Days of Our Lives

Posted on Sat Oct 21st, 2017 @ 7:01pm by Commander Mal Xustos & Lieutenant Commander T'Pral Jordan & Staff Warrant Officer Nexi
Edited on on Thu Jan 4th, 2018 @ 7:51pm

Mission: When Iconians Deserve to Die
Location: XO's Ready Room
Timeline: Current

Mal led T'Pral to his ready room. Standing outside of it, clearly in a very bad mood, was Nexi. She looked as though she was about to say something, but Mal cut her off.

"Wait," Mal said, stopping Nexi with a word.

Mal keyed the code and submitted to a retinal scan and his office door unlocked and then opened.

"Inside," Mal said. "Both of you."

Mal waited for the two of them to enter, then sat down at his desk. He did not invite either one of them to sit down.

"Commander Jordan," he said. "Staff Warrant Officer Nexi is half-Betazoid and possesses some telepathic ability. I can only assume that she overheard a particularly loud thought of yours and took offense. Regardless of how offensive your though may have been, she had no right to be in your head and certainly no right to speak to you in that manner, particularly in the presence of other officers."

Mal looked at Nexi.

"We'll deal with the root of this issue momentarily," he said. "First, however, you will apologize. Consider that an order. For your own good, don't make me give it twice."

The look on Mal's face and the tone of his voice suggested that if he was forced to give the order twice, then Nexi would discover that turning into a demon was the least of her worries.

"I'll apologize for making a scene in the middle of a briefing, but I'm not apologizing to her for her attitude," Nexi stated. "I don't get into people's heads anymore, not since you started teaching me Starfleet ethics and codes of conduct, especially once we got to the section on how they relate to telepaths, but I can't help it if some emotions and thoughts are that loud. Maybe I shoulda just tried to ignore what I heard and felt or maybe I shoulda brought it up with you in private, so yeah, that's on me, I'm sorry, but to be honest, I ain't got no damned clue why she's so pissed at me, so I don't get why I gotta apologize when I can't even understand what the hell is going on!"

Mal quietly counted to ten and then spoke.

"I believe I do understand what is going on," Mal said. "And while it didn't get in the way of our work, I stayed out of it. However, that is no longer the case. Commander T'Pral, Nexi clearly has no idea what she's done to vex you. That's surprising because she may be one of only three and a half people on this ship who don't know what's going on. As I said, I have kept out of and I would have continued to stay out of it, except that this little situation has become a disciplinary issue, which makes it my problem. Commander, would care to tell Nexi what has happened that has put her on your shit list? I think it would be less embarrassing for both of you if I didn't have to give my opinion on the subject."

T'Pral turned with her hands clasped behind her back in typical vulcan form and looked at the other woman. "You read my thoughts, against Starfleet Regulation which is a violation of privacy. And yet, you are going to claim ignorance at not knowing that West and I were in a supposed relationship? The blame is not all yours of course," she let out a breath, controlling her anger at the woman. The problem with Vulcans is that when they feel, they are extremely passionate about their feelings which led to the teachings of Surak.

"Can you shut off your ears if you walk into a room where there are people talking? No, best you can do is to try to ignore the conversation or pretend you didn't hear anything, telepaths ain't no different," Nexi shot back. "Yeah, Betazoids develop filters to shut out outside thoughts and emotions, and swear I ain't been prying into people's head since I decided to Enlist, but it ain't my fault if your anger projects your thoughts that loud. And if this is all about Cato, I didn't know there was a thing between you two. Yeah, I knew you two slept together, but the way he talked about it, it was a one time time deal, you can't get mad at me for that! I never asked for him to pursue me, in fact I tried to convince him I weren't worth it, and I had no way of knowing that it bothered you because you sure as hell weren't this mad when we did training drills together. If I'd known, I'da kicked his ass, which I might still do now that I know."

"Do not bother," T'Pral said simply after a moment of silence, unsure if the woman was telling the truth or not about not knowing. She seemed convinced but she was also Intel and Intel personnel were often the best liars. She know felt embarrassed and still angry, though more of that anger was at Cato than the woman across the room. "Am I done here?" she turned to the XO.

"Commander Jordan," Mal said. "You and Staff Warrant Officer Nexi are done here...as soon as this problem is a problem no longer. You have to work together. As the actual commander of this away mission, you are responsible for the Staff Warrant Officer's life, for making sure that she returns from this mission safely. Nexi has to place her life in your hands. That requires a certain amount of trust on both of your parts. Your current attitude towards her doesn't really earn you her trust. You don't respect her and therefore she doesn't respect you. If it sounds like I'm putting this all on you, that's because I am. You are a superior officer and you'll need to behave like one."

Mal turned his attention to Nexi.

"Staff Warrant Officer Nexi," he said. "Cut Commander Jordan a break. She got pushed to the side in favor of you. I think she has a right to be a little pissed. Both of you will work this out now, once and for all. I will mediate if needed. Otherwise, I am just going to sit here. You may proceed."

"Mal, I get it now, why she's angry at me, but what I don't get is why she thinks this is a babysitting job," Nexi said, forgetting formality for a moment and speaking candidly. "I know, my bad for reading her thoughts, but it's out there now and I don't wanna sit on this while we're out there. If anyone's the babysitter, it's Daytona 'cause he's been teaching me to control my anger, but... Black blood aside, there's a lotta ways this mission could go sideways." Nexi paused to look at T'Pral. "I wanted you on this team 'cause you're a damn good fighter, helluva lot better than me, and if I do my job right then maybe we won't need your skills, but if things get dicey there's ain't many people other than you I'd want watching my back in a tough situation; I just don't see how that makes this a babysitting job."

T'Pral was silent for a moment. "While I appreciate the comments, I have to make sure your Black Blood does not endanger the mission or the other crew--something I would not have to worry about if it were anyone else. Both you and Chief Warrant Officer Ral appear to have a habit of making trouble on missions--something that we cannot afford to happen on this mission."

"I can't say I disagree, but that hardly makes this a babysitting job for you," Nexi tried to say in her defense, but then she sighed, her lips pressed together in frustrations; this was one of those moments where no matter what she said she wasn't going to be changing any minds...

Mal frowned.

"For the record," he said. "Chief Warrant Officer Ral was acting under strict orders when he kept us in the dark about his mission in 2160, orders that came from somewhere higher up than Enalia's influence reaches. You can strike him off of the list of 'babies' you are going to need to 'sit'. He has his own way of doing things, but he knows how to follow orders."

Mal sighed.

"Commander," he said. "I suppose it's best that you hear this now, what with your promotion still bright and shiny on your collar. 'Babysitting' as you put it is a very large part of what officers do. Sometimes we only need to be there as a formality. Most of the time, we need to be there to provide direction, focus, instruction, and even to protect our subordinates, sometimes from the enemy, often from themselves or each other. Look at me. By your implied definition, aren't I babysitting the two of you right now? Protecting you from Nexi's temper and Nexi from your disdain? Not to mention protecting the crew from whatever disaster is going to strike if you two don't get this settled?"

"I know how to do my job, sir," T'Pral said. "I am competent enough to separate my profession and personal feelings or else I would not be Chief of Security for this ship."

"I believe you," Mal said. "And I'm going to hold you to that. But you didn't answer my question. Am I not, by your definition of the term, babysitting you and Nexi right at this very moment?"

"No. Because I am not a liability and can perform my job and I was not the one to storm out of a meeting unexcused. However if it would please all parties present, then I will agree so I may get back to my duties," T'Pral said. Her mind was still on the hurt and embarrassment at being tossed aside by West. Then to top it off, her mother and her ship had gone missing and she had an argument with her father over the issue. Internally she was a mess and was currently thankful to the breathing and meditation techniques she had learned. When that didn't work, there was always the holodeck.

Mal looked at T'Pral a moment, his expression softening.

"Nexi?" he said. "Would you excuse us please? Oh, and write me a 500 word explanation, if Ferengi if you'd like, explaining what you did wrong, why it was wrong, and what you're going to do differently when you're in a situation like this again. Email it to me. I'll have the computer translate it into standard and we'll go over it together. Once I'm convinced that you understand both what went wrong and how to do better the next time, we'll send a copy, in Standard, to Commander Jordan. Dismissed."

"Seriously?" Nexi said in disbelief. "I already explained myself and apologized, and I did not storm out unexcused, I was ordered to come here so I did, I'm sorry if I don't stand on ceremony for every little thing!" Nexi grumbled with a sour grimace of displeasure, then finally crossed her arms over her chest with a huff. The belt she wore that inhibited the spread of the black blood in her was growing dangerously close to sounding off an alarm, but Nexi kept Daytona's teachings in mind and kept her breathing slow.

'As that I can see no way out but through,' Daytona had quoted to her during a breathing exercise the day before, the passage from a poem written by a long-dead hu-mon with a frosty name. Nexi had scoffed at his words before, but now she understood what it meant, or at least how it could apply to her now: she was in too deep in whatever this mess was, the only recourse now was to do as told instead of trying to find a way around it.

"500 words, coming right up. If you need me before I'm done, I'll be in my ship," Nexi said, sounding somewhat defeated yet resolved, and then she turned to leave.

"Thank you, Nexi," Mal said in a tone that definitely conveyed his true gratitude. If Nexi had put up a fight, this would have gone badly for everyone. "I very much appreciate your cooperation. We will speak later."

Nexi said nothing, instead acknowledging him with a slight nod. She then left the office to return to her ship where she intended to work on her assignment.

Once Nexi was gone, Mal turned his attention back to T'Pral.

"What West did to you was inexcusable," he said. "But what happened to Nexi, the 'infection' for lack of a better word, that wasn't her fault. Everyone on the team you're in charge of has the potential to be a liability. We've already discussed Nexi, but there's also Daytona. While he is easily the most experienced covert operative on this ship, that experience means that he's been around awhile. He wasn't always working in a covert capacity and some of the people he dealt with have multi-century lifespans...or angry offspring. What if someone recognizes him? He's very good at going unnoticed, but it's still a possibility. What about Doctor Summers? Nathan apparently has some training and experience in Intelligence, but none of you has ever worked with him before. He's an almost entirely unknown variable. Anything could go wrong with him along. And, lastly, we have you. You are an excellent officer. You're smart, capable, quick on your feet. You're also a superb hand-to-hand combatant and are of equal skill with weapons, both ranged and melee. This is evidenced by the fact that a mission hasn't gone by yet where you haven't killed or maimed someone or something, with good reason, I admit. However, how do I know that if you get in trouble you aren't going to immediately choose violence as the way out? I'm not telling you you shouldn't use violence, and I'm sure your team is very grateful to have you backing them up. I am saying that, potentially, that advantage could be a liability, one that your team members could have to correct for."

"Because I do not kill unless I am forced or ordered to. I could have killed that Amazon that I fought on the previous mission and instead I rendered her unconscious. Because I express my emotions, do not think that I am a savage such as a Klingon or a Nausicaan, sir." T'Pral only hoped the crew never saw the pure emotional part of her as Vulcans before the teachings of Surak were indeed savages and more violent than the most blood thirsty Klingon. She still remembered the first time she lost control of her anger as a child because another student was bullying her little brother since he was half Vulcan like herself. She had nearly killed that student and would likely have done so had it not been for the intervention of the instructors.

Mal sighed. Vulcans were such hard work.

"Not my point, Commander," Mal said. "Every member of your team, yourself included, brings both advantages and disadvantages to the mission. In a sense, everyone is babysitting each other. Look, Commander Jordan...T'Pral, your team needs your support, not your disdain. It's not your fault that your personal views regarding Nexi were outed, but the fact is that they were and unless you can get over yourself and show Nexi and all the members of your team your unwavering support, you will be the one endangering the success of this mission. Am I making myself clear?"

"So what you are implying, sir, is that the assigned Away Team is not competent enough to do their jobs unless supervised ?" T'Pral said as she studied the XO before her.

Mal was starting to lose his patience.

"If by the whole team you include yourself, Commander I might just agree with you!" Mal said. "If your goal is to get out of leading this Away Mission, you've just about succeeded. If I make that call, it will include a notation in your file that deemed you unfit to lead this mission, likely unfit to lead any other teams, and extremely undeserving of your recent promotion!"

Mal took a deep breath.

"T'Pral," he said. "We both know this isn't about Nexi's black blood infection. The sooner you stop lying to yourself about that, the sooner we can get this ordeal over with. Does the infection make her a liability? Maybe. But that's why we wanted you to go along on this mission. Because we believed, possibly erroneously, that your presence leading the team would help guarantee everyone came back in one piece. Now...I'm just not seeing it. In your current state of mind, you're compromised. You present more of a threat to this mission's success than Nexi does. The difference here is that you can do something about your problem without the help of a team of Starfleet scientists and doctors. All you need to do, Commander, is pull your head out of your ass. We haven't got a lot of time before you the away team needs to leave. Convince me you should go with them. That's an order."

T'Pral remained expressionless as she gazed at the commander. Raising an eyebrow, she spoke evenly with a hint or either confidence or sternness in her voice. "Because as Chief of Security I am the best chance you have for everyone to come back alive. I stated previously that I do not allow my personal feelings to interfere with my duties. I let my past actions speak for themselves."

Mal was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"I'll take it," he said. "Thank you. Will you be satisfied with the action I have taken in response to Nexi's behavior? I believe that she understands where she went wrong and will endeavor to prevent it from happening again. If it turns out from her first draft that this isn't true, you have my word that she will when I get done with her."

T'Pral nodded. "Very well," she said simply, still wondering if Nexi had indeed been clueless about West's actions.

"Good," Mal said. "You are dismissed. Thank you for your cooperation."

Even if getting your cooperation was like pulling teeth with a pair of tweezers.

T'Pral nodded and exited the office.

After T'Pral left, Mal sighed loudly and dropped his head into his hands and massaged his temples. Hopefully, this would be the last he heard about this, other than working with Nexi on her report.