A First Meeting

Posted on Sat May 23rd, 2020 @ 11:22am by Major Naomi Sylan Griffiths

Mission: Discovery
Location: MCO Office
Timeline: Current

[ON]

After looking at her files, she noticed that there were some new crew, one, in particular, seemed to pique her interest, it was the Romulan MXO, she had met very few Romulan's and they made her curious, so she decided she would go and meet him and get to know him. So she made for the Marine area in Security, she braced herself for any reaction and she did wonder would Starfleet Marine training kick in or would his Romulan side do so.

Sometime later she arrives outside the office and knocks as she enters and looks around and her eyes land on the Romulan she was seeking, so she headed straight for him.

"Lieutenant Vaebn i-Ra'tleihfi!" She said.

Vaebn was sat down at one of the desks in the Marine Office, he was currently reviewing the current roster for the detachment, he was not impressed. The unit has had more changes then Romulus has had Praetors, discipline was lax and infractions were high. Typical Starfleet he thought with a sneer. If this were a Romulan vessel, they would be executed for their incompetence . Before Vaebn could continue his recollections and come up with a fitting punishment for the lack of Unit standard, a voice called out his name.

Looking up from the PADD he was working on, i-Ra'tleihfi spotted the disturbance. Wonderful, the Starfleet poser has paid me a visit he thought, while still maintaining a facade of superior detachment. "Major, what brings you down to the Marine Barracks? Do you require directions to the bridge?" He said icily, not even bothering to stand up and properly greet the Major

Entering the office and seeing the disrespect "ATTENTION!" Griffiths ordered, knowing the Romulan was a stickler for protocol if only to gain an edge. "Lieutenant Vaebn, hope you do not mind that, I cannot pronounce your second name and if I did I would probably say it incorrectly and it would come over as an insult. I am Major Naomi Griffiths First Officer on this ship I know where the bridge is and as I am a Marine Officer, you will salute Sir and show me the proper respect, or I will take you by your self-righteous nose and bounce you around the corridors of the ship, am I making myself understandable Lieutenant?" Griffiths asked keeping a neutral tone as she approached him.

Slowly rising up from his table, Vaebn did his best to mask the discontent that he felt for the Major right now. Once he had stood up fully, Vaebn straightened his posture and crisply saluted Griffiths "Sir, Yes Sir" he chanted dryly, staring straight ahead, not making eye contact with Griffiths. Like a good solider, Vaebn would hold his posture and salute until told otherwise, no matter how long that turned out to be

"at ease El-tee," Griffiths said returning the salute "I know you think very little of species that are not Romulan, but you are on a Starfleet ship and you will have to learn to be an actor, I am sure you can rise to such an event?" Griffiths asked "but I am here to get to know the acting MCO of this ship, so while I expect you to be wary of me it is in the Romulan psyche after all *smiles* I am hoping we could at the most become friendly! I am not a Fleet Officer but a career marine, so I am going to ask you a question and I have no idea if you will find it hard to answer" Griffiths said and let it hang there a moment.

"How are you and what were you doing before joining this crew Lieutenant?" She asked sitting down in front of his desk all tone of sternness now gone and replaced with honest congeniality.

Settling back into his original chair, Vaebn sighed internally, it is going to be one of those days. "Apart from being disgusted with the state of the Unit. Enraged at my father's disgrace. Humiliated at being forced to live out my days at Starfleet and utterly bored. I am fine" he said in a deadpan tone, hiding the emotions that he had just recently shown "And you? How goes the day of a Major" Vaebn added, well aware of the game the Major was trying to engage in

*studying the Romulan* 'why do Romulan's always treat congeniality as a game' she thought to herself, but decided herself to play along if it made him feel at ease then so be it. "So El-tee, what about the marine unit has you so vexed?" She asked she could read body language and the Romulan's told her he was upset at something and knowing how new the marine detachment needed work, she guessed this was the case, hence why she asked she wanted to give the Lieutenant chance to vent. "Feel free to say your peace Lieutenant as ships First Officer, I need to know if the marine detachment is okay" Griffiths added.

Vaebn chuckled, it wasn't a pleasant sound but full of malice "To be blunt, the unit is a mess. We've had more C.Os than Romulus has had Praetors" he said harshly, Vaebn quickly checked the PADD in front of him before continuing "Every new C.O has come in with grand ideas on how to improve the Unit, how to make everything more efficient, but they leave before even attempting any work. As a result, there is no consistency or discipline, the unit is more like a pack of wild animals than a honed fighting force"

"There hasn't been an inventory inspection in weeks, no drills have been scheduled, no punishments have been handed out." The Romulan shook his head in frustration as he explained the problems, the list was long indeed "Our previous Commanders have been far too concerned with making people happy, team building activities and ice breakers, kissing people's asses."

"So Major, that is how the Marine Detachment currently stands, I wouldn't even deploy them to clean the Barracks, let alone go into combat" Vaebn finished with a sneer of disapproval.

"Actually Lieutenant the Marine detachment on the Penn is new so the detachment is in dire need of sorting out, as for punishment Starfleet does not condone violence, but dirty cleaning tasks or boring menial duties, restricted duty and marine discipline is allowed, what is not allowed is Romulan style punishment, but drills I will fully accept, even if you have to use the holodeck simulation for a forced march and increased gravity uphill is also acceptable, also they are to work with security, only a few marines, but we are instigating QRT, RRT and SAR teams. Our mission is Science and exploration, but we need a heavy hand as a back up for those science teams that go on Away Missions. Apart from that, I do expect you to whip the marines into shape, how you do it is up to you, but one stipulation is no Romulan justice, this is a Starfleet ship and as such will be run by Starfleet rules and codes of conduct" Griffiths said then leaned forward and with a nasty smile "marking time on the spot or double time on the spot in full combat kit is also permissible" She added and sat back.

Vaebn once again silently cursed the weakness of Starfleet. How could you train a battle-hardened unit without proper discipline? he thought to himself. There were times that Vaebn missed the Empire, having the strength and fortitude to get things done. Letting out a small sigh of resignation, Vaebn replied to Griffiths "Your idea of appropriate punishment is very much different from mine Major. However, as you said, this is a Starfleet ship and I will adhere to the correct rules and regulations."

Picking up the PADD once again, Vaebn typed in a few commands and brought up a series of reports based upon the recent SAR training. "I have gone through all of the reports from those that had participated in the recent SAR training. That, combined with my own experience during that day, leads me to believe that more training will need to be conducted. Most of the participants looked like they hadn't held a weapon since Basic training, movements and formations were sloppy" Vaebn tabbed down on the report more, referring back to his notes on that day "I was even able to get close enough to Doctor Trallos in order to kill him myself. It seems that the Marines aren't the only area in which this ship needs improvement" He concluded in an arrogant tone, looking back at Griffiths.

If She wants to come down here and point out all of my problems, two can play at that game Vaebn mused, well aware that he was probably pushing Griffiths' limits of free speech. After all, what's the worst that she could do to me? A lifetime of manual labour, or perhaps several years in a nice, cosy Federation penitentiary?

*resigned sigh* oO There is that Romulan superiority complex again Oo she thought to herself "I agree with your assessment Lieutenant, but like you and the Marines on this tub, the crew has not worked together before, so lapses and such are to be expected. You are here to lick the Marines into shape, the Fleetside is being dealt with, I know it is part of your genetic makeup and something to do with the Vulcan time of awakening when your people separated from the Vulcans, but your superior attitude is not working with me. Longer lived you might be, stronger and have more stamina yes, but superior to me you are not, I shall say this once Lieutenant I like straight talk and I will not punishing you for honesty after all if a Marine cannot be honest then we are all doomed, if one cannot say their piece then one does not belong. So drop your attitude of superiority you are not my better. *pauses* Saying that I do find your forth-right manner refreshing, but if you should need to deal with Fleet Officers especially those of equal rank to you or higher I suggest you rein in such attitude as they may not understand it. Also, those people lower in rank than you, when there is no need to give orders or discipline them, try to show them some modicum of respect, you will find non-Romulan's will react better" she paused with a smile.

*puzzled look* "I do have one question that has been bothering me for years, knowing you share genetic similarity with Vulcan's can Romulan's also mind-meld with others? I have been curious as to if this is possible" Naomi added changing topic.

"No, we do not," Vaebn answered bluntly, he was going to leave it at that, but knowing Starfleet's desire to learn everything possible, he decided to give a better explanation "That ability was lost to us upon our separation from the Vulcans. It is considered an affront to privacy in Romulan society, an undesirable practice that is considered highly taboo" He explained in cold terms as if just speaking about melding was an offence "There have been cases of some Romulan/Vulcan hybrids that have possessed the skill, but those cases are often very rare and the people with the ability tend to not speak of it" Vaebn concluded in a tone that suggested that he would not offer up any more information on the subject.

*Looks thoughtful* "yes the Romulan penchant for privacy is renown, thank you for answering to your desired level of comfort" Griffiths smiled. "I am going to ask you a question, which may make you a little uncomfortable, tell me about yourself Lieutenant, as XO it is my job to have some familiarity with the officers on this ship, and who knows I may respond in kind" Griffiths added.

Ah, it begins Vaebn thought to himself The Starfleet's pacifist approach to interrogation, appears to be a friend while trying to discover weaknesses and exploit them. You'll have to do better than that Major. "What is there to know Major? Everything important about me is in my file. My life prior to Starfleet is irrelevant, a dead life that no longer has a future or meaning" Vaebn answered plainly, giving no detail or emotion that Griffiths could use against him. "I am a soldier, I will fight when I am told and that is the only thing that matters"

Naomi studied him "I know suspicion comes naturally to the Romulan species, but might you learn to do things the Starfleet way when dealing with senior officers! I am remembering an early human saying you attract more flies with honey than vinegar, this means try not to be too Romulan when dealing with other Starfleet Officers or crew *pause* however I may be Starfleet, but I am also a Marine, and all I ask of you is this, that you be honest with me on events within your Department, I will soon let you know if you overstepped, but for the most part to the point talk is healthy as it helps you know where you stand" Griffiths said.

Vaebn nodded once curtly "I will take your advice under consideration Major. I will keep you informed about what is happening within the Department, I will make daily reports but if something major happens I will personally contact you" He said plainly, though with less hostility as before in an attempt to sound less Romulan

*smiling* "excellent, it is a shame that the Romulan Government is hesitant to help other species out as in regards to its cultural ways, to your memory, how many misunderstandings do you know of between Other species and Romulan species has happened due to a misunderstanding of cultural differences? The Romulan's are practically clandestine in sharing their cultural heritage and the finer points which are not known, just trying to get an inkling on the Romulan psyche beyond what the Romulan's put on for non-Romulan's" Griffiths asked.

Raising an eyebrow, in an almost Vulcan manner, Vaebn regarded Griffiths for a moment before replying. "There have been numerous incidents of cultural misunderstandings, both on part of the Romulan people as a collective or as individuals."

"As a species, we value discretion and secrecy, this covers more than just our desire to protect our cultural heritage." Vaebn continued, attempting to give some reasoning behind the Romulan Xenophobia. "Our culture was formed after separating from the Vulcans, we were left to fend for ourselves and become suspicious of everything. This went on for generations until the formation of the Empire. Our suspicion didn't stop there however, the Empire became distrusting of itself and thus, the Talk Shiar was created. We live under constant surveillance and silent pressure." Vaebn leaned back into his chair, it seemed that the two Officers would be talking for a while, so he might as well get comfortable

"As an example, take your people, the Bajoran's. Imagine if the Cardassian's never truly ended the occupation, but instead, they continued to govern from the shadows. Every decision you made was scrutinized, anyone that spoke out against the government or Cardassia just disappeared during the night." Vaebn let Griffiths imagine the scene for a few moments, allowing her to immerse herself in those feelings. "The government played propaganda messages all the time, they controlled all avenues of media and sowed distrust of other species, all while promoting the superiority of your race. This behaviour went on for hundreds of years, just silently building and growing. Now, can you imagine what it means to be a Romulan?" He asked softly, hoping that his message came across

*she mulls over what he just told her* "sounds like a police state, while I am sure there are things about Romulus that are beautiful, I do not think I could do what every Romulan goes through every day, thank you for answering *genuinely smiles* as for my people, I am only half Bajoran, I was a child in the waning years of the Cardassian Occupation, my father was a Starfleet Officer, as for what you described, the Cardassian Obsidian order did pretty much the same to my people as did the Tal'Shiar, but unlike the Romulan people our oppression ended. At least I now know why Romulan's behave as they do. Might I make a suggestion Lieutenant, it might even be... Interesting for you!" Griffiths suggested.

Vaebn raised an eyebrow, in a Vulcan like manner "And what would that be Major?" He said, trying to mask some of the doubt he felt. While he did not doubt that Griffiths' intentions were good and genuine, he just often found that most people's ideas of what is interesting didn't align with his own.

*studies him a moment* "hmm, on your off duty time, you might want to make use of some human-centric historical holoprograms, I suggest one from each era of human history, they should be enlightening, and you might want to place yourself in as a character and see what results take, but only after you have done one as an observer, take note one body language and facial expressions. I am told the battle at Thermpolaye is a good lesson in ancient human combat, both good and bad then when you say watch the events use the reading material available on how, why and what for such events happened. As for the more *makes quote mark with her fingers * evolved human conflicts study the Napoleonic Wars and politics and motives that drove such war, then you have the First World War and the same for events leading up to it and events after it and the same for the Second and Third world Wars. There is also reading material that will speak of the type of intrigue the Romulan's would be interested in studying, if only to gain a better understanding of how civilization works and you will find that everything the humans believe in and say and do actually speak from past experiences, yes humans are what you attribute them to, but remember they went through a similar event as the ancient Vulcan's did. Also unlike the 22nd Century Vulcans the humans managed to remove their class distinctions and all other stuff that is a detriment to evolution, example the 22nd Century Vulcans hated those who could mind-meld and those with a neurological issue the humans of that period had gotten rid of that."

*pauses*

"You might think less of human's, but I think you will find that they shared a lot of things back in the 21st Century that the Romulan people value now and why the humans are like they are now *shrugs* I have done some of these holoprograms in the past besides being half-human and they have proved informative, understand this is just a suggestion to assist in helping you understand the current human mindset and how they came to it, as for the Federation and Starfleet, well the Fleet was created to explore and defend a United Earth, the Federation is another issue entirely, okay you answered my questions about the Romulan culture and way of thinking, I will reciprocate and you can ask me about mine if you so wish" Griffiths finished.

Veabn sat in silence as he listened to Griffiths' suggestion, it was an interesting idea which was a surprise. Most Humans recommend that non-humans study the works of Shakespeare and other dull works, it was rare for someone to suggest the arts of warfare as a good insight into the human mindset. "I will take your suggestion under advisement Major. I am aware of the basic history of Earth, but I have not looked into it's past significantly. Most Romulan studies are focused on current Federation history and strength, trying to find a way to defeat Starfleet and gain the upper hand. Very few Romulans care about the history of worlds we plan on conquering, they only care about how those words can be used to enrich Romulus and their own gain" Vaebn replied While he still felt that Romulans were the superior people, his faith in the Romulan mindset and political system had been heavily shaken due to the events that drove him to Starfleet.

"You'll have to forgive me, Major, I have been a solider all of my life and mostly with the Romulan Star Navy. I am not accustomed to... small talk. Soldiers of the Empire are told to only speak when spoken to, that their opinions and questions are irrelevant" Vaebn added with a hint of discomfort in his voice, it was hard enough to discuss the issue but even harder to talk to a non-Romulan

*Gives an understanding nod* "Well I am loathed to mention it as you probably know this, but you are in Starfleet now and on a Starfleet ship, I do not expect a quick change, but I do hope that I can have your assurance that you will do your best in that regard? Also, a suggestion which might help in this when on duty be Romulan in training methods, but be mindful of any questions being thrown your way and if you show respect and honesty our Marines will reciprocate, but they will try your patience. If any Fleet officers request to do some physical training tell them your expectations and what they can expect and ask if they are still interested, if not to leave as the training will not be for the weak, those who remain will have a backbone and want to try it then you treat them as you would your Marines" She responded.

Vaebn nodded, taking on board the Major's advice. Griffiths was right, it would not be an easy change to make, but it would be one that he would have to make. "I will do my best to integrate as much as possible. However, the same goes for the rest of the crew in regards to me. They will have to integrate with me as well, I can only do so much Major" Vaebn added honestly, everyone would have to work together to ensure success. After a moment's pause, Vaebn handed Major Griffiths the padd he was working on before they had started talking "As for the training needs and requirements, I was working on that issue prior to your arrival. As I said earlier, the current shape of the unit is below optimal. I have been working on a way to blend Starfleet and Romulan training techniques, to ensure that the unit rises up to my standards" He added, in a tone that suggested his standards were set a lot higher than the rest of the Fleet "I plan to implement the new training as soon as possible, we have a lot of work to complete"

*takes the Padd and reads through it* "I like what I see EL-tee, it would be good for our Marines to learn some Romulan techniques and as we are in the Delta Quadrant it should benefit them *looks up and hands the Padd back* as I have mentioned until you we did not have an MCO, so the fact that the Marine detachment on the ships is under par does not surprise me. If my duties as XO did not take front and centre, then I would have made a start *with a smile* when you implement and merge both disciplines try not to kill any of them if you can, also if you do not want to do those holoprograms then there is plenty of reading material on them in the library of the ship. Remember Lieutenant where the Marine detachment is concerned you are essentially starting with a blank slate, you have about a dozen to two who have all completed basic and Specialist Starfleet Marine training, but none of them has worked together, the best thing about a blank slate is if they get used to one style and method, then they will not question it, does that make any sense?" she asked with a curious expression.

Vaebn nodded a sharp and quick movement as always "I understand. One of the benefits of a blank slate is you can mould it into anything you need it to be, but, it does mean more work involved. Also, I assure you, Major, it is not my intention to kill any of the detachment. My training will be vigorous and difficult, there will most likely be injuries but it should be survivable, providing that the team works together and follows my instructions" Vaebn collected the PADD from the table before him, bringing closer to his chest once more "It may also be beneficial to schedule some inter-department training with the Security Officers on board. While I understand they fulfil a separate role and operate on different mission objectives, there will be times we will need to work side by side, both teams will need to operate seamlessly together"

*thinks a moment* "Get with the Security Chief, we are setting up some QRT, SAR and Hazard Teams and the Hazard Teams will encompass all departments, while the QRT will be security specialized in defending this ship, in that group I would expect the Marines to be part, as for the SAR, the majority will be Marine, but expect some Medical personnel to accompany them, which means you will need to speak to the CMO and CEO's as to arrange that cross-departmental training session, they have been set up for the most part, but to my knowledge, nothing has been finalised. After all the scientists on this ship will need to be protected, especially as the focus of this ship is science and explorations, these teams were my idea, I may be a Marine by trade but I am also the ships XO and I am responsible for all the crew on this ship I also know this training will not be easy, I hope you know that Lieutenant?" she asked.

"I understand the challenges ahead Major. Not only do we need to co-ordinate the training of all personnel on board, but we are also moving into a relatively unknown sector of space with races and threats we have not faced. Our methods may need to be as unconventional as the Delta Quadrant" Vaebn said with some seriousness, adding some gravity to his words to show his understanding "With that in mind, I believe it would be best that we start sooner rather than later. There is no knowing when the next threat may arise, especially since we are already in contact with the Dalacari, they may seem friendly on the outside but they could be hiding something from us" He added, referring to the seemingly hospitable race that the Pennsylvania had just encountered.

"Is that Romulan innate distrust of non-Romulan's or are you just being prudent?!" Griffiths commented, "off-topic I do not know where Romulan's stand on R & R, but I am hoping we can find us a planet that is uninhabited and has clear water, sandy beaches and hot weather and blue skies, not only will it help the crew relax, it may also be a good place for the Marines to do some formation running, it would beat doing the same on a ship, what is your thoughts?" She ended with a question.

"I would say it's a mix of the two. Without knowing the true abilities of the rest of the crew, I have to keep my expectations low. " Vaebn replied, but this time without his customary sarcasm and superiority tone "As for some ground-based training, I believe it would be a good idea. We can simulate some survival situations and even shuttle based deployments at the same time"

*she nodded* "Do not forget the holodeck, I am sure there are some hiking programs on there, where you can increase the gravity as you ascend a hill *gives an evil smile* but if we can find a Class M planet that we can visit, training in a true gravity environment would also help *pulls out a small Padd* Oh, great I have to be elsewhere, *sighs* Sometimes I miss the time when I commanded troops, less hassle *looks up and smiles* I would like to Continue, but duty abounds, and I think you will need time to organise training for the marines and my not being here will help?" she said then stood and held out her hand* "nice chatting to you we must do it again at some point" she added.

Vaebn stood up, awkwardly took the Major's hand and gave it a quick, but firm shake. It was not something the Romulan was accustomed to, but Human's seemed to thrive on inter-personal contact "I will get to work at once Major and send you a report on our progress as soon as I am able to" He said, reverting back to his normal cool tone, getting back into the business once again

She smiled "excellent, I know you will not let me down Captain, good day to you," Griffiths said and left the MCO Office and returned to her duties, leaving the Romulan to do his own thing.

[OFF]

Major NS Griffiths
First Officer

1st Lieutenant Vaebn i-Ra'tleihfi!
MCO