Judgement Orders
Posted on Wed Mar 13th, 2013 @ 3:51am by Captain Alexsa Kendrick & Lieutenant JG Telana
654 words; about a 3 minute read
Mission:
Sowing the Seeds
Timeline: Mission Day 5: 1100 hours
Lieutenant Junior Grade Telana stewed over her thoughts while attempting to work at one of the side workstations in main engineering, thoughts centred on her conversation with Lieutenant Commander Mora and her plans for Halliwell's orders regarding the self-destruct activation routines. Soldiers aren't machines, she thought and replayed Mora's voice in her head, they have to decide if an order goes against their moral code and what to do about it. What she said to Mora was true, and she had been on board a lot longer than Kadie had, to know Halliwell and the way she thought. It was true something had her rattled, and something had Telana rattled also.
She had two orders to consider, both from superior officers, one first-hand, but that's not the one she felt in herself that she should be following. She stood and quietly exited Engineering, making sure no-one was around, she tapped her com-badge, "Lieutenant Telana to Captain Kendrick."
Captain Alex Kendrick was sitting at the science station on the bridge when the call came in. She wasn't doing anything specific, but wanted to be on the bridge. Her legs were excruciating from old wounds, and despite her rank, sitting in either the vacant captain's or first officer's chair was not called for. Tapping her own com-badge, she answered, "Kendrick, go ahead Lieutenant."
"Not over the coms, sir, can you meet me somewhere? Somewhere private?"
Kendrick paused. Paranoia was deep seeded of late and it seemed alien for a Federation installation, and not altogether comfortable--not knowing who you could trust. "I'll meet you in my quarters," she said finally.
// Kendrick's Personal Quarters
Telana and Kendrick arrived almost simultaneously, neither saying a word though until they had entered. "What's so secret, lieutenant, that it had to be done privately." The Orion paused and looked around nervously. "It's alright, you can talk freely here."
Telana took a breath before going through it all. "So you see, I need your help. What Captain Halliwell has ordered Commander Mora to do is, a little strange and out of the ordinary, and it may violate some security protocols, but orders are orders and they have to be obeyed."
"Most times." Kendrick said almost solemnly.
"Commander Mora spoke about the moral conflicts they teach at the Academy..."
"Lieutenant, I wrote some of those, you don't have to go through them. These orders as you say aren't illegal, and with what's happening on board, I'm not even sure that I can hold Elsie accountable for issuing them." Kendrick stood from her chair and took a deep long breath. "In saying that, I can't fault Commander Mora on her reasoning either, to hold that much power is too much for one person. Some would probably argue that's the price for being a C-O, to know what's best for everyone."
Telana looked deflated. "Does that mean you're not going to help me?"
"I didn't say that exactly." Kendrick said quickly before a pause making up her mind. "Make your modifications to the system, I'll authorise the new input. Halliwell will get her destruct code but not how she wants. I want you to make an adjustment to her plan."
"Captain?"
"She won't have sole run of this ship, lieutenant, I won't have it. There will be a secondary code necessary."
Telana started to regret bringing this up. "Whose?" she asked cautiously.
"Mine." Kendrick said matter-of-factly, before taking in Telana's troubled look. "Lieutenant, you have your orders, and there's no-one above or below me that you need to discuss them with, just get it done. Halliwell wants total control on this ship and she's not going to get it. This crew is already divided. Starfleet cannot function without the chain of command, nor is it a democracy, but Captain Halliwell cannot rule with an iron fist or retain leadership in such an autocratic manner, and I intend to prove that to her."
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