Vale Meets the Counselor

Posted on Fri Nov 15th, 2024 @ 10:25pm by Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik & 1st Lieutenant Torian Vale

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Lt. Commander Kelea-Salik’s Office
1866 words - 3.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Torian Vale walked down the corridor towards the office of Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik, the Elysium's Chief Counselor. His expression was unreadable, his jaw clenched with the slightest hint of tension in his step. Torian didn’t like counselors; they always had a way of digging into places he didn’t want to visit, unearthing thoughts and memories he’d rather keep buried. But orders were orders, and he couldn’t complete his medical clearance without passing this hurdle.

He stopped in front of the door, taking a deep breath, his military discipline forcing him to maintain control. The door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a warmly lit room that contrasted sharply with the sterile environment of the rest of the ship. Shelves filled with various artifacts and books lined the walls, and the soft hum of the ship’s systems created a subtle, calming backdrop.

Alicia smiled as she turned to greet her latest arrival, “Hi, you must be Lieutenant Vale. Please come in and make yourself at home.” She motioned to the cushion covered sofa or chair, wherever Torian wanted to sit. “If you’d like anything the replicator is available for use.” She took a seat in her chair making herself comfortable.

Torian Vale stepped inside, his posture rigid, eyes scanning the room for a brief moment before settling on the chair near the edge of the room, rather than the softer, more inviting sofa. He wasn’t here for comfort, after all. He gave a short nod, politely declining the offer of the replicator.

“Thank you, Commander, but I’m fine,” he said, his voice even but carrying the weight of someone who’d rather be anywhere else. He sat down, careful not to fully relax, his body language still guarded.

“Please feel free to call me Alicia” she smiled warmly. “I don’t stand on ceremony in here. Now, it’s obvious that you’re not comfortable being here, which is fine. I’m used to that.”

Torian gave a tight nod, his eyes momentarily meeting the hers before darting away, focusing somewhere near the window that framed a view of the stars. "I’m not here by choice," he said bluntly. "Just getting this clearance done."

“I understand” Alicia offered a polite smile even though Torian wasn’t looking. “Not everyone is comfortable being with a Counsellor, I don’t expect people to warm to me straight away. Hopefully I’ll be able to persuade you that I’m not that bad.” She paused. “So...Tell me more about you.”

Torian’s gaze remained fixed on the stars outside the window, his jaw tightening subtly at the question. Tell me about you—that was the hook, the opener that always led into deeper waters. He knew this game. He’d been through it enough times.

He let the silence stretch for a moment, contemplating just how much to share.

“I’m a Marine, a scout.” he said, his voice even but distant, like he was stating facts rather than offering insight. “Been at it for a while now. Starfleet’s given me my orders, and I follow them. You do what you have to do. That’s about it.”

“You know as well as I do there’s a lot more to it than that” Alicia’s voice was calming and caring. “I could look through your file and get every bit of information from that, but I prefer to get to know people rather than go by reports about them. It’s obvious you’ve had encounters with Counsellor’s before, and I can’t blame you for not trusting yet another Counsellor. All I ask is that you give me a chance to prove I’m not all that bad.” She smiled.

Torian shifted in his seat, his muscles tense as if bracing for impact. Her words were gentle, almost disarming. His eyes flickered back to hers for a moment before returning to the stars.

Torian let out a slow breath through his nose. "It’s not that easy. Just sit here and talk about it, and everything will feel lighter?" There was a hint of bitterness in his voice, though it wasn’t aimed at her, more at the situation he found himself in. "Not everything has a fix."

Torian’s jaw tightened again, his fingers curling slightly against his hand.

“Sometimes things are not a quick fix, it can all go wrong in a big way and it takes time to work your way back from there” Alicia offered. “Trust me I know how bad life can be, how it can push you to the edge of what you can take. I tried to end my suffering, but then I realized my mistake.” She paused. “Would you be willing to tell me more about your struggle?”

Torian's eyes snapped back to the Counselor, caught off guard by her candid admission. For a moment, he was silent, weighing her words. The usual wall he kept between himself, and others felt a little thinner, but he wasn’t about to drop it entirely.

He shifted again in his seat, his gaze drifting back to the stars, trying to find the right words without giving too much away. "I don't know if you'd call it a struggle, exactly," he began, his voice low, controlled. "But life has a way of throwing things at you, things you don’t expect or...aren’t ready for."

He paused, feeling the weight of the memories just below the surface. "I’ve seen things go wrong. Plans fall apart. People—good people—get hurt, or worse. You get used to it, though, used to being the one who survives, the one who has to keep moving forward."

He finally looked back at her, his blue eyes hard but not cold. "But it doesn't mean you forget. You just learn to carry it with you."

Alicia nodded. “Exactly, but there comes a time when you need to lessen that burden, to share it to lighten the load. I’d like to help, but I can only do that if you’re willing to tell me.”

Torian’s expression remained unchanged for a moment, his gaze steady as he processed her words. The idea of sharing the weight he carried didn’t sit right with him. It was his burden, his responsibility, and he wasn’t used to relying on anyone else to handle it. But there was something in the Commander's tone—something that reminded him of the moments when even the toughest Marines needed a moment to breathe.

“I’m not sure I know how to ‘lessen the burden,’” Torian said finally, his voice quieter but still firm. “There’s a part of me that feels like if I share it, if I let go of even a little bit, it’ll unravel everything I’ve held together. Everything that I want to do to make myself right, and I’ve worked too hard to stay in control and to stay on the path I'm on.”

He exhaled slowly; the tension still evident in his body but his words carried more weight. "My father was killed when I was a kid. Can't tell you why. Can't tell you who did it. But I'm willing to sit with you and take the baby steps to heal. What say you?"

Alicia smiled and nodded. “That sounds like a very good start. I am sorry for your loss, I understand there are things you can’t tell me but if it helps I do have higher clearance than most Counsellors due to the fact that I’m counsellor for the marine contingent aboard ship.”

Torian’s expression softened slightly, though his posture remained guarded. He had expected pushback, maybe some attempt to break through his defenses, but Alicia's approach was different—less invasive, more understanding. That surprised him.

He gave a faint nod, his fingers loosening a bit as he relaxed, even if only slightly. “Higher clearance or not, it doesn’t make the memories easier to talk about,” he admitted, his voice quiet but clear. “But I guess... I can start with that. The day my father died was the day everything changed. After that, I was just trying to stay ahead of the chaos.”

Torian paused, the memories flooding his mind like ghosts he had long tried to avoid. He glanced out the window again, his gaze distant. He sat quietly for a moment, letting the weight of the conversation sink in. The idea of opening up was foreign, uncomfortable, but it didn’t feel like an impossible task. It was worth a shot.

He exhaled slowly, his jaw unclenching as he gave a slight nod. “Alright,” he said, his voice quieter but more resolute. “One step at a time.”
Torian got up from his seat, extended his hand out and offered her a shake with a snake oil salesman smile on his face.

It was genuine. Boy Scout’s honest!

Alicia smiled warmly as she shook his hand. “One day at a time, anytime you need to talk, or just air your feelings my door will be open.”

Torian held her gaze for a moment longer than he intended, a subtle sense of relief settling over him. This wasn’t what he had expected when he first walked into the room, but maybe that was a good thing. Although, it doesn’t absolve him of his internal mission.

“Thanks,” he said simply, giving her a firm shake before letting go. He still wasn’t comfortable with this, but it felt less like an obligation now and more like a choice he could manage on his own terms.

Vale turned towards the door but then paused for a split second. He then turned back to Alicia. “Oh, one more thing, and before I forget, I just came from the medical bay and ran into the doctor. You’re Commander Sthilg’s daughter?

Alicia nodded and smiled. “Long story short I asked Sthilg to join my family after the loss of his. Although he has since married my mother anyway.” She grinned. “It’s all very confusing when you don’t know the background story, so hope I’ve cleared it up for you.”

Torian blinked, processing the unexpected revelation. He hadn’t anticipated that the Gorn doctor—whose scales gleamed with intimidating presence—had such close ties to Alicia. For a brief moment, the rigid Marine facade cracked, and a flicker of amusement danced across his features.

“Well,” Torian said, tilting his head slightly, “that explains why he seemed very happy and excited when I mentioned I was seeing you after seeing him.”

“You’d be surprised what makes my father happy” she couldn’t help but grin.

He turned towards the door “Thanks your time, Alicia. No promises but I do hope to come back and chat. You never know, I might suprise you and myself, for that matter.”

Alicia smiled. “I hope you do, regardless I’ll be here.”

Torian exited the room, leaving behind a conversation that had only just begun to peel back the layers of his life.