Objections

Posted on Mon 12th Feb, 2018 @ 3:23pm by Commander Mikaela Locke

803 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: A Phaser as Deadly as a Candlestick
Location: Deck 11 - Station Commander's Office
Timeline: 0812 hrs - Immediately after 'The Game is Flushed."

[ON:]

Patrick and Sato moved aside as Michaels and Perry left the office to begin to put Drake's orders into effect. Mikaela Locke, however, remained rooted to the spot.

"Something on your mind, commander?" he asked, moving behind his desk to issue his official orders to the marine unit that would be accompanying him.

Locke took a step-forward, followed by a big breath. "Colonel," she began slowly, "this plan of yours..." she paused again, apparently trying to choose each word carefully, but Drake wasn't in the mood for this to take all night.

"If you've got something to say, commander, spit it out," he urged glancing behind her at Patrick, who nodded a brief affirmation.

Mikaela sighed and began again. "Colonel, you know I would never challenge you in front of the others, but this plan of yours is flawed on a number of levels."

Drake tapped at his desktop console, issuing orders and confirming details with both the marine detachment and the security team. "There's nothing wrong with it, commander," he replied, disinterestedly.

"Sir," Locke pressed, adopting a more serious tone as she took another step towards the desk, "There are issues with jurisdiction, there are issues with method, not to mention the fact that you should not be leading this mission... Your place is..."

"Do not presume to tell me my place, Mikaela," Drake interrupted, suddenly fully focussed on his first officer. His voice was low but his tone was full of anger. "People are dead. That's on me. And it's my job to bring this bitch to justice." He glanced towards the door again, where both Sato and Patrick were nodding their heads slightly, approvingly again.

This time Mikaela caught his glance and turned, questioningly, towards the door. She turned back, clearly puzzled, but obviously choosing which battle to fight right now. Seeing that direct confrontation wasn't going to work, she changed her approach. "Allow me to lead to mission," she asked, her voice softer now. "You know the regulations - it's the right thing to do."

"The right thing to do, is to catch this killer," Drake shot back, "I'm a marine... you're an intelligence analyst. Who do you think is more qualified for this mission?"

That stung - so hard in fact that she was completely taken aback by the force of his assault. In all the time Mikaela Locke had known Horatio Drake, she had never known him to belittle her or to question her ability to lead. He had been the one who had suggested that she was capable of more than just analysis, so why throw that back at her now? Emotion filled her, but she kept her face as stoic as she could manage.

"Fine," she said, relenting. "It's your call."

"You're damn right it is," he shot back.

There was a pause and eventually, Mikaela recovered a small amount of courage, as she remembered not just who she was in relationship to Drake, but who she was in relation to everyone else on Vanguard - and everyone else in Starfleet for that matter. "I want you to know that I'll be making an official note in my log that I objected to your taking this mission."

"That's your prerogative, commander," he said, as he closed down his terminal and begun to head for the door. He glanced at Patrick and at Sato, as he passed them, "Let's go."

Mikaela was fairly sure he wasn't talking to her, but there was no one else in the room. Drake exited without another word leaving her alone in his office. As the door slid shut she let go a huge breath. She was full of frustration, disappointment, anger and fear. Whoever that man was, he wasn't the Horatio Drake that she had come to know and look up to - that was becoming more and more apparent.

She remained rooted to the spot for several more seconds, trying to see a way forward. But there wasn't one - at least not one that didn't end in her either relieving him of duty or instigating mutiny. She sighed heavily. She had been so excited to return to Vanguard and to work with Drake again, but it was becoming increasingly clear, even in the few short days that she had been back, that their relationship was different. He was different - and not in a way that was going to get any better.

She wanted to help him, but she had no idea how. And so she would do what she always did when relationships got difficult, and resolved that when Drake returned, she would submit her transfer request.

Disappointment and regret filled her and finally she allowed the tears that she had been fighting back to roll down her cheeks.

[OFF:]

 

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