Interlude – What the Hell?
by Arrival Thomas Whitlock & Commander Karen Villiers
Post Details
Thomas stepped off the lift and looked around. He quickly got his bearings and turned to walk down the corridor. He was mumbling under his breath as he looked at the designations beside the doors. Several minutes later he found the one he was looking for. He straightened his shirt and stepped through the door. "Who do I need to talk to about pressing charges against someone?" he called out to the room in general.
"Security is on deck 576," a busy looking man said as he passed, "Try them unless your case has got a date attached to it," he suggested.
"It's against Security," Thomas said to him, feeling frustrated.
The man looked back over his shoulder, "Commander Villiers, down that corridor, big office. Don't be fooled by the open door," he added as he went on his way.
Thomas nodded and moved to walk down the corridor, happy to be able to talk to someone he knew. He found the right office and paused to knock before he entered.
"Its open!" The voice was Karen's but it carried a hint of tension. The reason for that was because her replicator had decided to give her coffee rather than hot chocolate and she was trying to rectify the situation.
"Hello, Commander," Thomas said as he walked into the office and sat in a chair. "Fancy meeting you here. How are you doing?"
"I'd be doing a lot better, Thomas if this thing would work as its supposed to," she said. "More to the point, what are you doing here? Thinking about becoming a court correspondent?"
"That's an intriguing idea but I believe I'll have to pass," Thomas said with a smile. "I'm here to talk about Lieutenant Commander Dorian Gabriel."
Folding her arms, Karen turned away from her malfunctioning replicator, "Commander Gabriel?" she said as she faced Thomas. Was there such an enourmous leak that Whitlock had heard of the case? No, Karen dismissed that idea as she crossed and sat down. "Take a seat, by the way," she said. "What about Commander Gabriel?"
"Is there something going on between the two of you?" Thomas asked.
"I don't like the tome of your question, Mister Whitlock," Karen said, "There's nothing going on between me and any of my Officers beyond the professional," she told him.
"I didn't mean it like that," Thomas replied. "It's just that he was rather...opinionated when he mentioned you."
"Did the term 'desk-jockey' come up?" she asked. "Why don't you tell me, in your own words."
"Basically he said that your presence here is a waste of time and resources," Thomas stated.
"A statement he's made in person," Karen shrugged. "But I'm not sure that's why you're here. What did you want to tell me about Commander Gabriel?"
"He apparently didn't like some of the questions I was asking and he assaulted me," Thomas said to her. "I'd like to press charges."
Karen raised a hand. "Wait, wait, wait," she said. "Gabriel assaulted you? Start at the beginning," she said.
Thomas sighed and sat back in the chair. "I was wandering around the base and I ran into him in one of the corridors. We started talking and I asked him a few questions. He got upset and grabbed me and slammed me into the wall."
"What did you ask him?"
"About the terrorist investigation and why his department can't keep the base under control," Thomas said to her.
Karen sighed, that assertion might have been incendiary to anyone whose department had just undergone a trial as security had, and emerged with questionable success. "Did he agree to an interview?" Karen asked.
"We were just talking in the corridor," Thomas said to her. "It wasn't an actual interview."
"What upset him? And how did the attack come about?"
"He was upset before I ran into him," Thomas replied. "I think the questions threw him over the edge."
"So you asked him questions knowing that he was stressed and that they could cause a reaction?" Karen asked.
"I didn't know he would react that way to them," Thomas said defensively.
"But you expected him to react, all the same," Karen asserted watching the journalist as he considered his response. "Was it an ad hoc statement you were after?" she suggested.
"I was just being curious," Thomas admitted. "I didn't know it would turn violent."
"But you recognised that your interviewee was under some stress before you began asking him questions?" she asked, it was all on record anyway, so she might as well get the tough ones out of the way.
"He wasn't in a good mood when we started talking," Thomas admitted.
"Yet you asked him a few questions ... like why he could not keep his department under control?"
"I asked why his department couldn't keep the base under control," Thomas clarified. "It could have been a shortage of personnel, a lack of equipment, any number of reasons. Instead he chose to attack me, which leads me to believe the ineffectiveness of the security department is largely due to a lack of proper leadership within the department."
"That's conjecture," Karen said, "But I'll let it pass. So he attacked you without further provocation?" she asked.
Karen viewed this very seriously, she had already pieced together quite a substantial record on Gabriel, his attitude towards his Nausicaan predecessor, the hostility he showed to aliens, even those from who had Federation citizenship, a string of complaints for minor harassment from staff at the Romulan embassy, though not she noted from the ambassador herself. Some of it was circumstantial, though Karen did not like the picture she was forming one bit.
"That's when he attacked me," Thomas said to her. "He grabbed me and slammed me into the wall."
"An unprovoked assault." It was a statement. And behind it Karen was wondering what else had gone on that had not been reported. Who would risk reporting a hostile intel chief, as Gabriel had been, or a hostile security chief, which he was now. Most people, she concluded would not take the risk. "Are you prepared to make an official statement, Mister Whitlock?" Karen asked, having satisfied herself that he was not exaggerating.
"He didn't have to attack me," Thomas said to her. "He could have just walked away. So, yes, I'm willing to make an official statement."
"Nobody has to attack anyone, apart from the fact that it is illegal. Listen, I'm not necessarily asking you to press charges, just for the statement," she said, knowing that it invited an obvious question, one that she was not at liberty to answer.
"Do you think it would be a mistake to press charges?" Thomas asked her.
"No, and it is your right to do so if you want," she told him. Karen was torn between her position as Executive Officer which required her to have a certain understanding for those under her, and the pending investigation that had resulted in her posting here; the charges would serve the latter at the detriment of the former, but this was a decision she would leave to Whitlock.
"I would be willing to accept an apology in lieu of pressing charges if you think that could be arranged," Thomas said after a moment of careful consideration.
"How long can you hold your breath for, Thomas?" Karen asked before returning to business. "I will request it. An apology in person, I assume?"
"The attack was in person so I think the apology should be the same," Thomas said to her. "What other course would you recommend?"
"Under the circumstances I find your approach very equitable. I'll speak with Commander Gabriel and on the basis of his response you can decide how you want to proceed."
"Thank you, Commander," he said to her. "I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to me."
Karen smiled, "Its the least I can do. I'll be in touch," she told him.
"Would you like to have dinner tonight?" Thomas asked as he stood up.
"I've got a lot of work to do, Thomas," Karen said, quite honestly, "another time, maybe," though another time would likely not turn out to be until after Gabriel's case was out of the way. Karen could not risk compromising her neutrality by being seen chowing down with a witness.
"I understand," he said to her. "Thanks again, Commander," he said as he turned to walk out of the office.
OFF
Commander Karen Villiers
Executive Officer/JAG
In possession of more evidence than she needs
Thomas Whitlock
FNS Reporter
by Arrival Thomas Whitlock & Commander Karen Villiers
Post Details
| Title | What the Hell? | |
| Mission | Interlude | |
| Author(s) | Arrival Thomas Whitlock & Commander Karen Villiers | |
| Posted | Tue Jun 15, 2010 @ 9:10pm | |
| Location | JAG Office | |
| Timeline | SD 19 |
"Security is on deck 576," a busy looking man said as he passed, "Try them unless your case has got a date attached to it," he suggested.
"It's against Security," Thomas said to him, feeling frustrated.
The man looked back over his shoulder, "Commander Villiers, down that corridor, big office. Don't be fooled by the open door," he added as he went on his way.
Thomas nodded and moved to walk down the corridor, happy to be able to talk to someone he knew. He found the right office and paused to knock before he entered.
"Its open!" The voice was Karen's but it carried a hint of tension. The reason for that was because her replicator had decided to give her coffee rather than hot chocolate and she was trying to rectify the situation.
"Hello, Commander," Thomas said as he walked into the office and sat in a chair. "Fancy meeting you here. How are you doing?"
"I'd be doing a lot better, Thomas if this thing would work as its supposed to," she said. "More to the point, what are you doing here? Thinking about becoming a court correspondent?"
"That's an intriguing idea but I believe I'll have to pass," Thomas said with a smile. "I'm here to talk about Lieutenant Commander Dorian Gabriel."
Folding her arms, Karen turned away from her malfunctioning replicator, "Commander Gabriel?" she said as she faced Thomas. Was there such an enourmous leak that Whitlock had heard of the case? No, Karen dismissed that idea as she crossed and sat down. "Take a seat, by the way," she said. "What about Commander Gabriel?"
"Is there something going on between the two of you?" Thomas asked.
"I don't like the tome of your question, Mister Whitlock," Karen said, "There's nothing going on between me and any of my Officers beyond the professional," she told him.
"I didn't mean it like that," Thomas replied. "It's just that he was rather...opinionated when he mentioned you."
"Did the term 'desk-jockey' come up?" she asked. "Why don't you tell me, in your own words."
"Basically he said that your presence here is a waste of time and resources," Thomas stated.
"A statement he's made in person," Karen shrugged. "But I'm not sure that's why you're here. What did you want to tell me about Commander Gabriel?"
"He apparently didn't like some of the questions I was asking and he assaulted me," Thomas said to her. "I'd like to press charges."
Karen raised a hand. "Wait, wait, wait," she said. "Gabriel assaulted you? Start at the beginning," she said.
Thomas sighed and sat back in the chair. "I was wandering around the base and I ran into him in one of the corridors. We started talking and I asked him a few questions. He got upset and grabbed me and slammed me into the wall."
"What did you ask him?"
"About the terrorist investigation and why his department can't keep the base under control," Thomas said to her.
Karen sighed, that assertion might have been incendiary to anyone whose department had just undergone a trial as security had, and emerged with questionable success. "Did he agree to an interview?" Karen asked.
"We were just talking in the corridor," Thomas said to her. "It wasn't an actual interview."
"What upset him? And how did the attack come about?"
"He was upset before I ran into him," Thomas replied. "I think the questions threw him over the edge."
"So you asked him questions knowing that he was stressed and that they could cause a reaction?" Karen asked.
"I didn't know he would react that way to them," Thomas said defensively.
"But you expected him to react, all the same," Karen asserted watching the journalist as he considered his response. "Was it an ad hoc statement you were after?" she suggested.
"I was just being curious," Thomas admitted. "I didn't know it would turn violent."
"But you recognised that your interviewee was under some stress before you began asking him questions?" she asked, it was all on record anyway, so she might as well get the tough ones out of the way.
"He wasn't in a good mood when we started talking," Thomas admitted.
"Yet you asked him a few questions ... like why he could not keep his department under control?"
"I asked why his department couldn't keep the base under control," Thomas clarified. "It could have been a shortage of personnel, a lack of equipment, any number of reasons. Instead he chose to attack me, which leads me to believe the ineffectiveness of the security department is largely due to a lack of proper leadership within the department."
"That's conjecture," Karen said, "But I'll let it pass. So he attacked you without further provocation?" she asked.
Karen viewed this very seriously, she had already pieced together quite a substantial record on Gabriel, his attitude towards his Nausicaan predecessor, the hostility he showed to aliens, even those from who had Federation citizenship, a string of complaints for minor harassment from staff at the Romulan embassy, though not she noted from the ambassador herself. Some of it was circumstantial, though Karen did not like the picture she was forming one bit.
"That's when he attacked me," Thomas said to her. "He grabbed me and slammed me into the wall."
"An unprovoked assault." It was a statement. And behind it Karen was wondering what else had gone on that had not been reported. Who would risk reporting a hostile intel chief, as Gabriel had been, or a hostile security chief, which he was now. Most people, she concluded would not take the risk. "Are you prepared to make an official statement, Mister Whitlock?" Karen asked, having satisfied herself that he was not exaggerating.
"He didn't have to attack me," Thomas said to her. "He could have just walked away. So, yes, I'm willing to make an official statement."
"Nobody has to attack anyone, apart from the fact that it is illegal. Listen, I'm not necessarily asking you to press charges, just for the statement," she said, knowing that it invited an obvious question, one that she was not at liberty to answer.
"Do you think it would be a mistake to press charges?" Thomas asked her.
"No, and it is your right to do so if you want," she told him. Karen was torn between her position as Executive Officer which required her to have a certain understanding for those under her, and the pending investigation that had resulted in her posting here; the charges would serve the latter at the detriment of the former, but this was a decision she would leave to Whitlock.
"I would be willing to accept an apology in lieu of pressing charges if you think that could be arranged," Thomas said after a moment of careful consideration.
"How long can you hold your breath for, Thomas?" Karen asked before returning to business. "I will request it. An apology in person, I assume?"
"The attack was in person so I think the apology should be the same," Thomas said to her. "What other course would you recommend?"
"Under the circumstances I find your approach very equitable. I'll speak with Commander Gabriel and on the basis of his response you can decide how you want to proceed."
"Thank you, Commander," he said to her. "I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to me."
Karen smiled, "Its the least I can do. I'll be in touch," she told him.
"Would you like to have dinner tonight?" Thomas asked as he stood up.
"I've got a lot of work to do, Thomas," Karen said, quite honestly, "another time, maybe," though another time would likely not turn out to be until after Gabriel's case was out of the way. Karen could not risk compromising her neutrality by being seen chowing down with a witness.
"I understand," he said to her. "Thanks again, Commander," he said as he turned to walk out of the office.
OFF
Commander Karen Villiers
Executive Officer/JAG
In possession of more evidence than she needs
Thomas Whitlock
FNS Reporter