by Vol Tryst and Salvek
90903.20
Following While Horse and Hero Fell
-=Transporter Room One, USS Serendipity=-
90903.20
Following While Horse and Hero Fell
-=Transporter Room One, USS Serendipity=-
"Computer, locate Counselor Tryst."
Salvek had barely finished materializing from his return trip from Cork, before slapping the badge on his chest. The computer informed him that the Counselor was currently on the bridge, so that was where Salvek was headed.
“You’re welcome,” Parrish muttered to the empty pad as Salvek disappeared from the room.
-=Bridge=-
Salvek briskly strode from the turbolift towards the ready room doors. He made eye contact with Tryst, and no one else.
“The Captain’s ready room,” he ordered. Tryst sprang out of his seat and followed Salvek on his heels into the ready room. As soon as the doors closed, Tryst asked the first question.
“Don’t you mean your ready room? Calling it the Captain’s implies it does not belong to you.”
“That is precisely right, Counselor. I am hopeful that it will not be my ready room.”
Tryst inclined his head to the side slightly, swinging a leg over the back of the chair that was stationed at the desk across from Salvek. He sat down, intrigued.
“Am I to believe Zanh Liis will soon be known as Captain Zanh again?”
Salvek rose from chair, and over to the replicator to order a cup of tea. The chill in the air over Cork was difficult to shake, even in the perfect, unchanging warm atmosphere of the ship.
“Perhaps. But time is of the essence. The Captain is at least considering a return, and I have promised her that I will do everything I can to clear the way for her return if she wishes it.”
“That means we need to do something about Lassiter.” Tryst replied. Salvek noted a gleam in his eye. He was obviously excited at the idea of Zanh Liis returning.
“Correct. Director Lindsay has agreed to assist us, but we will need grounds, even with his help, to convince Lassiter’s superiors to countermand her orders. Time is of the essence.” Salvek squeezed a wedge of lemon into his tea and took a sip. Tryst inclined his head with curiosity, wondering how the Vulcan could so casually fix himself a spot of a tea with lemon at a time like this.
“So you’ll want someone like me to give Starfleet some evidence that the Admiral is not all there mentally.”
“Correct. Suggestions?”
“To do the exact opposite.”
If he hadn't had been Vulcan, Salvek would have choked on his tea. As it was, he simply raised an eyebrow and set the cup down on the saucer. “I beg your pardon?”
Vol clarified his statement. “You're asking me to provide evidence that the Admiral is not well. The best way to do that is to prove that her mental state, behaviour patterns, and, or, psychological health has changed dramatically. To do that, I need to prove that Admiral Lassiter was in prime condition before, and is presently no longer so.”
Salvek pondered this, and as ludicrous as the notion sounded that Gem was ever sane, Vol's argument did appear to hold water. Which in and of itself was a bit bizarre.
“Have you ever considered a career as a prosecutor, Counselor?”
“Why do you ask?” Vol couldn't help but grin knowingly.
“It is just that your point of view seems to be very…”
“Studied?” Vol interrupted, as he retracted, and waved, a PADD from one of his uniform's pockets. “I had hoped that the Captain would want a greased track if she wanted to reevaluate her decision, and so I read up on some legal court proceedings in the hopes that they would be useful.”
Salvek nodded in a silent, but mutually understood, thank you.
“So,” the interim Captain continued. “You are saying we need a 'before & after' psychological snapshot of the Admiral, in order to better point out that she is no longer herself.”
“Exactly.”
”Obtaining the Admiral’s previous mental health evaluations will be no small task,” Salvek lamented.
Vol replied by once again waving the same PADD.
“I should have suspected as much.” Salvek took a sip of his tea, then leaned back slowly in the chair, and steepled his fingers. Vol began to sense a level or apprehension in him that seemed unnecessary, considering that Vol had provided him with all the material he would need to execute his plan.
“Have I done something wrong?” Vol asked.
“Not at all.”
Vol waited for Salvek to continue. When the Vulcan did not, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat and looked for Zanh Liis’s telescope to fiddle with. Finding nothing but a teacup and a computer terminal, he decided he would need to draw out Salvek’s thoughts himself rather than wait for them to be volunteered.
“Yet something is bothering you.”
“Admiral Lassiter has made several illogical decisions as of late. Yet her reasons for doing so are themselves understandable. She has lost a son, and I would be guilty of a falsehood Counselor, if I said I never stepped outside the bounds of logic in the name of love. The Admiral is a proud woman, and her work is important to her. I cannot help but feel that we are, as the Human expression goes, rubbing salt in the proverbial wound.”
Vol paused, taking the Vulcan's words in fully and digesting them before conjuring some sort of answer. As ever, Salvek was diligent in exploring all matters of a dilemma before pressing forward. It was comforting that he didn't simply find the most logical route to take and plow on through; then again, such an act would likely be illogical itself.
"If you, Captain," Vol was glad that he wasn't going to have to get used to this change in habit of calling Salvek Captain, "were to, as you put it, step outside the bounds of logic in the name of love; would you not expect two officers to be having the same discussion as you and I are having this very moment?"
Salvek nodded, the Counselor did have a point.
"I don't know about you Sir, but serving again with Zanh Liis is an additional, unexpected and very welcome acquisition. But, it is not what I hope to primarily achieve out of this . . . stunt."
Salvek was intrigued once again, "Oh?"
"The Admiral needs special attention and the means to move on with her life, career and family. What she's been doing is nothing more than destructive, if she were of any other rank this would a great deal simpler. She would be immediately suspended without refute and ordered to seek the aid she requires.
"That isn't our case here. Drastic measures have to be taken because she is a powerful figure, and powerful people need to be taken down by extraordinary means before they cause,"
"Extraordinary damage." Salvek finished.
Vol heaved a sigh before wrapping up. "Is the Admiral wounded? Yes. Is she a victim? Yes. However she'll continue her rampage until there's nobody left to blame. She needs to face her own demons. I don't see any other options, Captain."
“Your line of reasoning seems to indicate that it is best for the Admiral if we move ahead with our plans, for her own sake.”
“Do you agree with my line of reasoning?” Vol asked, realizing that was the key to this discussion.
“I do.”
******************
Lieutenant Vol Tryst
Ship’s Counselor
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
and
Captain Salvek
Current Commanding Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
Lieutenant Vol Tryst
Ship’s Counselor
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
and
Captain Salvek
Current Commanding Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012