Posted by Lieutenant Issac Forgrave (Chief of Security) in Captain’s Ready Room - tag Lt. Isaac Forgrave

Posted by Captain Molly Holloway (Commanding Officer) in Captain’s Ready Room - tag Lt. Isaac Forgrave

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Issac Forgrave (Chief of Security) in Captain’s Ready Room - tag Lt. Isaac Forgrave
Posted by… suppressed (8) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Holloway smiled as her eyes scanned the list for the next name, and her mind went back to their last interaction at the Docking Port. Admittedly, she probably had been a bit too harsh in the way she had addressed the man, but she didn’t like to not know what was going on… and sometimes it got to her temper before she could stop it. Apologizing though? That was a different story entirely.

Tapping her commbadge for the second time that day, Molly spoke to the Dresden’s Chief of Security. =/\= Holloway to Forgrave. Please come to my Ready Room at your earliest convenience. Holloway out. =/\=

Once again, she waited.

Holloway, CO

OOC: Sorry for the late response; I hadn’t actually realized I was AWOL until this morning!
IC:
A brief, slightly winded reply came shortly. <Yes, Captain. It'll be a moment.>
Issac breathed hard, half-hanging on the heavy bag in front of him as sweat stung his eyes. Releasing the bag and stepping back, he wiped at his brow with gloved hands and groaned. It had been… well, at minimum a few days after the events of their last mission, and Issac had frankly lost track of time between all the after-action reports, debriefings, and other miscellaneous tasks that demanded his attention. But he hadn’t forgotten the events in the docking port; or more specifically, the Captain’s threat. In retrospect, it was likely an off-hand comment fueled by frustration… But that did little to take the sour taste out of his mouth.

The brief sonic shower wasn’t as pleasant as a traditional shower, but it was far faster. Forgrave debated on the latter, but decided against it - as much as he wanted to delay the meeting with Holloway, it was inevitable. No sense in stretching it out further; there was a risk of starting the meeting on a worse foot that he feared it may already be on.

A few minutes later, he was striding down the corridor to the bridge, idly straightening his mustache as he approached the ready room, wondering what lay in store for him. Double-checking the lay of his uniform and finding it satisfactory, he knocked on the door and announced himself.

-Forgrave, CoS

“Come in!” Holloway’s voice came from inside the room.

The office was not exactly what one might expect of Molly. At least not those that were not intimately familiar with the Dresden’s CO. The most obvious piece of furniture when one walked in was the desk facing the door, and behind which Holloway was currently sitting. To the left of the door, there was a small but comfortable sitting area, with a coffee table, a small couch and an armchair. Above it, on the wall, a reproduction of one of Claude Monet’s Waterlilies was hung. Lastly, on the far corner of the room, there was a massive bookshelf, full of what seemed to be old books from different places, and a myriad of trinkets from the various places Holloway had visited. A few glass terrariums adorned the shelves, bringing some greenery to the place.

“Ah, Mr. Forgrave. Thank you for coming in such short notice. I am sure the post mission reports have kept you as busy as they have kept me in the past few days.” The tone was light, there was an unusual soft smile on her lips, and no evidence of any kind of grudge kept by what had happened during their encounter with the Lidrians.

“Please, take a seat.” Molly motioned for the chair opposite from her on the desk. “I’ve already had enough coffee for today, but feel free to help yourself with anything from the replicator if you wish.”

Holloway, CO

“Ah, Thank you Ma’am.” Issac moved over to the replicator; coffee was always welcomed. After acquiring a mug of the dark, steaming brew, he moved over to the offered chair and sat. His body language was noticeably stiff; he was cautious and reserved, somewhat at odds with Holloway’s affable demeanor. His eyes darted around, taking in the room and it’s decorations; as well as trying to gauge his Captain’s mood. They settled on the bookshelf; scanning it briefly for anything he recognized; skimming the titles to get an idea of a theme, before moving on. The painting held his gaze for a bit longer; he thought he recognized it, though he wasn’t positive. Issac appreciated art, and had a few paintings in his office as well - though his tastes certainly weren’t refined or bound to any theme; some pieces he simply liked well enough to see on a regular basis.

“Yes, I’ve uh, had more than a bit on my plate these past couple days - lost track ‘a time ta be honest. But I reckon that’s how it goes, right?” Forgrave managed a slight grin, thought it would be hard to notice for those not familiar with the man. He took a long sip of the coffee, before carefully setting the mug on the table. “So, what can I do for you Ma’am?”

Forgrave, CoS

Molly smiled sympathetically. “Indeed. It unfortunately seems to come with the job.”

Her eyes followed Forgrave across the room, and she waited for him to sit down in front of her before speaking. “Well… first of all, I think we should talk about the elephant in the room.” Holloway’s tone was serious. “I owe you an apology, Lieutenant. It was brought to my attention that I may have been overly harsh with you in our little run in with the aliens, and I wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings. It was a stressful situation for everyone involved and well…” She smiled apologetically. “I’m sure you have been told by many members of the crew, but I am aware my temperament can get the best of me sometimes.” She paused. “I think that no matter the rank or position one takes on board a ship, it’s important to recognize when we’re out of line. I’m afraid it is my turn of doing so. And for that I am sorry.”

Molly looked expectantly at the Chief of Security, although she was not sure what she was expecting him to say. She felt the awkwardness of the conversation and she hoped she could say one word or two to avoid the silence to fill the room.

Holloway, CO

Issac wasn’t sure what he expected in this meeting; but the direct acknowledgement, and following apology for the events in the docking tube caught him off guard. He supposed he would have expected more justification; a presenting of the situation where Holloway wasn’t at fault - though he knew that didn’t really align with the captain’s personalty. But as she admitted, the quick spike in temper did. It was in contrast to Issac; who’s temper was usually slow to build; and much slower to fade.

Forgrave’s silence did nothing to ease the tension; and his face was impassive, giving little away as he considered his Captain’s apology; along with his own feelings. Though his anger had cooled slightly over the days since the aforementioned events, it was still present; a smoldering coal in the back of his mind.

“I uh, well; I appreciate the apology; but…” Issac drug out his pause, searching for the right words; before changing track. “I take pride in my work, Ma’am. I put just about as much effort and thought as I can give into everythin’ I do; and doubly so when others ‘er involved. So… heat of the moment or otherwise, declaring me ta be uncooperative and threatening ta bust me down in rank… well, that gets under my skin. Don’t get me wrong; I ain’t no stranger to uh, colorful language, let’s say. And personal attacks don’t usually bother me - but it felt like you were dismissing me and my work; my concern for my duty. I can’t pretend that your apology takes that away - though I ain’t saying it’s unappreciated. I reckon I just need ya to acknowledge.... well, hell, I don’t know. I ain’t exactly good at this sorta thing.” Issac’s stiff posture had eased, though it had been replaced by a somewhat uncomfortable expression; more a reflection on his uncertainty of how to proceed than anything else.

Forgrave, CoS

A soft smile bounced in Molly’s lips, but it quickly faded into a more neutral expression that hid just a hint of sadness. Her eyes drifted to the objects on her desk and her terminal screen before bouncing back to Forgrave. “All I can acknowledge right now, Lieutenant, is that it was wrong of me to say what I did, and to apologize for the fact. Do know that I never doubted your work though, and I am sorry that was what came through.” Well… what else could have come through? Holloway kicked herself mentally. Just like Forgrave, she wasn’t exactly good at this sort of thing.

“I understand, Ma’am. And uh, I appreciate it.” Forgrave’s voice wasn’t exactly full of confidence, but it was heartfelt.

She drummed her fingers on the flat surface of the desk, pondering. Then she finally continued. “I’m sure you probably know this already, but I started as a Security Officer myself.” She smiled softly again. “In fact, I never imagined I’d get to where I am today.” Holloway added with a chuckle. “I know what it’s like to take pride in one’s work and to have that doubted. That’s not something I want to do. I want you to know that your work is very much appreciated. In fact…” She took a moment to back away from the desk and open a drawer right in front of her. When Molly closed it again, she placed a small black velvet box in front of the Dresden’s Chief Security Officer.

Almost instantly as his eyes settled on the small box, his gaze became hard; and his lips firmed as he wondered if this was some sort of consolation prize; a way to make up for the earlier event. He started to open his mouth to form a fierce rejection, before Holloway cut him off.

“Before you open it, I want you to know that this was already a long time in the making, and that it was in no way related to what happened at the docking tube. I am also not trying to bribe you into forgiving me. That, I hope, will come with time. But I do believe that a reward for your hard work on board this ship is in order, and there’s no better time than now. I wish that it wasn’t tainted by my own behavior though, as it was bound to happen no matter what.”

Molly pushed the box across the desk to Forgrave, nudging him to look inside. If he chose to do so, he would find a solid gold pip, meant to replace the hollow one in his collar, effectively promoting him to the rank of Lieutenant.

Holloway, CO

Issac paused, taking a moment to collect himself and think for a second. Now, he was grateful to have been cut off by Holloway; he wasn’t sure what he had been about to say, but it wouldn’t have done himself any favors. He was silent for a long moment; trying to consider the so-far unrevealed contents of the case. He suspected he knew what lay inside - after all, it was a rather short list of possibilities. But it wasn’t quite real - not until seen; touched and proven to not be a product of his imagination. But he hesitated.

For a long while; he hadn’t really considered himself to be part of StarFleet. That wasn’t an entirely accurate way to phrase it, but it summed it up well enough. He’d initially joined up almost on a whim; in an effort to get away from where he had been in life. Even when he’d been promoted to Junior Grade, and then become the Chief of Security - well, it’d come on so quickly that he’d accepted. After all, he’d already been ‘on the job’, so to speak; and it had to be done. He hadn’t regretted or resented it, and though it was hard - far more difficult than he’d have guessed - he’d be tempted to say that he enjoyed the role. But he’d always had a ‘fallback plan’ - he’d told himself that he wasn’t tied to StarFleet - he could always call it quits and go back to work for himself. But now… he wasn’t so sure. It wasn’t a sudden change of heart; nor a grand revelation in the moment. Simply - as the old well-worn thought passed through his head; posing as a familiar refuge, he realized that it was no longer true. He couldn’t - or rather, wouldn’t leave. StarFleet had become part of him, slowly and invisibly.

Carefully, Issac reached over to the case, opening it to reveal the expected contents. He released a slow breath; not realizing that he’d been holding it for an unknown period of time. “Well, I reckon it might be pretty rude iffin’ I rejected this… But even that aside, I ain’t quite sure if I earned this.” Issac paused briefly, before realizing what he’d said. “That ain’t a ‘no’, mind! But I reckon imposter syndrome is a bit of a bear, yeah?” A genuine smile found it’s way to Issac’s face at the bit of self-depreciation. “If nothing else Ma’am, I’ll make damn sure I’m worthy of this.”

Lieutenant Forgrave, CoS

Molly watched with an amused expression as Forgrave took a moment to process both the contents of the box and what they meant. She remembered her own promotions – many that had seem to come way too early and way too fast. Holloway hadn’t regretted them, but sometimes she found herself pondering what would have happened, or rather, how much more experienced she could have been, had she not progressed in her career so fast. She would never know, and there was no point dwelling on it, but sometimes the mind went where the mind wanted and there was nothing she could do about it.

A genuine smile spread on her lips, mirroring Forgrave’s own. “Well, see… It wouldn’t be rude because I never said you could reject it.” She chuckled playfully. “Jokes aside, Mr. Forgrave, you earned it, and you are worthy of it. I am far too familiar with impostor syndrome myself, and for as much easier as it is said than done…” She paused for a moment before continuing. “… don’t let it win over you. No one on this ship will doubt the quality of your work. That should include you as well.”

Finally, Holloway took a deep breath. “Alright… if there’s nothing else you need from me, you are free to go, Lieutenant.” She said motioning to the door. “Take the rest of the day off. You deserve it. Go grab your friends and celebrate. And tomorrow I expect you to be at your workstation at the usual time.” Molly chuckled again, this time with a playful wink. “Go one. Work can wait for a day.”

Holloway, CO