Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Séan Iven (CNS) in Holodeck Two- What They Don’t Know…

Posted by Fleet Captain Ghubari Koraia (Captain) in Holodeck Two- What They Don’t Know…

(snip)

She shook her head. “No, you don’t get to lay it at my feet like that. This isn’t about punishment, Lieutenant. It’s about courtesy and respect.” Ghubari sighed and gathered her thoughts. “Tell me, if we were on the bridge and you had felt I was making a risky choice, how would you have handled it?”

Fl. Captain Koraia, CO

“If we were on the bridge I would ask to speak with you privately. If you refused and I still had to do my duty and inform you of what I perceived to be the risks, then I would tell you on the bridge though quietly. How you would handle the information I gave you would of course be up to you to decide. Now I know where you’re going with this and while I don’t agree that I was lacking in respect or courtesy, I did say I wasn’t making any judgements, I do respect how you feel on the matter.” Séan took a breath to collect his thoughts. “I made an observation that turned into a conversation. One in which you shrugged off my point about this being unwise and unnecessary risk. I get that it is your risk to take and that the risk is minimal, and while I think the slippery slope argument is riddled with fallacies, I would not be doing my duty if I didn’t point this out. I understand that Captain’s are by their very nature risk takers. After evaluating all of the options and getting feedback from the staff, or not getting feedback, you have to make the choice that no one else can and we the crew will follow it. But I don’t understand where an unpopular choice while knowing the consequences and having it all be okay relates to this. What was the choice and what were the consequences?”

CNS Iven

Ghubari held up a hand. “We’ll come back to that,” she said flatly.

“You said you’d speak to me in private if we were on the bridge, but that wasn’t an option given to me in this case. And while I am off-duty and not in uniform, despite how it might seem I am intensely aware that I am the Captain. I am that figure that no matter where I go on this ship, for many of the crew, their trust and confidence in me is paramount. To be second-guessed in front of a junior officer? Not on my bridge, and not here. That is how these things work, especially on my ship.” Ghubari shook her head. “We don’t know each other very well yet, Counsellor, and that’s fine, it’s a process. But let’s be very clear that we’re not close enough for me to tolerate that kind of slight, even if it was unintentional. And I am sure you can tell me exactly the sort of issues that can crop up on a starship like ours when the crew believes the captain can’t be trusted.”

Fl. Captain Koraia, CO