<USS Avalon> The Confrontation by Cmdr Skyler & Ensign McKinsley

         "The Confrontation" 
written by: 
Cmdr Skyler & Ensign McKinsely 

      Skyler had been back on board the Avalon for almost two days now. It 
had been quiet so far which was unusual for the Avalon. Since her return she 
had 
been down to Sickbay to let Georgia know that the pie had been delivered as 
ordered and that Dr. Moreya was very appreciative. She had had a good talk with 
Moreya. Her only thought now was when she was going to run into Javan or 
Caine. 

        Skyler was not exactly looking forward to running into either one 
them.  She thought she had prepared herself for the moment, but now she wasn't 
so 
sure.  Moreya had given her some tips and ideas on how to handle the 
situation, but the more Skyler thought about it the more she began to become 
more 
unsure of herself. Hopefully she wouldn't have to worry about running into them 
anytime soon. She could only hope............ 

        Walking back to her office from her quarters, Caine read over a 
letter that had been sent to her from her third oldest brother, Devent.  He was 
writing to ask her how her life on the Avalon was going and basically to just 
touch base with her.  Seems he had met a girl in France and they were getting 
serious.  Caine was happy for him, even if they had never really gotten along; 
Devent had been one of the Baron’s best friends and was still close friends 
with 
him.      

        Caine looked up from the letter and saw Skyler just down the hall, 
heading her way.  She really didn't feel like talking to the commander right 
now, not because she didn't like the commander, it was just that she felt very 
awkward around her. 

        Skyler was walking down the hall, thinking about the next shift 
coming up, not really paying attention to anything when she almost ran into the 
counselor. She stopped dead in her tracks. 

  "Uh Hello Counselor. How are you today? I hope all is well with you." 
Skyler really didn't know what else to say. She hadn't expected to run into the 
Ensign quite so early. She had hoped for more time to think things through. 
Well, 
there is no time like the present. 

        Skyler was going to have to face feelings sooner or later and it 
appeared it was going to be sooner. 

        "Counselor, I think that perhaps we need to go some where we can 
talk. I think we need to clear the air so that we can work together without the 
tension between us. Don't you agree?" 

        Caine was slightly surprised that Skyler wished to talk with her.  
Nodding her head she smiled, trying to be as nice as she possibly could.  
“Would 
you like to talk in my office since we are almost there any ways?” Caine 
asked, she didn't want it to seem like she was trying to take the upper hand by 
offering her office as a place to talk, but she thought it made good sense, 
since they were just a few feet from the door.     

    Skyler was hoping for a more neutral place to talk, but it did make sense 
to talk in the counselor's office, since they were almost there. She would 
try to keep her feelings in check and try her best not to put her guard up. 

    "That would be fine. It does make more sense to talk in your office, 
since we are almost there anyway." 

    The two women continued to walk until they reached the counselor's 
office. The closer they got, the more nervous Skyler got. She could feel her 
heart 
start to beat a little faster and her palms start to get clammy. However she 
was determined to follow this through. She wasn't going to keep having to deal 
with the tension of not being able to deal with professionally with the 
counselor or with Javan. 

        Upon reaching the office, Caine walked in and motioned for Skyler to 
take a seat on her wonderfully comfortable couch.  “Can I get you something 
to 
drink?” she offered, trying to put both the Commander and herself at ease.   

        “Just a Diet Pepsi,” Skyler said, as she took a seat on the couch. 



        Caine went to the replicator and asked for a diet Pepsi and a glass 
of ice tea.  Getting the drinks, she came back and sat down on the couch next 
to Skyler, handing her, her drink.  “So Commander, what was it you wished to 
talk with me about?” she asked. 



       "I thought that we should clear the air between us concerning our 
relationships with Cmdr Sierra. That way we would, hopefully with, any luck, be 
better able to work together without the tension between us. I don't know about 
you, but I definitely feel the tension like a fog so thick that you could cut 
it with a knife. It is already going to be difficult to work with the Cmdr 
while on the bridge; I was hoping that we could at least manage to find a way 
to 
work together. Don't you think it would be best?" 

       Skyler was nervous at the thought of talking to Caine, yet it was 
something that she had to do for her own good. If nothing else for her own 
piece 
of mind. She just hoped she would make it through the meeting without losing 
her temper or her mind.......... 

        Caine nodded, she had been expecting this for a while now but was 
unsure of how to respond to the Commander.  She had felt the tension very 
thickly, even now, but she was put on edge by the Commander's posture and tone. 
 
Caine felt as though she was getting accused for something but she was unsure 
of 
what that was, it was not her fault that Javan had ended his relationship with 
Skyler, heck, Caine thought, I wasn't even on this ship when that happened.   

        She crossed her legs and leaned back into the couch some; to give the 
appearance of being relaxed, hoping this would help the Commander to relax as 
well.  “I do not understand why we need to have this tension between us to 
begin with.  I know you were seeing Commander Sierra before I came aboard, I 
also know that your relationship ended before I came aboard.  I know nothing 
that 
happened between the two of you and I have not asked questions nor will I 
ever, what you wish for me to know, is what you will tell me.”  Caine took a 
breath, still feeling weird about it all and continued, “I know there is a 
tension, I definitely feel it, and I too, wish to be rid of it.  Though, to be 
honest, I don’t see how yours or my personal life should be affecting our 
working 
conditions.  I also don’t understand this tension.  I personally have no 
problem 
with you; I have no reason to have a problem with you.  So far you have shown 
yourself to be an excellent Commander and I am honored to be working up 
Captain Ketchum and yourself.” 



        Skyler was taken aback by the response she received by Caine.  It was 
definitely not at all what she expected. To be honest she didn't know what to 
expect as far as that goes.   

        "Well, Counselor, I don't want the tension either and I am not sure 
why it is there myself. I don't have a problem with you myself and I am not 
sure why the tension is there. The only thing I can think of is the way other 
crew members are talking. That could be part of where the tension is coming 
from. 
Maybe we should just learn to ignore it if at all possible. As long as we do 
that I think we will both do fine, don't you agree?" 



Caine nodded, she probably came of as a bit of a bitch to the Commander, but 
she really just didn’t see why there was so much tension.  Though, it did 
make 
sense, what the Commander said about other people talking, Caine knew that 
people were talking, maybe that was what was causing all the trouble.  “Yes 
Commander, I have noticed people on this ship like to talk.”  Caine wasn’t 
really 
sure what else to say, even with all her training in counseling, she was 
still unsure of how to handle this situation.



        Skyler wasn't sure if she believed it herself but she had to do 
something and that was the best she could come up with. Hopefully it would be 
enough. 

        "I think that this talk has been good and I hope for that you are 
more comfortable. I know that I am. I am glad that we had this talk. Thank you 
for listening to me. It's good to know that we can work out our problems 
without 
having a knock down drag out fight or anything of that nature." 
Caine was very surprised at the thought of a fight, she had not even thought 
in that direction, but she still nodded her agreement.  

        "Thanks for everything and I hope that we can work together in the 
future. Thanks again for the Diet Pepsi." 

        Skyler got up and left the counselor's office and headed back to her 
own. She felt a little better about things and hoped in time things would 
really be better. For now things were okay. 

Caine watched as the Commander left suddenly.  That was a very strange 
encounter, she thought to herself.  She was just about to think of what Javan 
would 
say if she told him about this but stopped herself, she had to stop thinking 
of Javan so informally, he was now just one of her commanding officers and she 
had to remember that.  Shaking her head, she stood up and prepared for her 
first patient of the day.

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