All Along the Watchtower

Posted on Mon Mar 30th, 2009 @ 3:11am by Lieutenant JG Ador Shran & Lieutenant JG Lucy Carter

1,909 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: In The Dark
Location: Citadel Tower
Timeline: Current

The main conference room of the Citadel Tower was truly a grand structure to behold. The architects of the building had truly not only made something beautiful, but made something that had withstood the test of time and turmoil, Arkham realized as she entered the room, the rest of her team in tow.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she said quietly, straightening the white coat of her dress uniform with a single gloved hand. Though she hated that uniform, Arkham knew that here, she was not only the ranking officer, but a representative of the Federation. It was required she look the part, even if the part was grossly uncomfortable.

"Oh, yes, ma'am," Hughes said smoothly, before whispering to the Commander. "Are you sure you want to do this? I can get more guards..."

Arkham smirked, before replying in a cold tone, "I will not have these people thinking I fear them, Mr. Hughes. I'm neither here to take over, nor am I afraid of them. If anything, Mr. Hughes, they should be afraid of me."

As the two officers talked, Ensign Wolfe hung back, speaking to the Security officer and the Counselor.

"Don't let the Commander out off your sight," she whispered to both. "Stick close to her. I've got a terrible feeling that not all is as it seems. Don't you agree, Mr Shran? Ms. Carter?"

"Son, the Commander will sort them out as for anyone that wants to do her harm. It's their funeral. I ain't here to play patty-cake with them." He said with a confident smile. "She brought the pitbull with her for a reason. This Marine has been there and back, you savvy?"

Ensign Carter was slightly more concerned. "I shall do my best, as always" she said, seriously.

Wolfe nodded--she'd been slightly put off by the ex-Marine's confidant demeanor. The young officer had spent quite a bit of time as a VIP bodyguard; she'd been on many trips like this, and knew in her bones when something didn't feel right. "Any questions before we go in?"

"Is Major Kuran still heading up the counter-terrorism team Kid?" Ador asked offhandedly to see if he had back up just in case.

Ensign Wolfe smirked a little, "He is, as far as I know. But he's not in attendance today, as far as I know. Last I checked the security within the tower was being handled by a small detachment --- they don't expect much difficulty, but I'm not sure. Something...doesn't feel right."

Carter shook her head and resolved to use her vigilance as the best way of helping the mission.

Arkham turned to the group, pausing before the large doors to the council chamber. "Are we done chatting, ladies? If the fate of the sector didn't lie in the hands of this task force, I'd be more than content to let you gush like schoolgirls, but seeing as it is...game faces, people."

Hughes exchanged a glance with the young Ensign Wolfe. The Commander may have been the ranking officer, but she could certainly do with being knocked down a peg or two at some point.

Arkham solemnly opened the doors, revealing the large and ornate Citadel Council Chambers. Taking a seat towards the rear of the massive chamber, away from the elevated platform where the members of the council sat, Arkham took a seat, motioning for the others to settle themselves.

Carter sat a little to her side, not enjoying the spiky velvet and unforgiving cushion she had to sit on. But her attention was drawn to the proceedings.

"...we can't allow for the pirate raiders to continue fragmenting the Citadel space," the Turian representative continued, pausing only briefly as the Federation team entered the room. It had taken longer than anticipated to get through C-SEC's security; the meeting had already begun, clearly.

"Well of course we can't," General Karrhe, the Salarian representative -- for the Salarian Union was still governing itself under martial law until the problems within the Citadel were put to rest -- "But how do you propose military cooperation, when it is quite clear we have different...agendas."

At this, he turned his head to look at the back of the room, glaring into the eyes of Rowena Arkham.

"General," the Turian said, "I would tread carefully here. The Federation has offered its aid to us--"

"The Federation is taking over!" the General barked coldly.

Hughes exchanged a glance with Arkham, before saying, "I don't understand what's happened. Something's wrong here. This doesn't make any sense. Why the hell would a man who knows full well what it's like to be on the losing side of the war with us decide to bark up against people he's agreed to meet with?"

"Where there's a change in tone," Arkham said quietly. "There's either a bigger threat or irrational thoughts. Counselor?"

"Something's not right," said Carter, calmly. "The General is displaying classic anger signs - did you see how he was looking away during his last speech and then turned to you, the focus of his emotion, Commander? I suggest an adjournment until he calms down," she continued.

"Perhaps," Hughes said quietly.

"--that is ENOUGH, General Karrhe!" the Asari representative stated firmly. "The Federation has put themselves in great peril to help us, and you thank them with mixed intentions and veiled threats? It will not stand General."

"Agreed," the Turian said firmly.

"Bah," the General said coldly. "You truly believe the Federation an fix what we ourselves could not? The Federation is clearly plagued by great hubris if it truly believes that it has the manpower in this small task force to perform an occupation of Citadel Space. Because that is what this is, an occupation!"

As the uproar that followed ensued, a shot from the balcony above rang out, hitting it's mark -- Commander Arkham. Gritting her teeth in pain and clutching her left side, she forced herself to the floor as panic ensued, pulling Carter down as well -- there was no need for the young Ensign to get killed on this fool's errand.

The Council was quickly pulled into another chamber by C-SEC officials, dashing onto the scene from the next chamber -- and panic took over, with delegates of various races running for the doors.

"Lieutenant Shran," Arkham barked, removing her dress jacket to use as a pressure dressing over a wound steadily leaking dark venous blood. She was thankful for fools and bad aim "You have your orders -- redezvous with C-SEC and search and destroy."

Carter was on her knees next to the Commander and had already removed a field dressing from her emergency medical kit. Hurriedly, she unwrapped it and pressed it against the Commander's side, urging her to lie still, but the Commander was not listening to her. Blood began soaking through the dressing and she pressed harder.

Ador quickly scanned the crowd with thermal imaging and found the assailant. The heat signature from the disruptor was still hot and he was moving towards an exit. " I got him Commander. I'll get the bastard!" He said as he took off in a dead run towards the assailant.

Turning to Hughes, Arkham said, "Get the counselor out of here, Mr. Hughes. Head to the CIC, meet up with Warrant Officer Andrews -- I want the Nogura's marines transferred here yesterday, I'm sure you can handle it. Contact Lane, tell him what's happened. Then leave Carter in command of that operation -- she can handle it."

Wolfe looked at the Commander's wound, "Are you...going to be all right, Commander? What about you?"

"I've been hit worse, I'll live," Arkham barked, "But the fact of the matter is he probably didn't stop to see if he killed me. I'm safe. He's not getting back in here, and I'm sure one of these nice C-SEC gentlemen will arrange for my transfer to a sickbay, now go, all of you. You have your orders."

Carter quickly replaced the dressing with a clean one and tried to make the Commander lie still. Arkham was having none of it. Carter's hands were now coated in the Commander's blood as she stepped back, protesting at her orders. "Commander Arkham, I want to stay here with you. You need help."

Arkham smirked a little, sitting up after a slight struggle between herself and the young officer. "I'll be fine; we need you -- I need Lane contacted and the Archimedes informed -- they have medics here. The fact is, I need Hughes and the Diplomatic team working on calming down the diplomats. I'm trusting you to head to the CIC and take care of things in my stead."

Finally it became clear what Arkham was fidgeting for as she pulled a phase pistol from a holster concealed on her right side. "Are you going to keep arguing with me, Miss Carter, or are you going to go call the cavalry?"

"To tell you the truth, sir, I want to keep arguing with you. You are in no fit state to do anything other than receive medical attention. This wound might be more serious than it looks and is certainly beginning to haemorrhage." Carter was beginning to use up her supply of dressings and was now more covered in the Commander's blood.

"Miss Carter, hemorrhage or no, I'm still the Executive Officer. And this is not a request in any way, shape or form. It is a direct and final order," Arkham said coldly. "Tell the Commander I will contact him as soon as I am physically capable of doing so."

"At least let me stay until the local medical aid arrives" said Carter. "Then I will return and contact Commander Lane." Carter was determined to not let the Commander bleed out, resolved though the officer was to attract as many debilitating injuries as she could. Or so it seemed.

Arkham shook her head. "It's going to take quite a while for me to bleed to death, Ensign. It's a bullet, nothing more. Might've nicked a kidney, but that's about all. I have another one. Go on now," Arkham said softly.

Carter could sense the Commander was desperate to get her to leave. She took her remaining bandage from her pack and told the Commander to press it against her wounds as hard as she could, for as long as it took for help to arrive. "Please get help as soon as you can" she urged. Arkham stared at her, her unspoken words insisting that the Counsellor leave.

"You!" Arkham barked at the nearest C-SEC Officer, who turned to face her. "Get them out of here. And I'm going to be in need of some medical attention--"

The Turian nodded. "Agreed. I've already sent for the medics, but I'll escort the others to the CIC."

Hughes nodded, looking at the young Ensign. "Let her be. She'll be fine, Miss Carter. She cares more about keeping the rest of the team safe. Let's get out of here."

Carter got to her feet, the Commander's blood already drying on her hands. A damp lock of blonde hair fell into her eyes but she was loath to move it for fear of smearing her face with blood.

Hughes sighed, touching the young Ensign gingerly on the shoulder and guiding her away from where the old officer lay. "Don't worry about the Commander. She'll be fine. She has to be. For all our sakes."

 

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