And the Volcanologists Spotted Tremors

[NDak 0]

Destorie paused for a long moment outside the door of the chief science officer, nodding to the D'heno guard to allow him entrance. While he had another science officer to address, he felt the need to get this particular issue out of the way first, rather than let the issue fester.

 

If he'd learned anything from this particular mission, it was that allowing the seeds of malcontent to root was exceptionally foolish, and he'd be damned if he repeated that mistake. Exhaling, he chimed the door.

 

A few moments later, the door slipped open, revealing an unhappy-looking Sar'vek -- who looked even less pleased once she saw whom the visitor was. She recovered quickly, however, greeting him with a nod. "Rekkhai. And here I was hoping for word of my release."

 

Entering, Destorie took a moment to note the decor. It was obvious she was a science officer and woman who took her position seriously. Also that she was not prone to mess. Ironic, he supposed. "Erei'Riov," he replied flatly. "That is tangently why I am here."

 

"Tangently?" she asked, crossing her arms and arching an eyebrow. "What else are you here for?"

 

His arms were tucked nearly behind his back back. Despite the commotion, his uniform remained pressed and neatly in place. The ever rock-like jawline tightened momentarly as he looked her over. "To be entirely honest, I wish to know why you chose that particular moment to take to insubordination. On the overall, you've been a valued -- if not occasionally quiet member of the senior staff. I've come to expect such... insolence out of the Daise'D'heno, but you?"

 

She shrugged. "It's a little stressful to suddenly have one of your department attack the Khre'Riov and then be revealed as a mutineer. I apologize for my timing."

 

He lifted his brows slightly. "I suppose we all have been under some stress lately, ie?"

 

"A little bit," she agreed, forcing a momentary smile.

 

"Well I suppose I cannot fault you for that, but do remember that just because au are a senior officer does na give au license to be disrespectful rhae the Oira. Au actions reflect na only upon auself, but are guide posts for au own department."

 

Softening slightly, he looked towards her. He felt her frustrations. In his youth he likely would have reacted much more strongly toward her act upon the bridge. Now, he told himself, he'd learned temperance. Control. Hadn't he?

 

"I know that," she answered, curtly. "I'm aware of my responsibilities to my department. I'm also aware that that responsibility extends beyond being a 'role model'. The traitor is one of mine, and au had na right to deny me the right to see to his punishment -- or at the least observe it."

 

"Au right?" he said more sharply than likely intended. "Au right does not give au reason to defy the authority vested in my position rhae the oira."

 

"Whether or na I was correct in temporarily staying au own control of the traitor's destiny was na a subject of discussion for the Oira."

 

"And au's authority does na give au the right to ignore mine." She straightened unconsciously, feeling her tenuous control on the fury that had been simmering dissipating rapidly. "And the Oira seemed like a perfect place to call into question my loyalty and suggest I was a traitor. Why not au's authority as well?"

 

His jaw hardened. "As Daise'Erei'Riov," he said coldly. "It is my purview to decide jurisdiction of the treatment of officers who are being held for violations. This was na some mere act of insubordination, but an attempt on a flag officer's life. As for questioning au loyality, I merely stated that until I could clear au, that au would have no such input into the treatment of the traitor. It is standard procedure. And as for my right, au are a subordinate officer to me. The oira -- the command deck -- is not a location suitable for au to defy that authority vested in my position."

 

Beneath the stone exterior, he felt the raging passion of his heart begin to race. This mission, it seemed, was set upon him by the elements to try his newfound temperance, to bring out of him once more that which had nearly destroyed him.

 

"Au know damned well what the implication was," she hissed. "As if I needed any more suspicions cast my way after that. As if au have the right, superior officer or na, to make even a suggestion of treason in front of the whole Oira -- in front of t'Rexan na less. Tell me. Would au have preferred that we clear au after au had security officers who participated in the mutiny?"

 

"Do not presume to have authority in this situation. And as I was na Daise'D'heno at the time of the mutiny, na. However, had I na been placed rhae their custody, it would be standard procedure, and I am sure upon reaching home I will be questioned by my superior officers as to how much knowledge I had leading up to the mutiny and how such a mutiny was able to ferment before my eyes."

 

"I see. So have I been cleared yet? Are you satisfied that I'm not the traitor au have managed to imply that I am? Will I be released, or am I still being investigated?" she asked, scornfully, eyes burning with fury.

 

"I never implied au were a traitor, merely that au had not yet been cleared. There is a difference, au know. This is na the Lloann'na, we do not presume guilt or innocence before hand," he said, with a touch of scorn. "Besides, au were not confined to au quarters because au were considered to be guilty or innocent but because of au insubordination."

 

"I don't care about being confined. I care about the fact that you clearly underestimate the power of such implications; speaking what everyio was already thinking only helps cement the idea that I could have been involved."

 

She looked away, shaking her head slightly. "Fvadt. I already have my share of enemies on this ship and I don't need au making more for me, while managing to undermine me at the same time. I apologize if I offended au's sense of authority, but au did nothing less -- and au did worse."

 

Destorie lifted his brows. For a moment he considered a thought about a guilty conscience, but let it pass. "It was na my intent. However keep in my that it is not meerly my sense of authority but that of the Galae."

 

Pausing for a moment he pursed his lips and his jaw softened. The coldness in his eyes seemed to dim for a moment. "Given what stress we've been under though, I do not see the sense in needlessly dragging this out or hampering your future career.

 

"I am reasonably certain that au did not know about the traitor in your midst, it would be... difficult to have remembered hum as io of the mutineers in the first place, let alone sorting them out from the ones simply going along with the cause, however in the interest of due diligence I am obliged to conduct a review on the subject.

 

"And in some ways I have not made that easy for anyio aboard this ship with my proclamation of amnesty for the mutineers who were not easily identified as being in the inner circle. I will have to conduct a review, but as I said I have no reason to believe au are a traitor auself."

 

She nodded, slowly, and laughed again, though it had no humor in it. "The interests of due... diligence," she repeated, letting out another laugh as she leaned back against her desk. "I suppose that due diligence would fairly well describe au's efforts to prove auself worthy to," a pause, "t'Rexan. Regardless of who au have to drag through the muck to show au's fealty. The mutiny already occurred, under au's watch. This was an isolated incident, and in Command's eyes it will be eclipsed by the larger treason. Au's goal, then, must be to show au's great concern over the issue."

 

For a moment, Sar'vek had a passing thought over whether the entire incident could have been engineered in order for t'Rexan's newly-zealous supporters to prove themselves to her, but it -- mostly -- passed quickly.

 

"Au have a paranoid mind. I have little interest in proving myself 'worthy' to t'Rexan," he said emotionlessly. "I am bound by rules and regulations of the Galae. They instruct and guide me. It is the same due diligence I showed while acting as commanding officer and the same due dilgence I have always brought to this position.

 

"When an attempt is made upon the life of a command officer, I am obligated to investigate the issue fully. Given the recent history of our ship, I am further obligated to assure that there is not a still larger conspiracy at work here. And as I said, while I have no reasonable doubt that au are not at fault, until such time as the review is conducted, it would be negligent to assume io way or the other. As for au right to be a party to his sentence, once I have conducted an investigation, and assuming au have been cleared, I will allow au to be a party to his sentencing as an agireved party. If au feel that I have damaged au honor, then I apologize and au are within au right to seek that honor cleared."

 

"Au have," she answered, shortly, "and au have done a menkha job of it, too. H'nah." She took a deep breath, suppressing her desire to say more with a well-evolved sense of self-preservation. "I expect you will be informing me when I am cleared," she said, with subtle emphasis on the word.

 

He held back on something and let the statement pass. "I will likely need a statement from au at some point about the disheren in question, but it need not be a verbal statment, written will suffice. In the mean time, I am authorizing your return to duty. As for au honor, you have my word that should any one question your loyality, I will deal with them myself. I do not wish to begin an inquisition aboard this ship, I meerly seek to assure justice is served. As I said, I did not intend to accuse you of anything."

 

She nodded in thanks, forcing herself to appear more... placid. "I will have the statement within the hour, Rekkhai," she offered, jaw tensing slightly.

 

"Very well, I will leave you to it. Bedah."