Joint Duty Log | Capt Ivanova, LtCmdr Neyes - "Honesty Is Hardly Ever Heard"

Posted on Wed Sep 24th, 2014 @ 11:14pm by Admiral Rochelle Ivanova & Commander Tristan Neyes PhD.

1,881 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Are You Touched?
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: right after the first encounter with JAG

I think we need to talk. reverberated around the room and Rochelle nodded at Tristan. "I already know what you're going to say." She replied calmly, the element of her posturing having dissipated the moment Parsons was escorted out by Amelia. Finding her seat, she leaned forward, resting her chin in her hands as she watched Tristan and the storm brewing in his eyes. Concern, confusion, stress -- they were all elements that clouded their depths and left her feeling stripped of her momentary high. The sharp tongued Captain with all of her fire, ice and bravado had once again become dormant and left her as nothing more than the woman. "I couldn't just allow him to come in here and walk all over everyone and everything, Tristan." Rochelle's voice softly broke the deafening silence that had momentarily grown between them, "There's nothing he can do, he's not an investigator, he's a litigator. A pawn that runs into court to argue for Star Fleet policy after I order an investigation on this ship." She all but sighed.

Tristan sat there before her, a little more than confused by her display crushing dominance. She had essentially stooped to his level, and it wasn't very high to begin with. In the few short minutes Neyes and Parsons had spent together alone, Tristan got the immense impression the man was both uncomfortable and irritated by his circumstances. Gabriel's first impression of the Captain was likely now that she was strong, forceful and combative, and it was all thanks the the piss-party they'd had right before his eyes.

"So what exactly did you hope to accomplish by taking him out at the knee-caps?" He asked, a sarcastic incredulity gently breezing through his words.

"I..." Rochelle silenced herself and shook her head, "I don't know." She rallied back with a gentle shrug, pushing away from the desk and leaning deep into her chair. "I saw that look on his face, like a shark's just blank and emotionless as he spoke to me like I was his little hand maid." Biting her lip, she could feel the bitterness rising back in her chest at the mere thought of how the Commander had handled her. "I felt the need to make it known that I wasn't going to cater to him, that the Vindicator isn't his playground and there was less than a snowball's chance in Hell that I was going to play telephone with his yeoman if I needed an answer on something.

"Was it harsh? Yes. But were I a man would it have come as such a shock? If you're honest you'll answer no. Kirk would have made a comment about his mother, maybe two." The Captain folded her hands over her ribs as she tipped the chair backwards, cradling herself as she watched the Counselor's expressions.

Neyes felt a stab at the implication he would belittle her as a female. "Perhaps Parsons feels that way about being handled by a woman, but I don't share that sentiment, Captain. I'll refrain from sharing the complexities of my situation in that regard. I have no problem with you being assertive or dominant; authoritative. My problem is in the way you seemed to take satisfaction in putting him down." He went on to recount how she had told Gabriel about his sub-par office space in the bowels of the hangar deck. How she had smiled while she 'misspoke' about his intentions on the ship.

"Is that what you felt during this exchange?" Neyes sighed.

"I already know of your complexities. Landon shared freely about past hosts and experiences." Her reply was quiet and friendly, far from being filled with the hostility that had radiated from her voice with Parsons. "I didn't feel pleasure at belittling him, Tristan. I fully admit to feeling the need to put him in his place, but I don't take pleasure in making people miserable."

It was her turn to sigh, heavily. Her chair squeaked, not used to being manipulated while being tipped back so far, as she turned it towards the replicator in preparation of replacing her now cooled cup of coffee. "Truth of the matter is I'm more concerned with setting the stage for boundaries. I won't have him bullying the crew with his bullshit bravado." She said as she got to her feet, "He needed to be taken down a peg or two. If I'd enjoyed it, I wouldn't be as morose as I am now, would I?" She asked, pausing by the replicator and gestured in question of whether he wanted something while she was up.

Neyes relaxed slightly at her words, but maintained his upright posture in the chair at the far end of her ready room. He didn't want to seem too 'in her face' while trying to point out something she might react badly to. He was surprised by her immediate control over her emotional displays, however. If she was pretending to be a belittling Captain to her newly acquired crewmen, she had done an excellent job. Tristan had half expected her to unload whatever pent-up frustrations she'd held back from Gabriel onto him after he called her out.

"So it was all some kind of... act." He asked, almost rhetorically, obviously working his mind around the idea. It wasn't that unconventional he supposed, for her to put on a show to demonstrate how pushing her buttons or boundaries wouldn't be tolerated. In a strange way he respected her take on the proactive effort. Parsons had been rude and dismissive to Neyes upon first sight, and did not improve afterward. Even if Parsons deserved the entirety of the Captain's display, Tristan's job was made that much more complicated by it. Of course the JAG officer could have just shrugged it off for exactly what it was. Time would tell.

"More or less." She nodded with a half-shrug, ordering up two raktajinos. He hadn't asked, but she knew the beauty that could come from the warm liquid and how it seemed to soothe the troubled soul. "Call it a preemptive strike and warning that I won't tolerate him talking down to me or anyone else on this ship." Rochelle blew a quick little indignant sigh as she crossed the room and took a seat near Tristan, holding out his mug.

Neyes took it, taking a sip as he waited for her to continue.

"The last time I had to do something like that was on the Griffin." The memory came back, heavy and full. At the time it had brought her an intense amount of stress and had left her feeling raw. Now it only left her amused by her own antics during a time when she was still so very rough around the edges and young. "Made what happened today seem like child's play. It didn't make me feel good, but I considered it a necessary evil just as I do now."

Not reacting to her confession right away, Neyes looked at her a moment. She was the embodiment of a new Captain, finding her way but confident in every step she took. Even if she hadn't "Then please accept my apology. I do still think for a first meeting you... made some assumptions. I suppose that is your prerogative though, as the CO."

"You don't need to apologize. I was obnoxious to say the least, but it had to be done before he could spiral." Rochelle offered him a small smile. Sometimes it was entirely way too hard to remember that lurking deep within was Landon and his powerful sense of self. The Trill as a species, specifically the joined ones, would always be a bit of a mystery to her with how the symbiont still allowed each host to keep themselves. Tristan was a gentle soul, quiet and beautiful with the way he looked at life where Landon had always been bold and in charge.

Tristan took a slow sip from his mug, looking up at her with innocent eyes. Without lowering the cup too far he said quietly, a thin smile pressing on his cheeks, "He was a bit rude. It was very impressive to watch."

The counselor's next words, combined with his expression, made the woman laugh. The light once more returned to her eyes as she found good humor and a kindred spirit in the man. A constant reminder that she'd been a fool to cast him aside for as long as she did. "Thank you. He was an arrogant prat, wasn't he?"

Neyes shook his head, "Yes, but remember legal types are very 'type-A' kind of people. They see things pragmatically and they respond to things, or people, in a very matter-of-fact way. It's commonly misconstrued as intentional rudeness or arrogance, when more often than not they are simply stating things as if no one has any real investment in their opinion.

"Though, having a JAG officer in your corner is a definite asset to keep tucked away." Neyes tipped his mug to her.

"Touche." She nodded in understanding and agreement. Having a JAG officer in her corner would indeed be an asset, but having one that had such a tarnished record and kept misery and discord as sidearms seemed a bit far fetched, even for her. "We'll let the dust settle for now and see where the cards fall with him."

"I expect nothing more." Neyes looked to her seriously, "You might give him a chance to prove you wrong. Maybe you'll just be surprised, who knows." Neyes was careful to try and avoid imposing predispositions on people, even when he found it quite difficult. What he had said about the legal personnel of most cultures was true. Solving problems of the written law was their realm, and in it they thrived. Those skills were not only useful to legal matters, but also ship-wide logistical concerns. Tristan would probably find himself down on deck seven in short order, looking for Mr. Parsons' assistance. "I'll get him settled into the Vindicator in no time. Maybe then he'll loosen up."

"I give everyone just enough rope to hang themselves with, Tristan. It's up to them to prove that they're not stupid enough to use it and I sincerely hope the Commander falls into the 'smart enough not to' category." She answered truthfully, sipping at her coffee and using the mug to warm her little hands. "Do your best with him. With a little luck we just caught him on an off day and he'll bounce right back in good form. I trust your judgment on this." A small, almost sheepish, smile pulled at her features, "You're a far better people person than I could ever hope to be."

"We're all good at something, Captain." Neyes touched at his mug for a moment before setting it down, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to chase down a lawyer."

With a smile the redhead nodded and stood to accompany him to the door. Peace was so much easier than war, and the peace they'd found was welcomed with open arms. "Good luck." was all she could offer a she saw Tristan out.

---

Captain Rochelle Ivanova
Commanding Officer
USS VINDICATOR

Lt. Commander Tristan Neyes, PhD.
Chief Counseling Officer
USS Vindicator

 

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