Posted by Captain Molly Holloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Trouble in Paradise (Tag Holloway)

Posted by Ensign Wiles Osten (Security Officer) in Trouble in Paradise (Tag Holloway)

Posted by Captain Molly Holloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Trouble in Paradise (Tag Holloway)
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻
(snip)
A soft smile settled in Holloway’s lips, mirroring the one of the Junior Officer in front of her. For a moment she seemed empathetic… almost motherly even. “First posts can be hard. It’s good that you’re making friends. You’ll soon find out they are what keeps you grounded.” Molly sighed longingly. “Starships may be big, but they are still closed spaces we’re bound to spend a long time in, seeing the same faces every day. Was Ensign Astin on the Potterfield mission as well?”

Capt. Holloway, CIO

Wiles nodded in agreement as Holloway sighed, then shook his head as he answered her question. “No, she said she transferred to the Dresden just a week or so before I did. Lieutenant Ashur introduced us.” Ensign Osten paused before attempting to venture forward as innocently as possible. “I imagine he’s one of the faces you see every day. Do you mind if I ask what your impressions are of him, assuming you’ve been working together for some time?”

(Ensign Osten, Security Division Three Officer)

Molly raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t every day that someone asked for her opinion on another crew member, let alone on one of the Department Heads. To be fair, most members of the crew seemed to find her unapproachable, and her lack of social skills didn’t help matters further. That had probably been the toughest change from commanding a starship to being an Intelligence operative. She missed the interpersonal relationships that she had been forced to create. She missed worrying about the well-being of the crew. She missed feeling like she was part of something bigger.

“I’ll have to tell you that I don’t usually see a lot of faces on a daily basis, Ensign. My work is more lonely than most. And it’s not my place to have a say on the day-to-day running of the Dresden’s Security department.” After all, Molly was a glorified Unclassified Information Acquisition officer. Most of the time between missions, she sat in the war room, prying over subspace channels, monitoring everything that went on around them, checking whether bits and pieces of information had any intelligence value. That had been the price of choosing to remain on board when Cal had offered her the Chief Intelligence Officer position on his ship. Molly knew him well, and she knew the kind of missions the Dresden was about to set off to. And Cal knew she was damn good at her job. “However,…” Molly continued. “I was the one that recommended him for the Chief of Security spot. That should tell you what I think about Lieutenant Ashur and his abilities.” Holloway smiled softly. “I’ve walked your shoes, Ensign, and I’ve walked Lt. Ashur’s too. Anyone that knows me on board this vessel will tell you that I do not trust anyone. Let’s just say that not only do I trust Lt. Ashur’s judgement completely when it comes to the Dresden’s security, as I would trust him with my life.” Molly paused for a brief second. “Which as a matter of fact, I have.” She chuckled lightly, but it was forced, hinting at a painful memory. “Does that answer your question?”

Capt. Holloway, CIO

Given their conversation so far, Wiles was a little more prepared for the captain’s candor this time around, but that did not stop him from blinking in surprise or prevent his mouth from parting slightly as she spoke. He nodded wordlessly as she posed her question. He put his last forkful of pancakes in his mouth to stall for time to respond. He swallowed. “Thank you, Captain. Maybe I let my curiosity get the best of me. Of course I’m sure that Lieutenant Ashur is a model officer, I hope I didn’t imply otherwise.”

(Ensign Osten, Security Division three Officer)

Finishing her own pancakes, Molly chuckled softly. Her mouth still somewhat full.

When she finished her last piece, Holloway continued. “Not at all, Ensign. It is normal to want to know about our superior officers. After all, their opinion of us may determined our future.” She remembered how much she had hated the Earhart’s Chief of Security when she first was assigned to the ship. They bickered constantly, but in the end, the woman had been the one recommending her for the posting on board the Montgomery. Molly still wondered if she hadn’t done it just to get rid of her. “And see, here’s where you got my words wrong. I never said Lt. Ashur is a model officer. He absolutely is not. Neither am I, and neither are most of the senior officers on board a Starfleet vessel. But many times that’s what makes the difference. A model officer is predictable. They act by the book, and they are not very flexible most of the time.” Molly wiped her lips before placing her fork on her plate and pushing it slightly away from her on the table. “But let me tell you something that takes a while for some officers to understand, especially when fresh out of the Academy.” Molly smiled softly. “There’s no model mission. When you step on a starship for the first time you must be willing to adapt yourself to any situation that gets thrown your way. That means that sometimes, a mission will require you to be flexible enough to throw away, or at least to thwart, your beliefs or your ethics system, and you will have to be prepared to do it. There’s no model for a good officer, Mr. Osten. Just people that are good at adapting themselves to what comes in their way. Lt. Ashur is one of those officers. Strive to be one too. Because there will come a time when you’ll be forced to choose between the mission, the crew, or yourself. And when that time comes, there will be no right choice. Just consequences that you will have to be able to face. Lt. Ashur has made the choice and faced the consequences. And that’s what makes him a exceptional officer.”

Capt. Holloway, CIO

Wiles nodded sheepishly as he listened to Holloway’s sage wisdom. He felt like his head was going to explode from all he had taken in throughout their conversation. It was quite obvious that Captain Manning was on an entirely different level of competency than Wiles. He once again felt as uncertain as he did when he had first knocked on her door. Maybe he knew a bit more about Captain Holloway now, but that didn’t make her any less intimidating. In fact, it made her moreso.

“I think I understand, Captain,” Wiles said slowly, trying to sound convincing. “I know I have a lot to learn. And many choices to make. For now, it’s comforting to think that those choices might be small. But I know eventually my choices will have real consequences. And I should start preparing for that circumstance now, it sounds like.” He let out a shallow breath through his nose. “Thank you for the advice. And the pancakes. Um,” he paused. “Could we talk again sometime, maybe? Not anytime soon I know you’re busy, but would it be alright if I came to you for some perspective after one of those big decisions needs to be made?”

(Ensign Osten, Security Division Three Officer)

Molly’s lips opened in a warm smile. “Of course. My door is always open. And I promise, I won’t threaten you with a phaser next time.” She chuckled slightly looking at both empty plates. “No need to thank me. I actually miss it… you know… I never get to share my own experience where it matters. Thank you for giving me that opportunity.”

Looking back to Osten, Holloway’s demeanor was completely different than the one she had worn when they first arrived at the lounge. The stern Intelligence officer was gone, replaced by a youthful expression. Her young age much more apparent. “Now… it’s getting quite late.” She finally said checking her wrist chronometer. “And I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble with Lieutenant Ashur for taking you away from your shift. Especially not after everything I just said about him.” Molly chuckled once more. “Are you heading back to the turbolift?” She asked slowly getting up and pushing her chair back under the table.

Capt. Holloway, CIO

Wiles smiled slightly and suddenly found himself not wanting the conversation to end. But he also rose from his chair and inclined his head in a semi-formal gesture. “I enjoyed talking with you, Captain. You’ve given me some valuable perspective. But yes, I should get back to the lower decks.” He nodded to indicate that he was headed to the turbolift, then waited for Holloway to start walking before following her out of the mess hall. What an odd shift this had been. Wiles had already begun formulating just how he was going to word his report on the incident.

(Ensign Osten, Security Division Three Officer)