Last One Out, Get The Lights

Posted on Tue Feb 25th, 2020 @ 4:25pm by Fleet Captain Torilla Yamaguchi

Mission: Mission 15: Old Ghosts
Location: Various Locations - USS Roanoke
Timeline: 0800Hrs, December 7th, 2390

Commander Torilla Yamaguchi sighed softly. "I got dragged out of bed for this crap...." she growled as she turned to Tane. "Lemme get this right.." she commented.

"We have a Cardassian aboard who got into a fight with Phoenix and she got mashed up..." she shook her head. "and here I was thinking that Rachael getting pregnant would be the highlight of my week..."

"Doctor Dvald said this was a severe PTSD episode, and I should be lenient." Zara passed her XO a warm cup of tea as Zara sat on the sofa. "I want to know your take on the fire bird."

Torilla slowly sat down in the chair as she sipped the hot drink. "Lenient... considering the injuries reported... right arm so smashed up that she may need a prosthetic.." Yamaguchi responded. "I can see why she says it would be a PTSD episode but who was the jackass who sent the Lieutenant here in the first place...?"

"If I find out, I'll sight him for stupidity," Zara spoke as she shook her head in disgust. "Every fiber of me wants to cart her off to a mental healthcare facility. Thing is, long-term confinement would make it worse. So how do I go about fixing this mess?"

Torilla sipped her drink. How indeed would be an excellent question. "Relieve her of her flight status for a start. She also should do some measure of community service because we can't not punish her... if we let her away with it, we'll have anarchy on our hands." she explained as she felt the soothing warmth of the mug in her hands. "Oh I want to ship her off too.. but... it wouldn't help..." she sighed.

Zara shook her head again and spread her feet out on the table in front of her. She invited Torilla to do the same, all the while, staring up at the ceiling.

"You know...." Zara began with a knot in her throat. "When my XO died, I was hurting. I served with him for seven years. Best friend."

She stopped there and rubbed her nose. "I treated you like shit, unfairly so, and didn't care because I was hurting. Still am. But I think... I dunno... Phoenix is still hurting. And has hurt far longer than we know. And I don't feel right leaving her as a casualty and relic of a war many of these kids don't know about, and need to, to understand."

Yamaguchi nodded her head as she understood exactly what Tane
was talking about and where she was coming from. "Phoenix has seemed to be getting worse in the time I've known her.." she paused. "My daughter knows her better then anyone else on the crew.." she sighed softly. "But I accept your apology...I'm sorry too... I prejudged you... you were in here wanting to be left alone and do your thing... when I heard you were stoned.. I judged you as unfit.."

"Question we need to ask, is why she is getting worse? What triggered these attacks?" Zara asked aloud, though it was probably meant for herself.

Torilla nodded her head as she placed the warm mug on the table as she heard her daughters voice. 'Mom, Phoenix needs a creative outlet for her rage, she's bottling it up and the dam is breaking.. she needs an outlet..'

Torilla slowly smiled. "Of course.." she commented. "Demand Phoenix start a hobby.. something she can enjoy or something old that she can start doing again.. according to Rachael... Phoenix can't get the rage out of her system.."

Zara added that to the list of suggestions. "I told Siaxx that Phoenix's flight status is revoked until she feels Phoenix is mentally ready. So that, your suggestion, and ordering her into counseling is about the only other thing I know to do."

Zara took another long sip of tea and sighed. Phoenix could give her such a headache. "It's ironic I wish her off my ship so much, yet the noble part of me can't let her go out the way most people in the fleet want her to... With a Section 8. Warriors like us want to die in battles, not beds."

"Oh I know exactly how you feel... Phoenix has given me my fair share of issues too... my daughter however thinks the world of her.. " she paused. "Phoenix needs something happy... but how to help her without causing more problems for everyone involved..?" she mused. "we could stick her on a holodeck and let her work out some of her issues there.... if command gets wind of this, she's fucked..."

"She's only fucked if it proves we're showing favoritism to her, which we're not," Zara corrected. "Captain's prerogative. For which it is my right to discipline my crew as I see fit. And right now, it is my opinion that this young lieutenant is a victim of violence. And it is the Federation to blame for it, since Phoenix is the direct result of what happens when the system fails. So we have a duty to help both victims."

Torilla blinked as she found herself being shocked by Zara's statement, she also had the surprise of thinking of the small woman as Zara and not Tane, before she smiled and decided to place her boots on the table as she drained her mug as she finished the drink in one smooth swig. "Excellent Tea.... " she managed.. "Zara. you surprise me... I had no idea that you would ever consider Phoenix whatsoever.. I mean you two can hardly stand to be in the same room as each other..."

Torilla paused. "But you're correct... we should help both..."

"We hate each other because of an event neither of us really remembers the exact details of," Zara explained as she rubbed her temples. "But even then, I and others on the Rowling knew she was in pain. She only ever was manageable after a letter from her parents. Or flying a CAP... But now flying isn't enough to remove her pain."

Torilla found herself looking up at the ceiling. "Then she needs a new hobby... " she mused. "I should ask Siaxx to look into it..."

"Don't get me wrong... I still hate that woman," Zara spoke rather soberly as she turned her head to look at her XO. "...But I have let go of my need to punch her at first sight. I'm getting too old to get into boxing matches for stupid reasons."

Torilla regarded Tane. "I'm thinking we should get Siaxx involved in whatever solution we come up with... for obvious reasons." she commented. "I wish I knew how to help her.."

Zara nodded to that as she wrote all this on a PADD. "So light duty and flight status revoked. With at least one required counseling session for evaluation. And Siaxx is ultimately responsible for restoring Phoenix to full duty and flight status... That's a lot for a girlfriend to carry on her shoulders. More so when Phoenix takes her clipped wings rather personally."

"Siaxx needs to learn to separate the girlfriend from the Doctor." Yamaguchi smiled. "Nice test though.." she added with a grin. "Siaxx
wants command... this is a good way to prove she's capable.." she paused. "I never said why I transferred off of Four hundred... well lets just say my children had something to do with it... but not in the manner you'd think."

"Oh?" Tane asked as she sipped on her tea.

"Well.. I left Starbase Four Hundred... is was because my government had sent a representative to come see me... my species is going through a species crunch in numbers.." Yamaguchi suddenly felt ancient. "They wanted things from me that I was not prepared to part with... and my youngest regards Phoenix almost as kin..." Torilla paused. "Also... we do have another Commander aboard who's not involved with the Phoenix situation... he would be perfect to assist us with this.."

"Who?" Zara blinked.

"Commander Teval Vakar, your deck boss..." Torilla smiled. "The one you thought was Mickey Mouse.." there was something in Yamaguchi's tone as she said it, was it dry humor or sarcasm.

"I thought those were drugs," Zara laughed aloud. "Just how badly of a hole am I in with him? And how hard is it going to be to climb out of the hole?"

Torilla paused. "Nope." she answered, "and you are in very deep with them.... You've been ignoring both him and his sibling... and they are both very disgruntled with you."

"Should we haul them in here now, then? And let them have all the goes as me they want?" Zara suggested gently.

"Yep.... you're in deep... might as well start working on fixing it right now." she explained evenly. "But... honestly... I think you might be too late to fix this.."

Zara rubbed her temples in frustration. "I'll try to work on it, but if it's too late, I can't spend my time trying to fix a situation that can't be fixed."

"Don't give up so easily... You do need to get out more anyway... This crew needs to see you more... so go tour the ship, meet and greet the people... remind that that their Captain is getting out and give me a break from all the walking.." and with that Yamaguchi smiled.

"I think I will. Starting with a senior staff meeting, I think." Zara popped her neck, then looked to Torilla again. "Need to appoint a second officer too. And as much as Siaxx wants to move away from medical, she's not ready for command roles."

"Siaxx.. no. she's not qualified." she explained as she picked up a PADD before calling up the roster. "Lets see... she's broke, she's shit, he's worthless..." she commented. "Marines and Starfighters are both a lost cause for various reasons. Siaxx and Ra'Vak are both out because they are new Lt Commanders. Meslina doesn't have the rank... Teval don't want the job and he hates you... so you're stuck with one guy... Jacen Saint... and Him, I don't think can handle it either.." she paused. "I recommend you talk to Teval and sort your things out before you decide on a bad choice who is unstable at best.."

Torilla sighed softly. "We don't have enough command level's office... Meslina is Ops, she normaly would be the second officer but she doesn't have the rank for it... we can request another Commander to serve as Second Officer directly."

"Saint is really the only choice to make, yeah." Zara nodded in agreement as she worked more on her tea. "We'll try to leave dock a few days early I think. Get folks refocused on our mission and not each other. That sound all right to you?"

"We do need to get this crew sorted out." she commented. "Or else... but maybe its time we start weeding out the garden... if they don' shape up, we ship them out.." she paused. "As for Teval, I strongly recommend you speak with him... he might have some choice words for you but at least you're giving him the chance to say his piece."

"Should we ask him here, now? To do that, and give us his perspective on Phoenix?" Zara asked respectfully.

"Yes.." Yamaguchi responded in an even tone. "I will be outside on the bridge... I'll let him talk to you alone."

"Summon him to my office, if you don't mind?" Zara asked politely.

Yamaguchi was still sitting with her feet up on the deck, she tapped her combadge. "Yamaguchi to Vakar, would you mind coming up to the Skippers ready room please and thanks?"

Teval had only just arrived at the hangar bay a few minutes ago when he got the call from Torilla. Teval and Hakaya weren't really sure which sibling she was asking for, so they simply both went, while Hakaya filled him in on the situation. When Hakaya was done, the realization hit Teval like a ton of bricks after seeing the look in his sisters face, he really did hate Captain Tane, and so did she. He realized that Tane was responsible for allowing the crew to fall to such a state, and Anastasiya had told him that the crew had been like this as long as she has been on board, though it has been slowly getting worse. Teval did believe, that to a point, that the subordinates where the representatives of the officer in charge, and if the crew was this bad, then that would make Tane one of the worst officers that he had ever served under. both siblings arrived on the bridge, fullly unaware of the rage that they where putting off.

Torilla rose to her feet as she felt the dark hatred, the cold rage, as she shivered despite the fact it was warm in Tane's office. "Let me go greet your guests." and with that the large woman went over to the door.

She stepped out onto the bridge to be greeted by Hakaya and Teval. "Guys... I won't ask how you're doing... your emotional state is telling me all I need to know." she said quietly. "I'll be right out here... let you spend five minutes with her."

Hakaya shook her head and said," Yeah I'm not going in there, I might strangle her."

Teval looked at Torilla, "So she finally acknowledged that we exist huh, Tell me is she still stoned out of her mind," He spat.

Torilla regarded both of them. "No... she's stone cold sober.." she replied, clearly rattled. "I'll go in with you.. if only to play referee." she explained. "But... take a moment before we go on in..."

Teval took her advice and waited while he cooled himself, while Hakaya simply leaned on the wall. "Yeah, I was about to ask you to come with."

Torilla didn't say anything as she followed Teval in the room, he had better composure entering her office, than when he got on the bridge.

He looked at Tane and simply said in a mostly even voice, "Yeah, what do you want."

"I wanted your opinion on the Phoenix matter, Commander." Zara spoke very respectfully. "And I wanted to meet you for real."

Teval looked at her with suspicion then said," So, you acknowledged that i exist, but as for Phoenix, I say that she needs a very close psychological evaluation before you do anything else, then make a decision based on the results.

"I could apologize til the sun comes home, and I know it's not good enough." Zara spoke with open hands as if giving up, then relaxed further into her couch. "Am I sorry I was heavily intoxicated? Yes, I am. But it's how I deal with loss and pain."

Teval crossed his arms, and gave an utterly merciless look, "THAT, is not, why i am pissed at you right now. What I am pissed about, is the state of the fucking crew. For at least 2 years, this crew has been screwed up royally. And all I get from you, is that You. Don't. Care. You cant blame starfleet for everything that goes wrong here, and you know it. And your right, apologies wont do you any good. The only way, you will get my respect, is you have to start showing that you give a damn. Otherwise, then just retire and let someone else have the job."

Torilla Yamaguchi stood next to the door, she watched and listened in silence, his opinion was even more scathing then hers was as she found herself reevaluating her opinion of Tane.

"I'm open to suggestions on how to fix it," Zara spoke as she gestured to a spot on the couch beside of her.

Teval was a bit surprised that Tane actually was listening, so he relaxed a bit, "First start with talking to your crew. Talk to them, go to their work area's, talk to the crew, including the lower enlisted, get a feel for whats going on and show that you care. Then look at your department heads, determine who is good and who is crap, and get rid of any lousy ones. Then same for lower ranking officers and chiefs. And make sure that a line is drawn on crew behavior. Being a super formal prick is not required, but don't let crew discipline get so far out of hand that people are damn near killing each other."

"I think for the time being, I'd like your rock pal to shadow Phoenix. That's assuming she goes up in the pod anytime soon," Zara added. Again listening, and actually writing notes on her PADD. "I don't want her near the Cardassian woman until we understand the extent of her trauma, and if any counselor can help our CAG."

Teval had to turn her down, "No, I cant have Varkon spending his time shadowing Phoenix very much, my deck crew is badly short on chief petty officers, so he has a high workload as is, its only going to get worse when we actually begin flight ops. He wont have the time, that's what security is for. But whomever sent the Cardassian up into the pod was a complete moron, especially since she went up there by herself.

Yamaguchi took the moment to interrupt. "I'm going to ask Lieutenant Amakawa to look at the roster to find out who this was... someone said something about a Tellerite being involved.." she then smiled slowly. "When I find him...I'm will make bacon... anybody want any?

Teval didn't feel as though he had anything else to say, so he simply left the room.

Hakaya looked at him as he exited," Well that was unexpected."

Teval looked at his sister," Wasn't expecting her to actually listen."

"No I wasn't, but you are definitely more civil than I am."

Teval just shrugged, and they both left the bridge.

Torilla stood in silence as she watched the small Commander depart the office as she raised an eyebrow, outwardly she didn't show much of anything but inwardly she was shocked and astonished. "Well... that was different." she commented.

"I did refer to him as a Disney character. So I can't blame him," Zara tried to simplify.

Yamaguchi regarded Tane. "So... what are you gonna do.?" she inquired as she regarded the smaller woman.

"Suppose I need to get off my ass and see folks. Starting with Phoenix," Zara pointed out soberly. "She can hate me, instead of her girlfriend, if she thinks I'm the one that removed her flight status... Those two don't need to be at odds right now."

Torilla nodded. "Agreed." she regarded the smaller woman with a smile. "With the new Counselor coming aboard, whoever it is... I hope he, she or it is capable... who is this person anyway..?"

"Ummm..." Zara stood up and walked over to her desk. It took her several moments to find the right PADD. "A Doctor Brislan."

"Brislan." Torilla turned her head as she regarded Tane with a smile. "As in Tressa Brislan?, from Starbase 400?"

"Yes. Her files look rather good too," Zara spoke with amazement.

Torilla's smile widened into a grin. "Fantastic!" she greeted the news, clearly overjoyed. "Such wonderful news.." she reached over and gave the Captain a big kiss on the lips and then she turned and walked out the door.

Zara was left dumbstruck a good ten minutes, trying to figure out what the fuck just happened.