Posted by Lieutenant Séan Iven (Counselor) in Plaza Exchange- Sounding Boards

Posted by Captain Jonathan McBride (CO, USS Centurion) in Plaza Exchange- Sounding Boards

Posted by Lieutenant Séan Iven (Counselor) in Plaza Exchange- Sounding Boards
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“I’m trying,” McBride muttered before he dug into his mashed potatoes. The food was easy to focus on and it was actually pretty good. Maybe not as good as his favourite burger joint, but it was a nice change.

Jonathan sighed. “I wish I could make it better for my parents, for me. It’s strange to know she’s out there, somewhere. People have asked me if I have any siblings and I never know what to say. Do I have a sister? Yes. But if I tell them that, there are questions I can’t answer. In fact, the only thing I know for sure is that she’s lost to us. The one time I tried to get her to freedom and safety, it did not go well for me. She chose them, over her entire life and those that love her,” he said, feeling that anger rise, even as there was despair for not being able to save her from her own terrible choices. Choices she had no capacity to know were terrible in the moment.

Captain McBride, Starfleet CO

“While I can’t relate to having a sibling, I do know what it’s like to love family who make less than… smart decisions. There’s no easy way of dealing with that. There will be anger, resentment, and no small amount of grief involved with it.” Séan smiled a bit sadly. “It’s a bit unconventional and unprofessional but I’ll give you the advice my mentor gave me. When you’re powerless to help someone you love either because they don’t want it or you are unable to give it, the best thing you can do is focus on yourself. When you’re in your best condition physically and mentally then when either of the things preventing you from helping are cleared away you’ll be in the best position to give it.”

Counselor Iven

Jonathan nodded. “Sound advice, and it makes sense. And I am trying, it’s just been an usual amount of chaos lately. Dasca is back at work now, so that will help a little bit.” He dragged his fork through the mashed potatoes. “I think also I haven’t let myself truly settle here yet. Starfleet can be unpredictable, but when you’re the CO you tend to have more stability than earlier in your career. But I think there’s a part of me that keeps expecting something else to happen and to be told I’m being reassigned. I haven’t felt this uncertain and uneasy since I was a cadet who graduated early due to the war with the Dominion.”

Captain McBride, Starfleet CO

With a furrowed brow Séan asked Jonathan. “It was my understanding that Captain’s were pretty secure in their positions and reassignments from a command position were exceedingly rare, so are you uncertain about being CO of the Centurion or where the ship itself is positioned?”

Counselor Iven

Jonathan shook his head. “No, the Centurion is not its own assignment. The CO assigned to Oed, is the defacto CO of the Centurion. That’s one of the changes that was made when Dasca was made Lieutenant Governor, because she’s not an active duty officer. I’m assigned to Oed and I decide who commands the Centurion. Most likely it’ll be handle be my first officer, once we get to assigning one. But for now, I manage the ship as well.”

He sighed. “Oed is complicated, as you know. And Starfleet’s role and presence is shifting. With every incident that happens, big or small, a tally is being kept. All eyes are on us after that incident with Lieutenant Vargas. Not so much me specifically, but us as a whole here on Oed as a representative for the greater organization. So yeah, my assignment could be more precarious than usual because I’m at the whim of politics and PR.”

Captain McBride, Starfleet CO

“Oh the joys of command in a non-standard position. If you don’t mind my asking, what’s holding up getting an XO in place?” Séan asked then tore into some of his barbecue chicken.

Counselor Iven

Jonathan shook his head. “A combination of things. One person was assigned here and before they left got a chance at their own command and took it. Another had some sort of personal emergency crop up just after they arrived. And then with the fallout of the scandal, Starfleet is taking a bit more time and care to pick the right person, though they have given me the leeway to pick me own XO if I end up finding a person I think is suitable. But it’s not immediately obvious who that should be. It’s a ot of work and requires an experienced officer. It can’t be their first time in charge of anything. On the other hand, those that are suitable are often up for their own commands and I don’t want Oed to just be a temporary stepping stone. I have to be picky,” he said, stabbing a piece of chicken more forcefully than he intended. “Those that have the ambition for such a role have to also have the sensitivity to navigate our fraught position here, especially with the Vren situation. Finding someone who fits the criteria has been surprisingly difficult, and even though I would prefer to promote from within the Starfleet crew where possible because they already know the ins and outs of Oed.”

Captain McBride, Starfleet CO