Official Pardons

Posted on Sun Oct 18th, 2009 @ 12:06pm by Captain Elsie Halliwell & Lieutenant JG Lucy Carter

752 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Shoreleave - Welcoming Old Friends and New
Location: Starfleet Headquarters
Timeline: Current

ON:

The large, comfortable office of Admiral Harris was, by all accounts, luxurious. Adorned with trinkets, pieces of art, antique furniture and objects that were placed there for pure aesthetic quality. He sat behind a traditional oak desk in a leather chair that denoted an air of authority that seemed to exude from every item in the room. His hair, white and brushed back over his crown, was thick and stark. Beneath it, his stern face was tailored and gardened into a greying fashion that could only be described as immaculate. The steely, cool eyes, a pair that had seen everything this universe had to offer, were fixed and yet uncharacteristically kind.

His aide showed Lieutenant Carter and Captain Kerr through the waiting room outside and into the office via the double panelled, ornate doors.

“Admiral,� Kerr offered, stepping in front of Carter and shaking his hand as the old man rose, nodding to both.

“Captain,� he replied, smiling genuinely. He then paused, looked at Lucy, surveying her, searching her, with his eyes, and then extended his own hand to her. “And, Lieutenant Carter,� he said, vigorously shaking her hand and focusing his entire attention on her. “You’re the whippersnapper that has my subordinates all up in arms, are you? You don’t look so dangerous to me, young lady.�

He held out both his arms, inviting them to sit in the chairs laid out for them, and sat down himself. Harris’ smile fell slightly as he powered up the darkened console and tapped randomly at the panel. “It is unfortunate that we have to meet under these circumstances… the Regulation, something which I am sure you are now fully aware of.�

Taking the seat that was offered to her seemed like a banal action for Carter considering the circumstances. Sort of like polishing your shoes just before you were going to go on a long muddy walk.

"Sir?" asked Carter, quietly, "With all due respect, sir, I thought Admiral Nield would be conducting this debriefing?"

A wry smile fluttered across the man’s sagging jaw line, and a remarkable twinkle shone through his eye as she spoke. “Admiral Nield is still a director of the Trojan Project, Lieutenant, but I wanted to conduct the preliminary de-briefing with you.� He paused, and chuckled as you would expect Father Christmas to, a child sat precariously on his knee. “I understand that the Admiral has a way to go when it comes to diplomatic matters such as this.�

Carter looked down briefly, the Admiral's words implying what he really thought about Admiral Nield. Briefly she thought of her friend, Maria Traho and how on Earth she had managed to end up as Nield's lapdog, his trophy. She looked up again at the Admiral.

“Regardless of Admiral Nield’s involvement in this affair, Lieutenant, I believe that we have little to worry about concerning you serving further within the Fleet.� He looked at her fair, questioning face and relaxed his own. “Once you docked, we transferred the Archimedes’ EMH to Starfleet Medical. It turns out that his own investigations into your… condition where rather thorough and definite. But, I wanted you here more to apologise on behalf of Command for what, as the Regulation requires it, you have been put through.� He leant back a little in his chair, allowing the padded backrest to support his back. “We still have a way to go with this, so you will have to submit to regular check-ups, but I believe that your own Chief Medical officer,� he said, nodding to Kerr, “is more than capable of performing them and keeping us here updated.� He tapped at his console again, and narrowed his attention on the screen. “A Mr Fox, I believe?� he said.

Carter permitted herself a smile as she realised she was not going to endure hours of probing by strangers. "Yes, sir, it's Fox. I shall report to him as soon as I am back on board."

“Good, then Lucy, we’re all done here. It was nice to meet you.�

Carter rose to her feet and stood to attention. She smiled at the Captain and moved to leave the room.

OFF:

---

Coltan Kerr
Commanding Officer
USS Archimedes



Lucy Carter
Ship’s Counsellor
USS Archimedes

 

RSS Feed