Comes The Inquisitor
Posted on Thu Jan 20th, 2011 @ 11:19am by Captain Alexsa Kendrick & Captain Elsie Halliwell & Commander Curtiss Drake
3,457 words; about a 17 minute read
Mission:
Looking for the Future in all the Wrong Places
Location: USS Ranger
Timeline: Current
ON:
And there she was.
A tiny speck on the forward sensor grid of the Sovereign-class USS Regal Operations and Tactical stations marked the position of the Intrepid-class USS Ranger. Even the view screen on maximum magnification wouldn't be able to pick it up to display it to the bridge crew, but it was enough to mention to the captain, a tall and broad Betazoid by the name of Decra Ames.
"Captain," the operations officer started turning his seat to face the centre chair, "I've picked up the transponder signal on the Ranger, bearing three-one-two mark two-seven."
"Thank you Lieutenant," Ames replied as he stood. "Helm, set a course to intercept; Lieutenant Stadi, open up a channel to Captain Halliwell and relay it to my ready room please." Finally turning to his Executive Officer before heading to his ready room, he nodded "You have the bridge, Commander; and please let our guest know we're about to drop her off."
"Aye sir."
// Captain's Ready Room, USS Regal
As Ames walked around his desk and sat in his chair, the computer terminal screen automatically angled itself up and after displaying the United Federation of Planets emblem briefly, it showed an image of a perplexed but nonetheless curious Captain Halliwell. "I hope you don't mind us dropping in unannounced Captain."
Halliwell narrowed her vision on her contemporary through the viewscreen and knitted her brow, slightly perplexed by the opening and unwelcome hail. She cleared her throat and adjusted herself in the office chair that had seemed to have been permanently beneath her of late, supporting her slight frame. "Unfortunately, Captain...?" Her inflexion rose, betraying her ignorance of his name but then returned to confirm his identity when he offered it. "...Captain Ames, but we are just about to get underway for a rather important mission. Timing is everything," she added, looking down at her slender hands, and then back up to the screen, "and we have little of it for preparation." She sighed, relaying her subtle impatience but then added, "What can I do for you?"
"I'm afraid that I have some, how to put it, bad news." Ames said gravely, his dark features dropping slightly to a more serious gaze. "I have a passenger on my ship that I've been ordered to deliver to the Ranger on our way to map the Brabben cluster." The look on Halliwell's face was not hard to decipher that the mission she was on or plans that she had, certainly did not involve guests.
"We are not a transport ferry, Captain Ames. And, as I have said, our current mission is of the utmost importance. I simply do not have the time or resources to entertain a delegate of the Federation. Not until it is complete." She paused, but the look on Ames' face held with it a loaded and insistent meaning implication. "Who is it?" she asked flatly.
"I'd prefer not to discuss it on an open frequency, Captain, and even if it were secure, I'm afraid I couldn't tell you a whole lot. My orders come down to this; Captain Alex Kendrick from Starfleet's Internal Affairs is to be beamed aboard the Ranger to conduct some business with you and your crew. Apart from that, I have no further details but I'm imagining that she can explain things further when she arrives."
Elsie fell deathly silent for a moment as the thought, shocking it its inception, lightening bolted through her mind. Her face remained as stoic and emotionless as she could manage, but she nodded to the captain and said, "We depart the system along with two other vessels at 0800hrs tomorrow, Captain Ames. You must deliver the officer before then. I cannot delay my plans for a higher order. I am on my own schedule."
Ames could definitely feel some tension between the two of them over this unexpected turn of events and wanted to make amends somehow, but the situation would not allow him to. "Captain, I wish that all of this could have come at a better time, or better still not at all; but the brief time that I have spent with this Captain Kendrick, I get the impression that she and so-called Eyes will not wait for anything." He paused and sighed audibly, trying to put Halliwell at ease as best he could, "Have no worry Captain, we should arrive with you in the next two to three hours, but if I were you, whatever you have planned, don't do anything until the transport has been made."
"Very well," she curtly replied. "Halliwell out." She screened flashed darkly as the visage of Ames disappeared into the Federation's emblem. Her stomach was now knotted as she fought welling sense of dread down to its pit. Tapping her combadge, she simply, and forcefully stated, "Halliwell to Drake. Report to my ready room immediately. We have a new problem."
// Transporter Room, USS Ranger
The transporter system breathed to life - the floor and ceiling glowed to blinding white simultaneously, while a bright pink luminescence started half-way in between, split and moved toward the pads, and a blue streak formed in the middle to separate to go out to the sides, slowly leaving a form of female Starfleet officer. As soon as the re-materialisation process was complete, she stepped forward and got right down to the business, "Please inform the captain that I've arrived on board so that someone could escort me to see her as per protocol."
"Captain, if I may be so bold to suggest that protocol also states guests should report to the Executive Officer in the first instance..."
"But my business is not with Commander Drake," Kendrick interrupted, "my business is with the captain, now if you would be so kind Ensign, please tell her I am on board safe and sound thanks to your expertise, and I will see her in her ready room now." She said forcefully.
Kendrick's half blank stare drilled into the Ensign's head a few seconds before he moved again. After tapping on the controls to deliver a message to the command staff and locking the console, he said "This way, please." When they arrived on the bridge a few moments later, everything was a go in preparations to leave for somewhere. Still the bridge was not their ultimate destination and Kendrick carried on alone to the Captain's ready room, and pressed the button for permission to enter.
// Captain's Ready Room, USS Ranger
Drake and Halliwell waited silently as the call came through to announce the Internal Affairs Officer's arrival. Elsie shot him a look and then returned her view to the closed door across the room. The chime sounded and seemed to reverberate around the spacious office as both seemed to start in anticipation.
"Come," she gravely said as she raised to her feet and smoothed down the front of her uniform. Then, turning to Drake she added, "Said the spider to the fly. Only I get the feeling that the roles may be reversed in this old adage.
"Already on my toes." Drake replied, puffing up slightly to present a more profound figure than he normally did. It was considerable considering the relative difference in size between the XO and the Captain. The latter slender and fair, with a firm personality and the latter dark, brooding and more than an intimidating physical presence. His mind naturally wandered to the weapon he kept in his boot, a phaser of the palm variety as well as the diving knife he kept in the opposite. In most situations it just served as a comfort and a reminder, as the knife in question had saved his life once before. But in this situation, it was an ace in the hole. He hated to think he might ever need it in front of a fellow Starfleet Officer, but things had hardly been normal thus far and he couldn't help but think of Security prudence.
Kendrick entered the ready room not quite prepared to see the Captain with her Executive Officer standing beside her chair, she wanted to see them alone and privately as she knew full well the close knit relationship that most if not all commanding and executive officer's had. Halliwell stood just as Kendrick arrived on the other side of the desk, smiled, and offered her gloved hand. "Captain Halliwell, it's good to finally meet you; I've heard, or should I say read a great deal."
Elsie, in reply, remained silent and blinking, unsure of how to digest the comment, or how to respond. Instead, she offered a disengaged smile to the 'guest' aboard her ship and then cleared her throat unnecessarily. She turned and with an open palm gestured toward Curtiss and said, "My First Officer, Commander Curtiss Drake."
"Ah yes, Commander Drake, a pleasure." Shaking hands with the tall and broad man as well, it was a pleasure too, to shake hands with such a strong grip, one Alex easily matched.
"Welcome aboard." Drake replied simply.
"And you are, Captain…?" Elsie asked flatly.
"My apologies for not introducing myself earlier. Alex Kendrick of Starfleet Internal Affairs." Kendrick's smile faded almost into nothingness, "You're dismissed thank you Commander."
"With respect, Captain." Drake said, meeting her gaze, "Like hell." Drake replied, flashing some pearly white teeth as he again folded his arms against his chest, now leaning on the edge of Captain Halliwell's desk.
Alex pursed her lips a split second, raising a brow. "Forward; I can live with that. I hope that it continues."
Drake raised an eyebrow slightly in response, but otherwise remained silent. Partly for the effect of making it clear this person wasn't quite welcome and partly because he didn't, in all honesty, trust himself to speak any more. He didn't want to reflect badly on his captain, and telling this particular breed of Officer what he really thought was a sure way to do that.
The general demeanour that Drake conveyed to Kendrick - the seemingly well practiced smug, arrogant attitude, as well as the deadly self-assuredness his tone carried was not lost, and on some level was almost laughable.
Halliwell shot a sideways glance at Curtiss to disarm him, but even she sometimes knew to allow the man to express his own command style. She simply held up a hand to interject and then turned to Kendrick to bestow her full attention on her. As the lingering words poured from her lips, Halliwell couldn't help but beam with supported pride handed to her by Drake's actions. Whatever this official was here for, she knew she had her crew to reply on. "What are you doing on my ship, Captain?"
Whatever smile Alex had left on her features was completely eradicated now. "Fine, I'll try to be as forward as you and Commander Drake here are, Captain. I am here under direct orders from the Starfleet Chiefs of Staff, and the head of Starfleet Internal Affairs to conduct an investigation on yourself, and the rest of the crew of the USS Ranger." She paused, taking in a quick glance to Drake before planting her one-eyed gaze back at Halliwell, and handed her a PADD. "My orders? To summarise the contents, I have been charged with observing in the first instance all interactions you and your senior staff have with the rest of the crew," noting the displeased looks she was getting, she elaborated, "Not to worry Captain, I won't be interfering in any operations unless deemed absolutely necessary. After such time as I see fit, I will be investigating why you disobeyed orders and coerced the USS Fairfax to help you on your current mission, and will be conducting interviews to determine if Starfleet's faith in your abilities as a commanding officer have been misplaced."
Curtiss visibly ground his teeth at the accusation and insinuation that they had been less than proper in their dealings, but instead of speaking he simply watched the Captain speak.
The squinted, calculated look of Halliwell's mask fell to the floor and seemed to shatter about her feet. In fairness – and Elsie knew this – she had defied a direct order, and that was the bottom truth of it. There was no sidestepping that fact and Elsie knew it futile to even explore that avenue, especially since the Fairfax was stationed only a few kilometres off their port bow. This was an exchange that she would have to argue the merits of her decision, and detail that it was in the best interests of Starfleet and the Federation to task the assistance of one who already had a hand in such a complicated and secret matter. Elsie just remained silent and nodded, raising the starting pistol for the race that was about to begin.
As Halliwell's gaze seemed to falter, and nothing being said for a few seconds, and with the non-verbal agreement that Halliwell's supposed private actions had been rumbled, Kendrick pressed on. "Now while I'm reasonably sure you haven't done anything illegal, you might be wondering what the results of all of this might be. Given a worst case scenario, you will be sent to a Judge Advocate General's hearing for court martial, dishonourably discharged, and the Ranger would be placed in drydock until a new commanding officer is assigned. But then I would imagine it would not be all doom and gloom, dependent on the situation and results, everyone may get an instant promotion."
Turning to Drake, Halliwell's face remained its usual and composed sheet of glass as she said, "Assign Captain Kendrick, here, quarters in the VIP section of Deck Two, Commander. I think the port side would suit her best." Her eyes sparkled as she squinted, an unspoken meaning pushing through the twinkle. One that detailed: NO WHERE NEAR CAPTAIN KERR!
She faced Kendrick again and uttered, "I hope that you find your short stay with us comfortable but remember that this is my ship, and I am still in command of her and her crew. No one will be interviewed without my authorisation. Is that clear?"
Alex sighed slightly, this was not going to be easy, and if Halliwell, and indeed the crew of the Ranger had anything to say or do about it, they was going to make this one of the hardest assignments Kendrick had in her career. "I could have sworn that I explained where my orders came from. Captain Halliwell, I'm not here for blood, I'm not here for anyone's scalp; I'm just here to do a job, that's all. Now since I am here, and here to stay, let's just make this as easy on the both of us as it possibly can be, otherwise it could get very, very ugly." Alex finished in an almost mock pleading tone.
Drake turned his eyes to Halliwell. He knew the woman well enough to see the wheels turning in her head, and expected she could see the one's turning in his own as well. In some deeper darker recess of his own mind, he had the thought to knock this twit unconscious and drag her limp body from their ship, but he knew that wasn't particularly the best way to go about things - though it did give him a moment of thought that he was only too happy to linger on. He didn't know what it was, aside from her general tone that rubbed him raw, but he was certain he wouldn't be upset to see her go.
In the short silence that followed, Alex didn't have to be a telepath, touching or not, to read what Drake was thinking at that moment. A small crease formed at the corner of her mouth as her mind made two plus two to equal four, and it took all her will-power to not burst out in hysterics. Her facial features just conveyed the message of 'oh, just try it.'
"This is an operational vessel, Captain Kendrick," Halliwell then replied, "and we are on a top priority, secret mission which I am sure you are aware of."
"Well they don't call it Starfleet Intelligence for nothing."
The comment seemed lost on Halliwell as she ploughed on. "So you'll understand if, at any time, my own agenda takes precedence." This point was her one saving grace. Halliwell couldn't afford to allow this spanner in the works affect her already knife-edged operation and they both understood this. "The successful completion of this mission is vital and your own investigation can wait until it is convenient for myself and my crew. You may submit a list of crewmembers that you wish to interview and I shall arrange timings."
"Unacceptable." Kendrick said plainly, but saw the brief fire behind Halliwell's eyes and put up a hand. "Captain, while I can accept that this is your ship, your command, and your crew, this investigation is of utmost operational prudence. Starfleet Command does not want, cannot be expected to accept liability for commanding officers that are not qualified or able to fulfil their duties in that role. There's almost one hundred and fifty personnel on this ship, Captain, and their safety is paramount. This is why I am out here now instead of waiting for you to put back to port - Starfleet cannot wait. Now my first order of business is to observe, nothing more, and when interviews are to commence, you will be notified that they are happening. Good day." And Kendrick turned to leave, but paused and turned back. "Oh I almost forgot, how is Captain Kerr? I read that he gave up command of the Archimedes recently, I do hope he is not in great distress..."
Elsie turned to Drake and then shot an angered look at Kendrick. Her eyebrows knitted into a concerned and almost disgusted expression. "Whatever your 'professional business' here on the Ranger, Captain, it would serve you well to remember that that is what you are here to do: A job. Now, unfortunately," she added, raising one of her browns into its elegant arch, "you do not command operational control of this mission or my crew. And as a guest on my ship, you are subject to my authority. It would be," she then trailed, smoothly walking around her desk to stand toe to toe with her, "very easy for me to initiate a security protocol to prohibit non-authorised personnel from access to the rest of the ship. And with non-mission communications now restricted, difficult for you to complete your work whilst with us."
She stopped, an inch from Kendrick's nose and the finally whispered, "Don't attempt to push my buttons, Captain, because I can also make things 'very, very ugly'".
It was at that moment that Alex really confirmed that she'd riled Halliwell up to such a degree to press more emotion into Elsie than she seemed to have in this entire meeting. She said to not attempt to push buttons but it certainly appeared that Kendrick had managed to do just that. Without batting an eyelid to Halliwell's threatening posture, Kendrick returned "My 'professional business' is my authority, Captain."
"Not when you're on the Ranger, Captain." Now turning to Drake, Halliwell said, "Escort the captain to her quarters until we are underway, Commander."
"Very well, we'll play your game... for now." Kendrick didn't take her eyes from Halliwell's piercing stare. It had been a fair while since anyone had the nerve to attempt to usurp control over her, but this meeting had gone on a downward spiral very quickly, and they all knew it. One of them would have to give a little, and this battle was headed for a stalemate or a bloody nose, so this one was Halliwell's. The war, was another story. "Come on, Commander, you can show me the way."
Commander Drake lifted himself off the edge of the desk and walked towards the door, turning back to look at Kendrick and Halliwell, gesturing for the guest to lead the way. "We aren't a big ship, Captain. Shouldn't take too long." he said evenly.
OFF:
Elsie Halliwell,
Commanding Officer, USS Ranger
Curtiss Drake,
Executive Officer, USS Ranger
AND
Alex Kendrick,
Internal Affairs Officer, Starfleet Intelligence
RSS Feed