Suspicions

Posted on Sat Feb 12th, 2011 @ 1:40am by Lieutenant Valkris Edwardson & Captain Vorn Krace

Mission: Shadows Fall
Location: Captain's Office
Timeline: MM2 MD29 - 1134hrs

[On]


After the debacle that was her welcoming to the now destroyed USS Marconiwhich had ended with her being assigned her own personal "watcher" while on board the Iapetus, Valkris replayed in her mind over and over the events that occurred just prior to transporting over, and the information she'd received during her so-called debrief.

Valkris didn't have anyone on board she could trust, no one to talk to and certainly she wasn't going to see if she could even contact the Emperor's Fist before it moved out of range. No, she had to see this through by herself. Not even her mate, Mek'tor, stationed on the Columbia could do anything to help; he had problems of his own to deal with.

Exiting her assigned quarters she turned to her...detail. "I need to speak with Captain Krace. Since you are stuck with me, lets go ensign!"

Exiting the turbo lift, Valkris waited just before the doorway while the ensign hit the door chime to announce her presence.

The response to the chime was almost automatic in Vorn now, as he called out "Come!" to the visitor, whilst continuing to read through the PADD in his right hand. In his left he held a second PADD, and there were three more of the larger versions of the device arrayed in front of him on his desk. He glanced up very briefly at the Lieutenant as she entered, the security officer assigned to her staying outside the ready room doors. "Yes, Lieutenant?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from coming across as irritant at the interruption of his studying of the various reports from his staff surrounding the incident with the Marconi.

Turning her head to make sure that the door closes before speaking, "Captain, I know that we're not each other's biggest fans presently, but I wanted to ask you a few questions about what happened prior to your making contact with the Marconi and more importantly, What do you know of her Captain?"

"Captain Keldor is a competent and well-respected officer," Vorn responded, diverting his attention from the PADDs to the junior officer, his curiosity piqued by her line of questioning. "He has a number of commendations on his service record, the only real blemishes occuring during the 'troublesome' period almost every officer has during their initial term in Starfleet. He contacted us while we were en-route to Starbase 911 to transfer to the Delta Quadrant and asked us to divert to assist in unmasking some anomalous readings in the Marconi's vicinity."

"Your answer sounds like the standard one a person would expect after reading his official record," Valkris responded. "I am asking if there is a more familiar relationship between you and Captain Kaldor? Anyone with your Alpha-Two security clearance can read his file, I wanted to know if you were friends? Do you trust him implicitly in that manner or is it just because he's a decorated Starfleet captain.."

"I have never met Captain Kaldor before this incident," Vorn said shortly. "What is the point that you are trying to get at, Lieutenant?"

"Captain, since receiving my orders to rendezvous with the Marconi,/i> and being placed under.....protective custody, I've had more of a chance to speak with him and replay in my mind the sequence of events from my own perspective." Valkris casually approaches the desk where Krace was sitting. "...What I can't figure out is why the ship was destroyed so soon after Captain Kaldor transported over here? I'm going to assume that your investigation is also including the Captain?"

"The logical assumption would be that by lowering their shields and beaming Captain Kaldor over, the Marconi left itself vulnerable," Vorn responded, giving off an aura of confidence with his statement. Afterall, that was one of the first speculated scenarios, and in his eye, the most likely right now, for the incident that had occurred in the Regulus system. "However, you are correct, my investigation will be thorough, and does not exclude Captain Kaldor, as it does yourself," he said, pointedly.

"My own movements are well documented by Starfleet Command, I was midway back to the Hera when I was ordered to divert to the Marconi instead.."

Vorn decided to open up to her at that point, if only slightly. Perhaps I may actually get somewhere this time, he thought to himself. "That may very well be the case Lieutenant," he said, leaning back in his chair and bringing up the stylus for his PADD, holding it poised between his two hands. "However, you must understand where my suspicion arises. The Romulan craft left the moment the Emperor's Fist provided a distraction for it, arriving early, and in our initial... conversation," he allowed a pause before the word. 'Conversation' generally involved two-way cooperation. "You proved to be anything but cooperative. In fact, you were down right rude and defensive right from the off, refusing to answer any of my questions."

"Captain, I believe that you are mistaken! You asked if I went to Qo'noS, to which I replied that I did not. Your second question...I did confirm that it was of a highly personal matter, and regardless of the circumstances, not open for discussion! I did, as a caveat, attempt to explain the timing of my arrival, coinciding with your discovery of a Romulan ship - excuse me, a cloaked ship - allowed said ship to take advantage of our arrival and seemingly escape. I do take offence at an attempt to divert the blame onto my arrival and suggest that it was duplicitous in nature! I should wonder why the offer to help track down said ship was refused even? Still, from this, I can see your perspective on this manner."

Stepping closer to Captain Krace's desk, Valkris continues "....I would ask that you consider my own perspective Captain. Article 27 allows for Starfleet personnel to visit their families, regardless of where they live does it not? Captain, I am a product of my parents and my current situation; being in....limbo! Never fully accepted by my Klingon family because of my... lack of pure imperial blood, or by most humans, who view me as nothing more than a savage killer! I've spent my entire career straddling the lines between the Federation and Klingon Empire, unfortunately, regardless of how many hard fought victories for which I've earned through skill, and sheer force of will, the moment I step off of that transporter pad... I'm back to square one!" Valkris shakes her head at her most recent memories.

"Captain, I am acutely aware of how hard it is for people to overcome their perceptions and see past stereotypes. I was happy to have finally been promoted to Lieutenant Commander, and given a field promotion to become the XO of the Hera. Put yourself in my position, in front of your family and friends, in your families great hall at a banquet announcing this great honour and announce the intended joining of myself and my..." Valkris chokes back her words, her teeth clench for a moment, "..and then to find out that it was not to be! Ordered to instead report to another ship and upon that arrival, learn that it too has been taken, and in it's place... insulting passive-aggressive conversations that question your honour as Officer!"

Valkris, now conscious that the personal PADD that she was holding so intently seemed to crack in her grasp. "Captain, I came here to work, not to sit around with my hands folded. I originally came because in the absence of anything else, I began to evaluate and analyse the events for which I find myself in. I do not know Captain Kaldor any more that you do it seems, I don't have empirical evidence that he is involved in the destruction of his ship either... I am however, interested in improving this... relationship so that we can all simply move forward!"

Vorn had sat back and taken her rant, allowing her to get all of it off her chest before replying calmly. "You place too high an importance on perceived prejudices, Lieutenant," he said, slowly. "My turn of investigation would have proceeded exactly as it did regardless of whether you were Klingon, Romulan, Vulcan or Human, and as you well know, under such extenuating circumstances as these, Starfleet regulations give me the authority to suspend the rights of an individual's privacy temporarily if I feel that it would assist in the process of an investigation." He paused, again allowing what he said to sink in. He spoke in calm, measured tones, like a teacher explaining a concept to a student.

"Regardless, I appreciate your offer of help, and I shall not stop you from pursuing any lines of investigation you feel you wish to follow up from the limits of your assigned quarters. Once Commander Gunning has completed his investigations surrounding yourself and the remainder of the Marconi crew we have onboard, then you may be released to move freely throughout the ship. Until then, please respect that I must maintain the safety and security of my crew above all else, and until I have eliminated the possibility of you being a danger to them, I must make sure that you and the rest of Captain Kaldor's compliment are kept separated." The tone of voice and the way he explained his standing made it clear that he was not keeping them confined to quarters out of genuine suspicion of them - though at the back of his mind he had to admit to himself he still found the arrival of the Emperor's Fist to be too strong of a coincidence - but simply part of the process until he had eliminated all possibilities.

"If that is all Lieutenant, dismissed."

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Captain Vorn Krace
Commanding Officer

&

Lieutenant Valkris Edwardson
Formerly of the USS Marconi (NPC)