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 Dec 24, 2020 19:30:21 GMT
Following S1M8, prior to S1M9[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - First Officer's Office, Front Ear Station]As a First Officer, Judy considered it to be an integral part of her job to watch out for her subordinates. Whether by being assigned to the wrong duties for them, or by pushing themselves too hard, many of Starfleet's best and brightest could grind themselves down to nothing, unless a steady hand, steeped in life experience, guided them elsewhere. Having read the accounts of the latest Talorian incident, and Jovireh Velal's troubles in particular, Judy saw a situation that could use some interference. Ms. Velal was a promising young lady, after all, excepting this one incident. Having also reviewed the young woman's personnel file, Judy saw plenty to merit a friendly check-in, and so had ordered Mabel to schedule a mid-morning meeting. As usual, the XO's office was occupied by the smell of pastries, specifically rugelach[fn]Polish-Jewish pastries  [/fn] with a poppy filling. With the room's antechamber watched over - as usual - by Mabel, Judy sat at her desk and reviewed her notes.
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 Dec 24, 2020 20:52:51 GMT
[Crewman Jovireh Velal - Front Ear - XO's Office]There had been no shortage of panic when she'd received the message from Commander Eastman's assistant to schedule a meeting. Oh sure, the exchange had been pleasant enough, but she couldn't think of a single good reason why the Commander would want to speak with her. But she didn't have to wait long to find out. With a deep, composing breath, she entered the antechamber, immediately noticing the Ensign present. That must be the one she'd corresponded with. Subconsciously straightening her shoulders, she successfully kept the nervousness out of her voice as she spoke. "Excuse me... I have a meeting with Commander Eastman?" She was a little early, but not obnoxiously so, and fully expected to be told to wait while the Ensign checked to see if the Commander was ready for her.
Tag Judith Eastman (Mabel)
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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 Dec 24, 2020 22:31:47 GMT
[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) & Ens. Mabel Henriksen - First Officer's Office]Mabel cheerily looked up from her own paperwork. "Oh, you must be Crewman Velal. I'll let her know you're here," she said, exuding the bubbly attitude that characterized her work. Sometimes, it annoyed people who worked with her[fn] As did her taste in fonts.[/fn], but it made her very well-suited to acting as a receptionist. She typed a quick message for the Commander. Cr. Velal is hereJudy, inside, read that message on her PADD, and promptly replied. Send her in.The older woman rose from her desk, walked past the conference table, and stood by the door as it opened. "Good morning," she greeted, with a sort of controlled but sincere warmth. Exaggerated enthusiasm, under the circumstances, could be just as frighteningly off-putting as icy glares and monotone.
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 Dec 24, 2020 22:49:19 GMT
[Crewman Jovireh Velal - Front Ear - XO's Office]So much for needing to wait. Hearing the door slide open, Jovireh turned on her heel and shifted into attention. As they had only met once before - her first day on the station - when neither of them had been on duty, she wasn't entirely certain what was expected of her now. It was easier, and more comfortable, to simply fall back on the formality she had been trained in. "Good morning, ma'am." She replied simply, remembering a brief comment made during their tour that suggested the Commander preferred gender-respective terms over the typical 'sir'. At least there weren't any noticeable signs of the woman being cross... Perhaps she wasn't in too much trouble then. Though she couldn't think of a reason why she would be, unless word had gotten around about... No, that likely wasn't it either.
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 Dec 24, 2020 23:38:19 GMT
[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - First Officer's Office]Judy never did like people standing at attention for her, but it was a cost of her profession. "Please, have a seat," she said, motioning at the conference table. She sat down herself, near the pastries. "Before we get started, I know Mabel was a little vague in sending you the invite to this meeting, so I want to clarify that you're not in any trouble."Judy smiled reassuringly, and then directed her gaze towards the pastries, as a sort of invitation. Food was quite good for lowering tension.
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 Dec 25, 2020 1:21:36 GMT
[Crewman Jovireh Velal - Front Ear - XO's Office]Jovireh took a seat across from the Commander, breathing a soft sigh of relief at the clarification that she wasn't in trouble. "I appreciate the reassurance," she replied with a small smile. That still left the question what she was there for... But that would likely be answered shortly. As Judy indicated towards the pastries on the table, Jovireh blinked. Of all the things she had been expecting, being fed had not been on the list. "Thank you." She picked up one of the pastries, taking a bite as she waited for the conversation to continue.
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 Dec 25, 2020 3:25:33 GMT
[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - First Officer's Office]Judy took one of the rugelach herself, but didn't take a bite just yet. "My pleasure. Max and I like to bake, and we need mouths to feed," she accepted Jovireh's thanks, and then transitioned to the matter at hand. "Well, the reason I called you up here is that I read the reports from the meeting with the Talorians, on the Mac, and I felt the need to... check in with you about that. Like I said, you're not in any trouble, but I just want to check in."The English language really needed a proper, non-threatening way for a boss to say "I'm worried about your mental health", but Judy had to make do with the language as it was. She finally started to eat, slowly and with small bites.
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 Dec 25, 2020 6:48:53 GMT
[Crewman Jovireh Velal - Front Ear - XO's Office]Now it all made sense. Jov looked down at the table in front of her, pastry forgotten in her hand. "I was wondering when that was going to come up again." To be perfectly honest, she really just wanted to forget that mission ever happened. She certainly didn't want to talk about it. But she knew a crewmember finding the murdered body of someone they knew would be a matter of concern for any CO. Add in her passing out the moment she set foot into Sickbay, and the Commander had every right to be concerned. Jovireh lifted her gaze back to the woman across from her. "What would you like to know?" She asked, doing her best not to resort to her usual defensiveness when she didn't want to talk about something.
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 Dec 27, 2020 3:31:17 GMT
[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - First Officer's Office]What exactly was it that Judy wanted to know? The true answer was that she wanted to know if Jovireh was doing all right, emotionally, and if the young woman could benefit from any kind of move on the XO's behalf, but that was the kind of question that would very much not lead to the answer. "Well, I want to see how you're doing, really. I understand it was a difficult experience for you."Judy tried to convey her sincere concern, as best as she could, in part by hewing away from big, sophisticated terms to express herself. If formality was an impediment to her social life, it was devastating to her ability to act as a sort of informal counselor.
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 Dec 27, 2020 3:56:14 GMT
[Crewman Jovireh Velal - Front Ear - XO's Office]She could tell the Commander was choosing her words carefully, and didn't blame her. 'Are you mentally and emotionally stable enough to safely continue your duties' tended to be a bit off-putting. And that was why she was here, wasn't it? Passing out in Sickbay, paranoid ramblings... she hadn't exactly painted a competent picture of herself that day. While she wanted to tell the other woman that she was fine, there was nothing to worry about, Jov had been through enough therapy over the past dozen years to know when that sort of response would not be accepted. A small laugh left her lips as she shifted in her seat, trying to think of how to honestly answer that question without raising even more concern. "I would like to say that it was just a combination of shock, adrenaline and low blood sugar... But if you believed that I probably wouldn't be here." Mentioning blood sugar brought her awareness back to the fact that she was still holding a half-eaten pastry in her hand. Taking a moment, she quickly finished it - mainly to get it out of her hand, but also to give herself time to think of how to best describe why she'd had the reaction that she did. "The Academy prepares us for being around death. They even prepare us - as best anyone can - for the death of someone we know. But when someone you know is murdered for a conversation you'd had with them hours before... Nothing can prepare you for that." It had never been proven that Relan - or whomever had ordered the assassination - had overheard Kaelpra telling her about his political concerns. But whether they knew he'd confided in her or not, it was still the reason he'd been killed, regardless of the official story. That was guilt that she would carry with her for quite some time.
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 Dec 27, 2020 23:39:54 GMT
[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - First Officer's Office]Judy would've smiled, gently, at the comment about blood sugar, but her mouth was full with the last bite of her own pastry. However, a twinkle registered in her eye, showing that the joke was received. She continued to listen, nodding, regularly casting a sympathetic look, for while she hadn't dealt with the particular situation - murder - she had deaths she put on her conscience as well, and the emotional load wasn't dissimilar. "So you think Kaelpra was killed for talking to you?" she asked, speaking the dead Talorian's name uncertainly, as she wasn't sure she was pronouncing it correctly.
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 Dec 28, 2020 3:21:48 GMT
[Crewman Jovireh Velal - Front Ear - XO's Office]Yup, that sounded paranoid. "It wasn't so much that he was talking to me... But rather what he told me." It would probably be best if she just started at the beginning, especially since she had no idea what had been in the official report, or otherwise relayed to the Commander. Shifting in her seat to get slightly more comfortable, Jovireh took a deep breath before beginning. "We met at the reception. The overall atmosphere was pretty tense, but since neither of us had been involved in the Jupiter Star incident, we were able to set our own tensions aside fairly quickly." She smiled lightly as she remembered how the man had essentially saved her from an altercation with L'Sho's bodyguard. That night would have taken a very different turn had he not stepped in when he did. "We... bonded... over our fascination with and desire to learn about each other's cultures." Jov knew that part wouldn't come as a surprise, as her interest in cultural anthropology had been one of the first things they'd talked about during their tour of the station. "I'm not sure why he trusted me as quickly as he did. Maybe he was hoping to find someone in the Federation to express his concerns to, so we could take action before it was too late. Or maybe he was just so worried that it spilled out to the first person he felt comfortable with."She was getting ahead of herself. Jov shifted again, wiping her palms on her pant legs. It was easier to talk about now than it had been when they first arrived back at the station, but she still didn't like reliving it in detail. "He told me about the... political unrest... among his people. Some supported Princess Elana as their new leader, others supported Primary L'Sho. Kaelpra was concerned that there were members of the delegation that would attempt to sabotage the negotiations with the Federation. He asked for my help." She didn't feel the need to mention his request that she be present during the negotiations; since there hadn't been a chance for that request to be made it would sound rather outlandish. "That's why he invited me to their breakfast the following morning. He was going to meet me early, teach me a few key phrases in their language, and I would be able to observe them in a more casual setting. He was hoping I would be able to tell him who posed a threat to the negotiations." Jovireh bit the inside of her lip as she finished the story. The rest of it was rather well-known at this point. He didn't show up at the agreed time, she went looking for him, and found him. A soft sigh escaped her as she realized that didn't particularly answer the Commander's question. "If L'Sho, or Relan, or any of the other conspirators overheard him telling me about their plans, asking for my help... I don't believe it was a coincidence that he was killed after the reception and before meeting with me." If they suspected he would try to stop them, they could have killed him before the delegation arrived, or otherwise prevented him from being there. There would have been plenty of opportunities to kill him before they reached Argus Major. But they chose that particular few-hour window for a reason, and nothing would be able to convince her that she wasn't that reason.
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 Dec 28, 2020 20:28:32 GMT
[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - First Officer's Office]
Judy leaned forward and clasped her hands together on the table, listening with rapt attention. The politics, of course, were in her regular briefings, but the personal interaction between Jovireh and Kaelpra was mentioned only at a surface level.
Judy thought about it, briefly. Unfortunately, having not been present on the Mac for the talks, her perspective was rather limited.
"That's a reasonable conclusion to come to."
Judy paused, briefly adjusting her eyeglasses.
"However, consider Kaelpra's pattern of behavior. I think if he was distressed enough to come to a stranger - a lovely stranger like yourself, but a stranger nonetheless - it doesn't seem too likely that this was his first show of concern. The bravery inherent in his act tends to build up over time."
Kaelpra was very brave - Judy sincerely believed this, from what Jovireh had said - and also very right.
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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 Dec 28, 2020 21:29:59 GMT
[Crewman Jovireh Velal - Front Ear - XO's Office]Jovireh nodded, knowing that what the Commander said was true. Even if the reason behind his murder was his conversation with her, it was likely only the last straw in his history of interference. But alleviating her guilt didn't change what happened, and that wasn't why she was here. "There was a point towards the end of the evening that he realized L'Sho was watching us. His anxiety spiked, and his expression was... Almost fearful. That's why I'm certain that regardless of the Primary's claims, he had something to do with it." But it didn't matter now. The investigation had been left to the authorities on Argus Major. Jovireh sighed, leaning back in her chair. She wished that was the end of the conversation, but knew it was really only the backstory so she could fully answer the Commander's real question. "When I was standing there, guarding the... crime scene..." She still couldn't bring herself to say 'body'. "I couldn't stop thinking. I knew that if I was right about why he was killed, then if the murderer found me alone I would be next. Then I realized that not only was I the one to find and report the... crime... I was also the last one to see him alive. Both of which automatically made me a suspect. If things had played out differently, if I had been formally charged with the murder... Even if I wasn't convicted, it would have been the end of my career in Starfleet." The conditions of her enlistment were clear. Pass annual psyche evaluations, and maintain a clean disciplinary record. Even one incident of posing a threat to herself or others and she would be declared unfit for duty. Being charged with the murder of a diplomat definitely fell under that category.
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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 Dec 29, 2020 1:14:01 GMT
[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - First Officer's Office]Judy nodded. She supposed Jovireh wanted to correct the record right now, set herself in the clear, and establish why she had acted - and more importantly, reacted - as she had. "That's a very frightful prospects. A lot of officers, otherwise-decent officers, in Starfleet would've been eager to take you as a 'good enough' perp, charge you, and keep wining and dining L'Sho. I'm proud of this crew that we didn't."Judy reached for the pitcher of water on the table and poured herself a glass as she continued. "That being said, you did the right thing, reporting the murder despite that prospect. That goes a long way, in my mind."Being charged with murder would've derailed most careers in the fleet - even a decorated veteran like Judy would have a hard time recovering - but especially one in Jovireh's position. Judy was curious about the extra stipulations on the young woman's terms of enlistment (she had read the documentation), but didn't pry.
Tag Jovireh Velal
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