A wolf in sheep's clothing Pt 14

Posted on Tue Jun 4th, 2024 @ 11:18am by Commodore Finchley Kerr & Captain Kevin, Lord Kilbane of Sanquhar & Lieutenant Commander Wyatt Steele & Lieutenant Evelyn Steele

Mission: The missions never over.
Location: Captain's Ready Room,USS Thall
Timeline: Current.

"Well, it's not your craziest idea, close to it,but not your craziest" Kilbane said, looking at Finchley.

"Listen, he has to be brought down if we're ever going to come through this alive and still be able to do our duty" Finchley replied, "can you give me an alternative suggetstion?"

"To be honest, no, I can't" Kilbane answered, "but you do understand the consequences for all of us if this goes south."

"That's why I'm calling the meeting" Finchley said, "I take it you're already in?"

"Oh you know me Bird, all for one and so on and so forth..." Kilbane answered smiling.

"Good, and Karadis, if she's fit and strong enough, will be in I'll wager" Finchley said.

"I would think even if she's not fit and strong enough, Karadis will be in, she won't let you put yourself up shit creek without her being there" Kilbane laughed.

"You have a point there..." Finchley mused, "Right, contact Eve and Wyatt, ask them to come here."

Tapping his COMM badge, Kilbane said "Lieutenants Steele and Steele, this is Commander Kilbane, please make your way to the Captain's Ready Room, out."

Wyatt and Eve were in their quarters when Kilbane's call came through. Wyatt answered for both of them. "Yes sir, we're on out way." As Wyatt closed the connection he looked over to Eve. "Well, here's where we find out just what the captain has in store for us."

Eve nodded. “It’s more than that, Uncle Finchley wants revenge on Admiral Brown and this could be the start on it.” She stepped out of their door as they headed for the turbolift. “By the way...Karadis is Alive! Thanks to redundant Klingon organs!”

Wyatt stopped and looked at her, "What? Karadis is alive? That is wonderful. She is okay? No brain damage? I am very happy to hear that as I am sure the captain and Commander Kilbane are as well."

“Okay is subjective right now” Eve offered a smile. “Karadis is alive, she’s not conscious yet so we won’t know much until she is.”

They stepped out onto the bridge and headed to the Ready Room, Eve paused to press the chime waiting for permission to enter before she walked in with Wyatt. “You wanted to speak to us Sir?”

"Yes, have a seat both of you" Finchley replied.

Eve took a seat waiting to see what Finchley wanted.

"There's something before we get to the actual reason I called you here" Finchley said, "this Lieutenant Steele and Lieutenant Steele things isn't working, it's very confusing for communications purposes. Yes I realise that you're both married, however as a fix for the time being, Eve, you'll be referred to as Lieutenant Kerr again. I know it's not great, but we have to have clear lines of communication and can't afford mix ups."

Wyatt didn't like that one bit. "Um sir, why not just call Eve, Lieutenant Eve and me Lieutenant Wyatt."

"Very simple, we don't use first name's" Finchley replied.

Wyatt didn't reply. He didn't know why he was on this ship. Nothing he did seem to please the captain. But he knew why, he was here because of Eve.

Finchley sat back and cogitated, looking between Wyatt and Eve, then stood up and said "Lieutenant Wyatt Steele, stand up."

Wyatt had a confused look on his face but did as the captain asked and stood up facing the man.

Finchley cleared his throat, "Lieutenant Steele, for actions taken in defence of your fellow crew members, and dedication to duty during this mission, it's my privilege to give you a field promotion to Lieutenant Commander, congratulations Commander" he ended, holding out his hand.

"Sir?" Wyatt said confusedly in regard to what the captain had said and then it hit him....hard. "Lieutenant Commander? Me? Thank you sir! Thank you very much! This is an honor and a surprise. I won't let you down sir, nor the ship and crew." He babbled smiling broadly as he looked to Eve even as he took the captain's offered hand and gripped it in a firm handshake. "Thank you again sir."

Eve was equally as shocked and surprised, she smiled proudly at Wyatt his promotion was well deserved. “Congratulations Wyatt!”

"Oh wow! Thank you, Eve! Thank you so much sir!" Wyatt said looking at Kerr. " This is incredible! What an honor!" Wyatt gushed excitedly.

"You're welcome, baring in mind it does need to be seconded by another Senior Officer..." Finchley replied.

There being an awkward silence, he repeated "BARING IN MIND IT DOES NEED TO BE SECONDED BY ANOTHER SENIOR OFFICER", and he looked at Kilbane, who was virtually asleep lent against the wall.

"Mmmmmm...." Kilbane said, realising he was the intended recipient of what the Captain had just said, "...Oh yes, absolutely Sir, capital choice, I wholeheartedly agree."

Finchley just shook his head and turned back to look at Wyatt, "This is a field promotion remember, it will have to be ratified by the powers that be,but I'm sure they'll accept our recommendation."

Wyatt's enthusiasm and happiness began to wane when he looked at Eve. He felt guilty over the promotion. Eve had done such as much as he had even suffered an injury. Wyatt nodded as he faced his captain. "Sir." He began, "I am honored by this promotion, and I know it is a field promotion can be rescinded." He paused, and he looked back at Finchley, "Sir, it is this officer's belief that Lieutenant Evelyn Steele is also deserving of a promotion. For her actions and her personal sacrifice."

"You're correct Commander, a field promotion can be rescinded" Finchley replied, "so I want to you to think on what I'm about to say very carefully. I weighed up the contributions you both made carefully, and made a choice as to which one I believed was correct on 'giving' that promotion. Now, I get that Lieutenant Steele here is your wife, and seeing the initial delight you showed on hearing of your promotion then turned to doubt when you looked at her and realised you were being rewarded and she wasn't. You can choose to accept my decision, and carry on as Lieutenant Commander Steele, or, you can choose to decline the promotion and go back to being Lieutenant Steele. What you now decide will reflect on your record as a member of this crew. What's it to be?"

Wyatt looked to Eve, and he seemed to be in pain. he then turned to Finchley, 'Sir, this promotion, your confidence and faith in me means a great deal. He looked over at Eve again. "In regard to the promotion, I...." his mouth opened and nothing came out as he fell over.

Kilbane looked at the Captain and said, "You're absolutely positive you want to promote him, he just fainted?"

"Listen, it's a big deal to a lot of folk" Finchley replied. getting out his seat and walking round to Wyatt. He knelt down and gently tapped his cheek and said "Come on now, it's time to get up sleepyhead, otherwise you'll miss school."

Eve was just as concerned about her husband, moving to his side she gently woke him. "Wyatt, are you okay?"

Wyatt's eyes fluttered but didn't open. He moaned contently at Eve's voice.

Eve looked to Finchley. "With all due respect Captain don't rescind the promotion, Wyatt's earned this and he deserves it even if he says otherwise."

As Wyatt continued to lie there his mind was awhirl. He loved Eve with every breath he took, every fiber of his being. She was his world. He knew she felt the same way about him. Their love was strong, they were soulmates. On the other hand, Captain Kerr was an unknown to him. Yes, he was Eve''s uncle and yes, he (Wyatt) had been sent by Admiral Brown to 'look over' the Thall and her captain's actions as well as watch over Eve. This promotion meant a great deal to him and to refuse it, might make him appear ungrateful and cast him a bad light with the captain, one in which he would never recover.

Finchley didn't answer what Eve had said, instead he answered "Then you'd better waken him if we're to be about our business niece."

Eve nodded. “Yes Sir” Giving Wyatt a gentle shake she smiled as she looked at him. “Wake up Commander, it’s time to start earning that new rank of yours.”

This time Wyatt's eyes opened and stayed opened. He saw Eve smiling down at him. her face beautiful as always. "Commander?" He said in confusion and then he remembered. Captain Kerr had given him a field promotion to Lt. Commander and Wyatt had felt bad over it seeing Eve didn't receive a promotion. He looked at Eve and then Finchley. What happened? Why am I lying on the floor?" As he waited for answer he looked over to the captain. "I proudly accept the promotion to Lt. Commander sir."

“Glad to hear it Commander” Finchley replied, “ now, down to actual business. I want the real reason both of you are here on this ship. I can detect bullshit, so if you lie, I’ll know, and then I hand you both over to Kilbane, he loves getting the truth out of liars. So, your future on this ship, and what happens next lies in the next thing that comes out your mouths. Oh, and I have no problem with Kilbane dealing with family, he’s done it twice already, and funnily enough, they told him everything he wanted. Who wants to begin?” he smiled.

“Actually, I can partly answer my own question” Finchley went on, “I know Eve was sent to spy on me…sorry, assess me…by Admiral Brown. He in return would give her information on what happened to her mother. This has actually surprised me, being that I always thought blood was thicker than water and all that, so betraying me and my confidence scars my quite deeply. But what about you Commander Steele, why don’t you explain who sent you here, and why.”

Certainly sir." Wyatt answered with a nod. "To begin with, Admiral Brown sent me here with the task of assessing you and your crew's action. by crew I mean senior officers sir. In exchange for my assessment of you and being with Eve, the admiral promised his help in getting my brother out of an Ferengi prison." Wyatt answered honestly and openly.

Turning to Kilbane, Finchley said "And now you see who we're working with your Grace, two spies, willing to betray us for their own selfish requirements, one of whom is my own blood. Astounding, isn't it?"

Kilbane looked at his Captain, and then between Eve and Wyatt. Slowly he nodded his head in agreement with Finchley, then began waving an index finger back and forth, making a 'tut, tut' sound at the couple.

"It seems Sun Tzu was correct Captain, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer..." Kilbane said.

"Well now, it looks like we have a conundrum, not that they're reports would have made a blind bit of difference to how we operate" Finchley answered, and leaning forward he whispered, "what to do, what to do..."

Wyatt, Looked in turn at Kilbane, Eve and finally Finchley. "Excuse me? I haven't betrayed anyone sir nor as Eve and I resent your saying such. We were to report or at least i was on what we saw and how the crew including senior officers worked. So, if there was a betrayal perhaps it is by your own action's sir."

“Actually, not informing me that you were here under Admiral Brown’s orders to spy on myself and Senior staff, then report back to him is a betrayal Commander, you and Lieutenant Steele were acting underhand. She already told me, admittedly under difficult circumstances, that her report of me and my actions would lose me my command when she reported back to Brown, is proof. Unfortunately she didn’t know of the orders I had been given, the ‘without fear or favour’ order, was shown to her by me. The fact you were using this posting to gain favour for a personal issue again shows betrayal of myself and the Senior staff. However, there’s a way out of this for both of you, it depends on whether you wish to take it, and I’ll be upfront, it involves you then both being beholden personally to me.”

"I disagree with your view sir but you are the captain. As to being beholding to you, you already married us sir. How much more beholding can we be?" Wyatt asked.

“Me marrying the two of you was a Captain’s prerogative, as such nothing to be beholden about, I did it because I believed it to be the right thing” Finchley replied, “but, what I’m about to do will take your unswerving loyalty to me and the Senior Officers and if it works, we’ll all get what we want” he finished.

Wyatt looked at Finchley, "Sir, I believe I can speak for Eve when I say you have our loyalty to both you, the Senior Officers and crew." Wyatt answered without hesitation.

“That’s very good to hear Commander, because we’re going after the big fish to settle this once and for all” Finchley replied.

“Then you can count us in” Eve looked at Finchley with determination. “The only problem in my case is that the Admiral arranged all my training, he oversaw all of it, which most likely means he has a way of shutting me down if I try using my training against him. It would be silly not to have a failsafe if things went wrong, at least in my opinion anyway.”

Wyatt looked at Eve, but he was speaking to Finchley, "Sir there is a way to keep Eve in the mission and not have Admiral Brown take her out. An inhibitor collar. It will suppress Eve's ability and keep Brown from using it against her."

“That’s just what he’d want Wyatt” Eve looked at her husband. “To stop me from being able to use my abilities. We’d need to find a way to...” She paused. “I need to be deaf...if I can’t hear him, he can’t use any kind of code to shut me down. “I’m sure a medical could work something out.”

"Deaf? As in temporary. I bet medical can come up with something. Only thing is how are the rest of going to communicate with you? Unless you are with someone." Wyatt asked.

“I can communicate telepathically, especially with you.” Eve smiled. “Our bonding will make it easier, you just won’t be able to answer me back telepathically. It’s just an idea right now.”

"That will work. I can use a PaDD to reply to you." Wyatt answered.

Eve looked towards Finchley. “What do you think Captain? I could always play decoy I guess.”

"Oh it sounds like you've both worked this out between you, no need for my input" Finchley replied, then looking at Kilbane said "Suarian brandy?"

"Oh Captain, you know that's illegal" Kilbane replied.

"It's a twenty two fifty" Finchley said.

"Well, perhaps a snifter or two, purely for medicinal purposes you understand, I have a bit of a sniffle" Kilbane answered.

"Oh, of course purely for medicinal purposes..." Finchley said, smiling as he rose from his seat. As the two of them reached the doors to the Ready Room, he turned back to Eve and Wyatt and said "Once you've worked out how you plan to get Admiral Brown to meet you, you will let me know."

Outside the room, Kilbane asked “Are you actually letting them plan this?”

“Why not, they talked through the first part well enough, why not plan the next part too?” Finchley replied.

“You’re the Captain” Kilbane said.

“I’m sure they’ll be creative” Finchley answered

Back in the room Eve looked at Wyatt. “Did he seriously just leave us to plan this?”

Wyatt looked to the door Kerr and Kilbane had just exited through and then back to Eve. A smile slowly spread across his face. "He certainly did. So, let's get busy and not disappoint him."

“I swear you’re mad! Everyone on this ship is mad.” Eve shook her head. “Okay so what’s the plan?”