Lt. Cmdr Robin Hopper – Protocall
Robin Hopper
((Hopper’s Office, Level 3, Copernicus Center – Amity Outpost))
Robin stepped away from the replicator with her mug of tea just as the door chime sounded. Kaito was right on time for their scheduled meeting. When he’d said he wanted to talk, she’d initially figured it was a furtherance of their conversation about his and Char’s relationship troubles – though she was glad to see that they seemed to be doing better these days – and had suggested a less formal place to meet and talk than her office.
She’d been a little surprised when he’d made it clear her office would be preferable. Nonetheless, the First Officer had an office for a reason. It’d be a shame not to put it to good use (especially when she’d already spent so much time and effort decorating it).
Hopper: Hiya Kaito – Come on in.
The door slid open and Kaito Moore walked in, PADD in hand.
Moore: Evening, Commander, thank you for having me.
Robin chuckled, leaning back in her chair and cradling the steaming mug of chai in her palms. It was clear to her, from Kaito’s tone of voice and use of her rank, and his rather stiff posture, that he was coming into her office not as a friend looking to talk with a friend, but as a Starfleet Officer looking to talk to his XO.
Hopper: ::Lightly:: Of course. Everything alright, Lieutenant? Wanna grab a seat?
She gestured to the array of available seating – the chair, directly across her desk from her, but also the little sitting area with a coffee table over in the corner. She suspected, given the energy she was getting from him so far, that he’d rather take the seat at the desk (or possibly even stay standing), but she wasn’t going to let that formality rub off on her. At least, not until she knew exactly what it was he wanted to discuss.
Moore: I’m well, and sorry for being overly formal, but I brought you my post-operation assessment — along with some of my… concerns.
Her eyebrows rose slightly at that.
Hopper: Concerns?
Kaito crossed the space from the door to her desk, placing a PADD down in front of her. She picked it up and began scanning it, quickly but thoughtfully, as he took a seat across from her – the tea in her hand was forgotten. A few times, she looked up from what was written to Kaito’s face, reading the determination in the set of his jaw, before looking back down.
Hopper: Alright, I think I get the gist, but– ::placing the PADD down:: –why don’t you walk me through the main points?
Moore: I’ll get straight to the heart of my concerns, as I don’t want to waste your time. When we went to arrest Norsel… we were armed with one phase pistol, fists, and pine cones. Against a force that outnumbered us. If they were armed with something worse than stun batons — such as a firearm — there was a high chance of casualties and/or capture.
Robin nodded, not in agreement, but to demonstrate she was listening and following what he was saying. He was right, at least in a technical sense, even if she felt disinclined to accept his hypothetical premise as truly indicative of a larger concern… but whether or not she felt his concerns were warranted, she also knew he came to the table with more expertise in the subject of tactics and security than she did, and she owed him her attention.
Moore: We broke long-established away team protocols, and it’s concerningly a trend that I’ve noticed for a while now.
Taking a moment to consider what he was saying, Robin drummed her fingers on the edge of her desk, her lips pursing slightly on their own.
Hopper: Hmm. ::Remembering her tea, taking a sip:: Alright, let’s talk about that… I’m sure it’s all laid out in your report, but since I have you sitting right here, I take it that you’re primarily concerned with deviations from established protocols when it comes to matters of safety and security?
Moore: Response
Hopper: And what was Commander Iko’s opinion on this? I assume you brought these concerns to Bec? She is, after all, the station’s Chief of Security and Tactical.
Moore: Response
Robin sighed as she thought about his answer, then stood, pacing the across the rug towards her jukebox, before turning back towards him.
Hopper: Well, Kaito, I think you have a right to be concerned. In fact, if you weren’t, I’d say you weren’t really doing your job. You are, after all, one of our more seasoned officers now, and you’ve been part of quite a few missions with the senior staff – providing your assessment of the risks posed by a mission, and how to mitigate those risks, is exactly what you ought to be doing.
She moved back to the center of the room, sitting herself on the corner of the desk, rather than in her chair, leaning one hand on its surface and crossing her legs, in a position that was both a little authoritative and yet still casual.
Hopper: Look, Amity’s a unique case. No doubt about it. Our mission in the Delta Quadrant is, officially, not one of scientific exploration or defensive in nature – it’s a diplomatic mission. All Starfleet command decisions have to be filtered through that lens. You’re familiar with the perception that a lot of our Delta Quadrant neighbours have about the Federation’s presence here?
Moore: Response
Hopper: When we engage in missions like the one on Uwe, we have to consider more than just the safety of the crew. First off, there’s the Prime Directive to keep in mind – which, per official policy, takes priority, even over the safety of crew. Carrying advanced technology with us, especially weapons, is a major risk factor to our non-interference directive. Then there’s the matter of optics. If we aren’t careful, we could be seen as unnecessarily aggressive, hostile even, when we bring along weapons on missions with a diplomatic or observational focus. Especially if the crap does hit the fan…
There were already a number of articles from various local publications about the Federation’s expansionist agenda – and it seemed like every time there was tension with any alien species, whether it be the Paak or the Trenvonn or even the Hirogen, some from the Quadrant got the impression that the Federation was simply incompatible with the region… It was a perception that even Captain Janeway and the crew of Voyager had battled from time to time.
Moore: Response
She held up a hand, cutting him off. She didn’t want him to mistake what she was saying as an attempt to shut down the conversation, or to brush off his concerns. It was important she explain why she was reiterating these points.
Hopper: I know you know all this. The point I want to get us to is this: Given the need to balance our larger mission priorities – non-interference, non-aggression, diplomacy – what are your recommendations about how we can be better prepared for situations like these?
Moore: Response
TBC
