How Grown Ups Handle Things (Part 1)

Posted on Fri Aug 22nd, 2025 @ 12:53am by Lieutenant Commander Sabastian Walker & Lieutenant JG Zai Walker & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami
Edited on on Fri Aug 22nd, 2025 @ 12:53am

1,047 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Vinyl and Void
Location: Office of Adrianna Baciami
Timeline: Current

ON:

Adrianna was in her office after the meeting. Sebastian had truly been a royal hole of the rectal persuasion. He was clearly overcompensating for something. Her own personal situation had caused her to put up her walls around the likes of Sebastian and other empaths though, knowing she'd be removed from the ship if anyone knew. So far, especially since he last talked with her husband, even Vance was agreeing to keep the secret of her grief.

Regardless, she was trying to calm down by focusing on the task at hand: finding the Gorn war plans she had stolen whilst undercover. She'd managed to find it and was currently piecing everything together ready to share it around the department heads. The truth of the matter was that it would be out of date, but at least they could get a grasp on what plans looked like and aims-- it may give them a heads up tactically.

Zai had been worried about Adri. He'd known that Sab and she had had words in the meeting. Frankly Sab was coming along as XO and Zai was there to talk to Adri.

"I won't take long. Once I tell her what she needs to do she will or won't do it and it will be on her record."

Zai sighed. "Sabastian. I'm sure that."

"No! There is duties as XO and there is temp tantrums. It's about time this crew realize they are not on a garbage scow but in Starfleet. I took a hit defending this away team all of whom were going to be suspended and taken into Starfleet for training. I managed to argue them down to these training courses. If they do them the follow Starfleet orders, if not it's on them. I explained this to the CO and he told me staff discipline is my business I aim to discipline."

"I get it, I do but..."

"Zai! I speak as the XO not your husband. I will say my peace and leave you can be the friend. I am the boss."

Zai sighed. He shook his head as they rang the chime to Adri's office.

"Enter," Adrianna didn't look up from what she was pulling together, reading aloud, quietly in Italian, retranslating as she went, evidently dictating to a point. It was to serve as a reminder for herself. Nothing had changed in her office in recent times, except for the fact that she now had a wedding picture of her and Vance as well a picture of her parents.

"Ciao amico mio" Zai said. "Hai un momento?"

Ade looked up at the Italian, she went to respond in kind but saw that Sab was there too, and chose standard, "only a few, I need to get this sent off to help team."

Sabastian walked in placing a data tablet on her desk. "I'll leave soon but you will listen before I go Lieutenant. I'm giving you a choice. These are the courses I talked about. Starfleet, reviewed the away teams logs and reports. They felt the entire team failed, including myself. They were going to suspend us all and bring us back for supplementary training on Earth along with notes on our records. I argued them down to remote recertification on procedure."

He didn't mention what it had cost him and Zai would not say.

"Now, you can either do this or accept the first request from Starfleet and accept their original punishment. The choice is yours but I am in charge of discipline on this crew. Treat me with respect you will receive it in kind, treat me disrespectfully you will receive it in kind. I am not Fang Lee and this is a Starfleet ship not a garbage scow, you were in intel and should know discipline and rules. Start acting like an officer and I can sense something is off so if you won't cop to it then use the ship's counselor." He tapped the Pad. "Your choice."

Zai watched as Sabastian turned and without another word walked to the door. He sighed. "Mi dispiace, ha un sacco di cose per la testa." He sighed. "Just like you seem to have something on your mind. He really did stop Starfleet from yanking the either away team and he kept everyone's record clear."

Adrianna listened, her face emotionless at first, before sitting up straighter, "I appreciate the gesture, Zai, but this is not your concern and I need to speak with my XO, alone. Commander Walker, a word, please."

Sabastian suppressed a sigh and walked to the chair Zai had vacated.

Adrianna waited for the door to shut behind Zai before speaking. "It is a very difficult line: the difference between XO and friend. More so, when Standard is not your first language, so forgive me for any wrong terminology," she took a breath and gestured to the PaDD he had brought in, "I have no doubt in my mind that you fought for us, and that the consequences of the away mission could have been substantially worse. I thank you for it."

Adrianna paused for a moment, attempting to find the words, "what happened on the away mission was-- something. But it was hardly a fault. We managed to find closure for a number of families and it is only Fleet that seem to think we failed. Somehow we got everything we needed from that mission, albeit a casualty or two. We could not help the stowaway. Gawd knows it's the second time I've had that girl blindside me under similar circumstances. But regardless, everyone lived and we managed to limp home."

She cleared her throat, "the training-- I will do it, just to tick a box, but it will not be because I agree with the why's. I stand by what I said in that room. Appreciate that it could have been handled substantially better, but this mission has my whole being on edge for good reason. I focused on everything that I needed to and, yes, called you out for immature behaviour in terms of colloquialism. You then proceeded to tell me what I had and had not understood from the conversation which was out of line, in my personal opinion."


To Be Continued…

 

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