STF

Duty Aside...

Posted July 2, 2021, 12:56 a.m. by Chief Warrant Officer Kodek Vonn (RTF Commander) (James Sinclair)

Posted by Lieutenant Casela Synthi-er (Counsellor / RTF) in Duty Aside…

Posted by Chief Warrant Officer Kodek Vonn (RTF Commander) in Duty Aside…

Posted by Lieutenant Casela Synthi-er (Counsellor / RTF) in Duty Aside…
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
“They were both wrong. Good intentions and all that, but they both went about it in the wrong way. And Quinn is under the impression that your conversation with Cobb was only focused on her and it was not.” There was a ripping sound as Casela reached inside her uniform jacket and ripped a long strip from the heavy cotton lining. Long practice of using it for bandages and tie offs for splints told her there was enough material there. Breathing warm air against her fingers she then took the strip, wrapped it twice around her eyes and tied it off, then quickly tucked her hands back underneath the fur coat. “There I can’t see anything, so no worries about breaking tradition if that works for you. My intention is not to invade your privacy, offend, or make you uncomfortable, but to make sure you are fully recovered. If you wish to continue conversing perhaps we can determine what we shall do about the sad state of things. It is a problem that has plagued this ship from the moment it was acquired for the ARU. If not, then I will leave you in peace and you can find me when you are recovered.”
Lt Synthi-er, CNS

With her eyes closed, she heard the sound of shuffling feet and then something heavy landed next to her. More shuffling followed and then something warm was in her lap. “Heating crystal.” the voice said from right next to her, but lower than her shoulder. “Put it in your fur, it will heat your whole body in a just a moment.” More shuffling feet and then the sound of something large settling down across from her.

Casela nodded and with ease and comfort at being ‘blind’ she carefully picked up the heating crystal (not sure of how hot to the touch it was so caution was prudent) and placed it inside the fur, and then wrapped the coat closed again. “Thank you.”

“My opinion is that ships like this are poisoned from the top down. Cobb used to be a great Captain. Even I have heard stories about him. But those stories are not reflective of the man I see here.”

Vonn, RCO

Cobb was a friend and she’d developed a great deal of respect for the man Cobb was now. But Vonn was not wrong. “No those stories are not. Such is the way with the human psyche. Events can change a person irrevocably. But that does not excuse the behavior. This ship is working with less than half a deck, as the saying goes. Every person on this ship has been sent here because they are an outcast and not fit to work elsewhere in the fleet. Maybe it is a scientist that is too free with their experimental morals, or a security chief who was a member of an Orion Syndicate, or a engineer who is half machine because he went head to head with an anomaly without precautions, but won, or a ship’s counselor who knows more than the intel chief about things she shouldn’t and is trained and more suited to psychological warfare than helping people. ARU command set this ship up for failure. When I first arrived at the Star Base the bets being taking on how many weeks Leviathan would last were rampant, and among the ranking officers of the ARU. None of us are the people we used to be. The task, for me anyway, is to make them see who they can be now and get them there. Some are more difficult than others.” She shrugs in the dark, some she could prod and cajole into trying, others were more difficult.
Lt Synthi-er, CNS

“If people refuse to see their failings, they will never improve their position. Without improvement from where we are, we are all destined to fail… as those who created this situation wish.” the voice said from right beside her.

Vonn, RCO

“Sometimes it’s not a refusal to see their failings, but a refusal or an inability to accept they can fix it. Humans are very....different that way.” Casela had found it unique to her human patients to not be able to see that change was possible no matter how dire things may appear. She had seen it in other species but only when there was extremely severe trauma. Humans seemed to acquire that trait even for the smallest of things, and when they were major....it was a nightmare to work through. “But you are correct. Command keeps changing our crew. No explanation, just changes it. We work out the problems, compensate for weaknesses, address failings and then they yank old crew and give us new. Baring my little display after you left landing me in the brig I suppose I shall be busy forcing them to deal with their underlying issues.” She shrugged again. Casela understood the value of her profession but there were times her wealth of patience was drained having to deal with those who fought her every step of the way. She took note of the location of the voice, but knew he had sat down across from her. She guessed he had placed the translator or the helmet near her since he didn’t need it. She just had to remember that so if she had to move she didn’t become twisted around.
Lt Synthi-er, CNS

“Underlying issues can get one killed. I wish… sincerely wish… Cobb would acknowledge that. But I doubt he has the will to do so. Sometimes one is simply too damaged to repair one’s pain.”

Vonn, RCO

Casela knew that it wasn’t Cobb’s ability to acknowledge that but his willingness to let it consume him and to give in to the spectre of Death. She sighed, wearily. “You are very insightful, Kodek. There are very few people in this universe that do not have underlying issues. The issues aren’t what get them killed, but how they manage those issues. It seems that in my absence things have been allowed to go lax.” She shrugs under the heavy fur coat; it was an issue that she would have to rectify. And it would be unpleasant for those involved, but necessary. “I have found that humans tend to forget that who they were once is not who they are now. That we can all become different people and let go of who we used to be. The man Zachariah Cobb was when he first stepped aboard Leviathan a year ago is not the man he is now, but he refuses to see the change and keeps trying to be who he was then.” Casela decided that it was time for another long breakfast meeting, or maybe another campfire on the holodeck. “How are you feeling?”
Lt Synthi-er, CNS

“Better. I wish the efforts to speak to Cobb as I did were more productive. But perhaps Ms. Quinn will take some lesson from her nobel… if misguided… attempt to force an understanding. If that is the case, I will consider the event moderately successful.” Vonn replied. There was a lull in their speaking and then the voice flatly said “Do you wish to remove your blindfold, Casela?”

Vonn

“I am glad,” she nodded once in response to his affirmation he was better. Better physically and mentally/emotionally were different things, and there was that whole speech he gave which had it’s own story behind it, and perhaps they would get around to that one day. But she was glad his breathing was better. “We don’t know how productive it was since we left. That was the best option of course, but time will tell how productive it was.” Kodek couldn’t see it of course, but behind the blindfold she blinked. His question had surprised her. There was a contemplative tilt to her head though. “Do I wish to remove the blindfold? No. My wish is to respect you and your customs and traditions, your boundaries. I am not uncomfortable being without my sight. I’m quite comfortable without my sight. I understand what it’s like to be away from your traditions and customs and how they can become more and less important. The question, Kodek, is do you wish me to remove the blindfold.”
Synthi-er

There was a pause and then voice said “Your respect is noted… and appreciated. You are not Breen, but I am far removed from them as well. You are my friend, yes… therefore I see no reason to continue the tradition when I do not expect to see another Breen… perhaps ever. You may remove your blindfold.”

Vonn

Casela nodded. She focused on where she knew Vonn was, where he had sat across from her, not the sound of his voice. She leveled her still blinded vision directly at where his face should be. She touched the heat stone to warm her hands before reaching up into the cold and untying the blindfold and slowly unwrapping it to allow her eyes to adjust to the light in the room. Obsidian alien eyes stared across the hearth between them into equally alien eyes.

Synthi-er

Even seated, Vonn was tall and broad-shouldered. Muscular to the point that every movement showed the ripples of musculature that covered their massive frame. Bronze-colored skin was visible under the hair that covered their body, most densely on the extremities. On the chest and back where the gray-white hair was thinner, the skin appeared to be almost metallic; and as they moved the skin flexed in a way that would indicate to anyone seeing it that it was very tough and resilient… more akin to hide than skin. The Breen’s face was similar to what one would expect from a humanoid, with some prominent exceptions: Two forward facing eyes of jade green with no whites sat atop a wide nose with flared nostrils. A large jaw supported a mouth of darker bronze lips. Two large, black, tusk-like teeth jutted out from the bottom lip, and when Vonn opened their mouth wide to breathe in the cold air revealing teeth designed more for rending flesh than crushing plants. In their hand was a small metal object, which they raised to their mouth and when they spoke the helmet, seated beside her, spoke.

“You are one of very few non-Breen to have one of the Breen species outside of their suits. I trust the experience is not 9ne you will discuss outside of here.”

Vonn


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