The Peter Principle

Posted on Mon Nov 30th, 2020 @ 3:15am by Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Captain Gary Taylor & Lieutenant Commander Aurelia Taylor & Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik

Mission: Season 4: Episode 3: Guided by Starlight
Location: Conference Room 1
Timeline: MD 1 1430
2408 words - 4.8 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON]

Miraj was fidgeting. They had taken on a lot of new staff following the disaster in the Mirror Universe and the first batch for flight control had arrived yesterday to settle in, and now she was going to meet them. Actual people that she would be responsible for. Not like Neri with whom she had shared experience, even if it had been under less than brilliant circumstances. And like all her other non-flying classes, she'd struggled in the sessions on leadership.

This would be the first time she'd meet the people behind the files that she had been flicking through on her padd. All solid pilots, no one who looked like they'd be a terror at the helm. She'd asked them to gather at 1430, and as the clocked clicked round she prepared to welcome them.

Jade walked along with the others heading to meet her new senior officer, she wasn’t the loud cocky type like some pilots, she was more of a quiet wallflower who tended to follow what everyone else did but when it came to flying she had an instinct all of her own. That was when she truly came out of her shell, she was destined to fly. She nodded politely to the pink haired woman and stood behind the others.

Carol Dolton walked in and spotted the culprit of this little gathering, "So your Derani, I'm MWO Carol Dolton. Just one question before we get stuck into things officially, what's with the pink hair?"

Miraj put a hand to her bunches protectively. "Er, its natural. I was born with it."

Jade fidgeted uncomfortably, she hated being amongst people like Carol, not that she could do a lot about it.

Carol spotted Jade hiding, "Oi little Bo Peep, what's your name?"

Jade looked at Carol a bit like a deer in headlights. “Jade ... I’m Jade.”

"Jade eh, I'm Carol. Don't panic little one, I don't bite. Well not at first, only if you upset me", she held out her hand. Carol had been in Star Fleet for about 15 years, but her temper had held her back.

Jade reached out her hand just to be polite. “Nice to meet you.” She shook her hand before retreating back again.

"Shy little flower aren't you, so did you request this tour or were you drafted?" Carol studied Jade closely, she would have to work with her at sometime and it never hurt to know your enemy.

“I err ... was handpicked for this.” She smiled proudly. “Top of my group in every year.” She looked at Carol. “What about you?”

Carol nodded as Jade spoke, "So your a high flier, good for you. But if you don't mind me saying, you need to grow a backbone". Pointing to herself, Carol continued. "I've served 15 years on several ships, I got drafted for this bird, not that it wasn't unexpected. I'd served four and a half years on the USS Chirikov, so I guess it was my time to move".

"Er, yes, well, thank you for coming," Miraj said, trying to bring things back to something a shade less direct. "Thank you all of you. I hope everyone is settled in?"

“Yes ma’am” Jade nodded grateful for the distraction.

Carol looked back at Jade, "Ma'am? She's an Ensign, a simple sir would do". Turning back to Miraj, Carol simply nodded. "So what's the score with this get together? As for being settled in, so far nobody has told me anything about what the hell we're doing"

Miraj went red. MWO Dalton made her feel like she was back in the academy, clueless. "Well I only found out a little while ago myself. We're escorting a group of religious people to their new home. Except they don't believe in FTL travel."

Jason watched Carol grill the one call Jade and even question the Ensign with the bubblegum hair. He chuckled at their reactions as Carol put them on the defensive. "Now, now ladies." He said as he moved to the front. "We're all here for the same reason. Lets get along. " He extended a hand to Miraj, "Jason Danvers at your service. I'm chief conn of the Baton Rouge or was until I was selected for this party." he finished easily.

Miraj tried not to let her relief show, and leaned over the table shook his hand. Someone normal. thank goodness. "Please to meet you. I'm Miraj." Sitting back, she consulted her padd. "We've got a lot of cadets on board who all need to learn the basics. Have you all had teaching experience?"

Jade nodded. “Yes ma’am.” Jade wasn’t one for a lot of talking but when it came to flying, once she was in a cockpit or a pilots seat she could talk someone’s head off.

"Cadets!! This is about Cadets, that's like having a Borg in a bucket. Different but stupid, as for teaching the aforementioned Cadets. Forget it, I'd probably strangle the little butt plugs". Carol walked over to a seat and sat down, "Sugar, honey, ice, tea. Cadets, what's next I wonder?"

"Hey Carol, enough of the negative waves already. Give Miraj a chance before you jump on her with both feet. I mean if training cadets is too much for you, you can always back out." He finished with a wink at Miraj.

Carol turned to look at Jason, "If I wanted to teach I'd have applied to the Academy, I'm out here for other reasons. You wanna babysit, go right ahead".

"Well, you don't have to teach." Miraj offered, trying to placate the woman. "There's plenty of call for shuttle pilots to do drop offs and pick ups, and of course, there's the main helm itself. Has anyone done a saucer separation?" Which was a skill in itself.

"There you go Carol. You can be a taxi driver. Pick ups are more your style anyways." Jason jabbed at her.

“I ... I’ve done a saucer separation.” Jade looked at Miraj. “Just once ... it’s been a ... long time.”

Glaring at Jason, Carol responded. "I'd sooner be a taxi driver than a baby sitter for Cadets". She turned to look at Miraj, "I've done saucer separation about a year ago, but I didn't think this ship had that capability". She now turned back to Jason, "I suppose you want the main helm, that way you can stick your nose up the Captain arse".

Jason laughed at her. He was totally unfazed by her comment. "Oh! Carol's got her claws out. Guess I struck a nerve. Sure, I'll take main helm. As for my nose up the captain's ass. You speak from experience correct?" He smiled at Miraj, "I've done a saucer separation as well."

"Are we gonna let bubblegum girl get a word in edge ways, Ensign Derani is it. Just what are we doing here?"

Miraj wasn't sure what to say to that. She was pretty sure that was obvious. They were here to fly. Or did they mean with the non-ftl escort. "I'm not sure what you mean?"

Carol looked up and sighed, "What did you get us all in here for? Are we supposed to be all nice and say hello? Or is there a more serious reason you called us together?"

Miraj opened her mouth, and then closed it again. This was not going at all how she'd imagined it. "Well, I was curious about who you were, since you're reporting to me."

Jade nodded, it made sense to her. “It makes sense, you need to know who we are and we need to know who you are.” She offered a warmer smile.

Miraj gave Jade a grateful smile. "Exactly. There's going to be a lot of new faces over the next few month as we get back up to strength and its easier to get to know everyone a handful at a time."

"Ok, lets get something out in the open right now. I'm not the happy clappy type, in fact you could say I'm a little anti people". Carol looked around the room at the assembled people, "You'll all find it out, so I'll tell you now. I'm from an alternate universe, not the mirror universe". She waited for some kind of reaction, "In my universe the Klingons and Romulans kicked our butts, Humans don't have a home planet anymore. So I don't form relationships, they're messy and cause problems".

"Thanks for the info Carol. I never would have guessed you weren't the happy clappy type. You fit the sour apple type." Jason told her an easy smile on his face. "Tell me does everyone in the reality you came have the same sour apple personality? If so, I bet you guys are the death of any party your at." His smile present.

Dolton now spun on Jason, "Have you watched your family die at the hands of Klingons? Watched your sister raped and enslaved by Romulans?" She took a few steps towards him, "Well smart arse? Have you? Because I have, and it's something you don't fucking forget". Stopping only inches from Jason she stared him full in the face, "After things like that, you don't want to be happy fucking clappy. So here's another bit of information just for you, stay the fuck away from me or I'll fucking kill you!"

Jason's smile faded. "I'm. I'm sorry, I didn't know." He stammered. "Please forgive me. I was only joking. I meant no offense." He looked over at Miraj, "Excuse me." As he turned and left the room, heading for Ten Forward.

Jade simply glared at Carol before turning away and chasing after Jason, he seemed nice enough and she wanted to make sure he was okay.

As the other pair vanished Carol turned to Miraj, "All mouth and trousers that one, but Bo Peep has the right stuff. She doesn't say much, but she's the one you need". Dolton waited to see just what Miraj was going to do.

The young pilot was just sitting there, looking a bit stunned. That had certainly not gone anywhere near like she had expected, and was light years away from what she had hoped. "Er." she said. "I guess that's everything then."

"Slow down Ensign, you can't just let those two just walk off like that. I'm still here, so order them to return". Carol walked over to Miraj, "You tell Bo Peep to get Danvers and return here, she'll do it. Danvers for all his mouth, will also obey the order. Once everyone is back here, then and only then do you dismiss them". Carol walked back to a chair by the wall and sat down, "As I told Bo Peep, I don't bite. But Danvers got my back up, people like him need a shock every so often to realign them to reality". She looked around the room and then back at Miraj, "15 years Ensign, that's how long I've been in your universe. But nightmares don't fade neither do the memories, I'm a CWO haven't you wondered why? Temper, pure and simple. Now you get your group back together and do things right, or you'll never last in Star Fleet".

Miraj stared after Danvers and Jade, and got half out of her seat, still used to obeying orders from all comers as a cadet. But she could see that dragging them back would also just cause another argument. "I... I don't think I should do that. It might make things worse, and we do all have to work together."

Carol shook her head, "We have to work together, and if people do what they want that won't happen will it Ensign? If you want to get promoted your going to have to face things like this, did you dismiss them? No, did you give them permission to even leave the meeting?" Carol now stood back up and walked towards Miraj, "I told Bo Peep she had to grow a backbone, seems as an Officer you might have to do the same. Now get them back here, or your going to loose any respect they or me had for you".

Can't loose what I never had to start with. Miraj thought darkly, and hurried after Jade. "Jade, wait. Lets try this again." she pleaded with the other wman.

As Miraj went after the other two, Carol returned to her seat. Sitting down she shook her head, *Bubblegum girl your going to have a hard time a coming* she thought. As she waited for the three to return, her thoughts returned to her own world and the friends and family long gone. *Why did this lot survive and my people perish?* That thought ran through her brain, a sadness began to fall on her being.

Jade had heard Carol in the distance telling Miraj what to do, when Miraj caught her up outside the conference room she finally spoke up. “Why are you letting her order you around?” She looked at Miraj curiously. “You’re in charge of us aren’t you? Not her in charge of you.”

"well, er, yes, but." Both women were right. She couldn't let Jade walk away, but she couldn't be seen to follow what Carol told her. This was so hard. there was no right answer. "Yes. your right. I can see you two aren't going to get along. We'll reschedule. Is that okay?"

Jade nodded. “That would be fine” she offered a smile. “For what it’s worth ... I like your hair. The universe would be a pretty boring place if we all looked the same!”

"Er thanks. Okay. Tell Jason I'll rearrange. You can go for now."

She headed back to Carol. "Okay. all sorted. We'll try this again another day, when everyone is less... tense."

"Oh dear Ensign, you got played by the newbies. But if that's how you want to word it, fine". Carol moved towards the door, then stopped. "I'll tell you what Ensign, next time you do this. Don't invite me, your little party just might last a bit longer". Moving through the door, Carol left Miraj on her own.

The young hybrid looked around the now empty meeting room. "Well," she said to herself, "That could have gone better." she flopped down in a chair and stared at the ceiling. Next time would be better. She didn't want to think what would happen if it wasn't.

[OFF]


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