"Babysitting"

[Kansas_Jones 0]

June 9, 2006 (2383)

Sky Harbor Aegis

“Babysitting”

 

Ensign JoNs stood off to the side of the large crowd and put on her “grim serious security face”, also known in Caitian as the “come near my delegate and I fillet you with the fangs” look. Of course, she would probably bypass the fangs completely and just stun anyone who even remotely looked like they would attack her charge, Councilor Joy 2…but it did not hurt to employ the security look now and then.

 

The speeches were in full swing, with the command staff of the Aegis and the visiting delegates themselves saying a few words. When Joy 2 moved to the front of the crowd to say her piece, Left Ear followed at a discreet distance, visually scanning the gathered crowd constantly. No matter how often she complained and made fun of these diplomatic babysitting assignments, it was too well engrained in her through training to not be protective and alert. But, why use security? Oh yes, the answer was obvious. Of course it was their duty to look after diplomatic functions and the attendees. It just didn’t make any logical sense at times. If it was so important for these diplomats to have round the clock coverage, then how come many of them did not employ private security forces? Or a trained bodyguard?

 

Time and time again, these diplomats came to Aegis, Deep Space Nine, the Enterprise E, the Republic, the Excalibur, and many other ships and stations for these functions. And they typically arrived with a few aides, a personal assistant and nothing more, and instead looked to the assigned security forces at these locations for protection rather then providing their own bodyguards.

 

It was a question that had popped into Left Ears mind more then once over these last few years, especially during and after the Dominion war. She enjoyed her service to the fleet, but her outlook had lost that eager cadet glow a long time ago. Now, certain policies and procedures, both command wise and assignment wise, just seemed ill conceived to her.

 

Her inner conscience started to nag at her. This is why you are still in the junior officer ranks at age twenty eight. You can’t keep balking at policies and procedures every new assignment, or the command staffs for that matter. And it’s not all stemming from your burnout symptoms either. Your older now and the hell bent for leather security officer and piloting days need to stay in the past. You need to learn when to speak and when not to speak, when to act and when not to act, when to voice personal misgivings and when not to, and do it all in a professional officer manner. She had already come close to some borderline insubordination previously with some off the cuff remarks in the security offices.

 

She sighed inaudibly and glanced toward Joy 2 once more before discreetly scanning the assembled crowd once again with a tricorder. She lingered a few moments on the cane being used by the rather dour looking older Ferengi gentleman. Check, no concealed sword, moving on.

 

Ensign M’Vess Vacer “Left Ear” JoN’s

Assistant Security Officer

Sky Harbor Aegis