The Sword and the...club

Posted on Sun Jun 29th, 2025 @ 4:00pm by Lieutenant Gregory Turner
Edited on on Tue Jan 20th, 2026 @ 4:47am

1,098 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: 1 - Third Contact
Location: Counselor's office
Timeline: MD02 - 0900

As a Chief Counselor, Aelia Painswick knew she was meant to make the office look inviting. Since it was a task that could be completed like a list, she should in theory just...do it. She hadn't. The room was as standard Starfleet office as any others, just less. Nothing hanging up on the walls yet, the chairs were arranged the way you'd do it when you had a meeting and the only thing that didn't belong there was the officer sitting in the room. And sure, she could take the time to get a plant, but it would be on other people's heads to water it. She could get some cushions, but what did you get? What would calm one species down would make another take up arms and shoot you.

So really, the sensible thing was to aim towards minimalist.

She did have work now. Actual appointments with people. One was Lieutenant Gregory Turner, whose file she had glanced at. Chief Security/Tactical. He was born on Earth, which was what she expected of most humans to be honest. She was sort of convinced that the ones that said they had been born somewhere else were lying to make themselves sound more interesting.

Even so, she already had out the check list of standard questions to ask during these things. Just to make life a little easier on her, the familiarity might be useful for Turner as well.

Gregory Turner entered the counseling offices. Being new on board there were typically the initial checkups with counseling and sickbay. This time around, he was actually eager to meet the Chief Counselor. Moving oneself and starting over was difficult. But to do so with a five-year-old and a single father. It was difficult and a five-year-old Leon certainly didn't make things easy with the move. Sitting in one of the seats, he wait to be called in.

It was almost five minutes past the appointment time when Painswick realised she was meant to actually call people in. She grimaced at herself and stood, moving to the doors. And there he was, outside, sitting. Waiting. "Lieutenant Turner, please come in," she said, with the polite blandness that had once been seen as the height of sophistication on Earth. She turned her back and walked in, taking her seat and taking a hold of the PADD.

Following the counselor, Gregory entered the room. Looking around he couldn't help but to observe just how bland everything was. This counselor was clearly different than most. Or just had no intent on staying on the ship that long, so may have just figured what was the point in even getting comfortable. "How are you counselor?"

She looked at him for a moment before motioning for him to sit. "Fine. We're here for you though, not me," she said as she turned to meet his eyes. She took a seat as well, hands folded in front of her. "How are you settling in on the ship, Lieutenant?"

"The settling in is going well so far," Gregory answered. "No issues there whatsoever. To get straight to the point, the issue is my son Leon."

She blinked at that, taking a slow breath. "Then maybe I should be seeing him rather than you?" she suggested, although there was a small smile on her lips that could be seen as almost playful.

"Perhaps I should drag him to here."

Painswick chuckled at that, nodding. "Perhaps. But as he isn't here, maybe you can tell me what issues there are with your son." She was a bit curious, almost despite herself. The list of questions lay on her desk, abandoned.

"Leon isn't happy about moving to the Quebec," Gregory answered. "Says that he had to leave all his friends behind. As if they're parents wouldn't eventually get reassigned elsewhere."

"It is a natural reaction for any child. He has no control over where he goes and he will be blaming you for it. It doesn't matter if the same could have happened to his friends, it happened to him," Painswick said as she looked at him, sitting back in her seat. "Logic does not apply to children...and the emotional reaction is all that matters. So. How are you communicating with him?"

"Trying to get him to see the good things about the move. And the possibility of meeting new friends and having new adventures."

She nodded as she watched him, considering it. "And...have you sat down, listened to what he feels and...acknowledged that?" she asked, a small smile coming to her.

"I have acknowledged it, but there is nothing that I can do to really get him to understand that this is the way of Starfleet."

"So you are at an impasse and seek...advice?" she asked as she sat back, holding his eyes, not letting him look away at her question. Sometimes, one had to be blunt. "Or are you just after the feeling of someone agreeing with you?"

"Its not about agreeing counselor," Turner corrected her. "But rather trying to find away to help my son get past this as best as possible.

"Okay, but the thing you sort of need to do is to listen without trying to reason with him," she said as she watched him, considering it for a moment. "Listen to him, again. No explaining why this and why that. Let him talk until he stops and listen. Then acknowledge it. And ask how to move forward. And if that doesn't work..." she looked thoughtful for a moment. "Shame we can't wipe minds legally. Would be so much easier."

"As a part can't I consent to the mind wipe," he suggested with a chuckle. "But what you're saying makes perfect sense. I have been trying to explain things to him in a logical manner. And children don't really do logical."

"Children do their own logic. Ambassadors retain it and use it for the rest of their lives, it's how they get in power," Painswick said as she looked at him, nodding. "Sometimes, it's enough to let them to you understand it is unfair. But it's the way of life and life can be unfair."

Gregory nodded in agreement. "So you're not recommending counseling services for him?"

"Sure, send him to counselling," she said and made a motion with her hand. "Doesn't hurt and it means he will have someone to chat to. But recommending it is a strong word. You're the guardian, you tell him to go, he goes."

"I like the sound of that," Gregory said in agreement.

 

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