Session, incognito

Posted on Sat Aug 31st, 2019 @ 12:11am by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke
Edited on on Sat Aug 31st, 2019 @ 12:17am

2,527 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 8 - The Silence
Location: Captain's Mess - Deck 2 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD002 1300 hrs

Tallida knew, or at least she had read, that Captain Malbrooke was not one to follow the guidelines when it came to counseling. This had been reaffirmed during the few conversations she had had with the man. This fact made the Starfleet ordered evaluation that much more difficult for her to deal with. She had meant to talk to Neil about it, but every time she wanted to bring it up she pulled back. She wasn't quite sure that was a line she wanted Neil to cross for her. She could figure this out.

And she would, perhaps she had. She thought to herself as she arrived at the mess after asking the Captain to join her for lunch. She was going to put all of her skills to task to see if she could make her evaluation without him knowing.

The invite came as a half surprise to Tyler. On the one hand he expected her to come and evaluate him, and he in turn would evade. On the other he thought she would come to him as a friend to let him know how she was adjusting. But a friendly lunch that was unexpected. He sauntered into the mess hall. The day was going good, ship was underway and on mission, and the crew seemed in good spirits. He even had breakfast and other fun with his wife. So Tyler was in a great mood.

When he arrived he smiled at the Counselor and indicated that she should join him in the Captain's mess. "Counselor Ovaa welcome. Have seat order some lunch." Tyler sat with a smile and ordered a greek salad with falafel from the replicator.

Tallida grinned as she moved to join Tyler. She ordered an Italian baked pasta dish with Neil's mom's tea recipe, following her boss to his reserved table. "I have to admit, I wasn't sure you would accept my lunch request." She smiled as she took a seat. "It isn't a trap, I swear." Not a huge lie.

He laughed as he sat with his lunch. He looked down at it and thought if his wife and Dr Ballston could see him now. A slight sigh left his lips as he took a forkful of the salad. "Refuse an invite from my crew, that is for to the laugh. I am always here to talk. What can I do ya for?" In the back of his mind a thought began to emerge. If she was going to analyze him, he would try to do the same to her.

Tallida shook her head as she took a sip of the tea. "I just wanted to check in with you. I am still getting my feet wet around here, and you are one of the few people that knows my, uh, status." She gave him a nervous smile. "It makes it easier when I don't feel like an circus animal on display." She grinned with a teasing tone. This ship had been vastly different than many she had served on. She hadn't felt as out of place as she had expected.

"Well it seems that you are adjusting quite well." He smirked for a moment "At least Mr Tremble thinks so. From what I have heard and seen the crew seems to be quite fond of you and your approach." Tyler spoke with an easy going tone in his voice. The indication was that this lunch was to be more friendly and less official.

It was all Tallida could do to not choke on her iced tea at the mention of Neil, or anyone, appreciating her approach to job. "That is nice of you sir." She started once she could breath again. She watched him for a moment. She wasn't sure who know what about her and Neil. She didn't even know if anyone knew anything about her and Neil. She didn't even know if there was a her and Neil. Thinking of the marine brought a smile to her lips.

"There is an old saying from where I grew up. You can't get a horse to drink what he doesn't know is there. You don't become Captain of a starship without learning how to navigate the rumor mill. So let's see, there is you and Niel, Niel and Jayna. Then there is Kalen the old boy." Tyler replied with a broad smile. "Oh and drop the sir... I keep telling you I am Tyler or Ty if you wish." He dug into the salad.

"Yes, Sir." Tallida replied simply not dropping it as ordered. She cleared her throat taking a bit of her meal. "You know Kalen?" She looked at him. "I mean, he mentioned he knew you, so I guess really my question is more of a statement."

"Oh let's see now. Kalen and I met I would say 8 or so years ago. It was back when I was XO of the Poseidon. Kalen was brought on board to get his Starfleet clearance, or authority to work aboard a starship. He cured a bout of Yridian flu that I had and the rest became history. He can be a bit much at times but he means well enough." Tyler replied he knew she was fishing to see what he knew about Kalen. Truth was if she outright asked he would tell her to stay away from him.

"Sounds like him," Tallida replied with slight smirk. "In the effort of full disclosure, Kalen and I dated when he was a resident." She took a sip of her tea to following the bite of pasta. "He is a DNA specialist, as you know, so you can understand why he was assigned to me." She tried to smile but didn't feel it. "He told me he is here for the Azzias." She half stated half asked.

"Yeah oddest thing that was. The request came from Starfleet medical on behalf of the Azzian Government. They are mapping their genome and Kalen was asked to assist. As we have the only Azzian in Starfleet here he is." Tyler looked up at her, she was right full disclosure was needed. "I already knew about the two of you. He told me back then. Although I did not know who you were until now. I told him if he reveals your secret I will boot him off this ship quicker than he can protest." He wanted her to understand that she was family and Kalen wasn't at least not yet.

"I do appreciate it, for what it is worth. Kalen is too interested in winning me to risk something like that." she paused deciding to devour more of her food. "So, you protective of all your crew?" Tallida mused. "Or just the sad sap females with crappy childhoods?" She added sort of as a joke.

Tyler guffawed at her comment. "I am a country boy and as such I have always had a soft place in my heart for sad sap ladies. However, anyone who serves under my command and earns it, receives my protection. My crew is my family. You come to realize that this is home yet?" He fired back, realizing what might be going on here and if he was right he was going to get some information as well.

Tallida laughed. "That is the third time I have been told that." She smirked. "Granted I think two of them were from you." She pointed at him with her fork. "It is something that seems unique to you." She took a sip. "In fear of you thinking I am trying to work my counselor magic on you, " She started to preface what she was going to say next. "I bet that means you hold your self responsible when something happens to them?"

"All Captains hold themselves responsible when something happens to their crew. Heck anyone who is in command of anything does that. I remember the names of everyone who was injured under my command. But it is the deaths that are the worst...." He stared off for a moment as if lost in a recalled memory that he did not want to be lost in. "A few months after receiving this command we had a funeral. It is a sign of the times when your ship's log talks of funerals more than discoveries. It is one of the reasons that I am excited for this mission..." His voice trailed off as his mind was of two places when it came to the ship's current mission.

"Hoping for more discoveries to report in your logs?" She asked softly. "I am assuming you talk to someone about this, since we both know you think my job is beneath you." She was baiting him, but she let none of that knowledge cross her features.

"Indeed it is going to be nice to report some scientific discoveries. That is what the Intrepid Class was designed for. For the record no your job is not beneath me. However, when they give you the fourth pip it comes with an anti counseling shot." He smiled genuinely. "But yes I talk to my greatest counselor and critic, my wife, my Kat." Tyler took some of his meal in as he thought. "When you arrived you said that you were unsure if you were even normal. Well it seems rather normal to me to have two men interested. So tell me who is it going to be." Tyler rested his head on both hands as his fork dangled over the salad. He was imitating a very interested teenage girl looking to gossip.

Tallida laughed around the pasta in her mouth holding up her finger indicating for him to hold on while she finished chewing. She took a sip of her tea before she addressed him comment. "Based on your interest I would say that you have an interest past the scuttlebutt on this ship." She took another sip. "I will make a deal with you Captain, For every answer I give you, you give me one." She eyed him over her tea as she waited for his answer.

"Sounds fair, and I am nothing if not fair. I will even let you go first. So shoot..." He replied as more of the salad went into his mouth.

Tallida nodded. "How badly are you beating yourself up over Dana's trial? The time anomalies? All of your time with your fourth pip" She mocked his reference as she watched him. "You had to know I was going to ask." She stated simply.

"The time anomalies, and most of what has happened here on the station I am not beating myself up about at all. I mean it comes with the territory of being a Starship Captain. However, Dana... Dana... is... another story." His entire demeanor changed when the subject changed to Dana. Tyler became a bit more pensive, and withdrawn. "I should have seen the signs, should have sent her to counseling. Then I let Quinn.... I SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE!" The last five words were spoken just shy of a shout and then just like that, a snap of the fingers and he was back to normal. "Now it is my turn... Do you really think that you can lead a "normal" life without telling everyone what you truly are? I mean exceptions have been made. Look at Dr Bashir over at Deep Space Nine."

"I don't know." She responded without hesitation. "Dr Bashir is a different situation." She stabbed her fork into pasta and took a bite. "I just need, time." She admitted. She gave him a non committal shrug. Her mind processed what he had said, his anger was normal and expected and promising. "If it makes you feel better, Dr. Ballston and Captain Tremble know."

Tyler figured that Richard would know, he would be privy to her medical records. However, Niel knowing well that meant something. He smirked "So I see you trust our Second Officer, that goes a long way. If it means anything, and I say this now as your friend. Cornelius is the better choice..." Tyler let his voice trail off and those words sink in. "Well now I think it is your turn."

"But am I the best choice for him?" She shook her head not really wanting the answer. She looked at him with a questioning look. "So, since there is no point in acting like there isn't something between Captain Tremble and me, I am curious why you believe he is the better choice. More about why not Kalen, than further proof Neil deserves better." She laughed at her self deprecating comment.

"Kalen wants a trophy. Plain and simple. You are a rarity, I mean to say someone with your talents who is leading a life not under a microscope is a rarity. So he wants the prize, also I know Kalen like you said he is a DNA specialist. He knows that your unique DNA profile will enhance any children you are to carry to term. However, the other side of that coin is Niel. He simply wants you. It is not what you are that counts to him, but who you are." Tyler looked at her over his bowl as he sipped his juice. "Also don't sell yourself short. You're a catch."

"That isn't high praise of Kalen's character," Tallida asked more analyzing the Captain's reaction to her statement than the answer itself. "I appreciate your high thoughts of me, but I fear you are wrong." She took a bite and followed it with a sip of her tea. "Your high praise of Neil feel accurate though." That right there was her greatest fear in going forward with a relationship with the Marine CO. Would he wake up one day and realize that he could have someone far better than her?

"Listen, Kalen falls into a long line of brilliant scientists. They think know everything, including people. The fact is he has little to know social skills. He wants what is best for humanity scientifically. However, when he wants something for himself he just takes it." Tyler said with a smirk. "If you need I can have Richard keep Kalen so busy he would never know what stardate it is let alone what you are doing."

"I appreciate that, Sir." Tallida replied. "But, I can take care of myself." She laughed. She took a bite of her food. She was getting fill but she had been so hungry when she had started that she didn't want to stop. "This replicator version isn't too bad, not as good as the batch Neil and I made the other night." She decided to throw the good Captain a bone.

"Oh, do tell!" Tyler said as he bit his food and leaned in a bit catty. "I have always said that I love knowing everything about my crew."

A Joint Post By

Captain Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer

Lieutenant Tallida Ovaa
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer

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