Posted by Lieutenant Commander T’Aria (XO / Navigation Officer) in Side SIM: Tag all of Engineering

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Sara Lovejoy (Chief Engineer) in Side SIM: Tag all of Engineering

Posted by Captain Chris Taggart (Captain) in Side SIM: Tag all of Engineering
Posted by… suppressed (8) by the Post Ghost! 👻
(Snipping + brief replies to keep the thread moving/giving others more places to post.)

“As of for me sir, Blaze is an engineering and programming officer on this ship and also holds the rank of lieutenant. I know that he has a lot of work and works hard. He is also a decent person but also the fact that I might be hard and harsh but the fact that I know I should be less hard and harsh on my engineering team.” She said. “Although, I know that he is one of the best and I would recommend that he stays with what he does sir.” She added.

CE Lovejoy

“I don’t believe you Miss Lovejoy.” Chris said flatly. “You had your chance and now you just copied what Blaze said. I’m very disappointed in you both! So I will tell you both what you are and are not.”

Looking at Lovejoy. “Blaze is not a criminal! He has taken the online Academy courses and is now a full fledged Starfleet officer! He is a human being and deserves love and respect. I want you to understand that and it is not becoming of a senior ranking officer, especially a Department Head, to go behind someone’s back and tell other officers, especially the new ones, that Blaze is a criminal and doesn’t deserve to be here. And Blaze is not a Lieutenant. He’s a Lieutenant Junior Grade. If I hear of one more instance of something like this Miss Lovejoy, then you will be sent packing off this ship. I hope I made myself clear.”

“Sir? What are you talking about? I’ve never said anything about Blaze being a criminal at all. With all due respect I never had said that. All I wanted was to have all junior officers of the engineering department to come and join the meeting in the mess hall of course. But I’ve never said anything about Blaze being a criminal. I just thought it would be nice enough for the junior officer and I have a meeting that was all sir. I just requested everyone to meet in the mess hall for a meeting. But if I did say that then I understand that I’d be off the ship. But I’m telling the truth, I never said anything like that in my life sir.” She explained as she was worried that the Captain was gonna say something like that. Although, she was also scared that she would lose her position permanetly.

Then he looked at Blaze. “Mr. Blaze. Miss Lovejoy is not an inconvenience. She’s your Department Head. When she asks for your presence, you show up and not make excuses. Do not undermine her again. If I hear of that happening again, you can also find yourself packing and of this ship. I hope I made myself clear?”

Looking at both of them now. “So here is what I propose. No. That’s not right. Here’s what I am ordering you both to do. Blaze. You will now be transfered to the Science Department. I think programming will serve best there anyway. But that only puts a bandaid on a missing leg. You BOTH will go to counseling twice a week. Together. If you miss an appointment then you better have a damned good reason or your off this ship.”

“The Chernov is a Battlecruiser! We are sent out to help protect beings all over this galaxy and beyond. The fight is out there! Not in here! Understand?”

“Yes sir.” She said with a low tone in her voice cause she wasn’t so sure what else to say

Looking over at Pawl. “So Pawl. You’re wondering now, why you’re here. It’s for a couple reasons. First. As a representative of your homeworlds military, I wanted to show you that we’re not perfect. But we are getting better at it. Secondly, If Miss Lovejoy finds herself off this ship, then you’ll be the new Chief Engineer. So learn all you. Understood?”

“Now we will see what the XO has to say on this matter. Commander?”

Captain Chris Taggart CO

Pawl was not sure what to say at first but he slowly let things digest before he spoke. ” Yes, sir! I understand. I feel appreciated that you allowed me to be part of this ship and her team. I understand there are no perfect organizations. We all have our issues or problems.” Noting that he was not wearing blinders and following things blindly. “As for a change in command in engineering, I understand your concerns, sir. I will do the best I can to fill the needs in the engineering section and the rest of the ship. If and when the need arises. Sir!” He felt like a deer in headlights. Feeling like he was now the enemy. But he tried to keep the feelings out of the way of this. “That’s one of the reasons I am here sir is to learn and grow.” Pawl said calmly and focused on his reply to the officer.

Lt Jg Pawl Batario - Jo Engineer

(OOC: Chris, James, David… feel free to ignore this until you’ve had time to respond to Travis. You’re also more than welcome to chop this up to respond in pieces. Either way! :))

T’Aria resituated herself and blinked away the addled haze that nearly touched her face. In the past ten minutes, they inflated symptoms to a crisis and prescribed a hypospray for something that required surgery. T’Aria recognised the growing distrust that threatened to divide their engineering department more than it already had. It concerned her, but no more than their continued efforts to address it with threats, not action.

Talk of transfers and promotions at the expense of another fostered an unsafe and unproductive environment. T’Aria struggled to maintain her silence when they deserved to discuss their consequences in private. That was their right. T’Aria closed her eyes to dissociate her judgement from the emotions bubbling in her gut. She knew Taggart had his reasons, and she suspected he would explain them in time, but it unsettled her.

“The issue runs deeper than miscommunication and falsehoods,” T’Aria said after several seconds of thought, “and I believe you both know that. Starfleet maintains order through directives and regulations, but it functions on trust. Generalised trust binds crews and builds the foundation for collaboration. Specific trust encourages growth through bonds with others. The attitudes and behaviours you, Lieutenants Lovejoy and Blaze, have displayed imply a lack of trust.”

“Commander no disrespect or anything, but I never said anything about Lieutenant Blaze at all. I’ve given everything including my trust to Blaze since I came aboard this ship. But I’ve never said or done anything to antagonize with my attitude at all. With all due respect, nothing involving me or Blaze has ever made it where I never said anything about. I’ve always looked at him as a good officer and nothing bad like calling him a criminal. Sir.” She explained to the commander.

T’Aria bowed her head to Sara and took a moment to ponder her response. She made a valid point. Truthfully, she was unsure of where notions of criminality arose, though she heard Taggart and Lovejoy mention it before. She wondered whether it was a byproduct of the social grapevine – an event convoluted by a series of misinterpretations and dramatization – but she couldn’t be sure. “Thank you, Lieutenant,” she paused, “I admit that I am unsure of these allegations and I do not believe it is just for us to judge you without full awareness. What evidence do we have on this event, Captain?”

“It is what was personally told to me. The person will not be named. Then having watched you all squabble with one another and paying attention, it appears so. But! I can’t prove it, that’s why no punishments will be handed out. I’m just sick and tired of the nagging. Why does it have to reach level? Why hasn’t the XO be informed since she’s the supervisor of all the Department Heads? But what I said stands. No more crap. You, Lovejoy, be a leader. And that means not being their friend. You Blaze! Follow her orders and stop thinking you’re better than everyone. We’re a team and this ship and the Starfleet runs on Teamwork!”

“You both have grown.” T’Aria glanced at Alexander, her expression softening. “Mr Blaze, you have opened yourself to working with Engineering, even when your expertise and drive urge you to work alone. I am routinely impressed by you.” She then turned to Sara. “Ms Lovejoy. I have watched as you refined your leadership over the past several months to meet your team where they are and trust them to define what they can handle.”

“Yes commander. I trust in all my junior officers in engineering to come and meet in the mess hall and have some engineering meetings. All I wanted to know was why he came in late. I always expected all my junior officers to come to every meeting I have asked. Another thing, I’ve also wanted to have all my junior officers to come and get to know each other and then discuss like what systems we could fix or something. Even run diagnostics on them. Nothing more like that. Giving me their statuses in the meetings and have some refreshments and actually talk to me and discuss things. That’s all sir.” She said.

T’Aria appreciated her vulnerability with another nod, but chose not to respond as she was not the one who needed to hear how much Lovejoy trusted her crew.

“I am not concerned about your individual abilities,” she said. “I know you are competent. But, this ongoing and worsening distrust has inflated to affect more than you two. Think for a moment how others might feel when they see you quarrelling with one another. Would you feel safe in an environment where there is constant animosity? Or where there is a lack of consensus? We need unity and compromise to function as a crew. So, I expect both of you to put in the work with Doctor Kastarak… for your health and your team’s.”

“Commander my trust lies with you, the captain and my team is all nothing else, even the crew. Sir.” She said.

T’Aria released her tension into the chair and waited, allowing them all time to digest.

“I implore all of you,” she bowed her head to Batario, “to be mindful of your actions and motivations. You are the ranking officers in Engineering, and others look to you for guidance. Be aware your privilege and your power.”

— T’Aria, XO

Paul listened to the xo calmly and quietly. Not making any sound unless spoken to directly too. He nodded back to the xo in understanding and respect before he spoke again. “I understand sir…” Pawl said in understanding in privilege and power especially knowing this well from the family structure of Betazoid society and the planet of Betazed and her sovereignty worlds. “I agree with you, Sir! Power and privilege are strong things even in Betazoid families and society as a whole as well.” Pawl said sincerely. Pawl finished and went quiet. He was not sure what else to say.

Lt Jg Pawl Batario - Jo Engineer

T’Aria tilted her head, offering a softened expression that she intended to demonstrate the value she found in his input. Her telepathy had severe limits, but she didn’t need it to sense his discomfort… or perhaps that was her own? T’Aria wavered, unsure of her projection, but immediately set it aside to meditate on later. Her concern laid with Batario and his comfort in a situation that was not his to bear. “I value your insight, Lieutenant Batario…” she said, “and I anticipate it will serve you and our crew well.”

“Although Commander. Captain. I do understand everything although I feel like that I’m being targeted for something I never said.” She said with some discomfort.

CE Lovejoy.

— T’Aria

“You are not being targeted! You and Blaze need to work it out. Like I said before, being a leader is a lot like being a parent. You’re their boss, not their friend. There is a fine line to walk for that. A razors edge. And Blaze. Again, stop with the holier-than-thou attitude and do as you’re told. I don’t want to hear about this again. You both will be messaged when the first counseling session is ready. And so that we’re clear, even if the ship is being attacked, you both better still be in Kastarak’s office. Anything else before we drop this matter, move forward and I stop hearing about it?”

Captain Chris Taggart CO

“Yes sir I understand that. I do understand that I should be a leader and be their “boss” in a sense and I will from here on out. Blaze, I do understand you’re really busy and I do apologize for whatever it was. I respect you. But although as Chief Engineer, I do deserve all the respect back. Believe me, it’s been hard for me since I’ve been on here on this ship. The Chernov is my home and I don’t really want to leave it. Although, if I have too, I’ll step down and give it to Barario. But I won’t until needed. I know that I have trust issues, but I won’t let it get into the way again. As of for you captain and commander, I won’t do anything to abuse my ability as Chief Engineer. I’ll be the best engineer you could ever have in Starfleet. Believe me I’m not gonna do anything to let that go.” She said.

Pawl was rather confused by all this, he knew if he could read their minds, he would understand better but he promised not to do such things, especially to humans. But he kept quiet and did his best to comprehend all of the situations. as he took a drink of his beverage.

Lt Jg Pawl Batario - Jo Engineer

As she sat there more relieved that the fact that she isn’t targeted. Although she feels like she’s not doing her job right. She feels bad about it. “I’ll even work harder to be a better engineer. Besides, I don’t want anything more than my engineering team to work together. That’s what my main goal is. Allowing people to express their feelings and how they feel about me. I want it to be a safe environment in engineering. An environment that people is willing to work very well in and a place that is well suited for my team and that’s what I’ve been really trying to do. Blaze, your a fantastic officer, a fantastic person to work with and I understand that you’re more of a person that prefers to work alone on board this ship. I respect that. And I’m not coming at you like your a bad guy at all. You’re not. I’m just looking at the positives with all of this. You’re a fantastic officer, a fantastic person to work with, even though things are different between us. I get that but we as an engineering team needs to work together. I respect that you don’t want to be at any of the meetings and if it’ll help you, at times if you can’t make it, I’ll make sure to put everything on a PaDD for you so you can look over the findings Batario and I have made and if you have anything to add you can go ahead at all times to come and bring it to me and the fact that my office is open when I’m there. The door will always be open.” She said to Blaze as she started to relax. “And yes captain I’d like to move on from this.” She said to the captain.

Chief Engineer Lovejoy

“Good. Save your speech to each other for therapy. You are all dismissed unless the XO has anything for you.”

“I have nothing further to contribute,” T’Aria said, “except to remind you all that what was spoken in confidence must remain in confidence. Please keep our discussion here between yourselves and Doctor Kastarak, where necessary.”

“Yes sir. I understand sir.” She said as she left.

OOC: A new thread will be posted for you two for counseling.

Captain Chris Taggart CO

OOC: Alright.

CE Lovejoy

—T’Aria, XO

I am back in port