Human Relations - what a hassle

Posted on Fri Apr 10th, 2026 @ 4:40pm by Lieutenant Commander Etan tar-Lexros & 1st Lieutenant Kayleigh London

Mission: We are sick of this.
Location: Operations Office
Timeline: After "a talk"

It was unusual for Etan to call anyone into his office, and almost impossible for him to request Kay of all people. After all, they were together, and had finally admitted it semi-publicly. But there was a problem at hand. The problem was, he didn't trust Johnson in Security or Jansen-Carey in Counseling to handle this in the best possible way. He had a cup of tea already ready for her sitting on the far side of his desk. His own coffee was ready, sitting untouched and waiting for her to arrive. When she walked in, Etan looked up and gestured to the chair in front of him.

He cleared his throat and looked at her, smiling for a moment before returning to seriousness. "Hi. I'm glad to see you. The Captain and I were talking, and, well, you came up. She mentioned that you and she haven't been talking - and indicated that it's on your side. Now, normally, you know I don't pry. But, you are an officer who's between two different departments and could be a liaison to one of the other Fleet divisions if the situation arises, and I rely on you too."

He leaned forward slightly. "I care about you, personally. You know that. Personally, I want to support you and correct whatever went wrong. But professionally, as Chief of Starship Operations... I need to know that a pivotal officer amongst the crew will be able to work with the Captain. I need to know that if something goes wrong - if Tony or Sky are incapacitated or I need you, that you're going to prioritize the needs of the ship and communicate with the Captain."

He looked down and bit his lip. "I mean it, about wanting to correct everything wrong. I want you to be happy. I want us to be happy. So what is it that's going on?"

If he had not been so nervous about his speech and foccused on that he would have seen Kay get redder and redder while he talked and now was clearly ready to blow her top.

"She did what! The little sneaky bitch tattled to you.!" Her voice was high and full of fury. "She had no bloody right! If I don't exist for her anymore she has no right to go to you off all people. This is worse then when she snitched on me when I got my belly button pierced and she had the gall to tell my dad. Or when Nick and I borrowed her dad's sailboat and we got into trouble and she told on us." She inhalded sharply. "And the bitch is lying as well. I have been nothing but polite to her on duty. Not that I see the high and mighty captain that often. A mere marine lieutenant is far beneath her. But I have been polite on duty. This is harrasment...." She took another breath and only then seemed to realise they were on duty. "Sorry, sir. I lost my temper, won't happen again." she mumbled at the end.

It was rare for Etan to respond to rage with anything but shrinking and apologies. This was one of those rare times. He took a sip of his coffee, then set the cup down - firmly - and stood up. He stood up, and pushed his chair in neatly before coming around his desk to face her eye-to-eye. His voice was even. "You and I both know that's a lie, Kay. I know you can have a temper, I know that when you feel attacked or cornered and there's no other lives on the line, you can lose control. I accept that. That's why I chose to address this personally, here, rather than trying to go through Lieutenant Carey or one of the others." He wasn't angry, but she'd definitely caused his spine to straighten. She'd notice that he wasn't showing the signs of panic that he usually did when someone raised their voice around him. He wasn't scared of her, and he also wasn't backing down. He was acknowledging her anger - a rare thing for him to do.

He took another breath, and for just a moment there was the merest suggestion of someone who could be in command in him. His voice remained quiet. It was close to the same tone he preferred when they were alone. This was a different side to him - the part of himself he'd reserved for her, where he could be decisive and lead. "The Captain and I met to discuss her planned command style and strategy, and I mentioned that I'd prefer to be more professional when on-duty, rather than familial. I don't think that's a shock to you. I mentioned the familial connection between the two of you - not her. She only told me that I didn't have to worry about us having dinner with her, because you and she have not been speaking. I made the further inquiries. She did not, to use the schoolyard insult, 'tattle'. She answered my questions and told me that the question would have to be brought to you. Obviously, she was right."

He squeezed her hand in a gesture that he hoped was reassuring to her in the situation. "You know what I would normally suggest in this situation. Every part of my training in personnel tells me that I should urge you to transfer to a different part of the Fleet, or to a Marine base. But my... heart, I suppose, is screaming against it. If you leave this ship, I will leave with you. You are the first person I've felt this way about as an adult. The only one. You have a great deal of past trauma related to the Captain. Normally you've been able to keep it under wraps. So, please. Tell me what has happened. I need to know. Professionally, I need to know so that I can work with your department heads and Doctor Rutherford to schedule you away from her. Personally, I need to know so that I can help you. You deserve a life where no one needs to walk on eggshells. I want to make sure you have that life. Please. Let me help. Tell me what's going on."

Kay blinked a couple of times while conflicting emotions raged through her. A little bit of anger as he was defending Toni, but once she processed that it left other overwhelming feelings. The fact that he wanted to be with her, Etan had never said it so clearly. And the fact that he was standing there without any anxiety and acted like a second officer. She had never loved him more or been more proud of him. "Sorry I know we are on duty." She came to her feet and round the desk to give him a big hug. "But I am soooo proud of you."

Etan returned the hug without thinking (honestly, if he had been thinking, he'd probably have hesitated), and held her. After a moment of holding her, he gently patted her shoulder. "I think we can be forgiven for a hug in private, Kay." He smiled again, more definite this time. "I really appreciate that. I'm proud of you too. Personally, because of how much I know you've gone through to get where you are, and professionally, because you are one of two officers I can rely on to handle any part of this ship if things go wrong. Speaking frankly, if there weren't a thousand regulatory arguments against it because of our relationship, I'd want you to be primarily part of Ops. On any other ship or installation, you could be an Ops chief. And you'd run rings around me."

He held her close for another moment and spoke quietly. "But, seriously. What did Toni do? I only know her as my superior officer, and I see where others might have concerns. Your relationship with her is very different. What's going on? And why are you so keen to fly off the handle over her?"

Kay exhaled and went back to her chair. "When we were small our fathers were almost always stationed together so our families kind of blended. Toni is older but when I was small she babysat for me and later we became friends as we were the only girls in a bunch of boys. We both wanted starfleet but we both wanted to make it on our own. You see both sets of parents are very protective. And you have met granddad Stoffels, he is even worse. At the time we started our careers he was the chief of the marine corps so you can only imagine." She rolled her eyes.

"But we made a pact with each other that we would help each other if we could. Toni being older was always senior to me and until now we never served together. I don't want special treatment from her but you just said I did good." She gave him another grateful smile. "And if you really meant that it means I should have been promoted as well. Everyone is getting promoted and I am just handed around the ship like I am unwanted goods. It hurts." She looked at the ground for a second. "That is why I am treating her with the curtesy her rank requires and nothing else. If that is hard for her that's her problem, not mine."

Hearing that, Etan nodded, and let her go with a great deal of hesitation as he returned to his own seat. He thought for a moment as he looked at his screen. "I can promise you that no one on this ship that I've ever spoken to thinks of you as being unwanted - at least, they know better than to say it when they're talking to me. You have a wide variety of skills and experience, and you're the single most versatile person on the ship. It's not that people don't want you and foist you on some other department; it's that everyone wants you, and the only reason you don't have official positions across Engineering, Helm, and Science is because you haven't qualified on those crossover tests. And I guess I can understand how others might feel about promoting you from where you are. If they don't skip a rank, your next promotion is to Marine Captain. And given that you and Toni have some... let's just say issues and work on them soon, I can see where she would have a challenge with you both being called 'Captain'. Plus, naval tradition holds that you'd need another title - and frankly, 'Marine' seems a bit too rude."

The Efrosian leaned in to the screen and thought for a moment, then turned the screen around showing Kay's commendations. "You're absolutely right, in my view, that you're being passed over. But based on what I've seen in the past on Fleet-based vessels... it's like when some Ensigns are pushed like mad to earn their full Lieutenant promotion, bypassing the J-Grade. If I had to guess, Captain Carey's target was to justify to Marine Command that you should be promoted directly to Major. That would skip the positional arguments while giving you what you deserve."

He thought for a moment. "There is another option, though I'm extremely hesitant to suggest it. You're a Marine Officer. We can get you switched over to main Fleet with some paperwork. You'd come in as a Lieutenant J-Grade, and based on service and commendations, medals, and valor marks, it would be against standards for a Captain not to promote you to full Lieutenant, with Lieutenant Commander following shortly. But I do genuinely believe that you're in the extremely uncomfortable position of being jumped from junior rank straight to Command ranks - because Lieutenant Commander, the equivalent to Major, is the lowest Command rank. If things went poorly, that would allow you certain Command privileges, and it would potentially mean that you'd have authority over the Fighter Wing, since they nominally answer to the Marine service as well as the Fleet."

He thought for a moment. "But... there is something I can do. It's unusual, but within my authority as second officer and Ops chief. Pending Captain Stoffels' approval, Marine First Lieutenant Kayleigh London, I'm open to entering a general brevet Fleet rank into the system, at the rank of Lieutenant, so long as you serve on this vessel and bridge two departments, and thus are also working as an Ops liaison from and to both departments. Do you accept the responsibilities and privileges of that rank and role, First Lieutenant?"

He looked at her, and hoped she realized that he was sticking his neck out for her. Not only was he about to push to get her 'skipped' a rank because of awkward naming, he was functionally giving her the rank she would be skipping. And sure, Toni could shut it down. The question of whether she would hung in the office, or if she'd confirm Etan's proposal, couched in official language and in justifications as it was.

She was glowing with pleasure while he talked about everyone wanting to have them serve in their department and not the other way around as she had thought. It made her feel a great deal better. "You mean a navy brevet rank?" It went against everything she had lived for so far and yet... he was sticking his neck out for her because he believed in her and he loved her. Kay smiled at him as her heart mellowed even more. "Yes... yes I think I would like that very much... and thank you for believing in me and sticking with me. Even if Toni does not agree, it is enough for me to know that you believe in me."

Etan nodded with a smile, typing out a few things and pressing his thumbprint to the appropriate pad on his desk. After a moment, he stood up and walked to his office replicator, which dutifully produced the small box with Kay's provisional rank marker. He handed it to her. "Of course I believe in you. I care about you, and you saved my life - and others'. I believe in you and I want to support you." He stood beside her and rested a hand on her shoulder, watching her reaction. "You deserve to succeed and be happy. I want to help make you happy.."

Kay came to attention while tears shimmered in her eyes. "Thank you, sir!" She said as she carefully replaced the rank insignia. Then the formal part over she embraced him again and planted a kiss firmly on his lips.