[sb118-butler] Lieutenant. J.G. Alex Forsyth - With a Grain of Salt.

[Robert Forsyth]

((Sickbay, Deck 9, Butler))

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Forsyth: S-Sorry, ma’am….

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Rouiancet: (shaking her head) Not at all. We need to know. You're here to do his bidding, Ehths, but (beat) you've also clearly suffered.

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Alex let out a sigh of relief and felt a knot of anxiety unravel. She was grateful that the Captain was not offended, as she originally thought. Ehths seemed to recoil slightly at the Captain's words, almost as if he did not expect her to say them.

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Ehths: He sent me, yes. ::bitter laugh that turns into a cough:: But not as you think. He sent me to soften you, to make you doubt yourselves. His plan is simple. Too simple. He has allies, men and ships who still whisper his name with fear. He means to strike when you are weakest. ::he looked down again, quieter:: He would see the Butler as his prize… and you as nothing but trophies.

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oO Did he change his name to Goldie? Oo

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The tactical officer wondered if Toal’Dius had hired the mercenaries as part of a nefarious trap, and if there was more than one ship out there. She would need to check her probe to see if it detected anything else when she had the chance, unless she could quickly ask to use the terminal in the CMO’s office.

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Forsyth: Well, he wouldn’t be the first to try…..

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Rouiancet: I see. (beat) So, he did this to you? Toal'Dius, or his people?

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Ehths: ::a long silence before answering:: His hand, mostly. The rest… his wrath spilled over, as it always does. My family stood too near the fire. They are ash now. Perhaps not by his blade, but by his enemies, his rivals, all hunting him… and me beside him. I have nothing left but the memory of serving someone who no longer exists.

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Alex recalled a moment similar to Earth’s history of when leaders abused their power on their own people, and Toal'Dius was no different. How could someone be that cruel? When did they lose empathy for others?  

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Forsyth: When people support a tyrant, it often leads to a situation where, over time, everyone is seen as an enemy.  

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Rouiancet: Response

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Fergus: Your ribs are still reading as bruised, and they’ll heal on their own.

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Ehths: ::a tired shrug, voice thin:: Believe me or don’t. I have set the truth at your feet. Whether you drink from it or let it spill into the dust… that choice is yours, not mine.

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Alex was still rather skeptical of his words, as if what he was saying was true, then they had a potential problem in the future. She wanted it to be an empty threat, but there was a small part of her that said otherwise.  

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Forsyth: Hopefully, Toal'Dius knows what he's getting into; we’ve faced far worse than that mad petty king.

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Rouiancet: Responses

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Ehths: You’ve pulled me from the wreck and set my bones to mending. For that, I have spoken plainly. But every hunter knows, the beast that gives up all its secrets is the beast that is skinned. Tell me, Starfleet, how do I know I will not be flayed once my usefulness is gone?

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Rouiancet: Responses

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Ehths: I would give you what I know - names, numbers, the shapes of the ships that follow him. But give me a reason. A pledge. Else, I am nothing more than carrion dressed in words, waiting for you to pick the bones.

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Alex glanced at the Captain; she would be inclined to be rid of him. She was taught the value of life by her parents, regardless of whether they were good or bad, but it was also not her decision to make.

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Forsyth: We always tried to show empathy, even to our enemies.

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Rouiancet: Responses

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Fergus:: What about the possibility of political asylum?

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Forsyth: He would have to be kept at DS14. I don’t think it would be wise to keep him on the Butler.

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Rouiancet/Ehths: Response

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Fergus: In that case, might I suggest we defer any further questions while our patient recuperates? We can check in on him later. (to Ehths) If you’re amicable to us doing so.

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Forsyth: May I suggest keeping some security here to watch him, just as a precaution?

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It would mean they could keep an eye on him and keep him safe from whoever may be hunting him, but if Toal'Dius was also coming after them as well, then maybe having him on the ship would not be a good idea.

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Rouiancet/Ehths/Fergus: Response

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They left Ehths to recover, moving out of earshot to discuss his condition with Doctor Fergus.

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Rouiancet/Fergus: Response

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Forsyth: Dam…I almost feel bad for him….

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Rouiancet/Fergus: Response

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Alex folded her arms and took a moment to consider her words carefully. She was not the best at expressing her feelings, and wished Kessler were here to explain it instead.

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Forsyth: Well, I’m not sure we can trust him.

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There might be some worth to what Ehths had said.

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Rouiancet/Fergus: Response

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Forsyth: Even if what he tells us is true, what is to stop him from turning on us when the time is right?

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Rouiancet/Fergus: Response

TAG/TBC

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Lieutenant. J.G. Alex Forsyth

Tactical

USS Octavia E. Butler

D239910AF1