The needs of the many...

Posted on Mon Jun 5th, 2023 @ 4:18pm by Commodore Mikhail Babanin & Lieutenant Commander P’rel M.D & Lieutenant Commander Finnley Keating VII

Mission: Wrath of the People
Location: USS Serova//Starfleet Judicial Centre
Timeline: MD6, mid-afternoon.
1135 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

"Very well" Commander Cameron said in a friendly tone to the court clerk who had brought him the news. Recess was nearly ending and he turned around to look at Commander Keating, who was presently sat in the gallery ready to take the stand. He offered a quick smile before he stood and walked over to her. "Sorry Commander Keating, I'm sure this is difficult for you enough..." he feigned a sympathetic look. "...but there is an urgent private hail from Colonel Keating for you, a private matter..." he gestured to the doors of the courtroom. There was about ten minutes left before the soulless Vulcan and the blathering cat came back to resume session, and he was keen to get Keating to a private comms station and back again quickly.

Finn nodded and followed the Commander to a private room where she saw the comm screen. "Thank you, Commander, I'll come out as soon as we're done. I'll be sure to keep it short," she said with a faint smile and then waited until he left the room before speaking again. "I only have a few minutes. What's up?"

Hearing Finnley's voice and taking a moment to attune her hearing to be sure there was nobody else in the comm booth with her, P'rel stepped into view. "We have a problem, rivalled only by the opportunity it presents" she flatly informed Keating, noting that she too had a distinct need for brevity.

"P'rel? It must really be a problem for you to have risked this. What's going on?" Finn asked.

The Vulcan shifted her stance as she pretended to manipulate the hyper-spanner on the open panel. The USS Serova, a Sutherland Class vessel under construction at the orbital San Francisco yards and named for the famed Hekaran scientist, had become a useful base of operations owing to it's transient personnel and lack of operational protocols. Wearing an engineering uniform, P'rel mimicked some undefined technical work on the empty corridor as she spoke quietly to Keating on the planet beneath her.

"The Courts have the bomb composition from their expert reports. The same chemicals were found in the Captain's quarters..." she looked around to confirm what her hearing was telling her, that the corridor was still empty. "...the decay rates are out of alignment. Someone placed those traces, and it gives us an opportunity to draw out whomever has set the Captain up. We have a unique opportunity here...". She paused, waiting for Keating to respond before P'rel asked the biggest request yet of the human she had slowly come to call friend.

"What?! How did they get into his quarters? How has the investigation staff not realized that the decay rates are off?" Finn spouted off questions before pausing. She tilted her head in curiosity. "Wait, a unique opportunity...how so?" She asked.

"These things I do not know, though I suspect a certain amount of attention to detail has been waived..." P'rel looked around to be sure nobody was in the corridor, her stance with the tool ready just in case anyone did come by. "The chemicals will be listed in the Court report..." she paused, guessing how Finnley would react; "You must testify that you supplied those chemicals to the Captain". She didn't expand further just yet, and allowed her words to sink in.

Finn's face went pale. It was one thing to color the Captain's reputation in an unfriendly light, but to purposely commit perjury and likely condemn a man that she respected at the same time? Had this whole thing gone too far? "I don't..." she let her words trail off for a moment before the bigger picture smacked her reasoning back on track and she straightened back up. "I'll do it," she sighed, "but why? Why would they need my testimony on that anyway if they already have the evidence? What advantage does this give us?" She asked, assuming P'rel had a sound reason for the insane ask.

"Confusion" P'rel answered simply, once again looking around to confirm the absence of bystanders. "They have this very well organised, and everything appears to be going to plan. They know you didn't supply the chemicals from ship stores, and when you attest that you did...someone will come to investigate why you said it. The confusion will be substantial and logically will lead to extreme operational anxiety. We must use the opportunity to introduce chaos to order, and take advantage of the chaos...". She had vaguely planned it out, Keating would certainly be arrested and detained, and P'rel was optimistic - though far from certain - that she could insert herself wherever Keating was being held and intercept whatever investigative conspirator came along. "We must set a trap" she finished.

Finn nodded as P'rel went through her explanation. She didn't love it, but the Vulcan did have a point and it wasn't like they had much else to go on. "You know, I think I miss the days when we hated each other. At least then I was in less danger of getting arrested," Finn gave a small and sarcastic smile, using humor to diffuse the more intense emotions of anxiety, guilt, and dejection that she felt within. "Give me the composition and any other details I might need. I'll be sure it gets into my testimony."

"The exact details are in the Court report now" P'rel replied. She mused for a moment on the old days when both she and Finnley were constantly butting heads. It seemed so trivial now, not to mention distant. "I will find you" she insisted to Keating, only half lying; certainly she had every intention of finding where she would be held, and probably had the resources to access that place and set a trap...but it wasn't certain, and if she were entirely honest, someone may be coming to eliminate Keating and the Vulcan may not be able to stop it. "Together, we will uncover who is involved, and end this".

Finn felt as if there wasn't total sincerity in what the Vulcan said. She couldn't be sure, but thanks to their weird connection from sharing a mind meld, she was sure something was off. Was there something P'rel wasn't telling her? Finn shrugged off the thought, whatever it was might not be pertinent at this moment and they were running out of time anyway. "I'll see you later then I guess. Good luck," she said as she disconnected the call and returned to the hall.

Though entirely illogical, the Vulcan couldn't control the escape of the words, "to us both" as the screen darkened once again. Packing up the equipment she had been mostly pretending to use., P'rel headed back to the cargo bay to plan the next move.