Distance

Posted on Mon Jan 18th, 2010 @ 9:01pm by Captain Vorn Krace & Lieutenant Commander Abigail Valera

Mission: Borderline Diplomacy
Location: 'The Ridge'
Timeline: MD03 2249hrs

Vorn was sitting in the Ridge, drinking a cup of coffee as he read the data on a PADD infront of him, a number of other PADDs and a portable LCARs terminal cluttering the desk infront of him. It was late, and nobody was around, so he made use of the spacious, comfortable room, with the lights dimmed low to help him think.

Abigail entered The Ridge and noticed Vorn. She hesitated, wondering if she should talk to him. She remembered how she had treated him in the last two missions and she wasn't sure if he would accept her company. She grabbed a glass of milk and a salad and sat down across from Vorn. "Vorn look. I'm sorry about what happened during the last two missions. I wasn't angry at you for your understanding reactions."

Vorn looked up at the sudden interruption to his thoughts, but successfully managed to keep himself from being startled by Abigail's sudden conversation starter. He sighed; even after two months, Peter's actions were still having an effect on him and his relations with his crew. One man shouldn't be able to change attitudes that much. "It wasn't your fault," Vorn said, putting his PADD down and rubbing his eyes, suddenly realising how tired he felt. "Peter was the one who left, and who dropped you in it, however intentionally or unintentionally."

Abigail sighed, "Vorn do you remember the dance holoprogram that you had put up on our first date?" Abigail did. Her dress had been a pretty color and she knew it stunned others who saw it.

"Yeah, I remember," Vorn replied.

Abigail groaned inwardly. This was not how she imagined Vorn reacting. She thought he would have a lot to say on the subject. She sighed and said, "Vorn I just want to say that I am sorry. Your are my ranking officer and I acted out of line when Peter defected. I was torn between friends. I was confused and angry at the situation."

Vorn stayed silent for a few moments, simply rubbing his temples with his fingers, before saying, "I've never had someone betray me the way Peter did two months ago. It's made me think about how I act towards my staff. I've even looked through the logs of other Starfleet Captains to find some source of past experience in matters like this to lean on. In the end though, they can't help me. Even the lessons on the command course were misleading. 'Keep your professional distance from your crew', 'Gain your crew's trust and respect', 'Display the qualities of a strong leader'. None of the lessons help in dealing with this."

Abigail sighed and said, "Vorn if you were the one in danger Peter and I would defect to save you. You are our friend and captain. I would risk my career to save you and so would Peter and your other friends aboard the Iapetus. Peter couldn't watch as his former fiancée was killed. Its not in his nature to do that. He would do the same for any crew member on this ship."

"It's not the concept of loyalty I'm battling with anymore," Vorn said, as he stood and moved to look out of the windows at the darkness of space. "It is how I appear to the crew, and to my senior staff. I need to distance myself from them on a personal level. If there's anything that Peter's actions taught me, it's that a commander cannot be a friend."

Abigail stood up and went to stand by Vorn, "Don't say that! A commander is better company than a lieutenant. Remember the first night we were together... in my quarters? I was a Lieutenant JG at the time. Now I am a Lieutenant Commander. I don't care what you say Vorn. I will ALWAYS be your friend!"

"That's not what I mean," Vorn responded, still gazing at the stars, not meeting her eyes. "I cannot be an effective Captain if I am friends with all of my senior staff. It lets things slip by me, it makes me more lenient on them, lets them get away with things they otherwise wouldn't. I can't afford that anymore."

"I will help keep them in line. Vorn you can't turn your friends away. They might think that you don't trust them as you once did." Abigail turned pleading eyes onto Vorn, "Please reconsider this." Abigail felt dejected. She felt like she wasn't in Vorn's good graces anymore.

"The second most trusted man on this ship after Acle betrayed me," Vorn said, looking at her. "For whatever reasons he did it, whether he was right to or not, that action necessitates a change in me, to ensure that it cannot happen again." He looked out at the stars for a brief moment, before turning and tapping the portable LCARS terminal to deactivate it, and heading for the door, calling "Goodnight, Commander" over his shoulder. He still wasn't certain what exactly his decision to distance himself more personally from his staff would entail, or the extent to which he had to distance himself, but he knew that he couldn't stay up all night arguing with the one person on the ship who would always plead for him to keep his personal relations with his staff.

Abigail watched as Vorn left before sitting down on the nearest chair and let the tears fall. Her tust in Vorn had fallen to a degree. Now she would treat him as captain and nothing more. Her friendship with him was over. Abigail finally managed to calm down before leaving The Ridge and to her quarters.

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Captain Vorn Krace
Commanding Officer
USS Iapetus

&

Lieutenant Commander Abigail Valera
Chief Science Officer/Biologist
USS Iapetus