Shouldering the Blame

[LtCmdr Roget 0]

Margaux smiled as she walked away from Kyle.  It had been a long time, too long, since she had felt this way.  Turning, she stepped into the nearest turbolift.  "Shuttle Bay 2," she commanded, though her thoughts were once again distracted. Quietly, she entered the bay, a feeling of relief spreading over her, seeing that she had the bay to herself.

 

   Her heels clicked quietly on the deck as she slowly circled the Griffen.  She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but her eyes scanned the hull critically, looking for anything out of the ordinary.  As she rounded the starboard side, she was slightly surprised to see the crew door ajar.  Pressing her ear close she could hear the familiar sounds of a tricorder.  Squaring her shoulders, she pulled the door open and peered inside,  

 

   Garnoopy was standing in the shuttle, holding his tricorder, listening to it scan, wondering what it would show. The silence was like a blanket, with only the tricorder's continual beeping breaking the quiet of the shuttle.  He tapped the tricorder, let it resume the scans and let his mind to wander back to the disaster. Completely lost in thought, he stood there, holding the tricorder and staring at the blank panel.  

 

   "I can't say that I'm at all surprised to find you here," Margaux said casually, leaning against the door opening.

 

   Startled the tricorder fell from Garnoopy's hands, clattering onto the floor.

 

   Margaux stooped down and picked up the tricorder, handing it back to him.  "Looking for answers?"

 

   Nodding, Garnoopy slipped the tricorder back onto his waistband, and pulled out his PADD.  With a slightly shaky hand, he tapped out, "I didn't think anyone else was here."  He handed the PADD to Margaux, awaiting her response.

 

   Ducking her head, she stepped inside and looked down at the PADD, "I guess we were of the same thought.  I could leave, if you would prefer to be alone."

 

   Garnoopy quickly tapped out his reply, "No, I don't mind." and showed the PADD to her.  Looking around the shuttle, he let out a sigh, and typed out, "I haven't found anything yet."

 

   She nodded and moved to what was left of the command console.  "Nor have I.  I guess I'm here to exorcise the demons."

 

   He moved over to the engineering panel and tapped out, "It all started with the cloak.  If I can figure out what I did wrong with that piece of the shuttle..."

 

   Margaux turned suddenly to face Garnoopy.  "You did nothing wrong, Lt.  Nothing."

 

   Blinking, he looked over at Margaux, a bit surprised.  "I rebuilt it, I ran the diagnostics, I was the engineer, of course it's my fault. My equipment failed!" he rapidly tapped out.

 

   "No, you are not to blame.  I've been over the mission logs, the maintenance logs.  I can't remember the last time I slept for more than two hours, but you are not to blame for this Lt." Margaux shook her head sadly, staring at the spot where Precip's body had been ejected from the shuttle.

 

 

   Letting out a sigh, Garnoopy tapped "You asked me to make sure the cloak was online, and I gave the ok.  If something was wrong with it, I should have noticed.  There is no excuse for my oversight, though I can't find what it is."

 

   She rested her hip on the edge of broken console, "I can't make you feel any less responsible than I do, it's something we will live with, but in your situation Lt, I believe your sense of guilt and responsibility is misplaced."  She raised her eyebrow at him, "You just said it yourself ... 'if'".

 

   An edge of frustration crept into his face "Then what happened?  Why did it fail?" he tapped out on the PADD.

 

   "I don't know, " she said thrusting the PADD back toward him.  "You don't think I feel frustration and anger?  It was my mission, my team, and I'm the one that failed."  She pulled the medal Atragon had given her and threw it on the floor, her hands shaking.

 

   Snatching the PADD back, he looked down at the medal, tapped a quick resposne and pushed the PADD back into her hands.   "Apparently our CO disagrees with you on that point."

 

   "I'm an asset, Lt.  Just as you are.  Nothing more.  A piece of property owned by the Federation. He's simply pleased that he didn't lose a senior pilot and his tactical officer.  Nothing more."  The bitterness crept more fully into her voice.

 

   Looking at Margaux face, he tapped out, "You act as those this isn't the first time."

 

   Her eyes filled with malice, "Pray you never have to go through it more than once, Lt.  You are young and still full of a sense of nobleness.  My nobleness was stripped away a long time ago."

 

   Curiosity filled his veins, and he tapped out "What happened?"

 

   Margaux held the PADD, looking down at the words, her knuckles going white, "More than you're ready to know."  With a sudden flash of anger, she snapped the PADD into two pieces and handed it back to Garnoopy.  He took the two pieces back and stared at them, mouth gaping. "Ask the Commodore if you're so curious about me."  she turned on her heel and stalked out of the shuttle  the waves of anger stemming from her almost tangible to Garnoopy.

 

   Looking up he watched her leave, feeling both surprised and startled.  He sat down in the engineering chair, more questions filling his head. He wondered about the Commodore, and just what it was, that this man could have possibly done to Margaux.

 

 

LtCmdr Margaux Rogét

Lt Jg Garnoopy