Apprenticeship

Posted on Mon Apr 13th, 2026 @ 5:46am by Captain Maddox Greene & Lieutenant T'Vei

2,418 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Echos on the Deck
Location: Sentinel Station, Promenade, "Common Ground" Cafe
Timeline: Following "Quiet Courage"

Twelve hours had passed and thus far the worst the Nausicaans had done was yell at some station residents and one instance of public intoxication that had led to an escort back to their ship. T'Vei had to acknowledge, she was impressed with her team's performance. Security personnel had avoided hovering over the Nausicaans, but were in the area to intervene when a situation developed. Even Crewman Mays had returned to his patrol without further instance of panic.

While their vigil was ongoing, T'Vei had promised her answer to Captain Greene within 24 hours and was already overdue. She had sent him a message upon waking, asking for a chance to meet him here, at the "Common Ground" cafe on the Promenade, when he was available. It would serve both her goals: to be on hand for her team should they need her and deliver her answer to the Captain. She sat ramrod straight at one of the cafe's tables by the railing, observing the station personnel as they walked past.

Common Ground was one of several labors of love on the station. At first glance it was an Earth style cafe selling coffee, tea, and baked goods with plenty of seating to encourage station residents to stick around for seconds, but its menu consisted of a whole lot more than Earth drinks. Corinne, a Human, and her business partner Jhovora, an Andorian, had opened the business together and, as T'Vei had found out, were not shy about sharing their mutual love for other species' culinary specialties.

Captain Greene had been relieved and still holding his breath a bit regarding the Nausicaans at the station. No complaints from most of the businesses. Perhaps all the preparation a d the fear of a fight was him overthinking the situation. Entering the 'Common Ground' an establishment that he hadn't had the chance to visit. Maddox spotted T'Vei. Pulling out a chair across from the Sublieutenant. He smiled, then took a look at the crowd below. "Sublieutenant is that a look of concern on your face?

"Negative, Captain. Vulcans do not 'look concerned,'" she said, turning her attention to him. "I wish to speak about your offer of the Chief Armory Officer position."

Maddox couldn't help but to chuckle. Over the span of his career, he caught the concern look of a few Vulcans. They just had a better way of hiding it much better than others. "So, you have come to a decision."

"I have," she said. "I would like to accept the position."

"I was uncertain why I hesitated at first," T'Vei explained. "This position would present new opportunities in my career and development. I am interested. However, I have never been the head of a department. I have never lived among aliens." She blinked and resettled her gaze on him. "I realized, this does not matter. It would be illogical to change my approach to my career. Captain, I have invited you here to ask for your participation in the oren valkal."

Raising an eyebrow, Greene indeed a confused. "You have me at a loss with this oren valkal."

"I am from a rural part of Vulcan," T'Vei continued. "At most, a dozen families may live together in a given settlement. We learn from one another, whether it is mastering a musical instrument, learning the rules of a sport, or seeking guidance on a career path. The oren valkal is a simple ceremony where a prospective student and a prospective teacher take turns asking questions of one another over a cup of tea. After each question, the asker drinks. When the cups are empty, they decide together if an apprenticeship would be prudent. Would you indulge me in this, Captain?"

"You have definitely peeked my curiosity," he admitted. "It would be an honor to participate in this ceremony."

T'Vei left their table and returned a few minutes later with two steaming cups of a bright-orange tea. She set one down in front of him and the other in front of herself. "The prospective student selects the tea. In this case I have selected a spice tea from my homeworld, since we are engaged in a Vulcan ceremony. The spice is to represent the danger that comes inherent to military and deep space postings."

"The student then declares the skill they wish to learn and their goal," T'Vei said. "I wish to learn leadership from you, Captain Greene. One day I wish to captain my own starship and lead my own crew. Then, you, as the prospective teacher, may ask the first question."

"Do you feel your hesitation towards my offer involved more than working with aliens?" the Captain questioned. "Perhaps an underlying concern regarding your ability to lead?"

"Yes," T'Vei agreed without hesitation. "I was uncertain that I had the requisite experience and knowledge to, in kind, teach others. Recent experiences have shown me that is not the case. Further data is required to determine if I will be an efficient leader or not."

She picked her mug up gingerly in both hands. "How would you describe your style of leadership?" She sipped.

Taking a sip of his own drink, he thought about the question. "I've never been the one to micromanage my people, unless there is a serious need to. But leading by example is the biggest thing. I've never asked anyone to do anything that I wouldn't do myself or haven't already done. But you have to help lead your people in a direction that makes them better."

"Which returns us to the importance of mentorship," T'Vei mused. "It is your turn to ask a question, Captain."

"Oh yes," Maddox replied gleefully. "How difficult is it for you to ask for assistance?"

"I...." The question pierced the heart of the Vulcan woman. Internally, she felt and suppressed a stab of panic and stamped out the slow burn of embarrassment. Turning her mind to logic, she pondered whether Captain Greene was concerned due to something in her record. Perhaps an experience in his past? Or was she easier for the Human Captain to read than she had imagined? Outwardly, to the observant, a verdant shade entered her cheeks.

"I do not overstep the boundaries of my department," T'Vei defended. "I communicate and collaborate with other officers and ask for assistance in advance to overcome obstacles." She breathed deeply and straightened her posture, fully in control as she addressed the sore spot. "Personally, I can be stubborn. I have been known to push the limits of my endurance in order to remain at my post and can be rather private regarding some aspects of my personal life. Those who have served with me have found the means to assist when I am...difficult."

T'Vei sipped her tea, appreciating the smooth burn of the spices as a distraction. "This was not initially my next question, however, you have provided an opportunity for both segue and demonstration. I am engaged, Captain, and with that there are certain expectations of time spent with one's partner. Typically, this would require time spent on Vulcan, most notably, a year spent together following marriage, but I am interested in alternatives. So, my question is thus, are officers under your command permitted to have civilian family members aboard the station as residents?"

"I welcome civilian family members on the station," Greene answered. "Part of my task here is community building. There are children and spouses already on this station. In a few days, I am scheduled to speak with a couple of classes at the school. Which would be a first for me. When I joined Starfleet, families were limited to colonies and a few outpost. Never did I expect to find myself in this role."

Taking a sip of his own tea, the Captain smiled at the admittance of the armory officer admitting to being stubborn. A trait most Vulcans would not admit to. "You mentioned collaborating with other officers. But I mean, asking for assistance from superiors on how to get things accomplished?"

"I seek out my superiors' assistance when I am in need of their knowledge, expertise, or experience as both Lieutenant Brukh and Commander Whitford can attest," T'Vei said. "I have no difficulties doing so."

After this sip, T'Vei noted her tea was halfway gone. Every question mattered in the oren varkal. "You spoke of community building. What is your vision for Sentinel Station and how might I help you realize it? Clarification, I am seeking your perspective, not Starfleet's mission parameters although the two may overlap."

"My vision is a thriving community," Greene answered. "The station is a strategic point in the sector. Perfect for exploration, scientific research, diplomacy, security, and commerce. That's where Starfleet and my goals overlap. What I need from you is your security knowledge on how to keep this station and people safe. But to look at the sector's overall safety as well. Like you, my background is in security."

Looking down, he could see the Nausicaans clearing out a bit. "Sentinel Station has to succeed for various reasons. Starfleet Command and the Federation have big plans for this place. This brings me to my next question for you. What is your overall career goal?"

"From this posting: to develop the knowledge base of leading a department, to begin to think strategically, to familiarize myself with other species' firsthand," T'Vei declared. "My long term goal is to one day command a starship of exploration and to lead a crew of my own."

She sipped. "What is the most difficult lesson you have learned in your time as a leader?"

"Learning to accept the loss of people following my orders," he answered solemnly. "People dying unexpectedly on your command is tough. But commanding people into a situation, knowing there is a possibility that not everyone will return home, keeps me up at night. Though doing so saves the lives of so many more people."

Taking a sip of what was left of his drink, Maddox cleared his throat. "Have you ever lost anyone following your orders?"

"Once," T'Vei said solemnly. "Her name was L'Nel. We were investigating supply thefts and had a suspect at one of the locations. I was assigned as team leader. I split my team to prevent the suspect from escaping. L'Nel was with the team who blocked his escape and he was armed."

She fidgeted with her tea cup. "She was a formidable kal-toh player and had at 83.4% accuracy rating during target practice."

T'Vei finished the last of her tea and set her empty mug down. "What has been your personal experience with Vulcans prior to now?"

The Captain couldn't help but chuckle. "I find that Vulcans tend not to get personal and tend to get straight to the point. Leaves no room for anything else. So, I would say the experience is cold. To be honest, speaking with you now has made me recall that you all have emotions. Just very good at suppressing them."

Thinking a bit more, he wondered if he wanted to ask a follow up question. His own cup was empty at this point, but his curiosity made him decide to go with it. "How did you handle the loss of L'Nel?"

"At first I questioned my logic, my tactics, my role on the Sh'Raal," said the Vulcan before him. "However, those doubts were the products of feelings: guilt and sorrow. I have come to realize my logic was sound, my decisions correct with the information I had at the time. L'Nel is still missed. Both can be true."

T'Vei leaned forward to see that the Captain's cup was also empty. "This concludes the oren valkal. Now we decide. Captain Maddox Greene, will you assist me on my path of logic and teach me the skill of leadership? Will you permit me to serve as your Chief Armory Officer?"

"Just one more question, You seem to have experienced several emotions. Do you not suppress your emotions?"

"I do, Captain," T'Vei said, without offense. "As you yourself pointed out, all Vulcans have emotions. It takes many years and much practice to master their suppression, a process we begin when we are children. The practice of logic requires rigorous meditation. Failure to meditate, physical exhaustion, and illness can all affect our ability to regulate our emotions, as I believe it does yours. Furthermore, I can acknowledge having been influenced by emotions in the past. To confront them and recognize them for what they were is healthy so that I can better control them next time. Lastly, I am young, for a Vulcan. I have not undergone kolinahr, the purging of all emotion."

She studied him and decided to indulge her own curiosity. "As you have asked an additional question, so shall I. It is my understanding that Human emotions are faint but uncontrolled. You physically react often: baring teeth, raising the pitch of your voice, frowning. Are these conscious efforts or subconscious? Clarification: are you aware of what you feel from moment to moment or does it pass unnoticed?"

"Definitely subconscious," Maddox admitted with a laugh. "When its brought to our attention, we try to consciously control it. But it's never easy. Perhaps if tried to control it as children, we would handle those expressions better, rather than trying to figure it out as adults. Now to answer your question. I would be honored to assist you on the path of logic and teaching to the skill of leadership. And along with serving as my Chief Armory Officer, I am promoting you to Lieutenant." Pulling a pip from his pocket, he handed it over to T'Vei. "Congratulations."

"Unexpected," she remarked in a deadpan as she took the golden pip. "Thank you, Captain, for the opportunity to serve Sentinel Station and for indulging me. I look forward to future conversations."

Then the Vulcan woman rose, returned the empty cups, and departed for the lower Promenade. As she left, Maddox caught sight of her replacing the Vulcan insignia on her uniform with that of the Starfleet lieutenant she now was.

Leaning in his seat, the Captain simply smiled. Never did he ever think a Vulcan would be coming to him to learn about leadership. The Federation was bringing people together, and the way its members once viewed each other was changing for the better.

=================
Captain Maddox Greene
Commanding Officer
Sentinel Station

Lieutenant T'Vei
Chief Armory Officer
Sentinel Station

 

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