"Executive Endeavor"
Previous Post: "Duty"
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Stardate: 60326.1145
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Dawson's Quarters
Sitting down with David and Lea the Romulan/Terran hybrid wasted no time to explain why she had come here and why the next few hours would be so important to the career of the ANUBIS' CEO. "I'll get straight to the point David; even if Capt. Rikar does not file a formal report as to your conduct, the ship's records which will be confirmed by Annie's log which are quite extensive, will be more than sufficient to have Koneki open an inquiry into the events surrounding the second launch of the SPHINX. One way or the other I suspect that by the end of this inquiry you will be drummed out or worse."
Looking absolutely unimpressed David leaned back into the couch where he had been sitting and crossing his muscular arms across his chest he snarled, "Thanks for having come all the way here to try and cheer me up."
Jumping to the CEO's defence the CMO stood from the chair she had been on and glared down at the still sitting Romulan/Terran hybrid, a sight that equally strange and inappropriate. "Commander! How can even you be so cold and say something like that, I was under the impression that you and David had shared many things, enough for you two to be friends on some level."
Looking up at the standing CMO the XO returned the woman's glare in folds before ordering with a simple gesture of the head for the Ensign to mind her place in the command structure of the ANUBIS and sit back down. Turning back to look at David who seemed on the verge of an emotional collapse the Romulan/Terran hybrid continued. "I am here to help, but in order to do so we need to understand exactly where David stands and what it is we have to accomplish before we reach NEW ALEXANDRIA."
Appearing a little surprised by the new that the Romulan/Terran hybrid had come to held, especially after what she had said first, the CEO gave a rather sceptical look at his former Academy classmate. "Help me? How?"
Knowing that time was of the essence the XO moved ahead with a point-blank explanation, any time wasted explaining what would need to be done took away from all three of them actually working on it. "A court-martial is inevitable, and since Capt. Rikar will be called upon to either be present on the side of the prosecution or called to testify, the role of attorney for the defence falls upon the next senior most officer."
Looking as if she had been ready to fall off her chair following that announcement the CMO gasped. "*YOU* are going to take care of David's defence against a full court-martial?"
Shaking his head the CEO echoed the apparent concerns of the CMO before adding a few words of his own. "Well that should help make the proceedings quick. How about I just resign my commission now and save you the work?"
Glaring at her former Academy classmate the Romulan/Terran appeared genuinely angered by the comment made by the two officers. Standing up the XO quickly looked at the CMO before turning her eyes back on the CEO. "Fine if that is the way you two want it, then you can face the court-martial *alone*. I came here to help, not to be insulted in this manner, especially not by the likes of either of you."
Understanding only too late that the XO had been truthful in her wish to help David the CMO stood and pleaded for the Romulan/Terran hybrid to stay. "Commander, I'm sorry. I will help in whatever way you need me to as I am sure David will."
Glancing over to David to see if he too had been willing to do as needed to be done to see his career in Starfleet saved, the XO was happy to see a compliant CEO instead of an angry or disbelieving man. Returning to her seat the Romulan/Terran hybrid laid out their plan of action. "We have about three hours to gather as much information as we can and make some sense of it all. If we are lucky the evidence presented by us will be sufficient to make Admiral Koneki dismiss the need for a court-martial. Even if our conclusions are insufficient at that time it may be enough to put some doubt in the minds of the three officers who will be heading the court-martial which we can only hope will mean some level of leniency towards David."
Accepting that there might actually be some hope for him and his career after all that had taken place, David seemed willing to go along with the XO's plan. "So what do you want me to do? Plead temporary insanity?"
Looking at David in as serious of a manner as ever the Romulan/Terran hybrid who had taken on the task of finding a defence for her friend actually grinned. "Almost. I have taken the time to scan the ship's logs and found several mention about you David not appearing entirely like yourself. What I need for you to do is to make a list of everything you remember doing, saying and thinking over the last several days, even weeks, regardless if you think it may support or not the idea that you had been under some sort of external influence."
Realizing where the XO was going with this the CMO quickly jumped in. "In the meantime I'll cross reference the medical scans and internal sensor logs of the ship to see if I can find any sort of physical proof to support this.
Nodding her agreement the Romulan/Terran hybrid was glad to see that Ens. Summers had followed the XO's line of thinking saving them time in lengthy explanations. Turning back to look at the CEO, the First Officer added what she would be doing during the next several hours. "While you two are working on your sides of the issue I will be digging deeper into the ship's logs and see if I can find more clues. Although nothing gathered in the logs can be used as hard fact it may provide us with more information to go on in order to formulate an adequate defence."
Standing up from her chair once again, but this time heading for the task that waited for her, the Romulan/Terran hybrid was stopped by David who had moved to the edge of the couch and reached out to grab hold of the XO's arm. "Serenna, thanks."
Offering a rare sight to her former Academy classmate; a smile, the Romulan/Terran hybrid placed her hand on the CEO's shoulder. "Do not thank me yet. We have a lot of work to do and too little time to do it in, so I suggest we all get to work and keep each other appraised of our progress in an hour."
Accepting the suggested timeframe all three officers went their separate ways tackling their respective tasks in the preparation of a defence for the ANUBIS' CEO.
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Serena Switt {serena1141@yahoo.com.au}
Lieutenant Commander Serenna 2005 post #398
Executive Officer
USS ANUBIS
