Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek: A Milder Dress Down
Lael Rosek
((Captain’s ready room, USS Astraeus))
She was nervous. The message that Mei had sent sounded serious and she didn’t know what to expect. Not wasting any time, she’d wrapped up the report she’d been writing when the message had come through and had headed straight here. Tiria’s threat was still fresh in her mind as she stood gathering the courage to press the door chime.
As much as she’d tried to pretend she’d been in control of that situation, she’d been very nervous that Mei would find out the truth of what had happened with Cullin. It was a matter of ship security, after all, even if nothing had come of it at the time.
Cullin had threatened her father with her and Kellan’s lives if he didn’t cooperate and the fact that she hadn’t disclosed this to Mei herself had her fearing his reaction when he did find out. There was no telling if what he wanted to speak with her about now was related, but the thought still lingered in the back of her mind.
At last gathering her courage, she pressed her thumb to the doorchime and waited for the response to come from inside.
Mei’konda: Come in.
The doors opened and she straightened, hands tucked behind her back as she stepped over the threshold, the doors closing behind her. Her gaze met Mei’s and she released a soft, shaky breath.
Rosek: You wanted to see me, sir?
Mei’konda: Yes, Commander. During our laast slipstream recharge stop, I received a Starfleet JAG report about Crewman First Class Cullin. Appaarently, there has been somethiing of a diplomatic incident back home regaarding his behavior.
Her lips tightened at the mention of Darix Cullin. The JAG report couldn’t be a coincidence. The fact that it had crossed Mei’s desk (Of course it had. He was captain, after all.) was alarming. It meant he likely had details that she’d hoped to spare him from. Mei was a highly intelligent man and had likely connected the dots.
She said nothing, not sure what to say. Her gaze flickered to a PADD Mei slid across his desk and into her line of sight. She didn’t do much more than glance at it, but she’d gathered enough information from the first couple of sentences to get the gist. A grimace marred her features. Mei definitely had more information than she would have liked.
Mei’konda: I have to admit, Commander. I’m disappointed that I did not hear this from you, first.
Rosek: ::gaze drops to her feet and murmurs:: Yes, sir. ::gaze lifts to meet his:: It’s a very complicated situation that I’d hoped would be kept private.
For a long moment, Mei said nothing.
Mei’konda: I have no desire to pry into your personal life, Commander, but you know that these are things that could potentially affect the operation of this starship. Is there anything else I need to know?
He was right. It was a fact that Tiria had already brought up, though she’d been astounded at the woman’s gall in bringing it up and the promise that had followed. Lael wasn’t sure how much to share with Mei. The last thing she wanted to do was put him in an awkward position or put him at risk of reprisal if the Council ever found out how much he knew. The more he knew, the greater the risk to his life. She wouldn’t put it past the Council to attempt to extract information from him to shut down the Exile rebellion.
Rosek: ::pauses:: It’s complicated, sir. This is a situation where knowing too much could be hazardous for your well-being.
Mei’konda: Response
Rosek: ::grimaces:: Let’s just say my dad opened a can of worms and the Al-Leyan Council is taking it very seriously.
Mei’konda: Response
Rosek: ::shakes her head:: Not that I know of. The Council had Cullin tracking me, obviously, but I don’t think they’re foolish enough to take on Starfleet or the Federation.
Mei’konda: Response
Rosek: ::pauses:: I might require an extended leave of absence sometime within the next several months to address the issue, but I can’t be sure.
Mei’konda: Response
Rosek: ::nods:: I’ll keep you up to date, sir.
Mei’konda: Response
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Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek
Executive Officer, USS Astraeus, NCC-70652
I238110RH0
"The growth and develop of people is the highest calling of leadership." -- Harvey S. Firestone
