Posted by Major Krin “Hannibal” Lardel (Commander Air Group (CAG)) in I’ve got 399 problems and you’re not one - Meeting the CAG

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Ella Lokaa (Chief of Security) in I’ve got 399 problems and you’re not one - Meeting the CAG

Posted by Major Krin “Hannibal” Lardel (Commander Air Group (CAG)) in I’ve got 399 problems and you’re not one - Meeting the CAG
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻

[Snip]

Ella recognised the man sitting behind the desk, not personally but from the pictures she had seen that and his skin folds were pretty hard to miss. She’d wondered how a Zakdorn become to join the Marines from her experience they were mostly self-assured and overconfident. Their talents were usually their tactful minds not their fighting ability which she associated with the Marines. Clearly however she was wrong since the man in front of him was most certainly a Marine and sported a questionable scar.

His black eyes locked onto the figure of the Fleet officer and he said in a deliberate and clipped fashion “Lieutenant Junior Grade… what can I do for you?”

Maj. Lardel, CAG

“Actually Major” She returned keeping her voice light and airy, “Its more what I can do for you, I understand traditionally that Marines and Starfleet don’t like to get along I’ve already experienced that from the two minutes I’ve been down here but I don’t see why that has to be the case here. As a Zakdorn surely even you must see the benefits of us getting along instead of just occupying the same space, I am not asking we become friends but I would like a level of respect and professionalism form your pilots.” She held up her hand, “I understand respect and trust is earned and I hope that me and my department can provide that to you if you give us the opportunity, sir.” Ella despite internally screaming at herself, her heart pounding from the anxiety of being where she was kept a calm and outwardly positive demeanour, she’d have time to change her trousers later but right not she had to wear her big girl pants.

• Lt JG. Ella Lokaa

The black eyes never blinked, never left hers. There was a long pause before anything happened. And when that happened, it happened very slowly.

Ella cocked her head watching him and not blinking either, she sloooowly tilts her head from one side to the other and frowned at him. She resisted the urge to make a silly face at him. That’s how ridiculous she felt he was bein but then in continued.

First, the Major leeeeaaaned back in his chair, and slowly dropped his arms onto the arm rests. Next he stared at her with a look that seemed to be appraising her… and while not finding that assessment negative, it certainly wasn’t positive. Then, his head cocked slightly to the side and his eyes finally blinked… once. And that too was slow, as if he was calming himself. Then, after an agonizing silence, the Major simply said…

Ella was still resiting the urge to shout boo or something as equally niave but she allowed the Major to continue his movement, even if it was slow, deliberate and excessively posturing. ‘Passive aggressive bleep She said, she didn’t like to swear even in her thoughts she’d censor them with a good old bleep.

“And… um… who are you, exactly?”

Lardel, CAG

She held her right hand to her chest above where her heart would be. “Oh me?” She smiled, “I am Lieutenant Junior Grade Ella Lokaa, the new Chief of Security.” Ella smiled and held out the same right hand for him to shake, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. I meant what I said before I hope we can find it within our Profesional nature to work with each other.” She shifted the weight from the front of her feet to the balls, she figured there was no harm in springing into action if he decided to set the tone by proving himself a worthy foe. Perhaps that was her Elasian mindset taking form, either way she was ready to defend herself and kick his behind even if at this moment in time she was trying to kiss it by appealing to his better nature.

• Lt JG Ella Lokaa, CoS

Lardel looked at her and then simply reached forward, grasped her hand firmly but not as if he was trying to make a statement, shook it once, and then released.

It was better than nothing she thought, his hands pretty much dwarfed hers and were completely different. Ella had small dainty and elegant hands where as his were rough and well as she’d expect from someone who spent a lot of their time in a fighter or fighting hand to hand. She decided to remain hopeful that from this conversation they might be able to find some common ground.

“Sit.” he said firmly, but it did come out as not entirely an order… maybe half an invitation. “First of all, Lieutenant Junior Grade, it is not only customary but common courtesy to introduce oneself when speaking to a superior officer you are meeting for the first time. Two, I don’t know what holos you are watching that leads you to assume that Fleet and Marines don’t traditionally get along, but that common misconception can be detrimental to someone working on a vessel with both. Three. I’m not sure what you are referring to with your quip about the two minutes you’ve been down here, but if there was an issue I expect to be informed about it. Four. Respect is indeed earned, and walking into someone’s office and half-demanding it really isn’t the way to start off on the right foot.” Lardel then stood up and turned his back on the young woman and went to a small table behind the desk. A few moments later he turned around and had two mugs in his hand and the smell of fresh coffee filled the air. “So we are going to start this little talk again, but instead of you walking into my office on my flight deck and trying to slap your d%$k down and announce yourself, we’re gonna try it with a bit more equality and professionalism. Sound good? Good.” and he set the two mugs down, one on each side of the desk and sat back down.

“I certainly should have introduced myself first, I was just caught up trying to explain my presence some people prefer being told why someone is there before knowing who they are.” She accepted the drink and sipped it. “Thankyou for the drink.” Ella placed the cup back down, “It really isn’t much of a misconception, the fact yourself sir and Dozer refer to me as ‘Fleet‘ automatically implies there is a division.” She explained, “And in the two minutes of being within this vicinity I have felt uneasy, perhaps it’s just me thing and I wasn’t demanding anything that would have sounded ALOT different, I was making a suggestion it was received not how I intended it, I’m new to this”. So knew that she was the youngest Security officer on the ship and until yesterday wasn’t even chief. “I am sorry for coming across in that way sir.” She said finally. It could have been so easy for here to take on an aggressive stance but she wasn’t here to make enemies.

“Now then… why don’t you start off by telling me exactly why you felt this conversation between us was necessary, and then I’m going to tell you why you are both wrong and right at the same time.” and he picked up his mug and took a drink.

Lardel, CAG

She nodded “Well, both our departments play a role in protecting this ship there should be no reason for us not to have an open dialogue. Some of my officers had told me that the previous chief and you didn’t see eye to eye and that doesn’t help anyone. I want to be able to have our departments work together. I dont know the background and honestly its none of my business but I dont want to make the same mistakes they did. I am not as experienced as I probably should be and the closest thing to a security chief aboard this ship I can hope to gather some experience from is you, sir, I didn’t intend to wave my genitals about, not that I would ever do that anyway. I’m just trying my hardest and second dont think you’re the only one getting visited by me, I’ve gone to visit all the departments. I want to get to know the ship and its crew.”

• Lt JG Ella Lokaa, CoS

Lardel listened and his face remained stoic as she spoke. When she was done, he took another sip and then set the mug down.

“Ok, that makes… some sense. But going forward, always remember to introduce yourself first. The message loses meaning if you don’t know the source.” and he leaned back slightly.

“Your predecessor and I had issues because he didn’t seem to realize that there are some areas of this ship that don’t belong to Ship’s Security… at least, not without my presence or permission prior. And he took upon himself to try and tell me, under the auspices of ‘security’, how to lead my Marines. That didn’t fly well with me, so our relationship was not what one would call ‘productive’. That isn’t me trying to be a hard case. It’s a safety issue. Like I had to explain to your CSO when she managed to walk onto my flight line and started scanning my birds without my permission: Flight ops are mine, no one else’s. And no one goes near my birds that doesn’t have authorization. Period, end of story. No exceptions.” His tone matter-of-fact, but not hostile. He was simply stating facts, nothing more.

She could understand where the friction had come from. She guessed the previous chief has a chip on his shoulder or just didn’t like Marines but it sort of sounded like he didn’t like not having jurisdiction on the whole ship, luckily for him Ella would be more than happy to hand off some of the ships to him as it meant less work for her in the long term. She felt that she didn’t need to respond and just listen so she nodded for him to go on as she picked up the mug and took another sip. She was never really a hot coffee drinker but she had to show she was trying.

“Now as to your perceived division… Dozer was it?… Yes… Dozer’s referring to you as ‘Fleet’ isn’t an insult. It’s nomenclature. And I haven’t referred to you in that vein, if you will remember. Besides… You are a Fleet officer, are you not? So the fact that you take offense to the term when I can almost guarantee that you have referred to officers from my service branch with the generalized term ‘Marine’ rather than their rank or title seems to indicate that the division may be more one-sided than you think. My aviators and support crews have no animosity to Star Fleet, nor do I. We are all professionals, here to do a job. But that job, from where I sit, does not overlap with your duties Lieutenant Junior Grade. You are responsible for the security and safety of this vessel and it’s crew… a commendable level of responsibility and one that I have every confidence in your abilities to see to. But the Black Sheep are not Chimera crew. We are not your responsibility… that falls to me. We have our own security personnel, our own admin team… we even have our own regulations and rules for how our personal quarters are supposed to be maintained. So there is definitely separation… but division? If there is division, then I would suggest that you look more internally than externally for the source. Now, has there been instances of cross-department conflict? Absolutely. And as those instances will certainly crop up again, I will suggest here and now that you handle your people and I will handle mine. If the need to conduct joint disciplinary action is needed, then we can deal with that on a case by case basis. And keep in mind that Marine disciplinary code is very different from Star Fleet. And as to your department and mine working together? I don’t see how that would work, but I am always open to new ideas. Sound fair?”

Hannibal

“Im a ‘Star Fleet officer, not just a fleet officer, and sometimes its not just the word its the way it’s said but I will try and look past it for the greater good.” She didn’t wait to continue. “I have no desire to have any jurisdiction over your detachment or even the areas you consider to be yours. I have enough on my plate with the rest of the ship to worry about them anyway and it’s nice to know someone else who takes their job as serious as you are ensuring they’re running in fine order.” This time she paused to think about his question, she felt the matter about discipline closed though she wondered how different their discipline was to theirs. “As for working together perhaps we could simply start by having some exchange training, I know my guys will benefit the most from spending a day or two in the shoes of a Marine. One or two maybe even just me at first, put me through my paces and see how it goes. Maybe putting each other out of our comfort zones and in the shoes of our counterparts, the counterparts being the ships sword and shield we’d benefit, knowing the people we may have to fight besides not against. If you dont agree I get it, and we’ll just go back to the way it was, mostly ignoring each other.”

• Lt JG Ella Lokaa, CoS

Lardel paused and then said “I’m confused, and perhaps I am simply missing something. If so… my apologies for being dense.” This time his tone was slightly less formal, but still brush.

“I wouldn’t for moment think you are dense, perhaps I’m not choosing my words correctly.” She explained but before she could speak he broadened his own explanation and she was inclined to listen to him

“You say ‘exchange training’, and that is where you lose me. We are a fighter squadron… not grunts and ground pounders. Don’t get me wrong, every Marine is Rifleman; but what we do and what, from my understanding, Fleet Security does are two wholly different things.” Lardel actually had a far more in-depth understanding of Star Fleet Security’s roles and responsibilities than most outside the field. He learned on the first ship he was assigned to that if you didn’t know the difference, some Fleet personnel would try and get you and your Marines to start taking on Secuurity details… and that would not happen.

She nodded, “Oh no I completely know the difference Praise Elasia I’d not want to put any of my officers in a fighter not a real one perhaps.” That was a new thought, “But that’s what I mean show us what we don’t know you do, the maintenance the things that perhaps we don’t see you do.” She hoped she was helping.

“So what sort of training did you have in mind? Oh… and just an word of caution. Don’t let a Marine hear you say ‘spending a day or two in the shoes of a Marine.’ Some may take exception and think you are suggesting someone play dress up as one of us. Wouldn’t go well.” and for the first time, the briefest of smiles showed.

Lardel CAG

“I was simply thinking a look at life, I know this is far more beneficial for us as Security is pretty much an open book but showing us what you go through on a day to day, training drills, vehicle maintenance it may help us give us that appreciation you deserve it’ll also create a link between you guys out there in your fighters and the guys in here covering your butt’s with weapons fire. We’re all apart of the ships defence and offensive in some capability without one of us it doesn’t work, it’ll put a face to the names and to know who were fighting with and along side, maybe even a game of poker from time to time.” She smiled finishing her drink, “And thanks for the tip, I thought about joining the Corps, decided it was to much like being at home so chose Starfleet instead.”

• Lt JG Ella Lokaa