Manners Maketh Man

Posted on 11 Jul 2018 @ 6:23am by Commander Juan Zamora (Dec [CDO]-Jan 2389 - TRSNFR to Gorn Dip.) & Ensign Arthur Jones, Son of Ruk (Jan 2389 TRNSFR After Second Battle of XFY)

Mission: Ne Me'e Laua Na Paio - Heroes & Villains
Location: XO's office
Timeline: The day after the operation to apprehend Dr. Sthilg

Juan sat behind his desk, hands folded, and waited as the clock indicated it was time for his appointment. He looked up as the doors slid open and offered a greeting. "Thank you for coming Mr. Ruk, please take a seat, we have a lot of ground to cover today."

Arthur nodded, and even though his face didn't show it, his eyes showed how nervous he was. He took a seat, answering "yes sir. I want to apologize for my behavior at the briefing earlier."

Juan gave a small nod in response, "duly noted Ensign." He noted the look in the Junior officer's eyes, and decided to carry on. "I want to preface today's discussion by my making it clear that you chose to be here." He said in a neutral tone. "Your records show that you had the pick of Starfleet or the KDF, both paths were open to you, and you chose Starfleet. You chose Starfleet and everything that comes wit it, the hierarchy, the red tape, the bureaucracy, everything. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir, I do." Arthur said, sitting up a little straighter, imagining the call home when he got kicked out of Starfleet.

"Excellent" Juan replied. "Then we can continue on common ground. You have done some quality work during your time aboard, and you have handled the responsibility of running your own department better than I would expect for most people of your experience level. But, your disruptive behavior is hampering the crew's effectiveness, and runs the risk of stunting your career before it has had a chance to begin. I am not sure if it is a cultural issue, or a personal one, or both, but, you are going to have to acclimate yourself better to our institutional standards."

Arthur sighed a little, nodding. "Yes sir. Understood."

Juan nodded in acknowledgement before continuing: "It is imperative going forward that you keep the phrase 'conduct becoming an officer of Starfleet' in mind while you go about your duties. While you are a Starfleet officer, you may have to adjust the way you look at the world. Measure your honor by more than the number of fights you have won. Efficiency and professionalism are an officer's pride, and you should count your victories in problems solved and days without incident. We place a premium on restraint and control here, we earn respect by ensuring that our strength is judiciously applied, both as individuals and as an organization. And lastly, as an officer you are expected to be a model of good conduct, both for your juniors and the citizenry in general. As long as you wear that uniform you are a representative of the Federation, and so we model our standards of behavior accordingly. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir." Arthur said, though he looked like he wanted to say much more.

"I feel that you could have the makings of an excellent officer in you. You just need to acclimate yourself to the life of a soldier rather than a warrior. For the next while I and the rest of the command staff will be keeping our eye on you. Show us you can conduct yourself well and there are prospects for advancement, otherwise, we may have to investigate further corrective action." At this Juan leaned back in his seat. "Now, I sense that you have something you would like to say, you can speak freely."

"With all due respect, sir, I do understand where you are coming from. However, I do want to point out that my circumstances here are much like that of a non-Federation officer's. I was a child when my human parents were killed. The first time I can remember seeing Earth was when I went to the academy. I am human only biologically, so it is a cultural issue, there was no 'grooming' for how its done here on Qo'noS. I do understand your stance, and I'll make my best effort to conduct myself to Starfleet standards, but there will always be that cultural barrier." Arthur said, hoping he didn't just offend.

"I'll grant you that point Mr. Ruk." Juan Said From behind the desk. "I have tried to be sensitive to your background. That is one reason I decided to try speaking with you before pursuing any form of official disciplinary action. Nonetheless, what I expect from you is what I would expect from any non-Federation officer, I hold you to the same standards I would have for a Tholian, a Romulan, or any of the many other species that can and do serve with us. Even if our procedures and operational methods are foreign to you, you had four years at the academy to familiarize yourself with them. There have been numerous Klingon officers who were able to balance their cultural values with our code of conduct. There may always be a cultural barrier between us, but it is far from insurmountable."

"Yes sir." Arthur said, "I will conduct myself the way a Starfleet officer should."

"Alright, I'll let you return to your duties, just keep in mind that this is the path you chose. And remember that you are not alone aboard this vessel, the counselor is here to help reconcile personal and cultural matters with your duties, and your seniors are also here to help guide you as you learn, you can reach out to you fellow crew members for support if need be. you're dismissed."

Arthur nodded and exited the office, muttering in Klingon.