To Lt. Johnson

I request a meeting, in private, to discuss a matter of deep concern at your convenience. I request that it be outside of regular shift or watch hours as this involves someone under your direct supervision and said person is know to me.

I await your response.

Respectfully Ensign Ginsh

Seating himself carefully on one of the chairs facing the desk and the officer behind it. Ginsh took a breath, not for the first time in the past hour he contemplated if what he was doing was an overreaction or a breach of trust, once more decided it was neither he began with a polite acknowledgment. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, sir. Also to agreeing to my specific requests, the reason will become apparent in due course.”

“Please continue, Ensign,” he said as he leaned back in his chair.

“I had an off duty conversation with Ensign Paolo Reavas recently. The topic of conversation turned to the current state of affairs of the Klingons, their troubles and how that is impacting the Romulan people both Republic and Free State, and by extension, us in the Federation and Starfleet specifically.” Ginsh began, he was aware this may come across as rambling, but he felt the background was important enough to be stated up front rather than as an aside point. “He used the phrase, ‘The Dominion might have had the right idea’, which troubled me and I asked him to clarify what he meant.”

“What did he say in response, Ensign?” he asked the young officer. The phrase had caught Gideon off guard. How could someone say that after only four months after Frontier Day? Although it had been some time since the tragic events of that day, the memory of what transpired still haunts many people.

“Divide and conquer. That’s what he had to say.” Ginsh said slowly, carefully, making sure to mentally check and double check his remembering of events, he felt he owed his classmate that much. “Step back and let the two go at each other. I suppose the isolationist mindset still lingers.” Attempting to find some mitigating explanation, but it just felt shallow. He took a breath. “He mentioned his role in tracking warp trails at present and maybe that presented him with an opportunity to do something and that is what really concerns me, sir.”

Gideon sat still in shock at what he just heard. There was no way someone could say such things. ‘Divide and conquer,’ he thought to himself. He was shocked, how could someone wear a Starfleet uniform and say such atrocious words? Whether it was an off-duty conversation or not no one should make such comments about a sovereign nation with the possibility of war around the corner.

“Ensign,” Gideon started trying to clear his mindset enough so he could answer, “I want to thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will speak to my superiors and will personally handle this. I must ask was there anything else that you may have heard or seen him do?” Gideon wasn’t quite sure of how to proceed so he wanted to seek the advance of his superiors to see what was the best possible move. Ensign Paolo Reavas would most definitely be getting a call to his office very soon.

“Directly relating to this matter no sir.” Ginsh answered honestly, right now glad of the beard he wore masking the grimice creeping across his face. He couldn’t just leave things there though, the must be something he could offer that might count for his classmate. “As a person he can be quite reckless, he might act without a lot of thought, but he’s not a bad person, perhaps a little impulsive at times, but there are good intentions in there somewhere.”

“Be that as it may, Ensign Ginsh,” Gabriel said readjusting his uniform, “He still did something that disgraced his uniform and he will be dealt with in accordance with Starfleet regulations,” he said to him. He didn’t want to come off as a hard ass, but this had to be dealt with. If they laxed the rules for this Ensign, they would have to do it for everyone. For a short while he zoned out trying to figure out how this next meeting was going to go. Refocusing on the present he noticed the pen drop silence in the room.

“Thank you, for coming Ensign,” he said breaking the silence and standing up his arm stretched out.

The harsh tone caused Ginsh to instantly question his course of action, should he have held off for a short while, what if this was just a bust of frustration, what if the man’s career never recovered, what if this very action pushed him to even more radical steps. He cursed himself a thousand times as an idiot for not at least questioning which officer would handle this delicately. 

When the silence broke the Lieutenant was standing and offering hand, the meeting was over. Ginsh felt sick for the first time since the Academy. He couldn’t just let this go. “I was phrasing this as a concern rather than actual wrongdoing, Sir. I was hoping for some for of intervention before disciplinary procedures, but I am sure you know best, Sir,” One last appeal before shaking the offered hand. Turning smartly. Then stalking to the door, hoping to leave his guilt behind somehow.