<USS Avalon> Captain Deals with Trouble

Ensign Thomas Jackson, the man who had been arrested after attempting something even he now realized was foolish, was frightened and ashamed of himself. His several-generations back grandfather Daniel, not to mention his grandfather, father and family, would be bitterly ashamed of him for this stupidity.
He dreaded the coming confrontation with the Captain; he knew he was in the wrong, but what still puzzled him was why the acting Chief Engineer had caught him and not Security. His head still rang from that huge scream, too, and that had him wondering if the woman could be legally brought up on assault charges.
Skyler walked into the brig with her hands behind her back. Alongside her was Lieutenant K'etrall who had witnessed, or at least stopped, the attack. Not saying a word, they proceeded to the cell holding Ensign Jackson. Upon arriving, they just stood in front of the force field and looked at him, with Captain Skyler sending K'etrall, /Not very imposing now, is he?/ K'etrall merely nodded her head in agreement. He was lucky he was behind the force field.
The two arriving distracted Thomas, one dressed in Command colors with Captain's bars, the other clearly the Chief Engineer, but he simply went to attention without speaking.
Without turning her head, Skyler spoke calmly, "Is this the "man" who you saw who had apparently attempted to attack Ensign Erridim?"
"Yes Ma'am. That is he." /The creep is lucky to be where he is and not where I can reach him!/ K'etrall's send was full of her rage over the situation.
Skyler cautioned, /Calm down, Lieutenant. He will pay for his crime and he will regret his actions./ Again, K'etrall merely nodded her head.
Unaware of the additional byplay between the two senior officers, Thomas simply waited.
Still not saying anything to the man behind the force field, Skyler turned to look at K'etrall. "You are sure this is the man you saw in the room with Ensign Erridim?" She wanted to make absolutely sure the right man was in custody, although she already knew it to be so.
Glaring at Jackson, K'etrall replied gruffly, "Yes, it is him." Her send was a vitriolic, /The dirty bastard./
"Thank you, Lieutenant. You are dismissed." She watched as K'etrall snarled at Jackson as she left the brig and security in general. Now she started pacing in front of his cell. She was biding her time and trying to make him a little nervous. She could make his suffering fast or slow but decided to let him wonder what she was up to.
Taking a PADD from behind her back, she pushed some buttons and began reading. She still had not spoken to Jackson, or, other than the initial eye contact, even looked at him. /Ice Princess, attack on a female member of the crew, inappropriate behavior, behavior unbecoming an officer, if he could be /called/ an officer. My, what a long list. . ./
Turning her back to his cell, she spoke in a hushed tone to the Ensign on duty. After she was done, the Ensign left the brig area, leaving Skyler alone with the jerk. She finally spoke, still facing away from his cell, "Well, well, Ensign. You have been a busy boy, haven't you?"
Thomas stated, "I suppose I have, ma'am." He didn't dare disagree with the Captain, even if she was "just" the executive officer of the /Avalon/.
"/Just/ the executive officer? My, you give me way too much credit. You see, right now, I am in charge of everything that happens on this ship. Including what happens to you. So . . . you might want to reconsider your position." Skyler paused to let her words sink in, although she doubted that this particular Ensign was going to change his opinion of things. "According to this document, you were found unconscious in Ensign Erridim's quarters. Is that correct?"
At her words, Thomas first frowned, then wondered how on Earth she'd heard his thought. At her statement, then question, he stated the simple fact. "Yes, ma'am."
"That's all you have to say about the matter . . . is yes ma'am? Pretty sure of yourself there, aren't you now? Anyway, that is of no matter. It also says that you were in the process of attacking Ms. Erridim. Is that also true?"
His answer was sullen and bitter. "I don't suppose I can counter-charge her with assault, can I? That voice of hers is a deadly weapon." He was completely unaware of the mental aspect of the scream Talea had used.
Skyler looked at the pitiful man. "If I had been her, I would've screamed my head off as well. The answer to your poorly asked question is . . . no, you may not counter-charge anyone." Returning to her pacing, Skyler was pensive. "Would you mind telling me why you thought it was appropriate to call a new arriving officer an "Ice Princess?"
Thomas sighed. "Look, Captain, I recognize freely that I fouled up. She was as pale as ice when her stasis chamber opened. I've now read up on stasis, and that's common." He swallowed convulsively. "My later attack in her quarters, which were, in fact, my quarters . . ." He frowned. "I was angry and not thinking."
"Hmm . . . Interesting. You say they were, in reality, your quarters?" Skyler looked at her PADD again. As she was pushing buttons and accessing the information she required, she continued to pace in front of the cell.
Thomas nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I thought it was damned odd she was moving into my quarters, when everyone knew section chiefs are up on Deck Three, ma'am." He sighed. "Still doesn't give me an excuse for the assault with intent." His shoulders slumped. "I've screwed my career, and my family's liable to want to kill me for this."
"I see. So because she was . . . different, and supposedly moving into your quarters, you felt you had the right to attack her. You didn't need to ask her what was going on or if an error in assignments had been made, and in fact she was in what she was told were her quarters. Because of all this, you felt that you had the right to assault her. Interesting indeed."
Thomas frowned. "Since when does someone who is angry as I was then think straight, Captain? I'm willing to plead guilty, get this over with, and . . ." He sighed. "Try to get on with what little will be left of my life afterwards."
"Angry? Mister Jackson, I don't think you were as angry as you want me to believe. I think you fully intended to attack Ms. Erridim and had planned it since you first saw her and made your colorful remark. I also think that even if there /hadn't/ been an error in assignments, you would have found and attacked her regardless of where her quarters were. According to the information I have, you made a comment about melting her ice. Not a wise move at all, Mister. Not at all." Still pacing, Skyler had to admit she was enjoying watching the little twerp squirm in his cage.
He shook his head. "Like I said, I'm willing to admit my guilt and take the punishment. I was stupid and deserve punishment. I've heard some unsettling things about her people's concept of justice, though."
"The thought had crossed my mind to turn you over to her people and let them deal with this matter. But," she paused for several seconds before resuming, "you are a member of Starfleet, God knows why, so you get lucky there. No, instead, you are going to have to deal with me. Or perhaps I will let Ms. Erridim deal with you. I think that would be the only fair thing to do. Don't you?" Inside, Skyler was grinning from ear to ear.
Thomas' eyes widened in shock and horror despite his intent not to let it show. He knew, from the reading he'd done on the Regellians (unaware the information was centuries out of date!) that vendettas were legal, and Lord knew he'd given her plenty of reason for it.
"From that look on your face, I take it you would rather deal with me and not the Regellians?" Without saying a word, she reached up slowly and rested her hand on her combadge. She wanted to see his reaction.
Thomas stammered, "Y-yes ma'am. At least I'll survive Federation justice reasonably intact, if you get my meaning, ma'am."
"Oh, I get your meaning, Ensign. The question is, what shall I do about you? You are a disgrace to that uniform, and as much as it pains me to say it, to the entire male species. Perhaps Ensign Erridim could give me some advice as to what should be done about you. What do you think?"
Thomas sighed. "Apologizing to her, although woefully inadequate, is a start, isn't it?"
"Well, let's just find out." Tapping her combadge, Skyler spoke clearly and precisely, "Ensign Erridim, this is Captain Skyler. Could you please report to the brig immediately?" Once she was done speaking, she found a chair and sat down. Time to let him stew a little bit!
Talea blinked as her combadge sounded and the Captain's words broke through her light meditation. "Yes, ma'am. Be there in five to eight minutes." She was very much under-dressed for outside her quarters, as she was wearing little more than a robe when the communication occurred. Quickly, yet without seeming to hurry, she changed into her RSMC battle-dress uniform and proceeded down to Security main, arriving four and a half minutes after her acknowledgment.
Skyler had left word with the security officer in reception to escort Ensign Erridim upon her arrival. "Getting nervous, Mister Jackson?"
When Talea saw whom she was approaching, she simply said a quiet, "Oh." Internally, she was thinking, "Good cop, bad cop."
"Welcome, Ensign. I hope I am not putting you at an inconvenience? It seems that Mister Jackson here has a few words for you. I myself do not think that they are in any way going to absolve him of his actions. He, on the other hand, thinks he should at least try." /I myself have other plans for him./ "Mister Jackson, you're on."
Thomas looked at the very much self-assured woman in black. "I'd like to apologize formally, before the Captain as my witness, for my actions, both the day you boarded and the later attack."
Talea smiled slightly, then stated coolly, "I appreciate the apology, but unfortunately, justice must be served."
Skyler responded, "I agree completely, Ensign. What would you suggest would be the best course of action for me to take? I want to make sure he is adequately punished and that you are clear that this will never happen again."
Talea nearly suggested the punishment meted out in cases where Regellian justice was the determinant, but didn't. "I suggest, with all due respect, that we research this matter and deal with it in accordance to Starfleet regulations, ma'am." It wasn't that she didn't want him to suffer, she did. But she was also quite aware that this wasn't a RSMC or RSDF vessel, so different rules applied.
Skyler looked over at Talea, who seemed to be using every bit of energy to remain where she was and not bolt, unaware that Talea was far calmer than she appeared to her. "I agree with you to a point, Ensign. You see, I have already researched it, and essentially it is up to me as to how to punish this man. I have no doubt he will be discharged from the fleet and most especially this ship. However, until we reach a facility where he can be dropped, we are stuck with him."
Talea chuckled. "With all due respect, ma'am, I think not. Given course and speed, the /Baron l'Orange/ could deliver him and his effects to wherever you choose. And without affecting this vessel's ability to do missions, since my shuttle isn't officially part of this vessel's inventory. She could then return autonomously."
"Now, we don't want to rush into anything, do we? I think he deserves a little time aboard the /Avalon/ to think about his actions and the consequences. Besides, I wouldn't want to dirty your craft by allowing him inside it. No, we must find an appropriate way to punish him here first. Then we can send him on his way somewhere."
Talea said quietly, "Trust me, Claire could make his life hell, ma'am. Know it from firsthand experience."
Looking at Ensign Jackson, Skyler wondered just what he thought. "It would seem, Mister Jackson, that your apology was not satisfactory enough. The choice is yours, Ms. Erridim. We can keep him here on bread and water, or if you want to use your vessel, we can ship him to the nearest prison facility."
Talea was almost laughing now, but was controlling it. "Permission for Claire to come visit her charge, ma'am?" 

Smiling, Skyler looked at Talea and back at Jackson. "Permission granted."
Cialra, knowing full well the protocols aboard a Starfleet vessel, walked to Security, dressed in an understated and only lightly adorned business suit, although an observer may have sworn she teleported several times, due to areas of the vessel that didn't have proper coverage for holographic avatars. She muttered to herself after the second such gap, "Must speak to whoever's in charge. That's dangerous. What if an EMHA or EMPH is needed in one of those areas?"
Skyler was still talking to herself, trying to decide if it would be appropriate to send this excuse for an officer off on a craft with an AI.
As the woman walked in, Skyler was taken by her appearance and professionalism. "I assume this is Claire?"
Cialra bowed slightly. "Yes, Captain Skyler. Forgive me for having come in, but I understand you've a task for me?" She smiled slightly, and Thomas, uncertain, was made a little uneasy for a reason he couldn't quite pin down.
"No apology is needed. Actually, the task we have in mind for you can be best explained by Talea here. I am only going to allow it . . . if you both feel it can be handled with some dignity. He is, after all, still an officer in Starfleet. Granted, he may not be for much longer. Ensign, if you wouldn't mind explaining what you have in mind?" Skyler stood off and waited to see Jackson's reaction to the interplay between Talea and Claire.
Talea gave a half-bow to the Captain, then explained. "Simply a tasking to transport the young man over there," she pointed toward the Ensign, but with her entire hand, "to the nearest Federation starbase, along with the data necessary to make the court-martial happen." She looked to the Captain. "Is that not what is needed, ma'am? I'd prefer not to make a mistake here."
Jackson, though, simply stayed impassive, not so much as twitching, although internally, he was beginning to wonder what on Earth was going on.
Cialra chuckled before mentioning, "You know, depending on the infraction, administrative discipline is rather effective."
Talea almost chuckled, as that broke Ensign Jackson's apparently fragile calm, but she suppressed it successfully. She was quite aware of what Cialra had in mind, and knew it would leave no physical scars at all.
"I think you have covered it concisely, Ensign. You have covered everything, for the most part. I wouldn't mind if you took the long way around. Administrative discipline will take place before you depart. He is currently on bread and water. I am still debating on stripping him of his pips and such before his departure. I was thinking perhaps I could do it before the entire crew."
Cialra said quietly, "Administrative discipline, Captain, is another term for a flogging. In the RSDF, it is with a special whip that leaves no physical scars." The emphasis on the next to last word was small, yet significant. "Psychological ones, however, are sometimes a different matter altogether."
Talea commented, "Stripping him of his rank and honors will require that the lowest-ranked member of the crew do it, ma'am. Maximizes the humiliation." She then noted, "On the other hand, it is also done after a properly-convened court-martial has convicted the defendant of certain crimes."
"You make a good point, Ensign. Let's see. Who would the lowest ranking officer be? Possibly the janitor." Skyler smiled at the thought.
Thomas' eyes widened. Surely his being stripped of rank and honors without trial was illegal, against regs! Without intending to, he started shivering.
At that moment, elements of Alpha Squad came into the cell block, several hustling other prisoners into cells, not being particularly careful of their safety in the process, making quite a racket.
Delta Squad followed with two more, and Walker Ranger stopped in front of the Captain. "Sergeant Ranger reporting, ma'am, that the /Avalon/-B is now cleared of scavengers." He'd not noticed Talea, who was suddenly standing very stiffly beside the Captain. He then turned to Ensign Jackson. "While I don't know you, sir, I have a low opinion of you, due to what I have already sensed from the Captain and Ensign Erridim here." Talea nearly looked as hurt as she felt at his words. Surely she didn't rate that ice-cold formality from him!
"Welcome back, Sergeant. For the moment, could you please refrain from confronting the prisoner? We are in the process of deciding the best way to deal with him." Looking at Talea, Skyler spoke quietly, "I must admit to having an ulterior motive in having you here. I am hoping you will begin to trust what I say and me. I told you he would be dealt with, and that you had nothing to fear from him or from me. I hope it is working to some extent."
Talea nodded. "It is, ma'am. You are a woman of your word, and that is a precious thing." This was a higher compliment than Skyler perhaps knew.
Walker blinked, then chuckled, nodding. "Yes, ma'am. I've other things to do, including the paperwork on our prisoners and seeing to the three of my squad who are in Sickbay." He bowed slightly. "If you'll excuse me?" His look at Talea begged her forgiveness and forbearance, as insult had not been intended.
Talea simply inclined her head for a brief moment in agreement to the unspoken request, although Walker had not 'pathed it to her either. Without realizing it, she was beginning to learn how to read body language more clearly as a result of her current disability.
Skyler then inquired, "Mister Walker, before you leave, can I assume it is safe to send another boarding party aboard the /Avalon/-B to retrieve our belongings and such? Just what had the looters managed to obtain?"
Walker grinned. "Considering the fact that Alpha Squad secured their vessel? Nothing except trouble." His grin widened. "It should be relatively safe, but to be sure, I'd advise asking Captain Phillips to assign a small escort team to assure safety, ma'am." He was quite aware that Captain Skyler outranked the Security Chief, but still wanted to go through channels.
"Thank you for that. I will have a talk with the Captain as soon as we are done with this unsightly matter." Turning her head slightly, she smirked at Ensign Jackson.
Walker simply saluted Captain Skyler briefly, then returned to his post-mission duties, distasteful as he found them.
Turning to look at Talea and Cialra, Skyler spoke, "Now just where were we in this unfortunate affair?"
Cialra chuckled. "That, Captain, is entirely up to you. I'm willing and capable of transporting this man to wherever you believe suitable. Including several non-survivable destinations, if you get my meaning." She grinned ferally for a brief moment.
Talea said quietly, "We were discussing administrative discipline and the art of drumming a person out of the Service as well, ma'am."
With a smirk, Skyler looked at Jackson. "Oh, I get your meaning loud and clear, Claire. Unfortunately, I can't allow a member of this crew or myself to stoop to this man's level. As much as I would quite enjoy "drumming" him out of the service, I think it best if we leave that to the courts, who will no doubt court-martial and punish him. Approximately how long do you think it would take you to reach the nearest prison facility, deliver your passenger and the papers referring to his incarceration?"
Cialra frowned. "The nearest JAG post is . . ." She closed her eyes in concentration as she tried to access the records, crying out when the ship's core forcefully rejected her request for data. 

Talea paled before asking, "Claire, are you all right?"
Cialra nodded. "Just a bit shaken. That was rather unexpected. I was just attacked by some form of active-defense mechanism that I had to deflect."
Skyler regarded Claire, looking shocked. "What do you mean you were attacked? What kind of active-defense mechanism? What were you trying to access?" A thought popped into her head, and the likely action occurred to her. "I bet you were trying to access information from the computer. It probably kicked you out because you haven't been given proper access to it."
Cialra shook her head. "What should have been reasonably public data on the location of the UFP JAG stations, and the attack got through my first-level defenses before I successfully countered and neutralized it."
"Computer, grant access to your data banks by Cialra. Command code Skyler Alpha 574 Beta Zulu." Skyler smiled. "That should make things a bit easier now."
Cialra nodded and attempted again, this time accessing the proper data without incident. "Ah. Nearest Federation JAG station is three point eight one days away at warp eight point eight, which is well within the /Baron l'Orange/'s capabilities." She frowned slightly. "They currently show a two week backlog of cases." 

Talea asked, "Claire, is that Regellian or Federation time-scale?"

Cialra chuckled. "Regellian, as it turns out. Oops."
Skyler raised an eyebrow. "Could you kindly convert that to Federation, please?"
Cialra chuckled evilly. "That is 105.83 Terran hours, or approximately 4.1 days, Captain. My apologies for having made that mistake."
"That's quite all right, Claire. I'm sure I would've made the same mistake, if I knew the conversion. You say there is a two-week backlog of cases? Hmm . . ."
Cialra nodded. "And that, oddly enough, /is/ in Federation time-scale. Happens to be approximately 42 Stardates from now. At earliest."
"Well then, I suppose we should send a subspace message informing them that you will be arriving with Mister Jackson, so that they may set up a time and date for his appearance." Looking at Talea, Skyler nodded. "I think that would be appropriate, don't you, Ensign? In fact, we can send the message, and when the time for his appearance nears, we can send him off with Claire."
Talea sighed as she realized something. "Considering the fact that we will need to testify in person or do legal depositions in lieu of same, Captain, this may get complicated."
"That it may. I think for now, we should just let him stew in his own juices. We can take depositions as needed to send along. I don't think it will be too difficult, as I already have him on tape admitting to the crime itself. So nice of him to admit to it without much coercion at all."
Talea just shook her head. "Either he's an honest man that admitted to a terrible error . . ." She didn't finish the sentence, as it was self-evident to both her and Cialra.
Walker came up at that moment and stated quietly, "Captain, may I see you for a moment?" He was sickened by what he'd seen the security camera record in what he honestly believed to have been Talea's quarters. He was unaware of the quarters misassignment.

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