Apology

Posted on Sun Sep 6th, 2009 @ 3:40pm by Captain Vorn Krace & Lieutenant Commander Abigail Valera

Mission: Into a Devil's Heart
Location: USS Iapetus
Timeline: MD03 1122 hours

Vorn called out as the senior staff began to file out of the briefing room, "Abigail. Wait."

He waited until the rest of the staff had left the room and the door had closed behind the last of them before speaking again. "I owe you an apology," he began. "I understand that you had nothing to do with what Peter's got himself into."

Abigail shot Vorn a look and then sighed, "Vorn I don't betray friends unless they tell me too. That's my weakness. If, say for example, you drank on duty or whatever and you told me not to tell then I wouldn't. Peter made me swear not to tell and I didn't." She looked Vorn in the eyes and went on, "What kind of friend would I be if I betrayed those I care about? They wouldn't be happy at me and our friendship would fall to a lower rating." Abigail sat down and said, "I accept your apology."

"I know you don't. And that's what makes you such a good friend. But I need you to understand why I reacted how I did." Vorn took a seat as well now, after having stood for the whole briefing. "Peter was - is, my first officer. He's supposed to be the one who I can trust with everything, right up to the safety of everyone onboard this ship, and the lives of those this ship is out here to protect. He is supposed to be the one who keeps watch on me, lets me know when I fall astray, and help me run this ship how a Starfleet vessel should be - through the trust between a Commanding and Executive Officer." He paused, thinking of the words he wanted - felt he needed to say. "Then he disabled every system on the ship, and left us, off on some crazy-arsed personal mission of his. He betrayed the trust I'd placed in him, but he wasn't there for me to take it out on. And instead, you were the only one onboard who he had told anything about this to."

"I was angry, and I needed someone to blame. I shouldn't have blamed you, but I did, because he wasn't here to answer for his actions himself."

Abigail crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him, "Uh-huh. Next time think before you talk ok? Next time I might not be so forgiving."

Under normal circumstances, he would have berated one of his officers for talking to him like that on his ship. But this wasn't exactly a duty matter, and he knew he deserved that reaction. Instead, he simply nodded. "So are we good?"

Abigail thought about it for a moment and then said, "Yes. Next time Vorn think before you act. I was really hurt when you "talked" to me. I had just wanted to be loyal to my friends, but I can't be loyal to one without betraying the other. I also need to apologize for withholding the information from you. Peter means well, but sometimes family comes first in certain situations." She looked at Vorn, "Like with me. You and Peter are my friends, but I would leave in a heartbeat if I heard my family was in danger. I'm sorry, but I care about family and friends and I will do anything for them."

"Well, let's hope then that that situation never comes up, eh?" Vorn half-joked, trying to lighten the mood a little. "Come on, we'd better get back out there. We've got work to do."

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Captain Vorn Krace
Commanding Officer
USS Iapetus

&

Lieutenant Abigail Valera
Chief Science Officer
USS Iapetus