[Round20] (JP) Ensign Blackwood & LtCmdr T'Lea - Clearing The

[Zonhar]

Lt. Cmdr T'Lea

Chief Science Officer

USS Aurora

And

Ensign Blackwood

ACSO

USS Aurora

((Holodeck One))

Matthews: Ladies, and gentlemen, this concludes the phaser evaluation. Here are the scores. Blackwood, passed. T'Lea, passed. Barnes, failed for friendly fire. Sir, you will have to take the test again. I'm sorry sir.

Barnes:: Shrugging his shoulders:: No problem. I just got into the moment

Matthews: I get the message sir. Err.... No comment.

:: Barnes began to move away, but then turned to T'Lea. ::

Barnes: Commander T'Lea. If you have a moment.

:: She peeled her eyes off Blackwood and turned to Barnes.::

T'Lea: Of course.

Barnes: This is the first opportunity I've had to speak to you, since the birth of your daughter. I'd like to offer my congratulations. You and Della must be proud.

:: Word of the baby's birth was certainly quick to travel on this tiny ship.::

T'Lea: Thank you, Mr. Barnes. T'Sara is an amazing little person.

:: Yeah, T'Lea was proud of her little nugget, and nearly bursting at the seams with joy – not that anyone would notice.::

Barnes: And If you'd allow I'd like to pop in and see the tiny terror that's going to make my life a misery in years to come. Well if she's like her mother she will.

:: Absolutely, thought T'Lea. It would be good for him to get to know his future ruler and master.::

T'Lea: You're welcome to come by anytime, Mr. Barnes. ::beat, smirk:: And, really, Della's not *that* bad.

:: Nodding as T'Lea walked away Barnes smiled, it seemed to him that the T'Lea he had known on the Challenger was still there, still sarcastic, still annoying. ::

:: Barnes put his weapon away then smiled at Blackwood who smiled back. ::

Barnes: Well done. Sorry about that last shot, couldn't resist.

Blackwood.::Laughing:: Nah it's cool. ::High Five's Barnes:: Good one!

:: Barnes exits the holodeck, leaving T'Lea and Blackwood alone. Growing somber again, Blackwood took a long calming breath. ::

Blackwood: ::Looking at T'Lea:: Do you require to suck up any more of my time?

T'Lea: Yes. I do, Ensign. We're not finished here. You seem to know already what I've decided about your job, so why don't you go ahead and say what's on your mind.

Blackwood: ::Surprised face.:: I look concerned about something? No...just bored. Let get this over with I have work to do.

:: Blackwood was concerned of course, about whether or not she'd have a job to come back to after shore leave. She'd been worrying about it all year though so if she did get fired it would almost be a relief. She had been looking at the exit statistics of crew over the last 10 years and considering resignation anyway at times. She just wasn't about to let this ice cold dragon get the better of her if it could be helped. Barnes and Matthews exited the holodeck and Blackwood remained behind to hear what T'Lea had to say. ::

:: T'Lea waited for the holodeck doors to seal shut, and then slightly titled her head at the redhead standing before her. It was only the faintest of moves, but the look in her eyes seemed to magnify it four-fold.::

T'Lea: Do you have a problem with me, Ms. Blackwood, or are you generally this disrespectful to your superiors, and Starfleet property? I heard about your tantrum in the science lab. You may either talk to me, or to a counselor. I would advise against a counsellor as that will go on your record.

:: This wasn't how the Romu-vulc had planned on this conversation going, but if she was going to have a problem with this officer then she wanted to have it out here and now.::

Blackwood: Very well, permission to speak freely?

T'Lea: By all means, speak as freely as you wish.

Blackwood: A jerk is a jerk however many pips they have.

T'Lea: And which person are you referring to, Ensign.

:: She knew the answer already, but she wanted to hear the woman say it to her face.::

Blackwood: Let me explain. Respect must be earned. I came onto this department and gave you the same respect I would give any officer, but through your actions you have lost my respect.

:: Well, this was certainly going to be interesting, mused the Romu-vulc.::

T'Lea Care to elaborate. What exactly have I done to offend you?

Blackwood: You chose me to be the ACSO yet your attitude towards me is unbearable. You have undermined me at every turn. You have publicly challenged and critisised every decision I have made and offered absolutely nothing in the way of support.

:: The holier-than-thou Vulcan brow lifted right on cue. T'Lea had always hated seeing that look on other Vulcans, and had come close to slapping it off a face, or two, in the past. So, when T'Lea issued that look to others, she knew exactly what she was doing, especially to Terrans.::

:: Time to poke the bear...::

T'Lea: I have done nothing out of the ordinary, Ms. Blackwood. Perhaps you simply cannot handle the demands of the job?

:: She was testing the redhead's resolve. Would she back down? Would she take it with a smile? Did she truly want this job? Was she willing to fight to for it?::

Blackwood: I have no problem handling pressure and I certainly don't need my hand held, but I do not expect to be unnessecarily hassled for what, entertainment? You have deliberately put me under as much pressure as possible. You wanted to see how I cope under pressure and pushed it and pushed it. So yes, I finally had enough. Was that fun for you? I cracked a desk. Take it as far as you please.

:: Finally. It looked like T'Lea was finally getting to see a tougher, more ballsy Blackwood, and not the happy-go-lucky, back-patting, everything's roses Ensign that continually ate dren with a smile.::

:: Standing there, T'Lea didn't goad the woman any further only because she didn't need to. By now Blackwood was on a roll. The truth was coming out, and T'Lea didn't want to ruin it. Quiet and patience would tell her all she needed to know.::

Blackwood: If you have critisism for any aspect of my work, or heck even my private life if you want to intrude that far... there is a proper way, time and place to present it. It is only with constructive critisism from my staff and superiors that I can grow, but it should not be delivered like a poisoned, ragged dagger.

:: The Romu-vulc did another eyebrow trick that basically said, "Oh, really?". She made a small shift in her stance and clasped her hands behind her back, which also answered Blackwood without the use of words.::

Blackwood: By undermining me publicly as you do it gets back to our staff. If YOU cannot trust my decisions how can they? It's hard enough to gain their respect and assert aurthority as ASCO as an ensign fresh out of the academy as it is. They have more experience than me not only on this ship but in StarFleet and as scientists, some even have a higher rank. You encourage the lack of respect with your actions. They even have bets on about how long it will take me to get fired... Frankly I see no logic in your actions. Choosing someone for a task and making it near impossible to manage...

T'Lea: Oh, please, do carry on.

Blackwood: I have been running the department single handed for some time. I have helped staff with personal and professional problems and helped resolve several crisis on the ship. With no support. I stand by my actions.

:: Good. The last thing T'Lea wanted to hear was excuses. The woman had proven that she could stand up and speak her mind, and believe in herself. That was exactly what T'Lea needed to hear.::

T'Lea: Anything else you'd like to share?

Blackwood: If you are going to work with me then I need you to work with me. Not against me...

T'Lea: Finished?

Blackwood: ::Firmly:: Quite!

:: Loosening her Vulcan stance, T'Lea unclasped her hands and squinted at the woman out of the corners of her eyes.::

T'Lea: In case you've forgotten, you are in the military and I am your superior. We do not have to be friends, you don't have to approve of my methods. All you have to do is carry out the orders given to you even if you do not see the logic behind it. As for respect... Starfleet does not require you to like your superiors, but they do expect you to respect the rank they have earned. It is called discipline. You either do it, or it will be done to you.

:: She started to circle Blackwood like a shark on a blood-trail. She passed behind, catching the woman's eyes as she went.::

T'Lea: You dislike me and the way I run things. I understand that, but let us be clear, this is *my* department, and *I* will run it and my staff the way I see fit. My duty is to make sure that every aspect of this department is managed efficiently, that every experiment is properly supervised, that none of my people are put at risk, and that time and resources are not wasted. It is my *higher* duty to the Captain *not* to choose the wrong snot-nosed Ensign to fulfill the daunting task of ACSO, because one day that officer may be forced to take the position of acting-chief, and consequently have the entire weight of the department thrust upon her shoulders during a high-stress mission.

:: She came to hard stop in front of Blackwood and glared her down. Blackwood held her look with an equally steely one of her own. Blackwood was generally happy to argue until she was blue in the face but held her tongue and let T'Lea have her say. She'd made her point and now it was the commander's turn. ::

T'Lea: You wonder why I'm such a [...]? Why I'm so hard on you? Why I criticize your every move? If that snot-nosed Ensign is unable to deal with her jerk Chief Science Officer, then how much better will she perform in the face of someone less forgiving – like Orions, or Bajorans with new chemical weapons that do not say please, thank you, and good job -- that do not care if you make a mistake that kills you, and everyone else on the ship?

:: Her shark-like tactics briefly went into action again, causing her to stop directly behind the woman.::

T'Lea: So, yes, Ensign, if I see an error being made I will stop and correct it. If I see that you are not reaching your full potential I will stop and correct you, or any other member of my staff. If I see that I have chosen the wrong snot-nosed Ensign to be my ACSO I will stop and correct that as well. You are *not* the wrong snot-nosed, Ensign, Ms. Blackwood.

:: She stepped back as Blackwood turned, giving the woman some room to breathe. T'Lea brought her tone down a notch when next she spoke. ::

T'Lea: I have reviewed your performance, and while I believe certain things could have been handled differently, you efficiently and effectively assisted the Captain and crew during a major crisis. You lead the entire science department and they followed you without incident. You immediately produced a vaccine to counter the pheromone exposure. You risked your life to help engineering deliver an anti-virus that saved the ship. ::beat:: You did your job.

:: That wasn't much of a compliment, but coming from T'Lea it was actually a pretty big one.::

Blackwood: That is correct, so where do we stand?

T'Lea: You've secured your position on this ship. Anyone that bet against you will lose. The job is yours if you can endure your jerk of a boss.

Blackwood: ::Quirking a slight smile:: I can handle it.

T'Lea: I'll make a deal with you, Ms. Blackwood. I won't go any easier on you, but I will give you space -- as long as you don't do anything stupid. ::beat:: You've earned it.

Blackwood: oOWell, that's a start...Oo I'll take it.

T'Lea: Run the biology department however you wish. If there is not a problem that interferes with me, I will not interfere with you. But remember -- you are their boss, not their friend. Not everyone will like you.

Blackwood: I always say friends are over-rated commander. I'm here for the JOB.

:: There was no doubt in T'Lea's mind that one day Blackwood's JOB would be Chief.::

T'Lea: I do not require to suck-up any more of your time. You're dismissed.

Blackwood: Aye ma'am.

:: Blackwood had wanted to offer her own congratulations to T'Lea and the Captain after the birth of their baby. This was the first real chance they'd had to properly speak to one another in what seemed a long time and it had been one heck of a conversation. She felt the gesture would appear hollow after what had passed and said nothing, feeling it was now a lose-lose situation. She exited the holodeck and started to head back to the biolabs feeling physically and emotionally drained. ::

-fin-

Lt. Cmdr T'Lea

Chief Science Officer

USS Aurora

And

Ensign Blackwood

ACSO

USS Aurora

[Zonhar]

I forgot to add that i meant for this sim to be added to the Round 20 voting so if the admins could please retitle it appropriately that would be appreciated. just now realized this sorry.