A Memoriam Due
Posted on 31 Mar 2025 @ 9:43pm by Admiral Zavareh Sepandiyar & Captain Corvus DeHavilland & Captain Carwyn Bowdler & Commander Thaddeus Zayne & Commander Róisín O'Damhain & Lieutenant Sibyl Danzer
Mission:
M4 - Falling Out
Location: Brig
Timeline: 1 Hour Following Captive Considerations
2927 words - 5.9 OF Standard Post Measure
“What’s going on, Lieutenant?” Lieutenant Sibyl Danzer swept in, half breathless, as the desk officer placed a request for her. She’d been working from Tactical and on call for security needs, since they were struggling to keep an active Chief and had so many divergent needs on the station, particularly occupied with manning the Engineering Conference, and the preponderance of ships in dock that came with these kinds of events. If she were honest with herself, Sibyl welcomed all of the extra hours and distractions from her looming personal quandary…
“Ma’am, it’s…” The Junior Lieutenant spoke as low as she could, beckoning for Danzer to move in closer. “I have a prisoner who insists–”
Danzer noticed a figure in uniform occupying the quote-unquote drunk tank, one of the brig cells immediately behind the booking counter, which were least secure and generally only used for temporary guests and low level incidents while they were being cleared up. The figure was sat on one of the benches and turned partly away, seemingly reading something.
Sibyl obliged, and moved in closer to Saaba. “What’s he want?”
“He wants to stay here. He brought himself in”
Her brow furrowed. “Is he looking for protection from someone?”
“No, he says he’s turning himself in for assaulting Captain Bowdler of the USS Alabama.”
Uncertain what to do with this herself, Sibyl scratched the side of her neck. “You took his statement?”
“That was mostly all he had to say, other than wanting me to actually lock him up. I would have just let him into the waiting room. I mean, if the Commander is this set on being locked up on a charge he’s brought on himself, I don’t think he’s likely to go around at large…”
“Commander?” Sibyl’s head snapped up, recognition crossing her face as she matched the form of the figure to that of the Executive Officer, her immediate senior. She realized then the scrolling print on the exterior access panel had been linked to the file record and read Thaddeus, Zayne CMDR
“He insisted we need to get Captain Bowdler’s statement. I messaged for him. They’re on their way.”
“They?” Sibyl questioned, unsure from the mismatched pronoun if Bowdler was non-binary or plural.
Saaba nodded solemnly. “I’m so glad you’re here, ma’am. I don’t think I can possibly handle all of the protocol on my own and everyone else is on post. I didn’t want to call in any Promenade patrol teams if I could possibly help it.”
“Saaba, who is–”
Exactly who it was never got fully asked as the doors slid open. Admiral Sepandiyar stepped through, closely followed by his Yeoman, Lieutenant St. John, the latter with a data PaDD in hand clutched against her chest as she followed the Admiral seemingly against her better judgement.
“Good Evening,” the Admiral intoned flatly.
Both security officers came to a stiff attention. “Admiral,” Lieutenant Danzer acknowledged him directly, taking the burden of address from the junior lieutenant. Danzer didn’t typically report to the Admiral, but since taking over Tactical duties and sometimes handling the reports for the Security department, she was accustomed to seeing him in the CiC. She was nowhere near as unnerved as Saaba seemed to be about it.
“I understand that Commander Zayne is currently one of your guests, I would like to know on what charges he is being detained,” the Admiral asked in a tone that made it clear that there wasn’t a lot of room for argument.
Ever since the return of the Pathfinder and the mystery that was slowly uncoiling around it, he had kept a very close eye on Captain Callum, Captain DeHavilland, Commander Zahn, Major Finn and Commander Zayne to name a few. Whatever was happening here was happening around him secretly and so the minute either of them strayed off their normal path, he was informed. Not that he needed extra alerts to know that the XO of the station hadn’t reported for the rest of his duty shift because he was being detained in the Brig.
“Assaulting a senior officer, Sir.” Sibyl knew very little, but she’d gleaned that much at least from Saaba since she’d arrived on the scene herself. “He brought himself in, and we’re awaiting a statement from the officer he is supposed to have assaulted.”
“What senior officer?” the Admiral asked. “Captain DeHavilland?” he offered. There weren’t a lot of more ranking officers on this station aside from him and Corvus, not unless he had been dealing with one of the engineers at the conference, or an officer passing through.
Lieutenant St. John had her data PaDD out as she said that and was already taking notes.
“A Captain. Captain–” Sibyl stalled a little until Saaba caught on and handed her the booking padd, which she looked down to reference. “Captain Bowdler, Sir. Of the USS Alabama”
The Admiral raised a suspicious eyebrow. Captain Bowlder wasn’t your run-of-the-mill Captain making a pit stop on the way somewhere else, and Obsidian Command wasn’t exactly right in the middle of Starfleet territory. This was the raggedy edge, which made the appearance of one of Starfleet’s Golden Boy’s all the more out of the ordinary. Even Naomi seemed surprised at that and quickly looked down to jot more notes.
“Is the Captain here?” he asked.
“No Sir. Although he is expected shortly.”
“Where is the Commander. I would like a word with him,” the Admiral again declared in a tone that brokered no arguments.
The two security officers exchanged looks. The booking desk was in a rather sizable lobby, but it was still a straight enough line to the immediate use holding cell in the back where Commander Zayne had had himself interred. Lt jg Sabba keyed open the waist high access, and led the way around the receiving area and past a partial privacy partition to the holding cell.
Following the young woman’s lead, Zavareh stepped into the holding area, turning to face the large forcefield and the cell beyond containing one occupant - a blonde-haired man who seemed uninterested in anything but the ceiling overhead. He was laying on the bunk and turned slowly to see the Admiral standing there. If that surprised him, he didn’t show it, instead slowly sighing and moving to sit up.
“Admiral,” he intoned flatly.
“Am I to understand that you have assaulted a senior officer?” Admiral Sepandiyar asked flatly. He wasn’t quite sure he believed it, or maybe it was that he didn’t want to. Commander Zayne was supposed to be his answer to the chaos that his predecessor had brought with her lies and manipulations of the system. He knew him as a very cool, calm and collected individual so for him to be told that Thaddeus had lost his temper and struck a senior officer just didn’t calculate.
“That is what happened,” Thad answered tonelessly, slowly standing up and walking forward to the force field to address the Admiral. He had too much respect for the elder man to sit there and talk to the ceiling.
“You hit, Captain Bowlder of the Alabama?” Zavareh clarified.
“Yes, I did.”
“Why?” Zavareh asked, stepping closer, shaking his head with confusion. “Why would you do this?”
Thad considered the question with his trademark calm, glancing briefly to Lieutenant St. John who blanched at the attention and looked resolutely back down at her PaDD. He finally returned his attention to the Admiral. “Because they deserved better,” he finally said. “Lieutenant, take these names: Lieutenant Junior Grade Julie Watney, Chief Petty Officer Oscar Beamme and Petty Officer Toby Engersoll. You’ll find your answers there, Admiral,” he explained tonelessly. “Respectfully, sir. That is all I will say on the matter,” he added, merely standing there quietly, staring at a point in the wall over the Admiral’s shoulder with parade bearing.
The Admiral stared back, taking his glasses off out of frustration and rubbing at the bridge of his nose and between his eyes to fight off the stress headache creeping in. He turned his attention to the right though at the commotion he could hear from the entry desk of the brig. It resolved a moment later as Captain DeHavilland came stalking around the corner, looking angry and ready to spit bullets with Captain Bowlder on her heels as if he were trying to convince her to slow down. She noticed Thad before the Admiral and all but skidded to a stop.
“Admiral,” she breathed.
Zavareh looked to DeHavilland, then to the new faces. He recognized Bowlder from Starfleet’s endless recruiting campaigns and from the other propaganda that they used to drum up support and show the ‘boldness’ of Starfleet. He was taller than he’d expected, and thinner making him think that the old adage ‘the camera added ten pounds’ was on the money. The Admiral didn’t recognize the severe woman with him, but presumed them to be together.
“Captain DeHavilland,” the Admiral replied curtly.
“Admiral,” Bowdler nodded respectfully, offering his hand. “Carwyn Bowlder of the Alabama. This is my First Officer, Commander O’Damhain,” he said, indicating her and trying to ignore the fact that the man in the cell had turned his back on him as soon as he came into view.
O’Damhain simply nodded sharply in greeting.
“What is the meaning of thi-?” the Admiral started to ask but he was interrupted by the appearance of three holograms on the outer side of the cell. Each one was a person in a Starfleet uniform standing patiently and letting the system take their scan. It was standard fare for all fleet personnel and served as an archived reminder of what they looked like in real-life dimensions.
Being that Thad wasn’t officially under arrest, and merely contained himself on protocol, he hadn’t lost access to the ship's systems. And as much as it hurt to see Julie, Toby and Oscar again, the reaction on Bowlder and his Ice Queen’s face was enough to soothe that pain and then some.
“Thad, what the hell is this?” Corvus asked sharply, stepping aside of the holo’s to look at him.
Commander Zayne simply stared over the shoulder of Chief Beamme at Captain Bowlder, seething even more at the man that refused to look him in the eye even now.
Lieutenant Sibyl Danzer watched the hot and cool exchanges, and when Zayne’s non response left a long silence she cleared her throat gently to draw attention. “Captain Bowdler, sir? If you’d like to give a statement for the report and file or decline to press charges…”
Captain Bowlder was staring down at the feet of the hologram in front of him, slowly turning to look to his right at his XO whose own expression was an even chillier version of her typically icy demeanour. When she made no eye contact or other response, he shook his head slowly.
“I decline,” Carwyn declared softly.
Corvus arched an eyebrow in surprise. She had been convinced that this would be the end of another XO for her, this one for punching out one of Starfleet’s golden boys. It hadn’t occurred to her that he’d decline, and who the hell were these three people? If anything, this had just gotten way more complicated than the mess it already was.
“Who are these people, Commander?” Admiral Sepandiyar took the bait, well aware that whatever Commander Zayne was playing at, exposing this was important. Considering the mysteries afoot around him at the moment, he was willing to let the young man set the hook in his mouth. At least for a little while longer.
“You have the names, sir,” Thad answered the Admiral formally. “Captain Bowdler can explain the rest.”
The Admiral turned to the younger Captain; a face he’d seen a thousand times on Starfleet recruitment posters and on the holonews feeds, but never in the flesh. Especially not way out here on the raggedy edge where they were. There was no calling for Flagships and Poster-Children of Starfleet. Out here, there were darker and more substantial things at play.
“You decline to charge him?” he asked, observing the obvious spot he’d been punched. Another day without a Doctor’s care and it’d be a real shiner.
“I decline,” Carwyn answered flatly.
“Release him, then,” Zavareh ordered. Without hesitation Lieutenant Danzer shut off the forcefield, freeing the temporary guest from containment.
Thad stepped out of his short-term accommodations partially uncertain as to what to expect from the Admiral or from Captain DeHavilland. The expression on her face was one he couldn’t quite read. He could see the anger directed at him for this, what could have been another XO biting the dust right under her nose. But there was something else there too, something he couldn’t quite get his arms around.
“Captain, I’ll leave you to it,” Bowdler inclined his head towards Corvus. “Admiral,” he nodded as well.
“No, we are not done, Captain,” Zavareh replied with a shake of his head, gesturing for him to leave. “I would like a word with you in my office,” he ordered, moving to leave and making it clear that he was to go as well. “With both of you,” he added.
“Of… of course,” Carwyn tried to adjust. “Lead the way, sir,” he said, smiling calmly and letting the Admiral lead without a second glance at Corvus or his admirer.
Corvus waited until the Admiral, Bowdler and everyone else had left the room, including the security personnel, and then rounded on Thad so rapidly that even his normally cool and calm demeanor seemed momentarily shaken.
“Just what in the hell was that, Commander?” she hissed. “Do you have any idea who close you came to be relieved of your command? That’s not some backwater Captain, that’s Captain Bowder, of the Alabama! Do you have any idea how well-connected that man is?”
“Oh, he’s connected,” he agreed. “Connected enough to get away with murdering three Starfleet Officers,” Thad nodded defiantly. “And if you’re looking for an apology, Captain, then you’re wasting your breath,” he said, not at all relishing the look of incredulity on Corvus’ face. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat. It’s probably best for everyone’s sake if you keep him out of the CIC. Matter of fact, best he just stays on his ship with the rest of his misfits,” he went on.
Corvus was shaking her head, “What the hell did he do to you, Thad?” she breathed. “This isn’t you. This isn’t the man I know,” she frowned, folding her arms across her chest.
Thad looked for a moment like he might have more to say on it, that he might just confess his feelings and explain what was driving him, but it was a fleeting expression across his otherwise stoic features. It was gone as soon as it had appeared and replaced by his standard coldness.
“I have nothing else to say on the matter, Captain,” he said matter-of-factly. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll return to my duties.”
She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to push him in frustration and scream at him that his stupid, childish, immature outburst, no matter how rooted in history and reality it was had just put her in the worst possible position she could be in. She wanted to yell at him, confine him to his quarters, hell even lash him to the main mast to be flogged. Anything to distract her from the god-awful truth that the person she wanted least to see, to avoid any chance of the Admiral connecting them together was now with the Admiral.
This was bad. This was very, very, bad.
“Captain?” Thad asked, arching an eyebrow slightly. He still couldn’t figure out what was off about her, but was trying to brush it off as just this issue being a distraction for her.
Corvus shook her head and took a step back from him, “You can return to your duties, Commander,” she said, indicating he should go. “But,” she said, stopping him two steps past her. She gritted her teeth and pursed her lips a bit, fighting off her own frustrations. “Just. Stay the hell away from him, ok?”
Thad just gave her a tight nod in reply, and continued on his way.
Captain DeHavilland watched him go, hands on her hips, just breathing in and out slowly to try and melt the stress away. Already she could feel the blood thumping in her ears and looked up to the ceiling to roll her neck. This was not good. None of it. Frowning even further, she tapped the badge on her chest.
“DeHavilland to Captain Callum,” she said.
It took a moment to patch, but soon she heard a gravelly voice answer, “This is Callum, go ahead.”
“Can you meet me in the environmental ring, please?” Corvus asked. “North side of the trout pond. There’s a bench on the trail. We need to talk,” she said somewhat urgently.
“Aye. Give me ten to wrap this up and I’ll be there,” he said, “Callum out.”
