Friendly Advice
Posted on March 1st, 2019 by T'Lira

Perhaps changing the algorithm to grant a more narrow focus on the target would be far more useful. Yes, that would definitely work for the phaser arrays, T’Lira mused. She had been working on this in her off-hours for some time, consulting with Elena occasionally, as her friend had many more years of tactical knowledge. Elena had been ecstatic, eager to find a new method of targeting. She seemed to take a certain… joy in complaining about her ship’s faults, despite proclaiming to care for her ship dearly.

She was in the process of applying the algorithm to a testing scenario when she heard Lieutenant Acacia speak, ordering a lock to be obtained. Why would a lock be needed unless there was danger? In moments, she has her display switched from testing to full tactical systems at the ready, just waiting for an order. A faint sense of apprehension makes itself known before she dismisses it. There is just no time for such things when the away team is potentially in danger?

T’Lira keeps part of her attention on the conversation between Acacia and Doctor Tailor, pausing when she hears that the captain and two crew members have been attacked. Who was attacked? What measures were being taken on the ground?

She hears Acacia order a transport for the captain and… Major Wolfe? This does not bode well, if the senior tactical officer on the team was also wounded. She prepares the shields and finds she can do nothing but wait now. Should she at least inform the next highest-ranking Marine of the situation? A check of the ship’s roster could tell her who that would be, but what would she tell them? She did not know the full extent of the situation.

‘Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate, and then act. That’s what they taught us in the Academy. Take it from me, that shit is a lot harder than they make it sound!’

She could almost hear Elena offering the advice, the same advice she had offered three months ago when they spoke of one of the studies T’Lira had found, published by an Academy instructor regarding a tendency for Academy tactical students to rush into danger headlong and the difficulties in educating them otherwise, teaching them to pause for a moment.

‘They also tell us to keep the guns warm and triggers ready, so it’s hard to tell what they want us to believe. I like to think that it’s up to the individual officer what they want to do, how they want to react. If they screw up, so be it. It’ll teach ‘em not to be so stupid next time. Nobody can just tell you what to do, you gotta figure it out for yourself. Look at it like a scientist, y’know, that thing you spent years learning to do? Each situation is almost formulaic. There’s a problem, and you have to evaluate it. You have to decide what the variables are, what might change, what CAN change. Then, you have to come up with a solution. That solution could range from blowing the bastard out of the sky to just telling your captain the weapons are ready and letting ‘em talk it out. It all depends on the situation.’

The problem was self-explanatory. Unknown race attacking Starfleet officers during what was ostensibly a peaceful introduction.

What were the variables? Unknown ship with unknown capabilities. The capacity to attack and injure the captain and the senior Marine aboard with seemingly little care for the consequences, which spoke of a confidence in themselves and their power. The ship was an unknown, as were the people themselves. Unknowns were dangerous. Unknowns must always be overestimated, so proper precautions could be taken.

What was the solution? Her instincts told her to raise the shields as soon as the away team had returned and gain a weapons lock on the ship. However, there were factors that must be considered. With the captain injured, it was likely that Commander Kuari would take command. Kuari was experienced in such situations and would no doubt have knowledge of what drove the enemy, which gave her an advantage in deciding how to best address the situation. That led T’Lira to the conclusion that her current solution was to wait for further orders.

Thus, it comes of little surprise to her when the order is given to raise shields and track the enemy ship. Navarro is competent and can easily track the ship, so her current solution has become “raise the shields and proceed to await orders”, something that could easily be accomplished.

Yet… a part of her greatly desired to know what drove them to attack the away team, what led them to engage hostilities? Perhaps it was a cultural difference. There were many examples of such scenarios in history. It may have been a miscommunication, another common scenario. Either way, she would know soon enough what the cause of this was.

There was one final thing Elena had told her, something that made her pause slightly and wonder if she was not over evaluating the situation.

‘Every tactical officer wants to jump the gun, to take charge. It’s something they teach us, because we have to on the ground. But in space… well, in space that’s not our domain. In space, that domain belongs to the command team. Captains and first officers get a lot more information than the average tactical officer. It means you can wonder all you damn well please about the ‘ifs’ and the ‘whys’, but until you get orders, your ass stays put and your fingers stay still. Hell hath no fury like a captain defending their crew… and hell definitely doesn’t know what to do with a first officer who has to take charge. You’ve met my first officer, you know my tendencies to get myself injured. Trust me, Ex-Ohs are fucking terrifying.

Oh, and one last thing… never, ever underestimate yourself. The skies may be the command team’s domain, but you’re the one they turn to when the ship is in danger. Keep calm, keep cool, and don’t overthink it. Like I said, look at it like a scientist. That’s your advantage, you’re a Vulcan scientist by training. You may be a slightly malfunctioning Vulcan, but you’re still a walking computer when you get in the mood to be. You’ve got this. Now, stop worrying so damn much, will you? Keep it cool over there, I’ve gotta head back to the bridge. Eddie is about to commit murder and I’ve gotta keep him from giving me so much damned paperwork. You know how he gets. Bye!”