Questions and Answers

Posted on Wed Jul 19th, 2023 @ 1:34am by Commander Steven Greco & Lieutenant Commander Keishara Davaris

2,835 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Prologue: Centre Predominate
Location: USS Moore - War Room
Timeline: MD 17: 0900 hrs

Steve looked up from his seat at the conference table when he heard the doors open. He was reading the final report regarding the smugglers’ cargo vessel. He was also reviewing the report from the doctor regarding both the victims and the Ktarian’s injuries. He stood when he saw the captain enter the room, but his face was clouded when he saw Davaris following after him. To say he was furious with the her and Stewart for what they did to the Ktarian prisoner was an understatement.

This was almost strike two for Keishara in almost as many days. The Captain had expressed his opinion on her behaviour with Evelyn in the corridor a while ago and now this. Kei usually bent the rules, got results etc, but this time she had seen red and went past that due to the nature of the discovery in the hold of the ship in one of their bays.

Stryvek walked into the War Room and made his way to a side table with a tea set upon it. "XO report please." He said as he began to prepare his Vulcan tea almost ceremoniously. Once he was completed he took his customary seat.

Putting his feelings aside, Steve let out a breath to vent his frustrations, focusing on his PaDD. “With assistance from Mister Amarok and the Romulan leaders from the convoy ships, we were able to convince the refugees that the Starfleet officers they met before were imposters.” He gave a hard look at Keishara before continuing. “Three of the convoy ships have found room for the families and the rest. Regarding the traffickers, the Sarasota is on its way here to collect them and transport them to Earth to stand trial. I’m told the Ktarian’s injuries have healed.”

Greco glanced at both of the other officers to see any silent exchanges between them regarding Kei’s conduct. “Both he and the Benzite are waiting outside to give their official statements for the record. They are still claiming their innocence of any wrong doing.”

"Yes Captain, some of their claims are greatly exaggerated." Keishara added. This was true, their claims were a pile of rubbish, but it also fed into the fact that if they said they'd been assaulted the only proof they had was medical data and their word. People wouldn't necessarily believe their word at this point.

“Are you going to be able to sit through this?” The XO asked the woman bluntly. He was angry, but also worried for both the prisoners and herself that she might lose control again when they began speaking. “I’m not talking about you beating a man again, but they are entitled to due process under the law. If you are not in the right state of mind to be hearing their justifications, however repugnant, then it maybe best you leave now, Commander.”

"I'll stay." Keishara said simply. The emotion was radiating off of the man as clear as if he was holding a sign above his head saying 'I'm pissed at you!' However angry they both felt she did not dignify the beating comment with a response, no matter how much she wanted to.

With the emotions of the situation out of the way, Stryvek addressed the guards. "Bring the prisoners and have them seated." As requested the prisoners, who appeared as though they had been in a boxing match, were brought in a seated. They were secured so they could not use their arms or rise from the chair. "Now if you both would please relate to me what happened, one at a time."

While both men seemed nervous, it was Hokk that actually voiced his concerns, glancing at the security chief. “We already told her what we know. We don’t know who the seller is. We were just the middle men….we needed funds. No one was hurt.” The Benzite said nervously. The Ktarian simply sat in quiet defiance as he glared at the El-Aurian officer.

"Don't you glare at me Ktarian." Kei almost spat at him before turning to Hokk. "People are not commodities to be bought and sold. They are definitely not to be used as cargo for your personal gain." her nose twitched.

Stryvek could see the emotions ran high or Keishara. So, he would work to diffuse the situation. "I appreciate that you don't know who the seller is. However, that was not my question. Now if you please relate to me what happened. How you got this job and everything that you would care to include." His tone was calm and even as ever. This had an added advantage, it gave the idea that the Captain was not messing around.

Hokk had the sense to look ashamed at the woman’s words. He focused his attention on the space on the table between his two hands, listening to his breathing apparatus.

The Ktarian, Emot, didn’t look as much. He lifted his chin defiantly at the El-Aurian, despite his bruised face. “I’m not sure what you want to hear, Captain. I was approached about a transport job for a large quantity of mining equipment. Mining lasers, safety equipment, breathing apparatus and yes people.” He said smugly looking at the woman. “Unfortunately companies are now only interested with signing large, complicated contracts, with well established business entities. It’s a very difficult time to be an entrepreneur, especially now that the Romulan Empire is gone. Do you have any idea how difficult it is in the market now? The transporting contract would allow us to setup our business proper, establish ourselves as a reputable company.” He said in his defense. “So yes, I agreed to transport those Romulans to the next relay point. It would only be a few weeks with a minimum expense. No different than transporting any other cattle.” He said with an indifferent shrug.

Setting his jaw, to hold back his disgust, Steve spoke up. “But those were people, not livestock. There were children amongst them.”

“We transported our cargo, including labor for mines in the Gamma Quadrant. It is all the same thing.” Emot said dismissively with a shake of his hand before leaning forward on the table to look at Greco. “And what would you suggest, Commander? Those Romulans wait for the URC? The Federation?” He asked sarcastically with a mocking laugh. “They simply can’t work fast enough. We did those people a favor. If it wasn’t for us they would still be milling about an overcrowded refugee center waiting for a transport to take them to some colony and start over. The Federation is already having troubles with their supply chains and resources. You don’t even have enough for your own people, much less help an entire civilization that no one wants around.” He chastised the officers, using current events as justification for his actions. “At least this way thirty Romulans would have a shelter, a bed, warm meals. It wouldn’t be as soft and cushy as the Federation or those URC idiots would have offered, but they would work for their lives, not die a slow death like animals in a cage.” He sneered at Keishara, “And they wouldn’t live under the boot of the Federation, cowering in fear of their Starfleet deciding to take matters into their own hands.”

Emot was twisting the narrative of what happened in the cargo bay for his and Hokk’s own defense, but in the moment he enjoyed reminding the Security Chief of her failure as an officer and that there was nothing she could do about it right now. Everything he said regarding the relocation and resettlement initiative was true, so far. He suspected there would be more than one sympathetic voice to the plight of Federation citizens from the Romulan threats amongst the jury. That’s all their lawyers would need.

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you that you don't have the intelligence, the initiative to start a business by doing some actual hard graft?" Keishara asked rhetorically. "You don't get to spin what you did on the delays of the URC. You don't get to justify smuggling people for financial gain and paint yourself a saint for 'doing them a favour'. You have no respect for them, you call them cattle when in fact you are the very 'boot' they cower under because of how you treated them, how you made them 'live'." she moved forward a step but felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I am not ashamed for what happened in the cargo bay. You deserve a fate worse than what you made those people endure. No-one should be denied the light, the space to breath. No child should be forced into that pit you call a ship with a promise of a better life just because it suited your circumstances and those that paid you do so. Simply put, you have trafficked people across into Federation space making you a smuggler, a link in an OCG (organised crime group) and frankly you will be trialled as such unless you give us favourable information that leads to the arrest of those that continue to use stupid, small minded people like you to do their work for them." Keishara shrugged. "If you want to spend a life in a similar hole you put those people then by all means keep spouting your self righteous drivel and delusions about how you were doing them a good trick, that you were 'helping' them. If you have helpful information then maybe you get a decent meal and some time in the sun... that's more than you ever gave them from what we have been told."

Emot just slowly clapped his hands sardonically at the El-Aurian. "Very nice speech, Commander. Now I see why so many can't stand Starfleet with your pompous self-rightousness." He said sarcastically. "But let's consider what you said. I don't get to spin the narrative, as you say, about the logistical constraints of the URC, and how it is affecting those helpless people. They maybe feeding them and housing them, sure. But how many are dying in those facilities? How many are going to die from disease alone, not to mention the brutality and humiliation they are subjected to at the hands of each other simply due to the overcrowding nature of those buildings? How many families are going to have to be separated?" He asked the questions rhetorically, there was no way to project the long term ramifications of the nova on the Romulan people, or the Alpha or Beta quadrants, not yet.

"The intentions of the URC are noble, but they are not fast enough. The Federation is the only power even willing to help the Romulans outside of the URC, and only reluctantly and with great trepidation. How many more will die just from the crimes against them in Federation space? Like it or not, the Federation needs people like us, people willing to step outside the law to give these people a fighting chance. It is your mighty and proud Federation that imposes the restrictions, is the boot as you call it, on the Romulans' throats as they gasp for life." He gave a mild shrug. "Why shouldn't we be compensated for our services? Your government may have done away with currency based economics, but that is not the standard for the region. You do not speak for everyone and some of us need to buy our homes, our ships, our food. We need to pay for our survival."

The Ktarian held his head proudly as he eyed the three officers across the table.

There was a long yawning silence in the room after Emot had finished. During this silence Stryvek pondered the words that were said. To those around him it simply seemed that the Vulcan stared off into the void of nothingness lost in thought. Finally after a time he spoke. "Mr Emot has some very logical and salient points. I have for quite some time thought that the Federation and by extension Starfleet were the police force of the galaxy. Something that we have not signed up to be and something we should never be. In those points Mr Emot you have an ally in me. However, a crime committed in the name of assistance is still a crime nonetheless. Had you been smuggling items and not people I would be able to see the logic in turning my back. But when it comes to people I cannot turn away."

Stryvek took another rather long pause to ponder his next move. "I am going to make you one more offer. You will let us know who you are working for and I will charge you with a misdemeanor offense and put you on your way." The tone and mannerisms in that Styvek employed showed that this would be his only and final offer.

Kei wanted to bash that smug little bastards face off of the table but the captain had chosen to speak before she had a chance to respond. Which in light of how the conversation was going was probably wise. At this point her interaction with the Ktarian would only serve to make things worse and detract from the captains offer... even if it was a lot of crap. She did not agree with the misdemeanour charge at all and if it were up to her he'd be in a cell for a long time to think about what he'd done. Incarceration often had an effect on smugglers, a taste of their own medicine being locked up in a small hole for a while.

Greco watched the two men. The Benezite was trembling in what looked between a mix of terror and disgust at his partner.

Emot just stared at the officers. He especially considered the Vulcan. He was surprised that he would see such logic, such a staunch ally of the Federation and their goals. A slow smile creeping on his face. "What's constitutes items? Cattle and livestock are living beings, no different then people when you get down to it. Who are you to determine which gets brought to the slaughter? What right do you have to determine what is and is not just?" He asked rhetorically, shaking his head in disapproval before continuing on, his attention turning to the chief of security. "Our actions are only deemed wrong because are outside of your laws. And yet your officer can break those very same laws in beating a man but is protected because she wears a uniform. I merely transported Romulans through space without going through proper channels. Your officers assaulted me and threatened my associate's life. We will likely go to a penal colony for some rehabilitation, but what will happen to them, a slap on the wrist or menial tasks assigned to them like children to chores? I ask you, is that justice?" he was addressing the group, but his eyes were on Keishara's. He was determined to show her he would always win.

Well that had sealed it Stryvek thought. The man would never see logic and the Captain and by extension the Moore had better things to do. He stood up and picked up the PADD that was in front of him. "Well as far as I am concerned this interview is over. You will not see logic, and I have far better things to do than listen to rhetoric. Commander Davaris I leave these two in your capable hands put them in the Brig, I believe the human expression is throw the book at them. Commander Greco impound and search their vessel for anything and everything that is evidence." He strode to the door, it was rare that a Vulcan had lost their patience. Unfortunately for Emot and his crew Stryvek had just lost his.

"Yes, Captain." Keishara nodded towards the security officers that were outside the room to come back in. They would be the ones transporting Emot and Hokk back to the brig. As they began to walk out Kei placed a hand on Emot's shoulder stopping him.

"For what it is worth Ktarian, I am sorry for being unprofessional in the cargo bay. That scenario should not have occurred."

She could see a smug smirk form on his face but Kei leant in closer so only he could here.

Quietly she said, "Next time I will make sure no-one else knows you are there. That you and I are the only ones. That are not wearing cuffs. You are sharp with your tongue, if we meet again you better be sharp with your fists as well." She smirked, he couldn't see it but feel the change. "Cattle fight back eventually, and be glad they did not."

Kei turned to her security officer. "Separate cells as per protocol Sam."

He nodded and they were taken away.

 

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