"No Easy Path"

[OdileCondacin 0]

Harper was waiting in her ready room for her two resident miscreants to appear. They were late -- not unexpectedly, but in a few minutes they were going to be in even bigger trouble because of it. Reluctance she could understand; avoidance was another matter.

 

Both miscreants were standing outside of the ready room doing a classic "You go. No, you go" stalling tactic.

 

"Oh, fine," Odile finally muttered, entering the colonel's office. It wasn't as if Harper was going to phaser the both of them. Or skin them. Or spread-eagle them to the viewscreen. Right?

 

JoNs put her paws up halfway in the air, and muttered to Condacin’s back. "You are just the right parameters for a shield."

 

She turned, pinning them both with a cold stare. "At last they arrive," she commented neutrally.

 

"Aye, Colonel." Suddenly, she felt ice forming in her veins.

 

JoNs quietly adopted a relaxed parade rest. Was it cold in here?

 

"So." The colonel looked them over. "Would either of you care to explain which part of "security lock-down" you have trouble comprehending?"

 

"It wasn't Commander JoN's' fault, Ma'am," Condacin replied quickly, unexpectedly. "I further request that she be taken out of reprimand for this incident.

 

"The last time I checked, Lieutenant Condacin," Harper said coldly, "the Lieutenant Commander was the chief of security, and as such, in charge of granting access to the brig."

 

"Indeed. And she believed the access she was granting was legitimate."

 

That took some serious guts. Harper stared at Condacin for a moment, flabbergasted by the bald-faced lie. "Unless you have taken to dressing up as me or Colonel Day, Lieutenant, I doubt that."

 

A feline ear silently flipped back, as in asking for permission to speak.

 

Harper glanced at the Caitian, one eyebrow lifted.

 

Kansas cleared her throat in a purring trill. "Sir. Despite the best efforts of the Lieutenant, " she nodded toward Odile, "I was well aware of what I was authorizing. Rather, de-authorizing."

 

"Well, at least one of my officers is honest with me." She gave Odile a sharp look, then returned her attention to Kansas. "And why did you feel this was a good decision?"

 

"To possibly glean more tactical information from the prisoner; we were marginally successful, as our report showed."

 

"And you consulted neither Day nor myself -- why?"

 

"I knew what your answers would be," Odile cut in.

 

JoNs flashed a warning glance at Condacin. Her feline eyes clearly telegraphed 'ix-nay on the foot in mouth-ay'.

 

Her face darkened. "Clearly you didn't, Lieutenant, as I would have authorized such a visit -- by Security."

 

The Caitian cleared her throat. "...Ma'am, we did not consult...rather I did not consult you or Colonel Day because Sin seemed to make some headway with her first round of questions. It was prudent to give it a second try."

 

"That explains why you felt she should do the questioning," Harper pointed out, "not why you didn't clear it through us."

 

"Ma'am, I have no excuse for not informing you or Colonel Day; I merely went with the moment so to speak."

 

The colonel folded her arms. "Impulsiveness is not a trait I like to see in my chief of security."

 

"Yes ma'am. Apologies ma'am."

 

The blue eyes narrowed, judging whether she was being facetious. Then they swung to Condacin. "And you, Lieutenant?"

 

"Colonel?"

 

"What have you got to say for yourself?"

 

"The ends justified the means?"

 

A low murmured purr of agreement met with that statement.

 

"The ends, in this case," Harper said, a hint of a snap in her tone, "are hardly impressive. And given that you had no reason to believe that a legitimate interview would be denied, I hardly find that argument compelling!

 

JoNs's right eye twitched and her left ear flipped back at the hard tone.

 

Odile's eyes darkened. "Considering the way this entire matter is being handled, I didn't have the slightest idea what to believe with regard to the interview. Colonel."

 

JoNs interrupted. "Sin, do not let your personal feelings regarding Noleph creep in..."

 

"I don't believe I care for your tone, Lieutenant."

 

Condacin waved off the Caitian and came damned near glowering at Harper, not replying.

 

The Caitian huffed. "The situation is being handled fine Odile. Noleph is a rat bastard who just happens to have a diploma in the fine art of manipulation and tugging at heart strings."

 

"Argue the matter on your own time," Harper cut in. "I don't want to hear it. The decision's been made."

 

"And it doesn't matter a damn to you that he's providing us with legitimate information? Wait. I forgot. You don't believe him." Odile's rational consciousness kicked in, and she closed her eyes for a long few seconds.

 

"That. Will. Do." The colonel's tone had taken on depths of temperature not usually found outside of deep space. "You're both on report, and you're confined to quarters when not on-duty. For starters. I imagine Colonel Day will have something to say about the blatant disregard of her authority, as well."

 

Kansas spoke quietly into the void. "...the Selshan truly has no reason to lie to us now Colonel; I believe the information he gave Sin and I to be tactically legitimate and useable."

 

Harper glared at the Caitian. "And we'll use it."

 

"You're welcome," Condacin breathed, barely audible.

 

A small - though weak - smile played at the Caitians muzzle.

 

Thunderclouds visibly rolled in on the colonel's face. "If I were you, Lieutenant, I'd be counting myself lucky not to be sitting in the cell next door."

 

No reply. Odile stared forward, at attention and staunch-faced.

 

JoNs ran a paw through her copper mane, the nervous energy manifesting itself in the action.

 

"Dismissed," Harper bit out, turning away from the pair."

 

Kansas cleared her throat. "Colonel?"

 

"Our decision to do what we did did not come lightly - please understand that."

 

She glanced back at the security officer, weighing possible responses. Finally she shook her head. "You're dismissed, Commander," she repeated.

 

The golden furred feline merely inclined her head in respect to the ships commanding officer and beat a retreat from the Ready Room, giving Condacin the 'are you coming?' eye as she went.

 

Odile nodded, but waved her out with the "right there" look in her eyes. JoN's went back on the bridge, but leaned into the shut entryway, one ear pressed against the cool surface to eavesdrop.

 

Harper glared at Condacin. "Hearing problems, Lieutenant?"

 

Odile considered, and shook her head, but didn't make an immediate motion to leave. "I'm sorry, Charlie. I didn't have a choice." Her voice had lost its edge.

 

"You could have talked to us."

 

"How could I have known that? Neither of you've been particularly swayed by my requests lately." It wasn't confrontational this time, just matter of fact.

 

"You haven't made requests lately," Harper replied heatedly. "You've just blundered about doing your own thing."

 

"Would the results have been any different if I hadn't?"

 

"Which result?" she countered. "Noleph going back to his people, or you being confined to quarters? The latter certainly might have been affected."

 

"Noleph," she replied, quietly.

 

"No," Harper replied, in the same tone.

 

"I see." Odile sighed. "Then I suppose there's nothing more to be said."

 

"Again, sorry, Sir," Odile replied. Her hand reached to touch the knife that wasn't there, and then fell back to her side as she turned to leave.

 

"Sin." Harper's voice halted her. "Where's your dagger?"

 

Odile didn't look back. "In my safe," she replied, tensely.

 

"What safe?" she persisted. "And why aren't you wearing it?"

 

Odile's eyes were sad as she looked back at the Marine. "My office's safe. I'm not wearing it because it's broken, Colonel."

 

Harper froze. "Broken? Oh, stars -- O'd'yl --”

 

"Yes, broken. Into quite a few small pieces. It doesn't matter, Sir," she dismissed, bravely. "Don't worry about it."

 

"Of course it matters," she countered immediately. "Grozit, O'd'yl, that blade was everything to you!" She came over, putting a hand on her prickly friend's shoulder. "What happened?"

 

The Xenexian's veneer shattered much like the blade, and her lip quivered. "I was frustrated, Charlie. It's in a report -- one of the juniors was giving me lip, and with the argument about Noleph and... and... and then I snapped... and... and then I broke it."

 

"Oh, gods, Sin." She was quiet for a moment, her fingers tightening around Odile's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

 

"Nothing that can be done now. Someday, maybe I'll have it repaired. But what's done is done." She sighed, looked Harper head on. 'It's been a horrible week all around."

 

"I can imagine," she replied, "and I'm sorry to add to it."

 

"It's okay..." Odile replied. "I don't mind confinement," she admitted, "but don't up my punishment as a result of that. All I've been doing is sitting in my office or in my quarters, with the status quo, anyway." Odile looked down at the worn deck plating. "If you're not too angry, maybe you could come by a little later for a bit of coffee -- or maybe a stronger drink. A small drink," O'd'yl added.

 

"When I get off-duty," Charlie promised. "I've got a bottle of Kriosian spice wine packed away -- I'll bring it."

 

"That'd be nice, Charlie." She offered a weak smile. "I'm sorry for my part in all this, too. I guess there's no easy way through any of this, is there?"

 

Harper shook her head. "No, Sin," she said sadly. "There're no easy choices here."