High Law and Low Justice, Part 4

[doghead]

Saanath, male human mercenary

Maerdwyn: [sblock]Saanath is about to jump on the offer when he stops. He, they, need Lt Cdr Green and her collegues to believe them. If they have all had the chance to talk outside her control, it will make it harder for the ISS people to do do so.

"Actually sir, the Lt Cdr. and I are getting on like a house on fire. Give me another half hour and I think I will have her datacomp number."

Saanath sighs.

"I can't help but remember what happened the last time I, we, accepted an offer to dine with the captain."

Saanath grins to take any heat out of the comment.

"With all due respect Captain, I think I will decline. This will be the first chance to get some peace and quiet since, well ... for ages. If I can just work out a way to jimmy the lock from the inside, I might even be able to get some sleep."

As if magically summoned by the words themselves, Saanath feels a wave of fatigue pass over him.

He bids the others goodbye, and once they have gone, finds the most comfortable place available in the room, curls up, and closes his eyes. He can't help but wonder what on earth mde him decide to decline the invitation, it came from a Captain in the Imperial Navy for gods sake. But assuming no interruptions, he is asleep before he can finish thinking it through.[/sblock]

 

[Maerdwyn]

Saanath:
[sblock] Captain Keyes blinks when Saanath resopnds to him. "You're choice, of course, son. I will let your friends know you are doing reasonably well. The dinner Lt. Cdr. Green requested for you should be here in short while. All right, good luck, son." As they turn to go, Tomas says, "You're sure about this, Saanath?" Assuming Saanath nods or otherwise give confirmation, Tomas and the captain leave, and the door slides shut. Saanath has some time to rest before Green returns. If he happens to awake, he finds a moderately appetizing meal tray on a table inside the room.[/sblock]

Ktarle, Ruzz'Koff, and Tomas:
[Sblock]
After Ktarle and Ruzz'koff hear Green at the door to the captain's quarters the first time, they hear her once more, using a much more impatient and angry tone. Then they hear her moving away from the door, and hear her raised voice, muffled by distance and intervening metal. From the cadence of the voice, they can tell the is having a back and forth with someone, but they cannot hear the reponses of whoever she is talking to. A few moments later, the door opens and a stone faced Captain Keyes, a quietly fuming Lt Cdr Green, and a wide-eyed and clearly nervous Tomas enter, followed by a steward and a large cart of sumptuous looking and smelling food. As the steward begins laying out the table, he Captain bids everyone to sit in a voice of practiced pleasantness. "I would like to welcome those of you I have never dined with to my quarters. I think you will find that we are quite lucky to have Ensign Donar on board. Your friend Saanath sends his regards - he is doing well, but would prefer to wait and dine with the Lt. Cdr. when she is done here. He said something about 'the last time we were invited to dine with a ship's captain.' Scout Zaedhrarrg remains in the infirmary. He is running a slight fever - no doubt he has a slight infection following his recent surgery. We will take good care of him. Dvonn's passengers and crew are comfortable, but in isolation. Force Commander Quinn and Ms. Scrautigue remain safely in custody, Lt Cdr, so you needn't fear them taking over the Empress and attmpting to crash us headlong into Emperor Gavin's flagship. You are about to demand that the good doctor (and perhaps Lt. Ruzz'koff,as well, now that she has conferred with him) be taken back to her cell for further interrogation, and I am about to assert my authority as captain of this goddamned vessel and tell you to space it. So, now that Ensign Donar has poured the wine, let us toast to our Emperor's good health." He raises his glass.[/sblock]

 

[Seonaid]

Tomas, Ruzz'koff:[sblock]Ktarle watches in bewilderment as events progress, wondering why Green has been invited to sit with them. She holds her glass in a toast but waits for Green and Keyes to drink first before taking a small sip. Almost amused, she waits to see what happens next.[/sblock]

 

[DrZombie]

Ktarle, Tomas:

[sblock]
Upon hearing the traditional salute, Ruzz'koffs old reflexes kick in. He stands up, raises his glass high, his back back straight as a ruler.
"Long live the Emperor."
He then whinces a little and a few moments later a small red mark appears on his chest, one of the stitches torn out by his textbook salute. [/sblock]

 

[Seonaid]

Ruzz'koff, Tomas:[sblock]Ktarle's eyes narrow slightly as she glares at Ruzz'koff. Now is definitely not the time, she tells herself. [/sblock]

 

[Maerdwyn]

Ruzz'Koff, Ktarle, and Tomas:
[Sblock] Green raises her glass and also toasts the Emperor, though she is shooting eye daggers at the captian the whole time. For his part, after the toast is finished, Keyes says, noting Ruzz'koff's wince and Ktarle's response, "There. Did you see that, Maryam? That was the look of a doctor with a deep professional, no, a instinctual concern for one of her patients. And I have seen nothing to indicate that she has behaved differently towards any of the others whose lives she has saved during the past weeks. I had vouched for her based on my respect for Lt. Ruzz'koff, here. Having see that, I am comfortable staking my career on her innocence of wrongdoing - at least of what you accuse her of. Now that I have made that statement Doctor, I hope you will not disappoint me with you answer to my next question: Are you, in fact, an intersectorian terrorist with hopes of destroying countless lives in hopes of furthering the aims of your employers who may or may nor include members of the Nells noble family?" Without giving time for Ktarle to answer, Green says, "Captain, I formally object to your interference with an investigation that has direct bearing on --" Keyes raises his hand to stop her, without letting his eyes leave Ktarle. "Noted. Doctor?"[/sblock]

Ruzz'koff
[sblock] Green's toast, while prompt, is not up to snuff with regard to what one would expect from a naval officer. Along with the way she carries herself, and the slightly imprecise locations of certain accessories on her uniform, Ruzz'koff gets the distinct impression that this woman is not Navy. The captain would realize this, too, of course. She may be ISS, and may be as loay as Keyes said, but there is no way she is a Lt. Commander in the Imperial Navy. [/sblock]

Trelene:[sblock]
"All right, ma'am. All right" His face is stony, perhaps a little knowing. He stands up and leans down over the table at Trelene. "Let me spell it out for you. Another exective of a Nellsian corporation is currently wanted for questioning regarding his dealings with the Gelish. This one is a cousin, by marriage, to the Archduke himself. His name is Walid Nells-Corzin. He is suspected of negotiating to purchase a new weapon that had come into the possession of the Gelish. We believe that transaction was going to occur at Tamandere. We further believe that at his advanced age, he would have needed an accomplice who he could trust - someone loyal to the corporate structure of which he was a part. Someone with whom he had no previous traceable ties. Do you see where I am going with this, Ms. Scrautigue?" [/sblock]

 

[Seonaid]

Ruzz'koff & Tomas:[sblock]For a very brief moment, Ktarle considers giving the captain the flippant answer--"Yes, of course I am, how good of you to notice"--but stifles the urge. With as much gravitas as she can muster, she looks the captain in the eye and replies, "No, Captain, I am not." She also resists turning and looking at Green, instead keeping her gaze on the captain.[/sblock]

 

[Maerdwyn]

Ktarle, Ruzz'Koff, Tomas:
[Sblock]At the exact moment the captain nods, saying "There, you see?" Green sighs, rolls her eyes and mutters, "How comforting."

"What exactly is it that you have against her, Green?"

Green's eyes turn directly to the captain. "Captain, in the very best of circumtances, Dr. Tehlayew Olui is the victim of incredible coincidence. In the worst, she is exactly what she just denied. It is the job of myself and of Lt. Cdr. Thierry, alone, do determine which is the truth of the matter and what, if any threat this woman poses. We shall do so. fairly and conclusively. We shall do so without your further interference, or an incident report describing your conduct shall be filed with your superiors.

The Captain motions for more wine, but his face is hard. "Careful, Green. I am not held quite so low in favor as you might think, and besides I will not have... insubordination...displayed in front of my crew," he says, indicating the man pouring his wine. "I will ask the Doctor to answer your questions," he turns, raising his eyebrow at Ktarle in question, then turns back to Green "But I will not have harassed or brow beaten. You will treat her, and all of the fine souls who I believe risked their lives to save our other thirty five guests from the horror you are trying to root out, with respect, courtesy, and honesty. Or you will be asked to leave my quarters. Are we clear, Lt. Commander?"

Green does not respond to the captain directly. Instead, after a slight pause, she turns to Ktarle. Her voice is calm, and polite (in that the hostility is masked pretty well, and the tone makes an attempt at being conversational). "Doctor, if you would be so kind, I would like you tell me as much as you can about how you obtained that blood sample found in your bag. I would also like to know your intentions for it, had you been able to make it to the planet without the vial being detected." [/sblock]

 

[Maerdwyn]

Trel:
[sblock]
ooc: sorry, I missed your last Trel post for some reason, doghead.

"Sir, no offence, but they killed my mate. What I've been through is nothing compared to what I would go though to see this to the end."

The captain looks startled for a brief moment, then looks Trel in the eyes. "Christ, I didn't know. I'm sorry. Look, ah, if I find out anything, I'll get you in the loop. And if it turns out you find out who did it...well, get word to me if you need help with a merc license or finding a crew or something.

*********
Trel considers the Captains offer to stay for a moment, then declines.

"I'll return to the other passengers. They are anxious enough as it is. And I don't want to bring any grief your way. But thank you sir. And good luck."

With that, Trel requests permission to leave (old habits die hard), and returns with his escort to where they hold the other passengers of the Dvonn. [/sblock]

 

[Seonaid]

Ruzz'koff & Tomas:[sblock]Ktarle stifles the urge to sigh and, considering how often she has curbed her actions, thinks that perhaps life would be easier if people just did what they felt like doing. When Green starts speaking, she turns and directs her look to her. While not being overtly threatening, she does not soften her gaze at all. "As I have said before, I got the sample at Daramm starport. I was visiting a local restaurant as I waited for my ship to board. Tretheasofkhou was waiting tables at the restaurant, and I thought it was odd given his status. I overheard some comments about him and some sort of 'experiment,' but I decided it was none of my business and was in the process of leaving when a fight broke out. Tretheasofkhou was injured in the fight and when I reached him, he had already died. I took the blood sample with the intent of studying it later, at my leisure. His behavior was much out of character and I had a suspicion, based on the overheard comments, that his physiology had been tampered with. He evinced symptoms of induced psychosis." She takes a deep breath before continuing. "With the events of the past few days, I had completely forgotten about it. Had it remained in my bag"--she resists adding "as it should have," though her tone does faintly express displeasure--"I would have eventually found it, remembered what happened at Daramm, and run my tests." She watches the reactions of the others out of the corner of her eye.

OOC: Ktarle is not lying, but her memory may be a little shady and she may be telling the truth selectively. (And it's a good thing I checked the thread, because events certainly didn't happen the way *I* was remembering them. )[/sblock]