"No! I say we continue now, we do not need a break, it's only been a few hours since we started"
"Not all races are like you, depending on the race you are people get mentally fatigued at different points, and there are two other humans besides me who have been listening to essentially the same thing for at least the last hour. I for one would think you want your mediators fresh so that everyone gets a fair deal, besides don't you have a custom of having at least a snack right about now, I thought I read some where's that..."
Suddenly Ashland stopped talking and grabbed her head in pain, though it was only for a brief moment and then she was looking straight at everyone again with a firm look in her eyes
"As I was saying I thought I read some where's that your people need to eat more frequently due to your races metabolism, not to mention that some of our foods don't do anything for you in regards to the nutrition you need"
"I think you read correctly Sentinel, however what just happened before you finished your sentence?"
"Nothing Lt. I just stood up too quickly and got a brief headache, after all it's not like I'm a Betazoid or some other telepathic race I'm only human"
"If you're sure, you sure you don't need anything?"
"No I'm good"
What no one in the room realized was that Ashland and the other Starfleet officers in the room were talking in a prearranged code given to the ship a month before she arrived, per her temporary Captain's instructions what they were really saying was this
"I felt a brief disturbance in the Force, it could be nothing but if you could have someone check I would be grateful"
"Do you need anything for the headache right now?"
"No it's not that kind of headache"
But of course since only those who served on the ship would have recognized the code and also since no one suspected they were even talking in code no one realized the by play that the officers played out
"Maybe the...Sentinel I believe she is called, is right, maybe we should take a break to stretch our legs and for you to get some sustenance"
"Very well how long will the break be?"
"No more than fifteen minutes"
Fifteen minutes later everyone is back and obviously in better shape to deal with a long standing debate, no one the wiser that two of the officers made discreet inquires about the ship and also made requests in regards to the rest of space which when questioned only got the one word reply of either Jedi or two word reply of Sentinel Portland which was enough for the rest of the crew to understand why such a request was being made. The debate lasted the rest of the day with a one hour lunch and two hour dinner break which gave Ashland some meditation time which she so desperately needed, but she also realized the debate would go on longer than she realized due to just how complex the whole situation was
"You're doing fine so far Sentinel and you haven't even spent one day on the bridge"
"Speaking of, have you heard anything back from the Captain or Commander?"
"Yes actually, turns out we were being tracked by what we think was a cloaked enemy spy, but we can't confirm that so we don't know for sure, but the Romulans are going to check out a few things for us seeing as how we can't do it ourselves. By the way have you had your official welcome to the ship yet? I haven't heard"
"Yes I met the Captain an hour before the debate started, he said to focus my energies on the debate and that my duties to the ship will come afterwords"
"Has anyone questioned why you are called Sentinel Portland instead of your rank?"
"A few have but luckily I've managed to dodge those questions for now, others are helping in that matter saying that it's a Starfleet matter that most likely won't ever concern them and if it does they will be informed of the reason then"
"Which is actually true, no one really needs to know why you are called a Sentinel except Starfleet and her new allies who have so far proven to be great allies in my mind"
"Exactly, now then I have exactly five minutes to get to the conference room so I'll be going now"
"See you for lunch...maybe"
"We'll see, hopefully though things will settle soon emphasis on hopefully" (sighs) "I hate argumentative people who don't stop even when they've lost"
The Lt. was left to wonder if the debate was stressing Ashland out already and it hadn't even been two full days since she had boarded the ship not realizing part of the problem was her interrupted meditation periods...the required by Starfleet meditation periods, that had been happening for a few days before she had transferred so her emotions were a little frayed. But she kept on going, for the next three days she handled the meetings pretty well for a Jedi who was getting in no real meditation time despite the crew doing their bests, finally though the delegates left and she was asked bluntly by the Commander right after the reception about her meditation
"Okay Sentinel you have one chance to be truthful with me, have you been doing your daily meditations per Starfleet ordered?"
"Well, yes and no Commander, I have been doing meditation but it's only an hour at best because of everything we needed to do for the conference, not to mention other minuet things that built up, and the debates took up a lot of my meditation periods too"
"Okay, then you're off duty tomorrow and have free access to the holodeck for some good meditation time in whatever setting you might find works best. I don't think you ever want a repeat of when you first came here do you?"
"No sir, and honestly I'm not surprised you heard about that considering it was probably a requirement before any Jedi deploys that their Commanding officers know what happens when a Jedi doesn't get proper meditation"
"Exactly, now then to bed you look exhausted"
"Understood sir, I will of course be on my duty shift when it is time, though if I go to sickbay due to not sleeping consider that plan forgotten and don't worry I'll make sure the doctor let's the proper people know that I've been sedated, seeing as how that might very well be my only means of sleeping"
"Have you been having trouble sleeping along with meditation issues?"
"Sort of, though it hasn't affected me much as far as I can tell, but since I know my body I know that if I don't get decent rest soon I will have no other choice but to go to the medics for sleep aid"
"We know what can happen to a foul tempered Jedi due to those simulations so make sure it doesn't ever get that bad understand?"
"Completely Commander, now I am going to do exactly as you ordered and am going to get some much needed sleep"
Fortunately after a few days Ashland had finally managed to find balance again and didn't need to be sedated, though she did occasionally wonder at why she was having such weird dreams. The Captain quickly learned to trust her when it came to away missions and also when it came to diplomacy with either an ally or a potential new ally, or planet that wanted to be part of the Federation, in fact in one such incident it was a good thing she was a Jedi because she actually saved several lives that day in just one sentence and action
"Everyone get away from the podium!"
She quickly Force pushed as many people as possible away from the podium just before it exploded
"Sentinel care to explain yourself?"
"Sorry Captain, didn't think you would be fast enough to get all the important people away in time, it was instinct, but hey at least it worked, now then I think we have some issues to deal with now"
"Including what you might have felt right before you did what you did"
"Darkness Captain, I sensed darkness, we're lucky I managed to pinpoint it to the podium as quickly as I did though, a few seconds more and..."
"You have a valid point Sentinel, in fact that's why I want you to stay here a few days as the chief security officer for everyone that's in charge of this planet and our own people"
"Fine, but I want two Betazoid's with me then"
"Fine by me, you scare me sometimes with your instincts"
"I don't mean to it just happens because of who and what I am"
"I know but still I wish they didn't happen quite so...forcefully at times"
"Which would you prefer Captain a dead delegate and Commander or a severely bruised but alive delegate and Commander?"
"The latter but I don't think they're entirely pleased with you right now"
"I know that but really there's not much more I could have done as it is..." (she briefly looks around and then leans in and speaks in a softer voice) "...the darkness I felt is still here, but it's dissipated a bit, I don't know if it's because the perpetrators have left the immediate vicinity or if it's because they've backed off for now either way there might still be danger"
(Just as quietly) "I understand" (out loud) "I want you to report in at least once a day is that understood Sentinel Portland?"
"Yes sir it's understood"
"Good then I'm leaving you planetside to make arrangements for your stay"
"I understand, and sir, be careful up there the issues we've had on the ship are just as dangerous as what happened today"
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing, I'm the Captain after all"
"I know, I guess I just worry about everyone considering what I've been through since shortly after I reunited with the Republic almost three years ago now"
"Exactly, but for now I think you can relax except for whenever there's possible trouble, and I want you to get some sleep and not that restful meditation you told us about"
"Yes sir, I won't do that again sir"
"You'd better not or I'm reporting you to both Starfleet command and the Jedi council that you disobeyed their direct orders regarding that type of meditation"
"Just because it's only a temporary fix doesn't mean it has to be banned permanently"
"It's because you over did it Sentinel, now then I'm off"
The Captain leaves and for the next few days Ashland was actually pretty busy trying to keep up with the attempts to topple the rightful government and also the attempts on the lives of the Starfleet officers