Orders are Orders

Posted on Wed Mar 15th, 2017 @ 2:44am by Captain Elijah Michaels & Commander Bertrand Cuprum

Mission: All the Kings Men: Wargames
Location: Ready Room

Leaving Medical and still bearing the weight of the news given him regarding Captain Beihns, Rogers waited until he rounded the corner and was then out of sight of the Marine Honor Guard standing post while Beihns was in Medical. Once out of sight, and therefore hoping his actions wouldn't be seen as weakness or hopelessness, he leaned against the wall and took several long breaths.

Beihns would live. That was about the only good news. The illness that nearly took his life, however, was going to end his career in the Corps. It was a blow he was taking well, considering he was put back into a coma, allowing the medical staff and Beihns to work on healing as much of his body as they could. Rogers was told the coma would be long term and would definitely keep him out of action until after the war games were completed and they returned to the starbase, where Beihns would be transferred to the base's medical suites until he was well enough to once again be transferred to a long care facility.

Scrubbing his face, Rogers couldn't believe this was happening. Beihns was a Marine! If something was going to take him out of life, then it should be something he could fight standing on his feet, not some parasitic virus that laid him low without a real chance of fighting.

Rogers pushed away from the wall and headed for the turbolift, asking for the location of the captain. As the company's executive officer, it fell to him to inform the Captain of the state of the Marine leadership - Beihns unable to continue which meant leadership fell onto him until the position was filled by the Corps.

It was something of a suprise when the computer informed him Captain Michaels was not on the ship at the moment and the ship's executive officer was now in command. But, he wasn't privy to the workings of Fleet and he presumed, as the computer gave him this information, that all was as it should be.

Except, as the turbolift took him toward his destination, his chrono stated they should have started the second series of war games by now. That didn't seem to be the case. That was of mild worry with the captain off ship and their planned participation late in happening.

"I'm looking for the ship's captain?" Rogers asked once he arrived on the bridge. He used the honorific rank for the person commanding the ship - as was protocol and proper among Marines.

An older man, with ragged features and a disheveled uniform stood up from the Captain's Chair. The former Chief of Security, and now Acting Captain, Cmdr Bertrand Cuprum studied the Marine with His own jet-black Betazoid eyes. He truned and addressed the rest of the bridge.

"Helm, maintain course and speed. Lt Mordin, you have the bridge. Disperse our diversionary probes as you feel necessary. Lt Kilbane, keep your eyes peeled for pursuit. I'll be in my ready room. Mr Rogers, with me."

He led the way to the ready room. It was still outfitted for Michaels, as would be expected, but Bertrand took the Captain's chair without adjusting the seat, suggesting he had been using it most recently. He gestured to the seat opposite him.

"I believe you prefer verbal communications over Telepathy, is that right, Rogers?"

"Half dozen of one, six of the other," Rogers said as he took the indicated seat. "Though, I was raised on Terra, so those habits die hard."

"As you will," Bertrand accepted this without judgement. "Please tell me you are here to explain some serious allegations my Chief of Security identified. Breaking and entering, accessing restricted areas, failure to report to your duty station at the designated time?"

"Sir?" Rogers said, clearly deeply confused and mystified by the allegations that were just thrown at him. "No, sir. I came to inform you that Captain Beihns is incapacitated and unable to continue with his duties." Rogers took a deep breath as he stiffened. "I was going to inform you that during his incapacitation, I would be taking acting command of the unit, however, considering your statement, I will need to obtain a JAG rep."

He thought quickly, "I guess it'll have to be the OpsO who takes command of the unit at this time."

Bertrand was impressed despite himself. He sat back in his chair and steepeled his fingers. Unlike most people, he could not simply read the surface emotions of another Betazoid.

"So you neither confirm or deny the claim. Did you not override the door lock out and access an off limits room then spend time carrying an injured crewman to Medical instead of reporting as acting Marine CO?"

At the direct accusation, Rogers sprang to his feet, moved to the center of the room and faced Caprum at attention. "Sir, at this time I decline to make any statements regarding any criminal acts for which I have been accused until such time as I have obtained and spoken with my JAG representative." Rogers said. Nobody had to be Betazoid to see the fury seething through him now. His Captain and friend was dying and they were going to screw him over some whiny assed goldback's hissy fit? They could damn well try. He was a Marine, he was trained for combat and that's what this would be. And as a Marine, he wasn't trained to go soft. "Sir."

Bertrand actually smiled, "Oh, I like you. I served for nearly a decade as a JAG officer, and people like you who keep their mouths shut until they are advised to are like jewels."

He leant forward, "So let me talk off the record. I know you have done all of the things of which you are accused, and it has upset my Chief of Security immensely. I trust you have a good reason for doing so and not some Jar head stunt to get the Security team off side? Off the record."

Rogers seemed to relax for a moment as he leaned forward. "Off the record, sir?" he asked, his tone sounding hopeful that it was true.

"Off the record, sir, I have invoked my right to representation and I know there is no such thing as an 'off the record' for JAGoffs." He stiffened his attention stance once more. "Am I to report to the brig or do you have an escort waiting. Sir?"

Bertrand nodded still smiling, "All right, Rogers. Let me try a different tact. Suppose, hypothetically, that there was a group of Federation officers who felt they needed to go to a restricted location, without approval from higher ranking officers, without having time to gain that approval, because lives were on the line. Suppose also, that you were in a position to determine if these individuals should be brought up on charges. Do I take it that you feel their intentions may justify their actions? Purely hypothetically of course."

"No, sir, orders are given for reasons, even if we don't understand them. Disobeying orders is not subject to 'whims'. If these officers had time to go on this unauthorized mission, they had time to obtain proper orders."

"Then, when I tell you, off the record, that Captain Michaels and some of the Senior crew have left the ship on a secret mission to a restricted space, without having the luxury of time to gain the appropriate approvals, you do not see that as a dereliction of their duty?"

An emotion other than anger passed across Roger's face and spectrum at that. One of shock and shame. "Sir, our orders are to participate in these war games. If the senior staff of this ship, absent yourself and Captain Beihns, obviously, went and did this, they are in dereliction of their duty, disobeying orders and engaging in conduct unbecoming officers." Rogers shook his head. "They have thrown away their careers to satisfy ego. Hypothetically, sir."

Bertrand raised his eyebrows, "Was it satisfaction of ego that led you to break into Beihms room to save his life? Did you try to contact a senior Security officer who would be able to use a registered code to open the door before you started hacking our systems?"

"Either way, you are one of two things; someone who believes rules apply to them differently form everyone else, or someone who believes there are times that the punishment is worth the crime. I can't say I care for either of those, but you stand in good company with Captain Michaels on the later."

"What I do like is that you are willing to face the consequences of your actions; no pouting or attempts to defend them except through the proper channels. Oh, sit down! I am not filing charges until the war games are over at least. I can't afford to. Truth is, I need you leading your men, Captain Rogers." Bertrand emphasized the title.

"No can do, sir, as long as there is a threat of charges against me, or a single one of my men," Rogers said, sensing he had an edge.

Bertrand's face went hard, "Don't mistake generosity for weakness, Rogers, or are you refusing to perform your duty and my orders?"

Rogers was about to answer that prisoners under charges had no duty and therefore could not refuse orders to do such, but held back. It could be an argument filed for another time, but there was something else here.

"Our orders are to pose as the Jennarri attacking cruiser, but be unorthodox, so we are. We are running and hiding. However, we will be encountering hostile Federation forces. We expect to meet extreme, if not fanatical, opposition. I want to minimize casualties, but I am not convinced we will have the same from our opponents. That means I need people who are willing to storm a ship and take and hold it at gunpoint if necessary. Our Security forces could do it, but it seems to me it is a role much better suited to your team."

Rogers glared at Cuprum for the mere suggestion that they would not be much better at invading hostile territory than Fleet security. It was, for the most part, the very reason for their existence. "I will not lead, nor allow anyone else to lead, my Marines into armed conflict against a Federation ship doing their duty, sir."

Cuprum sighed and put his head in his hands. For a split second Rogers got a wave of the tension this officer was under.

"Rogers, I don't have time for you," he said simply. "We are acting way outside the bounds of standard protocol, far further than I want to be, but here we are. In a couple of hours we are about to engage Federation forces who have acted in ways I am not supposed to know about, officially, and certainly aren't supposed to be telling you."

"Some months ago, we were unofficially involved in a mission for SFI, where we boarded a secret research station where Federation officers were performing illegal experiments on sentient beings they had kidnapped form their home worlds. The experiments were developing weapons that could turn the population of an entire world against itself. It resulted in the deaths of the entire station's crew and a number of my own people. I can't tell their families what happened because officially it never did. They will always be MIA."

"A few hours ago we got an unofficial request, again from the SFI, that the man responsible is on his way to another secret station to steal plans for even more dangerous experiments; more dangerous than planet killing viruses. To get to the station, the man in question first killed the current head of SFI. This means that the only one with any sort of knowledge of the facility who could give permission for the mission is the President of the United Federation of Planets, herself. You can understand why there was not time to find the appropriate permissions."

"The Captain has gone to find them and we are going to back him up, and lead the War games on a pretty chase, if I can."

"Meanwhile I have you and my CSecO, dancing back and forth about whether or not you should pick a lock to save a single person."

"So, let me make my position very clear," Bertrand stood. "I am ordering you and your men, as Acting Captain and your superior, to prepare to board and capture a Federation vessel that may or may not be occupied by renegade and criminal Federation forces, with minimum of casualties. If you are unwilling, or unable, either because of your experience or moral sensibilities, to follow that order I will have you removed and take the next person in line who will. If that happens, people will die; deaths that you could have prevented by taking the role. You explain to their families why you would break rules to save your friend Beihns, but not the lives of your men under your charge."

"Now, I will ask YOU; Are you going to report to your station or the brig?"

"With all due respect, sir, you Fleeters talk too much. You could have stopped at Federation forces acting in ways they shouldn't. At which point, they have forfeited their rights to Federation consideration. Point us at a target, sir, and it will be gone." Rogers relaxed slightly. "Cry havoc, sir, and let slip the dogs of war."

Bertrand hung his head, "This... THIS is why I am reluctant to send Marines. I don't want it GONE, I want it captured and held with minimum casualties."

He waved the issue away with his hand, "You know your job, and you know the task at hand. Have your men ready. Dismissed, Captain."

"Oh, and one last thing," Bertrand added as the Marine turned to leave. "Good job with Beihns."

"Yoga, Captain," Rogers said as he made the door and was heading out to prepare the command for their orders from the commander. "Yoga, it's a wonderful way to relax. "