<USS Avalon> "Taking the Low Road"

“Taking The Low Road”
by Commander Javan Sierra



Javan had a pile of reports on his desk about the ambassadors and the fact that they wanted nothing more than to talk to the Captain and know what was going on. Why is it that when something is public no one cares about the situation, but the minute something is concealed and hidden the entire universe has an ear to the door? At the current point in time Javan was just happy that they’d all been confined to quarters.

It wasn’t adding up as far as he was concerned. They wanted to pledge the Federation for membership and get involved with intergalactic affairs having just become new to the fact that there were others in the universe than them. Javan had read scripts and accounts of when First Contact happened in Montana over three centuries ago and that is what tainted his mind on whether or not a Rydyn would have committed murder.

Then again, that line of reasoning made him question whether anyone that served under the elitist umbrella of Starfleet Intelligence was capable of murdering one of their own. For a moment it seemed highly ironic and he found himself staring at his own hands. He had killed his own, he’d killed those he didn’t know, and he’d killed those that were just another mark on an information sheet. Suddenly, all the familiar faces lost their innocence.

So, for the most part, it was limited to the people on board or a member of the Rydyn delegation. The weapon had a plasma based energy source. Many weapons around the galaxy have plasma-based energy sources, including Starfleet. It wasn’t a definitive start, hell, it wasn’t any start at all. He sighed and sat down in the chair.

Another beep went off and another report was filed under ‘read immediately’. Out of complete frustration and utter exhaustion, Javan reached over and deleted the message. It wasn’t all that important - the science ambassador had little grounds for ordering an explanation out of the acting command staff.

That was another problem that he was dreading. Skyler. She could be a very capable officer, but Javan never saw her cool under pressure. It was always this that or the other thing as far as he saw it. The one time he saw her ‘take command’ was when she violated direct orders from Starfleet. Javan remembered that with a chuckle. He had her thrown in the brig; he remembered that it felt really good.

“Sir?”

Javan looked up, “yes, Ensign?”

Ryan Hollander walked into the room and handed him a PADD. He had that look in his eye as he dropped it off, “another request for information from the head delegate. Something about it being crucial to their talks with the Federation.”

“Crucial? My ass.”

“Sir?”

“Ensign, I want you to walk back to the delegate and tell him to shove this up his ass. Tell him that the amount of information he’s been provided with is the most he’ll receive until myself and Commander Skyler feel that they need to be informed with any more,” Javan tightened his hands into fists and displayed them openly on the table. “Understood?”

A wave of confusion swept over his features, but he nodded solemnly anyway, “yes, sir, would you like me to proceed exactly as you described?”

Javan blinked, thought about it, smiled, and then shrugged it off, “deal with it in the best way that you know how. If all else fails, go with what I told you to say. And, when you’re down, take some time off in the holodeck. You look like hell.”

“Thanks,” Hollander said sarcastically as he moved out into the security offices.

A fine young officer that man would be when he learned that sometimes things need to be handled with a little less tact and a little more shoulder. Javan began questioning his current mission. In all honesty it had been rescinded until the whole murder fiasco was over, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t continue looking. Hollander was good, but not that good.

He’d gotten lost in his thoughts again about his mission and a little about the investigation, but mostly about life in general. So many paths to choose from, he thought to himself as he leaned back in his chair, and yet he chose to go down the one where he had the least amount of life to live. It was always ‘do this’ or ‘steal that’ or ‘kill this person’ or ‘interrogate that ambassador’; he was always at the Section’s beck and call.

His thoughts again were shattered by the door chime. Sitting up and grabbing a PADD, Javan nodded and called out for the person to enter. Hollander again graced his presence, but this time his _expression_ was grime and his attitude was definitely dampened by something. “Sir?”

“Yes, Hollander?”

“The security ambassador is here to speak to you. I told him that you had supplied all the available information, but he didn’t believe me. Every time he had the opportunity he was throwing himself into the hallway and trying to get to a turbolift.” Hollander put his hands behind his back respectfully, but he was nervous and uncomfortable. “Shall I see him in.”

Javan nodded, albeit hesitantly, “yes.”

Moments later an enraged Rydyn waltzed through the doors with an aura of arrogance and superiority - Javan thought of himself. “I can’t believe this. What hospitality is this? You expect us to join your almighty Federation when we’re being caged liked animals and left in the dark like children!”

“Ambassador you must...”

“This is ludicrous, I want to...”

“You have to understand...”

“Talk to the Captain immediately! I feel the need to...”

“Stop interrupting me?” Javan stood up and stared into the eyes of the man before him. Javan wasn’t going to be intimidated or pushed around by some alien who just achieved warp and was putting his head where it didn’t belong. “You’ve been supplied with all the information that we have available at the present time. Because of ship security I cannot guarantee that all information has been released to you.”

The ambassador clenched his fists, “I want to know everything now!”

“I’m sure you do. I want my own ship and a crew that will follow me for all eternity, but that isn’t going to happen either so I suggest you deal with what you’ve been given and be happy.” Javan paced around the desk and stood to his full height in front of the Rydyn, “As for what you’ve gotten you should be happy you’ve received that. Starfleet Intelligence isn’t in the market to give away everything we know.”

The man took a step up and put his face into Javan’s. The breath was hot and heavy, the breathing was labored, and the overall feelings towards Javan were just full of hatred and suspicion. “You’re not making the all-powerful United Federation of Planets look good, Commander. I suggest you tell us what is going on or risk our not joining.”

Narrowing his eyes, Javan pushed further. “You know what, Ambassador, you’re not making this investigation go any easier. As a matter of fact, your doing nothing but hinder it with your continual whining, self-indulgent bantering about needing information, and your narcissistic view on our culture. So, for both of our sakes, why don’t you put your foot in your mouth and go back to your quarters.”

“Excuse me?” The man’s jaw should’ve plummeted through the deck plating after a verbal bashing like that, but he stood his ground. “How dare you? How dare you?! When the Captain hears of this I’m sure you’ll be demoted or expelled from Starfleet.”

“Oh, and I might add that if you try to escape out of your quarters again, I’ll throw you in the brig.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Javan sat down in his chair and cracked his knuckles obnoxiously, “try me.”

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