| AWD #294: Words of Wisdom |
| Summary: | Elias seeks out Admiral Jameson to discuss the fate of Ensign Pertwii. |
| Date: | 27/Oct/2013 (OOC Date) |
| Related Logs: | You Will Not Regret This. Ever. |
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| Combat Information Center |
| The Combat Information Center is the tactical heart of the Orion. This CIC is designed in a circular formation, the Admiral apparently a fan of the classical set-up. Dead center are a set of large monitors suspended from the ceiling with DRADIS readings as well as other vital shipboard information. Under this is a small map table outlining current plots and positions. The table has a built-in phone as well as smaller displays as to critical damage reports. Both port and starboard other watch stations are set at all times, in two rows of tiers like stadium seating, one above the other. Each station has a purpose — Helm, Weapons, Communications, Electronic Warfare, Damage Control, and further tactical monitoring. More displays and banks of computer monitors line the walls. This area is heavily guarded by Marines at all hours of the day and night. |
| AWD #294 - Thu Oct 27 2005 |
Being back at Piraeus has provided a nice reprieve from the non-stop combat operations around Picon. The CIC is no longer the very tense location it was in the middle of the warzone. Things have ratcheted back a bit and even Jameson is smiling again. CIC has become the same hive of activity if was several weeks ago. For now, Jameson is parked at the map table with coffee and he's reading reports. Normal duty for the Admiral and one that nobody particularly likes — especially men like him who prefer to be briefed in person.
Elias is in and out of CIC on a regular basis, but this time he looks to have very specific mission. He steps inside and casts a quick glance around the compartment, checking to see who's do duty before his gaze settles on the Admiral. The Intel Officer assesses Jameson's current mood, and seeing the Old Man pouring over paperwork, decides it is safe to interrupt. Clipboard tucked under his arm, Elias makes his way over towards the Admiral and halts in front of him, standing at a loose attention as he waits to be acknowledged.
Jameson thumbs through a prior report, looking for a reference to something. He glances up to Elias, then looks back down to the papers. He doesn't say anything for a couple seconds. He's looking for that reference. Finding it, he sets the old paper aside and then steadies his eyes on Elias. "Mister Grey. You look like you have a purpose in life here. What's on your mind?" he asks, that drawl on his voice dropping the pitch more as he speaks.
"Sorry to interrupt, Sir." Elias' tone contains just the smallest hint of dry humor. But of course he wouldn't bother the Admiral without a definite purpose, and he's quickly down to business. "There's a personnel issue I'd like to discuss with you, when you have a moment. There's an Ensign who just returned to duty, looking for a Tactical assignment, and we are a bit short-handed at the moment."
"You see me objecting to your distraction? Hell, its only an interruption if its something I'm interested in." Jameson deadpans it, eyes keeping a long focus on Elias. Even when he lifts the mug of coffee to sip, his eyes watch the Captain over the other brim. "In here? Possibly. Depends on what he wants and what he plans to do with it. I'm not interested in Ensigns with grand designs or rookies needing nose wiping. There's plenty of slots for them elsewhere and on different ships."
Elias meets Jameson's gaze steadily, and he nods his understanding when he hears the requirements. "Yes sir." Then he just lays out the situation in a matter of fact tone, having decided that straight-shooting is the most effective way to communicate with the Admiral. "It's Ensign Rebecca Pertwii, sir. The one from Persephone. She has the training, and experience. Obviously there are concerns, but I spoke to her the other day. Unless I'm badly mistaken, she's gotten her head on straight now. I think she might make a good weapons officer, or something along those lines. Perhaps even Junior TACCO, /if/ we get a strong replacement for Lieutenant Colonel Petra."
"I seem to remember a discussion in my office about her. Something about being pregnant and not liking my policies about her options. Potentially being dangerous to herself and her child." Jameson looks back down and takes up a report. He scans the first few lines and looks back up to Elias. "If. Don't count on it. We're short ranking officers and making do the best we can. She was on Persephone, you said?" He makes a face and looks down. "We're not terribly short on ensigns, fortunately. Is there anything that really sticks out to you? Good or bad, Elias, let's hear it."
Elias nods to confirm the Admiral's recollection of events surrounding Pertwii. "That's correct, sir." He listens closely and then lays out his thoughts for Jameson as verbal bullet-points. "Bad: What she went through at Persephone eventually broke her, sir. She seems to have worked through it, but it could still be an issue. Good: Her service record was excellent before Persephone. She survived in a difficult situation and brought most of her crew through alive as well." He pauses a beat before adding his personal opinion. "I think she could be a good officer, sir. But it's a question of whether she can really 'get back on the horse' or not."
Jameson takes a long breath, a finger tapping against the side of the coffee mug. "Yeah. Shit happened and it broke a lot of people. But you're saying she pulled her crew through it." He sips the mug and then sets it aside. Arms spread to shoulder width and he leans on his palms on the table. "When I was flying in the first war we had some people who had been through some pretty terrible shit. Some of them broke and broke real badly. I had a pilot that I got shot down with who couldn't even sit in a Predator again. Others, they break badly and they fight through it. You're talking about the measure of an individual's gumption." He nods slowly. "If I remember the after action report, she's thereabout twenty-three and she had defacto command of that station for several months while that nutjob was at the helm." The Admiral lifts his eyes to look back. "Break her. Don't try and make things hard, I want you to break her. I want to see what happens. She fell apart once, let's see what it takes. This war isn't for people who can break down and then ride that for a few months and play soldier again until they get tired. Make it count. You can bring her in, see how she does. But if you do, her future performance will be tied to your career, son. She fraks up or proves to be a complete wash in the future, that will be taken into account. Any questions?"
Elias listens attentively through the Admiral's story of the first war, adding in a nod to confirm Ensign Pertwii's age and the command situation on Persephone at the end. And from the mention of 'breaking' through to how her performance will effect his career, Elias' expression is carefully neutral. His first question is to clarify what Jameson has told him to do. "Break her, sir? You're saying I should test her resolve before bringing her back on duty, I take it?"
"I would do that before giving her anything too important. There's nothing wrong with bringing in an officer to help them get back in the saddle. Deal with the environment and try to acclimate their ass." Jameson looks down to the paper and reads a few more lines. "Just make sure you put that to her before you give her anything important. Use what you can. If she hates you, tell her I ordered you to do it." A pause. "Because that's what I'm doing."
"Understood, sir." Elias doesn't bat an eye at accepting that order. "And to be clear, sir, this isn't a personal issue for me, so I don't need someone else to blame. If she can't put her personal feelings aside and do her job, she's not up to the job, sir." He pauses just long enough to frame his thoughts, then explains a bit more of his reasoning for even starting down this path. "When I first spoke with Ensign Pertwii on Piraeus, she clearly wasn't rational. I had her put in the brig. When she came back on active duty, she came by to thank me for doing it, sir."
"I figured. But if you want the fallback, it's still an order. Its just one you happen to agree with. But yeah, if she can't get her ass in a lane, she ain't drivin my road. Because I will push her off and into a tree." And likely into a flaming wreck. Jameson is a pretty easy guy to work for but he doesn't abide people who try to eek out existences or get by doing the minimum. "It sounds like you made the right choice, Captain. People that need help still need help - even if it takes time in a cell. If she can prove her worth, you'll be on your own way, too. and I don't mean because of official ties to her ability." Jameson keeps his eyes on Elias. "Making the hard choices sucks. Nobody likes them. But we make them because you know its the right thing to do. Its usually the harder option. Proving that you're able to make these hard calls and gamble the right call is part of being in command, son. She could have been permanently frakked by that brigging. If she pans out to be someone damned good, you'll have your own important lesson learned: Faith in your people, even when they are at their worst, is a dedication few men can achieve." Lou sips the mug again and takes up the report. "I need to finish this bullshit. You let me know how things go. Dismissed, Captain."
Elias listens attentively to the Admiral's lecture, nodding a few times to acknowledge the important points. The notion of having faith in people does give the Intel Officer a second of thoughtful pause, but he quickly moves past that to acknowledge the Admiral's order. A respectful salute is offered when he's dismissed, even if it is a bit casual. "Aye sir. Thanks for your time."