No hard feelings?

Posted on Tue May 5th, 2015 @ 9:03pm by Captain Elijah Michaels & Commander Bertrand Cuprum

Mission: Debts to be settled......
Location: Transporter Room 2, USS Victory

Normally meeting an Officer in the Transporter Room was usually reserved for the Top Brass or to welcome Commanders onto their Vessels. This was a little different. Elijah was not expecting anybody from Command or the Fleet but this was to be a very personal meeting for the Commander of the USS Victory.

He stood staring at the Transporter Platform and waited for his guest to rematerialize.

The blue light resolved into the figure of a short, stocky Betazoid wearing the mustard yellow of security. While his uniform had been freshly tailored and cleanly pressed only an hour ago it was already beginning to hang askew. Bertrands face was already showing signs of a 5 0'clock shadow, and his mop of hair refused to stay straight.

At first glance it looked as if he had missed a few hours sleep and rushed to the transporter so as not to miss his post. This was not the case.

He ran a speculative eye over the room he had arrived in and came to rest on the commander. He stiffened slightly.

"Commander Elijah Michaels," he said in recognition. "It is not normal for the CO to meet Senior officers on arrival."

His eyes searched the Commanders face for a second before his Betazoid instinct gave him the information he needed.

"Ah! You have come to discuss our previous... business."

Elijah nodded and extended his hand. "No hard feelings?" He asked with a smile and then looked at his new Security Chief.

Bertran looked at the offered hand but did not take it. His own right hand wore a glove.

"Good to know," he commented. "We are both professional doing our job. Speaking of which you have two major security issues on the go currently; a fugitive on the ship and a computer hacker. Which would you like me to deal with first?"

Bertrand stepped off the platform. He was not much taller than the captain but heavily built and there was something about his dark eyes that bored into you. Fortunately, Elijah had dealt with Betazoids before and was not easily prone to their intimidating stares.

Elijah shook his head. "No Lieutenant there is nothing of that nature to report to you." He said to him.

"I am sorry if I am coming across as brusque, Commander; transporters affect me that way," Bertrand tried to apologize. "I am suddenly surrounded by a sea of new minds which I need to filter out. It takes me a few minutes usually."

The Commander nodded. "I understand, I couldn't imagine such an experience myself." Elijah had served with a few Betazoids so he knew little bits of their experiences but not a great deal. "If you would like to follow me when you are ready."

"Certainly," the Lieutenant agreed, "but you misunderstand me. I am reporting the breaches to you. At 09:15 a female human was involved in a fracas with three Tellarites ad a Station security detail. She was beam up to this ship and I have been asked to investigate. Secondly, you have had multiple breaches of your computer system, and a series of sleeper programs planted. I took the trouble of getting to know the systems prior to coming on board and the signs are quite clear. I do not yet know if it were performed by one of the crew of the station, this ship, or an outside influence."

"And you haven't even got out of the dock yet. I can see I will have my work cut out."

"Efficient.....I'm impressed." Elijah chuckled.

"I find that few people enjoy being on the receiving end of that efficiency," Bertrand glowered falling into step behind the captain. "I do have some questions, if I may, Captain."

"By all means," Elijah said to the new Security Chief. "You have started strong so you might as well finish off."

"You have installed me in a joint role of Security and Tactical. These roles can be at odds. As a Security officer my role is to maintain the safety and well being of the personnel, but as a Tactical officer the primary role is the safety and security of the Vessel. Imagine if you will that there is an away team stranded on a planet and asking for immediate beam out. At the same time, the Victory is under fire from hostile forces. I must place the well being of one group above the other. Obviously the final decision will not be a cut and dried one, but emotionally charged and full of dynamic changes to the environment. I would be interested to know, however, from you, which role you see as taking precedence?"

"I think the Safety of our Shipmates is paramount." Elijah said honestly. "Without them we cannot run a Ship can we?"

"Secondly, I see we have taken a contingent of Marines on board. The role of Solider and Policeman are significantly different, and I do not want you mistaking them for 'extra security personnel'. They are patently not. Generically they lack the skills a good investigator has, while excelling in the combat role. I will need to know how you plan on using them."

"They are here at the request of Starfleet, with us continuing Exploration in the Gamma Quadrant it is felt a Marine Force would be required should we encounter significant threats that require action." Elijah said honestly, he understood the need for such a force in Modern times.

"I am simply being proactive, sir. Marines as a group are energetic and boisterous. They are passionate and, generally, bore easily. A bored group of soldiers in a small community can lead to... difficulties which we all want to avoid."

Elijah shook his head. "I am in no doubt their Commanding Officer will keep them under control."

"Understood. I am..."

Bertrand's com pin chimed. He tapped it, "Bertrand, go."

=A= Dispatch here, sir. We have identified the Assault Perp as Ensign Moriloth, Chief Helmsman. =A=

Bertrand glanced at the CO, "Have you detained her?"

=A= We escorted her to Medbay because of her injury, and confiscated her personal weapons for now. She has a larger collection in her quarters. We are currently on route to that location with her. =A=

"Monitor but take no further action for now," Bertrand rubbed his jaw which made a scrapping sound suggesting it needed yet another shave. "How would you like to proceed, Captain? There are no regulations about carrying personal weapons; if there was we'd have to arrest every Klingon, Andorian and any one from Texas. However, it seems that this individual is prone to violence when she feels threatened. I think i can argue a cultural disagreement with the Telarites, who's going to argue with that... except perhaps the Telarites themselves. Attacking Station Security, however, is far harder to justify. It also gives me concern for my own personnel."

The Commander nodded. "I will leave it in your capable hands, Mister Cuprum. I would like matter resolved before our trip to the Research Outpost."

Cuprum stopped in his tracks for a moment. The captain was showing a lot of trust in his discretion.

"To be honest, Captain, I expected you to be far less free with your trust of me," he admitted. "It is not everyone who is so open minded about an officer who arrested them previously. I will attend to the matter directly and give orders for the computer purge and rebuild. That will require a new clearance code to be recorded by you and the XO. I will talk to operations about having that done ASAP. There will be an update within the hour."

With that being said the two of them parted ways for now. No doubt on a Ship this size they would meet again.