Keeping Us Safe

Posted on Tue Jun 23rd, 2020 @ 12:42am by Cailus Griffin & Lieutenant Kalin Brennan-Griffin PhD & Lieutenant John Sandoval & Eva Griffin
Edited on on Fri Jul 10th, 2020 @ 5:19pm

Mission: Death in Paradise
Location: Chief Science Officer's Office
Timeline: After “Knuckling Down”

A Mission Post by Lieutenant Cailus Griffin & Lieutenant Kalin 'Shae' Brennan-Griffin PhD & Lieutenant John Sandoval & Aoife Brennan
Mission: Death in Paradise
Location: Chief Science Officer's Office
Timeline: After “Knuckling Down”
Thu Nov 1st, 2018 @ 1:50pm

ON

John Sandoval was finishing up the day with his team. They'd made an initial first contact with the Irokari and were preparing to hand over medical supplies. He'd received an overview of Irokari protocol: what they valued and what they hated; what they wanted to see and what would deeply offend them. He was on his way to getting the mission fully accredited, but one thing remained: his team's security aboard Paradise Station.

After dismissing his team for the night, asked the computer for the location of Lieutenant Cailus Griffin, the security chief. The computer placed him on the science deck, which seemed strange, but John set out to find him. It continued to bother him that he knew the name Cailus Griffin, but couldn't exactly place where. He sat near the man in the previous day's briefing, but the two hadn't spoken directly to each other. He'd have to ask the security chief about that.

At that moment, that same security chief was indeed on the science deck, although he wasn’t alone. As he was walking down the corridor, little Aoife was hobbling beside him, holding her Papa’s hand to keep her balance. “Remember Aoife,” he said to her sternly as they walked. Aoife had been in her mother’s office many times, but rarely since Cailus had moved in with her and her mother, and not at all since she had gained increased strength and confidence in her legs. “Best behaviour when we get there, okay? Mama’s work is very important.”

Aoife chirped in acknowledgement; she was always a good girl!

Meanwhile, Shae sat at her desk doing some paperwork; her assistant, Lieutenant Wakefield, had done a wonderful job keeping the Science department in order while Shae had been missing, but there was still so much to catch up on, like the sensor readings from the Indigo Sky that required analysis, as well as research on the bio readings from when they had been stuck in the transporter buffers, and she still hadn't finished transcribing that formula she'd written in the Bubble. So much to do, so little time to do it all, although she always had time for Cailus and their darling daughter!

"Hey you two," Shae said cheerfully when the doors opened to reveal Cailus and Aoife. Aoife hobbled around the desk, holding onto the desk to keep her steady, and Shae rewarded her efforts by lifting the child into her lap. "I know, little one, I miss you too," Shae said, nuzzling her daughter's cheek.

“I know that you’ve been stuck in here for hours, so I wanted to surprise you before I take Aoife home,” Cailus explained quietly as he walked around the desk, watching Shae and Aoife with his habitual half-smile. “She was rather insistent on seeing you too, for that matter.” Glancing at Shae’s screen, he asked idly, “Anything interesting?”

"Just the usual, paperwork. I think I'm nearly done, so I'll be able to call it a night soon, and tomorrow I'll get an early start in Astrometrics reviewing the sensor data from the Indigo Sky," Shae said to her soon-to-be husband as she cuddled Aoife.

John stepped into Shae’s office and saw the happy family. “I’m sorry to interrupt,” he said with a smile. He extended his hand towards Cailus and Shae. “I’m John Sandoval, the new Chief Diplomatic Officer.” He looked specifically at the security chief. “I saw you in yesterday’s briefing, but we didn’t have the chance to speak.”

Cailus turned around in surprise at the new arrival, but nevertheless he shook the man's hand firmly. "Of course," he said respectfully. "Lieutenant Cailus Griffin, Chief of Security."

"Lieutenant Kalin Brennan, Chief of Science," Shae introduced herself as well. "Oh, and our daughter, Aoife," she added when Aoife waved in greeting to the new person.

“Hi Aoife!” John said with a big smile at the little one. “I’m putting together a mission plan, and we’ll need someone form security,” explained John. “I’m wondering if there’s someone on your team that can be permanently attached to my department. Someone I can rely on and who can learn the specific challenges of diplomatic security.” John paused a moment and added “Also, I need you to tell me why your name and your face are both so familiar to me. I can’t quite place them!”

That prompted a confused look from Cailus. He crossed his arms, glancing in shared bewilderment at Shae. "I don't see how, lieutenant," he said doubtfully, his eyebrow raised. "Up until two years ago, I was in deep cryostasis in deep space. Unless you have experience with the starship Tornado or the Bozeman Institute, it has to be a coincidence. As for your security escort, I was going to establish a rotating rota from my staff depending on the mission. Why do you want a permanent assignment?"

“I’ve found that diplomatic missions offer a unique security challenge,” answered John. “Our people need to be safe, but often weapons, or at least highly visible ones, aren’t permitted. Often only one or two guards are allowed into a negotiating room. And I like to get to know people who work closely with me.” He leaned back into the wall. “Obviously it’s your department. I don’t mean to step on your toes. But it worked for our department pretty well in my last assignment.” John mulled over Cailus’s other answer, about being in cryostasis. Hmm.

Mulling it over for a moment, Cailus nodded in assent. "Logical. I have several people with diplomatic protection training. Petty Officer Lizi would be top of that list, should you choose him. He is highly intelligent, especially in the political sphere, while his judgement and coolness under pressure is excellent. Moreover, as a Nausicaan, he can be intimidating should that suit your personal style."

“A good idea,” John conceded. “But I’ll be honest, I’m thinking someone smaller and less assuming. Someone that a potential enemy might underestimate, but is entirely capable in his or her own right.” His mind kept roiling, trying to solve this riddle of who the security chief was and why he was familiar. “And how long were you in stasis for, if you don’t mind me asking?”

"Eighty seven years after the Churchill was destroyed," Cailus replied offhandedly, his brow furrowed in thought. At a belated realisation, he glanced apologetically at Shae, realising how irritating it was for his work to be dragged into her office, especially when she had her own to do. Then the appropriate candidate rose to his mind, dredged from the dozens of service records that Cailus had memorised over the past few months.

"Ensign Larose," he said finally. "She has some experience in this regard, her mind is sharp and she's very likeable. She is also one of the most nonthreatening security officers I've ever served with. Her combat skills are good, although I can work with her to improve in that regard and get her some supplementary training on diplomatic protocol. I can have her report to your office tomorrow afternoon."

“Ensign Larose sounds perfect,” John replied. “I look forward to meeting her tomorrow.” John noticed Cailus’s apologetic look and thought it a good time to wrap it up. “I’ll leave this happy family be! Nice to meet you all.”

As he exited, John realized where he knew the name Cailus Griffin. He froze as he realized it. The name. The face. The timeline matched. He needed to confirm. This could change matters. But he needed to stay as diplomatic as possible. His child was in the room. “Say, you didn’t happen to serve at Menelax, did you?”

It was actually a good thing that Aoife was in the room or Shae might have actually growled in her mate's defense when Sandoval asked about Menelax, but she kept her expression calm, seemingly oblivious to the name, although she did share a cautious glance with Cailus.

Cailus didn't notice. The mention of Menelax froze him like a deer in headlights, the blood rushing from his face at the shock. "Y...Yes," he finally said with quiet hesitance, swallowing. "Yes, I fought there."

“Alright,” John said as calmly as he could. He kept his cool. John’s history textbooks referred to Cailus as the Butcher of Menelax. His feelings were mixed. His academic head wanted to ask a million questions of the surviving veteran from a forgotten war. His heart — and his war-damaged leg — wanted to ask how Cailus could have sent so many to their deaths. His instincts, honed by years of diplomatic experience, wanted to get the hell out of the room. However much he wanted, from an academic and pacifist perspective, to dig into the man before him, John wouldn’t say more in front of the little girl.

“We’ll put a pin in that for now,” he finally said. “Thank you for your help, Lieutenant. And it was very nice to meet your family.” He finished exiting Shae’s office and moved as fast as he could back to his quarters. Tonight he would read about the Butcher of Menelax.

As soon as the Pandora's new Diplomat left the office, Shae reached out to take Cailus' hand. "Are you alright?" she asked with concern, knowing full well how the mention of Menelax would affect him. Aoife could likewise see the tension in her papa, and held out her arms to be picked up so she could hug him better.

"Yes, I'll be fine," Cailus said quietly, still looking at the closed door that Sandoval had walked out of. "It's just been a long time since anyone recognised me for Menelax. I'd forgotten what it's like." Turning around, he saw Aoife reaching up at him and Cailus smiled ruefully. He duly picked her up into his arms, allowing her to wrap her arms around his chest. "I know, little one," he said softly. "I know."

Shae smiled warmly as she watched Aoife hug her papa; that child had such a big heart considering the horrific start to her life. "I think I'm going to call it a night and bring the rest of my paperwork home with me," Shae said, shifting uncomfortably in her chair as she loaded the last of the reports she needed to read onto a PADD, a low agitated chuff escaping her. It wasn't that she thought he was incapable of dealing with his rattled emotions, but just knowing that someone knew about Menelax had her on edge, and she was finding that her primal drive was urging her to be a bit more protective, which meant being near her family even after they left this office.

Recognising Shae's compassionate gesture, Cailus opened his mouth to object before closing it again. Instead he simply murmured an acknowledgement, shifting Aoife a little into a more comfortable position in his arms, and a few moments later, the trio left the office.

For Cailus, however, the ghosts summoned by John Sandoval followed close behind.

END