Ensign Tho’Bi - The Court of His Own Mind

[Tobi]

((CREW QUARTERS, USS ARTEMIS-A))

Dark blue eyes blinked back the tears. With a shunt, the inner frame was removed and lent against the opposite wall.

Vailani: Ordinarily I would tell you to discuss your feelings with one of the ship's counsellors - they will make this sound a lot nicer than me. But for whatever reason you’ve come to me so I suspect you don’t want the nice version. You’ve had one mission and trust me you are going to make a lot of decisions and some of them may get people hurt or killed. And you should care about that but don’t lose perspective Tho’Bi. 

Tho’Bi: ::quiet breathless:: Perspective is what I'm looking for

Vailani: The perspective is that you were on that bridge with a team of qualified officers, you obeyed orders and made a decision based on the available evidence to you at that time. What more did you think you could have done?

There it was. The very question that he had been turning over and over again in his head. He had run simulations, mental calculations in the small hours of the night, he'd put himself on trial in the court of his own mind and faced his own accusations. He'd rehearsed this next part very well.

Tho’Bi: ::starring into space:: I ran the simulations ::shaky breath:: supplemental and support systems had enough power ::shakes head:: but it would have taken too long ::deep breath:: the only way to do it fast enough was the Inertial Dampeners. 

Vailani: :: points to Tho’Bi :: There. That’s what you focus on. If you can’t dust yourself off, learn the lessons that need to be learnt and take them with you - then, with all due respect, you should transfer to Earth or one of the other Federation worlds where you can fix replicators and DOTs for ambassadors and diplomats. It’s a good life, there’s no shame in that. Predicable, stable and comfortable. Is that what you want?

The young Andorian simply nodded. Is that what he wanted? Not on Earth, for sure. And as for the moon of Andoria… But what about Zee? He could bust out, go be Engineer on Zee's Cargo Hauler. Experience the more scenic parts of the quadrant….

Tho’Bi: ::muttering to himself:: The wrong place.

Any further conversation was interrupted by the steady low hum of anti-gravity emitters mixed with the tinny buzz of overheard music through headphones. A replacement doorframe glided into view from around the corner of the sparsely lit corridor. The two pieces of frame sat up a standard issue cargo sled, operated by a burly, squat human with thinning slick-back dark hair and dark eyes. Dressed in the gold of Ops/Engineering, with the rank of Crewman Third Class, he wore an oversized pair of headphones over his ears. His footfall and shoulder bump in time to the tinny buzzy rendering of upbeat music.

The Crewman Third Class tapped the outer shell of headphones. The music stopped. He gestured dramatically towards the clearly still emotional Andorian.

Leone: ::with bravado:: O! Looks like she already showed you the door! You still need this?

A heavy thumb gestured in the direction of the replacement doorframe. 

Tho’Bi: ::quiet friendly:: You're funny, Tony.

Leone: I deliver spare parts all day… What else am I gonna be?

The Andorian unloaded the replacement doorframe from off the sled.

Leone: ::to Vailani:: Look at that. He unloads the sled. I like this kid.

Vailani: Response 

After loading the damaged doorframe onto the sled, the Andorian Engineer turned to the human Crewman. 

Tho’Bi: Thank you, Crewman. 

Leone: ::to Tho’Bi:: Aye, Aye. Ensign Romeo! ::to Vailani:: LTV ::nods::

Vailani: Response 

With a tap of a heavy finger, the music started again. The burly Crewman made his way down the corridor with a broken doorframe on a cargo sled, footfalling and shoulder bumping in time to the tinny buzz headphones on his head.

The Andorian Engineer began attaching the new doorframe by lining up first the inside and then outside frames.

Tho’Bi: ::quiet:: Thank you, Lieutenant. 

He began to attach the bolts to the inside of the frames.

Tho’Bi: Thank you for listening. 

Vailani: Response 

TAG/TBC

((OOC: Tony Leone is a PNPC I listed as crew on Deep Space 224

Cargo Sled as described on Memory Alpha:

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Anti-grav_sled 

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Ensign Tho’Bi

Engineering

USS Artemis-A

A240203T11