Posted by Lieutenant Commander Royal Sinclair (Counselor) in CNS Office - Gonzales checks in for a surprise

Posted by Lieutenant Isabella “Speedy” Gonzales (Bridge Officer Helm/Ops) in CNS Office - Gonzales checks in for a surprise

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Royal Sinclair (Counselor) in CNS Office - Gonzales checks in for a surprise
Posted by… suppressed (14) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Izzy stepped out of the turbo lift and made her way towards the door that held the next of her standard boarding appointments: the dreaded ‘counselors evaluation’.

She was slightly early for her appointment but wanting to get this over with as soon as possible, Izzy pressed the door chime.

Izzy Gonzales - Helm Officer

A voice that was oddly familiar came from the other side and the door opened to reveal the inside of the Counselor’s dreaded ‘dungeon’.

Decorated in a warm and calming manner, the office was welcoming and not at all like the rest of the offices on board. The desk had been moved to the corner of the space where the bulkhead met the outer hull’s windows, opening the office space up for a seating area large enough to hold more than the single individual that most often came to talk with the ship’s Counselor. A couch and a few chairs were set around a small table, on which sat a crystal bowl filled with multicolored glass beads that seemed to have a small amount of internal light inside them. Two chairs sat facing the desk, probably allowing for more formal conversations or for administrative needs.

Low bookcases lined the walls, each one closed with a glass fronted door with brass hinges, in which sat some real books, many notebooks, and a few bookends of various sizes and shapes. On the wall behind the desk were several pictures on either side of a display case. Each shelf was filled with a few items the young officer seated at the desk had collected so far; but on the top shelf prominently sat a single item housed in a rounded glass display: The Star Fleet Marine Corps Distinguished Service Cross.

Seated behind the desk sat the big Scot from the lounge. Instead of the civilian clothes he had on previously, he was now dressed in the blue uniform of the Medical and Science sections. Lieutenant Commander pips shined brightly on his collar. Looking up, he said “Well, well. I’m guessing you are my final appointment this evening, then? Color me surprised. Please have a seat, Lieutenant.” he said, indicating the seating area set away from the desk. “Or feel free to lay down on the couch. That sometimes makes analyzing your relationship with your mother based on how you hold your coffee or which end of your biscuit you eat first easier on the victi… er, attendee.” His tone was absolutely mocking and sarcastic, but it was still friendly somehow.

Sinclair, CNS

Izzy was momentarily lost for words, a very rare occurrence. The big, easy going chap from the lounge was exactly the last person she’d expected to see when the door opened. She stepped into the office and made a show of looking around at the decor to buy herself some time.

“Nice office SIR.” She poked a finger at the glass beads, stirring them around the bowl, the lights within shifting and throwing soft highlights.

“So, do you make a habit of ambushing new crew members in the mess hall or was it more a ‘target of opportunity’ type deal?” she said, her attention seemingly focused on the glass beads.

Izzy Gonzales

Bump

“Stroke of luck. Absolute perfect set-up, all because of you. Thank you for that, by the way. I haven’t had that much fun since I came on board.” he said with a huge grin. “I do have to say, your opinion of my role is a bit shameful, don’t ya think? I mean… I went to university and everything.” he continued, the grin never slipping.

Sinclair, CNS

Izzy dumped her kitbag next to one of the chairs and dropped into it, leaning back and stretching out her legs.

“I get that you’ve got a job to do and are just trying to do it, it was just a bit of a shock, I mean you don’t exactly come across as the stereotypical Counselor you know.” She grinned, “I had a mandatory review following an emergency ejection transport when my fighter decided to blow up around me and the pshrink was all ‘shoooo vhy do you blame your mudder for ve shhhip blowings up?’ So I guess I had a mental picture you don’t fit.” She said eying the Counselor up and down.

“You’ll be about 9% of the way towards being let off for your little subterfuge if you fix me a drink though” she said with a smile.

Izzy Gonzales- Helm Officer

Sinclair shrugged his massive shoulders. “I’ve been in trouble before. I’ll be in trouble again. And no drinks till the official work is done, Lieutenant. So now tell me… why do you blame your mother for your ship blowing up?” he asked, his tone quite serious but his eyes filled with mirth.

Sinclair, CNS

“So NOW you’re all business huh?” Said Izzy with a raised eyebrow.

“Fine, as it happens I don’t blame my mother for blowing up my fighter, leaving me floating in space in a half shredded vacsuit, waiting for the rescue runabout to get a transporter lock on me in amongst all the other bits of debris. THAT I blamed on the lab rats and desk pilots that allowed the damn engine to be fitted and passed for test flights.... but they apologised when I asked them nicely” she said, with a fake and utterly insincere sweet smile.

She shrugged, “taking risks was part of the deal when I signed on with that program, ‘Test Pilot’ isn’t exactly a job known as a cushy number.”

Izzy looked Sinclair straight in the eye, all business now herself, the jovial smile and playful demeanour replaced with steel.

“The brass said they needed the best, so I signed up.”

Isabella Gonzales - Helm Officer

Sinclair didn’t bat an eye, he simply replied “And why do you consider yourself ‘the best’?”

Sinclair, CNS

“Not met many pilots Sir? We all KNOW we’re the best in the fleet......”

Izzy’s demeanour becomes relaxed again as she leans back in the chair, her movements languid and feline to the point that an observer might wonder if she had Caitian blood in her ancestry somewhere. Her gaze never left the Counselor though, maintaining the eye contact.

“...... of course all those other guys happen to be wrong.”

Izzy Gonzales - Helm Officer

Sinclair’s demeanor shifted significantly, and his look became less jovial and more… inquisitive. “I’ve met plenty of pilots. And I have found that the need for a certain level of… well, we’ll say confidence… is necessary to maintain their focus while piloting a fighter, you may find your role here to be very different, Lieutenant. Confidence aside, what do you think is the main difference in piloting a prototype fighter and manning the helm of a Pendragon class star ship?”

Sinclair, CNS

“You mean apart from the size of her ass Sir?” Said Izzy with a wicked grin.

“That’s what I’m doing here Sir to be honest. I fought for this assignment as you don’t go from blasting around the galaxy with a fighter strapped to your back to that big centre chair, no matter how hot a hand you are on the stick.”

Izzy leaned forward, “My CO thought I’d got the chops for command so he put me in for advanced tactical training and transfer to a main fleet ship. I fought for the Saracen once I’d finished ATT as I’d heard Captain Knight was the best I could learn from.”

“As to the difference? When I’m flying I’ve learnt to act, not think, because if you think out there, you’re dead. Now? I need to think about every crew member I’m responsible for keeping in one piece, and by extension our mission, keeping the Federation safe.”

Izzy sat back, curious to see how Sinclair reacted.

Izzy Gonzales- Helm Officer

Sinclair didn’t respond, he simply made a note on the PaDD. “And what adjustments do you think you will have to make; moving from ‘flying solo’ as it were, to being a part of a large crew?”

Sinclair, CNS

Izzy crossed her legs at the ankle and considered the question.

“Mainly integrating myself into the team, learning to trust everyone else to do their job as well as I do mine.”

She gave Sinclair a knowing look, “I’d start by spending some down time in the social areas of the ship, meeting and getting to know people on a personal level… of course that’s worked out great for me so far” she said with a slightly lob sided grin.

Izzy Gonzales- Helm Officer

Sinclair chuckled. “Maybe if you weren’t so quick to judge people on appearance, you would have had the chance to learn who was who, right? Besides, that bit of introduction has made this the absolute most fun I have ever had in an on-boarding evaluation.”

Sinclair, CNS

Izzy held her hands up in mock surrender, “ok, ok you got me there, I’ll cop to that one, you’re not exactly the mental image that springs to mind when I think Ships’ Counselor” She said with a nod to the medal on show.

“And I’m glad at least one of us is having some fun....” she said with a fake pout that transformed into a wicked grin that promised swift retribution “....but don’t think you’ve gotten away with this one, I WILL pay you back Sir, you can depend on that!”

Izzy Gonzales - Helm Officer

Sinclair smiled broadly and said “I would think so much less of you if you didn’t.” and then looked at the PaDD before him. “Ok, a few more boxes to tick. Hypothetical situation. You are being dressed down by a superior officer for a mistake you didn’t make. You know who did, and that person has a history of mistakes in similar form, but you also know them to try very hard and be a friend to many other crew members. Their mistake isn’t severe, but it is significant. You being blamed is not a result of them passing the blame on to you, but simply a glitch in the reporting system. Tell me… How would handle this situation if you were still in a fighter squadron versus how you would handle it here on the Saracen?”

Sinclair, CNS

“Same both ways Sir, no question. Mistakes cost lives out here and need to be dealt with.” Said Izzy with no hesitation whatsoever.

“I don’t care how friendly someone is, I’m not writing a letter to someone’s family explaining that they died but it’s ok because someone ‘tries hard’. Sometimes people can’t make the grade and if you let them keep making the same mistakes someone is going to get hurt, and not just their feelings. Mistakes need to be reported so they can be learnt from, and if they can’t learn then I don’t want them in my Squadron or on my Ship.”

She smiled slightly to soften her serious tone a little, “perhaps if this person is so well meaning and well liked, but not really up to front line service, they could retrain to be a Counselor?”

Izzy Gonzales - Helm Officer / Careers guidance