"Dressing Down"

Posted on Tue Mar 23rd, 2021 @ 9:35am by Lieutenant Nikosh Targus

2,652 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Where do we go from here?
Location: Officer's Lounge

__***"Dressing Down"***__
Joint Log of
Cmdr. Magnus Morgensen
Lt. Nikosh mok Targus
Lt. Persia Lionmane
& MCpt. Kirsten Maud
SD 202103.22

*RECAP FROM THE SIM:
. Cmdr. Magnus Morgensen, the Chief of Security, had addressed the Captain, "Captain, permission to take the Officer's Lounge temporarily?"

. She just nodded at him, her lips in a tight line.

. Morgensen nodded back, "I think a few of us need a reminder of proper etiquette on the Bridge." He turned and announced, "Targus, Maud, Lionmane, you're relieved. Report to the Officer's Lounge. I'll be with you all in a moment."

. Lt. Nikosh mok Targus, the Tellarite Intelligence Officer, had been speaking but he stopped, scowled, stood and headed for the lounge with only a grunt.

. MCpt. Kirsten Maud, Tactical Officer and commander of the Marine contingent on the ship, stiffened and responded, "Understood." She logged off the Tactical station and stepped towards the Officer's Lounge, her face showing that she obviously wasn't in the mood for a lecture.

. Lt. Persia Lionmane, the Caitian Science Officer, formerly both Engineering and Medical, took a moment longer to register the command. She continued explaining her theory of the planet to whoever was listening. Finally, Morgensen glared at her and she stopped and asked, "What's going on now?"

. From the door to the Officer's Lounge, Maud answered, "A reprimand."

. Morgensen pointed towards the Officer's Lounge. "That was an order, Lieutenant."

. Lionmane looked confused but followed the other two officers. The three of them entered the Lounge and stood at attention awaiting the senior officer.

. On the Bridge, Morgensen straightened his jacket, cleared his throat and addressed the Executive Officer, Cmdr. Oliver Queen, "Commander Queen, typically the First Officer oversees reprimands of personnel ... unless you'd like me to continue where I may have overstepped?"

. But it was the Captain who answered. "Carry on, Mr. Morgensen."

. Morgensen nodded, "By your orders, Captain." He turned and headed to the Lounge.*


**THE REPRIMAND:**
. Inside the Officer's Lounge, Targus stood at stiff attention, apparently remember he was an officer (for a change). Maud fell in beside him, also at attention. She was an officer, too, and a Marine at that.

. But Lionmane wandered into the Lounge with a PADD in hand, jotting down notes, still working. As she entered, she looked up at the other two and asked, "A reprimand for what? I was studying the planet!" As the other two just stared forward mutely, she assumed her place alongside them, silently fuming in frustration.

. Targus just stood there at attention. This was not his first "dressing down", to be sure. Maud stood stiffly beside him. She'd experienced it herself a time or two (and delivered a few to some of her Marines). Lionmade could not stand still, she tapped a foot impatiently.

. Finally, after several long seconds that seemed like several minutes, Morgensen entered. He stepped through and stopped, waiting for the doors to slide shut behind him. Targus' eyes flicked to him, trying to judge how mad the Security Chief was.

. Morgensen took a few paces in front of them, turned and paced back then finally stopped, gave a heavy sigh, and said, "At ease, all of you."

. All three relaxed visibly and then Targus gave a grunt and said in his heavy accent, "So ... vhat ve do, eh?"

. Lionmane glanced at Targus, thinking ~*Here we go, he's done it in for all of us.*~

. Morgensen pulled one of the chairs from the table and turned it for face the trio, but rather than sit in it, he leaned on its back. "I'll ask you first, Nikosh. What exactly do you think went wrong back there?" He gestured at the other two, "Feel free to interject."

. Targus answered, "Vell, you said someting about Bridge etiquette or some such. I assume ve get lesson in how to behave properly, yes?"

. Morgensen said, "I'm sure the three of you, being senior offices, know exactly what I meant by proper etiquette on the Bridge."

. Maud responded, "Our comments were distracting the other crew members trying to work. I apologize."

. But Lionmane said, "I don't see the problem, or why I am here entirely, Morgensen. In fact, if I may, I'll plead my case before Nikki makes the situation worse." The Tellarite glared at her but said nothing. She continued, "I was doing my job diligently, looking out at the view screen while remaining at my station to study the situation at hand. Yes, I laid hands on Nikki in a stern, but playful, manner to get him to refocus. It was the same case when I told Maud to 'shut up' when she had the missile idea, which was extremely dangerous and I didn't see how it would fix the problem. Though, I admit I should have used better wording, and I apologize for that. With that said, I'd like to get back to work, if I am relieved here."

. Maud responded, "I think out loud, Persia. I realized that the missile idea was wrong as I spoke. I understand that it is dangerous but we WERE being pulled into a radioactive planet that would have killed us."

. Morgensen sighed once more, and nodded before saying, "We'll start off by saying I will not be giving any of you a formal reprimand on your records. That is, if this behavior is corrected. If it persists ... well ... hopefully we won't get to that point. " He paused and then continued, "To each of you I will give a statement of fact from my perspective. Lieutenant Lionmane, your arrogant and blunt demeanor on the Bridge needs to be put in check. Discrediting an idea based on facts is one thing, but striking a fellow officer, regardless of rank, can lead to a court-martialing ... just look at my own file on one Gideon Salieri, who is now imprisoned for the murder of his own wife. He and I got into a barfight in the Aldrin's Lounge before I transferred ships. The only reason I didn't get locked up as well is that I struck back in self-defense, and he was later found guilty of murder."

. Targus glanced between Maud and Lionmane, then to Morgensen, took a breath, and then just blurted out his case. "But you must remember, ze Federation vas created by my people and yours and ze Vulcans, yes? Ze Vulcans maybe say it best vith ze IDIC, eh? Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, no? Vell, ve must honor our cultural heritage, yes? Ve Tellarites thrive on vhat ve call 'Intelligent Dialog', vhat you Humans often call 'arguing'. It helps us focus on vhat ve need to be tinking. Now, maybe some of ze others might find it annoying, or distracting, but ... to a Tellarite? I vas vorking, and vorking hard!"

. Maud turned to him and said, "But you must also understand the human heritage of too much arguing is distracting and seen as rude."

. The Tellarate gaped at her, "Too much arguing?" It was as though the concept was so alien he couldn't wrap his brain around it. But finally, he closed his mouth, gave a curt nod and said, "OK, I get it. Sorry."

. Morgensen lifted a hand to interject. "Maud, as I understand, you think out loud a lot. You need to find a way to work on collecting your thoughts a bit more subtly before speaking, so as not to clutter the Bridge with unfinished ideas. Secondly, though I know you Marines are a different breed of Starfleet, and as much as witty banter is part of the building and defining principles of the Marines, keep that kind of riff-raff to the Barracks, and not on my Bridge."

. "Yes, sir," she responded.

. Targus glanced at each of them and then said, "So, you are saying ve can still be who ve are, and state our opinions openly, but ... ve must try to do so vith a bit more ... vhat vas it ze Keptin said ... professionalism, yes?"

. Maud answered him, "Yes, Nikosh. We can have our banter, but too much is too much."

. Morgensen nodded. "Yes. An idle comment here and there is fine. It lightens the mood, but there's a time for jokes and banter, and a time to remain focused and serious. Keep the banter to a minimum."

. Again Maud just nodded, "Understood, sir."

. Lionmade spoke to her, "Maud, you do understand that if you were allowed to do that idea, you could have caused the already bad radiation levels to spike and spread. Hence my displeasure with the idea. Thankfully, it didn't lead to anything further."

. Maud replied, "Persia, I am not a scientist. And I do not appreciate being told that I am not smart enough, or that my idea is stupid, even if it is. If you explained to me why that idea was flawed then I would have understood faster. And I realized as I spoke that it was dangerous. Do not call me stupid, or shoot down any idea that someone suggests even if it is stupid. Because if it's stupid but it works, it's not stupid."

. Lionmane gave a soft nod and then continued, "Also, Morgensen, nobody took me aside when I struck Adon, though I had my reasons."

. Morgensen added, "Keep your hands to yourselves when you're on-duty." He glared at Lionmane, "Because I do not want to have a report lead to a court-martial." He remembered the incident in Sickbay when they were using the Ketracel White to overcome the Teplan Blight. He said, "In your defense, Persia, the Doctor was under the effects of Ketracel White, and you struck him in self-defense, and you yourself were under the influences of the same drug. The same reason I wasn't court-martialed when I broke a crystalline bottle across Mr. Salieri's forehead on the Aldrin."

. But Lionmane argued, "I wasn't talking about the white incident, Morgensen. Just a while ago on the Bridge, I struck him below the belt when he went to stop Juglans from going further through the Barrier. I saw that as a possible danger as well, after that, the captain came in and I saw him charge at her. That's when I acted." She paused, lowering her gaze as well as her voice. "I'd rather not talk about the White incident, Morgensen. Just ... don't go there, please. It is best forgotten."

. Targus grinned at Lionmane and said, "Dat vas a good shot, though, eh? Ze Medicine Man folded up like rag doll, yes?"

. "It wasn't funny, Nikki!" Lionmane glared at the Tellarite. "And I hated myself for doing that!"

. "Oh, yes, hate yourself, Kitten, but still ... rag doll, eh?" He grinned again around his prominent tusks, "But, ve must focus, yes?"

. Lionmade turned away from Targus, her grip on her emotions beginning to slip. She lowered her gaze and said, "I'd like to be released so I can focus on my work. Please?"

. Morgensen held up a hand, "Not yet, Persia."

. Targus turned back to the Commander. "So, ve get good fussing from mean Security guy ... spend little time in ze Time Out room, and go back to our duties vith sad faces, yes?"

. Morgensen glared at Targus a moment and then said, "Maud, Targus, work together to get some of our probes down into that planetoid's atmosphere."

. Lionmane raised her eyes, continuing her plea, "I'll try my best to keep my hands to myself. But ... trauma is hard, Morgensen. Every time I acted against Adon it was trauma related. I have ... such little patience nowadays." She sighed.

. Maud turned to Lionmane and said, "Persia, I think it would be a good idea to talk to someone about it. Trauma is a hell of a thing. If you ever need to relieve some anger, come on down to the Barracks, we all understand."

. Targus couldn't help himself. He grinned and joked, "You could talk to ze Counselor about it, no?"

. Lionmane glared at him and nearly shouted, "Who do I talk to about this when the man who caused me such hell is the counselor?" She lowered her voice and gaze again and muttered, "Sorry."

. Morgensen turned to Lionmane. "Persia ... I want you and Adon to have a chat about your past traumatic experiences with him, specifically the episodes with the Ketracel White. As he is our Counselor, it's his job to fix these kinds of issues, even if they involve him directly. Until then, I'm not sure I can trust you to make split decisions until I know the emotional turmoil that's swallowing you up is at least aired out with a bit more space."

. Lionmade looked up at Morgensen. "I can't even stand being alone with him, how am I supposed to seek help when you need to be alone?"

. Morgensen sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Look, if I have to stand in the Counselor's Office with a phaser aimed at BOTH of you so you two can air out your dirty laundry and get it settled peacefully, then I will."

. Targus saw the look on the Caitian's face. His grin dropped off his face suddenly. "I am sorry, Kitten. You ... can talk to me if you vant. Have a few beers or vhatever. Ve can even go and argue vith Marines after duty shift, yes?"

. Maud also touched her arm, "Persia, if you need someone to talk to, I'm always here. Even if it's 2am, you come to my quarters and we'll talk." Then she turned and smiled at Targus, "Ha! That would be wonderful! Next R&R, we'll show you some 'intelligent dialog', Nikki!"

. Lionmane gave a soft chuckle at that. Morgensen cleared his throat. "But I'd rather you two get this settled peacefully, even if it takes time. You pick the time, the place, and we'll make sure this issue you have with him gets resolved. In the meantime," he patted Lionmane on the shoulder, "keep working hard, and the three of you? Get together off-duty, and go have some fun."

. Targus grinned again. "So, probes into ze atmosphere, get readings. Before long, I vill be Science Guy, yes?"

. Morgensen grinned back at him. "You'll never be the next Bill Nye, Nikosh. Too ugly."

. Lionmane laughed at Targus, "You? Science? In your dreams, Nikki!"

. Maud said, "Gosh, if YOU become the science guy, I'm hopping on the nearest ship outta here!" She grinned too.

. Morgensen smirked. "Alright you three, get back to your posts. Dismissed."

. Targus, still grinning around his tusks, said, "See! Ze vonder of intelligent dialog! Clears ze spirit right up!"

. Lionmane smiled at him, "For once, I agree, Nikki." Her face took on a sort of wicked grin. "Now that I think about it, Nikki, that was one heck of a shot to the groin. I kinda got good with the shot to the groin act after I left the old Roddy. I was hired as a bar maid on a space station. Ironically, my last job was on DS9 and I see this behemoth roll in and I decided it was fate."

. Maud looked at him and said, "Hey smarties, can we go over some of the readings we got?" She tapped the side of her head, "I'm a bit dumb on the science mumbo jumbo."

. "But," Targus said, "ve must be nice, be ... professional ... on ze Bridge. It is ze vay ze Keptin likes it, no? And she is nice lady, really, just ... maybe in over ze head, too, eh?"

. Maud nodded. "So, let's do our best to keep her head above water."

. Targus responded, "OK, so ... Maud, ve vill work on ze probes and Persia vill go back to doing her sciency-engineering-medical combo thingie, vhatever dat is, yes?"

. Lionmane laughed, "Jack of all trades, master of none, right?"

. Maud rubbed her face, "Yeah, let's find out what the hell this place is about."

. Morgensen waved his hands at them, "Well, go on, then! Out! Out!" He chuckled as he followed them back onto the Bridge.

 

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