Collins and Cooper finish their meal. Over a cup of decaf, Cooper gives a big yawn. "Sorry - it's been a long day."
Graham finds his way to the Arboretum. There is no one there.
It is now 1903 hours.
Collins and Cooper finish their meal. Over a cup of decaf, Cooper gives a big yawn. "Sorry - it's been a long day."
Graham finds his way to the Arboretum. There is no one there.
It is now 1903 hours.
Kylah's heart gives a little flop when Velir mentions that he is in Sickbay, but then seconds later she digests the visiting part of his answer. Of course. Fujishiro.
"I am in trouble," she says bluntly. "May I see you?" Then she shakes her head, not wanting to give him time to turn her down, and lies: "Actually, I am not far from Sickbay now--I will see you there. Please, wait for me?"
It is not like her to end a conversation so abruptly, but her agitation and fear of rejection are overpowering, so he snaps her communicator shut and practically darts from the lounge to the corridor. In dread of his contacting her again and refusing to speak to her, Kylah clutches the device all the way to Sickbay. Once there, she forces herself to appear calm and asks politely if she may enter Lt. Fujishiro's room for just a moment.
Last edited by choie; 06 Mar 2015 at 11:37 PM.
Rangin looks down his communicator with a sense of befuddlement before shaking his head and heading back to the chair.
"Sorry Fujishiro, it appears Ensign Kylah requires my assistance and will be here shortly." he says with no small hint of irony in his voice. "However, that is still no excuse not to finish off the chapter. Now...where were we, ah yes."
It was raining, raining so hard it stung. But that still didn't stop me doing the one thing the others guards always failed to do. Look up...
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Kylah's highly agitated state is not lessened by the time she's allowed to walk toward the room now devoted to Fujishiro's care. But once the doors open, she is met by a tableau that stops her short.
Lt. Fujishiro lies still, doing nothing but breathing. And beside her, seated and reading quietly aloud, is Velir. Almost immediately Kylah is struck by how gentle and soothing he sounds. The words he reads do not even matter, not to Kylah. They mention rain but Kylah does not know the context. All she knows is that she feels like a parched patch of earth suddenly granted the gift of a misty shower.
Her gaze shifts again to Fujishiro. So young. So lifeless. This could so easily have been Velir's fate, Kylah realizes with a shudder. The memory of the attacks haunts her, and she vividly remembers the vicious scratching, tearing, biting, gnarling creatures surrounding Velir in that transporter room. All that blood, his face white as chalk, his terrible fever... She closes her eyes. His ability to recover from such an attack where others did not is as astonishing as his having shaken off Palver's mind control. Are Coridanites so hardy? Is it just Velir?
Whatever the reason, Kylah's heart beats faster at the fear of losing him. She might never have known him in the first place--not the way she does now--had he succumbed to his wounds back on the Sakathian station.
Kylah steps further inside and leans against the wall, hugging herself and watching both of them, accompanied only by the omnipresent sound of medical equipment and Velir Rangin's sonorous voice. She despises herself knowing that all she brings this man is strife and chaos.
Last edited by choie; 07 Mar 2015 at 05:46 AM.
Just a little bit crestfallen, Collins nods. "Yeah, I guess so. Shall we go?" She says as she starts to stand. She becomes aware that her own mood is reverting to that of the night before. "Ben, I really don't want to be alone tonight. We don't have to do anything, just hold each other." She looks hopefully into Cooper's eyes.
Last edited by anyrose; 07 Mar 2015 at 07:32 AM.
Velir finishes reading the chapter and as he looks up he sees Kylah standing there watching them with a heartfelt expression on her face. "Well Fujishiro, I'll be back sometime to continue the story, hope you're enjoying it. Until next time."
Rangin stands up and stretches slightly before heading across to Kylah.
"Hello Kylah, how are you doing? You said you wanted to speak to me and it sounded urgent." Rangin inclines his head towards the exit for the pair of them to leave. "I take it you want to speak somewhere quiet and a little more private?"
Once outside and somewhere quieter, he looks askance at her trying to gauge how bad the situation is. "So, this trouble then. Is this about the AMR briefing, the mission or something else I don't know about?"
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Graham finds a spot--preferably a dark corner--where he can lean against a bulkhead and feel the hum of the ship.
He slides to his knees and presses his forehead and the palms of his hands against the metal.
I miss you Janey.
He's drawn to reliving the very last moments they were together.
"Don't let the past consume you." If you can't work through this, if you go drink yourself asleep, are you really fit for duty, Booker?
He reaches for something. What if it had just been an accident... I'd miss her just as much, but I'd remember...
Jane standing beside him as his lieutenant's insignia was pinned on his uniform for the first time.
Watching the dean hand Jane her doctorate.
His hand on her shoulder the first time she held their daughter.
For awhile Booker kneels with his eyes closed and dreams of where they'd been.
Kylah looks around the hallway, realizes that privacy is mandatory, and almost wordlessly leads Velir as quickly as possible to her quarters. She enters first to make sure Collins is not inside, and then invites him in, so distracted she does not think to care if anyone sees a man entering the cabin with her.
Once the door closes behind him, Kylah swivels and clasps her hands together as if praying. "Velir, I do not know what to do," she blurts. "I have been contacted by a reporter from The Solar Post. Now that we have gone, journalists have swarmed to the planet like flies to a swamp. And now things are being reported about the investigation, which is natural enough, but it is not just--they are talking about everything, and for some reason they know how I felt about it all, what I said about it, and what others are saying about me, and--and other things, things more personal--"
The more she speaks the more she realizes she is babbling inanely. She purses her lips, takes a deep breath, and starts again, staring deep into Velir's eyes. "Have you... have you read any of the news that is being reported from the planet?"
Rangin is surprised to be led quickly to Kylah's quarters, but if she is that worried, about what ever it is, then Rangin begins to wonder just how bad the situation has become.
As Kylah then starts off, going nine to the dozen, Rangin starts to feel like he is caught in an ever increasing whirlwind. "Kylah, please, slow down, what news reports?" Rangin feels confused, a few minutes ago, he was reading happily away, able to forget the world and now it was all coming crashing in again.
"Ok, so let me get this straight. A reporter from the Solar Post has contacted you, things are being said about the investigation and...about you?" Rangin can just feel the details of the last few days coming to light across the quadrant. Admittedly, it was one of the biggest news scandals to come out over the last few years. But then there was also Kylah's own behaviour that could be considered of interest for the gossip columns, especially given the outburst from last night...and the video footage, and the Hwuen, and the...the meetings with Jan she just didn't want to discuss. Rangin wonders if he going to find out more from following the news than from Kylah.
Oh yes, a full scale scandal with one of the main parties in some very compromising positions...it would not be pretty.
"You're not seriously thinking of talking to him are you, especially after we were instructed otherwise. I mean, yes the Solar Post is fairly reputable, but what would they be looking for concerning you?"
He stops, mouth half open as he remembers something that happened in his own past, fortunately, something that most people had forgotten by now, well apart from a few close friends who would still tease him about it. But he suddenly wondered what would happen if someone started digging into his own diplomatic misdemeanours.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
At Velir's question, which of course she knows she must answer, Kylah shakes her head and turns away. She can sense the weight behind his words; he is not merely asking about the reports. Her hands curl at her sleeves, pulling them over her ice-cold fingers.
"Some--some squalid outlet... not The Solar Post, but one I do not know well... they are linking me with Lord Fastolfe." She closes her eyes even though she is not facing him. "They did not use my name, but... their descriptions of my--my appearance, of my role in the investigation... My identity will be clear enough to everyone in the landing party, the security team, the hotel staff."
She takes a painfully deep breath and explains quickly what the report claimed Fastolfe said about their relationship. At the words 'torrid romance,' embarrassment washes over her anew, and presses the heel of her hand into her forehead as if that will allay her growing headache.
"The implication that I was involved with a murder suspect, that my feelings for him affected the investigation... I sound corrupt as well as immoral." She spins around, suddenly desperate to see Velir's face. "And it is false. I hope you know it is false, Velir. Utterly. Fastolfe once misinterpreted my motives when we were alone, and began an attempt to seduce me, he thought I wanted to--"
Kylah stops, hating that she must reveal this to Velir given what he likely already suspects of her. And hating that Fastolfe, like so many men she has met, thinks she exists merely as an object to be used for their pleasure.
She sweeps her hair behind her ears, angry. "If it were only this rumor, that would be bad enough. I can only imagine how my reputation on the ship will sink further, and I might be questioned by Vargas or Cheverez regarding my alleged bias and misbehavior. Still, I can withstand that.
"But... but this Post reporter... he said that he knew of my dissatisfaction with the way we handled the investigation. And there was more. He warned me that I must to speak to him and get my story out, soon. Because journalists who are apparently not as 'nice' as he are talking to several people, and... I dread to think what might be said.
"Velir, what should I do? I feel I must talk to him. If I do not, I might be excoriated. So many things could be taken and twisted into ugliness..." Her gaze flickers to Velir's shoes as she remembers all the encounters she had on OCIII: with Halsey, the Hwuen, that foolish security guard who drooled after her while she was trying to watch the nightclub video, even the other Yorktown officers.
Even my mission leaders, she thinks. Graham's reminder only moments ago about his forbearance in not reporting her hurts her anew. She ends sadly, "There is more than one person who could harm me, if they wished. It is more than just Fastolfe and Jan Svehla."
Last edited by choie; 07 Mar 2015 at 03:48 PM.
Cooper looks down, concerned, into Collins's eyes. "Of course we can. You know I'm here for you, Jer. Whatever you want."
Graham has the Arboretum all to himself, surrounded by the scents and sights of growing things.
Rangin starts to pace around the quarters, thinking out loud to the air around him.
"Ok, let us see what we have here. Well, if its appeared in any kind of gossip column, its not worth the effort to even bother with." Rangin sighs and roll his eyes, "gossip like that tends to vanish quickly, unless you give it any basis. Which is what a reporter, any reporter worth their salt, would be trying to find."
Rangin begins his pacing again, "And of course, it is false. I mean after all, that would imply that at least three gentleman on the planet had come to know your affection to one degree or another, in such a short space of time, how could anyone think otherwise." His voice is dripping with sarcasm as stares at the floor. "An Elasian with a sex drive, what next, a human that can breathe." Shaking his head while drawing in a deep breath,
Rangin looks up and begins again in a calmer voice. "Alright, let's try this again, from the top."
"We know this: that a reporter has contacted you and said you need to give him a story. So, how did he contact you without anyone else knowing. Our names and our actions will be all over that resort, there is nothing we can do about that. The reporters will put together whatever they need to do, from bits and pieces to construct something that will sell a story. There is a good reason you only talk to reporters in an official capacity where there is no room for misunderstandings, or better yet, don't talk to them at all."
"In our favour, such as it is, is the Federation. This entire event is showing them in a very bad light, nothing is going to get published properly, until someone has worked out what the Federation's official position is. Also, the Federation is not going to be happy about the person who was critical to solving the case getting a lot of bad press. It makes prosecuting people, very, very difficult, when the defence can just point at the investigating team."
Rangin shudders slightly, yes, each of the investigating team had had their own problems crop up in the last few days. And previous to that, the smartest thing he had ever done was keep his mouth firmly closed. Rangin hopes that investigative reporters just remain current to what had happened here and no-one went digging in their backgrounds.
"Ok: The obvious answer is to talk to Lt. Thalen. He is probably aware already, but it would be a whole lot better to go to him with your story, than to have him come to you looking for answers. Get the story right, before talking to a reporter, even possibly one as noble as working for the Solar Post. Communication and politics, the right message. It's probably something you are far better at than I."
Rangin stops and thinks for a moment, then frowns at Kylah. "You are sure, he is from the Solar Post and not just saying that?"
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
T'Var visualizes herself on Vulcan, enjoying quality time with her family....
Playing chess with her mother. Taking a long walk with her siblings. Trying to help her father cook the evening meal.
She feels a sense of calm surround her. Perhaps she should contact her parents and discuss with them Palver's supposed mind control. They have always provided her with excellent counsel. And yet, she does not wish to admit that her mind may not be as strong and capable as everyone believes it to be.
T'Var ends her meditation. This quiet time has been useful, but Palver's actions are still very disturbing to her.
Graham's communicator beeps; it is the First Officer. "Report to my office at once, if you please, Mr. Graham."
The Security man finds the First Officer alone in his spartan office. Vargas does not invite him to sit, but folds his hands and says, "The Captain and I have been reviewing the AMRs with great interest. Several of your colleagues have criticized other members of the extended landing party for disobedience to orders and conduct that had the potential to be life-threatening. Although you were yourself stunned by Vice Adm. Hardin, your AMR makes no such statements. I wonder, Ensign, if you would like to revise your AMR at this time?"
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 08 Mar 2015 at 04:07 PM.
"I do not know for certain he is from the Post, no," Kylah says very slowly. In truth she is thinking less about Velir's question than of his earlier words: At least three gentlemen on the planet had come to know your affection to one degree or another, in such a short space of time, how could anyone think otherwise... An Elasian with a sex drive.
His bitterness makes Kylah feel as if she has swallowed broken glass. The irony is that until she stepped onto this ship, her reputation at the Academy was that of a freakish, snobbish prude--some whispered the nickname Princess Frigid--at least, after she'd turned down the advances of varyingly gendered classmates and more than one staff member. And now, even Velir seems to think...
Kylah lets that wash away and focuses on his advice. "Walcott somehow patched through to my communicator. I am to contact him in return with my answer. Whether that makes him legitimate or not... I do not know if it matters. I suppose Starfleet might allow me to speak to a respected journalist, although I doubt even that. Naturally you are right, much does depend on how they approach the corruption scandal, that is far more important.
"Right now I fear I cannot see past what feels like my own inevitable downfall. If any of this gets back to my planet... my family..." The possibility sickens her. She can only imagine Aldaan's face. "The assumptions about Elasian women are tolerated, yes, but I--I have certain expectations placed on me. I must not become part of a scandal, I am supposed to fit in, easily ignored..."
With a shake of her head, she dares not continue down this road. "Of course you are correct to advise me to speak to Lt. Thalen. I just--I am afraid that he will confirm the order to say nothing. And then I will have no recourse if something should... come out. Nevertheless there is no other choice, as a member of Starfleet. I must do my duty as I am told." No different from at home. I am now ruled by two masters instead of just one.
Suddenly she stares up at him. "Be honest, Velir. You know me better than anyone else in the Federation. Look how you have reacted to seeing one side of a story. You want answers. You want the truth. You will not be satisfied if I remain silent, will you? Will you just forget everything, will it all recede into the past without another word? I do not think so, no matter how much I may wish it.
"But if I had come to you first, if I had come to you and explained everything that happened with Jan, Fastolfe, Graham, Ferguson, even one of the resort guards..." Her voice drops to a trembling murmur. "Would I see the same judgment and resentment lurking behind your eyes?"
Last edited by choie; 08 Mar 2015 at 05:29 PM.
Graham stands at attention as Vargas addresses him.
"There were a number of honest mistakes, as well as cases of poor judgment, while I was in command of the mission--for which I take for responsibility, sir," he says in reply.
"As you saw in my report, I included two 'atta-girl's'."
Although he intends to maintain a formal and neutral demeanor, he can't help but frown slightly and tighten his jaw.
"There were two things that warranted action as clearly unacceptable," he continues, nodding slightly. "One, some Security personnel may have expressed a, uh, lack of enthusiasm for being placed under Ensign Kylah's direction. Two, she did not receive the back-up I'd ordered--or a replacement--just prior to confronting Mrs. Hsu. It's crystal clear that should not have happened."
"My higher order concern, taking the overall mission into account, is building unit cohesion. Under the circumstances I felt it was best to deal with both verbally, directly with the crew involved, rather than in the written record." He pauses for a moment. "That is still my position, sir."
"I see," says Vargas, not sounding surprised. "Which Security personnel, in particular, fell short of your expectations in those regards?"
As Rangin listens to Kylah, her words only seem to ask more questions than answer any.
"Kylah," he says quietly, "you haven't told me or explained what happened. Will I forget or let it go. No, no I won't, because I care. You asked for my help, so I will give it, even though you..." Rangin shakes his head wondering if she will ever trust him enough to fully tell him what happened. "...other people though, curiousity is a natural thing, but if they don't care about it, it will soon escape their attention for the next piece of news."
"As for this story reaching out, I'm sorry but it has already happened. and the only thing you can do is not add to it. I hate to point this out, but Hardin being corrupt is a scandal, Fastolfe proclaiming a torrid affair is not." Rangin shrugs wondering what to say next. "I can't begin to understand what pressures your family have placed you under, but surely they will listen to you and not the news about this. And how can I be the person who knows you best in Starfleet. We've not known each other for that long, there must be other friends you can talk to."
Rangin looks across at Kylah and smiles wryly, "Besides, though you may try to fit in, you are certainly not unnoticeable and definitely not ignorable." After all, he thought, who else would be so bold to stand up for what she believed in against anyone.
"Look, if you want to defend yourself, we need to work out how to convince Lt Thalen, that it is in your...Starfleet's interest to follow up on this contact. Besides, it really does make you wonder how good security is on this ship, if someone can just patch through to you."
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
"Security," Kylah mutters, sighing as she glances over to Collins's side of the room. "We know well enough of the problems in that area. Besides, I have learned that there seems to be no shield strong enough to protect me from others. Or my own folly." Her gaze shifts to the bed, then quickly darts away.
And it is because I try to put up shields that I do not have friends. She briefly thinks of T'Var, whom she wishes she could call a friend; the older woman has been kind to her despite their differences, and despite her clear disapproval of Kylah's actions. And of course, T'Var knows one of the biggest secrets she possesses. Yet Kylah has no idea of the Vulcan likes her.
She shakes her head. She does not want to discuss the embarrassing, solitary existence she leads; no one finds such neediness attractive.
"As far as the scandal... yes, of course, Hardin's corruption is the more important story. It is vital, especially if it leads to other such revelations. But think of how the other tale has already been spun--and can get worse, once they learn more.
"On the one hand, we have an old man perpetrating financial misdoings regarding a resort license and the ensuing violent cover-up. On the other, there is the Federation's most notorious media superstar, framed for murder, who beds a low-ranking member of the Elasian royal family playing dress-up in a Starfleet uniform while she is on duty. This dilettante nymphomaniac then uses her influence to clear his name."
Kylah has to wince--the words sound even worse once she hears them aloud. "Oh Velir. If you believe Hardin's political malfeasance will be of more general interest than the lurid impropriety between the sole Elasian royal in Starfleet and an omnisexual media star, your opinion of your fellow beings' sense of proportion is far higher than my own. And all this is before any other unsavory extras those reporters might find." Panic starts to flare up again, and she steps forward, wishing he would hold her, afraid he will leave.
"Do you think--could they throw me out of Starfleet for this? Conduct unbecoming an officer? I cannot go back. I was sent here to be part of Starfleet, to excel, and if I fail now..." Kylah closes her eyes. Of the three options her uncle allowed for her future, this underhanded life as an exile among unknown, feared races in Starfleet was the least repulsive. She swallows and takes a deep breath. "I cannot fail," she whispers, then looks at Velir again. "Will you... will go with me? To see Lt. Thalen?"
Last edited by choie; 09 Mar 2015 at 05:40 AM.
Rangin steps back, turns away and throws his hands up in the air, "Oh honestly. I'm not going to argue about how good or bad it can look. You know better than I how a story can be shaped by those telling it whether for good or bad. What I can say is that, it does go away, after a while, when the next story comes along. Until that time, well such is life."
Wondering what is going through her mind, Rangin can hear how desperate she is and his head bows to the floor. "They are not going to throw you out of Starfleet, you caught Hardin and Palver. They would be foolish to ruin any chance of a conviction with your dismissal."
Slowly turning back round to face her, and looking at how nervous she is, he wishes he could hold her tight and tell her it will all go away. "Yes, I will go with you to see Lt Thalen," he sighs, "I would have dragged you there if you hadn't asked, because you would just have snuck off and try to find this reporter otherwise."
Rangin so wants to put a hand on her cheek to brush away the hint of tears that threaten to break, but settles for placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it tight. He knows she isn't telling him everything and he could be making more of a fool of himself.
Then even though he knows the woman in front of him doesn't trust him, Rangin holds out his hand to Kylah. "You haven't failed yet. Let's go do something about it, shall we?"
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Kylah just stares at him. At first, when he flung his arms up and turned his back on her, she gave a sharp, silent inhale and had to fight the temptation to crawl under her bed, as she used to do as a child. He is fed up with me, she realized in horror. She has brought Velir Rangin, the most patient and calm man she knows, to the point where he cannot even look at her. And then this compassionate man brushed aside her fears of reprisal. Such is life.
Velir has reached his limit of tolerance with her, and she cannot blame him. He continues to speak and his manner softens, because kindness is his nature, but while Kylah listens she is stricken by how close she must be to losing his friendship. I must not anger him further, she thinks, nodding tightly when he agrees to take her to Thalen. Then he touches her shoulder and it should be calming, it should be a relief. But almost immediately, like a flood of water through an opened faucet, his emotions connect to her through the fingertips brushing her collarbone.
He knows she is wary of him. And he does not trust her.
Kylah tries not to show her inward flinch. She wonders why he persists with her--and how much longer he will do so. How thin is the ice under her feet? What inevitable mistake will be the one that breaks the world beneath her and sends her plummeting into dark, bone-chilling loneliness? It is only a matter of time. She must do what little she can to postpone the inevitable. Pacify him, please him, pretend to be... well, whatever he wants. Up to a point.
Looking at his hand, now extended toward her, she slips her cold fingers around his, savoring the warmth during a brief squeeze. "Thank you," she says softly, glancing up at him through lowered eyelashes. She is in hostess mode, the role she was forced to perform after her mother died. She hated it then, faking calm, faking confidence, faking pleasure. Now she is grateful for the practice. "You are right, of course," she adds. "I am sorry for being foolish. Let us go."
She releases his hand--they cannot be seen in any such intimacy on this ship, it will be awkward enough if someone sees them together--and then moves toward the door, each step smooth and even, appropriate for the senior woman of the House of the Silver Weeping Tree. Before the door opens, she pauses and turns back to him. If nothing else, her words are sincere when she speaks. "I hope you know I am very grateful, Velir. I will feel better knowing you are by my side."
Leaning in to him, she kisses him on the cheek, feeling a slight hint of stubble against her before she draws away. Then she moves forward. There is no other direction for her to go.
When Kylah speaks, the words come out smoothly, but feel like ice across his skin. The direct looks and tremulous voice replaced by something coy, cold and calculating. He had seen that look before, an appeasement to his sensibilities, a pacified and demure pose and it began to set off alarm bells as old memories began to flood back. What does she want?
As she walks past Rangin, he can feel the touch on his hand, the smell of her hair as it floats by, the almost intoxicating sense as she glides away. He breathes it in deeply wondering how many more times he will get the opportunity before he is discarded for someone else. After all, as she makes it perfectly clear, she is Elasian royalty and her image, her status and all those little things mean more to her than anything.
Unable to tell if her words ring true, as she leans in to kiss him, Rangin savours it, wondering how many more she may bestow and he wonders if this is how it will be. Fleeting glances, forgotten answers and him as a puppet to her. No, not again. If she didn't trust him, then there was no point in thinking on it. She needed time, that much Rangin knows, especially so soon after the events at the resort. But there would come a point, and probably sooner rather than later, where she would have to make a choice.
He had hoped that this time would be different, that the past is not coming back to haunt him, but now he is no longer sure. Either trust him...or don't, because he was damned if he was going through that experience again. Only this time he had nowhere to run to.
As Rangin follows Kylah out of the door, he can hear a woman's laughter echoing hollowly from the cabin behind him in triumph.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
The two find Lt. Thalen in a crew lounge on Deck 8, sipping a glass of some dark, steaming liquid and writing on a data tablet. Three people - one in Command yellow, the other two in Engineering red - are seated together at a table outside of earshot, drinking, talking and laughing. The young Andorian man smiles and invites you both to sit down.
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 09 Mar 2015 at 09:54 AM.
Kylah is compelled to return the lieutenant's smile; in her brief time on the ship, he has been one of the most pleasant and affable toward her.
Of course, that is before he hears what she has to say.
She glances at Velir to include him in the smile. But she knows he is unhappy, knows that despite her attempts to show him that she can pull herself together when necessary, he is put off by her manner and even more leery of her for some reason. Perhaps it is too little, too late. Still, he did come with her. Velir is an honorable man who will stick to a promise.
"I hope we are not disturbing you, sir," Kylah says, returning her attention to Thalen as she sits opposite him. "I would come back another time, but I am afraid I have something rather urgent to discuss with you, if I may. It involves the mission... the public reporting on the mission. I do not know if you..." She trails off, her strength failing her for a few seconds, but she gathers herself together again. "I suppose you must have seen some of the news items by now?"
"With regard to the former, sir, if I may speak freely, I'm pretty goddamned unhappy about the idea of any officer so much as rolling their eyes out of turn, but as I see it trying to identify specific people and actions would take a Spanish Inquisition-style effort and still leave us with a lot of he-said-she-said, so I already gathered the whole team together to put the kibosh on any carping or disrespect."
He pauses and frowns slightly again, his brow furrowing. "Please bear in mind sir, I haven't yet spoken with these two individuals, but as I see it, nothing can change the objective fact that Ens. Kylah had to operate without backup, which shouldn't have happened. I'd assigned Lt. Garcia--a crypto guy--to that role, and as I understand it Lt. Kjaerstad drafted him for another task--without an immediate backfill. As I said, I don't know the story from his point of view yet, but s I see it we're talking physics here, bodies not where they are supposed to be. That shouldn't happen."
His frown deepens. "The big picture, however, is that I personally led the pursuit and final apprehension of Vice-admiral Hardin. That was thinking like a grunt, not a commander--taking the entirety of the situation on OC3 into account, I believe I should have maintained uninterrupted operational control and delegated that task." His face returns to a neutral expression. "I will amend my AMR to reflect this if you wish, sir."
"Could we go to your cabin? I don't want to disturb my roommate." Collins asks quietly.
"No, you're not disturbing me," Thalen says. "And yes, I have seen some of the reports." Kylah notices he looks tired. "We've had heavy comm traffic all day, from here to the surface, and to the Pyongyang, Starbase 27 and even Earth. This is big news throughout the Federation."
Vargas nods thoughtfully. "Yes, I think it would be best if you amended your AMR, Ensign. Completeness is a greater virtue in official reports than tact, or protecting subordinates, as I see it. And of course I appreciate your candor with me now. Anything else? Very well, then, thank you. Dismissed."
Cooper says to Collins with a smile, "Yes, that'll be fine. Let's go."
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 09 Mar 2015 at 11:05 PM.
Nodding, Kylah self-consciously leans forward closer to Thalen, wishing to hide herself from the others in the lounge even though they probably cannot hear what is being said. "I also had more comm traffic myself," she murmurs. "A reporter claiming to be from The Solar Post somehow got through directly to me. His name is Walcott, and he wanted me to talk. He said he had heard I was critical of the investigation, and that I had had... personal dealings with some of the suspects."
A wave of unreality hits her, as if she is in a mad dream. Someone who keeps secrets so closely, forced to repeat these accusations over and over again--now to her superior. Would this breach of her privacy continue until she found herself talking to Singh herself?
"He went on to say he was speaking with others on the planet, as were other reporters, and warned--or threatened--that I would be well advised to tell my story now, to him, before his less reputable colleagues went forward without my input." As hard as she has tried to maintain Thalen's eye contact, she has to look down, choosing to focus on the hot drink instead. "Given that another outlet has already reported Lord Fastolfe's lies, I do not know what else he thinks he could reveal, but..." She is very conscious of Velir's presence. Will he say anything if she does not tell Thalen what she most fears--that they know about her and Jan? Or will he remain silent, despite the disappointment emanating from him like the steam from Thalen's drink?
"...But I can imagine even worse lies than Fastolfe's traveling from the resort through subspace by now. Even parts of the truth can be taken out of context and could be troublesome for--for the judicial process and me, personally and professionally." Reluctantly she lifts her gaze back to Thalen's. "Sir, I know Cmdr. Vargas ordered us to say nothing to the press. I understand that and have not disobeyed, other than to tell this Walcott person that I would have to report our conversation and get back to him with an answer. That is why I am here, Lieutenant. I need your advice. On the one hand, I do not want to talk. It goes against everything I wish. But I fear the narrative they will draw on their own if I do not give the jackals something to sate their appetite. What should I do?"
Rangin accepts the seat to one side with a nod to the superior officer and sits straight, to allow Kylah to speak to him clearly and to at least be there to provide moral support. Then a sudden realisation hits him, he has no idea what the news reports are, just what Kylah had told him. That the report said she had had an affair with Fastolfe. As Kylah begins to speak, he stays silent but nods attentively in the right places as if to confirm what she is saying is true, even though he has no idea what the truth currently is.
Rangin is grateful that Kylah is speaking to someone, instead of trying to do things herself. He flashes back to the resort where she insisted she was fine with a sprained ankle. Persistent and grouchy about it, he wondered why she was suddenly so calm and cold in the cabin. At least, this time, she isn't trying to go off and handle it herself. Regardless of how he felt, no-one needed the kind of gossip that could be made up, least of all Kylah.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Thalen thinks and then says, "I don't have the authority to let you speak to the media, Kylah, and even if I did, I would advise against it. There's still an active murder investigation going on, and anything you said, even to a reputable news source, might be misconstrued or become an issue in any later trial. You haven't been mentioned by name in any of the coverage yet, at least none that I've seen, and it's possible you never will. If you'd like to take this up with the First Officer or even the Captain, I'd be glad to come along."
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 10 Mar 2015 at 10:40 AM.
A shroud of impending doom seems to settle over Kylah; she finds it difficult to see Thalen--it is as if she is caught in a blinding mist, with the Communications Officer yards away instead of just across the table.
She did not really expect a different answer. But she had foolishly let herself hope for one anyway.
"I understand." Even her calm, hollow voice sounds distant and unreal to her. "Thank you, sir, that is a kind offer. I would not wish to bother you further." After a pause in which she tries to calculate the possible outcomes of avoiding taking things to the Yorktown's most senior officers, she inhales slowly. "Do you think I should tell them? If it turns out that I am never mentioned by this Walcott or any other reporter, I would rather not have wasted their time or harmed their impression of me." As if it could sink further. "But if I say nothing to Cmdr. Vargas or the Captain and then they learn of it all in the media... Would that not be worse? To blindside them with such a thing?"
Both grim prospects curl her fingers around the edge of the table, gripping it for strength. The fingertips turning bloodless with effort is the only outward distress she reveals; the shell of her maintains its semblance of control while she forces herself to look from Thalen to Velir and back again. "What do you think, Lt. Thalen? Ensign Rangin, I would be grateful for your advice as well."
Last edited by choie; 10 Mar 2015 at 01:52 PM.
"You've now told me about your contact from The Solar Post, and if you have no further contact with that reporter, we can leave it at that, if you wish." Thalen smiles wryly. "I wouldn't want to bother the Captain or First Officer needlessly. They have a... I'm sorry, Kylah, but are you all right? You don't look well. Would you like some tea or something?"
"Yes. I mean, no, thank you, I am fine, sir." Kylah rouses herself enough to put on a smile and force her hands back onto her lap. "I am grateful for your advice and will abide by it. I do not want to cause any trouble for anyone. I did tell Mr. Walcott I would get back to him, but I will just say I... I have nothing to say. That will be all right?"
Graham nods to acknowledge his dismissal.
He sends a request asking Kjaerstad and Garcia to meet him in a meeting room in 15 minutes.
He fins a padd on which to amend his AMR. He immediately makes an entry stating his conclusion that he should have remained in direct control of the situation at all times by delegating pursuit of Hardin, then keeps it as "draft" and still open for editing, taking the padd with him.
Thalen rubs his chin and says, "Why don't I contact him for you? That way you won't be subject to any browbeating or begging for a quotation."
Lts. JG Haakon Kjaerstad and Ernesto Garcia show up to meet with Graham. Garcia is a little late, and is rubbing his eyes; he had been about to go to sleep.
Hidden under the table, Kylah hands on her lap turn into fists. "If you think that is the wisest course, Lt. Thalen. But I assure you, when I choose to keep silent, I remain so--no matter who is browbeating me." The unfortunate phrasing nearly makes her wince; she hopes Velir does not think she means him.
Regret draws her forward again, and she speaks candidly. "The truth is, I am... I am uncomfortable with having someone speak to the reporter on my behalf, even though I know it is often standard procedure. It is just that I fear that it will make me appear as if I have more--something to hide. In addition, he might ask you the questions he would have asked me. You would know what Walcott has heard about me before I do. Which might be personally embarrassing."
Kylah flushes and returns to sitting straight. "But I understand you must do what you think best, sir," she repeats quietly. "I should not take up more of your time. Please know I am very sorry for all this. I would have liked my time on the Yorktown to begin more propitiously, so you would think of me as a credit, not a stain."
Last edited by choie; 10 Mar 2015 at 09:37 PM.
Rangin sits and listens to the conversation between Lt. Thalen and Kylah not wanting to intrude and digesting the points made back and forth. Its uncomfortable to hear and he fidgets slightly as he sees Kylah put forward her fears. Lt Thalen's response make a certain amount of sense, but Rangin doesn't feel they quite go far enough and there are other things they could do.
As the conversation comes to a close, he feels impelled to at least add his thoughts for consideration.
"If I may, Sir, Ens. Kylah could I perhaps suggest the following. I would agree that seeking audience with either Capt. Singh or Cmdr. Vargas is perhaps a step too far, but I do think warning them this has occurred, sending a message to them, might be prudent. Then if they wish to take it further, they can do so. Besides, we don't know if this is the only time someone has attempted to contact someone on board the Yorktown. I believe they might prefer to be aware and for nothing to occur, than to not be told and be blindsided."
Looking back and forth between the pair to see how it went down, Rangin still plows on regardless, "As for Mr Walcott, I would not engage him at all. Don't leave a comment, don't try to communicate with him. I believe he has thrown out a hook and is waiting to see if you bite on it. If he is as sincere and honest as he claims to be, I would have expected a more formal approach to have been made instead of a clandestine request."
"I would also hasten to add that being the prime person to catch both Vice Adm. Hardin and Mr Palver would mean your start on the Yorktown could be classed as exemplary." Rangin still did not understand why Kylah felt so almost ashamed of what she had achieved.
It's then that he can feel his stomach rumbling and he blushes slightly as he is sure the others could hear it over the low chatter around the room. "Excuse me, It's been a long day and I haven't eaten yet."
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Jeremi hugs Ben. "I just need to grab my night shirt from my quarters." She takes his hand and starts for the exit.
Thalen stares at Kylah. "A stain? You're no such thing, Ensign. Please don't think that, not even for a moment. You're a valued member of this crew, and will long remain so, I hope." He thinks a moment. "If you'd prefer to contact the reporter again yourself, you may, but keep it very short and say nothing substantive. As Mr. Rangin suggests, I'll have a word with the Captain, but will keep your name out of it. Any objection?"
Cooper goes ahead to his quarters to wait for Collins.
Kylah looks gratefully at Velir as he gives his advice, even though he is suggesting speaking to Vargas and Singh--something she would rather not do. Then Thalen speaks up and adds his kind words and offer.
"Thank you... both of you," she says. "I appreciate your words although... well, I can only hope I live up to your estimation of me, Lieutenant. I do not fully agree with Mr. Rangin's over-generous assessment of my role in the investigation, and I doubt anyone else would--or did--cast it in such a light. But I do thank you," she adds quietly to Velir.
"I suppose you are right about giving the Captain forewarning of what will... what might happen regarding the press," she continues, even though the prospect makes her ill. "So--so yes, Lt. Thalen, if you would tell the Captain, I would be extremely grateful."
She thanks Thalen again for his advice and willingness to assist her before standing up. Having heard the audible sign of Velir's hunger earlier, Kylah now notices that she too is famished. All the worrying has made her feel too nauseous to eat. "If you will excuse me, Lieutenant, I should make the call and, like Mr. Rangin, take care of my hunger. I promise both of you I will say nothing to Walcott whatsoever."
With a last brief smile at Thalen, she leaves the table. Waiting for Velir in the corridor, when he joins her she will hold up a hand. "I know you do not think I should contact him at all, Velir, but I truly feel I must. If he does ask questions, I will not answer them--but at least they will tell me what is coming."
Graham gestures to encourage them to sit down. He sits and sets the padd on the table in front of him.
"Thank you for coming, lieutenants--and I'm sorry to disturb your evening." He rubs his chin and then folds his hands in front of himself on the table, just to the right of the padd. "It's come to my attention that we had a tactical failure on OC3 that simply shouldn't have happened: at the time Ens. Kylah confronted Mrs. Hsu in the transporter room, she had no backup. I'd assigned Lt. Garcia to that task, but when push came to shove, neither he nor anybody else was on-scene."
He pauses, looking at each officer in equal proportion. "You should know that I have already amended my AMR to reflect the fact that given the totality of circumstances when I received command--what'd happened, what I knew about the team and the situation, as well as how much I didn't know, being new to the ship--I should have retained direct operational control at all times rather than going 'off the grid' while pursuing Hardin."
"I'd like all our AMRs to reflect a consensus on what happened that makes us and our colleagues smarter about making sure this sort of disconnect doesn't happen again." He shrugs just slightly. "I know it's a little awkward given our ranks to order a verbal report now that we're 'outside of mission' from each you...but we're all professionals, so let's just get to it, without formalities, shall we?"
Collins walks briskly to her cabin, collects a nightshirt and a few things for the morning, puts them in a small satchel, then heads to Cooper's cabin.
Rangin sighs at Kylah's insistence at going through with contacting the reporter, but nods his head in agreement. He cannot help but feel she is making a mistake, but it is her choice to make.
"I understand even if I do not agree. I will happily support you, after all you achieved." The words seem slightly bitter as he utters them, but regardless of how he feels towards Kylah, she should still be backed up over what happened on OCIII.
"If you want to let me know how it goes, I would be grateful for your company in the main mess for dinner. If you would like to join me?"
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Velir's words are appropriate for one colleague to another--no more, no less. Kylah feels her thin veneer of control cracking and knows she had better leave before it breaks altogether.
"Yes," she says, her voice as even and still as an undisturbed pond. "I would like that very much. I will be there as soon as I can." Tentatively she touches his wrist lightly with the pads of her fingers, hoping for some sense of connection, and adds in a near whisper, "Not just to tell you what happens, but because I want to be with you."
With a last hopeful look she turns and hurries away, heading to her cabin. He will support me after all I have achieved. That is it? Not because he cares? Kylah's throat is constricting and makes her breathing more labored, almost like groans. Despair threatens to overtake her by the time she returns to her room--again, fortunate that Collins is not here, although Kylah does wonder where the other woman is.
She sits on her bed and stares at the communicator in her hand. It seems impossible to believe she has ruined things utterly between them. Eyes closed, she takes as calming a breath as she can. I cannot think about this now. First she must deal with this reporter--and perhaps Velir is right, perhaps the media will focus on the more important story.
Next they must move beyond this mission, beyond this planet and everything that happened on it. Only then can she do whatever it takes to regain his warmth and affection. The moments of happiness they have had together are so precious to her, she cannot let them slip away. She cannot.
Kylah opens her eyes. Gathering her courage, she opens her communicator and, using the logged channel saved on her device, attempts to connect with Clive Walcott.
Last edited by choie; 11 Mar 2015 at 08:07 PM.
Kylah cannot reach Walcott on his own communicator - the call will not go through, as he'd mentioned it might not - but she is able to reach him through the resort's main desk. "Thank you for calling back, Ensign," he says when he answers. "I'm on a pretty tight deadline, but I just have a few questions for you."
Garcia tells Graham, "Mr. Kjaerstad asked me to help review security footage and I went there. I had no reason to think Mr. Kylah was in any danger at the time."
Kjaerstad nods briskly. "That's correct. I advised you, Ensign" - he emphasizes the word just a little bit - "that I had made a reassignment, given all that was going on and the possible loss of power at the resort, and that Mr. Garcia was watching the footage. I hope I didn't overstep my bounds, but I don't believe you objected at the time. I have to admit, I assumed you had assigned someone else to be Mr. Kylah's backup, even before it was apparent she would need it."
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 11 Mar 2015 at 10:37 PM.
Kylah steels herself and hopes she is doing the right thing. "Please wait, Mr. Walcott. I only contacted you because I said I would, and did not wish to go back on my word. I am sorry, but I cannot answer any questions."
Walcott says hurriedly, "I'm very sorry to hear that. This is a very important story, and it would be a better one for having you be able to tell your side of it. Let me just ask, how early in your investigation did Palver become a suspect? And is it true that you and another officer, a...," he seems to be checking his notes, "...Ens. Graham, were both attacked by Vice Adm. Hardin?"
As she walks back to Cooper's cabin, Collins sees a pregnant blonde woman in Science blue walking past. Collins doesn't recognize her, but the woman nods, smiles and says, "Good evening, Lt. Collins."
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 12 Mar 2015 at 09:43 AM.
"Good evening," Collins replies reflexively, although she finds herself focused on the crewman's abdomen. She stops in her tracks and watches as the young woman walks away. She feels a tightening around her heart, her breathing rate increases, and she collapses in sobs on the floor. She doesn't even care if anyone sees her crying. She curls up, hugging her knees, and lets the world pass her by.
Rangin feels touches Kylah touch his wrist, such a little, quiet gesture but meaning so much between the pair of them, but one that makes him feel glad all the same.
because I want to be with you... Does she really mean it, the last look back so full of hope that there is something between them and as Kylah turns, Rangin holds his wrist wondering if she really meant it, lost in a little world of his own and watching her sway as she walks away.
Rangin cannot fathom it out. She doesn't trust him over what had happened on the planet, she isn't telling him everything and she certainly seems to want him for something. That switch in her cabin just brings back so many unwanted memories.
You know me better than anyone else in the Federation... Does he really? Is Rangin her closest friend after only a few weeks. Surely Kylah would have made other friends during her time in the Academy. Rangin's stomach begins to churn and not from the lack of food, but from the guilt that he may be turning away from her as her only friend away from home. Is that what she wanted? A friend. Then again, what kind of person has no friends after four years. Just who is he mixing himself up with. In fact, who is Princess Kylah? Rangin pauses slightly as he realises that he really doesn't know that much about her.
Turning to head for the turbolift, he makes his decision, because it doesn't actually matter what kind of person she is, what Rangin is going to do is the same. Find out about her.
As he rides up to the mess hall, he considers that she is pleasant company and does make him feel good. But then that was always the way, only this time he might spend a little more time getting to know the woman in question.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Graham frowns slightly. "Let's focus on the lessons we ought to take away--specifically what would have changed the way things went down and prevent this kind of disconnect in the future," he says slowly. "There was a lot going on, dividing our attention, that's true," he continues, nodding. Then he raises an eyebrow. slightly disturbed by their statements implying there was no reason to think she'd be in any danger.
"But are we all clear here that the obvious tactical assumption that we all should have all been operating under at the time was that Ens. Kylah was on her way to confront either a murderer or an accomplice to murder?" He shakes his head slightly. "I grasp the tick-tock here, it all sounds very logical about how she wound up on her own--but at any point, any single one of us taking initiative on that assumption" he emphasizes "any one of us" and "taking initiative" slightly. "Would have caused a different result?"
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