The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But The Truth

Posted on Tue Jun 23rd, 2020 @ 12:47am by Lieutenant Krysia Kaleri-Smith & Ensign Dorian Rochester (Deceased)
Edited on on Fri Jul 10th, 2020 @ 5:20pm

Mission: Death in Paradise
Location: Counsellor’s Office

A Mission Post by Ensign Dorian Rochester & Lieutenant Krysia Kaleri
Mission: Death in Paradise
Location: Counsellor’s Office
Timeline:
Sun Nov 4th, 2018 @ 1:38pm

Krysia was sitting in her office waiting for the arrival of Dorian Rochester, she wasn’t sure who’d have the bigger butterflies him or her. There had been a time in the bubble when they’d both been on the same side, both of them against everything Starfleet and labelled as something that, at the time, they hadn’t agreed with or liked. As everyone had tried to tell them the bubble never happened, it never existed, but to those who’d been in the bubble it had all been very real and it happened. Krysia was deep in thought recalling not just the moment of her own death in the bubble but that of her beloved James as well, she shook it off as the door swished open looking up to see Dorian standing waiting. “Hello Dorian” she smiled warmly, “Please sit down & make yourself at home.”

Dorian fidgeted nervously as he sat down. He didn't want to be here, he didn't think he needed to be. "Okay." He said as he took his seat, resigning himself to this questioning.

"So how are you getting on Dorian?" Krysia smiled trying to keep things relaxed for him. "We all had a hell of a time in the bubble & there are those of us that did things we're not particularly proud of." She paused for a moment as the memory of what she'd done to Dorian when she'd lost her temper came to mind.

“Fine. Ish.” He shrugged. “I’ve clearly been branded a traitor by my Captain and my crew and despite none of it actually happening, I’m still being punished for it.”

"I can understand how frustrating that must be, as far as everyone is concerned it didn't happen but for all of us it was very real. Even though it didn't happen it did, in a way, give an insight of sorts into how we'd all react under such circumstances." She paused for a moment. "Tell me Dorian if you were put in that situation for real would you do the same thing? Would you still plan to take control or would you do things differently?"

"If nothing was being done? Yes." He said firmly. "I believe in Starfleet's values of self-sacrifice for the greater good. The needs of the many. And that's what I feel like I did that day. I regret killing the Captain, I see now that he was trying to keep us together. But the other time I took over, at the end? I felt like I was fulfilling his wishes to help us escape that damned bubble."

"So in your eyes you did what you did for the best of all of us." Krysia made a note of his response on her PADD. "What about the death of Captain Temple? Did you mean for that to happen or was it simply an instinctive moment?"

"I felt I had to defend myself." Rochester said carefully. "I didn't know his phaser was only on stun. I was in such a state of paranoia and a need to act I thought he was going to put me down. I did what I felt I had to do. I didn't want to kill him, I like Captain Temple, but in that moment it was my only choice."

Krysia nodded. "I can understand that you felt like you had no choice." She paused for a moment. "I also recall that you had chance to kill Lieutenant Smith on the bridge towards the end of our time in the bubble. A chance you didn't take, much to my relief at the time."

"Mine too." Dorian shrugged. "I'm not a killer." He thought about this for a moment and then shrugged again. "As you said, we all did things in the Bubble we're not proud of. But I think the Bubble showed what we're capable of. I still remember your psionic attack on me, Counsellor. I bet that's something you never imagined you would do?"

Krysia froze, she remembered all too well what she did to Dorian and she knew it wouldn't stay hidden forever. "Well...like you said, we all did things we're not proud of Dorian. I lost my temper and my focus, I shouldn't have done that and I apologise for doing so."

Dorian nodded. "You were capable of it, though. There are things that happened in the Bubble, but there are also certain things that happened before and after it. Like there's the rumours about what Lieutenant Brennan did on the Ravager ship. I have friends on the teams who went over afterwards. They said it was a heck of a mess in that Engineering bay of theirs. Heard from Sasha that you almost got the same treatment from her too." He raised his eyebrow. "Captain Temple fought Balek the Butcher alone and bested him. He has all that Fed Security training on his bio. Everyone knows Griffin is a cold bugger and runs his department like a personal army. Even the new Diplomatic officer has battle experience. Oh! And that Marine... Arnaldo? Came out of the Bubble all screwy and yet still managed to escape sickbay and lead Griffin on a wild goose chase around deck six. Makes you think, doesn't it?"

"Just what are you trying to say Dorian?" Krysia looked at Dorian, creepily enough what he was saying was almost making sense.

Dorian leaned forward and looked directly at Krysia, his eyebrow raised. "I'm the one sitting here getting counselled for my behaviour. But doesn't it make you wonder, Counsellor, what about the rest of the crew?"

"They'll get their turn Dorian, just like you. Are you just trying to turn me against my crewmates or are you looking for someone to help you start another rebellion?" Krysia looked at Rochester as she leaned back in her seat. "What makes you think that I'd see things from your point of view?"

"I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy." Dorian replied, leaning back in his chair again. "Being capable of doing something and actually following through are a matter of circumstance. Was I capable of doing what I did? Apparently yes. But so were you, and Brennan, and Temple, and Griffin, and Arnaldo. This is a ship of officers who have proven themselves capable and willing to commit questionable acts as they deemed necessary. I shouldn't be the only one getting assessed because of it."

"You are being assessed because the Captain wants you assessed Dorian" Krysia smiled. "Besides, like you said, This is a ship of officers who have proven themselves capable and willing to commit questionable acts. Since I seem to be one of them, I have become part of that family." She shrugged her shoulders. "Do you belong among us Dorian?"

“I only did what I did in the Bubble.” Dorian said coolly. “But if that makes me part of the family, I guess I am too. And gee, what an interesting family we are.”

Krysia nodded. "Indeed we are Dorian." She smiled a wry smile. "I'll recommend to the Captain that perhaps you do deserve a second chance. Just don't blow it, I might not be so easy on you next time!"

Dorian responded with his own smile, though his was tinged with an ironic smirk. “I appreciate you listening to me, but I know the Captain wants to punish me. For him, this all happened a few weeks ago. For me, I spent thirty years locked away thinking about what I did. I have already processed the full spectrum of emotions from crying shame to unfair anger. I have been punished and I’ve served my time.” He gave a deep sigh. “The main thing I learnt in the end was just how important it was to tell the truth. The truth is the most powerful weapon we have.”

"I think you've learned the greatest lesson there is to learn Dorian. For those of us in that bubble we all had a lifetime to think about our actions." She smiled. "However ironic things seem now, we have that life to draw experience from."

“I hope we all do.” Dorian replied simply. “I can’t be the only one expected to learn a lesson.”

“Indeed” Krysia nodded and smiled. “I think I’m going to have quite a full calendar from now on.”

“Well, Counsellor, if you could at least tell the Captain I’m not about to shoot anyone with a plasma rifle, I’d appreciate it.” Rochester said with his trademark dark humour as he prepared to leave.

Krysia nodded. “I’ll have my report into the Captain as soon as possible.” She smiled. “Thank you for coming Dorian.”

“Pleasure.” Dorian replied, giving a nod to Kaleri. He sauntered out of the room and whistled as he walked.

Watching him as he walked out the door, Krysia picked up a PADD to write her report. Sitting back in her seat she wondered whether Dorian was as sincere as he seemed, or whether he’d just done a very good job of ‘winding her around his little finger.’

OFF