“Junior Officers: They’re So Excitable”

[CaptainSDavies 0]

“Junior Officers: They’re So Excitable”

A Joint Log

Colonel C.E. Harper

Lieutenant Jamie Kroells

with Taellel

0511.30

 

 

Taellel sat in the cold metal chair restrained. Seconds before his nose had been broken by a swift blow of Agincourt’s Chief Science Officer. “Like father like son,” he thought to himself as he grimaced from the pain. Taellel, as well as others within the Restoration, felt that Travis Kroells was a traitor to the cause. Now it seemed to him that his son was even worse.

 

Jamie Kroells turned back to Colonel Harper unsure of what to do next. His uncertainty was probably due to the limited training of handling prisoners. Harper frowned, believing that breaking the nose was an extreme first step. “

 

So..uh, should we question him...or can I uh, loosen him up a bit more?” Jamie asked as Taellel began to feel blood oozing out of his nose and running down his lips.

 

Harper stepped forward placing herself between Kroells and Taellel and spoke quietly, “We have only a few simple questions for you. Surely we can be civil about this?”

 

Taellel looked up at Harper, “You must realize that I have been trained, just as you, to resist means of information extraction. You know I cannot divulge the information you seek.”

 

“As we speak,” Harper replied drawing a smile out of Kroells, “my crew is going over your vessel with a fine-toothed comb. We've already found the device in engineering.”

 

“You may find things that once had value on my ship, but I doubt destroyed pieces of equipment can be of any value...,” Taellel said.

 

“You would be surprised, I think, what my engineers can do,” answered Harper. She paused for a second and then added thoughtfully, “Particularly those who spent a good deal of time studying Pax Primus.”

 

Kroells moved up next to Harper trying to study Taellel’s reaction to the comment and mulled over what bones to break next. Taellel, meanwhile, shifted his eyes away from a direct stare at Harper.

 

“You flatter yourself,” Taellel said looking momentarily distant, “but what you do not know is...well, more dangerous than you can possibly imagine.”

 

Kroells slowly walked to the back of where Taellel was sitting and answered, “Yes... this whole scheme your and the Remans have cooked up must be rather special, willing to openly bomb the Versailles treaty center and what not.”

 

Taellel snapped back, “The Restoration is stronger than you think! What happened at Versailles was minor....”

A coy smile crossed the face of Kroells, “Restoration? You Tal'Shiar dogs don’t honestly think you're going to accomplish anything by this do you?”

 

Harper’s ears pricked up, but she kept her face strictly neutral as Taellel continued his exchange with Kroells, “You just go on believing that you even have a chance. Not only will Romulus be restored to its rightful rulers, but the Federation will fall. Mark my words. There are dark places that even the Federation will not go. These places will be the end of you.”

 

“You should know,” Kroells responded, “that your little stunt left your Preator unable to lead ‘your’ people. N'Daks is in charge now. And I know, and hopefully you know that he'll be most brutal in hunting your ilk down.”

 

“You worship him as if he were some deity,” Taellel said laughing, “I look forward to the day when he begs for mercy like a mutt.”

 

Taellel began to feel woozy prompting Harper to ask solicitously, “Feeling ill? Shall I call for a doctor?”

 

Suddenly, Kroells leapt forward and grabbed Taellel by the neck, cutting off his air supply. He spoke with dead seriousness, “You watch your words. The only reason you’re not laying in a bloody heap in the corner because the colonel won’t let me.”

 

Taellel felt the squeeze on his neck intensify as he looked toward Harper as if appealing the entire Starfleet handbook with his eyes. Harper watched them contemplatively for a moment – a long moment – then laid a hand on Kroells’s arm. Kroells did not let go completely, but loosened his grip slightly. Taellel felt even more light headed.

 

“This is not what I pictured when you asked for a civil conversation,” Taellel whispered.

 

“Junior officers,” Harper replied dryly, “They’re so excitable.”

 

“Yes, I can relate.”