Posted by Commander Jason Harn (Executive Officer) in Couselor’s Appointment… XO

Posted by Lieutenant Trevor Michaels (Counselor) in Couselor’s Appointment… XO

Posted by Lieutenant Bennie Royce (Chief Medical Officer) in Couselor’s Appointment… XO
Posted by… suppressed (8) by the Post Ghost! 👻
SNIP

“So what brings you down to my office?” Michaels finally asked.

CNS

“Since my little uh, time skip I’ve had a lot of counselor’s appointments,” Jason admitted as he fidgeted on the couch as he unsuccessfully tried to find a nonchalant sitting position he was comfortable with, “so I’ll cut to the chase. On the Xarantine mission, while I was commanding the Buccaneer…” he paused, knowing what he said next could prevent any further promotions. “I… I think I… I think I might have froze up.”

His time spent in JAG had taught him that it was always better to use terms like “I think I might have” or “maybe I” when making a confession. It left room for a sympathetic interpretation instead of forcing a forgone conclusion. Even so, to Jason’s ears it seemed like a damnable confession.

Jason Harn, XO

“Oh?” Trevor asked. “… and you think it may have something to do with your past?” The Counselor asked. The Lieutenant shifted slightly in his chair, to become more comfortable. He knew that even senior officers froze up at least once in their career, so it wasn’t uncommon… especially in stressful and dangerous situations.

CNS

“I… it must be,” Jason shrugged. “It’s just that I remember being so much more daring and decisive back then. Compared to the Battle of Cheron, our confrontation with the Xarantine pirates was a milk run. There was no reason for me to be so cautious.”

Jason Harn, XO. no longer a maverick
Jason Harn, XO

Trevor nodded at the XO’s response. “You also have to remember that you’re no longer in a time where being daring is a first reaction.” The Counselor stated. “Subconsciously you may want to be gung ho, but you know that by doing so… you’d have a higher chance of making a detrimental mistake.” Michaels added.

“Or maybe… you’ve realized that your old style just doesn’t fit in with the 24th century.” The Lieutenant said. He knew there could be multiple reasons for why the XO was more cautious. It would definitely take some time to figure out, if the XO wanted to move forward.

CNS

“True,” Jason nodded without revealing which of Trevor’s assessments he agreed with. “My last command was a tiny ship compared to his one, the size of a frigate. Even the Klingon ship I served on was just a K’tinga, not a Negh’var. With that many resources at one’s command, who wouldn’t be overwhelmed? I just kind of hoped that serving aboard the USS Galaxy would prepare me for running a bigger ship.”

Jason Harn, XO

The Counselor was hoping the Commander wasn’t losing faith in his own command capabilities. “How are your relationships with those you work with?” Trevor asked, trying a different approach.

CNS

“Pretty good actually,” Jason shrugged. “I don’t have a problem fitting in with the younger crowd. I guess most of the people serving aboard this ship are looking for a ‘cool dad’,” he laughed before sobering. “Although, I can’t help wondering how much I’VE changed. There’s an officer… oh heck with it, Bennie Royce, who seems to be interested in me, but she’s just so young! I feel like I’m robbing the cradle! I haven’t even let a relationship start since she’s young enough to be my daughter. You know, I always considered myself a ‘ladies man’, but this time I can’t help thinking that this time it’s going too far. And I didn’t notice this change… until after the whole ‘Buccaneer’ thing…”

Jason Harn, XO, all over the place

OOC: Glad to see him mention Bennie. Because of the changeover to Exodus, it looked like both Jason and Thell dropped her like a hot potato!! :)

D…

OOC: Are you kidding? I can milk Jason’s conflict over being attracted to Bennie for months if I do it right! Wait a second… Thell? Looks like those two might have a little too MUCH in common… ;)

Maybe the Commander hadn’t found his place within the current century, but the Counselor was going to hold off that conversation for now. Trevor also noted that he had yet to call the good Doctor into his office for her psych eval.

“Commander, we both know that it can get lonely out here in space.” The Lieutenant stated. “If you have a relationship with someone who makes you happy, then why not go for it?” Trevor said. “My great grandparents, from what I’ve heard, were 15 years apart...., and my friend Fleet Captain Lawrence on the Asimov had his first child at 13 or 14.. so talk about robbing the cradle eh?”

Michaels

“Heh-heh, yeah, I guess in an era with extended lifespans and couples from different species getting married, age doesn’t matter as much as it used to,” Jason shrugged as he struggled to avoid making inquiries into the personal life of Fleet Captain Lawrence. Lawrence sounded like a human name and fathering a child in his early teens sounded way too early for human bean from Terra, but apparently it hadn’t interfered with his career. “I guess the rules… the guidelines are different depending on which planet you live on, huh? It’s a little awkward when they’re in your chain of command though. At least the chief medical officer has some pull on a starship to keep it from being too creepy but when the age difference gets that wide you can see why an old fashioned guy like me sees the creep factor go back in. Add the fact that compared to her I’m almost the size of a building you can see why I hesitate when I take a look at it from the outside. No matter how much of a ladies man I’ve been I’ve never been ‘that kind’ of officer, you know what I mean?”

Jason Harn, XO # Metoo

“It sounds like you are looking for a reason not to get into a relationship with the Doctor.” The Counselor chuckled. “Do you think Vulcans that end up marrying Humans care about the age difference?” Trevor asked, trying to make a valid point. Lieutenant Michaels set down the PaDD he had been holding and turned back to the Commander.

“There really aren’t strict guidelines when it comes to dating within the chain of command, other than not letting it affect your working relationship.”

Michaels
CNS