Fleur Le Marc
80104.23
Right after "Mouse No More"
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--=Starfleet Command, San Francisco California, Earth=--
80104.23
Right after "Mouse No More"
-------------------------------------------
--=Starfleet Command, San Francisco California, Earth=--
As the door to the Admiral's office closed behind her, Fleur Le Marc wondered if it was locked. She knew one thing for certain, she felt like a trapped animal.
A man with a ring of silver hair around his head and a salt and pepper beard sat behind a desk before her, piercing eyes analyzing every move she made between the door and the desk.
He did not rise to greet her. "Bonsoir, Mlle Le Marc. Asseyez-vous svp."
"Vous parlez français ?"
"Assez."
Fleur sat down before his desk and he repeated the very same phrase that Salvek had used when he first addressed what she'd done, back in the ready room on the Alchemy.
"You are in a great deal of trouble, Mme. Le Marc." He continued in perfectly articulated French, and Fleur's gaze fell. One would have thought she had suddenly became fascinated by the floor, she stared at it so intently.
"Yes, Admiral."
"You are going to take this," He handed her a PADD, "And you are going to write me a report, explaining in excruciating detail exactly how you got onto the Alchemy. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Admiral."
"What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I wanted to help."
"That's it? You wanted to help? Why didn't you just volunteer? Why did you feel compelled to break the rules and sneak aboard?"
"Because I knew that Salvek would never allow it."
"Do you believe that the Commander makes bad decisions?"
"No, Admiral,"
"Then why would it have been a bad thing if he said no to you?"
"Because I needed to be on the Alchemy, Sir. I felt I had. . ." she stopped.
"I'm waiting, Mlle. Le Marc."
"Work to do there. I felt I had work to do there that no one else could do in the same way."
"Hmm."
He watched her flip the PADD between and forth between her hands nervously.
"You don't like Captain Zanh. Why would you risk your life to go on a mission to save her?"
"It was not for her that I went." Fleur answered quite honestly, knowing that any attempt at deception would be futile anyway. The Admiral seemed to know just how far to push her, and she was going to do her best to accommodate him, in the hopes she might yet save her career from complete disaster.
"Then why did you do it?"
"For the rest of the crew."
"Anyone in particular, Fleur?"
"Several people in particular, actually."
"Name them."
"Well, we'll start with little Arie. She spends far too much time alone. Then there are my friends Lair Kellyn, and Reece, and Jariel."
"Jariel."
"The Vedek? What about him."
"You were with him the day that he collapsed on DS23 years ago. By all reports, you were quite distressed by it."
"Would you not be distressed if one of your dearest friends collapsed before your eyes, Admiral?" She shook her head. "Perhaps not.
Perhaps you have seen too much in this life already."
Vox ignored her remark and continued.
"I have an offer to make you, and I'm a busy man so I'm going to be blunt."
"Please."
"I can arrange for you to be assigned to the new ship where Reece, and Lair, and Salvek and Jariel are all going to be assigned. If you will agree to. . .gather certain information for me."
"Sir?"
"Captain Zanh is reckless. It was her bad judgment that got her into the situation she had to be rescued from. If she'd followed standard security protocols her abductor would never have been on the bridge."
"Yes. And the lives of the crew would not have had to be risked in an attempt to save her."
"We probably should have just let her go to the Romulans."
Fleur started to speak in agreement, as was her first impulse, but she stopped. "No. No one deserves such a fate."
*Not even Zanh Liis, as much as I wish I would wake up tomorrow and find she had just ceased to exist.* Fleur thought.
"Admiral, I am sorry but I will not spy for you. In my role, I am trusted by the crew, and I do not want to in any way betray the trust that they have shown me. I would rather give up my Starfleet career than take on the role that you are asking of me."
Vox nodded. "You screwed up, Fleur."
"I know." This time, she looked him in the eye, not at anything else.
"But you just saved yourself. If you'd accepted my offer so that you could stay near. . .Arie, and Lair Kellyn," He stressed the names, knowing damn well that it was not those two she most wanted to remain near. "I'd have ended your civilian Starfleet career today. But you didn't. You have shown me that your. . .recent lapse in judgment was just that. A one time lapse. Am I wrong?"
"No, Admiral."
"Well, then I will let Salvek and Lair's reports stand. You are so well liked by the crew do you know that each and every officer that served on the rescue mission mentioned you, by name, in their report and said that you provided a valuable addition to their team?"
"No, Sir. I did not know."
"Well, they did. So, you have a choice to make. Would you like to go back to the prestige gig, serving on the Flagship and cooking for heads of state and dignitaries every night? Or would you choose to stay with your friends, and continue to fill that supporting role?"
Fleur's expression brightened for the first time since she had set foot on Earth. "I would choose, of course, my friends, Admiral. Svp."
"Very well." He handed her another PADD. "Here is your authorization and transfer to serve aboard the Serendipity. I do, however, still expect a detailed report on how you got onto the Alchemy on my desk before you report for duty tomorrow. Clear?"
"Yes, Sir." She stood up, eager to leave.
"Dismissed."
A man with a ring of silver hair around his head and a salt and pepper beard sat behind a desk before her, piercing eyes analyzing every move she made between the door and the desk.
He did not rise to greet her. "Bonsoir, Mlle Le Marc. Asseyez-vous svp."
"Vous parlez français ?"
"Assez."
Fleur sat down before his desk and he repeated the very same phrase that Salvek had used when he first addressed what she'd done, back in the ready room on the Alchemy.
"You are in a great deal of trouble, Mme. Le Marc." He continued in perfectly articulated French, and Fleur's gaze fell. One would have thought she had suddenly became fascinated by the floor, she stared at it so intently.
"Yes, Admiral."
"You are going to take this," He handed her a PADD, "And you are going to write me a report, explaining in excruciating detail exactly how you got onto the Alchemy. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Admiral."
"What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I wanted to help."
"That's it? You wanted to help? Why didn't you just volunteer? Why did you feel compelled to break the rules and sneak aboard?"
"Because I knew that Salvek would never allow it."
"Do you believe that the Commander makes bad decisions?"
"No, Admiral,"
"Then why would it have been a bad thing if he said no to you?"
"Because I needed to be on the Alchemy, Sir. I felt I had. . ." she stopped.
"I'm waiting, Mlle. Le Marc."
"Work to do there. I felt I had work to do there that no one else could do in the same way."
"Hmm."
He watched her flip the PADD between and forth between her hands nervously.
"You don't like Captain Zanh. Why would you risk your life to go on a mission to save her?"
"It was not for her that I went." Fleur answered quite honestly, knowing that any attempt at deception would be futile anyway. The Admiral seemed to know just how far to push her, and she was going to do her best to accommodate him, in the hopes she might yet save her career from complete disaster.
"Then why did you do it?"
"For the rest of the crew."
"Anyone in particular, Fleur?"
"Several people in particular, actually."
"Name them."
"Well, we'll start with little Arie. She spends far too much time alone. Then there are my friends Lair Kellyn, and Reece, and Jariel."
"Jariel."
"The Vedek? What about him."
"You were with him the day that he collapsed on DS23 years ago. By all reports, you were quite distressed by it."
"Would you not be distressed if one of your dearest friends collapsed before your eyes, Admiral?" She shook her head. "Perhaps not.
Perhaps you have seen too much in this life already."
Vox ignored her remark and continued.
"I have an offer to make you, and I'm a busy man so I'm going to be blunt."
"Please."
"I can arrange for you to be assigned to the new ship where Reece, and Lair, and Salvek and Jariel are all going to be assigned. If you will agree to. . .gather certain information for me."
"Sir?"
"Captain Zanh is reckless. It was her bad judgment that got her into the situation she had to be rescued from. If she'd followed standard security protocols her abductor would never have been on the bridge."
"Yes. And the lives of the crew would not have had to be risked in an attempt to save her."
"We probably should have just let her go to the Romulans."
Fleur started to speak in agreement, as was her first impulse, but she stopped. "No. No one deserves such a fate."
*Not even Zanh Liis, as much as I wish I would wake up tomorrow and find she had just ceased to exist.* Fleur thought.
"Admiral, I am sorry but I will not spy for you. In my role, I am trusted by the crew, and I do not want to in any way betray the trust that they have shown me. I would rather give up my Starfleet career than take on the role that you are asking of me."
Vox nodded. "You screwed up, Fleur."
"I know." This time, she looked him in the eye, not at anything else.
"But you just saved yourself. If you'd accepted my offer so that you could stay near. . .Arie, and Lair Kellyn," He stressed the names, knowing damn well that it was not those two she most wanted to remain near. "I'd have ended your civilian Starfleet career today. But you didn't. You have shown me that your. . .recent lapse in judgment was just that. A one time lapse. Am I wrong?"
"No, Admiral."
"Well, then I will let Salvek and Lair's reports stand. You are so well liked by the crew do you know that each and every officer that served on the rescue mission mentioned you, by name, in their report and said that you provided a valuable addition to their team?"
"No, Sir. I did not know."
"Well, they did. So, you have a choice to make. Would you like to go back to the prestige gig, serving on the Flagship and cooking for heads of state and dignitaries every night? Or would you choose to stay with your friends, and continue to fill that supporting role?"
Fleur's expression brightened for the first time since she had set foot on Earth. "I would choose, of course, my friends, Admiral. Svp."
"Very well." He handed her another PADD. "Here is your authorization and transfer to serve aboard the Serendipity. I do, however, still expect a detailed report on how you got onto the Alchemy on my desk before you report for duty tomorrow. Clear?"
"Yes, Sir." She stood up, eager to leave.
"Dismissed."
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Fleur Le Marc
Civilian Chef
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
Fleur Le Marc
Civilian Chef
USS Serendipity NCC-2012