Ad Astra :: Star Trek Fanfiction Archive ^{Beam me up, Scotty.}

Chapter Text

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Trujillo, Davula, and Captain Tarrant stood in Reykjavík’s CIC watching the Gorn flotilla opposing them across their mutual border. The tactical plot map seemed to mock Trujillo, displaying a potent fleet that her combined task forces would be lucky to turn away, and not without heavy casualties. The Gorn had stopped their pursuit at the border and had not yet attempted to cross, likely unsure of what awaited them thanks to Harken’s artificially imposed sensor-clouding dead zone that still persisted.

“Why aren’t they attacking?” Trujillo wondered aloud. “It's not as if we haven’t given them ample provocation.”

“They might be awaiting reinforcements, sir,” Tarrant offered. “Though, between all the interference that white hole is kicking off and the jamming field Harken’s maintaining, they’re effectively blind.”

“Would you go jumping over the neighbor’s fence without knowing what was waiting for you on the other side?” Davula asked rhetorically.

“Still, though, this isn’t like them,” Trujillo pressed. “They’re Gorn. They shouldn’t give a damn if they can see across our border or not. They’ve always been highly territorial, and they’ve never been much for negotiating, at least not with beings they regard as mere prey animals.”

Davula cocked her head to one side, the Bolian equivalent of a shrug. “We have a full diplomatic team on the way, hopefully the Gorn will stay put until they arrive.”

“I don’t hope, Commander, I plan,” Trujillo countered with a wry grin. “At the very least it keeps my mind occupied and prevents me from fretting.”

Davula returned the reticent smile. “How’s Leo, sir?”

Trujillo’s expression grew somber. “Physically and mentally exhausted. It was bad enough having to come face-to-face with Keller again, but with the computer override and Repulse’s charge into Gorn space… let’s just say he’s had a very eventful twenty-four hours.”

The XO shook her head in acknowledgement of Verde’s burdens.

“Dr. Bennett ordered him to twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep. If he didn’t set an alarm, I’m not going to wake him.” Trujillo took a last look at the Gorn positions before turning to face Davula. “Status of the Repulse survivors?”

“We’ve offloaded most of them to other ships in the task force, sir. There are still eight of them in our Sickbay, and in deference to Commander Verde, I’ve assigned Repulse’s senior officers guest quarters aboard. I got the feeling they didn’t want to be too far from him given all that’s happened.”

Trujillo nodded fractionally. “Yes, I think they’ve adopted him.”

“Oh,” Tarrant said, just remembering an important update, “Gol’s systems have been restored. She was towed back to the task force. Commander Glal was, shall we say, somewhat vexed at his ship having been disabled.”

“I can only imagine,” Trujillo said, mustering a grin at the thought.

Davula inclined her head towards the exit. “If there’s nothing further, Commodore, I’d best return to the bridge.”

“Actually, I was just heading topside myself. I think it’s time I met Captain Keller.”

* * *

The door chimed and Trujillo sat forward to deactivate the terminal where she had been reviewing the service record of one Theodore Keller.

Commander Davula entered and stepped to the side, admitting Captain Keller to the compartment, trailed by two security specialists outfitted in armored vests and helmets.

Davula made the introductions. “Commodore Nandi Trujillo, Captain Theodore Keller.”

Trujillo stood. “Thank you, Commander.” She gestured to her XO and the security detail with a nod. “You’re dismissed.”

After they had exited and the doors hissed closed, Trujillo reached across the desk to offer her hand. “Captain.”

Keller stepped forward and accepted the hand briefly. He wondered aloud, "Am I? I've been treated more like a criminal, especially by your best friend, Commander Verde."

Trujillo gestured to the chair facing her desk and resumed her seat, saying, “Commander Verde was assigned by Command, Captain. As for our being old friends, Leo defended me against charges earlier in my career. He’s a capable litigator.”

With a not-so-subtle growl emanating from his lips, Keller took the seat and leaned as far back as he could. "Maybe he is. Under my command, he skirted the lines of insubordination and nigh mutinous acts. He is lucky he is the son of two heroic admirals, else I'm sure his commission would have been cashiered following my evaluation of his… service."

“I can’t speak to any of that, Captain, as it’s not within my remit and is irrelevant to my current mission. My assignment was to track Repulse down and discover the reasons behind your ship’s attack on the Gorn. The circumstances surrounding that attack are still under investigation, and you’ve not been charged in relation to that inquiry. You have been charged with disobedience of a direct order of a superior and conduct unbecoming for your alleged refusal to follow the lawful instructions of Commander Glal upon reestablishing contact with Starfleet.”

Keller scoffed loudly, his eyes shifting away from Trujillo as he did so. "Lawful, you say. Let me tell you that I find your entire operation highly suspect. You presume to approach my mission with lofty, trumped-up authority. You jump to the worst possible conclusion absent the facts surrounding my operations behind enemy lines, then you move to have me relieved, remanded, and confined by my juniors in absolute disgraceful conduct. Then, as the coup de grace, you destroy my command without the ability or opportunity to allow me to gather evidence necessary to defend myself against your charges. You sit there, safe in your rank and role, judging me? I am outraged by this entire exercise."

Trujillo took a moment to call something up on a data-slate, before sliding it across her desk towards Keller. “These are my orders from Starfleet Command, Captain, which I have carried out. Would you care to show me yours?”

"How can I? My evidence was aboard Repulse." Keller angrily rejoined. "All I can say, at this juncture, is upon my word as a Starfleet officer, I had legal orders to operate within Gorn territory. I and my executive officer, Commander T'Rel, were briefed by a four-star admiral, issued written directives, and obeyed those orders to our understanding." His eyes narrowed as the heat of his statement rose. "I am not a rogue officer. I follow orders and trust in the chain of command."

“To that point, Commander Verde located potential evidence aboard Repulse that may well absolve you and your XO of any wrongdoing. That information will be provided to Command and your legal counsel in the ensuing inquiry and any potential subsequent courts-martial that might result. As to the destruction of your ship, it had been hijacked by means of your prefix codes and was barreling into Gorn territory towards one of their battle fleets. I encroached into Gorn space in pursuit of Repulse, and when Verde and your crew were able to shut down the engines, we were on hand to rescue you and your crew from certain death at the hands of the Gorn.”

She sat back in her chair, favoring Keller with an analytical gaze. “And while you appear to cherish the prerogatives of your rank and authority, you take every opportunity to demean and discount mine, and that of my subordinates. I had issued a directive to Commander Glal to allow you to retain command of your ship upon your return here, but you refused to comply with his very reasonable instructions and thwarted his attempts to board Repulse to investigate your actions.”

Brow furrowing even deeper as Trujillo's words reached him, Keller raised an accusatory finger in her direction. "'Demeaned and discounted?' From where I sit, Commodore, I held orders to maintain radio silence. It was expressed to me that my mission was of vital and critical importance to the security of the Federation and its citizens! Were you in my place, under those operational conditions, you are telling me that an officer of lesser rank comes along and attempts to assert their authority over that of an admiral's - a full admiral, no less - you would violate your orders to tend to that distraction while Starfleet Command awaited the successful completion under the penalties of disobedience?! For all I knew, it might have been an enemy trick. Were it not for the use of the Starfleet Emergency frequency, I would not have given it a moment's notice. How dare you question my loyalty." His frown communicated his extreme distaste at the idea. "I welcome the opportunity to explain my actions, with or without the assistance of that idiot Leo Verde. I did what was asked of me."

“Yes, you did, Captain. Without question,” Trujillo said, her expression darkening. “You violated the sovereign territory of a foreign power, attacked their research installation and several of their vessels without asking further questions about the legitimacy or advisability of orders originating from an admiral you’d never heard of, because he doesn’t exist.” She held Keller’s angry retort at bay with a raised hand. “It appears you were duped, Captain. And as a result of your actions, we’re now in a standoff with the Gorn along the border, one trigger-pull away from all-out war.”

Keller's lips thinned as he listened. "So, this conversation is to be a salve to your conscience? Your opportunity to conduct a one-person drumhead trial in the safety of your ready room? Shall I remain mute to your charges and allow you to draw your conclusions absent a full accounting of what actually happened?" He placed his hands on his thighs and ran them over the dark material of his uniform's trousers, back and forth. "You may exercise your rank and your authority that you seem to cherish enough to carry out this theatrical exchange, and I'll sit here and allow you to do so until you give me your leave. And then, I'll return to the brig for the duration of this flight." With a casual wave of his hand, he looked away toward the bulkhead to his right and told her, "Please proceed."

Trujillo’s expression tightened. “Nothing said in here will appear in any inquiries or courts-martial. I called you here to take some measure of the man who’s brought us to the brink of war. I’ve spoken to your crew, and I have found that they’re good people, better than their personnel evaluations would have me believe. I’ve also discovered that they fear you, your mercurial disposition, and your tendency to lash out at anyone who dares to offer advice in any situation. You have their fear, Captain, not their respect, and certainly not their loyalty. I believe that whoever is ultimately behind this misadventure into Gorn space chose you and your crew for this task because they knew your people were so brow-beaten and fearful that they wouldn’t dare ask questions or balk at your questionable orders. Your arrogance and venom made you and your crew the perfect patsies for an illegal and ill-advised attack on the Hegemony.”

"You and Verde…" Keller shook his head in disgust. "You're both soft. You would seek a captain who's more concerned with being pals with their subordinate officers than understanding the true nature of leadership. In a crisis situation, I don't need friendship from my officers. I need them to obey me without question." He paused briefly. "I learned command in the field from some of the best, but my mentor was the brilliant Admiral Lawrence H. Styles. I served under him on three separate occasions, and he held his command similarly and to great effect. But, to your point, if I don't coddle my people, then I'm mercurial and a tyrant." He rose from his seat to stare down at Trujillo. "Verde made the same accusation of me just before I beached his ass for disloyalty, for his inability to understand the demands of starship command. It's funny that you use some of the same phrasing; almost as though you coordinated your messaging." He nodded slowly. "Yes… you did say you were old friends, didn't you…"

Trujillo followed suit, rising to her feet. She fixed him with the same look she saved for those in the sights of her ship’s weapons. “I’ve never been accused of coddling my people before, Captain. I find the allegation… quaint. For the record, I believe you stand a good chance of surviving the inquiries to come with your career intact. However, following my report to Command on the psychological and emotional state of your subordinates due to your toxic command style, I seriously doubt that you will ever be granted the privilege of a command again. Welcome to the Yellow Squadron, Captain Keller.”

Rage colored his face as a red-tinge purple complexion overcame his normal skin coloring. "How dare you! My crew, as you call them, were perfectly fine until your best pal stepped aboard and started throwing his vaunted JAG authority around!" Keller leaned forward, his palms slapping hard against the edge of Trujillo's desk, "You sent that ship to interfere with my mission! You sent Verde! And, by the bye, he could not wait to leap into my chair the second he arrested and confined me to quarters! I am insulted by the fact that that person is walking around wearing a rank insignia he didn't earn." He pushed off from the desk and folded his arms across his chest, his eyes shifting away from her. "You allowed all of this to happen. Be it on your head when the bill comes due, sir! Count on that!"

Trujillo touched the LCARS interface on her desk, issuing a summons. “If that’s the case, Captain, I’ll stand tall before the flag to answer for my actions, as I have before. Oh, and that captain’s insignia that you’re so upset about was a gift from your former crew to Mister Verde, a symbol of their loyalty and faith in him under circumstances which appeared to be an almost certain death sentence.”

Upon hearing that information, Keller's face went ashen. "They what?"

The ready room doors parted for Davula and the security detail, who stepped silently into the compartment behind Keller.

“It’s amazing how a crew will perform for a good leader, don’t you think?” Trujillo’s smile had turned predatory and her eyes had assumed a flinty cast that hadn’t been there when he’d entered the room.

Trujillo looked at Davula. “Commander, please show Captain Keller to guest quarters, where he will remain until I receive further orders regarding his disposition from Command. Standard isolation protocol on ship’s systems access, and no visitors except his legal counsel.”

As he followed the security detail out of the ready room, Keller paused to make one more comment: "I hope this discussion brought you the appropriate amount of joy, Commodore." Without waiting for her to respond, he departed for the corridor.

After they had departed, Trujillo shook her head sadly before opening a channel to the bridge. “Mister Shukla, please get me Starfleet Command and patch it through in here.”

* * *