[sb118-artemis] Ensign Tho'Bi - Law and Andorian

[Tobi]

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(( Outside RSF Headquarters - Risa ))

The sound of tourists happily idling their way up and down the stalls and attractions of main street, was dulled and echoed by the small stone courtyard; large flat leaves draped inwards from above, casting shifting shadows and diffused shafts of light; the old flagstone paving slabs, and ancient walls, radiated heat and kicked up dust; caught and slowed, as if trapped in amber, by the cascading light.

Vailani: :: to Dakora :: I think I might have heard enough. Whatever you want to do, I will support you?

The Bajoran Lieutenant and Betazoid Lieutenant Commander stood in stark contrast to their surroundings, framed in black and gold, and black and red, respectively; taut and exact, they eyed the reasons for their ire with coiled disdain; none of which, had, for the moment at least, any apparent effect on the Bajoran Chief; she was clearly determined to argue her case, come the fires of Rakatan Mons, or the glaciers of the Moon of Andoria.

Ral: ::to Dakora:: While still not knowing all the details from RSF, sir, Black is not a brawler, and he was detained and not arrested for a barfight he participated in but did not cause. He’s enlisted, and it’s the maximum administrative punishment for that barfight. I’m still willing to pick my enlisted up, write all the paperwork for and about detainee transport, put him in our brig until his division chief decision; and inform Lieutenant Antonova about his misdemeanor with boatswain punishment recommendation ::looks at Vailani:: What was my intent from the beginning. ::turns head back to Dakora:: Or you can do all of that with the lieutenant here, sir.  It’s your officer’s time, your call, sir.

Not wanting to look either officer in the eye, the dark blue of the Andorian’s gaze feel onto the scars on the back of the Chief’s neck; what ancient horrors had installed them there, he wondered; a voiceless testament to the great cruelty of the Cardassian occupation, one the Chef evidently refused to silence with surgical removal.

Dakora: That is your interpretation. But Petty Officer Black’s use of an unauthorized cover-identity on a Federation world was WILDY inappropriate. It doesn’t matter if he’s just using it to hit the dance floor or to conduct a surveillance op. We aren’t the Tal Shiar. We don’t freelance. The second an enlisted crewman from a Federation starship assumes a cover identity without approval from his department, without a briefing, and without a paper trail, that becomes a serious issue.

Though only fresh out of the Academy, the young ensign had grown up around enough Starfleet officers to know, this was going badly wrong, fast.

Dakora: Then someone like you decides to ‘handle it quietly’ and that becomes yet another liability.

Apparently, the Chief had reached the same conclusion; for the first time, since the altercation began, she opted for silence.  The leaves shifted in the breeze above them; the ensign could hear the distant gurgle of a water fountain, his antennae twitched at the vibrations, his mind making sense of their sonic oddity.  The voice of the Bajoran Lieutenant continued, distant and ill-defined, his attention fixed on the fountain.

Vailani: As far as I'm concerned if your actions weren't merit enough for disciplinary procedure then your attitude and flagrant disregard for Starfleet rank and protocol would be more than suffice.

The Bajoran turned in the direction of the Andorian ensign, only for a moment, but it was as though she were aware of his drifting attention.  The Lieutenant’s attention turned back to Lieutenant Commander Dakora.

Dakora: I don’t care what rumors you overheard in a bathroom, Chief, and I don’t care how many commendations this crewman has. What I do care about is the civilian law enforcement agency to deal with, a potentially compromised cover identity—authorized or not—and a junior officer you’ve dragged into this without proper orders. This stopped being a “handling things quietly” situation the moment you took it upon yourself to bend protocol and set foot off the ship.

A transport shuttle was lifting off from Risa’s main terminal, the steady rise in pitch and decibel, reflected the rising finality of the Lieutenant Commander’s judgment.

Dakora: Senior Chief Petty Officer Ral, you are dismissed. You will return to the Artemis immediately and confine yourself to quarters until further notice. I expect a full written report of this incident on my desk by 0800 tomorrow. Further disciplinary recommendations will be left to the discretion of Lieutenant Vailani as your department head.

The Bajoran Lieutenant nodded in agreement.  The pitch and volume of the Shuttle’s engines indicated it had reached its apex of assent; holding at a constant.

Vailani: For now I'm done with her, Commander.

Ral: ::nods:: Understood, sir. ::turns to Vailani:: Ma'am. 

With that, the Bajoran Chief turned tightly on her heels, and motioned for the exit; but not before, she surprised the young Ensign for a second time that day, with a smile.

Ral: Take care, Ensign. Thank you for your effort to help.

Before the ensign could respond, the Chief had strode out of the courtyard, head held high, and into the waiting street, filled with people without a care in the galaxy; above them, in endless blue of the Risa sky, the transport shuttle engines throttled up; and shot off, conveying escapees to secluded beauty spots of wonder and delight.

Dakora: Well, that was unpleasant. ::He looked to the baby-faced Andorian Ensign.:: You, Mister Tho’bi, narrowly avoided getting tangled up in a mess on your first day. Be a little more careful next time, ok?

In the wake of the Shuttle launch, an odd stillness befell the scene; and in that stillness, for the briefest of moments, the young Ensign, barely 30 minutes a member of the crew, dared to wonder; might he escape, scar free? 

Vailani: I recommend a formal note is placed on his file with his direct supervisor and I'll schedule in a session where we'll review proper Starfleet rank and protocols. It won't be short and it won't be very interesting either but rest assured you won't want to repeat it.

The rabble and rumble of the street returned; as though reality had just resumed program.

Tho’Bi: Y-yes, Lieutenant ::looking straight ahead::  Thank you for giving me a second chance.  ::looks at the Lieutenant:: I will work hard to earn it.  ::looks straight ahead:: 

It was not, as he might have expected, the Lieutenant who spoke next; but her Betazoid counterpart, Lieutenant Commander Dakora; his tone, displeased, but even.

Dakora: I’m Talos Dakora, by the way, the Artemis’ XO. ::He frowned.:: Sorry to meet you this way. This sort of thing is my least favorite part of the job.

Vailani: I'll reintroduce myself too. Lieutenant Vailani Zoyara. Chief of Operations.

The Bajoran Lieutenant made no attempt to hide her continued annoyance at the situation, but she too, delivered her words in an even, if colder, professional tone.  Feeling a perplexing mix of relief and dread, a great wave of exhaustion washed over the ensign.  He simply nodded in reply; his eyes front and center, feet planted on the hot flagstone, back straight against the warm Risa breeze.

The Lieutenant Commander gestured toward the ancient entrance of the RSF HQ; its large double doors of heavy, dark wood and gold trim, set deep into a dusty frame of a weather-worn stone arch.

Dakora: Since both of you are here, let’s go ahead and retrieve this pain-in-the-ass Petty Officer.

Their progress was halted immediately by Lieutenant Vailani placing her hand on the shoulder of Lieutenant Commander Dakora.  As the Bajoran turned to the Andorian ensign, the bright Risa sunlight caught her green eyes, and they lit up; like a pair of Klingon Birds-of-Prey, decloaking, battle-ready, and set to unleash suffering most terrible.

Vailani: Ensign, what is proper procedure for the hand-off of a Starfleet crewman involved in petty crime? We've established that a senior officer needs to be present, and the command team of the ship should be notified, in all instances. Now, what else do we need to do before we enter that building?

Tho’Bi: Eh… I (beat) don’t know (beat) ::tilts head:: I-I’m an engineer (beat) The (beat) The Chief just told me to stand there ::straightens head and looks at Vailani:: a-and say nothing. (beat) I just want fix things.

For a moment, he thought he might throw up.  The ensign throat spasmed through a protracted swallow.  He moved to put his hands behind his back, but then thought better off it; not wanting to disturb the handcuffs hung from his waist band or phaser holstered to his side; instead, he just let them hang awkwardly.

Dakora: Response

There was an exchange of glances between the two ranking officers.  The breeze felt hot and stuffy on his Andorian skin, saturated with sweltering odors and dust; he missed the climate control of space station and vessel.  A gray flat Padd arrived in the blue of the Ensign’s hand; his eyes scanned down it.

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Standard Transfer Order/Transfer of Custody 001

The following authorizes the transfer of custody of any Starfleet Officer and/or Enlisted Personnel, detained on all Federation Worlds and/or Affiliate Space Station and/or Vessel into the custody of the appropriate Starfleet personnel (as defined hereafter).

Appropriate Starfleet personnel is defined as being one senior officer, either being of the detainee’s command team, or in the company of a senior representative of the detainee’s command team, or in possession of written confirmation of receipt of notification to the facts of the Starfleet Officer and/or Enlisted Personnel detainment, by a senior representative of the detainee’s command team.

Additional personnel may include at the senior officer’s discretion, as many Starfleet Security Personnel as deemed necessary, so long as proportionate to the risk represented by the Starfleet Officer and/or Enlisted Personnel.

This order does not and should not be taken to render the Starfleet Officer and/or Enlisted Personnel detained immune (either partially or wholly) from prosecution for infractions and/or crimes committed on Federation Worlds and/or Affiliate Space Station and/or Vessel.  Nor can it be or should it be taken as indication or evidence of the Starfleet Officer and/or Enlisted Personnel/detainee's guilt or innocence, as relates to any infractions and/or crimes committed on Federation Worlds and/or Affiliate Space Station and/or Vessel.

Improper use of this order by unauthorized personnel, Starfleet or otherwise, will result in punitive action, to be applied in the manner and severity of relevant Starfleet senior officers’ discretion or that of the relevant Federation official (subject to the status of the person(s) responsible for the improper use (subject to the established parameters as relates to punishment set down in Starfleet regulations and/or Federation Law).

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The ensign looked up from the pad; any paler, and people might mistake him for a human.

Vailani: Very well. Let's go in.

The young ensign simply nodded, he had no energy to speak and nothing to say; instead he focused all his attention on not throwing up.

Dakora: Response

As the three officers ascended the steps of the building, their feet clipped and clapped against the cool marbled floors; the sound echoed around the grand, heavy stone archways; a thin line of dark wood panel ran the length of the walls, waist height and trimmed with gold-leaf; between each stone archway, the walls were decorated with examples of Risan Art; hung in heavy wooden frame, each with the name of the Artist responsible, engraved into small golden plaques.  Large rainbow colored ceiling fans made compelling and attractive theater of the work of cooling the building.

Moving at an easy pace, their faces complete with Risan smile, a loose trio of local security agents greeted them in a relaxed and friendly manner.  The lieutenant response was courteous and professional, though not what would be described as either relaxed or friendly. 

Vailani: Good morning officers. :: to Tho’Bi :: Ensign, you want to hand them the PADD.

The ensign nodded and handed the PADD to the nearest of the trio of security agents; rotating it as he did so, so it arrived into the hands of the security agent, the correct way up.  The agent smiled at him, along with a quiet, “thank you, Ensign.”  His eyes began tracking down the display with a care and attention that stood in stark contrast to his hitherto relaxed comportment.  The Andorian stepped back and stood to attention; oddly, he found himself following the Chief instructions; stand there, say nothing, and look Andorian.

Dakora/Vailani: Response

Tags/TBC

((OOC:  Ari/Ollie Bergman asked me to include his writing for his PNPC The Chief/Ral via DM earlier.  I also included a reference to “Rakatan Mons” which is featured in the Star Trek Novel ‘Firestorm’ that I happened to finish reading last night.  Rakatan Mons is the galaxy's largest stratovolcano (Beta Canon).  The chunk of Starfleet legalese was written by me for this scene and should not be considered legal advice, if you or any of your family member have been detained on a Federation world or affiliate Space Station or Vessel, I suggest you consult qualified legal council or, if no one else can help and if you can find them, maybe you can hire The A-Team.))

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Ensign Tho’Bi

Engineering

USS Artemis-A

A240203T11