S12 - M12: When the Bough Breaks

[Kali Reyes]

[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.

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.

[Bridge]

Kali clutched the front of her collar as if insulted. "I am a lady. I abhor violence. But if you must blow off all that steam with some old fashioned fisticuffs, it's only logical that you allow me to officiate and make sure it doesn't get too out of hand. That's my job you know. Boat politics. Peace and love."

[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."

Speaking of said peace and love, Galloway just seemed to be not having it today. It was as if the bridge got a few degrees chilly by his put down. Kali stiffened and pulled away from the tactical station, wondering if she should interfere until Schrock decided to try and salvage the atmosphere.

"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.

"Acknowledged," Kali cut in, seeing as Schrock was under her department anyways. They already had a sproutling at the ops station trying her best to ignore everything and work on the survey. "Why don't you show our new counselor around? Browse the real estate. If the order goes through, I'll let you know."

[Ardyn Jaeger]

"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."

[Ready Room]
Ardy grimaced again as the captain gave his official laydown on their punishments. He sounded so much like her own father before he died, she almost had to bring herself back to reality after he finished speaking. Getting reduced even further in her duties than she already was for the next few months wasn't exactly her favorite thing. It would mean she would have to put upgrading her Flyer on hold, not that she was really in the mood for lifting heavy parts and the like, with an increasingly growing little girl on the way, but it still stunk. At least she could still fly and do her job.  Not much of a comfort, but it was better than nothing. She kinda did deserve it for overlooking that programming or simply integrating that system in the first place. "Understood, sir." She said stiffly, grateful it wasn't worse for the both of them.

She really felt sorry for Ari though. These past few weeks were really tough on her, and now she was off the bridge rounds for the time being. Not to mention that the project they had worked on worked far too well for its' own good, far earlier than they wanted, removing all the fun out of the creation. Sighing internally, she nodded in agreement with Ariste.  However, there was something perhaps even more pressing or perhaps more accurately, less appealing she had to attend to next.  "Permission to be excused for an appointment down in sickbay, sir?"

[P'Larr Santiago]

« USS Discovery ┼ Bridge »

The sound of the commander's voice near the center of her bridge caused her head to whip around sharply once her ears picked up the shift in tone. P'Larr took in a deep inhale from the pit of her diaphragm to keep herself from wanting to verbally lash out against the commanding officer. Instead, her eyebrow quirked sharply and her nostrils flared for a moment as her pale complexion flashed a bright cherry pink, her Klingon features becoming more prominent for a brief moment. Mentally talking herself down from the ledge took a bit of work but the color slowly drained from her cheeks.

"As I previously stated, Commander, my intentions were not to be a thorn in your side. My intention was to be heard and I was. I appreciate your time, sir." P'Larr had won her battle and she knew better than botch a victory for the sake of someone else's fragile ego. It simply wasn't worth it to her. Fortunately for the crew, Galloway was not the ship's counselor as he was quick to force his own moral compass on his officers. Taking him once more, the counselor was grateful for an offer to assist her by an ebon-haired crewman with a strong jaw in Operations yellow. "Thank you, crewman. I could use the walk," she said with a deflated smirk.

P'Larr exchanged a glance of gratitude with the head of Operations, who granted permission for Schrock to give her a second tour for the day. "I'll meet you in the turbolift, crewman," the counselor responded with a nod before turning to face the executive officer once again, "While I may have worn out my welcome, my door is always open to you, Commander." The counselor said before turning slowly at the heel of her boot, taking a step onto the upper dai before her foot planted there for a moment. Something nagged at her, causing the ridges at her forehead to wrinkle for a moment before she turned around.

"You're wrong about me, sir. I know the reality of war better than most. I caused one," The volume of her voice dropped just before her crystal blue eyes darkened for a moment, the recollection of her involvement in a battle that led to a Great House of Qo'Nos completely decimated appearing at the forefront of her mind. "You might call it denial, but I would call it hopeful. Hopeful that we can diplomatically navigate through the Delta Quadrant and forge alliances instead of enemies. The reality of war is that no one truly wins." Dropping her head, she turned once more and ascended up the shallow step before disappearing with the Operations crewman in the lift.

« USS Discovery ┼ Turbolift »

P'Larr didn't mean to ignore the well-intentioned Operations crewman when she called out, "Deck Three" just as the doors had slid shut with a hiss. She practically collapsed against the back wall of the lift before lifting a hand to cover her face. With a groan, she leaned her head against the back wall before lightly tapping it several times, "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. What were you thinking, P'Larr?!" Letting her hand slide off of her face, they collapsed at her slide before slapping against the wall. Blowing a renegade strand from her face, she turned to look at the crewman who chose to chaperone her once again.

"Thanks for stepping in back there. I didn't catch your name, crewman," she inquired, her eyes drooping a bit from the mental exhaustion of trying to dismiss the anger but as she continued to peel away the layers of her feelings, she found herself growing more and more agitated.

[Jebediah Schrock]

« USS Discovery ┼ Bridge »

The sound of the commander's voice near the center of her bridge caused her head to whip around sharply once her ears picked up the shift in tone. P'Larr took in a deep inhale from the pit of her diaphragm to keep herself from wanting to verbally lash out against the commanding officer. Instead, her eyebrow quirked sharply and her nostrils flared for a moment as her pale complexion flashed a bright cherry pink, her Klingon features becoming more prominent for a brief moment. Mentally talking herself down from the ledge took a bit of work but the color slowly drained from her cheeks.

"As I previously stated, Commander, my intentions were not to be a thorn in your side. My intention was to be heard and I was. I appreciate your time, sir." P'Larr had won her battle and she knew better than botch a victory for the sake of someone else's fragile ego. It simply wasn't worth it to her. Fortunately for the crew, Galloway was not the ship's counselor as he was quick to force his own moral compass on his officers. Taking him once more, the counselor was grateful for an offer to assist her by an ebon-haired crewman with a strong jaw in Operations yellow. "Thank you, crewman. I could use the walk," she said with a deflated smirk.

P'Larr exchanged a glance of gratitude with the head of Operations, who granted permission for Schrock to give her a second tour for the day. "I'll meet you in the turbolift, crewman," the counselor responded with a nod before turning to face the executive officer once again, "While I may have worn out my welcome, my door is always open to you, Commander." The counselor said before turning slowly at the heel of her boot, taking a step onto the upper dai before her foot planted there for a moment. Something nagged at her, causing the ridges at her forehead to wrinkle for a moment before she turned around.

"You're wrong about me, sir. I know the reality of war better than most. I caused one," The volume of her voice dropped just before her crystal blue eyes darkened for a moment, the recollection of her involvement in a battle that led to a Great House of Qo'Nos completely decimated appearing at the forefront of her mind. "You might call it denial, but I would call it hopeful. Hopeful that we can diplomatically navigate through the Delta Quadrant and forge alliances instead of enemies. The reality of war is that no one truly wins." Dropping her head, she turned once more and ascended up the shallow step before disappearing with the Operations crewman in the lift.

Jeb was startled, almost dizzy. Here was this fresh ensign, sticking it to the First Officer, in a manner that felt both very wrong and very right to Jeb. Without making eye contact with anyone, but especially Galloway and Santiago, Jeb followed along to the turbolift. He couldn't help but think of how much easier his life would be if he had remained with his family, farming dairy in rural Ohio. The weather and the cows weren't predictable, but they were a lot easier to deal with than humanoids of such different persuasion and strong spirit. They were also not all his bosses.

« USS Discovery ┼ Turbolift »

P'Larr didn't mean to ignore the well-intentioned Operations crewman when she called out, "Deck Three" just as the doors had slid shut with a hiss. She practically collapsed against the back wall of the lift before lifting a hand to cover her face. With a groan, she leaned her head against the back wall before lightly tapping it several times, "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. What were you thinking, P'Larr?!" Letting her hand slide off of her face, they collapsed at her slide before slapping against the wall. Blowing a renegade strand from her face, she turned to look at the crewman who chose to chaperone her once again.

"Thanks for stepping in back there. I didn't catch your name, crewman," she inquired, her eyes drooping a bit from the mental exhaustion of trying to dismiss the anger but as she continued to peel away the layers of her feelings, she found herself growing more and more agitated.

There was a certain air of exhaustion to the Discovery's new counselor, which Jeb assessed to have been caused, or otherwise greatly exacerbated, by the argument with Galloway. Not that he dwelled on it too much; he was not the ship's counselor, and he trusted the officer to know she could take a break if need be.
"The name's Schrock, Jeb Schrock," Jebby introduced himself in the manner that seemed the most logical. "Have you been given a tour of the ship yet?"
Jeb looked at P'Larr. She looked Klingon, but not quite. He was a little curious now, but too polite to ask anything outright.

[Tekin Nevir]

[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.

[Ready Room]
Ardy grimaced again as the captain gave his official laydown on their punishments. He sounded so much like her own father before he died, she almost had to bring herself back to reality after he finished speaking. Getting reduced even further in her duties than she already was for the next few months wasn't exactly her favorite thing. It would mean she would have to put upgrading her Flyer on hold, not that she was really in the mood for lifting heavy parts and the like, with an increasingly growing little girl on the way, but it still stunk. At least she could still fly and do her job.  Not much of a comfort, but it was better than nothing. She kinda did deserve it for overlooking that programming or simply integrating that system in the first place. "Understood, sir." She said stiffly, grateful it wasn't worse for the both of them.

She really felt sorry for Ari though. These past few weeks were really tough on her, and now she was off the bridge rounds for the time being. Not to mention that the project they had worked on worked far too well for its' own good, far earlier than they wanted, removing all the fun out of the creation. Sighing internally, she nodded in agreement with Ariste.  However, there was something perhaps even more pressing or perhaps more accurately, less appealing she had to attend to next.  "Permission to be excused for an appointment down in sickbay, sir?"

[Captain's Ready Room - USS Discovery]

"I have no doubt about that, Ms. Stark.  Jaeger, you are dismissed.  Stark... even in hibernation, Happy keeps asking me for updates.  You better get back to work.  Dismissed." he stated, letting the two walk out before he then followed.

[Bridge]

With the apparent drama on the bridge conveniently gone by the time he stepped back on board, he took a glance around at the current people stationed.  Ainsley was here, good.  He was certainly more comfortable with him at tactical.  Schrock was gone again... but considering Galloway was here it was doubtful that he left for no good reason.

"I don't see a mutiny... I guess they like you, Commander." Nevir stated, crossing over to where the chair was.  His eyes scanned over the room... did Kali look more... stiff?  Maybe this was working faster than he expected.

"Alright, let's head for our last sector so we can go home.  I think we all deserve a break.  If we don't killed ourselves first." he added, watching the helm to make the changes.

"Anything to report?"

[Kali Reyes]

P'Larr exchanged a glance of gratitude with the head of Operations, who granted permission for Schrock to give her a second tour for the day. "I'll meet you in the turbolift, crewman," the counselor responded with a nod before turning to face the executive officer once again, "While I may have worn out my welcome, my door is always open to you, Commander." The counselor said before turning slowly at the heel of her boot, taking a step onto the upper dai before her foot planted there for a moment. Something nagged at her, causing the ridges at her forehead to wrinkle for a moment before she turned around.

"You're wrong about me, sir. I know the reality of war better than most. I caused one," The volume of her voice dropped just before her crystal blue eyes darkened for a moment, the recollection of her involvement in a battle that led to a Great House of Qo'Nos completely decimated appearing at the forefront of her mind. "You might call it denial, but I would call it hopeful. Hopeful that we can diplomatically navigate through the Delta Quadrant and forge alliances instead of enemies. The reality of war is that no one truly wins." Dropping her head, she turned once more and ascended up the shallow step before disappearing with the Operations crewman in the lift.

[Bridge]

Kali couldn't help but lowly whistle at the woman's exit with a pride befitting the ridges on her head. That was also the second reason she wasn't going to tango with her. Klingon counselors? Starfleet must really think the Discovery dire for a more hands on approach in the name of mental health. Hands on her hips, she shot Galloway a significant look and stepped away from the chair just as Forscher quietly asked for her attention at the Ops station.

She had a feeling that the tensions were only going to mount; this was just a tiny bit of hors d'oeuvres to snack on. Santiago urging Galloway to make an appointment for a session made her internally giggle like a schoolgirl.

So long as it wasn't her on the couch, their new counselor can counsel away.

[Bridge]

With the apparent drama on the bridge conveniently gone by the time he stepped back on board, he took a glance around at the current people stationed.  Ainsley was here, good.  He was certainly more comfortable with him at tactical.  Schrock was gone again... but considering Galloway was here it was doubtful that he left for no good reason.

"I don't see a mutiny... I guess they like you, Commander." Nevir stated, crossing over to where the chair was.  His eyes scanned over the room... did Kali look more... stiff?  Maybe this was working faster than he expected.

"Alright, let's head for our last sector so we can go home.  I think we all deserve a break.  If we don't killed ourselves first." he added, watching the helm to make the changes.

"Anything to report?"

Her response was a cross between a laugh and a hiccup, spelling out the irony of Tekin's arrival. "Ah-ha."

[Ian Galloway]

« USS Discovery ┼ Bridge »

The sound of the commander's voice near the center of her bridge caused her head to whip around sharply once her ears picked up the shift in tone. P'Larr took in a deep inhale from the pit of her diaphragm to keep herself from wanting to verbally lash out against the commanding officer. Instead, her eyebrow quirked sharply and her nostrils flared for a moment as her pale complexion flashed a bright cherry pink, her Klingon features becoming more prominent for a brief moment. Mentally talking herself down from the ledge took a bit of work but the color slowly drained from her cheeks.

"As I previously stated, Commander, my intentions were not to be a thorn in your side. My intention was to be heard and I was. I appreciate your time, sir." P'Larr had won her battle and she knew better than botch a victory for the sake of someone else's fragile ego. It simply wasn't worth it to her. Fortunately for the crew, Galloway was not the ship's counselor as he was quick to force his own moral compass on his officers. Taking him once more, the counselor was grateful for an offer to assist her by an ebon-haired crewman with a strong jaw in Operations yellow. "Thank you, crewman. I could use the walk," she said with a deflated smirk.

P'Larr exchanged a glance of gratitude with the head of Operations, who granted permission for Schrock to give her a second tour for the day. "I'll meet you in the turbolift, crewman," the counselor responded with a nod before turning to face the executive officer once again, "While I may have worn out my welcome, my door is always open to you, Commander." The counselor said before turning slowly at the heel of her boot, taking a step onto the upper dai before her foot planted there for a moment. Something nagged at her, causing the ridges at her forehead to wrinkle for a moment before she turned around.

"You're wrong about me, sir. I know the reality of war better than most. I caused one," The volume of her voice dropped just before her crystal blue eyes darkened for a moment, the recollection of her involvement in a battle that led to a Great House of Qo'Nos completely decimated appearing at the forefront of her mind. "You might call it denial, but I would call it hopeful. Hopeful that we can diplomatically navigate through the Delta Quadrant and forge alliances instead of enemies. The reality of war is that no one truly wins." Dropping her head, she turned once more and ascended up the shallow step before disappearing with the Operations crewman in the lift.

[Bridge]

Ian's expression became even harder and the tone of his voice made it seem like the temperature on the bridge had dropped into the Kelvin range as he replied.

"Ensign, you really need to learn ta quit while you are behind. If'n I were the petty sort, I'd send you back ta your closet. Count yourself lucky that I am not petty. As fer me availin' myself ta your services, I prefer counselors that listen more and talk less."

Angry now, Ian turned back toward the widescreen, even though it only displayed open and empty space rather than allow himself to be dragged into further conversation with the clearly overly optimistic woman.

"By all that's ever been holy, sweet, merciful Maker, preserve us from the naivety of well meanin' counselors."

As to the counselor's claim that she started a war, Ian didn't dismiss the notion completely, one never knew with Klingons, but if it were true, one had to wonder how one could remain so clueless after having seen war.

[Bridge]

Kali couldn't help but lowly whistle at the woman's exit with a pride befitting the ridges on her head. That was also the second reason she wasn't going to tango with her. Klingon counselors? Starfleet must really think the Discovery dire for a more hands on approach in the name of mental health. Hands on her hips, she shot Galloway a significant look and stepped away from the chair just as Forscher quietly asked for her attention at the Ops station.

She had a feeling that the tensions were only going to mount; this was just a tiny bit of hors d'oeuvres to snack on. Santiago urging Galloway to make an appointment for a session made her internally giggle like a schoolgirl.

So long as it wasn't her on the couch, their new counselor can counsel away.

Her response was a cross between a laugh and a hiccup, spelling out the irony of Tekin's arrival. "Ah-ha."

[Bridge]

Ian arched an eyebrow and shook his head in sympathy with the Chief and shrugged without replying.

[Bridge]

With the apparent drama on the bridge conveniently gone by the time he stepped back on board, he took a glance around at the current people stationed.  Ainsley was here, good.  He was certainly more comfortable with him at tactical.  Schrock was gone again... but considering Galloway was here it was doubtful that he left for no good reason.

"I don't see a mutiny... I guess they like you, Commander." Nevir stated, crossing over to where the chair was.  His eyes scanned over the room... did Kali look more... stiff?  Maybe this was working faster than he expected.

"Alright, let's head for our last sector so we can go home.  I think we all deserve a break.  If we don't killed ourselves first." he added, watching the helm to make the changes.

"Anything to report?"

[Bridge]

Ian rose as the captain entered the bridge and moved to his own seat with a smile as he replied.

"All is ship shape and Bristol fashion Sir. You will be receivin' permission ta convert the aft crew lounge into space fer our new counselor. Based on the need fer a proper place ta conduct her duty, I gave tentative approval. It is a reasonable request Sir."

[Lennox Ainsley]

[Bridge]

Kali clutched the front of her collar as if insulted. "I am a lady. I abhor violence. But if you must blow off all that steam with some old fashioned fisticuffs, it's only logical that you allow me to officiate and make sure it doesn't get too out of hand. That's my job you know. Boat politics. Peace and love."

Lennox chuckled some, noting the faux tone of insult in her voice as she spoke of should they need to blow off some steam. "No arguments from me, ye know this."

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?"

Whether or not it was on purpose, Lennox didn't mind the company - now that he thought about it. Even though he was certain boredom would eventually settle in, it was always nice to have a fresh face around the station. "We'll make do." Because it could swing either way; but it seemed they were getting on as of yet.

"Been recently tryin' te find a way of apologizin' te STEVE, but when workload's short, I tend to stick myself down in the armoury te go through checks again." Lennox replied. He was going to gloss over the fact that he did have a rifle in his dorm room that had misfired before, which also coincided with him losing his shirt during an inspection.

[Bridge]

With the apparent drama on the bridge conveniently gone by the time he stepped back on board, he took a glance around at the current people stationed.  Ainsley was here, good.  He was certainly more comfortable with him at tactical.  Schrock was gone again... but considering Galloway was here it was doubtful that he left for no good reason.

"I don't see a mutiny... I guess they like you, Commander." Nevir stated, crossing over to where the chair was.  His eyes scanned over the room... did Kali look more... stiff?  Maybe this was working faster than he expected.

"Alright, let's head for our last sector so we can go home.  I think we all deserve a break.  If we don't killed ourselves first." he added, watching the helm to make the changes.

"Anything to report?"

Lennox had spotted Tekin and stood a tad bit straighter in his presence.

[Ardyn Jaeger]

Note; this is a Joint post between T'Ra and I.

[Sickbay]
Ardy walked down to the sickbay rather begrudgingly. despite going to see T'Ra. If it wasn't for her friendship and constant "reminders", Ardy would probably have long since forgotten, skipped out, or conveniently get rescheduled for duty to avoid going down to the antibacterial-smelling sickbay. she wasn't a fan of medical procedures, to put it lightly. making her way down, she sat herself down on a bio-bed. "Hey Ra-ra. I'm back for the usual."

It took the Vulcan a moment to register Ardyn's presence in sickbay, her mind unusually cluttered. PADDS and tools alike were scattered everywhere. Just when I start to get the place organized, I have to drop everything and go , she thought. A soft call of "Ra-ra" stirred her from her thoughts. "Oh, hi, Miss Jaeger... the usual... right..."

"Yup. the usual." Ardy said, kicking back onto the bed with her usual casual swagger. "It's been a long day, that's for sure." Ardy mentioned, noting the slightly disorganized thought patterns from T'Ra, in contrast to her usually Vulcanly precise manner. "What's up?" she asked, slightly curious.

The sky is up, she wanted to say. But in space, what was "up"? T'Ra let out a long breath. "A family emergency has come up. Evan and I will need to be gone for a couple months." She reached for a medical tricorder. "But I still have brought time for one last appointment..."

Ardy nodded, understanding the situation. Family emergencies were always a pain to deal with, that was certain. "I get ya. " Ardy said sympathetically, sitting up straight as she let her friend do her scans. Maddy moved around inside, giving Ardy a hard nudge to her ribs. "The kiddo's really quite the little ninja, that's for certain

"And I'm sure as she gets older, people will tell her what a spitfire her mom was in her youth," T'Ra replied, offering a wry grin, another rarity for the Vulcan.

Ardy chuckled, glad to see that she could get her friend to smile. it was a rare event, but she was one of the few people who was able to get past all the Vulcan walls. "You said that right. So, what do your scans read Cap? She asked, jokingly referring to her former office.

"Well," T'Ra replied, "I'm sure Captain Tekin will be glad to know your baby is healthy and maturing at a good rate. Vitals are good."

"That's a relief. One less thing for him to be on my case about." she said, lazily patting her rounded abdomen. "he's officially placed me on reduced duty shifts until she comes."
T'Ra arched a brow, amused. "Don't blame Tekin for something I suggested," she laughed. "He May be Captain now, but he still has to listen to me."

"True. You win here." Ardy said, smirking  slightly  sarcastically in response. "So, how's T'Lana?"

"She's already walking, if you can believe it," T'Ra said with a smile. "And she's starting to babble."

Ardy couldn't help but smile at that. "Already outpacing you, eh? Steve will love having someone who can keep pace with him."

T'Ra nodded. "And just think of the trio they'll make when the girls are older."

"Oh gosh. I can just imagine the insanity." Ardy agreed. Steve alone was a handful. she could only imagine just how much chaos two toddlers added to the mix would provide. "We're gonna be in trouble, T'Ra."

"It will certainly be interesting, T'Ra added, "and I will do what I can to be back before your little one is due. If not, I trust all of the doctors here to tend to the matter..."
Ardy nodded. it had crossed her mind more than a few times that sometime soon within the next few months, she'd have to have the kid, one way or the other. a prospect that she still didn't feel quite ready for just yet. "You said that right.'
"But don't hesitate to message me day or night if you need to," T'Ra reminded her.
"I won't." Standing back up from the biobed, she straightened her uniform jacket back again. "I'd probably better get back up. Ensign Shawhan's a good pilot, but I still don't trust him when it comes to my ship, you know?"
T'Ra nodded. She understood all too well. The Discovery was the second vessel she'd had the honour to captain. But she knew the Disco would be in good hands.
Hugging her friend, she nodded, having caught a snippet of T'Ra's thoughts, almost involuntarily. "Good luck with your family stuff Ra-Ra." she said before heading back up.

[Bridge]
Nothing much seemed to have changed during the time during her appointment as Ardy took control of the helm once more from Shawhan. "Any specific direction we need to go, boss?"

[P'Larr Santiago]

« USS Discovery ┼ Deck Three Corridor »

As the turbolift's gears began to grind to a halt, P'Larr slowly composed herself by taking a step away from the back wall while the crewman introduced himself to her. "Nice to meet you, Jeb," she said, exchanging a fatigued smile. Try as she might, her mind remained fastened to the moment that had just transpired on the bridge. Every time she thought she could move past the way the executive officer had utterly disrespected her in front of the entire crew, undermining the work of the ship's new counselor on the first day by continuing to propel an agenda of war when the fleet's objective was a quest for interstellar peace throughout the quadrants, she was sucked back into a black hole of anger.

Huffing once more, she began to brush her hand through her hair before letting it settle at the top of her crown. Her fingers gingerly rubbed her scalp for a second before she ran her hand all the way through to give a modicum of proper grooming. "Actually, I just finished my tour before I went up to the bridge. That's how I found about that the multiple science labs, the cryptology lab, and the three bridges were more important than a space to nurture mental well-being of the crew." Shaking her head in disbelief once the memory flooded back in, a chime in the turbolift indicated the pair had arrived to their destination.

Once the door opened, P'Larr took a step onto the third deck of the of Prometheus class vessel and waited for Jeb to catch up with her. There was a gentleness about the man that helped to calm her storm, "At first I wanted to pay a visit to the aft lounge once again, to see if I had any flashes of inspiration to decorate the space but now I'm not so sure..." she trailed off while walking down the corridor. "Victory doesn't feel so good when you have to be cut down to size to get there," P'Larr mused aloud while taking in a passing pair of officers who managed to be buried with their noses in their PADD and have a conversation simultaneously at the same time.

Adopting a leisurely pace as she rested her arms behind her back, she glanced at the crewman from her periphery and said, "I saw you look at my ridges in the turbolift, by the way." she said with a bit of amusement before the corner of her lip twined into a little smirk before the pair rounded another corner. "As counselor, I'm going to be prying and asking a lot of questions while I get to know the crew. Seems only fair that it goes both ways," she said with a small shrug as the doors to the Observation Lounge were slowly coming into view.

"How's your eye for interior design, crewman?" The counselor inquired while continuing to traverse down the long corridor, "Maybe you can lend me a hand with the industrial replicators after this? We can draw up some specs together for the chief's approval before it gets passed along to the command staff. If you have some time to spare, of course. I know it's your duty shift but I can cover for you for a while if you wished to go galavanting around the ship. It's the least I could do for your help," she said before reaching the doors to her tentative home.

[Don Damien Addams]

[Bridge]

Don got up from the Helm so Jaeger could take over. He had not wanted to ask if things were okay. He figured let her have her space. If rumors got to unreal. He would seem her out for her side of the story. It would be the complete truth and facts.

He nodded his head to the head officers as he headed to the turbolift. "See you later sir," Don said to Galloway. He could not wait to fly the fighter plane later.

He was not sure why they had a counselor on the ship, but Starfleet had wanted to do a test run.  A frown grow on his face. Test run. They are test rats for a experiment. The choice of words from the counselor was not proper. He had not thought of that.

Yes. He had tried to help, but he was shot down. He was regretting being here but it was thrilling too. Guess he would not be truly happy wherever he was. That he would admit.

[deck 3- corridor]

The turbo lift took him to the floor where the aft on the third floor. The doors opened and he aimlessly walked out. Then he walked down the corridor to sure where he was really heading.

[Tekin Nevir]

[Bridge]

Ian rose as the captain entered the bridge and moved to his own seat with a smile as he replied.

"All is ship shape and Bristol fashion Sir. You will be receivin' permission ta convert the aft crew lounge into space fer our new counselor. Based on the need fer a proper place ta conduct her duty, I gave tentative approval. It is a reasonable request Sir."

[Bridge]

Nevir frowned, but nodded.  "Right, I forgot about that.  The aft lounge will do for now.  I've put in a request to get her an office once we get back to Columbus.  Gotta love having modular ships." he said, shaking his head.  He looked up when Ardyn came in... he could trust T'Ra's opinion on her medical status, so he didn't press the issue.

"87 point 3 mark 8, Lieutenant.  Final sector before we go home."

[Jebediah Schrock]

« USS Discovery ┼ Deck Three Corridor »

As the turbolift's gears began to grind to a halt, P'Larr slowly composed herself by taking a step away from the back wall while the crewman introduced himself to her. "Nice to meet you, Jeb," she said, exchanging a fatigued smile. Try as she might, her mind remained fastened to the moment that had just transpired on the bridge. Every time she thought she could move past the way the executive officer had utterly disrespected her in front of the entire crew, undermining the work of the ship's new counselor on the first day by continuing to propel an agenda of war when the fleet's objective was a quest for interstellar peace throughout the quadrants, she was sucked back into a black hole of anger.

Huffing once more, she began to brush her hand through her hair before letting it settle at the top of her crown. Her fingers gingerly rubbed her scalp for a second before she ran her hand all the way through to give a modicum of proper grooming. "Actually, I just finished my tour before I went up to the bridge. That's how I found about that the multiple science labs, the cryptology lab, and the three bridges were more important than a space to nurture mental well-being of the crew." Shaking her head in disbelief once the memory flooded back in, a chime in the turbolift indicated the pair had arrived to their destination.

Once the door opened, P'Larr took a step onto the third deck of the of Prometheus class vessel and waited for Jeb to catch up with her. There was a gentleness about the man that helped to calm her storm, "At first I wanted to pay a visit to the aft lounge once again, to see if I had any flashes of inspiration to decorate the space but now I'm not so sure..." she trailed off while walking down the corridor. "Victory doesn't feel so good when you have to be cut down to size to get there," P'Larr mused aloud while taking in a passing pair of officers who managed to be buried with their noses in their PADD and have a conversation simultaneously at the same time.

Adopting a leisurely pace as she rested her arms behind her back, she glanced at the crewman from her periphery and said, "I saw you look at my ridges in the turbolift, by the way." she said with a bit of amusement before the corner of her lip twined into a little smirk before the pair rounded another corner. "As counselor, I'm going to be prying and asking a lot of questions while I get to know the crew. Seems only fair that it goes both ways," she said with a small shrug as the doors to the Observation Lounge were slowly coming into view.

"How's your eye for interior design, crewman?" The counselor inquired while continuing to traverse down the long corridor, "Maybe you can lend me a hand with the industrial replicators after this? We can draw up some specs together for the chief's approval before it gets passed along to the command staff. If you have some time to spare, of course. I know it's your duty shift but I can cover for you for a while if you wished to go galavanting around the ship. It's the least I could do for your help," she said before reaching the doors to her tentative home.

[Turbolift -> Lounge]
Jeb continued to listen to P'Larr; he had quite the knack for it, especially when it came to those above him. There were comments on the superfluous battle bridges (Jeb was too new to assess whether MVAM was truly worthy), science labs (Jeb respected the work scientists did, exploring space), and the crypto lab (Jeb really didn't see the point in this one, when security and engineering each had crypto people). There was some distinct bitterness towards Galloway for his treatment of her (it was disrespectful and rude of him, so Jeb didn't entirely hold it against her).
Jeb nodded respectfully when P'Larr pointed out that he had stared at her ridges, but he didn't ask about the extent her Klingon heritage - it didn't feel like the place or time.
"I'm at your service, ma'am," Jeb replied at last. "I'm here to help, best as I can, with whatever you need. If that's interior design, or specs, or churning butter doesn't make a difference, that's my current job. Unless Chief Reyes pulls me away, that is."
Only now did Jeb realize how bizarrely out of place his mention of churning butter was. He followed quietly into the lounge, and then asked the only question he could think of.
"Are there any paintings you want to hang here? I know a lot of people keep portraits of their role models in their offices."

[Inzjana]

BRIDGE - SCIENCE STATION ONE

SPACE, THE FINAL FRONTIER...TO EXPLORE STRANGE NEW WORLDS...TO SEEK OUT NEW LIFE AND NEW CIVILIZATIONS...TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO ONE HAS GONE BEFORE!

These were the words currently going through Inzjana's mind after the abhorrent display machismo that just took place on the bridge of the Discovery. A display better suited on a Klingon or Romulan warship, or back in Earth's twentieth and twenty first centuries, not on a 24th Century starship. The executive officer had a point that this ship was indeed a warship, it was not, however, what Starfleet was all about and therefore as logic ensues, the ship's new counsellor was perfectly within her rights to say what she had. Commander Galloway was completely out of line and disrespectful to the ensign, as well as patronizing and condescending. The new counsellor was also perfectly in her rights to request a more appropriate office, best suited for her work, which was more important than pressing a simple button to fire the ship's Phasers, anyone can do that; Psychiatry takes years of study.

Regardless, Inzjana new it was not up to her to judge, although, after that, most of the crew are not going to respect the first officer either and could easily lead to malcontent and mass exodus. Inzjana was a Vulcan, first and for most and that meant to respect all life in all its forms, her Romulan side would no doubt agree with the commander though and would have shoved the counsellor out the nearest airlock, along with Commander Galloway for good measure.

As Captain Tekin had come out of his ready room and had ordered a course correction, Inzjana was forced out of her revelry and back to her console as it chimed with an anomaly. Clicking on the LCARS icon that popped up on the screen, the telemetry graphics shifted to subspace wave functions.

"Fascinating," Inzjana stated turning to the captains chair, "Captain, it appears that we are receiving a subspace communication. I am unable at present to discern as to whom the is meant for, or where it is coming from, nor who sent it. But it is definitely a communication and within Federation bandwidths along our current vector. I will attempt ascertain any further information, if you could assist please ma'am." Inzjana stated turning to Kali for the last part.

Although Inzjana new fair well that she had enough doctorates and experience under her belt to run this entire ship by herself, that wasn't her way and besides, she still hadn't made any friends on this boat yet and was feeling a bit lonely to be honest. All her friends were back on Reach in the Epsilon Eridani system and it would be 'agreeable' to make some new friends as now she had returned back to fleet duties.

[Kali Reyes]

[Bridge]

Nevir frowned, but nodded.  "Right, I forgot about that.  The aft lounge will do for now.  I've put in a request to get her an office once we get back to Columbus.  Gotta love having modular ships." he said, shaking his head.  He looked up when Ardyn came in... he could trust T'Ra's opinion on her medical status, so he didn't press the issue.

"87 point 3 mark 8, Lieutenant.  Final sector before we go home."

[Bridge]

Hearing the A-Okay, Kali typed out a short text message to Schrock's communicator giving the counselor the go ahead to convert the lounge. If the crew wants to complain, she'll just have to direct them to the two other lounges on the ship. One of her last projects before she went flat broke was an oxygen bar in one of those - hopefully that'll turn their attentions elsewhere.

"Fascinating," Inzjana stated turning to the captains chair, "Captain, it appears that we are receiving a subspace communication. I am unable at present to discern as to whom the is meant for, or where it is coming from, nor who sent it. But it is definitely a communication and within Federation bandwidths along our current vector. I will attempt ascertain any further information, if you could assist please ma'am." Inzjana stated turning to Kali for the last part.

Although Inzjana new fair well that she had enough doctorates and experience under her belt to run this entire ship by herself, that wasn't her way and besides, she still hadn't made any friends on this boat yet and was feeling a bit lonely to be honest. All her friends were back on Reach in the Epsilon Eridani system and it would be 'agreeable' to make some new friends as now she had returned back to fleet duties.

Kali hadn't been dipping her toes in the science station recently, so this was kind of a treat for her. She effortlessly slid on over to Inzjana and peered at the screen near her shoulder. Pure science wasn't her area of expertise as much as mechanical engineering was. Something tangible in her hands gave her more possibilities than the unknown.

"Good morning, Lieutenant Inzjana," she said pleasantly as she read the screen. "A mysterious comm blip, hmm? I'm at your disposal."