Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153 Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Aug 14, 2020 6:58:02 GMT
[NPC - Colonel Helena Vasser - First Officer's Office, Front Ear Station] Judy continued to be careful with her words. It was a skill that came with experience and rank. You learned how to say a great deal without really saying much at all. And the impression that Helena got was that Starfleet was at best uncomfortable with the Alliance's presence in the region and saw them as a potential threat or hindrance to their plans. Perhaps it was yet another toll of the war. "Unlike the Tholians, the Nyberrite Alliance employs Federation citizens," Vasser pointed out. Though, it took a few moments as she paused. "Or is that actually the problem?"Vasser was by no means under the delusion that the Nyberrite Alliance were saints. Though it seemed they had been painted as the villains in more ways than one. Helena took a deep breath, her plate still in her hand. "And here I thought it was just me," the colonel remarked. "The war changed me. I'm not ashamed to admit that. At the end of it, I saw that I was better a sword than shield. Now,... it sounds as if Starfleet's heart has hardened as well." Her eyes shifted to Judy.
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 Aug 14, 2020 16:17:31 GMT
[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - First Officer's Office]Judy sighed. Oh, yes, the War. The Dominion had brought a taste of death to Judy's lips, called longstanding ideals into question, and rattled the whole geopolitical ecosystem. "The war changed us all. The older generations, yours and mine, have to reckon with how it happened on our watch, and the youth, my Grandchildren and my younger two children, are growing up in a Quadrant much more on edge than the one we knew. Like it or not - and I don't - we now live in an era of 'trust but verify', at best," Judy philosophized. She believed this was the lesson of the War. The Federation had won it through cooperation with allies, even unlikely ones like Damar's rebellion and the Romulans, but there had also been excess trust placed in the wrong people (some malevolent, others replaced by changelings) that allowed the Quadrant to be divided enough for the Dominion to very nearly win. Judy did not believe that faith died at the Wormhole, but the naïve optimism of her youth, the intoxicating euphoria of Khitomer, had been badly bruised.
Tag Isaiah Quinn
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153 Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Aug 16, 2020 18:02:16 GMT
[NPC - Colonel Helena Vasser - First Officer's Office, Front Ear Station] There was an undeniable wisdom in Eastman's words. A wisdom that Helena wished she couldn't acknowledge. "Well, that is unfortunate," she stated flatly. "And perhaps illustrates my own naivete in the collective psyche of the Federation." A wry smile began to spread across Vasser's face. "Perhaps it wasn't naivete, but my own hubris that led to this.The colonel took a deep breath, and then reached to get herself a glass of water. It was all becoming quite apparent how insignificant of a role she was actually playing in the grand scheme of things. Thank heavens she wasn't on some counselor's couch bearing her soul. "We're not even cogs on a wheel, are we?" Vasser asked, somewhat rhetorically. They were barely individual teeth on a cog. If one were to break, it was doubtful that it'd have any significant effect upon the machine as a whole. "I resigned my commission from Starfleet, stating they were wasting my talents. Using me ineffectively." The colonel sighed heavily before going on. "Perhaps I was expecting some grand ripples in my wake. Thinking that that the Alliance could shoulder the burden of security, while Starfleet returned to its roots in science."“I could not understand why men who knew all about good and evil could hate and kill each other,” Vasser quoted a single line of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. "Fear." For the Alliance colonel, it was the only reason that made sense.
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 Aug 17, 2020 18:04:26 GMT
[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - First Officer's Office]Judy sighed. She didn't really disagree with Vasser's sentiments. The feeling of powerlessness against the bigwigs, the wish for the Fleet to leave the militarized path it was now on, she shared these sentiments at times. Granted, she understood the need for a more robust national defense, and she wasn't inclined to entrust that to the Alliance, but she shared the broad feelings and sentiments in play. "At the end of the day, my job at least isn't to make policy, or shape policy. The Admirals and the politicians have that job, and I can and do conduct myself as a private citizen based on which way I think they should go, but not in my official capacity. As an Officer - as a public servant, really - I'm not here to decide if Starfleet will perform more or less security work. I'm here to apply my judgement, and get those broad directives implemented in a better way," she explained her position more philosophically, avoiding the more divisive point of whether the Alliance could, or should, be the steward of Federation security.
Tag Isaiah Quinn
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153 Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Aug 21, 2020 23:48:11 GMT
[NPC - Colonel Helena Vasser - First Officer's Office, Front Ear Station] As Vasser listened to Commander Eastman speak, she was reminded that this was the portion of the Starfleet uniform that she didn't care for. She could already hear the political postering. She couldn't argue with any of it, because it was the truth. She didn't make the rules. Orders came down from up high, and it was left in the hands of captains and commanders to carry them out. Of course, there was always a little gray area of discretion where those commanding officers were left to operate within. "I'm familiar with the rules, Commander," Helena said, reminding Judy that she was familiar with the practice. "But it is your responsibility to inform policy. You're the eyes and ears on the front line. Your reports help the brass and the politicians paint a picture of what's happening light years away from the comforts of their shiny little desks back on Earth. It helps them to write a nice little narrative for the general public. I'm only hoping trying to keep the Alliance from being written as the villain of that narrative."Helena took another sip of her water as she leaned back in the chair. "How do you view the Alliance, Judy?" Vasser asked, using the woman's familiar name with the question. "The Alliance has been characterized a number of ways: Allies, traitors, mercenaries. How do you personally see the Alliance? Vasser sat there, attempting to read the woman as best she could. "And please, there's no need to mince words. I think we both know you have to develop a thick skin when you decide to advance through the command track."
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 Aug 22, 2020 5:08:11 GMT
[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - First Officer's Office]If the goal of the sudden switch to familiarity was to throw Judy off her balance, it didn't work. However, it did get across that the "objective bureaucrat" line wasn't going to be enough. She adjusted her glasses, the slightest sign that she was not fully in her zen mode. "Well, I think it's not hard to guess that I'm not fully on-board with the Nyberrites, considering I'm still wearing this uniform; it's also not too hard to guess that I'm not totally opposed to the group, seeing as I did invite you to lunch. I don't do that for just anybody," she answered, initially not revealing much at all. "Personally, Helena, I do struggle with combat as a business. I don't seek to impose my stances, but it's not the easiest idea for me to reconcile with my values, with my faith," she added, accepting the transition to a first-name basis while, for the first time so far, taking a stance.
Tag Isaiah Quinn
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153 Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Aug 22, 2020 19:55:40 GMT
[NPC - Colonel Helena Vasser - First Officer's Office, Front Ear Station] Whether it was intended as such or not, Helena could see that Judy Eastman wasn't all bark, and perfectly capable of biting. One could even say she got a bit of a nip with the comment about still wearing her uniform. It did sting, like salt on a wound. Helena hadn't forgotten what it meant to where a Starfleet uniform. She still had a great deal of admiration for what Starfleet stood for. In fact, the issue was that it felt as if so many others had been the ones to actually forget. "Well, it sounds as if all the propaganda actually has a bit more credibility than I," Helena stated. "Contrary to popular belief, the Alliance doesn't go out of its way to seek confrontation. The Alliance has rules of engagement. Yes, the Alliance does accept monetary compensation for its services, but how is that different from the Federation which asks for fealty instead?"
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 Aug 23, 2020 1:05:09 GMT
[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - First Officer's Office]Judy sighed. Here they were, in an ideological debate that she most definitely did not have the mind to conduct in uniform. With the gloves off, at the dinner table, she could definitely fire off quite forcefully, but now she had to restrain herself. "When you look at the neighbor disputes of the galaxy, and there are oh-so-many of those out here, Starfleet's priority, Prime Directive notwithstanding, is to mediate a peaceful resolution. When you're working for pay, your capacity for that kind of truly impartial mediation is... diminished. Even if you try to do the right thing, and I believe that you and many of your colleagues do try to do the right thing, just the fact of being buyable imposes a limitation on you that it doesn't on the Fleet," she expanded on her point, with a gentle tone and small, circular gesticulations. "For that matter, the Fleet makes its least ethical, and dare I add its stupidest, decisions when Federation financial interests are strongly in play," she added, conceding the faults of her own organization. She knew that Admirals were not Seraphim, but they were closer to it than Accountants. She took another cheesy slice of pizza.
Tag Isaiah Quinn
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153 Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Aug 28, 2020 19:18:14 GMT
[NPC - Colonel Helena Vasser - First Officer's Office, Front Ear Station] Helena had taken another bite of her pizza as she listened to Judy speak further on the matter. Of course, by the time the first officer had finished, she seemed to be suggesting that both the Alliance and Starfleet were vulnerable to influence based on interests. Though Vasser had to wonder if the latter had only been conceded out of deference. "Just for the record, the Alliance doesn't take any and every contract that's presented to it," Vasser declared. "There is a vetting process. The Alliance doesn't simply act as hired muscle to highest bidder. It's one reason our services on Caldonia have been so... selective. We're not trying to feed into a Civil War."Helena started to take another bite, but not before asking a question of her own. "What about the Federation's current stance? Has the episode with the Kurjarians aboard the station impacted Starfleet's efforts on the planet?"
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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 Aug 28, 2020 23:56:17 GMT
[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - First Officer's Office]The way Judy saw it, her point still stood, and that was fine by her. She expected to hear a defense of the Alliance's business model, and that was what she got. That, and a question. She took a deep breath and puffed out her chest in an exaggerated manner. "The Federation remains committed to the equitable and peaceable resolution of all disputes," she recited, with almost comical formality. "That's all I can say. Probably not the answer you were hoping for," she added in a more normal manner. While the incident had forced the fleet to declassify some information, and forced the Federation foreign office to make formal statements, many of the Federation's activities regarding Caldonia were still shrouded in a veil of secrecy, beyond the clearance even of most of the station's senior staff.
Tag Isaiah Quinn
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153 Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Aug 31, 2020 14:00:26 GMT
[NPC - Colonel Helena Vasser - First Officer's Office, Front Ear Station] A smile actually formed on Helena's face as Judy gave her answer. It was actually exactly what she had expected to hear. She was certain she had uttered those very words herself once upon a time. As Judy pointed out that it was probably not what she wanted to hear, Helena waved it off. "What I wanted to hear, no, but certainly what I expected," she replied. She then took another bite of her pizza, and gave it a steady chewing before uttering anything else. "I'll just assume that it's fallen into one of two hands as of right now: diplomats or intelligence." Though, it was likely both. Helena took a deep breath. "I'll do my best to convey word that we should attempt to steer clear of Caldonia for the time being," Vasser stated. A small gesture to hopefully give the Federation time to get their details sorted. "However, it should probably be noted that the Alliance won't refuse any pleas to assist the Kurjarians in humanitarian efforts."
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 Aug 31, 2020 18:09:32 GMT
[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - First Officer's Office]Judy took a few bites of her own pizza and processed this. There was a friendly move here, a concession of sorts, almost. In the moral conundrum of Caldonia, Judy wasn't sure if this was a net positive. "I'm all in favor of humanitarian aid, and I'll try to give you a heads-up when my bosses articulate a line of policy regarding Caldonia. It's the least I can do," she answered. The words were fine-tuned to, again, separate Judy and her stances from the orders she followed. She couldn't say it outright, but she resented the Federation's soft stance towards the Caldonian government. She heavily disdained Chief Jeren's approach, but she did not approve of the subjugation of the Kurjarian people. She meant to signal that, while she would faithfully implement her orders as Starfleet gave them, her own independent judgement - where it could rightfully be exercised - sympathized with the Kurjarians.
Tag Isaiah Quinn
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153 Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Sept 1, 2020 4:13:11 GMT
[NPC - Colonel Helena Vasser - First Officer's Office, Front Ear Station] Helena nodded at Judy's words. In a measure, it was actually progress. "Thank you, Judy. I'd appreciate that," she said before taking a sip of her water. "I wonder if out Intelligence officers get along just as well." There was a slight chuckle that accompanied the comment. Though, truth be told, she actually found that she missed this sort of interaction. She wasn't sure if it was the sort of exchange exclusive to Starfleet officers or if it was merely the lack of her own executive officer. Regardless, it was something that she missed. "Perhaps we should consider making this a more frequent affair, Commander," Helena proposed. "Not that I'm trying to put you in the position of preparing a meal each time, but I think we could benefit from a continued dialogue. Perhaps model proper behavior for our superiors." Helena shrugged. "I'd even be willing to take a shot at hosting some of the meetings as well."
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 Sept 1, 2020 17:12:51 GMT
[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - First Officer's Office]Judy reacted to the comment about the Intelligence Officers with a slight chuckle and a raise of her eyebrows. As for the invitation, she was inclined to accept. "Don't worry about the meals; this is what I do for fun. Especially now that Max is working again, I have to keep up somehow," she reassured, all the while alluding to the powerful role that the kitchen played in her marriage. "Regardless, I think a biweekly meeting could be very beneficial. I'd suggest weekly, but my schedule is rather tight as it is," she added. Standing up, Judy walked over to her desk and retrieved a PADD to look at her own schedule. "I have a lot of slack in my mornings, mostly. I can take 0800, or half past that, on any day, and I have all sorts of random gaps throughout the day," she noted, as she examined it. The PADD's case was customized, with a photo of Judy, Max, and the 5 grandchildren, all seated on a bench by a stream, with the towering Swiss Alps behind them.
Tag Isaiah Quinn
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153 Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Sept 3, 2020 5:01:47 GMT
[NPC - Colonel Helena Vasser - First Officer's Office, Front Ear Station] Helena was pleased to see that Judy saw the arrangement between their Intelligence officers in a similar light. Vasser certainly couldn't imagine a session between them where one didn't raise their voice of make accusations of the other. Chromar had certainly reported his dissatisfaction often enough. As Judy got up to search her calendar, Vasser simply nodded along at the proposed times. "Biweekly sounds fine to me," she agreed. "Perhaps every other Thursday at 8am, then?"It seemed to be a suitable arrangement. Certainly something she could keep, assuming the Soteria wasn't away. Though, Vasser felt that went without saying. The same could be said if she was away on a mission as well. "And I'd honestly like to give entertaining a try every now and then. The best way to learn is with practice. And I trust you'll make me aware of any shortcomings on my part." Helena smiled slightly. "Besides, it may actually support my case to refit my quarters and include a personal kitchen." It was actually unlikely that it would make a difference, but she doubted the chef would complain about Vasser spending some extra time in the galley.
Tag: Judith Eastman
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