Unpleasant Information

Posted on Mon Jul 31st, 2023 @ 8:19pm by Commander Elias Maxwell & Lieutenant Commander Nyx Valentine & Lieutenant Rose Kersey

Mission: Mission 4: The Line of Duty
Location: USS Endurance

ON

They had arrived well before the security team or whatever from the Starbase and that made Nyx visibly uncomfortable. Her arms were crossed over her chest and one toe was tapping away at the deck while an occasional sigh came from her. “If they’re going to tell us our ship isn’t ours anymore, the LEAST they could do would be punctual.” She remarked to Rose.

“Well hopefully it’s not that Commander” Rose offered a reassuring smile. “No doubt we’ll find out soon enough, I’ll keep my senses alert for any signs of anything being off.”

"Please do, I may be Betazoid, but my abilities are... Lacking." Nyx responded. She had long since come to terms with her lack of an empathic ability, even if it did rankle her from time to time.

After what felt like forever, the airlock system cycled. Even with a full air seal on the jetway-like passage, the inner door would not open until the outer had seated itself properly.

As the door opened, three stood there. Two were obvious Security types, gold uniforms, and the impassive look that said they saw everything, and heard everything.

They stood behind, and to either side of the third. Command red uniform, the rank insignia of a full Commander. Styled hair, and trimmed bear both with more grey than chestnut brown. He had the look of a man who had been around, and while the eyes looked Nyx over, the smile was genuine, if not overly pleasant. "Ah, Commander Valentine." He pronounced it correctly. He had done his homework. "I am Commander Elias Maxwell, a member of the Admiral's staff."

“Mmhmm.” Nyx perused him and his security escort with the blue eyes that seemed totally incongruous with the rest of her body. She’d been ready to correct his pronunciation of her name with disgust, but he’d gotten it right. Damn. Her hands had dropped to her hips in an impatient gesture as the door had slid open, “This is Lieutenant Kelsey, the ship’s counselor. I hope you’re going to be able to enlighten us as to just why you’re impounding Endurance? And perhaps as to where Captain Harding may be? She was supposed to meet us here at the Starbase.”

Rose nodded politely as Valentine had pointed her out, she was keeping her senses alert for anything she’d need to alert Nyx to.

"Lieutenant." Maxwell gave the counselor a nod. He didn't introduce his own entourage. Instead, he focused on Nyx. "Commander, those two issues are entirely why I am here." He tried to not sound too harsh. She was just doing her job, after all. Harding wouldn't have left her in command had this woman not been up to the challenge. "Though, I would suggest here is not the best place for that conversation. Would you mind leading the way up to the Observation Lounge on Deck 1?"

He had deliberately not suggested the Ready Room. This was not his ship. He would need to be invited to that room. A shadow of a smile crossed his features at that thought. Somehow, he suspected such an invitation was not forthcoming.

“Of course,” Nyx hesitated for a moment deliberately, “Sir, if you’ll come with me.” She gestured to right next to her before setting off at a moderate pace, where she could keep an eye on him rather than have him follow her. “As I’m sure you know, Endurance is a Nebula-class ship, with a current crew count of seven hundred and twenty-eight officers and crew. We’re preparing a handful of standard rotations and we’re expecting their replacements to board us here when we picked up the Captain.” The turbo lift arrived as she said the word Captain, and she gestured inside for him, “I’m only temporarily covering for her, being the ship’s Chief Engineer by trade. Any questions about the ship, sir?”

"All very informative, and clear." He was making an effort to not patronise the woman, and feared he wasn't doing good enough.

The Turbolift car was cramped, but they made the fit. Both security officers entering last, and staring at the door. When the lift arrived at the Bridge, they stepped out. Maxwell glanced at the main viewscreen, his face impassive, yet a note of exasperation and irrigation at the rotating seal of Security flared up.

Eyes turned as the arrivals came into the bridge, Nyx made a point to be in between Maxwell and the rest of the bridge, a scowl at the still rotating seal on the main screen, “As you were, passing through.” A chirrup from Gigi as the drakeling popped her head up and was visible and on instinct, Nyx whistled and the Drakeling launched herself from the Aenar and clawed for the elevation to make it over the console, then glided to the outstretched arm and swarmed up to Nyx’s shoulder.

"Counsellor, I'd appreciate you being in this briefing as well." As the officers made their way into the Observation Lounge, the two security took posts outside, guarding the door.

Seemingly on instinct, Maxwell took the XO seat at the table. The display, just behind the table also showed the same seal as every other monitor. "First off, I do want to apologize. I told the head of Station Security not to go hogwild. Seems she ignored that instruction."

Nyx chose the seat across from him, actually it was Absinthe’s chair, but she didn’t feel like taking the Captain’s. Hers was a couple down and that would have just looked awkward, “And it also doesn’t give me any sort of access to the computer systems.” She bit back testily, “I don’t like that.” The drakeling on her shoulder bristled at the emotional leakage, spines shaking as she hissed slightly in Maxwell’s direction

“I’m afraid station security came across quite...shall we say, off?” Rose offered a polite smile. “They’ve also locked us out of our own ship’s controls, surely whatever is going on it could have been handled better than this?”

Maxwell took a deep breath as he surveyed the two women. "As I said, Security may have gone a little hard and heavy, but I do understand their position. I'll come to the point."

He interlocked his fingers on the table, leaning forward. "I regret to inform you that Temperance Harding has been arrested for murder. This was made with the authorization of the Admiral."

“Bullshit.” Nyx blurted out without any chance of stopping herself, but it still rang true to her, “Who did she allegedly murder and where’s the evidence? While I’m sure that the security team is competent at their job and the investigation, I want to be sure that someone didn’t jimmy any surveillance to frame her.”

“I’m sorry Sir, but I find that highly unlikely!” Rose looked at Maxwell with a glare to meet his own. “I may not have known the Captain for long but as ship’s Counsellor I have no reasons to doubt her.”

Maxwell didn't react to the outburst. He had been expecting it. Even hoping for it, if he was absolutely honest. "She is alleged to have killed the Admiral's Chief of Staff. Captain Calliope Holbrook. There is clear security footage of it, in Holbrook's own office."

He looked down at the table for a moment. "Commander, please understand me. I have been around the block too many times. Even if my position does not 'allow' me to agree with your sentiments." He hoped both of them could pick up on his actual meaning.

Nyx glanced over at Rose, but in that time, her hands stopped petting Gigi and the drakeling decided to let her know it. The little dragon slithered out from under her hands and turned to pounce playfully on them, jerking Nyx out of her few seconds of silence. Hands now reengaged with Gigi and Nyx’s mind cleared, “As… C-O of Endurance, for the time being, I’m going to need duplicates of the security footage within the next, say, thirty minutes and I would like to request a chance to interview Captain Harding if it can be arranged.” Inside, her diatribe of swearing started to peter out, “Assuming, of course, I’m allowed to leave the ship?”

“That WE are allowed to leave the ship?” Rose looked at Nyx then at Maxwell. “I take it that the possibility of shapeshifters, or tampered footage has been ruled out?”

Maxwell arched an amused eyebrow at the deadline, but did not immediately respond, curious what else there would be. He looked from Nyx, to Rose, and back, making a mental assessment. "I am afraid I am not allowed to lift the 'stay aboard ship' order. That came from the Admiral, and I won't fight the Old Man over that one. I can, and will, however, do a few things. I can release the computer lock, and will give you a full copy of the entire case file, complete with interviews, security footage, and scan results. Yes, we have ruled out the obvious . This is not security's first rodeo. I will be staying aboard. Command has a few questions that need answers, and quite frankly, so do I. I would like to talk with the senior staff about a few things."

He held up a hand to forestall any immediate protest. "This is not an interrogation. You have my word as an Officer that no one currently on board will be charged with a crime during my questions."

Nyx's eyes bored into his, searching for anything that she could use to argue with him, but sighed. "I still want to talk to the Captain." She wouldn't relent on that mark, not until something that well and truly blocked that, "Preferably in person. And I'd also like Rose here in on any talks you have with the rest of the staff, if that's possible. As you yourself said, Security came in too hard and that makes me worried. Until Captain Harding comes back, these are MY people."

Maxwell took a breath, his eyes fixing on Nyx. "Okay. You've done a hell of a good job up to now. I've seen the mission reports that have been forwarded. Your performance has been excellent. That was a patrol. Inside the Federation core. This is a crisis. You're the captain. I have some advice on management. It's about give and take, and keeping people focused."

He glanced down at Gigi, who was playing with Nyx's hands. With a small flick of his fingers, a peanut sized pellet seemed to appear from nowhere. He slid it across the table, and it stopped near the Drakeling. "Just something to save your fingers." He said with a smile.

At the sound of the rolling item, the Drakeling's head bent on the long neck so that it could eye the thing and in a move much like a breaching whale, leaped over backwards to pounce on the pellet with a chirrup-growl. Nyx recognized it as a 'hard' treat, meant to simulate the hip joint of a creature and give something for the drakeling to chew on to keep busy. Gigi proceeded to prove the point as she held it down with both front claws and turned her head to the side to get her teeth on it.

"Onto the matter at hand. You demanded information. I have agreed to give you back ship systems, and a full copy of the case file. I am going to allow the crew to continue as they would. Stuff that confined to quarters. That's not going to help anyone. That's what I'm doing for you. Meet me half way. You have a crew on board who are looking to you. You have a Bridge crew that is likely scared, worried, nervous. Being a Captain means diplomacy. I've offered you a lot. I can't give you everything. Give me something as well."

He gave her a warm, almost fatherly smile. "We're going to walk out onto that Bridge. I'm going to give back full access to the ship. You're going to tell the crew that while Harding has been arrested for murder. We're going to be working together to prove her innocence. You give them context, so they're not scared, and lost. You give them direction. Something to do. This is still your ship. Your crew. I'm just here, trying to help an old friend."

Nyx looked at him, something in her wanting to give, but she had appearances that she felt she absolutely HAD to make. A slight sheen of sweat forming on her forehead. This was WAY beyond her pay grade, something she couldn't admit to in front of witnesses. "Miss Kersey, can I ask you to head out to the bridge and get everything ready for an all-hands announcement, please?"

Watching the counselor as she left, Nyx waited until the door slid closed behind her before turning back to Elias and exhaling deeply, "Commander, Elias, I can call you Elias, right? I couldn't say this in front of Miss Kersey, but I'm going to level one hundred percent with you. You say my bridge crew is scared? I'm scared. I'm out of my league. I've been on board for about two and a half, three months or so?" She slumped back in her chair and covered her face with her hands, "This is my first assignment as a Chief Engineer, much less as acting as a commanding officer. I don't even know what to do, I..." She trailed off.

Elias watched, rather impressed with the honesty. Most would try to bluff, railroad their way through, and hope to come out the other end. It was the quickest path to disaster.

"Nyx." His voice was calm, and confident. "I admire your honesty. I admire you showing your emotions. A captain who knows when they are in over their head is more likely to seek advice, and not get their crew in more danger."

He reached across the table on instinct, but stopped part way, looking at Gigi, playing with the pellet of food. "I'll be staying on board, with your permission. I want to help you prove Temperance innocent. I'm going to be liaising between you, and the Starbase. You, and your crew will be looking over every byte of data in the file. You're a hell of an Engineer. If the security footage has been forged, or faked, or doctored, I bet you can find it. Same for the crew."

“If it has been altered in any way, if whoever is shown on that footage is disguised in any manner, I can and will figure it out.” The words about this were confident, because Nyx knew it, “I’m in the computers, all of them, and I’m going to need my heels. But yes, you can by all means stay aboard, I’ll make sure you’re assigned a stateroom that isn’t down by the cargo bays. Do we… Should I make it known you’re on the Captain’s side? Or should we..” She gestured between the two of them, “Umm.. Not Bonnie and Clyde… What’s it called?”

His laugh was warm, and genuine. "You know those two got shot in the end right?" He grinned at her. "No, I think I might get more of a positive response from the crew if they know I'm with you and the Captain. As long as everything to the Starbase goes through us, it should be fine."

“And what will your bosses think if all of the sudden you’re helping us out to prove the Captain’s innocence?” Nyx asked, “Or is that what Butch and Sundance out there are for?”

He shrugged. "My bosses know I have a friendship with Temperance. They also know I will let it go to trial of she legitimately is guilty. I'm the type that will let someone have consequences, but only if they are truly earned."

He gestured to the door behind him. "Butch and Sundance out there... You can guess who they work for." He waved a hand at the display screen, and the rotating symbol of security. "We didn't know quite what to expect from the crew, being totally honest."

Rising to his feet, Elias gestured for the door. "After you, Commander. I'll unlock the computer when we're on the bridge, and you can make a Ship-wide announcement."

Nyx rose to her feet as well, scooping up the drakeling that took that moment to swallow the remainder of the pellet before it could escape her, then swarmed up Nyx's arm to her shoulder and nuzzling the engineer's cheek with her own, "All right then, let's do this." She led the two out of the conference room and towards whatever came next.

OFF