08-23-2024, 02:14 AM
Coleman acknowledged Calleja’s plan to prepare a couple of teams in case a boarding action was needed with a nod. Damian knew he wouldn’t be surprised if Mara ended up leading either or both of those teams. Though after her performance in the briefing, he made a note in his PADD to follow up with her. Whatever was eating at her had deeply affected her. Reacting the way she did during the briefing, among allies, was beyond concerning. If that carried over during an away mission?
“...If I’m remembering correctly Ensign Han knows a drinking game involving soju and candy…”
Freezing in place, he dared not look up to the rest of the room. That incident was still fresh in his mind, particularly the outcome of it when the Glitter Queen herself had to be escorted safely to DS9 medical. Slowly, Damian moved a hand up and placed his face into his palm. There was a time and a place for offering up such revelry, but during the most tense meeting ever aboard the Artemis wasn’t one of them. If it wasn’t for the serious tone in Lucy's voice, he would have thought it a joke intended to bring some levity to the room, to bring the out of the abyss it had sunk into. Post-mission, after a job well done, he could have seen. But in that moment, it only served to place the final straw upon the camel’s back.
"I don't know what has happened here in the weeks since I left…” Tyra somehow managed to sound even more exhausted than she had been when she first entered the room.
As she spoke, Damian took the chance to look back up and take in the room again. Besides Ju and Omdor, whom he felt bad for, the rest of them weren’t new to the Fleet. Most of them were veterans of dangerous missions. Tyra said it best when she mentioned that there were cadet cruises that had managed better than they had. Though in his heart, Coleman knew why things had suddenly devolved. It wasn’t because Tyra had let the slack out when it came to discipline. It wasn’t at all how the ship was run by himself, or her. It had everything to do with the last couple of missions, and the fallout from it all. Everyone was on edge because they were all tired of getting jerked around by the top brass. It was why Mara had jumped on Givens so easily; Cass was seen as Fleet Command’s will personified. He didn’t want to say it, but Damian felt like things would iron out once life returned to normal for the crew.
A quick trip to a nebula, hopefully encountering little to nothing, will normalize a lot. Give time for people to work out their stress, and get their shit back on the rails. I’ll work with them on that. Help them right themselves…
Head swiveling to lock onto the opening briefing room doors, a brow raised in response to the sudden entrance of a group of people. There was no one else scheduled to even be in the meeting, though the day had already been full of surprises. A sinking feeling coupled along with the blood draining out of his face. The officers were armed and led by a rather smug Caitian; like a cat who’d cornered a canary. If it was just a regular inquiry, they wouldn’t have sent an armed contingent. In fact, they probably wouldn’t have even sent anyone and just messaged him.
Suddenly surrounded, Damian maintained a stoic demeanor, despite knowing full well that this was beyond a breach of privacy charge. That would have been something a prosecutor might have come themselves to discuss with him. But a whole team?
“Commander Coleman, you are hereby under arrest.”
Damian titled his head to look directly at the damned cat.
“You are charged with conspiracy to commit murder of one Midshipman Alexandra Munroe…”
Immediately, Coleman’s mouth fell open. His muscles went rigid causing him to sit like a stiff board in his chair. Within, he could feel his heart suddenly beating like it was going to come right out of his chest. Damian felt cold, and somehow couldn’t find his breath at all as the officer continued his list of charges. As the muscles continued to tighten, Coleman’s head tilted back even further, jaw still agape.
“...criminal conspiracy to cover up evidence of a crime, namely the murder of Midshipman Munroe…”
Coleman didn’t realize it, but his hands were digging in hard to the arms of the chair. As the list went on, he found it harder to hear especially as a ringing in his ears got louder. Eyes squeezing shut, Damian focused on just trying to breathe. His head shook side to side while he mouthed just one word over and over,
No no no no no…
“...You will accompany us back to Deep Space Nine for arraignment…”
Suddenly, Damian could feel a heat rising up in his body. His nostrils flared and his eyes jumped open as his gaze sat firmly on the feline. Mouth closing, he suddenly started grinding his teeth as he pierced the security officer with a cold, hard, look. They’d really set him up for a spectacular fall. It wasn’t a kindness that the Admiralty had bestowed upon him by not making him an Acting CO for the span of however damn long Givens had been CO. Coleman’s glare turned upon Cass now. Had she known all along? Intended to embarrass him in front of his crew by arresting him during a briefing?
“...Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?”
Suddenly Damian understood exactly what Mara must have felt, or had been thinking when he interposed himself between her and the exit. Because he wondered, as his gaze levelled at the cat, just how soft the little kitty’s bones were and how many he could break with a single right hook. As if she read his mind, Calleja had distracted him from the thought by moving over to Ju. Mara’s quiet words, just loud enough for him to hear and likely purposefully so, walked him back from his wrathful intent.
There was a deep swallow as he turned to look at Ju, as a flush swept across his face. He winced. This was the very last thing he ever wanted to happen. When he’d told her about his past on the Atlanta, he’d made mention about the mutiny. Damian had even alluded that he’d done some things he wasn’t particularly proud of to put a stop to it too. But this was beyond anything that he thought would happen. If he’d known, he might not have even allowed himself to go forward in a relationship with her. To spare Ju from the situation they found themselves in. Damian’s gaze softened, wishing he could go and comfort her. His eyes blinked, and just a corner of his mouth moved to give Ju the smallest of disquiet smiles. After a moment, Damian shifted to look at Mara, locking eyes with her before giving an appreciative nod.
“Lieutenant Commander, did I miss the notification of your impending arrival?”
It was Givens speaking, and Coleman turned to face her again. Just off to the side he could see Tyra’s lips moving, making the shapes that would say ‘I’m sorry’, even if the air in her lungs didn’t set the sound free. Damian’s lips squished into themselves as his brows dipped a little. He wanted to tell her that it wasn’t her fault. Even if the folly of a mission hadn’t happened, there was always the chance that his actions on the Atlanta would have been brought up. Damian considered that if he had been smarter, he might have forced that past back into the light himself. Still, he lingered on Tyra, feeling bad for having to put her through the disgrace of having her First Officer arrested in front of her.
Slowly pushing himself out from the table, so as not to set off the armed escort, Damian took his time to methodically stand. With palms facing the ground, he pushed his hands downward a couple of times as he looked at Givens and Tyra. Finally, he found his voice.
“It’s alright,” he said to them both, before cautiously turning to the Catian.
“I understand all too well. Let’s get this over with.”
There was little emotion in his voice, all of it having been spent in the intervening moments. Coleman’s body language was now clearer than it had been moments ago, that he’d go willingly and without a fuss. Going with some decorum was the least that he could do, for Givens and Tyra, all things considered.
== tags to all. Feel free to remove Coleman from the room when you are ready GM… ==
“...If I’m remembering correctly Ensign Han knows a drinking game involving soju and candy…”
Freezing in place, he dared not look up to the rest of the room. That incident was still fresh in his mind, particularly the outcome of it when the Glitter Queen herself had to be escorted safely to DS9 medical. Slowly, Damian moved a hand up and placed his face into his palm. There was a time and a place for offering up such revelry, but during the most tense meeting ever aboard the Artemis wasn’t one of them. If it wasn’t for the serious tone in Lucy's voice, he would have thought it a joke intended to bring some levity to the room, to bring the out of the abyss it had sunk into. Post-mission, after a job well done, he could have seen. But in that moment, it only served to place the final straw upon the camel’s back.
"I don't know what has happened here in the weeks since I left…” Tyra somehow managed to sound even more exhausted than she had been when she first entered the room.
As she spoke, Damian took the chance to look back up and take in the room again. Besides Ju and Omdor, whom he felt bad for, the rest of them weren’t new to the Fleet. Most of them were veterans of dangerous missions. Tyra said it best when she mentioned that there were cadet cruises that had managed better than they had. Though in his heart, Coleman knew why things had suddenly devolved. It wasn’t because Tyra had let the slack out when it came to discipline. It wasn’t at all how the ship was run by himself, or her. It had everything to do with the last couple of missions, and the fallout from it all. Everyone was on edge because they were all tired of getting jerked around by the top brass. It was why Mara had jumped on Givens so easily; Cass was seen as Fleet Command’s will personified. He didn’t want to say it, but Damian felt like things would iron out once life returned to normal for the crew.
A quick trip to a nebula, hopefully encountering little to nothing, will normalize a lot. Give time for people to work out their stress, and get their shit back on the rails. I’ll work with them on that. Help them right themselves…
Head swiveling to lock onto the opening briefing room doors, a brow raised in response to the sudden entrance of a group of people. There was no one else scheduled to even be in the meeting, though the day had already been full of surprises. A sinking feeling coupled along with the blood draining out of his face. The officers were armed and led by a rather smug Caitian; like a cat who’d cornered a canary. If it was just a regular inquiry, they wouldn’t have sent an armed contingent. In fact, they probably wouldn’t have even sent anyone and just messaged him.
Suddenly surrounded, Damian maintained a stoic demeanor, despite knowing full well that this was beyond a breach of privacy charge. That would have been something a prosecutor might have come themselves to discuss with him. But a whole team?
“Commander Coleman, you are hereby under arrest.”
Damian titled his head to look directly at the damned cat.
“You are charged with conspiracy to commit murder of one Midshipman Alexandra Munroe…”
Immediately, Coleman’s mouth fell open. His muscles went rigid causing him to sit like a stiff board in his chair. Within, he could feel his heart suddenly beating like it was going to come right out of his chest. Damian felt cold, and somehow couldn’t find his breath at all as the officer continued his list of charges. As the muscles continued to tighten, Coleman’s head tilted back even further, jaw still agape.
“...criminal conspiracy to cover up evidence of a crime, namely the murder of Midshipman Munroe…”
Coleman didn’t realize it, but his hands were digging in hard to the arms of the chair. As the list went on, he found it harder to hear especially as a ringing in his ears got louder. Eyes squeezing shut, Damian focused on just trying to breathe. His head shook side to side while he mouthed just one word over and over,
No no no no no…
“...You will accompany us back to Deep Space Nine for arraignment…”
Suddenly, Damian could feel a heat rising up in his body. His nostrils flared and his eyes jumped open as his gaze sat firmly on the feline. Mouth closing, he suddenly started grinding his teeth as he pierced the security officer with a cold, hard, look. They’d really set him up for a spectacular fall. It wasn’t a kindness that the Admiralty had bestowed upon him by not making him an Acting CO for the span of however damn long Givens had been CO. Coleman’s glare turned upon Cass now. Had she known all along? Intended to embarrass him in front of his crew by arresting him during a briefing?
“...Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?”
Suddenly Damian understood exactly what Mara must have felt, or had been thinking when he interposed himself between her and the exit. Because he wondered, as his gaze levelled at the cat, just how soft the little kitty’s bones were and how many he could break with a single right hook. As if she read his mind, Calleja had distracted him from the thought by moving over to Ju. Mara’s quiet words, just loud enough for him to hear and likely purposefully so, walked him back from his wrathful intent.
There was a deep swallow as he turned to look at Ju, as a flush swept across his face. He winced. This was the very last thing he ever wanted to happen. When he’d told her about his past on the Atlanta, he’d made mention about the mutiny. Damian had even alluded that he’d done some things he wasn’t particularly proud of to put a stop to it too. But this was beyond anything that he thought would happen. If he’d known, he might not have even allowed himself to go forward in a relationship with her. To spare Ju from the situation they found themselves in. Damian’s gaze softened, wishing he could go and comfort her. His eyes blinked, and just a corner of his mouth moved to give Ju the smallest of disquiet smiles. After a moment, Damian shifted to look at Mara, locking eyes with her before giving an appreciative nod.
“Lieutenant Commander, did I miss the notification of your impending arrival?”
It was Givens speaking, and Coleman turned to face her again. Just off to the side he could see Tyra’s lips moving, making the shapes that would say ‘I’m sorry’, even if the air in her lungs didn’t set the sound free. Damian’s lips squished into themselves as his brows dipped a little. He wanted to tell her that it wasn’t her fault. Even if the folly of a mission hadn’t happened, there was always the chance that his actions on the Atlanta would have been brought up. Damian considered that if he had been smarter, he might have forced that past back into the light himself. Still, he lingered on Tyra, feeling bad for having to put her through the disgrace of having her First Officer arrested in front of her.
Slowly pushing himself out from the table, so as not to set off the armed escort, Damian took his time to methodically stand. With palms facing the ground, he pushed his hands downward a couple of times as he looked at Givens and Tyra. Finally, he found his voice.
“It’s alright,” he said to them both, before cautiously turning to the Catian.
“I understand all too well. Let’s get this over with.”
There was little emotion in his voice, all of it having been spent in the intervening moments. Coleman’s body language was now clearer than it had been moments ago, that he’d go willingly and without a fuss. Going with some decorum was the least that he could do, for Givens and Tyra, all things considered.
== tags to all. Feel free to remove Coleman from the room when you are ready GM… ==