Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84 
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Oct 3, 2021 20:27:39 GMT
Sometime after the events of S2E9 and Opportunity Knocks[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams), PhD - Eastman-Williams Quarters]Judy was grappling with the decision facing her, one in which her most powerful support system - Max - couldn't help. Was she still indispensable? Was the mission still there? Was it right for her to stay or go? Not only could she not consult with Max, but she couldn't consult with most of her friends. Too many were inside Starfleet, same as she was, and would not give her a clear perspective. Devra, however, was just in the right place, outside the Starfleet bubble but adjacent to it. Judy had asked the other woman to join her for a mid-morning visit, and now sat on one of the two sofas in the living room, various cakes occupying the coffee table before her.
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Jovireh Velal
Security & Tactical
[TI18]
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 55
Rank: Senior Chief Petty Officer
Position: Chief of Security/Tactical
Species: Betazoid/Romulan
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Post by Jovireh Velal on Oct 13, 2021 3:50:03 GMT
[Devra Kul - Front Ear - CO's Quarters]Devra had been pleasantly surprised to receive the invitation from Judy. Thankfully, it happened to be for a day when her part-time employee was at the shop, so she had no hesitation about leaving for a couple hours. So after assisting with the opening duties, she assured the young woman that she would back before the end of her shift, and made her way up to the Eastman-Williams' quarters. Along with her, she brought a small pot with a white orchid in it, having remembered the other woman's first purchase from her months ago. It was wonderful how much their friendship had grown since then. Pausing to ring the chime, she remembered at the last moment to shift the plant to a more secure position in her arms in case the dogs were ready to greet her.
Tag Judith Eastman
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Oct 13, 2021 4:18:51 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams), PhD - Eastman-Williams Quarters]At the sound of the chime, Judy grabbed the collars of both dogs, one in each arm. It worked about a quarter of the time, including this morning. "Computer, open door."The computer did, and Judy couldn't even wait for Devra to come in before unloading. "I'm gonna tell you two things, and you tell me which of them sounds less crazy:" the possibly-soon-to-be-former Captain said. "A: It's hard on me, and it's hard on Max, and I'm getting more and more upset with Starfleet as an organization, but I need to keep going as Captain because this place needs me."
"B: The station and this crew will be just fine. I should go with my conscience and my husband, and hang up my uniform."The words had burst out of Judy's mouth, almost involuntarily. She was desperate to unload.
Tag Jovireh Velal
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Jovireh Velal
Security & Tactical
[TI18]
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 55
Rank: Senior Chief Petty Officer
Position: Chief of Security/Tactical
Species: Betazoid/Romulan
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Post by Jovireh Velal on Oct 13, 2021 21:05:49 GMT
[Devra Kul - Front Ear - CO's Quarters]When she stepped through the door, Devra opened her mouth to greet her friend, but stopped as the other woman suddenly blurted out what was on her mind. For a moment she just stood there and blinked, letting the questions process. Recovering with a warm and gentle smile, she moved into the living room and set the potted orchid on the coffee table. "You already know the answer to that." Taking a seat, she selected one of the cakes and thoughtfully took a bite. Once her mouth was cleared, she continued. "You have done marvellous things for your crew and this community. Your mark will last here for generations to come. But going forward... You are not the only Captain in Starfleet who can do this job, and do it well. There comes a time in every person's life when they need to start doing what is best for themselves. The fact that you're even asking me this question, means you've reached that point in yours."
Tag Judith Eastman
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Oct 14, 2021 16:30:36 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams), PhD - Eastman-Williams Quarters]"Well," Judy started a counterpoint, but couldn't find any counterpoint to phrase. Devra was absolutely right. "Goodness, where are my manners today?" she said instead. "Thank you."She released the dogs. "I suppose the reason we've been discussing this - we being myself and Max - is how far Starfleet as an organization has strayed from the values we hold so dear."The willingness to speak ill of her longtime employers was perhaps the first sign that Judy had taken Devra's words to heart, and had - at least subconsciously - crossed the Rubicon.
Tag Jovireh Velal
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Jovireh Velal
Security & Tactical
[TI18]
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 55
Rank: Senior Chief Petty Officer
Position: Chief of Security/Tactical
Species: Betazoid/Romulan
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Post by Jovireh Velal on Oct 18, 2021 17:36:03 GMT
[Devra Kul - Front Ear - CO's Quarters]Devra offered another warm smile, glad that Judy didn't try to argue out of a sense of duty. Though it was clear to the Betazoid that there was much that still weighed heavily on her friend, so she listened attentively as the explanation continued. "The war changed a lot of things. Whether for better or worse depends on who you ask. Starfleet was forced to realize that Galactic peace isn't as easy to obtain as they had once believed." While that might still be the goal of the organization, their methods of achieving it had changed. And with any sort of change... There were bound to be many who disagreed with it.
Tag Judith Eastman
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Oct 19, 2021 1:23:06 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams), PhD - Eastman-Williams Quarters]"That's what I thought 5 years ago, and it's true to some degree, but... it's more than that."Judy sighed. "I've always been a pragmatist, but when you're making those icky choices, they ought to give you pause. That pause, that sense of moral scruples, is missing."
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Jovireh Velal
Security & Tactical
[TI18]
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 55
Rank: Senior Chief Petty Officer
Position: Chief of Security/Tactical
Species: Betazoid/Romulan
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Post by Jovireh Velal on Oct 22, 2021 1:28:42 GMT
[Devra Kul - Front Ear - CO's Quarters]As Judy continued, Devra listened, unable to help but notice the broad and vague word choice. Perhaps the caution was due to her being a civilian, but the Betazoid sensed there was more to it than that. "I assume these 'icky decisions' are more than what happened on Caldonia?" Although that incident alone was enough to make anyone question who they worked for... If that was the sole reason for Judy's loss of faith, she would have left well before now.
Tag Judith Eastman
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Oct 22, 2021 2:26:00 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams), PhD - Eastman-Williams Quarters]"The Caldonia Five are part of the story, but they're not the whole story," Judy answered. "The way we keep cozying up to the Nyberrites also deeply disturbs me, as does the fact that we're still in bed with them after all they've done in the past year. We'd always had some unsavory friends, but... we've never liked it."This was all difficult for Judy, but it felt good to say outright. "This is a very hard job, and as long as I believed in the mission, I could keep asking myself - and more importantly, asking my family - to make the sacrifices that it entails. That's no longer the case."
Tag Jovireh Velal
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Jovireh Velal
Security & Tactical
[TI18]
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 55
Rank: Senior Chief Petty Officer
Position: Chief of Security/Tactical
Species: Betazoid/Romulan
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Post by Jovireh Velal on Oct 23, 2021 4:31:17 GMT
[Devra Kul - Front Ear - CO's Quarters]She nodded solemnly, fully understanding at least the emotions behind the situations that were being explained. Devra didn't know much about the Alliance, but she had heard enough from various people to understand the hesitation there. "I met my late husband when we were both on vacation. I had always found it odd how willing he was to leave his home and join me in an entirely different field of scientific study. It wasn't until a few years later that I found out he was on vacation because he had just stopped working for the Tal'Shiar." That was a part of their story that she rarely told anyone. Even her daughter had only found out about his past a few months after transferring to Front Ear. But she felt like it was applicable here. "He had always believed the work he was doing was to benefit his people. Then he found out that the project he'd been working on was a weapon of mass destruction. It made him realize that what he believed to be best for his people did not align with the government's belief of the same. So he left before he could be assigned to work on any more projects like that."
Tag Judith Eastman
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Oct 25, 2021 0:08:16 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams), PhD - Eastman-Williams Quarters]"Oy vey iz mir."Devra's revelation was dramatic, deeply so, and the fact that it was in line with the Tal Shiar's MO made it hit even harder. "That is horrible. Truly."The late Endon's situation was much more dramatic than Judy's own, for which she was grateful. "I've found a place to serve our peoples, myself, in a different part of our government, and the best part is, it'll keep me here."
Tag Jovireh Velal
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Jovireh Velal
Security & Tactical
[TI18]
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 55
Rank: Senior Chief Petty Officer
Position: Chief of Security/Tactical
Species: Betazoid/Romulan
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Post by Jovireh Velal on Oct 25, 2021 1:26:46 GMT
[Devra Kul - Front Ear - CO's Quarters]Devra's smile brightened a little when Judy explained she had already found another career path. "That is excellent news. I'm glad you won't have to uproot your life in order to leave Starfleet." So few people were that lucky. Her husband certainly hadn't been. Though if had... Odds were that she never would have met him in the first place, so she really couldn't complain there.
Tag Judith Eastman
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Oct 27, 2021 17:58:55 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams), PhD - Eastman-Williams Quarters]"Well, in my case, it was really in reverse order. I got a job offer, which triggered the whole conversation we're having now," Judy explained. "I actually hadn't really been actively thinking about retirement, but I got this gig dropped in my lap, and, well, everything came to the surface."Judy raised a mug of decaf to her lips and took a sip. "The new government is bringing some of the Economics ministry's work down to sector-level offices, and I'm to be in charge of this sector," she shared, sounding quite eager.
Tag Jovireh Velal
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Jovireh Velal
Security & Tactical
[TI18]
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 55
Rank: Senior Chief Petty Officer
Position: Chief of Security/Tactical
Species: Betazoid/Romulan
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Post by Jovireh Velal on Oct 28, 2021 18:59:33 GMT
[Devra Kul - Front Ear - CO's Quarters]Her smile turned into beaming as Judy went a little more in depth into how this decision came about. Normally she would declare it was the work of the deities, but Humans had so many different religions she couldn't quite remember what Jews believed in. So instead, she settled for a more broad response. "It sounds like Fate already made the decision for you." Her friend definitely seemed excited about this new career path, and it would be far safer and likely less stressful. Exactly what the other woman needed at this point in her life.
Tag Judith Eastman
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Oct 31, 2021 0:32:03 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams), PhD - Eastman-Williams Quarters]"I suppose you could see the hand of God, if you look hard enough," Judy answered. She had felt at various points in the past, that certain opportunities came her way at just the right time. "It does feel a bit odd to be leaving Starfleet, at what - on paper - is the highlight of my oh-so-long career, but it also feels right, and I'm certainly ready to start doing something new..."Judy chuckled. "I suppose it helps that I never got too attached to being a Captain. I wasn't one of those people who dreamed about it from an early age, and I didn't let it define who I was once I got the rank."There were many - including on the station - who would kill to have this job, the very same one Judy was moving on from after less than a year.
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