On Egos and other things...

Posted on Fri Jul 1st, 2011 @ 4:59pm by Commander Acle Walex & Lieutenant Elizabeth Lynn

Mission: The Fate of the Swiftsure
Location: Ridge lounge & bar
Timeline: MD2 1000 hrs

[ON]

Acle sighed as he grabbed another PADD from his desk. There were quite a few scattered about, detailing crew transfers, supply requisition receipts, and more. All of these required either his signature or authorization, or more often, both. It seemed that his duties as executive officer required him to do more paperwork then anything else sometimes. Of course, paperwork was much more desirable then disciplining the crew.

Acle didn't have much room to complain as far as that went. The Iapetus was a well behaved ship for the most part, arguably the best that he had ever served on. Still, wherever beings gathered together in close quarters, for long periods of time, there were always conflicts. The particular incident, the chief subject of the PADD in his hands, was between an enlisted petty officer and a very junior officer, both in the security department. According to the report, the officer had missed an item on his security routine, and the NCO had told him so. Which, resulted in the officer becoming embarrassed and becoming angry at the NCO... Who had eventually told the officer in no uncertain terms to leave him alone.

Fleet regulations were pretty clear on the matter, and Acle had already ordered disciplinary action taken against the NCO in question. Officers were officers, no matter how junior, and deserved the respect that the title deserved. For the record even, it was a minor offense, one which would not reflect against the NCO as much as it could. However, Acle also needed to have a word with the young Ensign. Truth was, the junior officers often didn't know what they were doing, and needed to take advice from the senior NCOs, but, Acle was somewhat at a loss as to how to go about telling him this without further injuring the obviously frail ego of the officer.

Acle leaned back, thinking, putting the PADD of the incident back on the desk and putting his hands behind his head, resting. His eyes spied another PADD, this one of recent crew transfers. First among the list was the new counselor for the ship. Acle smiled slightly, then hit his combadge.

"Walex to Lieutenant Lynn." he said into it.

"Go ahead," came the melodic voice of the woman he'd asked to be connected to .

"Are you busy counselor?" Acle asked after she responded.

"Only putting some things away, nothing I can't stop if you needed something," Liz commented, the sound of a drawer sliding closed audible behind her.

"If you have a few moments, would you meet me at the Ridge Lounge and Bar? My treat." Acle said. "I have a slight problem I'd like to talk over with you."

"Sure, I'll find my way down there as soon as I finish this last drawer. Lynn out," the woman said before the link went silent.

Acle sat upright in his chair, and deactivated the terminal that sat on his desk before taking a quick moment to organize the PADDs. Some semblance of order restored to his desk, Acle turned off the antique desk lamp and left his office, heading aft and down a few decks. Acle nodded greeting to the crew members that he passed and even a few half smiles.

Upon arriving at the lounge, Acle chose a seat near one of the windows and awaited the counselor's arrival.

The Commander had a good five minute wait, half because Elizabeth liked to make a man wait, and half because she couldn't find the damn place. Her last ship was, arguably, the same size as the Iapetus, however it was configured wrong, and she'd ended up at some lab or another where the Discovery's lounge would have been had she been there. Her arrival was accompanied by a great deal of turned heads and curious stares. Liz basked in the attention as she made for the table that the First Officer had chosen for their meeting.

"Commander Walex, I presume," Lieutenant Lynn said in a sweet and flirtatious voice, as was her custom when meeting any new man for whom she wished to test his resilience to her. Given her encounter with the Captain, he would either mirror his businesslike facade only so far as to only crack near the end, or he would be putty before she even heard his issues. Either way, she was really enjoying to lopsided ratio of males on the ship... it made her life so much less drama filled when the men were in all the right places...

Elizabeth didn't wait for him to offer her a seat, he was the one that had asked for her so it seemed altogether proper that she just slide into a seat and get down to business, "What seems to be bothering you?"

Acle looked up, having been looking out the window at the amazing view of the system outside. Nebulae always looked so beautiful from afar. He had, of course, known that someone was approaching, but, unlike so many other times in his life, Acle felt completely secure onboard this ship.

"Greetings counselor" Acle said with a slight smile. A drink rested in front of him, and he indicated it with a brief gesture. "I hope you don't mind that I already have a drink? I am not sure if you have gotten a chance to eat as of yet." Acle replied, not yet answering the question that she had asked.

Acle admitted to himself, even if he would never say so aloud, that this women intrigued him. Acle had made a career out of reading people in internal affairs, but, this women was interesting. Obviously part-Klingon, although with a voice that would have made a younger version of his self melt, she had chosen a very nontraditional career. That coupled with the way she had jumped directly at the problem at hand gave hint to something that was at odds with her outward appearances. Interesting indeed.

Of course, none of these thoughts appeared on his face, the slight smile the only expression reflected therein.

Elizabeth returned the smirk he'd given her. She wasn't particularly hungry or thirsty but she hadn't been one to pass up an offer. She glanced upward for a moment to decide what she wanted.

"Maybe just a cup of coffee," Liz said finally before returning to the point of the get together, "I take it you are building up to something since you haven't even touched on the core of it. I say that because the way you are sitting there, the way you were sitting there before I walked up speaks volumes for how you probably do things. If I were to make an educated guess, small talk isn't your forte either but you are doing your best to be cordial since this is our first meeting. Makes a girl feel good to see a man make an effort to make her feel welcome."

Acle raised an eyebrow and allowed his smile to widen slightly. This game he could play. "I am glad to see my efforts not go unnoticed." he said before signalling a steward.

Unlike some ships, the Iapetus still had stewards as crew members. Although performing as waiters or waitresses was no where near the sole position that they filled, it did serve to make the crew members of the Iapetus more comfortable.

The steward came beside the table and looked to Acle. "How can I help you Commander?" he asked.

Acle gestured towards Lynn. "Could you please get the counselor some coffee?" he asked.

"Certainly Sir." the steward replied before moving off in the direction of the bar.

Acle turned back to the female across from him. "As for the matter at hand, it is a slight disciplinary incident. A very junior officer missed something in a routine report. A Petty Officer corrected said junior officer, who did not take kindly to the corrections and berated the petty officer at length. The Petty Officer eventually grew angry, and told the ensign that he could go stick his head somewhere not so appropriate."

Acle took a breath before continuing. "Fleet Regulations are pretty clear on the matter as far as discipline goes. The Petty Officer has been reprimanded and I believe I have settled that issue. Or at least he will come to me first before. However, the ensign still remains. I have no desire to burst his ego. However..." Acle paused as the steward returned with Lynn's coffee.

"Here you are Ma'am." The steward replied, placing the steaming mug before the counselor.

"Unfortunately, the fact that this Ensign didn't like being told he was wrong is irrelevant. I've been told by people far less experienced... Cadets in fact, that I made a mistake. I didn't dress them down and get offended when they didn't just accept it. If his ego is so fragile that he can't handle a seasoned crewman pointing out something that he missed, I wonder at this man's fitness for duty. Has this Ensign had a history of outbursts, or complaints filed for treatment of crewmen?" Elizabeth asked after sipping her coffee.

"A few citations is all, nothing to merit my official inquiry on. However, this Ensign," Acle paused then offered another slight smile, "Ensign Mitch Stewert, scored top of his class in his department. I have no wish to see that talent wasted." Acle took a slight drink, the first that he had taken since the counselor arrived. It looked like some type of pink juice, although it looked thicker then perhaps normal. He set the drink back and looked to the counselor, the smile disappearing slowly.

"I do not wish to step in, which, to be frank, is where you come in," Acle met the female's eyes, agates meeting ambers, "You can ease your way and gently tell him, without seeming like you are berating him."

Elizabeth leaned back in her chair a moment before letting out a sigh, "I suppose I can have a chat with him, see why he has such hostility. If I'm not utterly off base, I'd say he was suffering from some manner of inferiority complex given all the expectations placed on his career... either his own misguided expectations or those of family or peers. No matter how you slice it, it isn't healthy to be enraged so quickly about something that probably wasn't meant in any way other than a productive one."

The Counselor sounded every bit the professional as she spoke about her objective opinion. It was like watching a doctor perform surgery, every movement, every inflection of her voice tailored to put her point across as swiftly and concisely as possible, a far cry from the batting lashes and flirty smiles that had first graced her features. As swiftly as it had come, it faded.

"Anything else on your mind, Commander?" Liz asked.

Acle's smile flashed again, his eyes sparkling slightly. He dropped his gaze to his drink and took a large sip before looking up again. "Not really counselor. You have most aptly answered all my questions." he said. Even the questions that I didn't give voice... Acle thought to himself. That had not been the primary reason for this impromptu meeting, however. Acle had little doubt that Ensign Stewart would benefit from talking to the counselor. He really was a good kid, just with some problems.

"How are you settling in?" Acle asked. He finished off his juice then, completing his traditional breakfast.

"Aside from my initial visit with Ms. Duvall and only hanging a few paintings up on the walls of my quarters, I haven't had much of a chance to settle in," Elizabeth admitted. The fact that in that short span of time, her life had been uprooted thanks to her former lover's sudden abandonment of her. The moment she thought about Toreth, the emotions that were attached to that ordeal rushed forward, threatening to break the surface of her face. Liz had to suck in a cleansing breath and fight them back a second before she could return to the conversation.

"Hazards of being the Counselor sometimes," Liz said as sweetly as she could, "But I'm sure if my underwear sits in my storage trunk a few more days, it won't make too big a difference. Folded is folded regardless of where."

Acle had noticed something there, a slight hesitation, the odd catch, but, did not mention it or show any signs that he had. More so then most people, he understood what it was like to have a past. Instead, Acle nodded.

"Doubtless so Counselor. I have yet to hear any complaints from underwear in my time in the fleet." Acle said wryly.

"Well, if you do start hearing your boxers start talking, do find me. I'd love to hear all about that one. Speaking of that, I have a few people I need to have a word with, your Ensign Stewert not withstanding," Liz said as she got up from her seat, her coffee all but forgotten, "It was nice meeting you, Commander. We should do this again sometime when you don't want me to drag people into my office for a chat."

Without waiting for his reply, she hastened out of the Lounge, more than just work occupying her mind with each passing step.