03-16-2025, 06:43 PM
Leo kept his head down, fingers hovering over his PADD, watching the senior officers. He didn't type. Not yet. Jadaris had spoken first after Leo, and that was a relief. He hadn’t dismissed him. Instead, he expanded the argument:
"Trial and error. Speculating without accurate information is a nice way to set yourself up for a gaffe."
That stuck with Leo. They were all guessing. Even Tomer. Jadaris' experience flying into a temporal anomaly made Leo pause, adaptability and teamwork mattered just as much as experience.
Then there was the XO. He had kept his emotions carefully in check, turning his back to summon the missing medical staff. It gave him a moment to compose himself.Leo didn’t know exactly what the XO was thinking, but the pause before turning back made him suspect he wasn’t thrilled about the Midshipmen’s assignments. Did he doubt them? But Jensen didn’t question it. Instead, he asked the real question:
"Are we expected to win? Or are we expected to hold back?"
Leo’s grip on his PADD tightened.
That’s what I should have asked.
His earlier assumption, that trying was enough, was crumbling. Maybe winning really did matter. Not for ego or pride. Because it proved they could overcome the challenge. He felt a touch foolish about speaking too soon, without enough information. A mistake he would hopefully learn from.
Tomer had turned red with rage, his forehead vein pulsing. Leo had almost expected him to explode. Instead, he forced himself to stay composed and doubled down.
"Winning teams are lavishly rewarded. Their faith is based on the constant need to overcome challenge."
Leo’s stomach tightened. That was it. The final confirmation. Winning wasn’t just for prestige. It was proof. Proof that they could overcome. His grip on his PADD tightened further.
Cassidy had no patience for Tomer’s arrogance and Leo bit his tongue to suppress a chuckle at his words. Cassidy’s approach was simple. Direct. No debating, no arguing. Just shut him down and move on. Despite keeping his head low, Leo had been watching the Captain. Braggins had been silent, amused, even lighting a cigarette while her crew verbally tore Tomer apart. She had let it happen. Had she been testing them? But when she finally stepped in, her response was sharp, decisive, absolute.
"I remind you that I am Captain and designated mission leader. You are here to assist."
The room had been alive with tension, officers weighing in, voices rising and falling. But now? Dead silent. The Captain had spoken. Final and Unshakable. It wasn’t a warning. It was a final decision. And if Tomer didn’t like it? He’d be confined to quarters. Leo held his breath. Had she been waiting for Tomer to push too far? Or had she let the crew vent before shutting it down? The difference mattered. And Leo wasn’t sure which it was. That unsettled him. The finesse of command was a balancing act upon a knife’s edge. He had spent years studying leadership, but now? Now he was seeing it firsthand. If he ever wanted to sit in the big chair, he had a lot more to learn. Then Flint spoke.
Leo’s eyes flicked up just in time to catch Flint’s cocky grin and subtle thumbs-up. Leo’s fingers twitched slightly over his PADD. It wasn’t the words that struck him. It was the confidence. Flint didn’t hesitate. Didn’t overthink. Didn’t analyze every angle. Leo wasn’t there yet. He was still questioning, trying to understand authority and action. Flint already knew where he stood. Leo made a note of that. Then, just as quickly, he lowered his gaze back to his PADD. And then,
"yItamchoH."
Leo recognized the phrase immediately as 'Shut up'. D’Tor’an’s words had been quiet, but firm. A reprimand, aimed directly at Chertstone. Leo flicked a glance toward Flint. Would he even get it?
The contrast between himself and Flint was becoming clearer by the second. Flint didn’t question anything. Just rolled with the moment, cocky as ever. Leo? Leo was still analyzing everything. He wondered for a moment how it would affect them working together on the Glennis, would their differences work like a giant melting pot of ideas and strategies, or would it help them secure a unfixable stance in the eyes of the Wairara.
And then there was Jadaris. Unlike Flint, Jadaris knew when to speak and when to be silent. His words had weight, not just because of his size, but because of how and when he used them. Leo’s gaze dropped to his PADD again.
This crew operated differently. On another ship, the Captain wouldn’t have let any of this happen. Was she testing them? Or letting them learn something the hard way? Leo kept his head down, fingers hovering over his PADD, still absorbing everything. And then,
"Understood."
Tomer’s voice lacked all its earlier confidence. The arrogance was gone, replaced with something, quieter. Leo glanced up and the man looked humiliated. Flushed red for all the wrong reasons and the shift had been so sudden that Leo almost didn’t believe it. A minute ago, he had been ready to tear into Braggins, convinced of his own authority. But Braggins hadn’t fought him. Hadn’t raised her voice. Hadn’t even argued. She had just stood her ground. Tomer had assumed authority. Braggins embodied it.
Leo swallowed as he considered if he ever wanted to be in a position where just a look could silence a room? He had thought about command before, everybody had, but now? Now, he wasn’t sure. He was rapidly learning that authority wasn’t about knowing the right thing to say. It wasn’t about pushing orders through. It was about owning the space you stood in. Filling the room without needing to raise your voice. Could he ever do that?
Leo exhaled slowly, turning his focus back to his PADD. One thing was clear. He had a hell of a lot more to learn.
"Trial and error. Speculating without accurate information is a nice way to set yourself up for a gaffe."
That stuck with Leo. They were all guessing. Even Tomer. Jadaris' experience flying into a temporal anomaly made Leo pause, adaptability and teamwork mattered just as much as experience.
Then there was the XO. He had kept his emotions carefully in check, turning his back to summon the missing medical staff. It gave him a moment to compose himself.Leo didn’t know exactly what the XO was thinking, but the pause before turning back made him suspect he wasn’t thrilled about the Midshipmen’s assignments. Did he doubt them? But Jensen didn’t question it. Instead, he asked the real question:
"Are we expected to win? Or are we expected to hold back?"
Leo’s grip on his PADD tightened.
That’s what I should have asked.
His earlier assumption, that trying was enough, was crumbling. Maybe winning really did matter. Not for ego or pride. Because it proved they could overcome the challenge. He felt a touch foolish about speaking too soon, without enough information. A mistake he would hopefully learn from.
Tomer had turned red with rage, his forehead vein pulsing. Leo had almost expected him to explode. Instead, he forced himself to stay composed and doubled down.
"Winning teams are lavishly rewarded. Their faith is based on the constant need to overcome challenge."
Leo’s stomach tightened. That was it. The final confirmation. Winning wasn’t just for prestige. It was proof. Proof that they could overcome. His grip on his PADD tightened further.
Cassidy had no patience for Tomer’s arrogance and Leo bit his tongue to suppress a chuckle at his words. Cassidy’s approach was simple. Direct. No debating, no arguing. Just shut him down and move on. Despite keeping his head low, Leo had been watching the Captain. Braggins had been silent, amused, even lighting a cigarette while her crew verbally tore Tomer apart. She had let it happen. Had she been testing them? But when she finally stepped in, her response was sharp, decisive, absolute.
"I remind you that I am Captain and designated mission leader. You are here to assist."
The room had been alive with tension, officers weighing in, voices rising and falling. But now? Dead silent. The Captain had spoken. Final and Unshakable. It wasn’t a warning. It was a final decision. And if Tomer didn’t like it? He’d be confined to quarters. Leo held his breath. Had she been waiting for Tomer to push too far? Or had she let the crew vent before shutting it down? The difference mattered. And Leo wasn’t sure which it was. That unsettled him. The finesse of command was a balancing act upon a knife’s edge. He had spent years studying leadership, but now? Now he was seeing it firsthand. If he ever wanted to sit in the big chair, he had a lot more to learn. Then Flint spoke.
Leo’s eyes flicked up just in time to catch Flint’s cocky grin and subtle thumbs-up. Leo’s fingers twitched slightly over his PADD. It wasn’t the words that struck him. It was the confidence. Flint didn’t hesitate. Didn’t overthink. Didn’t analyze every angle. Leo wasn’t there yet. He was still questioning, trying to understand authority and action. Flint already knew where he stood. Leo made a note of that. Then, just as quickly, he lowered his gaze back to his PADD. And then,
"yItamchoH."
Leo recognized the phrase immediately as 'Shut up'. D’Tor’an’s words had been quiet, but firm. A reprimand, aimed directly at Chertstone. Leo flicked a glance toward Flint. Would he even get it?
The contrast between himself and Flint was becoming clearer by the second. Flint didn’t question anything. Just rolled with the moment, cocky as ever. Leo? Leo was still analyzing everything. He wondered for a moment how it would affect them working together on the Glennis, would their differences work like a giant melting pot of ideas and strategies, or would it help them secure a unfixable stance in the eyes of the Wairara.
And then there was Jadaris. Unlike Flint, Jadaris knew when to speak and when to be silent. His words had weight, not just because of his size, but because of how and when he used them. Leo’s gaze dropped to his PADD again.
This crew operated differently. On another ship, the Captain wouldn’t have let any of this happen. Was she testing them? Or letting them learn something the hard way? Leo kept his head down, fingers hovering over his PADD, still absorbing everything. And then,
"Understood."
Tomer’s voice lacked all its earlier confidence. The arrogance was gone, replaced with something, quieter. Leo glanced up and the man looked humiliated. Flushed red for all the wrong reasons and the shift had been so sudden that Leo almost didn’t believe it. A minute ago, he had been ready to tear into Braggins, convinced of his own authority. But Braggins hadn’t fought him. Hadn’t raised her voice. Hadn’t even argued. She had just stood her ground. Tomer had assumed authority. Braggins embodied it.
Leo swallowed as he considered if he ever wanted to be in a position where just a look could silence a room? He had thought about command before, everybody had, but now? Now, he wasn’t sure. He was rapidly learning that authority wasn’t about knowing the right thing to say. It wasn’t about pushing orders through. It was about owning the space you stood in. Filling the room without needing to raise your voice. Could he ever do that?
Leo exhaled slowly, turning his focus back to his PADD. One thing was clear. He had a hell of a lot more to learn.