own shortcomings." Tarin spoke the hard truth to her XO, one no officer wanted to hear or would take lightly. "You judged me for my oversight of Galileo without applying those same standards to yourself and without full knowledge of the situation I had to deal with. Something I would never do to any of my officers."

Tarin pointed at the three PADDs on the table which Blake hadn't touched despite her attempts to convey the official information. "You don't read through after-action reports or intelligence updates or new orders. You play this game loose and fast, like your Maquis parents. I expected better from you."

Blake's eyes hardened at the words, and now she really was angry. She leant forward in her chair, meeting her eyes and staring the other woman's venom down without recoil. "My opinion is just as valid as yours, and based on the numerous internal reports that made their way up the chain and through me. That's how opinions work, and you are not the cosmic judge of which is right and wrong.

I have never played anything 'fast and loose'. You unnecessarily resorted to insults about crayons in our very first private meeting together...and, by the way, dishing out personal insults to subordinate personnel instead of talking to them professionally with respect is a characteristic of poor leadership skills...but *despite* that, I have done nothing but follow your orders, even when I've not agreed with them, and publicly stood by your unnecessary and overly harsh treatment of the crew that has rendered them exhausted. Which, *in my opinion*, may well have played a significant role in how much damage was caused in our last mission.

And lastly, my parents have literally nothing to do with you. They are absolutely none of your business. I went through thorough vetting when I was accepted into Starfleet, just like everyone else. Unless, of course, you have the hubris to think that they're wrong too and you know better? Bringing them into a conversation about our work is just another unnecessary and unbecoming personal insult."

The senior commander watched Blake and observed her anger-fueled outburst. An imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "So you do have a pulse..." reflected Tarin after a long moment of pause. "Blake, just following orders isn't good enough out here. That's how we lose people and starships. We have to learn to improvise and adapt...to think outside of the box. You're finally starting to learn this even if you hate the realization." The first true emotions coming from the first officer were a welcome sign of change.

"I push this crew because some of them are undisciplined and out of shape -- let's not try to convince each other otherwise," continued Tarin. "I push you because you're equally-responsible for the crew's lives and well-being. I test you because I need to know who you really are behind your stoic veneer. I don't want an order-taker as an XO, I want a capable officer with passion who can speak her mind whenever it's necessary and not be afraid of my judgement."

Blake sat back heavily against her seat, quite literally taking a breath to force the anger to dissipate. She pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh, shaking her head slowly. She hated arguing. She found it futile and vulgar. And she definitely didn't like wearing her emotions on her sleeve. They were hers, and it made her feel vulnerable. And for a woman like Scarlet, that was the worst feeling in the world. "I understand that," she replied quietly. "And I try to deliver all those things. I don't always get it right, but I always try. And if it means leaving it all out on the field, then that's what I'll do, have no doubt. Semper Fi...Semper Gumby. But when it comes to the rest of the crew, it's important to understand that this is not a battle cruiser, no matter how much you wish it were," she added bluntly, meeting her eyes. "This is a specialised ship with a specialised crew, and instead of expecting them all to adapt to your way of doing things, you need to consider adapting to them."

Absentmindedly pushing her water glass to the side, Tarin considered the woman's feedback and what it might mean for Galileo in the future. "The Ferengi didn't care about our 'specialized' crew. Nor did the Klingons. This is why fitness standards, training, and good order and discipline exist. Look, I don't expect us to be anything more than we can be." She continued to hold Blake's blue eyes with her own hazel ones. "This is a Nova-class starship, not a ship of the line. But that doesn't mean we can't still be the best possible versions of ourselves."

"And I completely get that. Trust me, I do," Blake replied honestly, even giving an emphatic shake of the head with it. "But you at your best and them at their best will probably look very, very different. As it should be. They're here because of their minds, not brawn. And exhaustion is just as harmful to cognitive output as alcohol. I think there's a middle ground in there somewhere that will work out better for everyone," she glanced down, shaking her head with a frown. "And we badly need to up our Security team, in lieu of the fact that such a high percentage of our personnel are academically gifted. I recommend we look at having a Chief, a deputy, or at least an acting deputy, and four regular personnel. We need the rotation, especially over a four shift split."

"I'm working on it," replied the captain with reluctant admittance. "New personnel are difficult to procure out here. It'll take time." It wasn't the answer either of them were looking for but it was the reality of their situation. "To your concern of the duty routine I've imposed: you of all people should know that a healthy body produces a healthy mind. I don't care if half the crew are scientists, or even civilian scientists. The benefits of daily exercise are well documented with hundreds of years of supporting medical data. Getting out from behind our consoles for a couple hours each morning is the least we can do. In fact..." she pushed a finger to her bottom lip and pondered the idea further for a second. "I want to expand our PT exercises to include the NCOs, junior enlisted and civilians."

Scarlet shook her head lightly at the doubling down from Tarin. Having served as a psych officer and counsellor, she knew what she was getting at, but she was taking it too far. "I have nothing against rolling it out throughout all personnel, but two hours a day is too much. Exercise helps memory and learning yes, but only if it's aerobic, and you only need 30 minutes a day. Beyond that, and you're training them to be soldiers, not scientists and engineers. If we exhaust them, they're going to be good for nothing."

Morgan didn't want to argue anymore. Not that she wasn't capable or perhaps even enjoyed the differing opinion, but rather that there were more pressing matters to now attend to. "Two hours per day of exercise, six days a week, Blake. Consider that an order. If you and I can find the time for it, then so can the rest of the crew." She then proposed a rare incentive, for moral purposes. "If we stick to the schedule for a full month and see progress? I'll reinstate Saalm's alcohol policy."

Blake sat back, resting a touch heavier against the back of her chair. For a moment...for just one glimmering moment, she'd thought that they were communicating. But it appeared that Tarin had gone back into transmitting mode. "Understood," she replied simply.

Observing the first officer's body language, the captain now tried to lighten the mood. "I've been thinking about doing something special for the crew, to boost morale. An appreciation for their hard work over these past two weeks," she suddenly revealed. "Apparently Regula I just received fresh meat and vegetable stores from a nearby trader. According to Administrator Frost, from a woman named De Winter. Let's prepare an all-crew meal event in the primary mess hall tomorrow. Preferably around 1700 hours. I'd like young Saalm to prepare it. She's served the penance for her attitude and can be taken off restriction. But I'd like for you to oversee this."

Blake nodded slowly with thought as she talked, her mind clearly already working on the finer points of how to make it happen. "A great idea...they'd appreciate it even more if we were to allow alcohol for the evening..." she added lightly, almost with a mock casual tone, an actual hint of playfulness coming through, as if she was trying to tempt her.

The suggestion wasn't one Tarin was totally in opposition to. She managed to catch the subtlety of Blake's request alongside a rare glimpse of humor. "I'm not opposed to the proposition," she confessed with a light shrug. The crew had been through tempestuous times recently and maybe they all needed an avenue to release their tension. "But I'm afraid there's no more alcohol left on board Galileo. All of the confiscated stores were used to create makeshift bloodwine for our distinguished guests during the diplomatic dinner." She paused to think of a possible solution. "If this trader - De Winter - was able to deliver fresh food and supplies, maybe she also possesses alcohol stores to barter for?"

"We can look into it," Blake nodded quickly and confidently. Because there was always alcohol. Where there were people...where those people had to work...where things became difficult, which went hand in hand with people being there...there would be alcohol, somewhere.

"Good, make it so." The senior commander started to rearrange the PADDs on her desk then clumped the three she'd prepared for her first officer into one small stack. "The official command transfer ceremony will take place tomorrow at 1200 in Galileo's primary cargo bay." She glanced back up to the XO with her normal stern eyes. "See to it that the full crew is in attendance."

Blake gathered the padds, tucking them into the corner of her arm, already thinking on the 50,000 things that needed to be done in the short window they had on the station. "Understood," she replied as she straightened up, looking straight ahead as she pulled her shoulders back, waiting to be dismissed.

Reciprocating her first officer's formality, Tarin also stood to attention then gave her equal-height colleague a nod. "Dismissed." Once the order was given, her posture reverted back to its usual form. "We still have a lot to discuss. I...appreciate having you here on Galileo. I'm sure the crew does, too."

Blake wasn't sure if she meant it...not after the things that she'd said, but she did appreciate that she said it regardless. Because it showed a level of tact that she hoped could be honed towards the crew. "You know where to find me, my door's always open," she said softly with a nod, moving out.

[OFF]

--

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Acting Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Saalm]

CMDR Scarlet Blake
First Officer
USS Galileo-A

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