A Duty to the Fallen: The Weight of Command

Posted on 18 Apr 2024 @ 5:11am by Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor & Master Chief Petty Officer Toren Vral
Edited on on 18 Apr 2024 @ 1:44pm

2,423 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 19 - Tomorrow's Galileo
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 7, Chief Engineer's Office
Timeline: MD05 - 0800hrs

[ON]

Toren had not known Petty Officer 3rd Class John Hollenday well at all. They had met, in passing, as part of a briefing and never thereafter. For most crewmembers in such a circumstance, they would mourn a fellow officer falling in the line of duty, pay their respects, then move on.

For the Chief of the Boat things were not so easy. Toren had always held that the death of a noncom merited a clear investigation of the circumstances that led to their demise. A report should be made, in full, to the Commanding Officer, so that they could ensure the official log was spared no small detail with regard to the tragic end of a member of the crew.

And frankly sometimes, in the moment, the best decisions were not always made. Sometimes in the heat of things a person was put in the wrong position, or someone someone liked or knew better got the safer task. It was the nature of things, but investigations usually revealed operational issues that could be straightened out. The future safety of his men was his top priority.

Normally he would wait a little before launching such enquiries, but they were on a time limit. The death happened on a foreign vessel which would cease to exist in a matter of days. So there was very literally no time like the present.

Stepping the plates of deck 7, it did not take him too long to arrive at the door of the Chief Engineer's Office. Located within was his person of interest for the time being, Ensign M'Lyr'Zor. He stood smartly before the entryway, his antennae slightly bent and his posture easy, then pushed the chime.

A woman who sat behind a desk uncharacteristically littered with padds called out, "Enter." Without even raising her eyes up to the door to see who it was. Numerous holo-screens surrounded Sera filled with line after line of neatly written calculations. However, if one were observant, they would notice a change in the 'handwriting' as the lines progressed, seemingly imbued with a sense of desperation which the acting chief kept carefully hidden beneath the cool exterior.

How to achieve power from nothing...well...mostly nothing. It was going initially as well as one might think.

Sera glanced upwards and returned to her work...for a brief moment anyway. The Chief of the Boat was an unusual visitor. There was obviously a purpose...

With an inward 'sigh,' Sera minimized her work with a quick command and focused her attention on the unexpected visitor. Her mind flitted through the crew roster...Andorian...enlisted--

"Chief Toren. How may I assist you?"

Toren stepped inside, taking in the surroundings as he did so, it was more chaotic than he'd have expected from a Vulcan. The pressure Hewas surely on for the Chief Engineer, bereft of a warp core as they were.

"Master Chief, if you please-sah." His voice lacked any recrimination - he was used to providing this particular correction. The brass collars seemed to struggle with the distinction between the lower ranks at times, their enlightened minds no doubt busy with other considerations. But to Toren, such things mattered - they spoke to the life and structure that ran deep in the marrow of Starfleet

"I hope you'll forgive my intrusion, ensign, but as you know time is not on our side. I am conducting an investigation into the death of Officer Hollenday, for the log." He stood across from her, their blue eyes meeting, "I'm hopin' to have your perspective on what happened. Your insights, as the commandin' presence during the incident, are nat-rly invaluable."

"Master Chief. My apologies." She stood and motioned for him to take a seat in one of the pair of chairs that faced her desk. She walked over the replicator and replicated two glasses of water and brought them back over to the desk. She placed the glass directly in front of Vral and then walked around her desk and took a seat, taking a perfunctory sip of the cool liquid before engaging further.

"I have supplied the required incident report to Commander Tarin. Is that not sufficient?"

Toren fished out a PADD from his pocket then sat heavily in one of the seats, "Well ensign, me, I am a man who is interested in procedures," his gravelly tone contrasted sharply with the smooth tones of the Vulcan, "Humans say 'the devils in the detail'. Now I'm not exactly sure what a devil is, but they take it to mean that sometimes we can reveal curiosities when we examine things by their small parts."

He leaned forward and grasped the glass of water, pleasantly surprised that it was cool as opposed to tepid. "That is t' say, ensign, that your report is sufficient for an outline, but sometimes it takes an... outside perspective to paint a proper picture."

He took a sip. It was refreshing enough, but a glass of water never tasted particularly hospitable to Toren. "As I said I am a man who takes an interest in procedure, an' only scrutiny can ensure it remains robust to keep my crew safe."

Outside perspective to paint a proper picture? There was something about this entire line of conversation Sera found .
somewhat...insulting.

"My incident report was quite thorough, Master Chief. I am Vulcan, after all. Investigate as you will, but I do not have the time nor the inclination to indulge your 'painting,' at this time."

"Well that's the tricky thing, ensign," Toren responded, unpreturbed by her agitation, "We really do not have the time. If I was to delay then several witnesses would, if all goes to plan, cease to exist by the end of the week."

He tapped his PADD, "As for indulgences, well..." He met her gaze, "I think you might be misconstruin' my purpose here, ensign," his features hardened a little, "A member of the crew is dead, and I take no pleasure in that at all."

There was a small thud as he put his glass back on the table, "I mean no disrespect to your thoroughness or your Vulcan diligence," he said, his voice steady and calm, yet carrying an undeniable authority. "But understand, my role - my duty - is to the crew, every single one of them, from the highest-ranking officer to the newest enlistee. And when we lose one of our own, it's my responsibility to dig deeper, to ensure we learn everything we can to prevent such a loss from happening again."

He paused, giving his words a moment to settle. "Your report was indeed comprehensive, but it's the nuances, the personal element that often holds the key. I'm not here to question your competence or integrity. I'm here because Petty Officer Hollenday's family, his friends, they deserve to know we've done more than just follow procedures. They need to know we've looked at every angle."

Misconstruing? Nuances? Personal element? He was speaking to a Vulcan. Sera raised a brow as the Andorian continued but said nothing in reply. Even after he finished and thunked the glass of water on her desk, she remained silent, but her eyes did leave Vren's face and focused instead on the glass. The water's surface was disturbed but it quickly began the process of settling out. If a Vulcan were to do such a thing, it would have been considered an overt slight against the host's hospitality. What did it mean when an Andorian did it?

She wanted to order Vren out of her office. She, personally, did not have time for...whatever this was. However, to do so would most assuredly make things worse. Inwardly, she began to tick away from the already meager time she had allotted for meditation and sleep. How many days had it been now? She was beginning to understand the metaphor, "Sleep when you are dead."

"Any recounting I provide you will directly coincide with the incident report that was submitted, and accepted, by Commander Tarin. However, I will...allow a 'few' moments for you to interrogate me."

Toren nodded respectfully, "I aim not to take more of your precious time than I ought, ensign."

He tapped his PADD a few times then looked up at her, "I ony have a few questions." His antennae twitched slightly as he leaned forward and spoke, "In your report, you detailed the sequence leading to Petty Officer Hollenday being sent into the Jeffries tube. Could you walk me through your thought process at that moment? What factors did you weigh in making that decision, given the immediate danger?"

"Factors? Master Chief, we were being fired upon by the Romulan ships. Damage reports indicated multiple plasma relays had blown which was affecting impulse engine speed and efficiency of power distribution. I gave the assignment to Petty Officer Hollenday; he was qualified to perform the repairs and was conveniently standing near me.

Toren looked down and tapped his PADD with an audible, "Mmhm," before returning his gaze to Sera. "You were ordered by Admiral Saalm to seal the hatch, an action that forms the cruz o' things if I read your report correct. How did you interpret this order in the context of the broader situation? Was there any consideration of alternative actions, or was compliance seen as the only viable option?"

"Broader situation? Consideration of alternative actions?" Sera was growing...exasperated at yet another esoteric line of questioning.

"There was a hull breach on deck 7, section 9 within the vicinity of Jeffries tube 27, where Petty Officer Hollenday was trapped between a crushed structural bulkhead which blocked egress and the vacuum of space. The force field generator that was maintaining atmosphere to his location was failing. We had lost shields and transporters at that point; I could not come up with a viable plan of rescue given the time constraints and situational limitations. My option was to disobey a direct order and risk all souls within main engineering to attempt a rescue that could not succeed, or to obey Admiral Saalm's direct order to seal the hatch thereby preventing a primary hull containment failure."

Toren's antennae shifted slightly as he tapped his PADD again. He was never wrong that a verbal recounting revealed more than a meticulous report. Even by a Vulcan. "Only a couple more questions, ensign. I appreciate your candor and patience." He looked back to the Vulcan's unusual blue eyes, "Based on what transpired, do you see any gaps in our current safety procedures or protocols that, if addressed, might prevent a similar tragedy in the future?"

Sera blinked. His question was pragmatic, logical. Her ordered mind approved of the direction in which his questioning had turned. Learn from the past; improve functionality and remove hindrances to optimum performance in current and future endeavors. Then why did his question cause a roiling discomfort within her.

It was logical but it didn't feel right. Hollenday had died...it wasn't even a noble death. Trapped in a jefferies tube with a front-seat view to the vacuum of space, unable to make those final moments...productive. It was a waste, from so many viewpoints.

She had gone so far into her thoughts that she had failed to answer the master chief's inquiry.

Blinking quickly, Sera looked down at one of the opened data padds on her desk and finally gave him an answer. "I do not see how we can...anticipate such events. Romulan attacks are rather...random."

Toren took a mental note of the pause, keeping his eyes on Sera for the duration. It was odd to get a sense of... discomfort from a Vulcan.

"I would say they are inevitable, sah," his gravelly tone carried across the desk, "attacks that is. I've served long enough to know that even the more diminutive type ships like our Nova Class end up in scraps more often than we'd like." He tapped his PADD, "Perhaps it's something t' think on. Ways to retrieve our people from such dire situations." He paused for a second, "When there's more time that is, I know your plate couldn't be fuller."

He took a deep breath then brushed his finger over his PADD, "One las' thing from me, ensign. Reflectin' on Petty Officer Hollenday's service and sacrifice, is there a particular message you believe should be shared with the crew?"

I feel out of my depth. I am not sure what is the correct path to take. I would request that others do not die. The documentation alone is...less than agreeable.

Instead, she settled on something far more banal, and far less revealing of her inner turmoil. "I do not believe I am qualified to make any such statements."

Toren raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She was young... for her kind at least. Despite what they'd have you believe, he knew Vulcans felt much the same kinds of chaos and turmoil as any other - they just processed it differently. The death of someone in your team always hit hard, doubly so when you were only a few years into your commission.

"We all play our part, some with actions, some with words. Your efforts here don't go unnoticed," His voice softenly slightly, "and I'll make sure that's reflected in the wider context of my investigation." There were bigger fish to fry.

"I shan't keep you longer," he slid his PADD back into his pocket, "M' gratitude for your time and your insights."

He stood, smoothing the front of his uniform, then continued, "If you ever do think of something, anything that might need sayin' or doin', you know where to find me."

"Of course. On Galileo. Unless you are transferred." Sera responded taking what he said quite literally.

She pulled her screens back up and returned to crunching the numbers as it were. With no warp core, she had been charged with obtaining additional energies...and it was going about as well as one would think.

With a final nod, Toren turned and stepped out of the office, his heavy boots echoing slightly in the quiet corridor. The weight of the conversation lingered, but so did a renewed sense of duty. Every detail mattered, every crew member's story was worth telling - this was the creed by which he operated, and today was no exception.

[OFF]

--

Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor
Acting Chief Engineer
USS Galileo-A

&

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

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