Lt. Commander T’Korva from house of Ba’lethe - The Comfort Zone
Toxin Arlill
(( 08-0101, Deck 8, USS Octavia E. Butler ))
T’Korva: What is your general assessment of this ship & it’s crew?
She’d been a senior officer enough times to know that you don’t get a feel for the crew from reports or even other senior officers — no, it’s the ensigns, the junior lieutenants, the young marines who really understood the day to day culture of a Starfleet, heck, a Klingon crew.
Woolheater: Aye, a professional crew. Different departments run different tempos, but they close the gap when it counts. I’ve seen nothing that suggests otherwise.
oO Sounds like they work together by necessity rather than choice… noted. Oo
T’Korva: Would you say this ship operates efficiently based on that assessment?
Woolheater: I would say that I measure efficiency by outcomes. Butler’s operational where a lot of other starships might be debris. The crew’s alive. Command decisions have kept the ship operational and the crew intact. That’s the metric that matters to me.
oO There it was again: the need for an external force to keep the crew “glued” together… Interesting… Oo T’Korva was no counselor. She never professed to be, and never would. If asked, she’d tell you mental issues were weaknesses one must overcome.
Woolheater: Is there a specific concern you’re looking into, Commander?
T’Korva: This is not. You are welcome to depart at any time. I am assessing how this crew functions to adapt my leadership approach. Your insights are invaluable, Lieutenant.
Woolheater: If you’re looking for departmental specifics, Commander, I can speak to Security and Marine coordination. Outside that, I keep my lane.
T’Korva: Lieutenant, we know that is only partly true. Unless you have no eyes, no ears, you just as aware of this ship’s culture as any other officer. But I am asking you, as I will ask other officers soon, to understand how this crew best functions. You should appreciate that being a marine — I would presume.
Woolheater: What was your previous posting Commander?
T’Korva: ::a small laugh escaped her:: My previous posting, I supposed I can tell you about the most recent of many. ::leaning back in her seat:: My last post was at the Starfleet embassy on a Klingon colony planet. I can’t go too far into details, but I can tell you my responsibilities were fulfilled and I was reassigned.
There was A LOT more to that story than she cared to, or even could, share with this lieutenant without violating her security clearance. She also knew providing him with enough bait to be curious would be fascinating.
T’Korva: Before that, I was assigned to Earth Starfleet Academy as a physical education instructor, specifically martial arts. It was a guest assignment while the Vulcan professor was on leave. The students were… surprised by the stark difference in teaching styles ::she laughed again::
Her memories drifted back to a few classes where cadets from the “weaker” species could barely keep up. What she didn’t share was the message she’d received from Starfleet Academy Medical Services telling her to take it easier on the cadets — apparently sending a student or two to them every class wasn’t acceptable.
Woolheater: How are your accommodation? I know of at least one other Klingon on the ship, maybe two. Doctor Ragh is one of our newest arrivals. He may share some of his observations with you regarding crew quarters.
T’Korva: Do you think only another Klingon can relate to what I’m seeking?
She knew he wasn’t, but she also hoped to make him uncomfortable; it was often when people felt most uneasy that they gave up more information than they would otherwise keep to themselves.
Woolheater: Response
T’Korva: At ease, Lieutenant. I was just testing you. ::beat:: I will reach out to Dr. Ragh in due time. I’m meeting with as many of the crew as I can. ::beat:: Obviously, there are too many to meet with one-on-one in a reasonable amount of time. I don’t plan to be aboard long enough, anyway.
Woolheater: Response
Well that was a curveball question, not unexpected, but bold.
T’Korva: Normally people get to know me better before they ask why. ::beat:: I appreciate your forwardness. The fleet relief officer role isn’t new, but it’s a less utilized position. I truly believe I can bring helpful perspectives, and tools, to the senior staff aboard ships and stations. But I also know that my approach can be ::beat:: abrupt and hard to swallow, especially over time. So I was a perfect candidate.
Woolheater: Response
T’Korva: Nah, I don’t mind it. I wasn’t the popular kid in school ::laughing:: as I’m sure you can imagine! But seriously, I wasn’t and I didn’t really age like a fine wine ::holding up her goblet:: quite the opposite really ::laughing again:: What about you Lieutenant? What drives you, what landed you here? Why the marines?
It wasn’t that she was overly interested in his path, but over the years she’d learned the road wasn’t one-sided. She needed to show interest and help him feel more comfortable to gain the knowledge she was really looking for.
Realizing her goblet was empty she held it up making eye contact with the barkeep who nodded. oO Well, a good barkeep, that’s worth it’s weight. Oo
Woolheater: Response
Tags! / TBC
Lieutenant Commander T'Korva
Fleet Relief Officer
Currently Assigned to USS Octavia E, Butler NCC-82850
Writer ID.: O239910TA4