Heaven Help Us

Posted on Sun Nov 20, 2016 @ 10:16am by Lieutenant Cassandra Kennings & Fleet Captain Rhea Kennit & Lieutenant Nicole Anderson

3,411 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: The Fall
Location: Cassandra's Office

Cassandra was flitting around the room, rearranging the items on her high shelf and attached to her walls. All her ceremonial weapons were gone--just in case--and replaced with musical instruments and very soft trinkets. Any moment a perfect storm of ego and righteous anger would be invading her office and she wanted to keep blood loss to a relative minimum.

She landed lightly on the floor and smoothed her dress. She'd eaten, slept and was feeling as fresh and energized as she could. In fact she was feeling somewhat more energized than usual. She made a mental note to look into that later. She'd set up four chairs in cardinal directions facing each other: her usual armchair, a similar chair of neutral color across from her for the Captain, and two equal, hull-grey padded chairs for the guests of honor. There was enough room in between that no one would feel cramped, and everyone would have space to argue and gesture without hitting anyone.

Her chime rang and she took a deep breath, bracing herself.

When the door opened, it was Cmdr. Hunter standing there alone. "I'm sorry I'm running late, Counselor," he greeted her. "With the Captain still on limited duty there were several issues I had to resolve before I could come down."

"It's fine, Commander, please take a seat," she said, pointing to the one the grey chairs and sitting herself down in her armchair.

A minute or two later, Nicole walked in, arms folded, familiar scowl on and eyes blazing. "I'm here," she announced, unnecessarily.

Alec looked at the Doctor and then back as Cass but made no spoken comment. As to his thoughts only he knew what they
were.

Cass nodded to the other grey chair and consulted her padd as Nicole sat down. "Once the Captain has arrived, we can begin," she said.

Silence descended. Minutes ticked past. The room so quiet that when the ship's air system gave a soft whir as the filtration units automatically paused then shifted to a new filter somewhere in the environmental system, a sound not normally noticed durning the course of the ship's daily activities.

Finally the door chin sounded. The Captain had evidently decided to go along with this.

For the moment...

Dressed in civilian clothing, she walked soundlessly across the floor to take a seat next to the XO, trailing her fingertips along his shoulders and back when she walked behind him before sitting. Crossing her legs, she let out a huff of air and said, " Well. Now what."

Alec shivered slightly at Rhea's touch but was otherwise motionless as he to waited to see what happened next.

"Thank you all for joining me," Cass said, looking at each of them. "Now that we've had some time to cool down and gather our thoughts, I wanted to discuss where we go from here. I've read the reports the three of you filed, and I've read the complaints filed by Commander Hunter and Lieutenant Anderson."

She held up the padd she was holding and skimmed through it quickly before sitting back. "Frankly, I'm at a loss. Officers should not behave this way, and starting now, this behavior is going to stop. We are going to come to a consensus on conduct, and once the consequences of these actions are faced, we will move on."

Alec sat rock still in his chair as Cass talked about officer's behavior. he wasn't about to speak or offer any suggestions until he was sure where this was all headed. he didn't want this meeting to turn into his lynching. So he sat and waited to see what Cass had to say next.

Cass looked back and forth between Alec and Nicole, both of whom weren't batting so much as an eyelash in response and she rolled her eyes. "And now we're seeing who can out-silence the other? Fine. Let's begin."

She held up the padd and began to thumb through the information. "In short: The Captain has been feeling effects of proximity to the Borg since the initial attack on the Starbase. She disclosed this information to Doctor Anderson, who maintained Doctor/Patient confidentiality under the grounds that it was not yet posing a threat to the ship. While on the mission, the Captian's implants and nanites were completely reactivated and she was reinstated as a Queen and able to take control of some of the attacking drones. In the process, she enabled herself, Lieutenant Taggart and other drones to be transported back to Sickbay. Doctor Anderson was attempting to maintain control of the situation, while the Captain maintained control of the drones. Both of their reports agree that time was of the essence in saving Taggart and the other drones."

She glanced at Alec. "Commander Hunter showed up and was shocked at the sight. Doctor Anderson then used a Type-III Herran Stunner to take the Commander out of the situation. Once order was restored and the Commander was back on his feet, they moved the Captain into surgery. Once surgery was complete, they went to the Doctor's office to "have it out." He accused the Doctor of recklessness in shooting him, she accused him of being overly emotionally involved and justified what she did as a snap decision in the moment, at which point the Captain interrupted, having pulled herself out of her recovery bed without the Doctor's permission. Commander Hunter then stopped Doctor Anderson from moving the Captain to a biobed and instead lifted her himself and placed her on her back, a motion that Doctor Anderson wrote extensively about, noting that it could have done serious harm to the Captain being carried improperly with her spine forced into a curve, and placed on her back on the biobed after having spinal surgery."

She glanced at them again. "When the Captain began to panic and resist the Doctor's efforts to align her spine and keep her immobile so the pain could be relieved, the doctor took extreme measures to shock the Captain into stillness. Commander Hunter then interfered directly with the doctor and attempted to physically assault and/or restrain her depending on the report. Doctor Anderson put him on his back for his efforts and had him evicted from Sickbay, which the Commander resisted adamantly and had to be removed by two nurses. The doctor was then able to attend to the captain."

She put the padd down and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I believe that sums it up, yes?" She looked around. "I have some questions." She turned to Hunter. "Commander, why did you leave your post on the bridge to come to Sickbay while we were still in proximity to the Borg ship?"

Alec didn't look left, he didn't look right. he looked directly at Cass and spoke in a calm measured tone. Even though inwardly he felt like he was being made into the bad guy as Cass read the incident reports. "The ship was in no immediate danger. The bridge crew was experienced and knew what to do. I came to Sickbay to check on the Captain, to see what her condition was as well as what her prognosis was. If needed, I could have given orders from Sickbay."

Cass nodded and made some notes on her padd. "Doctor, why did you not secure the Captain in her recovery bed so that she wouldn't risk falling, let alone standing?"

Nicole felt color come to her cheeks and brushed some hair out of her face. "The Captain was unconscious, a nurse was supposed to be monitoring her, I was exhausted, and I had someone breathing down my neck. I had no idea she would suddenly start walking around."

Cassandra sighed a bit and made several notes in her padd. When she finally looked up, it was at the Captain. "And why did you leave the biobed in the first place, Captain? You put yourself in danger doing so."

Gazing at the Counselor a moment, the Captain answered. "I don't remember the event in question." A fabrication. She remembered everything. "I was drugged. I suppose I did so because I felt like it."

Cassandra made a few more notes. "What this boils down to is a series of decisions based on bad, or lack of, judgement. To say I'm disappointed does not begin to cover it." She looked at all of them as she said that, but her gaze lingered on Nicole who bristled slightly.

"The cause of most of this friction however, is rooted in this rivalry that was, I'll admit, amusingly familiar at first, but has rapidly eroded into petty, childishness."

"That is not fair!" Nicole said. "He--"

"I understand your point, Nicole," Cassandra said. "But this is more than a breach of protocol or wounded pride. This is a serious issue now." She put her padd down and crossed her legs, smoothing her dress.

"Nicole for the next two weeks you are confined to quarters except for your duty shifts or red alerts." She looked over at Hunter. "Commander the same will apply to you, and you will report to my office once per week to discuss the ongoing issues."

Hunter frowned. "You have no authority--"

"This ship cannot have half it's senior staff court-martialed and in the brig," Cassandra said. "And we both know that the Judge Advocate General has no official representative out here other so it would fall to the base command staff. So at this moment, with my security clearance, I am the highest authority on board who can properly address this, and I prefer to have it go no further than this room. But if you'd prefer we return to base and put everyone through the embarrassment of a full trial to address this laundry list of screw-ups, I'll oblige."

When Hunter didn't respond with more than a scowl, she nodded. "We are going to skip past the usual arguments and denial and we are going to end this behavior today. You two are going to come to some sort of mutual understanding and respect, or so help me God, I will keep us here till the universe collapses." She set her hands in her lap and looked at Hunter and Nicole expectantly.

Nicole folded her arms, and stared at Hunter, daring him to speak first. Hunter, for his part, didn't move a muscle, but glared back.

After almost a minute of harsh silence, the Captain sat back with a smirk and said, "this is going well."

Cassandra didn't get angry often, but when she did, it was best to not be in her path. Her violet eyes disappeared, replaced with the swirling miasma of The Galactic Barrier and her normal golden-pink glow intensified.

"We should run," Nicole said, glancing at the others.

Cassandra stood up and her hand shot out towards the pieces on her wall. A bolt of violet energy shot out and struck the instruments, moving around the room like the crest of a wave. Cassandra sat down and although her eyes had gone back to normal, she still looked furious. As the instruments reverberated, and notes fluttered down, Cassandra crossed her arms. "Tell me how you feel. How you truly feel. Now."

"All right," Hunter said, looking at Nicole. As the music permeated the room, he looked right into her icy eyes and sang, "you're frigid and demanding. I shudder at your call."

Nicole's eyebrows bobbed. "Whenever you come near me, my flesh begins to crawl."

"Wait..." Cass said.

"But sometimes, there are moments," they said, harmonizing as they got in synch, "I'm not repelled at all. Maybe you're not the worst thing ever."

"This is not what I mean," Cassandra said.

"You're utterly disgusting," Nicole sang, "I loathe your human stink."

"I see your mouth start moving," Hunter replied, "and God, I need a drink."

Cassandra sighed heavily.

"And then, from out of nowhere," they said, "I'll look at you and think: Maybe you're not the worst thing ever."

"You're worse than cramps," Nicole taunted.

"Worse than scurvy," Hunter matched."

"Worse than lice or plague," she said, standing up.

"But truth be told--" Hunter said, matching her stance, going almost toe-to-toe.

"--You're growing on me just like mold," Nicole finished.

"And though, you're so annoying," he said.

"So easy to despise," she sneered.

"And though, there's something scary behind your cold, dead eyes."

"And though I'll never like you," she said, matching the crescendo.

"It's nice to realize," they said, "maybe I shouldn't quite say never."

Nicole hand her hand out and Hunter gripped it, their faces not quite friendly, but not murderous. "Maybe you're not the worst thing ever," they said together.

The room went silent. *This place is going to kill me,* Cassandra thought. "Dismissed," she sighed.

Hunter mockingly bowed and swept his arm, letting Nicole leave first. She put her nose up and walked out, letting him follow.

Now with just Cassandra and the Commander left, Cass looked at the Captain's amused expression and steeled herself. "I didn't want to ask in front of them," she said, "but I want to know why you are still lying to me."

Still mulling over the absurdities which seemed to thrive on this ship, wondering if it was something about the ship itself, or if Starfleet sent her the odd ones on purpose, it hadn't been until she took command of the Victory that such events became normal business when she heard the Counselor's question Kennit turned toward her slowly.

"After that little tantrum of yours..." the Captain replied, "that's the little pot calling the kettle black don't your think?"

"Not at all," Cassandra said. "I haven't lied about anything. You did. Answer my question please," she said. "Because my 'tantrum' is not even close to over." She ticked her list off on her fingers. "You concealed your being affected by proximity to the collective until the Doctor confronted you. You transported to the cube knowing you could be compromised. You transported live drones back to the ship without consideration for the danger. You jeopardized your life in Sickbay after surgery and are continuing to shirk medical orders. Please, explain to me why I should not recommend you be relieved temporarily until I'm satisfied you are not a danger to the ship, nor yourself."

The Captain just smiled. "My my my.." she said in a calm, relaxed tone. "We are full of ourselves this afternoon aren't we..". The tone of her voice was deceiving, as she spoke her manner changed. Everything, from the way she stood, the way she held her head, even the way the light caught in the depths of her eyes, and most definitely her voice - which remained calm, relaxed yet at the same time changed in a subtle and unmistakable way. There was a new tinge of cold, hard unyielding command beneath which was a clear, considered note of warning.

The mask dropped, and the experienced and highly successful Section 31 assassin stood revealed. Cold, calculating and completely in control. "Allow me to address your accusations, one by one." Captain Kennit said, still in that calm, quiet yet somehow dangerous voice. Holding her hand up, index finger raised. "Point one, I hid nothing. I have neither cause nor need to discuss what began as bad dreams with anyone other than perhaps the man who shares my bed, and orders from officers of considerably more authority than you directing me to keep my past to myself."

A second finger joined the first. "Point two. I beamed to the Cube under orders by Admiral Diego, to retrieve data from the cube. In order to fulfill that order, it was necessary to transport aboard the Cube Due to the level of damage the vessel had sustained and my expertise was essential to the success of the mission.

Three fingers now. "Point three. I was never not in complete control, from the moment of re-assimilation until the Doctor severed the link. I remained in complete control of the drones rescued and brought back for the doctor to restore their self-awareness and separate them from the Borg. They are our people. Officers of Starfleet and we do not leave our own behind when they can be retrieved and helped." As she spoke this, the unyielding command in her voice was quite clear. "There was no threat to the ship and crew beyond that which was already here, I retained complete control the evidence of which stands for itself as we are here.. and not assimilated into the Collective."

Four fingers. "I was under medication. As is clear. I am in quite good health. Whatever took place in sickbay left no ill effect and you are mistaken, I remained in sickbay under the doctors care until she saw fit to release me. I have not returned to full duty, Commander Hunter continues to oversee ship day to day operation and I have not gone against medical recommendation."

Five. "And last but not least, you have no cause to make a recommendation that I be removed from command. Your basis for your threat is invalid, as I was following direct orders and thus committed no lapse in judgement, nor have I lost crew, I did in fact protect my ship and crew by blocking the Collective full access to Mr Taggart's knowledge of the Victory's security codes and access systems, while retrieving other Starfleet officers who had been taken during past combat encounters."

"We are alone. Cut off from the Federation in an unknown and hostile part of the galaxy. I have spent my career engaged in an unending war to protect the Federation .. a war that has left me forever scarred in ways you cannot comprehend and I will not discuss those past actions further. After the murder of my husband, I walked away from that part of my life but make no mistake Counselor."

Here she paused, walking soundlessly closer to speak in a low, near whisper as she said. "If by some perverted twist of fate, you were to place me into the same room as Admiral Alan Markus ... he would shit his pants in sheer terror and dread to find himself facing me..". The malice underlying the Captain's otherwise calm, relaxed vioce was shocking to hear.

"If we are to survive here for any length of time, what was once considered normal operations must give way to the necessities demanded by the tactical situation in which we find ourselves and I will not shrink back from doing what must be done to uphold my oath to the Federation, my oath to Starfleet, and my oath as Captain of this ship to protect the interests of the Federation and the safety of my crew." She paused a moment, the asked "Is there anything else?"

Cassandra looked up into the cold, deadly eyes of the woman standing over her, and the anger the flared up inside her flared like a supernova. She stood up quickly, rising to her full six-foot height and looked down at the Captain. Then after a moment, she smiled, even snorting in slight amusement at a private thought. "Beware of false knowledge, Captain; it is far, far more dangerous than ignorance."

She sat down, her face once again and still, her eyes looking into the Captain's without fear. "Thank you for your time, Captain. I believe I have everything I need for my report. You may return to duty, provided you adhere to Doctor Anderson's requirements. However, if you have another 'nightmare' and do not report it, I will." She picked up her padd and made some final notes before clearing the padd and setting it down next to her on a small side table, then folded her hands in her lap and looked calmly at the Captain.

If the counselor hoped to impact the Captain with her statement, she was to be disappointed. The Captain just smiled, openly amused. Rising, she gave the counselor a short nod and said, "Understood. Counselor. Good day to you.." as she turned to leave.

Cassandra waited until the doors to her office closed before daring to breathe again. After she'd caught her breath, she tapped her combadge three times. The badge vibrated in acknowledgement and Cass stood up, grabbing her handbag and heading out in the opposite direction of the Captain.


JP

Captain Rhea Kennit
Commanding Officer

Commander Alec Hunter
Executive Officer

Doctor Anderson
CMO

Doctor Sanders
Ship's Counselor

 

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