S12 - M12: When the Bough Breaks

[Inzjana]

BRIDGE - SCIENCE STATION ONE

The only problem with being Vulcan is the perfect hearing, so Inzjana could unfortunately hear everything that was occurring of the bridge.
So far, three of the bridge crew have chimed in as to what species of tree from earth they wanted to be, to the new counsellor complaining that her office was a closet. It was for this reason and not for the first time in her returning to Starfleet that Inzjana had asked herself just what in the name of Surak had she gotten herself in to.

But, with the powers-that-be in the upper echelons of Starfleet Command, who are apparently testing the resolve of the crew of the Discovery by making them study this area of space which hence the name was largely devoid of anything of actual interest.

Even Inzjana, the ship's only Vulcan - Romulan hybrid had admit to herself she was bored. Praying to the 'great bird of the galaxy' that no one on the bridge could see just how bored she was. After all, Inzjana chose to follow in her mother's footsteps and decided that her Romulan side, which managed to attract just about every racist in the universe, should be suppressed and follow the path of Surak; to logic and the control of emotions. This meant that the vocation of psychiatrist, or psychologist, was the only area of science that was largely regarded by the Vulcans as taboo.

For a moment Inzjana thought that perhaps it might be logical to see the counsellor, after all, she had been through a lot since her return, especially when she had no choice but to kill her Romulan aunt for murdering the president of the United Federation of Planets, kidnapped by a band of technology stealing aliens and had been shot with a Phaser on its highest setting by the past Chief Science Officer of the Discovery. She was lucky to be alive really and it was no wonder she had developed some non-Vulcan quirks, battling to regain what little composure she had left. Thankfully the thought had passed and Inzjana was Vulcan again. Personal issues were just that, personal.

With the week of up for scanning this sector and moving on to the next, Inzjana grabbed a PADD from the nook just below her console and began writing her report for the previous sector, with the current telemetry the sensors had accumulated thus far in correlated form.

Once finished Inzjana stood, blurry eyed after starring at the screen for so long and made her way over to the command chair, where the commander was, instead of the captain, meaning that at present the central chair was currently aptly named. The chief of the boat had just finished introducing herself when Inzjana got there, so she waited for a quiet moment where she could give her report.

"Excuse me commander," Inzjana said stoically, finding her moment, "Here is the report for the week's survey sir."

Inzjana then went back to her seat waiting patiently and logically for her shift to end but was ready for any questions that may ensue.

[Don Damien Addams]

[bridge]

Being on the bridge was like being in the main trunk of the grape vine. It was hard to miss anything. After hearing the counselor complaining about room situation. He was not sure what was the big problem. Then Kali with her quirky personality to bring bring in her point of view.

Don had to make a suggestion. "Hey, Lieutenant Commander you think this be a good idea."  He had asked. Maybe he would save his team leader from being crushed by two females. Suggestion to make it sound like someone's idea was how Don worked. "Why not ask the crew? Starfleet had assigned her. The brass back in a Starfleet maybe forget what it was like to be on a Starship. So they saw a opening on the Discovery and said that was a free space occupancy and now it was filled. Starfleet does not think in individual careers. We the crew can have a word. If we can make changes for few thousand people. Why not for one person need?"

It was a point, it sure beat bickering women. Men can be bad. But Kali seemed to be rough around the edges. So he figured it help the new counselor feel welcomed.

Well, he had said his suggestion and he turned back to his duty.

[Nathan Ryder]

[Bridge]

Mentioning the aft observation lounge actively brought hesitation to her next words. If the crew got mad that a relatively nice lounge got refitted to house a counselor, well, she could just blame the brass on this. No harm, no foul! "The aft observation lounge, hm? I suppose we can do something about that. It'll have to be signed off by the Captain before I can authorize that."

[Bridge]

As much as Nathan trusted Kali's opinion, even he knew giving up the entire aft observation lounge for a counselor's office was not going to go well with the crew. In his opinion, this new counselor was being rather selfish in even asking for it, but he kept that opinion to himself. Assigning quarters and working space was not part of his job description.

[Turbolift > Bridge]

Lennox rubbed his eye with the back of his knuckle as he headed out of the lift and onto the bridge, noting a new personnel talking with Reyes before noting that there was someone else at the station. "Ye alrigh'?"

A moment later his attention was pulled away from his job by a nearby voice directed at him. "Yes, well enough. It's been a slow morning." Before he could say more, Nathan heard the guy at the flight console chime in on the Counselor's housing situation.

[bridge]

Don had to make a suggestion. "Hey, Ian you think this be a good idea."  He had asked. Maybe he would save his team leader from being crushed by two females. "Why not ask the crew? Starfleet had assigned her. The brass back in a Starfleet maybe forget what it was like to be on a Starship. So they saw a opening on the Discovery and said that was a free space occupancy and now it was filled. Starfleet does not think in individual careers. We the crew can have a word. If we can make changes for few thousand people. Why not for one person need?"

With a small shake of his head, Nathan tried not to roll his eyes and was mostly successful. He did not think Kali needed to poll the crew to decide how to do her job; she did not get to be Chief of the Boat for no reason. Looking back to the man who spoke to him, he asked, "And you? Are you on this shift too?" While there was plenty of standing room to go around, Nathan knew they would both soon be bored out of their minds unless something happened to liven things up around there.

[Ian Galloway]

« USS Discovery ┼ Bridge »

P'Larr considered how the Lieutenant Commander approached her conundrum as she shifted her weight from one side to another. At the very least, Galloway had chosen to cushion the blow by feigning care over the dilemma that was wracking her mind. He could've easily dismissed her complaints but as much as his tough demeanor suggested a steely disposition, there was a decent amount of consideration. Her chest deflated a bit with dejection, "A conference room, sir? That's so... impersonal. A conference room is meant for business, negotiations, it's a different sort of connection," she expanded with a sigh.

Counselor Santiago was beginning to understand what her instructors were alluding to when discussing the lack of counselors in the fleet. Although dedicated counselors felt strongly about their work and protecting the emotional well-being of their crew, most transferred due to the thankless feeling that came with their decision. "If there's room on board for a cryptology lab, I'm sure there's a space that can be designated as a counselor's office. The aft observation lounge is a lovely space, great view." Once again she exchanged an uncomfortable, thin smile before inquiring, "Can you please take this up to the captain on my behalf, Commander?"

A voice at the Operations console at the side of the bridge made her ears perk. Turning to face the voice's source, a tomboy-ish bronzed Operations crewman with dark hair, whose posture suggested a world-weariness colliding with joviality. Draping her right arm across her chest to allow her hand to grip the opposite shoulder in a bit of a sheepish gesture, P'Larr's nose scrunched a bit when she heard the crewman refer to her as the crew's shrink. "I'm not a shrink, actually. I'd be considered more of a specialist, I suppose," she said with a small shrug before allowing her arm to drop, "Although I do have a doctorate, just not in medicine. Long story."

"Hi, Kali. P'Larr Santiago," she said while taking the chief of the boat's hand into her own, giving as firm of a pump that she could muster before retracting her hand, "That's quite the grip you got there, chief." The counselor remarked, her eyebrows rising with tugging at the top corners of her lips in a playful simper.

[Bridge]

After shaking P'Larr's hand, Kali placed both hands on her hips and did it with a wry grin. "Iron hands," she agreed. "Not very elegant, but I do try to get a manicure every once in a while to ease the blow." She didn't think she had to infer anything about her small Vulcan ancestry. Counselors of P'Larr's station would most likely have already done their research on the crew.

"As for why there's no proper quarters for 'specialists', the last one transferred off almost six months ago. Have no clue why. We were starting to become fast friends." There was a hint of rough playfulness to her words. "The refit opened up a need for more tactical and science officers. Shrinking medical down a bit was needed for the uh... cryptology lab. Very important stuff. Maybe even therapeutic."

Mentioning the aft observation lounge actively brought hesitation to her next words. If the crew got mad that a relatively nice lounge got refitted to house a counselor, well, she could just blame the brass on this. No harm, no foul! "The aft observation lounge, hm? I suppose we can do something about that. It'll have to be signed off by the Captain before I can authorize that."

[Bridge]

Ian rubbed his chin absently as he considered the request and nodded once when he made his decision.

"One adjustment you are goin' ta have ta make Ensign, is, as I have already mentioned, little as Starfleet wants ta admit it, the Prometheus-Class are warships. We have scientific capabilities that fit with Starfleet's primary mission of exploration, but make no bones about it. This ship is optimized fer combat, specifically ta bring overwhelmin' death and destruction ta anyone or thing hostile ta the Federation. As such, that cryptology room is far more important than you think and why it rates space when space is at a premium, and ship's counselor does not. Think about that, next time you feel you are not gettin' your due. The designers of this ship placed code breakin' over that of ship's counselor.

"I do nae mean ta lessen the value of your department Lass, I've used the ship's counselor myself, so I know how important what you do is ta the well order and discipline of the crew. However, on this class of ship, you have ta understand where you rate in the scheme of overall operations.

"Your suggestion of the aft crew lounge has merit. I will echo the Chief and say that while we need the final approval from the Captain, but I believe your request ta be reasonable enough fer you ta go ahead on my authority ta move in. Just understand Ensign, should that space become necessary in the future, you will get drop kicked out of there so fast your ears will ring. Is that understood?"

[Kali Reyes]

[bridge]

Being on the bridge was like being in the main trunk of the grape vine. It was hard to miss anything. After hearing the counselor complaining about room situation. He was not sure what was the big problem. Then Kali with her quirky personality to bring bring in her point of view.

Don had to make a suggestion. "Hey, Lieutenant Commander you think this be a good idea."  He had asked. Maybe he would save his team leader from being crushed by two females. Suggestion to make it sound like someone's idea was how Don worked. "Why not ask the crew? Starfleet had assigned her. The brass back in a Starfleet maybe forget what it was like to be on a Starship. So they saw a opening on the Discovery and said that was a free space occupancy and now it was filled. Starfleet does not think in individual careers. We the crew can have a word. If we can make changes for few thousand people. Why not for one person need?"

It was a point, it sure beat bickering women. Men can be bad. But Kali seemed to be rough around the edges. So he figured it help the new counselor feel welcomed.

Well, he had said his suggestion and he turned back to his duty.

[Bridge]

Kali turned and picked up her PADD that Ryder left behind and cheerfully showed it to Addams. "97% of the crew just filled out 10s and barely any other comments on how to better the ship. We already have two other lounges and another observation deck for recreational stuff. If the crew wants to riot, fill out the actual sixty-two question survey next quarter." And Kali absolutely did not have any ulterior motives bending backwards for the counselor. Especially when it came to scheduling mandatory psych evals. Not at all.

"Your suggestion of the aft crew lounge has merit. I will echo the Chief and say that while we need the final approval from the Captain, but I believe your request ta be reasonable enough fer you ta go ahead on my authority ta move in. Just understand Ensign, should that space become necessary in the future, you will get drop kicked out of there so fast your ears will ring. Is that understood?"

Kali smiled at Galloway for backing her up. "Thank you. I'll start the forms in the meantime. If the Captain agrees, he can just sign it off."

[P'Larr Santiago]

« USS Discovery ┼ Bridge »

Six months without a counselor on a vessel meant for deep space exploration was dangerous. The work required of an officer or crewman during a Starfleet mission was tenuous, mentally taxing with the unknown dangers lurking in the shadowed corners of the quadrant. Without an impartial listener willing to steer the calamity where professional and personal constantly collided on a starship, burn out was imminent. Wherever the mental well-being was compromised, disaster and failure were sure to be found around the bend. With a crew experiencing a tremendous transition while a new command team was forged, the counselor knew her work was cut out for her.

Whistling softly as Kali relayed the amount of time spent without a proper counselor, she then narrowed her eyes in the Operation chief's direction, indicating the human-Klingon hybrid didn't believe a word that Reyes had to say regarding her ignorance as to the previous counselor's departure from the Discovery. "Well, I hope we can slowly become friends if it means I'll be sticking around for a while," the ensign replied to the chief just as a female Vulcan officer in science teal made her way past the pair with a report in her hand. The survey mission surely explained the deflated energy on the bridge. According to Galloway, the Discovery was a warship after all, surveys were definitely beneath a ship of the caliber.

"I can't wait to hear all about the emotional breakthroughs that happen in cryptology," The counselor replied with a quick roll of the eyes, "I'd say my office is open to you to tell me more but..." She trailed off, attempting to adopt a more flippant tone to undermine how upset she was on the inside about the whole ordeal. At the very least, she was grateful to the Operations chief for being a bit more receptive to her proposition as opposed to the Commander, who's attempt to soften the blow of a 'no' made her regret even bringing up her issue in the first place. Her nose twitched for a moment while she attempted to dismiss the dejection in order to not sour her mood to the point of seeming unapproachable.

A third voice from the helmsman caused her to shift her body towards the front of the bridge to take in the source of a voice. Taking a step away from Kali to garner the flight officer's attention, "While that might be how you feel regarding your own place in the fleet, that's not the truth in my case. I was recruited by the dean of the counseling department at the Technical Services Academy for a pilot program that allows civilian professionals to matriculate into the fleet with a commissioned rank. I'm the test subject, I guess," she said, underplaying the immense pressure that came with brass constantly watching from a distance.

"Counselor Santiago or P'Larr works. Nice to meet you," she said with a nod of the head before taking in the rest of his words regarding allowing the crew to vote. Taking advantage, she shifted at her heel to take in the Commander near the center seat once more. Running a hand through her loose, wavy chestnut hair her eyes twinkled as she spoke. Gesturing towards the flight officer, she extended her arm out, "See, Commander? Other officers seem to be in favor of a space! It could be beneficial. Group counseling with a view of the stars is very therapeutic," she said with a nod of the head to accentuate her point.

To her, it appeared the Commander did not appreciate his position regarding the purpose of the ship to be undermined. After gaining more allies in her quest for a proper office space, the Commander's harsh words regarding her place on the ship's totem pole caused her to lower her head while she registered the blow. After licking her lips while he continued to emphasize how a cryptology lab was more important than what she had to offer the crew, she bit down on her bottom lip and counted down in her mind to keep her temper from flaring up so soon. "The class of a vessel doesn't dictate how the vessel is used. The Prometheus-class maybe a warship by design but that doesn't mean the Discovery is."

"Do you know why counselors were appointed to vessel in the first place? During the Earth's 20th and 21st century, those who enlisted in the armed services were prone to all sorts of mental conditions exacerbated by the trauma suffered during their tenure. The Federation did not wish to make the same mistake," It was confusing to her as to Galloway's praise of her position while undermining it at the same time. "Where I rate in the matter of ship's operation is entirely your opinion but when the mental well-being of the crew begins to suffer and lives are lost because your crew doesn't have the proper support they need, perhaps your opinion will change, sir. I hope you will come to realize how much of an asset I truly am."

P'Larr's eyes widened with pleasure, perhaps her rejection had caused the Commander to take pity with her. Perhaps it was a ruse to gain the support of the other crew who chimed in with their support of her proposition. Never the less, a grin spread on her lips. "Commander Galloway! Thank you so much," the counselor didn't catch the second part of his phrase as she was quickly turning to Reyes and mouthing 'Thank you'.

[Ian Galloway]

"Excuse me commander," Inzjana said stoically, finding her moment, "Here is the report for the week's survey sir."

[Bridge]

Ian took the report, scanned it and it confirmed what he already knew. They were in a section of space with nothing of any purpose or value.

"Thank you Lieutenant. I suppose someone, not me, will find this information fascinatin'. Keep lookin' perhaps summat will accidentally end up in sensor range."

[bridge]

Don had to make a suggestion. "Hey, Lieutenant Commander you think this be a good idea."  He had asked. Maybe he would save his team leader from being crushed by two females. Suggestion to make it sound like someone's idea was how Don worked. "Why not ask the crew? Starfleet had assigned her. The brass back in a Starfleet maybe forget what it was like to be on a Starship. So they saw a opening on the Discovery and said that was a free space occupancy and now it was filled. Starfleet does not think in individual careers. We the crew can have a word. If we can make changes for few thousand people. Why not for one person need?"

Ian managed not to roll his eyes as he knew the ensign meant well, so he smiled as he replied.

"I'm fair certain Ensign that Starfleet has not become a democracy. Will nae be runnin' the ship by vote. Ensign Santiago has made a reasonable request through the chain of command and has interim approval. There will be no vote or pollin' the crew."

Ian sighed and hoped that the next generation of officers were more like the last generation.

[Tekin Nevir]

[Ready room]
Ardy nodded. 'Yeah. Don't let this side project get in the way of our jobs, and be careful how much autonomy you give this project." She said, remembering the instructions he had given them. She could have sworn she had followed those instructions to the best of her ability, but instead, the perfect storm blew up in their faces. She grimaced. Well, that ended well.

She straightened herself. "We're not fully sure what happened, but earlier, I did set up a framework program for sentience, the same backbone as the STEVE program uses. We figured if the HAPPY System worked, the framework would already be in place to implement at a later date. I didn't add the sentience components yet, " She added, emphasizing the fact. Looking at Ari to back her up, she resumed. "We didn't quite compensate that this was an AI and not a hologram, so we're assuming that somewhere between the time Ari left and the first symptoms of the AI's sentience appeared, if not before, the AI figured out the sequences by itself, without any help from us. That's what happened, to the best of my knowledge" She said, finishing her report. Hopefully, her best friend could back her up, because she sure as %^#@ didn't want to be wrong.

[Captain's Ready Room]

When the subject of their two rules were brought up, Ariste mumbled a response in unison with Ardyn: "Don't let it interfere with ship duties, and be careful how much autonomy it is given." She tried not to sulk, but the pretty pout on her lips gave it away. At least it did until she straightened up, sucking it back into place and thanked the lords her eyes were covered.

Once Ardy had given her side of the story, Ariste nodded in agreement, gaze shifting over to her. And in that moment, she felt a bit of pity that Ardyn was in here with her. While her best friend was a comfort to have with her, she could feel the guilt descending, even more so. Mind made up, she turned back to Tekin."When I was notified about my shift, I rushed out of the lab. I didn't take basic precautions, the program was left unattended while uploading to the ship's computers. It had access to my already established AI, SERIF and could copy the artificial intelligence patterns from him - it." She stumbled over her words for a moment,tensing. She had been with Serif for so long using gendered pronouns seemed only natural. But she realized the discomfort it caused some, and didn't know where Tekin fell.

"This while thing was primarily my fault. Any punishment given to Jaeger should be directed at me instead, for disregarding protocol." Sucking in a breath, she closed her eyes, resisting the ever present urge to fidget. If nothing else, she hoped Ardy would be shielded from Starfleet's wrath, for Stark's mistakes.

[Ready Room]

The Bajoran was quiet, letting the two speak.  They remembered... but he wasn't sure if they understood why.  "Exactly.  Stark, you're a good engineer.  But when you are assigned Bridge duty, your job is to monitor the engineering systems from the bridge.  I put people on the bridge when I believe they have the capacity to stand up and lead their department.  Even if not on this ship, a Captain's recommendation could mean the difference between being a senior officer, and Chief Engineer of a starship.  But before I can make any recommendation, you need to show me that you know what it means to be a starfleet officer.  I understand our crew is a bit... lax... on discipline.  That's why I promoted Galloway to be my First Officer.  He's a stickler for the rules and for discipline, and he is exactly what we need to make sure that we balance being a close family, and being professional representatives of both Starfleet and the Federation."

"My warning about autonomy, I gave you a prime example... a situation where your project gained sentience and took over ship systems in a rush of panic or curiosity.  Not only did Happy do that, but those actions jeopardize our mission, and the lives of thousands of Federation citizens.  We were already in the realm of the impossible... your actions or lack thereof made that exponentially worst.  I will tell you both right now, regardless of who's fault it was... had we not been able to regain control of the ship, and had we lost people down there, which would have included our away team, you both would have spent this last leg of our journey in the brig and shipped off once we arrived.  Luckily for the two of you, it did not come to that."

Nevir stood up tall, and walked over to the window, closing his eyes.  "Ardyn... we served together quite some time, and never had I doubted your abilities, even given your medical state.  I overruled Starfleet Medical's recommendation for transfer, and I took it upon myself to watch over you in Alex's absence.  Ariste... you and I have not gotten to know each other as well as I would have liked... any other Captain would be able to use that to hide behind.  And I admit, I considered putting you in for a transfer."

Nevir finally turned from the window, walking around to the front of his desk and leaning against it.  "But I didn't, and I don't plan to.  I can't ignore the fact that you two endangered the ship and the crew... but I also can't ignore the fact that you two performed an incredibly difficult feat.  Regardless of what happens, I have forwarded the data on what occurred with Happy to Daystrum.  They are excited and interested."

"In light of this, and of your statements, Lt. Ardyn Jaeger, I am giving you an informal verbal reprimand for your part in this debacle.  Regardless of what caused the incident, you both were in this project together.  I am also going to put you on reduced duty for the duration of your pregnancy.  You're restricted to the helm, and you're on the first shift only.  I'll also grant you access to the operation labs to continue your work on programming."

"And as for you... Lieutenant Junior Grade Aristotle Stark.  I am putting in an official reprimand into your record.  And I expect you to work twice as hard to prove to me that you still have the potential that I sought after.  For now, however, I am removing your bridge access.  Once you finish your work with Happy, then we will see about putting you back on the Bridge rotation."

"This is the part where the two of you may speak freely.  Any questions?"

[Kali Reyes]

P'Larr's eyes widened with pleasure, perhaps her rejection had caused the Commander to take pity with her. Perhaps it was a ruse to gain the support of the other crew who chimed in with their support of her proposition. Never the less, a grin spread on her lips. "Commander Galloway! Thank you so much," the counselor didn't catch the second part of his phrase as she was quickly turning to Reyes and mouthing 'Thank you'.

[Bridge]

Oh, Kali had no doubt Counselor Santiago will be a force to be reckoned with - which is why Kali was wisely stepping the hell out of the way from said warpath and offered her support for the observation deck conversion. She merely grinned back at the woman's gratitude, picked up her PADD and proceeded to be on her way...

Until she noticed one of her notepad programs were tabbed, which she was pretty sure she didn't open this morning. Curious, she checked it.

Oh. Her lips tightened and her dark eyes brightened from the thrill that struck like a match up her spine. It was the oddest, most exhilarating feeling she's had in awhile. And all over a stupidly simple question. She almost gave it away when she glanced over at the tactical station, but she recovered very quickly when she noticed that Len had finally made his way to the bridge.

"Len! I see you've just met Ryder!" Two of her favorite men on one station? It must be her birthday. Kali eagerly shifted closer and placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "And we finally have an overbooked tactical station! I hope you boys get along. Or don't. Either way it'll be entertaining for someone around here." Her smile was positively brilliant.

[Ian Galloway]

« USS Discovery ┼ Bridge »

Six months without a counselor on a vessel meant for deep space exploration was dangerous. The work required of an officer or crewman during a Starfleet mission was tenuous, mentally taxing with the unknown dangers lurking in the shadowed corners of the quadrant. Without an impartial listener willing to steer the calamity where professional and personal constantly collided on a starship, burn out was imminent. Wherever the mental well-being was compromised, disaster and failure were sure to be found around the bend. With a crew experiencing a tremendous transition while a new command team was forged, the counselor knew her work was cut out for her.

Whistling softly as Kali relayed the amount of time spent without a proper counselor, she then narrowed her eyes in the Operation chief's direction, indicating the human-Klingon hybrid didn't believe a word that Reyes had to say regarding her ignorance as to the previous counselor's departure from the Discovery. "Well, I hope we can slowly become friends if it means I'll be sticking around for a while," the ensign replied to the chief just as a female Vulcan officer in science teal made her way past the pair with a report in her hand. The survey mission surely explained the deflated energy on the bridge. According to Galloway, the Discovery was a warship after all, surveys were definitely beneath a ship of the caliber.

"I can't wait to hear all about the emotional breakthroughs that happen in cryptology," The counselor replied with a quick roll of the eyes, "I'd say my office is open to you to tell me more but..." She trailed off, attempting to adopt a more flippant tone to undermine how upset she was on the inside about the whole ordeal. At the very least, she was grateful to the Operations chief for being a bit more receptive to her proposition as opposed to the Commander, who's attempt to soften the blow of a 'no' made her regret even bringing up her issue in the first place. Her nose twitched for a moment while she attempted to dismiss the dejection in order to not sour her mood to the point of seeming unapproachable.

A third voice from the helmsman caused her to shift her body towards the front of the bridge to take in the source of a voice. Taking a step away from Kali to garner the flight officer's attention, "While that might be how you feel regarding your own place in the fleet, that's not the truth in my case. I was recruited by the dean of the counseling department at the Technical Services Academy for a pilot program that allows civilian professionals to matriculate into the fleet with a commissioned rank. I'm the test subject, I guess," she said, underplaying the immense pressure that came with brass constantly watching from a distance.

"Counselor Santiago or P'Larr works. Nice to meet you," she said with a nod of the head before taking in the rest of his words regarding allowing the crew to vote. Taking advantage, she shifted at her heel to take in the Commander near the center seat once more. Running a hand through her loose, wavy chestnut hair her eyes twinkled as she spoke. Gesturing towards the flight officer, she extended her arm out, "See, Commander? Other officers seem to be in favor of a space! It could be beneficial. Group counseling with a view of the stars is very therapeutic," she said with a nod of the head to accentuate her point.

To her, it appeared the Commander did not appreciate his position regarding the purpose of the ship to be undermined. After gaining more allies in her quest for a proper office space, the Commander's harsh words regarding her place on the ship's totem pole caused her to lower her head while she registered the blow. After licking her lips while he continued to emphasize how a cryptology lab was more important than what she had to offer the crew, she bit down on her bottom lip and counted down in her mind to keep her temper from flaring up so soon. "The class of a vessel doesn't dictate how the vessel is used. The Prometheus-class maybe a warship by design but that doesn't mean the Discovery is."

"Do you know why counselors were appointed to vessel in the first place? During the Earth's 20th and 21st century, those who enlisted in the armed services were prone to all sorts of mental conditions exacerbated by the trauma suffered during their tenure. The Federation did not wish to make the same mistake," It was confusing to her as to Galloway's praise of her position while undermining it at the same time. "Where I rate in the matter of ship's operation is entirely your opinion but when the mental well-being of the crew begins to suffer and lives are lost because your crew doesn't have the proper support they need, perhaps your opinion will change, sir. I hope you will come to realize how much of an asset I truly am."

P'Larr's eyes widened with pleasure, perhaps her rejection had caused the Commander to take pity with her. Perhaps it was a ruse to gain the support of the other crew who chimed in with their support of her proposition. Never the less, a grin spread on her lips. "Commander Galloway! Thank you so much," the counselor didn't catch the second part of his phrase as she was quickly turning to Reyes and mouthing 'Thank you'.

[Bridge]

Ian's eyes narrowed and he stood to emphasize his point with a voice that had gone very cold.

"Ensign, do not snatch defeat from the jaws of bloody victory. Do not presume ta lecture me on the merits of the position of counselor. You may choose ta try and sugar coat the role of Discovery, but that will just mean the reality of what this ship's mission is about will only hit you twice as hard. I know you know what 'denial' is about given your trainin' so I suggest you may want ta touch up on treatments fer it as you are deeply in denial if you think we aren't a warship. Now, you have worn out your welcome Ensign, go decorate your bloody office."

[Don Damien Addams]

[Bridge]

The Ensign was watching the main screen. As he started to feel alone in his heart, he started to think about the Tigers that Ian had shared. That was something to keep him satisfied his thoughts. He wondered he would be able to name one for himself.

Sadly, everyone can talk about what they want. He was focusing on naming a World War II plane as he was doing his  mission. Even this part of space he was did not fly. Maybe something out there will be familiar to him. After all he spent a few years of his life in this space.

[Lennox Ainsley]

[Bridge]

For the most part, Lennox had remained quiet during the back and forth that began to take place between Kali, Galloway and a new ensign - who seemed to be the ship's new shrink. From what he could garner, blows had been made over who went where and who did what. Much of which had flown over the top of his head as he stood at the station, giving the other male a quick glance before returning to the counselor as she made her comment about the stressors and strains of combat.

A chance that he didn't take on talking about his own background as a combat engineer. Nor touch the fact that he hadn't been there to protect his own family. Lennox was not keen on having his brain poked by a stranger.

He had turned to the other male at the station, who had resumed talking to him. Len gave him a lazy smirk at the mention of being on shift. "Aye, I am." Though with their station overmanned, he was sure that at some point, the commotion would die down and they would have to find something else to occupy themselves with.

[Bridge]

"Len! I see you've just met Ryder!" Two of her favorite men on one station? It must be her birthday. Kali eagerly shifted closer and placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "And we finally have an overbooked tactical station! I hope you boys get along. Or don't. Either way it'll be entertaining for someone around here." Her smile was positively brilliant.

The Scotsman grinned, sticking out a hand to formally and properly introduce himself. "Lennox Ainsley. Good te meet ye, Ryder." He gave a look over to Kali. "Guessin' that's more fer yerself than us, eh?"

[Ariste Stark]

"And as for you... Lieutenant Junior Grade Aristotle Stark.  I am putting in an official reprimand into your record.  And I expect you to work twice as hard to prove to me that you still have the potential that I sought after.  For now, however, I am removing your bridge access.  Once you finish your work with Happy, then we will see about putting you back on the Bridge rotation."

"This is the part where the two of you may speak freely.  Any questions?"

[Captain's Ready Room]

As soon as Ariste completed her speech to maybe spare Ardyn's future career in Starfleet, Tekin wasted no time on going for the jugular. In his signature calm, 'I'm not angry just disappointed' voice. With every pause her heart surged in her chest, and he chin slowly raised, clasping her hands behind her back. So many realities flitted through her mind... demotion, transfer, even temporary suspension. But when the actual punishment came out, she felt dumbstruck. That was it?

"No questions," she blurted out, voice monotone and stiff. Even though this was what she wanted, it still stung. She didn't think she would feel this passionately about her position, when she first joined Starfleet. But now...
Even as all the negative emotions swirled around her head, a positive one emerged timidly. Gratitude. Didn't she have Tekin to thank for this second chance? Hell, she'd wiped out all three of her chances in one go and he was still willing to help her get back on her feet and fight back.

"Thank you, Captain, for this opportunity. I won't let something like this happen again."

Or, so she hoped.

[Nathan Ryder]

[Bridge]

[Bridge]

"Len! I see you've just met Ryder!" Two of her favorite men on one station? It must be her birthday. Kali eagerly shifted closer and placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "And we finally have an overbooked tactical station! I hope you boys get along. Or don't. Either way it'll be entertaining for someone around here." Her smile was positively brilliant.

The Scotsman grinned, sticking out a hand to formally and properly introduce himself. "Lennox Ainsley. Good te meet ye, Ryder." He gave a look over to Kali. "Guessin' that's more fer yerself than us, eh?"

Nathan laughed lightly and took the hand he was offered. "Ainsley, well met." He seemed amused by Kali's comments, and agreed with Lennox's response; giving a nod and an impish grin. "If I didn't know better, I'd say Kali did this on purpose." The odds were pretty even, meaning it could go either way.

"I'd offer to share the work, but there's hardly even enough to go around," Nathan said as he gave Lennox an appraising look. "I'd wager you've got a few more shifts under your belt than I do... What do you do around here when there's not much to do?"

[Jebediah Schrock]

[Bridge]
Jeb sat; Jeb listened; Jeb was rather scared that a stupid slip-up would cost him his career. He respected Galloway's strict approach to the rules (there was something comfortingly Amish about it), but he felt that the new lady, Santiago, made good points as well. The helmsman, Addams, seemed a little goofy but well-intentioned. All of this made Jeb unsure who to side with or what to say.

[Bridge]

Ian's eyes narrowed and he stood to emphasize his point with a voice that had gone very cold.

"Ensign, do not snatch defeat from the jaws of bloody victory. Do not presume ta lecture me on the merits of the position of counselor. You may choose ta try and sugar coat the role of Discovery, but that will just mean the reality of what this ship's mission is about will only hit you twice as hard. I know you know what 'denial' is about given your trainin' so I suggest you may want ta touch up on treatments fer it as you are deeply in denial if you think we aren't a warship. Now, you have worn out your welcome Ensign, go decorate your bloody office."

Then, he suddenly did have something to say. Galloway had been dreadfully rude to Santiago, and he felt inclined to volunteer and help her (lacking the courage to directly confront the senior officer for his lack of courtesy).
"I can help Ensign Santiago," he called out. "I'm not performing any needed duties."
Jeb immediately regretted this, as he realized that someone or other would probably be unhappy with him.