Briefing Room

[Gen Blue]

Rowena nodded. "With all due respect, Sir - and pardon the unintentional pun, there - I know all this. I don't understand... Was that what you called me about? You asked me to get a tape." She frowned slightly. "And SG7... they've gone on a mission. You didn't think me capable of going with them?"

He tapped his own temple, "You may know it here but, you don't know it here." He touched his chest.
"The tape," he sighed, "I was going to rip you up one side and down the other over that. When you decide to break regulations, you go whole hog, don't you? Under normal circumstances, your . . . performance . . . in the Lounge would have earned Dobson a Court-martial and you an instant dismissal from the Academy."
He drank some of his, now cooled, Chai. "As for the mission, Major Howard didn't go either. She's restricted to Quarters. Where you would have been if you hadn't been in the Infirmary."

(( OOC - Due to a Time Anomaly, Blue hasn't seen anything about Jensen and Kate going off base. Even though, in their reality, he signed off on the trip. ))

[Tracy Jane]

"Sir?" she asked, racking her brain to try and work it out. The lounge..... the lounge.... the lounge..... Oh crap. The lounge. She turned a deep shade of scarlet and hurriedly picked up the cup of tea, and took a gulp. "I...errr... ummm. Well. Under normal circumstances, we could have dealt with things discretely before it got to that point, Sir." She paused a second, before jumping to her feet.

"Hang on!" she shouted angrily. "How the hell do you know about that? Major Howard said she was going to deal with... the b*tch double crossed us. That evil, scheming-"

[Gen Blue]

"SIT DOWN." He stood up and glared. "Major Howard did cover it up. I don't know what's on that tape. You just confirmed what Dobson admitted to."

[Tracy Jane]

Rowena fell back into the chair, closing her eyes and cursing herself for her stupidity. He had been bluffing. How stupid could she be? "Sorry, Sir," she muttered quietly.

[Gen Blue]

Nick sat back down, nodding to accept the girl's apology. "So, do you have anything to say about that little escapade? Maybe . . . 'It won't happen again.' would be good. At least not on the Base."

[Tracy Jane]

"It won't, Sir," she agreed quietly. She looked up inquisitively. "Not on the base, Sir?"

[Gen Blue]

Nick leaned his chin on his fist. "It's human nature. Regulations can't win over human nature. They weren't meant to. Not forever."
He lifted his head and waved that hand around, indicating the whole base. "In here, they have to. We may be the last of the Tau'ri but, we're still primarily a Military base. It's what we do."

[Tracy Jane]

"Last of the Tau'ri, huh?" Rowena replied sullenly. "Really promotes the idea of earning respect. Why bother when there's noone out there to respect you? You know... why bother having ranks at all?"

[Gen Blue]

"It sounds like you're assuming that Earth humans are the only ones that can give you proper respect. Just because we're the last of our race doesn't mean that other races aren't out there. They deserve our respect and will repay us in kind. That's the only way we have a chance in H3LL of surviving. At all."

[Tracy Jane]

"True," agreed Rowena, tilting her head. "But they don't really understand the concept of our ranks, do they? If I said that I was a Cadet, they would have no idea whether or not that was higher or lower rank than General."

[Gen Blue]

"Our allies may not know, at first glance, who out-ranks who just by titles but, they get it very quickly by actions. Body language speaks volumes." He carefully studied Rowena's posture. Although she kept her right hand carefully still, the woman leaned back into the seat letting it do the work while she concentrated on the conversation. "Your's tells me that you're relaxed but very interested. Not defensive, not aggressive. Interested."
A raised eyebrow asked if he was correct.

[Tracy Jane]

Rowena inclined her head. "There's no point trying to be either defensive or agressive with you. I think I've started to learn that, Sir," she replied, before grinning. "Not that I won't give you hell if I think you deserve it, mind."

[Gen Blue]

Nick wiggled a finger at her, "It won't be the first time I've been told off by a subordinate. Sometimes they're even right. Be very sure of your facts."
He slouched down farther in his own chair. "We were discussing respect. How would you get it?"

[Tracy Jane]

Rowena closed her eyes and frowned slightly before bringing her legs up and folding them in the chair. She was in for the long haul. "Respect. It's the traditional five-point, model, isn't it? Productivity and accuracy, following the rules and upholding your standards, the third is maintaining a cool head in stressful and hopeless situations, allowing for points one and two. Confidence is the fourth, because without conviction and self belief, you will never gain the trust and belief of others and the fifth... the fifth is the bond of trust that is gained through listening to people, building a rapport through teamwork and communication." She raised her eyebrows at Blue. "That okay for you, Sir?"

[Gen Blue]

"That's what the textbooks say." He held up his left hand and ticked off the points.
"Productivity - check. Accuracy - check. Cool head - needs some work. Confidence - maybe too much. And last but, by no means least, Trust." He closed his fist and laid it on the table without another word.