Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek: The Unpleasant Duty of a Chief
Lael Rosek
OOC: Set after Commander Core leaves the Chief’s office
((Main Engineering, USS Veritas))
::She wasn’t looking forward to this. She really wasn’t looking forward to this. She’d been stalling for the better part of an hour, hemming and hawing over the stack of reports that sat on her desk, which never seemed to get any smaller no matter how many she read. She’d even fiddled with the desktop settings on her monitor for a few minutes when focusing on the PADD so intensely had started to bother her eyes.::
::Sighing, she laid the PADD down. There wasn’t an easy way to do this, so it really was just better to get it over with. She grimaced, mentally preparing herself for the backlash that was sure to happen. This was Anjar, after all. She tapped her commbadge::
Rosek: =/\=Rosek to Thoran.=/\=
::His reply came through a moment later.::
Thoran: =/\=You rang, ma’am?=/\=
::She scowled. Smug bastard. It was so tempting to chew him out over the comm, but she kept her tone professional as she continued, even if her thoughts were less than professional at the moment.::
Rosek: =/\=A moment of your time, Mr. Thoran. In my office.=/\=
::A tense silence hung in the air and Lael knew by that silence that she’d hit a nerve. She never addressed him like that unless she was upset at him. While she was by no means anything less than professional, she tended to be less formal than most of the department heads she’d known. It encouraged friendships, which she believed were the core foundation of good teamwork.::
::Anjar stepped through the door a few moments later, his posture and his emotionless expression giving away his irritation. Her brow furrowed as she detected a hint of anxiety there as well. It wasn’t completely unexpected given the extent of his reaction to her presumed KIA status at one point in the mission. She could only imagine, based on the way Commander Core had described his actions, the pain that had caused him.::
Thoran: What can I do for you, ma’am?
::His tone was all business, continuing the charade that he wasn’t at all affected by her summoning him to her office in such a way that it was clear why she was doing so. She turned off the audio and video recording devices, her tone and expression softening as she rose and strode toward him, hugging him.::
::She felt his surprise at the sudden affectionate contact, and he froze for a moment before he hugged her back, closing his eyes and leaning his chin on the crown of her head.::
Thoran: ::murmurs:: I--We thought you were dead.
Rosek: ::sighs:: I know. I’m sorry. ::pulls back and her gaze meets his:: You know we have to have this conversation, right? Professionally?
::She felt him tense and instantly hated what had to happen. If Commander Core hadn’t detailed it in his report--If Anjar hadn’t had such a barbaric overreaction, this wouldn’t be happening now. Her gaze met his and she could see him shutting down, the moisture gathering at the corners of his eyes as he stood before her completely exposed. She took another step back, giving him a few moments to dry his eyes and compose himself before she turned the audio and video recording devices back on.::
::When her gaze returned to his, he was the consummate professional she knew he could be, ready to receive a dressing down from his department chief. He stood ramrod straight, his hands tucked behind his back, his gaze fixed on the far bulkhead.::
Rosek: Mr. Thoran, I received a report from Commander Core that you displayed conduct unbecoming of an officer during our recent mission aiding the Havley’s Hope colony in locating their missing miners. Would you care to explain?
Thoran: ::exhales shakily and clears his throat:: I allowed my personal feelings to impact my judgement and Commander Core called me on my lack of professionalism, ma’am.
Rosek: ::arches an eyebrow:: Is it true, Mr. Thoran, that you snapped at two crewman in such a way that one of them was clearly offended by your tone and choice of words?
::She saw a muscle tick in his jaw and knew he was struggling to find an appropriate response.::
Thoran: ::rasps:: Yes, ma’am.
Rosek: Is it true, Mr. Thoran, that Commander Core had to pull you aside and call these behaviors to your attention? That he had to threaten to remove you from duty if you didn’t get yourself under control?
Thoran: ::lips form a thin line before he bites out:: Yes, ma’am.
::Her expression softened slightly, as did her tone.::
Rosek: This isn’t the first time I’ve had to speak with you about professionalism in my engine room. I’m disappointed that it has escalated to this point.
::Wisely, Anjar remained silent.::
Rosek: While I don’t believe this type of behavior is sufficient for a demotion, I’ve placed a demerit in your file and a note in your disciplinary record. It’s still a possibility that the Captain will want to speak with you about this incident, though I believe my report will most likely be enough.
::And this right here was her least favorite part of this whole mess. She forced her features into a neutral expression, clearing her throat, their gazes locking.::
Rosek: Lieutenant Thoran, if I ever hear of you conducting yourself in such a fashion in my engine room again, I won’t show the grace that I have today. You’ll find yourself busted back to Jay-Gee before you can so much as bat an eyelash. Is that understood?
::There was a glint of fiery anger in his eyes as his gaze met hers. She could tell he was seriously restraining himself from saying what he so desperately wanted to. In a nanosecond, his expression shifted, becoming neutral again, his gaze dropping from hers.::
Thoran: Yes, ma’am.
Rosek: ::nods sagely:: Dismissed.
::For a long moment, he eyed her as though he couldn’t believe he was getting off that easily. A few moments later, he averted his gaze and again cleared his throat. Without another word, he turned on his heel and exited the office like a man whose shoes were on fire.::
::She sighed, collapsing into the chair, burying her face in her hands. She hated this part of the job. Then again, she couldn’t imagine anybody but sociopaths who would enjoy this part. Turning back to the stack of PADDs, she got back to work looking through reports. She desperately needed a distraction.::