A wolf in sheep’s clothing Part 11

Posted on Wed May 22nd, 2024 @ 7:29am by Lieutenant Evelyn Steele & Commodore Finchley Kerr

Mission: The missions never over.
Location: CO’s Quarters/Sickbay
Timeline: 30 hours after Karadis’ death

Now she was back on her feet, and her senses were returning Eve had decided to bite the bullet and try to talk to her uncle about his loss. As Counsellor it was her job to try and help him move on from the loss of Karadis, she knew it wouldn’t be easy. Arriving at Finchley’s Quarters she pressed the chime waiting for an answer.

"GO AWAY, I SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO BE DISTURBED!!!" Finchley yelled from inside.

Eve sighed. “Computer, medical override Steele-Alpha-779.” As the door slid open she walked inside wondering what kind of sight awaited her, given that her uncle hadn’t been seen outside his office or quarters since Karadis’ death. “Uncle Finchley...”

Finchley sat lent against the remains his sofa in what had once been his pristine quarters. There wasn't a single piece of furniture, shelving or ornament that was in one piece. Empty bottles of alcohol lay strewn around him, he looked so unkempt having not shaved or showered since finding out about Karadis dying.

"CAN'T YOU PEOPLE TAKE A HINT, I SAID I DON'T WANT TO BE DISTURBED, NOW FUCK OFF BEFORE I GET REALLY ANGRY!!!" he yelled at Eve, drunkenly waving the phaser he had in his hand towards the doors.

Eve gave her uncle a very worried and concerned look. “I’m not going anywhere, so if you want to shoot me go ahead and shoot me!” She started moving around the room, tidying up the empty bottles of alcohol, as well as tidying what she could of the broken items. “I very much doubt you’ll want my death of your conscience Uncle Finchley.” She picked up the tipped over coffee table luckily it’s toughened glass top was still in one piece.

"You think this phaser's for you?" Finchley laughed hysterically, "Man have you got that wrong, why would I waste a shot on someone like you?"

He tried to get up but slumped back to the floor. Taking a large draw from the bottle he was holding, he looked with derision at Eve, "You think you're a big shot, come in here and 'save the day', use your voodoo magic mind fucking tricks to read my emotions, well, let me save you the trouble Lieutenant...they're all gone, all except one...and it had to be Kilbane didn't it. That sanctimonious, up his own arse, jumped up upper class shitbag. Why couldn't it be Karadis, mmmm? Why couldn't she be the last one left, but no...she lies in a cryo chamber, and he walks about large as life..."

Even though it hurt Eve did her best to ignore the comments spouted by a drunk man. “Kilbane told me you’re the last ones left, that everyone else in purple squad is gone. You’ve blamed yourself for every one of those losses, but this is the one that you were truly dreading.” She paused to pick up more damaged items. “You never told her did you? You never told Karadis that you had feelings for her? Maybe not enough to call love, but then you’ll never know now will you?”

"DON'T YOU DARE, DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO PSYCHOANALYZE ME!!!" Finchley yelled, "You know nothing, nothing about the kind of relationship Karadis and I had, or what she meant to any of us. You utter another word about her or mention her name, then you'll be out of here like hot shit of a shovel. NOW GET OUT, AND I MEAN THAT, YOU'RE NOT, WELCOME...BRETT WAS RIGHT ABOUT YOU, I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO HIM, BUT NO, I ALLOWED MY FEELINGS FOR FAMILY CLOUD MY JUDGEMENT. WELL, THAT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN, YOU'RE JUST A...JUST ANOTHER CREW DRONE LIKE THAT WET FUCK YOU MARRIED...GET...OUT...BEFORE I THROW YOU OUT!"

That hit a nerve as Eve turned to look at her uncle. “FINE! You’ll only have yourself to blame when you’re removed from command CAPTAIN! And before you say it’s your ship, and you make the decisions I suggest you take a closer look at the small print in my file. Starfleet put me here to assess YOU, once I walk out of that door you can wave goodbye to your ship and what’s left of your crew!”

"Actually, Starfleet doesn't have a say in Intelligence, it's a separate entity altogether, so your precious 'relieving me of Command' comment doesn't mean Jack!" Finchley replied. He finally made it to his feet, staggered over to his wall safe and opened it. Reaching inside, he took out a small PADD and entered his personal code. Finding the paragraph he was looking for,he turned back to Eve.

"Here, right here!" he said, "And I quote 'All Intelligence vessels and their Commanding Officer are at liberty to use any and all means at their discretion to see that their mission parameters are fulfilled, without fear or favour."

He staggered over to Eve, "ANY AND ALL MEANS AT THEIR DISCRETION, AND HERE, 'ALL INTELLIGENCE COMMANDING OFFICERS', AND HERE TOO, 'WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOUR', SO THAT TRUMPS YOUR ASSESMENT OH HIGH AND MIGHTY ONE!"

"You're just a pawn" he said, toning his voice down and turning away, "and to think I actually believed you'd make a difference here, well, I guess that didn't happen. Have you any idea what it even takes to get to where I am, any idea of the sacrifices I've had to make, any idea what it's like to make life and death decisions way above what a standard CO makes, mmmhhh?"

"And do you think I wouldn't know about 'you're assessment of me', God, Admiral Brown knew what was happening and alerted me" Finchley carried on, "but he also added that it didn't matter, Starfleet had no say in how Intelligence worked, not even their Medical or Counselling department,oh, and before you say it's SFI Medical and Counselling who sent you to assess me, they have no say either as any decision they make has to pass the Council of Twelve, and believe me, they don't care how things are done, just so long as they are. In a nutshell niece, they don't give a shit what I do, this is Purple Squad, we're a Kill Squad, just so long as I get it done. Oh, have no fear, I'll pay for my part in all I do because the one certainty the Council depend on is that CO's NEVER retire, they 'get' retired...if you catch my meaning. I'm a dead man already, I just don't know where or when, but I've accepted my fate, as has Kilbane. But here's the real kicker, you have no idea why Purple Squad was set up in the first place and 'why' I was directed to lead it...but that doesn't matter to you, like I said, you're just a pawn. So, by all means write up your assessment, send it to Starfleet and SFI Medical and Counciling, I'll even give you my blessing and allow you to use a direct line to both of them from my office, but it'll never see the light of day. All that will happen is it will get read, then be put in the 'to be discussed' pile. By the way, the 'to be discussed' pile is code for 'bury it'."

With that he slumped back down onto the floor and took another pull from the bottle in his hand.

“You know what?” Eve looked at the sorry excuse for a man that was sitting on the floor in-front of her. “You sit there and carry on drinking. When I came here I was hoping to get to know my uncle, to prove that you’re not the hard hearted bastard my father always said you were. I guess he was right after all. You want me gone? Fine! I QUIT! My resignation will be on your desk when you’ve sobered up enough to read it!!” With that she headed for the door walking out without even stopping to look back.

"That's fine with me..." Finchley's voice sounded out into the corridor, "...because I've had enough of all this bullshit, yours included. Tell Admiral Brown he won" he ended, followed by the sound of a phaser being fired and a slight 'thump'.

Eve looked back but didn’t return. Instead she tapped her comm badge. “Sickbay, medical emergency incoming from the Captain’s Quarters.” She tapped her badge again.

“Computer...lock onto Captain Finchley’s signal and beam him directly to Sickbay.” She waited for the acknowledgement before heading for hers & Wyatt’s Quarters, she still had her resignation to file.

[Sickbay]

Finchley lay on one of the biobeds, snoring loudly.

"What's with the Captain being here?" a nurse asked.

"It would appear he's rather intoxicated" another replied.

"So why's he not in his quarters sleeping it off?" the first nurse asked.

"Beats me, he was emergency beamed here" the second replied.

Suddenly a loud snore came from Finchley and he stirred, opening his eyes, "Wha..whe...where am I?" he asked.

"Sickbay Sir, you were beamed in here a little while ago" the first nurse asnwered.

"I was in my quarters, speaking to somebody" Finchley said confused.

"When you came in Sir, you were, ehm, you were a little drunk...but we've managed to drop your alcohol level, a lot, and given you something to stop you getting a headache" the second nurse said.

"I was talking about Karadis" and he closed his eyes, then opened them again, "Karadis..."

"The Commanders body is in a cryo chamber Captain" the first nurse answered.

"I need to get to the bridge" Finchley said, sitting up and swinging his legs round. The sickbay started to spin a little and he held one hand to his head, "Oh, that's not good."

"Sir, can we suggest you take some time to settle back and let your senses return to normal" the second nurse said.

"Thank you for your concern, but I need to...to get back on duty again, the ships heading back to Base One and there's reports I need to get done."

He stepped down onto the floor and gingerly made his way to the doors and out into the corridor.

Eve had stopped off at her office to organise and pick up some PADDs, exiting at the same time the one person she hadn’t expected to see in the corridor was Finchley. “Captain...” She walked past him barely bothering to stop as she headed for the turbolift.

Finchley didn't even acknowledge Eve as she passed him, he was going to make his way to the bridge then changed his mind, instead, he made his way to his quarters. Once inside, he closed the door, making sure any override was disabled, he wasn't going to be disturbed.

"Computer, disable recording and visuals from this room, authorization Kerr Alpha one one six Zulu" he said.

There was a bleep and the computer replied an affirmative order.

Sitting at his desk, ignoring the carnage around him, he opened up a link to SFIHQ and asked to speak to Admiral Brown. A few moments later, the Admiral's face appeared on the screen, "Captain Kerr, this is an unexpected communication, what can I do for you?"

"Let's cut the bullshit Sir, you know why I'm calling on you!" Finchley replied.

"I can assure you Captain, I don't, you were supposed to have a communication blackout till you were back in Federation space, so again, what can I do for you?" the Admiral asked.

"You sent my niece to spy on me...ME, that's underhand even for a spinless worm like you, Sir" Finchley retorted.

"As ever the diplomat Captain Kerr" Brown replied, "she wasn't so much spying on you, she was just there to seehow you were holding up."

"Don't give me that, she told me herself" Finchley said, "then she was telling me she was going to take my Command away from me, she didn't realise the orders given to me by the Council of Twelve or it's stipulations, nor what Purple Squad was really about, the squad you set up and gave me no choice but to Command."

"Perhaps she may have just slightly overstepped her mark, but her intentions were good, I can assure you Captain Kerr" Brown replied.

"Well, she's handing in her resignation" Finchley said, "did you tell her what happens to anyone who does that, or what happens to their families Admiral...or did it slipy your mind?"

"I may have omitted to tell her, a fault on my part" Brown answered.

"How very convenient Sir" Finchley said.

"Unintentional Captain, as you can imagine, I have a lot of things to deal with, and it was a busy day when we met" Brown said, a smile on his face.

Finchley could feel rage building, but he pushed it down, "Well, isn't that always the way, Admiral. Whilst you're on, Karadis is dead, that leaves just Kilbane and myself."

"I'm very sorry to hear of the Commanders passing Captain" Brown replied.

"Oh, I doubt that very much Sir, but it was kind of you to try and fain your sorrow, Kerr out!" Finchley said, closing the link. He sat back, he needed a plan, one that would free him, Kilbane and the crew from Brown's grasp...and that of the Councils. For the moment though, that had to wait, he needed to know what was happening on the bridge.