An Intelligent introduction

Posted on Tue 1st Apr, 2014 @ 7:52am by Colonel Marcus DeSalle & Lieutenant Samantha O'Dell

1,505 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: http://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/missions/id/6
Location: Commander's Ready Room, Ops
Timeline: The afternoon after the welcome aboard party

ON

Margus DeSalle looked at his computer console one more time. Former Security officer now in Intel? Interesting. Busted once, and the file classified? very interesting. He wondered how she would react to his command style. Better to find out now. He tapped his comm badge. "Lieutenant O'Dell, report to the Commander's Ready Room ASAP."

Samantha was in the corridors with a report padd when her commbadge sounded. Command Ready Room.... an eyebrow quirked upright ever so slightly. "On my way." She retorted touching her commbadge and then detoured herself from her original route. Medical could wait, it brought a smirk to her face, didn't medical always seem to have to wait.

Brian and her had taken a "family" trip and had recently returned there had been some developments and complications that had gone along with that trip. She'd been with child, and during the trip had lost the pregnancy, but on the other hand, Brian had his sight. Lost in the thoughts of that trip, the trauma the self loathing she'd felt bubbling inside her Samantha made her way to the Ready Room on autopilot.

She stood in front of the doors sensor letting it auto chime that she was there and waited to be let inside.

"Come in," Marcus said, looking up. "Ah, Lieutenant O'Dell." He stood up, offering his hand to the officer. Thank you for coming by. Can I get you anything?" He motioned towards the replicator.

She shook her head. "No thank you, sir." She retorted after coming in. Normally she'd have come to attention but she hadn't gotten that far before he offered her his hand. She shook his hand. "Is there something I can do for you, Colonel DeSalle?"

Marcus smiled. "No, Lieutenant. Have a seat. This is just an informal interview to help me get to know my officers better." He sat down behind the desk, opposite her. "So, what made you decide you wanted to go into Intel?"

Samantha sat down crossing her ankles, as she did. "I didn't." She offered. "I'm sure you aware I came on as Security officer. Security was fairly staffed so I was aiding Intelligence more or less to expand my abilities with security." She said softly. "When promotion arose it was assume the role of Intelligence officer which had been vacated or transfer." Samantha smirked having Brian on her mind. "Transferring wasn't really an option."

"I see," he said thoughtfully. "So what happened aboard the Vicsburg?" He watched to see how she would react.

Samantha felt the smartass in her want to ask him about his own expunged history, but as he was the new CO she was sure it wasn't the best time to get under his skin. Samantha was honest, but indirect. "A, um... youthful impulse."

He smiled, looking as if she'd just passed some kind of test. "I can live with that. I honestly didn't expect you to come out and answer directly. I would never want to pry into your private life unless you felt comfortable enough to trust me with such information. We all make mistakes. In my book, it isn't important how many times we fall down, it's just important that we get up, dust ourselves off, and start going again, learning from our mistakes as we go. I was taught early on never to make the same mistake twice. I've found that to be sound advice." I'll make you a deal: You push yourself to be better today than you were yesterday, and I'll do everything I can to help you achieve that goal. By the same token, if you screw up, the proper measures will be taken to correct the situation. Other than that, your personal life (and your past) are your own. You give me 100 percent, and I'll do the same. Deal?" He smiled again.

Samantha nodded. "Deal." She smirked. "All due respect, sir. Pry if you'd like, I feel the best way to know someone is to learn as much about them as you can. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they carry themselves especially with their personal demons in tow." Samantha offered. "If a person isn't confident enough with themselves to admit they have made mistakes, that's a person I can't trust." She looked at the flooring, the carpet of the Ready room was nearly perfect. "Occupational hazard."

"Fair enough," he said. "I also believe that the better you know a person the easier it is to trust them. However, I believe that trust and respect are earned, and that as I gain yours, you will feel more comfortable telling me more about yourself. The same is true of me. I don't know about any big skeletons in my closet, except for maybe the court martial that they tried to bust me with... but I'm sure you already have access to that kind of data about me." Marcus grinned. "Show of trust?" he suggested as he sat back. Lieutenant, when a member of Starfleet or Fleet Marines becomes a part of a cohesive unit, it is inevitable that s/he will eventually form a bond of trust with those with whom s/he associates. In Boot Camp, they take a group of individuals and mold it into a cohesive unit where they literally trust each-other with their lives. Our lives may depend on each-other at any time. Our pasts are our own, but they do not dictate who we are now. it is how we apply the lessons we learn from them that makes us who we are. Just something to think about.

Marcus changed the subject. "Actually the reason for this interview was an introduction, and to get feedback from you as a department head as to what opinions you have on improving processes within the station to help it run more smoothly. After all, If I don't know what's broken, I can't fix it." He smiled again, acting much more easy-going than the typical Marine. "So what do you think? Do you have any ideas on what you'd like to see changed?"

Samantha rubbed the back of her neck, a nervous tick of sorts. "Honestly, sir. I'm not exactly what i would call an "in" member of the staff." She pointed out. "I came onboard only recently, and was promoted relatively quickly. The head of Intelligence isn't exactly the person everyone warms up to." She added. "If you're asking me a member of the staff I would say I couldn't help you much, if you're asking me as the head of Intelligence, well... that's a different story, sir."

"Okay," he answered. "Let me put it a different way. In the role of head of Intel, what would you change?"

Samantha's demeanor shifted some, this went from an interview about her to work, it was like everyone ounce of emotion drained from her and it started with her eyes and drained south. "Sir, the stations has had some security breaches as of late, endangering personnel civilian and service alike. I'd like to enable clearances on all vessels coming to the station before they disembark, that includes federation personal using information from not only starfleet intelligence but from intelligence contacts I've made with other agencies." She stated. "In the last several months we've had more than our fair share of deaths, dangers and criminals on board." She wouldn't go into details because she was pretty sure she didn't have to.

"If I can protect the people of this station and my family before the situation arises then I feel I've done my job, respectfully, Sir." Samantha had a protective nature she'd developed because of Brian's blindness, now that Brian wasn't blind anymore she was having a hard time letting go of that nature.

"That's all perfectly understandable, and I applaud you for your conscientiousness, lieutenant," Marcus said. "I also appreciate your honesty. The thing I want to stress here is that as we seek to secure this station from possible threats, we must balance that with the personal liberties guaranteed by the Federation's Constitution. Naturally, we can monitor StarFleet vessels more closely than civilian ones, but there are still areas where we can tighten up security with them, too. It's a real balancing act. By all means, enable clearance on Fleet vessels, but tread lightly with the Civilians. If they get even so much as an inkling their privacy is being invaded, we'll be hip-deep in lawyers. Something tells me that neither the CMC nor Fleet Headquarters wants to deal with that." He smiled at her wryly. You're in Intel. I will trust your discretion for now. Do the background checks quietly, okay?"

Samantha smirked. "absolutely, sir. Thank you." She felt a air of confidence now that she had some license to protect the station to the betterment of her abilities.

"Very well," he said standing, "If you have no other questions, you are dismissed."

OFF

Colonel Marcus DeSalle
Commanding,
Star Base Protector

Lieutenant Samantha O'Dell
Chief Intelligence Officer,
Star Base Protector

 

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