Schism

Posted on Sun Oct 29th, 2023 @ 1:26am by Lieutenant Didrea Zade & Commander N'Garzi Zora

Mission: Character Development
Location: USS Athena :: Security Offices
Timeline: 3 days after "Captive Audience"
1739 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

As normal, a summary of the latest security reports went to Zora 24 hours ahead of the security meeting. As normal, Zade had the details of her report pulled up on her computer, ready to talk about specific points. As normal, Zade had a cup of tea on her desk providing a faint herbal scent to the office. What wasn't normal was the arrest log, which was normally blank in the list of topics covered in her reports. Instead, it seemed to be staring her down from the computer, throwing off the flow of the rest of the report and putting the Trill on edge. Zade took a slow sip of her tea as she waited for Zora to arrive. Her mind was trying to anticipate how the meeting would go, and it wasn't easing her nerves in the slightest.

Zora pressed the chime to announce her arrival at the office of Lieutenant Zade. It didn't take long before she was granted entrance, she took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold. She wasn't sure how this meeting was going to go, the two officers had butted heads before in the past, but this was a whole different matter. She strode into the office, the smell of herbal tea filling the room. Stopping short of the desk she held up the PADD in her hand. "Care to explain this?"

There was a pause before Zade allowed her visitor in, as if the brief delay would somehow ease the inevitable conversation. The Trill glanced at the PADD presented to her, displaying the part of the report that read:

Arrest Log, Stardate 43581.

Nayisa Wrea, Ensign, serial KS29676501. Admitted to Brig Cell 1.
The above person has been found in violation of the following regulations:

1. Starfleet regulation 45, section 1, paragraph 11: unauthorized entry
2. Starfleet regulation 22, section 6, paragraph 5: tampering with security protocols
3. Starfleet regulation 256.15, section 2, paragraph 2: unprofessional conduct by threatening a senior officer

Release date: Stardate 43582
Authorization: Didrea Zade, Lieutenant, Stardate 43579

The quiet hiss of the door shutting behind Zora granted them privacy for an otherwise uncomfortable conversation. Straightening slightly, Zade looked up at Zora, unsure of the woman's thoughts. She certainly wasn't happy. There was no doubt that it came as a surprise to read that the acting intelligence chief was in the brig. It was impossible to soften the news, let alone the explanation. "She broke into Kane's quarters."

Zora closed her eyes and took in a few deep breaths. She needed to centre herself before she said something that may escalate the situation further. "It seems they missed a few violations on here," she said after opening her eyes and waving the PADD around, slightly more wildly than she would have liked. "Let's see, disobeying direct orders, tampering with evidence, conspiracy, maybe treason!" She knew the last one was a long shot, however, if Kane had been found guilty then she knew that was a charge he would have been facing, including any coconspirators too. "Have I missed anything?"

"I included those under tampering with security protocol, but the report can be updated," came the reply. Zade felt the tension in the room, a blanket as subtle as the scent of her tea. "But she didn't tamper with evidence."

Zora eyed the Lieutenant. She was trying to decide if the Trill officer was being flippant or if she didn't grasp the gravity of the situation. "Oh well that's okay then, as long as she didn't tamper with any evidence then I guess this is all okay," she said, each word soaked in a heavy layer of sarcasm.

"I'm not saying it's okay, Commander," Zade countered, a faint hint of defensiveness in her tone. Like with all the conversations she's had with Zora, it seemed like butting heads was inevitable. She took in a breath to try and maintain her own emotions. "She's in the brig because she broke the rules. There's no denying that."

Zora sighed lowly. Zade was right of course but it didn't make the situation any better. She studied the PADD again, "this final charge, unprofessional conduct by threatening a senior officer, what's the story here?" She asked.

Zade took the moment to take a long drink of her tea, hoping it would help, somehow. "She summoned me to the intelligence office and explained that she wanted to investigate something in Kane's quarters. That was all I could get out of her. I told her there was no way I would let her do that, and she threatened to incapacitate me so I wouldn't interfere."

"Go on," Zora said, she knew whatever came next she wasn't going to like. Everything about Zade's tone of voice, posture, and careful selection of her words, was triggering her instincts that things were about to go south, very quickly.

The problem was that Zade didn't really want to continue. How could she tell Zora what she most definitely didn't want to hear? It was the right thing to do, though, to tell Zora the whole story, so she stamped down her nerves. "Her threat was an ultimatum: help her, or be detained so I can't stop her." Zade paused for a brief moment to let that sink in, trying to gauge Zora's unsettlingly calm demeanor. It felt like she was holding that explosive on the bridge again. "I... went with her, Commander. I couldn't dissuade her, and I didn't want to see her get into more trouble by fighting a senior officer. And with us going into our mission, I couldn't allow myself to be in a position where I physically couldn't do my job."

Yep, Zora was correct, she didn't like this, she didn't like this one bit. She turned her back to the Lieutenant to face the wall opposite the desk, she needed a moment to gather her thoughts and to pray to her goddesses. When she turned back to face Zade, her face was like stone. "So if I may summarise?" Her voice was even and steady, albeit a bit cold. "You broke Starfleet rules and Federation laws because an Ensign threatened to incapacitate you? You, a trained Starfleet chief of security, put your career at risk because you were too important to the mission? Is that about right?"

The tone and eerie calmness of Zora's response sent a shiver down Zade's spine and raised every warning flag that it was about to get a lot worse. She was expecting to be scolded like their conversation during the trial, and this response was the exact opposite. "Nayisa and I have the same level of experience, Commander, the rank had nothing to do with it," she attempted to explain. "And she's-"

"I'm sorry," Zora said, cutting the Trill off midsentence. "Did I wake up in a parallel universe where rank and position no longer mean anything to Starfleet?" Her voice was still cold but the evenness had almost gone, replaced by a thick coat of sarcasm. "I am nearly 150 years old, much older than the Commodore, I am undeniably more experienced than he is. However, he is my commanding officer, he outranks me! How is this simple concept escaping you, Lieutenant?"

"That's..." Zade sighed in frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose. "... not what I meant, Commander. She was going to get into his quarters, one way or another! It didn't matter how I tried to dissuade her."

"In case you have forgotten Lieutenant, there is a thing called protocol. You could have reported the incident to Commander Lance or myself. Hell, you even could have told Lieutenant Commander Savin, not join in on the the crime." Zora was getting frustrated but was trying her best to remain calm, the last thing she wanted was another shouting match with the Trill. "If Ensign Wrea had decided to walk out of the airlock, what would you have done? Nodded your head and simply followed her out?"

"No, I wouldn't have!" Despite her brain thinking of circumstances where Zade might follow Nayisa, she knew what Zora was implying. It was what Zade had feared, that Zora questioned her competence, and the question seemed to prove it in her mind. "How would I have been able to report it if she had trapped me in that office, Commander?" She countered, choosing to stand so she could get her leg to stop anxiously bouncing under the desk. The question wasn't entirely rhetorical, but Zade treated it as if it were. "By going with her, she couldn't deny her actions because she had a witness."

"Right," Zora said, her voice dropping in volume. "So you honestly believe she would have locked you away forever, that you would still be there now? Well, it sounds like Ensign Wrea is a greater threat to this ship than I realised and maybe belongs in a penal colony. I'll take your recommendation on board when I hand her over to Starfleet security then."

Zade took in a slow breath as she fought against her own frustration. The moment's pause let the Trill remember her conversation with Savin. Even though he seemed to understand her reasoning behind her actions, there was something about the conversation that made Zade second guess if the decision was correct, even now. "No, I don't believe that, Commander," she answered, slowly, cautiously. She understood now what Zora wanted to hear from her, and stood a little straighter. "Please forgive my tone, Commander. I was hoping to try and provide some reasoning behind the decisions I made." Another brief pause as Zade forced herself to be vulnerable and admit she made a mistake. "I realize that my decision was... wrong. I should have done more to stop her instead of letting it happen. I realize that my actions could have made things a lot worse, and I apologize for my mistake."

Zora took a breath. She was relieved that the Trill had come to this conclusion finally and spoke the words she was waiting to hear since this revelation. No excuses, no blame-shifting, just standing up and admitting she was wrong, it meant a lot. "Thank you, Lieutenant," Zora said calmly. She meant the words that left her mouth but there was a lingering in the air, the feel of something not quite being finished yet. "However, it's too little and too late. You can leave your badge here, you won't be needing it."