Clearing the air

Posted on Tue Aug 2nd, 2011 @ 12:21pm by Colonel Damon Raine & Lieutenant Commander Preston Wexler

1,193 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Shades of Gray
Location: Guest offices
Timeline: Current

ON

After the way the briefing went, Damon couldn't ignore the fact that problems were likely to arise, especially if there was a disconnect in Wexler and his understanding of each other's procedure. He decided that for this mission to go smoothly he would need to create a baseline with the new mission advisor.

He walked down the corridor until he reached the guest offices given to guests on the Calypso. Reaching the office allocated to Wexler, he pressed the chime on the door panel.

"Enter." Wexler called out. He sat behind a desk, reading PADD's and trying to get as much information as possible about the situation he was about to walk into on the surface.

Damon entered the room and saw the man looking over some PADDs. "Afternoon. You have a few minutes to talk?" He asked, not being one to take another from their duties.

Preston glanced up. "Oh, Commander Raine. Sure..." He was not enthusiastic about a repeat performance.

"I think we need to have a talk about what happened at the briefing." Damon folded him arms to his chest and leaned his back against the wall. "I'll actually start by apologising. It is likely that you served with Fleet officers that are decidedly more lax when it comes to decorum. I, for my part, have not been a Fleet officer for very long, in fact this is my first mission as one. Up until recently my station was that of a Colonel in the SFMC. I believe very strongly in proper conduct and decorum of everyone under my command, discipline is key. So my apology is that I can't and won't be like the other fleeties you have served under."

"We come from diametrically opposed professions Commander. Yours to create war; mine to stop it."

Damon was slightly irked by the commonly held belief that the SFMC was only good for war, but he decided that it was no longer his place to defend a profession he no longer belonged to.

"What that doesn't do is change where I stand now. As I am the ranking officer I expect you to show proper respect and decorum. If you feel the need to challenge me, do so in private after asking permission to speak freely."

Damon stopped as he realised he was starting to raise his voice at the end. He breathed out slowly before continuing. "Look, I'm not trying to change who you are or screw around with your process, it's obviously gotten you this far. I only need a professional level of respect from you while in the presence of commanding officers." He tilted his head to the side as if to ask the Lieutenant Commander if he understood.

"It matters not Commander. I'll be out of your hair as soon as this mission is over." Preston looked up at Damon. "Is there anything further, Sir?" Preston elongated and emphasized the pronouncing of Sir.

"Yes, actually." He said after a moment of thinking on it. "I'm wondering what your no bs appraisal of our command staff is right now." He had a feeling he wouldn't like it.

Preston narrowed his eyes. "I'm not sure you really want that..."

"Point of fact I do." He said with a sharp nod. "You have had more experience with other ships and their staff than I have. Remember, I'm not Starfeet...Well...You know what I mean." He shrugged.

"I base my analysis on how effective an officer is with handling the full array of duties assigned to them. I believe that Captain York is proficient at her work. She certainly isn't the best Commanding Officer I've worked with, not even in the top five. But I would say that she is ahead of the curve in comparison to most. As far as I can tell you would be her biggest mistake aboard the Calypso." Preston returned his attention to the PADD he was reading.

Damon couldn't help but grin at the frankness of his comment. "And why is that?" he asked.

Preston nodded as he returned his attention to Raine. "Commander, I'm sure that in certain circumstances you are a fine officer. I think that in many areas you might even compliment Captain York, but overall, as a match, I think that you are not a good fit. I think that you are too far removed from her style for it to be complimentary and instead it comes across as contradictory. She, the somewhat ethereal and enigmatic intellectual leader, and you coming across as the pet bulldog."

Damon nodded at the possible truth of it. He had no illusions that fitting the new uniform would be difficult especially considering that most of his adulthood had been spent training for battle. It likely also didn't help that he served in the Dominion war where a callous attitude was the only way to deal with what was going on around him. Still. If he was to ever make this work, he would have to change and grow as a Starfleet officer.

"You may very be right, Mister Wexler." He agreed. "But I'm a bulldog who protects my family the only way I know how."

"Perhaps you should examine that Commander. I have a feeling if you were to tone yourself down ever so slightly over a period of time that you could master the art of being strict without being absurd." Preston smiled.

Damon didn't share the same sentiment. "Whereas I may agree that my style needs to change, I fail to see how stopping officers from using racial slurs on each other in any way absurd."

"There are apparently several things you fail to see Commander. It's part of the problem I've been discussing. You're only interested in what is at face value instead of the deeper nuances."

"No," Damon started "in this case the failing isn't mine in any way. I wont apologise for taking offence to your language on duty. I won't allow you to stand behind your 'deeper nuances' as a shield to excuse it either. If you happen to be in off duty and in private company you can say whatever you want, provided I don't hear about it. I've served with enough Starfleet officers to know that I am by no means the exception for being strict on this."

"And you are by no means the only officer who is dead wrong." Preston shrugged.

The Commander's leniency had ended at that comment. He waved it off and shook his head. "If the day ever comes where you find yourself in a command position you may feel free to run your boat your way. It certainly won't be here and it won't be today. I expect you to follow your orders." He pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on and exited the room before Preston could respond. He was done talking.

Preston laughed to himself. Yet another person in Command who was more interested in outdated structure and decorum instead of effective and efficient communication.

OFF


Lieutenant Commander Preston Wexler
Mission Adviser
USS Calypso

Commander Damon Raine
Executive Officer
USS Calypso

 

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