Face to Face

Posted on Sun Jun 21st, 2020 @ 8:30am by Captain Nycolas Temple & Lieutenant K'Laus
Edited on on Tue Jul 7th, 2020 @ 1:48pm

Mission: Into the Wild
Location: Brig

A Mission Post by Captain Nycolas Temple & Lieutenant K'Laus
Mission: Into The Wild
Location: Brig
Timeline:
Fri Nov 24th, 2017 @ 12:55pm


Lieutenant K'Laus had been whisked away by a devious trick, a cowardly one that his Klingon philosophy would easily discredit as being very Romulan like. He had been scooped up by the Pandora's transporters and dropped off right into an awaiting holding cell in the Brig with a moderately high force field. For what reason? K'Laus was not sure if it was to really keep him contained or to prevent others from getting hurt. It made him feel like a caged animal in captivity, but as the minutes passed he began to calm down and begin to fully grasp where he was and why. His drunken disorderly conduct had lead him to viciously stalk Mindo like prey and corner him in the Pandora's upper Engineering level. What have I done the Klingon thought to himself as he crashed on the bench, slowly but surely sobering up.

He knew that people would be seeing him soon. Undoubtedly the Security Chief to probably gloat about his Klingon capture, the Ship's Counselor to analyze his brain in her own shrewd ways, and then either the First Officer or Captain if not the two of them double teaming him in a command interrogation. He sat there studying the force field for several minutes. If he wanted to, he probably could find a way out of the cell given enough time...though that would be a few days at best. However, there was no where to run even if he did manage to escape the cell, and all that would cause would be more trouble.

When he heard the doors to the room open and the light from the corridor outside peak into the dimly lit Brig, K'Laus slowly approached the force field barrier of his cell to have a look at who was arriving. He did not expect to see the Captain so quickly. Lieutenant K'Laus quickly backed away from the cell and backed himself right into the corner of his cell.

Nycolas Temple spent a lot of time putting a smile on his face. From when he left his quarters in the morning until he returned home again at night and could just be Nyx and not Captain, he always tried to appear optimistic and friendly to everyone.

Today though, in this moment, he wasn't smiling. An ashen frown had formed and his brow furrowed like a crumpled piece of paper that was never going to smooth out again. He heard the reports of what had occurred in Engineering with a vague hope that it was a practical joke of some kind. That Mindo liked to joke and he had always taken K'Laus' aggression with mild humor. But the more updates he received, including a damning one from Janet, caused the Captain's face to darken terribly so.

Seeing the Klingon backing into the corner of his cell, Nyx's heart had a moment of sympathy, like after you've growled at your child for spilling juice all over the floor. But no matter how sorry they looked, it didn't change the fact that there was still a large mess to clean up.

"Mr. K'Laus?" Nyx spoke in a low tone as he approached, deliberately avoiding using his rank. "How are you feeling?"

The Klingon kept his distance. Dishonoring your superior in Klingon culture was fine if you managed to kill them and climb up in the hierarchy. However, Talarian culture it was a great offense to disrespect or dishonor one's superior. "Peachy" replied the Klingon a tad sarcastically, but he soon stiffened up. "Not well. Not well at all, Sir. I...You know what happened and my responsibility in the whole incident. I am not sure it is wise for me to say anything without a Judge Advocate present. I am sure that is where this will be going" he said regretfully.

He looked up at the Captain "Do I even get a Judge Advocate?" he asked sincerely. "My rank is provisional only. Do the same legal rights to a Starfleet Officer apply to me, Captain?"

Nyx shrugged a little, "That's a tricky situation. I would want any member of my crew to be properly represented and for all legal steps to be followed. I would want a transparent judicial process that resolves the problem fairly in accordance with Starfleet regulations." He glowered at the Klingon. "But a member of my crew wouldn't become violently intoxicated and interrupt ship operations to discuss personal affairs. A member of my crew wouldn't man-handle another officer, threaten to rip their hearts out, and dangle him over the edge of a catwalk. A member of my crew would stand down when instructed to by two superior officers."

He shrugged once more. "So you see my predicament, Mr. Mindo and I feel your future hinges upon that question. Are you part of my crew or not?"

The Klingon grunted. "Captain, that is difficult to answer. Perhaps more difficult that you or anyone aboard can understand...and I intend no offense when I say that, but I do not believe anyone aboard this starship can truly understand what it is like to be in my position. Am I crew or am I not? I struggle with my identity on multiple levels each and every day. My uniform looks like all the other officers, but my rank is provisional" said K'Laus.

"Look at me" he said as he approached the force field that separated he and the Captain. "When people look at me they see Klingon, but I am as much Talarian if not more than I am Klingon, but it is with the Klingons that I have served" stated the man. "Both are my people and both are currently dealing with conflict and hostility towards the Federation...yet here I stand aboard a Federation starship."

Nyx stood for a moment, his face not far away from the officer's, except for the gentle hum of energy between them. It might as well have been a brick wall for all he could truly understand K'Laus' position. The meeting had a sudden tone of privileged lecturing, with Nyx firmly in the position of entitlement.

"I don't envy your situation," Nyx finally replied, "But as a man from two proud worlds, now serving in the finest institution in the galaxy, you represent the possibility of the Federation. I mean, there's a reason they call it the United Federation of Planets." He tried a small smile, "That also means we have to hold ourselves to a higher standard, because of the weight of title we hold."

The Klingon sighed and grunted. Shaking his head as he held it. The Klingon looked up at the Captain. "I DONT" he growled at the Captain, but soon lowered his voice. "I do not feel that weight. I do not feel anything except like I'm playing dress up these Starfleet uniforms. I want to feel like I belong, Captain Temple. I want to feel like I am more than just the token Klingon or Talarian that you play nicely with as I'm a guest in your uniforms.... I want my rank to mean something. I want to be an actual Starfleet Officer. I want to be Lieutenant K'Laus... not Lieutenant K'Laus with the unspoken forefront of 'provisional'" explained the man.

Nyx immediately stabbed his finger into the air, pointing directly at K'Laus, sending a ripple of energy across the force field. "YOU GROWL AT ME ONE MORE TIME LIEUTENANT AND I WILL LEAVE YOU HERE TO ROT!" Came the Captain's loud and booming response. However short Nyx's fuse had been, it had reached its end.

"You don't tell me what you want. Not now, not ever." Nyx continued, fire and fury in his eyes. "And especially not after physically assaulting another officer. You are not in a position to request anything of me. I am telling you what I expect of you, K'Laus, and your only response will be 'Yes Captain', is that clear?"

“Yes, Captain” replied K’Kaus. He looked at the man. He respected him, looked up to him, and believed in him as a leader. “I will not growl at you, Sir. I deserve to be in here and I understand that. I just wish I could go back and change what happened or why it happened.”

Sighing, Nyx straightened out his jacket and paced around the small corridor in front of K'Laus cell. He hated that he got so upset, and allow his anger to show. Having spent so long playing the Happy Captain, he suddenly found himself in a situation that he couldn't wash away with a positive attitude and a few kind words. But they were all in this mess together, K'Laus' problems where his problems too.

With his back turned, Nyx hung his head, "I'm sorry for yelling, Lieutenant." He turned and looked at the man in his eyes. "I want you to go to sickbay for some treatment for your intoxication then return to your quarters. You will continue in your duties for the time being, but I want you to keep your distance from Engineering. Until the investigation is complete, you will be confined to your quarters while off-duty and will be barred from consuming any alcoholic beverages. One inch out of line and you will return here."

The Klingon nodded. "I respectfully agree with you and appreciate returning to my quarters and to duty, Captain" he said with a bit of relief. "I will avoid Engineering and I will not touch a drop of alcohol. I promise. I am...scared. I do not want this to be the end of me or my career" he said almost pleadingly.

Nyx moved closer to the cell again, and murmured quietly, "I will find a way to help you, unofficially if I must." With a cool tap of the console, the force field was deactivated and it gave a small glimmer as the wall of energy disappeared. "Come, you must be tired."

"Exhausted" he said correcting the Captain as he cautiously stepped through the threshold.

"Me too," Nyx replied glumly as they walked out of the Brig together.

OFF