Demanding Answers

Posted on Mon Jun 22nd, 2020 @ 12:47am by Cailus Griffin & Emilie Temple
Edited on on Tue Jul 7th, 2020 @ 2:09pm

Mission: Into the Wild
Location: Deck 1
Timeline: Current

A Mission Post by Lieutenant JG Cailus Griffin & Emilie Temple
Mission: Into The Wild
Location: Deck 1
Timeline: Current
Sat Mar 10th, 2018 @ 12:35am


Emilie Temple had enough of waiting. The Pandora had clearly been through a battle, her husband was missing, as were several other officers, and she wanted some answers. After leaving Katrine with Ignatius, she had stormed out of the Quarters and heaving up to Deck 1. Now she loitering, not at all subtly, outside the Captain's Ready Room, as she hoped to find someone that she could speak to. Emilie knew that she shouldn't be up on these decks, especially in the time of Red Alert, but not knowing was becoming unbearable.

When Cailus returned from the Bridge after a swift bio-break (no self-respecting officer stood at a duty station while crossing their legs), he automatically looked around, then frowned as he registered Emilie's presence. Why would she...oh hell, I know why. Cailus sighed, wondering what he could conjure up as an excuse to delay this, but there were none. With the reassuring bulk of the USS Palatine now close alongside and the Carnage almost completely secured, the situation had calmed down considerably; indeed, he had relieved many of the Bridge staff to take a much needed break. In any case, Cailus reflected ruefully, Emilie was a friend. it would be a disservice to simply shrug her off.

Thus, with some reluctance, he walked past the command pit to the ready room door where the tall Nordic woman waited. "Can I help you, ma'am?" he asked quietly.

Emilie was pleased to see Griffin appear and didn't waste any time getting to her point, "What the hell is going on, Cailus?" She asked, raising her arms in exasperation.

"Ready room," he said curtly, reaching past her to tap the control that opened the doors. While Emilie entered the ready room, he shot a quick glare at the Bridge officers who had been surreptitiously watching him and Emilie, causing the watchers to hurriedly work on their consoles with renewed enthusiasm. That done, he winced before turning and following her in.

"Look, Emilie," Cailus said as the doors closed behind him, "I don't know what you've heard..."

"Where is my husband?" Emilie asked, and she flashed him the PADD in her hands. The PADD that had continued to display the message that 'Captain Temple is not currently on the USS Pandora' in large friendly letters.

Confronted by such incontroverible evidence, Cailus’ jaw clenched, crossing his arms out of habit. He’d been less anxious fighting that pirate battleship than he was now, facing down a fearful spouse. The faint redness around her bright blue eyes made it obvious that she had been crying, which made it all the harder. “He’s on that alien battleship, the one you saw on the viewscreen,” he said curtly, choosing directness on a spur-of-the-moment. “He’s alive but not safe, not yet. I talked to him only half an hour ago.”

Emilie didn't know what to say, she was taking in the information and dissecting it in bites. She took a moment, her brow furrowed and tensed, before slowly nodding. Her fears and the confusion that she had felt moments ago had now made way for something far stronger - her anger. "That son of a... He just jumps onboard an alien battleship, doesn't tell me what's happening or where he's going? What if he was seriously hurt, or worse? Reckless, stupid, man!"

“It’s the job,” Cailus said awkwardly, fervently wishing he was somewhere else right now. “The plan evolved very quickly, with no time for preparation.”

"The job." Emilie scoffed, giving Cailus a roll of her eyes. "That's exactly what he'll say too. The job is fine when you're a young Security agent, without a family and responsibilities. But he told me his job wouldn't be like that anymore, he told me things would be safer here. Not that he was going to leave his pregnant wife and daughter while he galavants onto alien vessels and putting his life in danger." She broke off, and turned away, burying her face into her hands. The reality of the situation was settling in and she couldn't bare to consider what could have gone wrong.

Still feeling horribly awkward, Cailus reached out and grasped her shoulder as a gesture of comfort, squeezing it lightly. He knew better than to get involved in a marital dispute and so kept his mouth shut. Seeing Emilie’s raw terror was a painful reminder of his own past marriage, when Harriet had been so hurt and frightened after he lost his hand, then again after Menelax and that insane duel with the Klingon. Cailus suspected that Nyx would be in for a rough couple of weeks, and he didn’t envy the man.

Then the penny dropped, Cailus’ mouth opening in surprise at the belated realisation. “Wait, Emilie...did you say that you’re pregnant?”

Emilie stopped and after a moment peaked her eyes up over her hands, “Oops.” She gave a laugh of relief then shrugged. “Well I was supposed to wait so we could tell you guys together, but hey, he’s not here so... Yes! I’m having another baby with that reckless, stupid man.”

Cailus couldn’t help but smile warmly at that as he crossed his arms. “Congratulations to you both. I’ll keep it quiet until you’re both ready to share the news.” Which would be no mean trick given that his girlfriend was a Listener, as she sometimes described herself, but he filed that problem away for later. For now, there was the simple joy of learning that his friends were expecting another child, a welcome ray of light in an otherwise bleak day. “Now, Emilie, is there anything else I can do for you?”

Emilie placed her hand on his arm, "Thank you, Cailus. I'm sorry for being so demanding and rude to you, you've been nothing but supportive to me. Can we just blame it on the hormones?"

Cailus’ smile turned amused. “I’ve learned from experience that a pregnant woman is always right. Every time.” Then the smile faded as he became somber. “Besides, I know precisely how you feel. Shae is over there too.”

“Oh?” Emilie gasped in surprise, “Now I feel like a bigger fool. I didn’t realise, I thought she went to Salvaxe? You must be terribly worried, even if you’ll never show it.”

Indeed, Cailus didn’t look affected at all, but there was nevertheless a certain tension to in how he held himself. He doubted that he’d fully relax until he had Shae in his arms again, and perhaps not even then. Fear was a tenacious bastard like that. Given how Emilie’s brilliant blue eyes still glistened, he suspected that she felt the same way, even as angry as she was with her husband.

“I’ll inform you when Nyx is beamed aboard,” Cailus said after a long moment, not voicing his inner thoughts. “Then we may both scold him for playing a damn hero. I’m sure that Commander Nash will be joining in as well.”

“Yes, we certainly can.” Emilie laughed, feeling more relaxed now then she did before. “Thank you, Cailus, you’ve been so very considerate. I’ll let you get back to the Bridge now.”

Slowly and more thoughtfully, Emilie sauntered off down the corridor, pleased at least that she was able to stop fretting. And when undoubtedly Katrine asked where her daddy had gone, Emilie could answer with confidence that he was going to be back soon. She wondered if Aoife would do the same, in her own way of chirps and noises, and how Starfleet life was probably never meant for families to endure together. Still, she was glad to have a friend in Cailus that would tell her the truth, even when Nyx could not. That husband of hers still had some questions to answer. She wanted to see him come home again safely, but that was not going to erase her feelings from today.