Posted by Lieutenant Commander Gravel Mardusk (Chief of Security) in CoS Office - Some Stew Is Not Meant To Be Eaten

Mardusk was pissed. More mad than he cared to admit and part of that was his feeling that the Captain; the woman he had stuck by, defended, and supported without question… even when she was wrong… had let him down and left him swinging in the breeze. To say the meeting with the CO and XO had not gone well was the understatement of the year. And that smug blue-skinned little sycophant… Mardusk thought to himself. Doesn’t even listen… just repeats the same garbage over and over… and his jaw muscles clenched his teeth together as the massive Orion tried not to lash out and put a hole in something.

He stepped off the turbo lift and went into the office. NE G’loy, on duty, looked up and was about to say something when he saw the Security Chief’s face and simply looked down at his terminal and tried not to catch the wrath that was evident.

Mardusk walked into his office and made sure the door was locked and then he started cussing a streak that would have made a Naussican slave-trader squirm in uncomfortableness.

Mardusk, CoS

Revna had seen reports about a bar fight, involving security, marines, civilians, and Mike. Whom Revna had not met yet. She was, to say the least, already forming a headache at the thought of this. She was going to have to talk to everyone involved, despite the reports that crossed her desk stating discipline had already been decided.
She had to talk to Mardusk anyway, and Styxx, but she was of the mind that they needed a forced buddy system to get over this non-sense. In this case rules and regulations were causing problems, and Revna had some ideas about that as well, but that didn’t concern the crew. Right now her priority was the crew. Star Fleet and Federation Marine Corp policy was a fight for another day.

Revna walked in about the time that the grumbling, rolling, inventive, loud, carrying cussing streak reached its crescendo. Revna simply smiled, waved NE G’loy’s warning away and approached the door. It didn’t open and she started to press the chime and thought better of it. She lifted a well formed fist and banged hard on the door in rapid succession. “Don’t forget Níð, argr, ragr and ergi while your at it!” She called out in her native old Scandinavian. She stepped back from the door, knowing how intimidating Mardusk could be, even without being mad.

OOC: Just for reference: Ergi, argr and ragr were the severe insults made by calling someone a coward, and due to its severity old Scandinavian laws demanded retribution for this accusation if it had turned out unjustified.
Lt Edman, Counselor

The swearing stopped for a moment; then a subtle pounding could be felt in the deck and the door slid open. The Counselor stood face-to-chest with the Security Chief. “Good. You’re here.” and two hands grasped her arms and lifted her off the deck and into the room; where he simply turned and set her on her feet and began pacing back and forth. The man was angry… very, very angry… but there was also noticeable confusion on his face. “Sit. Drink?” he asked in short, clipped phrases.

Mardusk, CoS

Revna had been ‘man handled’ by security officers before, when the situation called for quick action. Usually when she was helping medical in a dangerous situation. But being ‘man handled’ by the CoS of Atlantis was a whole different ball game. And would be comical if the man wasn’t so mad. “No and no.” Was her clipped reply. Revna was also irritated and angry but she wasn’t as impressive. And before she could address her issue she needed o help him. “Don’t stop the cussing on my account. I promise I can keep up.”
Lt Edman, counselor

Mardusk looked at her and massive arm rose and single green index finger pointed at the bulkhead in the general direction of the bridge. “That arrogant, stubborn, bullheaded, blue-skinned NEANDERTHAL!!” Mardusk said, bellowing the last word. “I go to the CO and XO. I sit in her office with her XO and I lay out what happened. Then I lay out a plan Styxx and I came up with together to try and address this BULLS^%$ that sits between Marines and Security. And that piece of targ dung just sits there smirking and talking down to me about how I’m trying to set up the Marines to look bad. Trying to make them feel inferior. I explain to that rat bastard that I… we… Styxx and I together for a change… are doing what we can with the broken-ass system we have to abide by… and he just blows me off and says the same line we are always told.” and he made robot-arm motions as he spoke. “‘Work together’. ‘Operate under the same flag’. Beep boop bop. Blah blah blah. And when I explain calmly and rationally with facts why we aren’t allowed to that, he blows me off!” and he slammed his palm on the desk. He then leaned forward and said more softly but through gritted teeth “And then the Skipper… the Sipper of all people… looks at me and says when I ask to leave because I am getting pissed I’m being blown off: ‘No. You have to try to find consensus.’ when I just spent the last f&^%$ng twenty minutes trying to do exactly that only to be looked at like I’M the problem!!!!!!” and he threw himself back in his chair.

Oh so this has to do with the fight. Well good because she was ready to pop a gasket over this foolishness. But the whole situation boded I’ll. First and foremost was the issue that Mardusk asked to leave and Kelly wasn’t paying attention enough to realize he was making the request as the safest choice for ship and crew. Which meant he walked out and that was another appt and eval on her books. And then the issue with the XO. But that was a whole headache for later. She was honestly surprised he hadn’t been all for the idea especially after their talk. But that was confidential. A conversation she would have later. “So let me get this straight. Bar fight, you and Styxx find a solution, XO disagrees, CO is on the fence?” She was pacing now holding a finger for each point. “And you are both the head of your departments so could run any training you want, why did you involve command?” She waved a hand stopping any answer, she knew why. “So now your solution is moot?” In her own impressive display of irritation she slammed an open palm on the desk, she couldn’t break it but it was suitably impressive. “Bull ¥{¢=! So I shall fix this.” She sat in the chair opposite him and regarded him.

“I am half tempted to take my big green ass off this ship.” and he shook his head solemnly.

Mardusk, CoS

Revna nodded, “You could that. You would certainly be justified. But it won’t fix the problem. It would only pass the buck to the next person. Now shall we fix this?”

“There is quite a bit I need to go over with you on this report and then with Styxx but let’s fix this. The nice thing about being me in my position is I can do what is best for the mental health of ship and crew. I authorize dual training. Mandatory, over seen by me. It will fall under mental health and is confidential and we will call it group therapy. And I promise you, anyone who misses will think you are a teddy bear.” Revna had leaned forward in her seat, but now she sat back, folding her hands in front of her. “I have the right to require any treatment I deem necessary to help each crew member perform and live their best, and it falls under my direct orders to do so. What do you think? We bypass all this posturing and we do what is best? You and Styxx already think it’s a good idea. I was going to suggest the same.”
Lt Edman, Counselor

Mardusk… the behemoth… the juggernaut… the Security Chief who led his teams with respect for each individual and who made sure that even their suspects and detainees were treated with care and decency… looked at the Counselor and just…

shrunk.

He waved her off and said flatly “Naw, Doc… its fine. The Captain and the XO made their stance clear. And the contest wasn’t about working together… it was about showing our two teams that we aren’t the same. Each of us has our own special purpose. And trying to force those together just dilutes both. It makes both sides… less. Less than they need to be. And thats not fair to either group. Because we arent the same. And instead of trying to force the similarities… we should be celebrating the differences. Thata why the contest was brought up. It would Securiry what Marines can do, and Marines that Security are competent as well. But without the Brass on the page with that philosophy, we’re screwed. They have to see the differences, and appreciate them, for anything to get done. But, as usual… not. Gonna. Happen.” He shook his head and looked at the Counselor.

He was done.

Mardusk, CoS

Revna sat there quietly. Mardusk was just about out of fight, and that spoke volumes. D*&^ he’d been fighting so long he could no longer tell who was on his side and who wasn’t. She had a feeling Styxx was in the same spot. “Mardusk, as cliche as it might sound I want you to take 10 very deep breathes, and yes I know what I’m asking and the lung capacity you are capable of.” Revna wasn’t joking, and her vocal inflection was one of someone who was being both concerned and not taking any excuses.

Mardusk didn’t push back, yeat another sign the big man was spent. He took the deep breathes slowly, in through the nose, out through the mouth.

She sat silently while he did that. “First of all I agree with you. You hear me? I agree with you and Styxx. It’s a good idea. When I say dual training I mean they are both there. Marines and Security can not be partners and the similarities are superficial, but they can learn to respect each other. They can learn to admit that the other is better for different circumstances. They can learn to be friends outside their duties. I think a contest is excellent idea, but as a counselor I think that a little bit of “walk a mile in my shoes’ might be in order for those that are more hard headed. But we can cross that bridge later.” She leaned forward and put a hand gently on his forearm. She waited for him to look at her. “Don’t worry about the ‘Brass’ Gravel, that’s my job. You and Styxx are at your discretion to do what makes your department work better. I’ll deal with the Skipper and XO. We are lucky, Kelly gives us a lot of lee way in our work. Not a lot of captains do that. We will make this work, and I will make them see the benefit of trying. No one has said no to me yet. I’m too sweet.” She contemplated him again, sitting back. “Will you at least let me try and talk to them before you walk away from this?”
Lt Edman, Counselor

Gravel looked at her and gave her a broken half-smile. “Doc, you can do whatever you want. I ain’t gonna stop you.” and he looked her in the eyes and shrugged.

Revna grinned slightly in return, she always knew Mardusk was a smart man.

“Never thought the Captain would leave me swinging like that, ya know? I didn’t expect her to take my side over the XO, mind you. But I didn’t expect her to just… toss me away… like that. I wholly expected some impartiality. But I guess not. Guess I musta thought more of our dynamic than she does.”

Mardusk, CoS

Renva listened and watched. Now that she’d vented a bit of frustration she could say that she was still surprised at the Cpt and Cmdr’s reactions. She would never say that Mardusk was a liar or prone to exaggeration. However, exhaustion tended to skew our perceptions. The ship had been busy and chaotic and tensions high. That mean security worked over time and then some. Revna wasn’t one to pull punches. “Either way I’m talking to them because this is a good idea, and I am absolutely not saying you are wrong, but playing devil’s advocate here. Mardusk you’re exhausted. Your whole department is. This fight with the marines is just the latest in a long list of ‘incidents’ in the last month. Is it possible that your exhaustion is influencing your perception?”
Lt Edman, Counselor

Mardusk chuckled and shook his head. “One, I ain’t that tired. Two, we are tired but we are still doing our jobs to my standards. Three, this whole fight comes down to something that isn’t a matter of exhaustion or attitude or even the Command staff of this ship. It comes down to this: We, Marines and Security, cannot function as a tandem group or a cross-trained team or a cohesive response force no matter how much we want to because we are just not the same… no matter how much we get compared. And there is a MAJOR breakdown in communicating that to the Fleet ship commanders and staff.” and he leaned back sighed heavily. “And I’ve been beating my head against a wall for the past I dont know how long trying to explain it… and no one ever listens. Not. Ever. I just want someone to listen for a change.”

Mardusk, CoS

Revna nodded, “One, okay, Two you are but I never said you were below standards, I’m not saying you accused me of such but just to be clear. Three, I’ll keep saying it till you hear me, I. Agree. With. You.” Revna had seen this particular problem over and over. And the thing was if left to their own devices marines and security figured it out, it was the brass that got in the way. But that aside she sat back. “I am listening, now talk, all of it, or none of it, or something totally different.” She made like she was zipping her mouth shut, locking it and throwing away the key. Mardusk carried a lot on his plate, professionally and personally. If he wanted to rant rave, whisper, use sign language, she’d listen till he passed out from lack of air. And that would take a LONG time.
Lt Edman, Cousnelor

“Ok. Doc, do you know who runs Star Fleet? Like who is the highest ranking person in ALL of Star Fleet? The Fleet Admiral. There is always only one, and they are the one in charge of everything. You, me, this ship, every ship and every Star Fleet officer and enlisted and contractor and facility everywhere. Do you know what they aren’t in charge of? Marines. The Fleet Admiral has no authority over the Fleet Marine Corps. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. That duty falls to the Force Marshall. The Force Marshall and the Fleet Admiral both answer to the same person… the Commander-in-Chief. But the Marines aren’t Star Fleet. They are an entirely separate organization! And when I get told that I just need to work with them like I would Security.. I can’t. They don’t have clearance or access and I can’t give it to them and neither can anyone in Star Fleet because they aren’t Star Fleet! That is just like you asking me to let a Cardassian government official into our armory. I am prohibited by regulations and rules and security protocols from ever doing that. And when I explained all this to the CO and the XO, know what they said?” and he leaned forward and looked at her.

“That it isn’t a problem and I should just try to work around it.” and he laughed and shook his head. “Just work around the fact that I can’t do it. That if I did and one of them kills someone… it’s my fault. I go to prison. Not the Skipper. Not the XO. Me. Security breach and unauthorized access, BAM. I’m done. And that is even if the computer would let me do it… which it won’t.” and he shook his head and just chuckled.

Mardusk, CoS

Revna nodded. She knew this. She’d seen it, heard it, listened as both marines and security lamented the inability of the Fleet Admiral and the Force Marshall to work together. She refrained from saying anything, but instead made a “go on” motion with her hand along with a firm nod that she understood the predicament he was in and the frustration that came with the CO and XOs words and take on the situation. But he said he had a solution and she was curious to hear the finer details.
Lt Edman, Counselor

“So… Styxx and I had a ‘meeting o f the minds’ as it were. And what we proposed, to each other, was a contest. Simulated boarding action. Same hostiles, same environment, identical scenarios. And we would keep track of certain data, and whoever came out on top would be the ‘authority’ when it came to dealing with such matters. Now, I will be honest… just as I was with the Execs. I know the Marines won’t do as well as the Security section. Oh, they’ll fight like hell and make the bad guys go away, no doubt. But they won’t be as fast or as efficient as Ship’s Security. They just don’t have the same tool box we do. But Styxx and I both agreed that isn’t about seeing who is better. Its about actually seeing… first hand… how we are different. And finally understanding why we aren’t supplemental Marines and Marines aren’t supplemental Ship’s Security. So… I take the idea to the Execs. And firstthe XO craps on it because he was a Marine and he knows they will lose… even if that isnt the point. Then he makes it out to be my way of getting back at Styxx for the bar fight. He has it in his head that I feel slighted somehow by Styxx and the Marines ‘besting’ my teams. Which I could give three s&^ts about. But what I do care about is a commissioned Marine officer shot a civilian with a phaser because they thought they could. But neither the XO of the Skipper seemed to give a rats ass. And then when I asked to leave, the Skipper told me I quote ‘Wasn’t Dismissed’ and that I had to stay and find ‘Consensus’… when that was the point of all of this. But its not the consensus they want, so they belittled me and Styxx’s idea and then the Captain outright insulted me in front of the XO who already had decided that I was some stooge in a security uniform.” and he took a deep breathe and leaned back slowly.

“And that brings us to here.”

Mardusk, CoS

“Okay don’t bite my head off. This is just an idea and if you and Styxx look at me like I’m stupid then I know it’s a bad one. First I love the idea. Period. So as you said this is a scenario where security is going to show their expertise. And the other point is to foster a healthy respect for each other?” That is what he said she just wanted to make sure her thought process was following his. “So what if a second scenario was run. One that shows off the skills and talents of the marines. Not to say they are better or to be ‘fair’ but to allow your people to see their strengths too, but to highlight how each group is different and what they are better suited for. My thought in this is that both sides can pay lip service to ‘yes they are good at what they do,’ but you are giving the marines an amazing opportunity here. To see you in action to judge first hand for themselves. I think it would benefit both groups to allow security the same opportunity. To judge first hand for themselves.”. She left it at that. If they thought it was a bad idea then it was.

“That was the idea. But the issue we needed to address first was that people keep telling us to have the Marines assist security ‘as needed’. So once we can get that settled… finally… then we were going to get the Marines a chance to show us what they can do when the situation calls for their area of expertise.” and he shrugged his massive shoulders. “But that is neither here or there now.”

She nodded, she was glad one, that her tactical perception was still good and 2 that this idea was seen, by both Mardusk and Styxx, from both sides. Revna raised both brows at his last statement and copper colored brown eyes met brilliant green ones. “Oh yes it is here and I will take it there. When this turned into a bar fight and came across my desk it is now under my purview.” And of course this contest was going to happen. Revna was usually very calm, very sweet, quiet, and understanding. It really put people of balance when they found out what she was like on her bad side. They had no idea who they were messing with.

“Okay so this thing with you and Styxx. I saw no report or charges against her so I am assuming you two worked that out. Do you need me to mediate or is it settled?”
Lt Edman, Counselor

Mardusk smiled. “Styxx had over a dozen charges against her. But we worked it out after a fashion. I dropped them once she and I got on the same page.”

Mardusk, CoS

Revna nodded pleased that at least the heads of the two groups could come to an understanding. She was sure it wasn’t easy but at least they weren’t both in the brig or sickbay or up on report. “Alright. Come on.” Revna stood up and walked to the door and then turned to wait for him. It was time for to release some of the tension and exhaustion.
Lt Edman, counselor