"Operational Doubts"
Previous Post: "Uncertainty"
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Stardate: 60304.2130
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Serenna's Quarters
Looking at the banner of the Romulan Intel agency hanging on the opposite wall above her work desk, the Romulan/Terran hybrid questioned once again the benefits of what they had done earlier that day. Relieving the ship's CEO of the majority of his duties and reassigning the responsibilities of head of department to T'Reni had been a necessity, but one that had come at a high price as the ExO had pointed out. Like the infamous holodeck command training program known as the "Kobayashi Maru", the situation pertaining to Dawson appeared to be a "no win scenario" that would see someone hurt in one way or another at some point in time.
Working in engineering had been David's entire life and as far as the Romulan/Terran hybrid had been concerned they had done the right thing, regardless of how bad she now felt because of it. Remembering the numerous times when the CEO's temper had hinder his ability to perform white on his Duty Officer Training, the COO reinforced her conviction that what had been done was for the best. Thinking of the man at the center of this decision, not as the ANUBIS' COO but as his friend and fellow Academy classmate though had made the Romulan/Terran hybrid feel a growing sadness mounting within her, something that she had been powerless to stop.
Controlling her emotions had been how the Romulan/Terran hybrid had managed to survive on the lunar colony of NEW BERLIN and during the four years of her basic Academy training. Because of this the COO had more than once come across to those around her as a cold and calculating person, making many wonder if the ancestral heritage responsible for her features had been Vulcan instead of Romulan.
Unlike her distant cousins though, the Romulan/Terran hybrid had no desire to suppress her emotions as it was the one thing that reminded her of the sacrifice her own father had endured by defecting from the Star Empire. Keeping her emotions in hand insured that her Romulan side did not supersede to take control during times of crisis, something that the COO had more than once feared while in charge of security. Failure to abide by the rules, or an inability to perform to the expected standards of a superior would have meant death by Romulan standards, a barbaric yet extremely efficient method of motivation and weeding out of those weaker elements amongst the ranks.
Having experienced something vaguely similar during her Intel Operations training back on EARTH, the Romulan/Terran hybrid knew that the only true difference between the Federation and the Star Empire was a willingness to give anyone and everyone a chance to prove themselves, even after repeated mistakes. Thinking again about the CEO, the COO sighed and hoped that David would one day understand that what had been done had been for his own good as well as that of those around him. The method used in the implementation of this had been direct and to the point leaving no doubts as to what had been expected from the engineer, the problem was that it had also left the COO wondering about her own ability to dish out such sanctions, a sentiment that had visibly been shared by the ExO.
Being Second Officer meant that the Romulan/Terran hybrid would have to make these kinds of decisions and see to their implementation, and as an Intel Operations trained officer she knew of their necessity. Drawing on her Romulan side, the COO could accept what had happened as well as think that David should consider himself lucky that he had come out of this as easily as he had. Thinking of the same situation from the other side of her mix heritage, Serenna could only imagine the kind of sorrow and emptiness her friend felt, feeling as if he had been betrayed and abandoned by those who had been so close to him.
Looking away from the banner of the Tal'Shiar, the Romulan/Terran hybrid tried once again to place all of this behind her, revisiting the events in her mind serving no purpose what so ever other than to make the Romulan/Terran hybrid question her ability to one day be an ExO and maybe even a CO. Making difficult decisions and the burden that it carried came with the territory of command, unfortunately knowing this did in no way diminish the sharpness of the emotions involved after the fact. Abandoning herself to her human side one last time, the COO activated the desktop monitor. "Computer, tie-in with internal sensors and medical databank, and proceed with a scan to locate Lt. David Dawson."
The computer wasted no time in complying with the request. =/\= Tie-in complete, starting internal scan. =/\=
Knowing that David's initial reaction might have been to toss his communicator against the nearest wall as a show of protest for the disciplinary measures imposed on him, the COO had decided to skip the standard channels and go directly to a scan of the man's bio-signs. Waiting for the scan to be completed, the Romulan/Terran hybrid tried to imagine what she would do depending on the computer's report, wondering how much space she had been willing to give her friend at this time.
Having completed the requested task, the computer reported its findings making the Romulan/Terran hybrid both happy and concerned. =/\= Life signs matching those specified have been found in the quarters of Lt. Dawson. =/\=
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Serena Switt {serena1141@yahoo.com.au}
Lieutenant Serenna 2005 post #091
Chief of Operations / Second Officer
USS ANUBIS
