The Hearing - Part 1

Posted on 23 Feb 2014 @ 11:23pm by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal & Federation Ambassador Ayren Kelan & Lieutenant Lucas Mason & Lieutenant Hayley Lawson & Captain Rebecca Post & Lieutenant JG Suteyo Alahanu & Sascha Oakheart

1,461 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: M11: Feet to the fire
Location: Earth - SFHQ

Da`nal and the member of his crew required to attend all waited to be called. It was still unknown if they would be called individually or together, but he suspected the latter as all had filed their individual reports already. Grumbling to himself, ~Typical bureaucracy...hurry up and wait.~

Ayren unobtrusively touched his arm, instinctively reacting to his thoughts, sensing his frustration. "I also wish this can just be over...." she said nearly inaudible, watching the doors from under her lashes.


[Hearing Room]

Admiral Rittenhouse filed in with the other two Admirals assigned to review the incident, each carried several PADDS and he laid his out neatly. Taking the center chair he looked to the others as they seated themselves he had never met Zedo but he had heard of her reputation. Konin, a Vulcan from the Starfleet Judge Advocate General's office looked over the assembled Achilles's crew impassively, he had a reputation as a legal hawk.

"Everyone ready to begin?"

Settling herself in her chair, Admiral Zedo took one last glance at the PaDD with relevant details in her hand and then looked up to Rittenhouse. Her temper was at the shortest that she could remember it being in a long time, thanks to Command Chief Hatfield, but she gave Rittenhouse a steely nod regardless. "I am ready."

Konin's gaze remained on the assembled Achilles crew a while longer, then he turned and nodded to Rittenhouse "We may commence the proceedings"

Nodding Rittenhouse added, "Alright then. If there are no objections we can start with general testimony to validate the logs and reports that have already been filed in order to see if anything new comes to light or raises questions by contradicting the official narrative. Then we can move on to the charges to be files against Lieutenant's Naja Jas and Lucas Mason."

Zedo nodded in agreement. "When you are ready."

Rittenhouse nodded to the security officer assigned as bailiff, "Bring them in."

Da`nal had watched the trio of Admirals enter and seat themselves though the window in the door and rose as the door part. He and his crew were ushered to their places.

Hayley wasn't too happy about being called away from her engine room. She still had several systems that needed testing and calibrating, but if the brass wanted to place blame, she was going to make sure her engineers were left out of whatever kangaroo court they wanted to create. Filling in with the others, Hayley opened up her shoulder bag and checked she had all the data she'd need.

Suteyo saw the courtroom monitors flicker to life, the J.A.G. Admirals had just taken their seats and many of the other crew filed in, ushered by Security to their seats, nobody looked happy to be there. No charges had been read or listed yet, it still could be a simple inquest. Suteoy saw a shadow pass over a face and for a moment was taken back in time. He had seen that face in the dark before, he was an agent for SI, but Suteyo had watched him die ten years ago. What was an apparently deep cover agent doing in a tribunal about Temporal affairs? He searched the other faces in the room, nothing familiar but now he at least had a clear target. Realizing this couldn’t mean anything good; Suteyo pulled up his secure communications console and entered in the coordinates for a person who could help him find answers.

Lucas had gone to the on duty medial officer last night to get a mild sedative to help him sleep. He had enough of being the "bad" guy in his youth. Starfleet had helped him get past that now how he found himself in hot water again, for doing his duty of all things. He did exactly what they had trained him to do, and in some macabre twist of fate he found himself before this panel. All the high ranking members of his family told him that they had to distance themselves from the matter as they didn't want it to appear there was any bias or favoritism toward him. "Funny," he thought, "there were any concerns like that when applied to the academy." He marched in and took him place maintaining an expressionless look on his face.

Lantiq filed in with the rest and took his seat next to Da'nal.

Ayren found a seat in the gallery, where she could have a clear view of everyone, and most of all, Dan'al. She strongly disagreed with the whole proceeding and started to scan the faces on the other side of the hearing. Someone had it in for him.....

Vice Admiral Rittenhouse, as the senior office, was in charge of the hearing and got the ball rolling and took the small mallet and rang the bell to his left. "This hearing is now called to order to investigate the Temporal incident involving the USS Achilles on Stardate 67655.7. First to be called will be the ship's commanding officer, Rear-Admiral Da`nal."

Da`nal rose stepping forward to take a seat in the central witness chair.

"State your name, rank, position for the record."

Facing the panel, "Rear-Admiral Da`nal of the House of Varal, Commanding office of the USS Achilles and Task Force Commanding Office of Task Force 47."

"Thank you Admiral. The orders to Dandarand 4 are a matter of record, could you explain the events that led up to you being sent back in time and what happened to you and the members of your away team during your time in the planets past."

"As stated in my log; the away team was to beam up to the ship from two separate locations in order to provide a neutral location of the analysis of an artifact recovered by the Daystrom archaeologists. The away team never reached the ship. When I regained consciousness we had no idea where or when we were. It was night, raining heavily and before I could see who was with me I can face to face with an animal and saw a harness on the beasts head but I was struck and knocked out again."

"Admiral" Konin began, "Why did both you and your Executive Officer leave the ship, thereby leaving the Achilles under the command of a junior officer?'

His was able to see Mason without removing his gaze from the panel. "It was my...assessment of the hostage takers that they were unwilling to take on the Achilles and my presents on the surface would show that we were not intimidated by their posturing. Also having spoken directly to the head of the group holding the Daystom Institute’s archeologists hostage as well as the planets prime minister, my presence was required. I choose to have Lt. Commander Lantiq accompany me in case talks were needed on multiple fronts at the same time."

"Yes Lieutenant Mason is currently a junior officer, but not only has he proven himself in battle, but has been place in command both as duty officer and when The XO or I have had to leave the bridge and has my full confidence."

Rittenhouse nodded. "Thank you Admiral. Would you continue with your explanation of the events on the surface."

Konin typically showed no emotion in response to Da'nals explanation, just made a note on the PADD before him.

Da`nal nodded. "Upon regaining consciousness, Commander Lantiq, Chief Warrant Officer Mallory, Lord Father Bnor, and I were in a larger holding cell. Dr. Hartar was not with us and we later learned that she had been taken to the city's temple as the inhabitance had believed her to be linked to their deity. Once we were reunited we allowed them to believe what they wanted and we were given armor and weapons in order to protect her in the pending battle. We saw nothing of Lieutenant Jas, Ensign Morag until we awoke in the ships sickbay."

"Why did you agree to participate in the battle Admiral?" Konin asked "Do you not consider entering combat in a past time to be a highly risky activity?"

Turning his chair only slightly. "There is risk in everything. What would you have me do Admiral? Violate their culture, leave one of my crew stranded, and risk our capture and death at the hands to the Vershanni tribesman? No it was only...logical to go along with the Naharoo and let them continue to believe what the wished. At least with the team now armed and mounted, we had a chance of survival. It was fortunate that the battle never reached our position just as the two forces clashed the entire area stunned by Lieutenant Mason's creative solution."


TBC

 

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