[V] Zhou Tai-Sheng & Sky Blake, "The Family." (Part 1)
Deliera Jay
::Getting into contact with Veritas had been easy when the news spread like wildfire. Rosa Carrero had been killed in an altercation involving an unknown group in the governor’s “luxury” apartment. Not only had this happened when the Veritas was away - meaning Carrero probably would have found it pointless to even try to call for help - but the assailants had completely disappeared from colonial security.::
::So understandably, the First Officer of the Veritas had been less than happy about the entire thing. The crew’s morale had dropped considerably - the trip back to Shadow’s Edge probably hadn’t been filled with any sort of joy, and the minute Sky stepped aboard, it was like being hit with a tidal wave of grief. Because the Veritas was the only Starfleet vessel out here, and communications and letters had sketchy and delayed timing at best, the crew had long ago dealt with any potential problems and meshed well as a family - a cliche description, but nonetheless accurate. Losing one of their own had been incredibly hard on them. The fact that they’d lost their commanding officer had only made it worse.::
::Despite the problems in communication, Starfleet had been suspiciously swift in delivering a new command verdict. And when all doors had closed, and they’d ended their duty shift, the human had begun pacing her small living area, and now he was hurtling every last curse word at Admiral sh’Hiel, some of which she’d never even heard before.::
::Zhou Tai-Sheng had throughout his career cultivated a reputation for being laid back among those who worked with him and later under him once he became a security chief and later a first officer.::
::But today, he didn’t hold back. His anger was raw, and it had been looking for someone to strike. First it was of course the assailants responsible for the captain’s death. But next was the governor’s security detail and then the governor himself. The latest person to find themselves in his cross-hairs was the Starfleet admiral who’d recalled Veritas back to Esperance--to receive a new commanding officer.::
Zhou: We’ve been out here for how long now, put up with how much grief trying to get what she wants done no matter how unrealistic, and now she’s just going to swap in someone else who’s never even set foot in this region?
Blake: The only way Starfleet want this to go down is by the book. That way the colonies are confident that the Veritas won’t be dead-set on simply hunting down Carrero’s killers and ignoring the other priorities we have.
::She hated being the middleman, trying to be the voice of both comfort and reason when in reality, she was just as ready to start a riot as he was. But someone had to maintain as much calm to keep things together - and given that the rest of the crew were having a hard time with that, and that she generally avoided being emotionally aggressive, the role seemed to have fallen to her.::
::The first officer turned abruptly to glare back at Sky.::
Zhou: You’re damn right we’re going to hunt down the bastards who did this! What other priorities supersede that?!
::Every time he got louder, she only got softer. She leaned against the table, putting her glass down and clasping her hands together as she kept eye contact with him.::
Blake: Do you know what Lieutenant Sands and I did today?
::Her sudden question, seemingly out of nowhere, finally made him take a breath.::
Zhou: Really?
Blake: Really.
::He huffed, letting his shoulders relax, the tension having been building for the past several minutes.::
Zhou: Fine. What?
Blake: Cheshire’s Run was attacked by four people with EM pistols, intent on harming innocent bystanders going about their night. While I pulled two Romulan refugees out of the line of fire, Sands took down three armed men in the span of five minutes as well as prompted the fourth to go down.
::He should have been impressed, and on any other day, he would. But now he just put his hands up in the air in frustration.::
Zhou: So now we’re the local police? Is that it? They can’t even take care of petty crime--and this is after Elis has been supposedly training the deputies for the past two months!
Blake: That’s not the point, Tai. If we weren’t there, people would have died at the hands of Starfleet weaponry. That would have been pinned on us, ancient weapons or not. And saving the lives of a handful of people, no matter how we expect it to not impact anything, is better than wasting time chasing cold leads of murders. Carrero would want you to do the right thing - and the right thing here, is to continue with the job we’ve been given. Like it or not, but until such time we get a captain, you’re in charge, and I’ll be damned if I let you send us on a witch hunt.
TBC…
Commander Zhou Tai-Sheng
First Officer, USS Veritas
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&
Lt. Cmdr. Sky Blake
Strategic Operations Officer, USS Veritas
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