Rise of the Phoenix (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on 10 Dec 2013 @ 5:21pm by Lieutenant Min Zhao & Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Captain Jonathan Holliday

2,317 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 04 - Exodus
Location: Earth - Starfleet HQ
Timeline: MD -19: 1045 hrs

ON:

Min sat in a waiting area near the courtroom awaiting the trial that would decide her fate. She had no idea what to expect but only knew that she was here to face the consequences of actions taken several years prior. Those actions or in-actions really, she was absent from her duty station at the time, resulted in several injured crew and the disablement of several key systems during a patrol.

Looking back at her choices then, she could only reflect on how stupid she'd been. Sneaking off during a duty shift was stupid enough, let alone when responsible for monitoring a delicate system, but to do so for a quick liaison with her then boyfriend, that was the height of stupidity.

She hadn't even known there'd been an accident till Security found her and her boyfriend in a small cargo area, both of them naked as Jay birds while Min performed a maneuver on her lover commonly known as the Cow Girl. So as if being caught in dereliction of duty wasn't enough, the embarrassment of being caught in the act had been the icing on the cake.

Min ended up spending the better part of the next few days in the brig while the senior staff decided her fate. She was transferred to Starbase 74 to await trial. To embarrassed to have her actions displayed in court, she resigned her commission from Starfleet rather then have her actions displayed in front of several Admirals, some of whom she suspected were lecherous old perverts.

That had been two years ago. Since then she'd drifted from place to place taking jobs as they came up. She'd worked technical jobs keeping replicators and holodecks working in dingy bars. She'd worked as a waitress in a few places, including one respectable place she'd been assigned as a mole for the bar. That'd been a fun gig, playing the part of a ditzy waitress while gathering Intel on problem customers.

Eventually however things had come full circle. One day she found herself stepping off a civilian transport on Starbase 74. This was the last stop of the line for her. She'd exhausted every job opportunity she could find, and with her now showing stomach, she was finding work hard to find. Even in this century, people refused to hire visibly pregnant women because they'd be on mat leave in a few months anyways so why bother taking the effort to train them?

Sitting at that bar with a small drink (non-alcoholic of course) in hand, she watched a Galaxy class entering spacedock. That moment had been the straw that broke the camel's back. Watching her old life slipping into dock, she knew what she had to do. Now she was here to face that decision she'd made incorrectly and remake the right one. She smiled meekly at the guard as he motioned for her to follow him into the room.

Entering the room, she went up to the desk facing the panel of Admirals. She'd never seen so much brass in one room in her life. She took her seat as the panel president banged the gavel to indicate the start of proceedings.

"Before we begin. You understand the consequences of requesting this trial be convened Lieutenant Zhao? You are under the jurisdiction of the Starfleet Code of Military justice, not Federation Law."

"I understand Sir."

"This trial is in session."

"Lieutenant Junior Grade Min Li Zhao. You stand accused of dereliction of duty by desertion of your post during your regular duty shift. How do you plead?"

A lump formed in Min throat. "Guilty. Admiral."

RAdm Jameson nodded. "These are certainly unusual circumstances Lieutenant Zhao. Given that my colleagues have several questions for you before we proceed to sentencing. Before that however, is there anything you wish to add?"

"Sir?"

"Do you have any remarks you would like to address to the panel before we question you?"

"Yes Sir. Please."

"You may speak."

"Thank you Admiral. Members of the panel. The reason I asked this case to be reopened was not because I felt there were extenuating circumstances that could acquit me. In fact far from that, I fully expect that this panel would have found me guilty of dereliction in any event. I made several stupid mistakes then, not the least of which was deserting my post."

"I stand before you today to face that series of bad decisions I made two years ago, to remake those decisions the right way, and to face the consequences of my actions. I do not expect anymore through this then closure and to be disciplined for my actions."

"Noted, lieutenant," Admiral Larsen replied before suppressing a deep cough with the back of his hand. He then began to shuffle through the collections of PADDs on the table in front of him which contained various details about her case. An older man with gray hair and a large stature, Larsen had been serving aboard Judge Advocate disciplinary panels for almost forty years now, and during that time had seen all types of cases and discipline be handed down. Lieutenant Zhao's case, strangely, was not all too uncommon in the grand scheme of things. Sex aboard starships happened rather frequently and was often encouraged as a means to keep morale up during deep space assignments. In his estimation, her biggest crime was not the act itself, but her dereliction of duty to perform such an act which had unfortunately resulted in damage to the ship and several crew injuries.

"Can you tell the panel, in your own words," he began, "why you resigned your commission two years ago rather than face this hearing? A bad decision is a bad decision -- we all make them from time to time -- but in your case you made two; deserting your post while on duty, and then leaving Starfleet before judgement was passed down."

"If I had to try and summarize it Admiral I would say a mix of fear, embarrassment, and even shame drove the decision. Fear because I felt I had no control over my fate standing before a disciplinary tribunal. At least by resigning I maintained the facade of control over my fate. Shame because I'd let my hormones get the better of me. I let those baser instincts guide my choices against all I was taught. And lastly embarrassment because I let everyone down, my supervisors, my department head, my Captain and XO, Starfleet, and my family."

"I could not face my peers and family given what I'd done on the Orion that day. I chose the cowards route out and resigned, hoping to disappear and run away from my mistakes." She paused. "A decision which would come to haunt me till today."

Up until now, the Vulcan member of the panel had remained silent. Admiral Vorlek had served in Starfleet for over one hundred Earth years, and in that time had seen and heard much, never as true as during his fifteen years service aboard the disciplinary panel. With a cold and calculating expression on his face, topped with now-greying hair cut in the traditional Vulcan style, the flag officer spoke in a monotone voice that conveyed not a hint of emotion.

"You would however agree, Lieutenant, that your actions were foolish and would only serve to complicate matters further? A Starfleet officer is expected to stand by their decisions and accept punishment no matter what the cost. Your choice to flee rather than to stand trial will not cause this panel to look favourably when passing sentence."

"I would agree that my actions then were foolish and not becoming an officer of Starfleet. I would also respectfully add in my defense Admiral, that while my actions back then were foolish, my choice to face this panel delayed tho it has been, with no real expectation of any verdict other then dishonorable discharge and potential incarceration, demonstrates my willingness to stand and face justice."

She looked around at the various Admiral's in attendance. "Admirals. I came before this panel to have the case against me heard. My only real expectation from this is that justice will be served in whatever way seems right. I understand completely that my actions following my dereliction of duty and the accident will most likely see me formally discharged from Starfleet, most likely with a criminal record that will follow me in civilian life. If I was not willing to accept that, and the consequences of that, I would not be here."

Admiral Larsen let out another deep cough which was once again stifled by his hand. Damn holiday cold season. "I understand your desire to right your wrongs, lieutenant. Sadly it came a bit late, but it's better than the alternative of having a pending court-martial hanging over your head," he replied to Zhao, then quickly glanced back and forth to the other members on the panel before refocusing his attention back on her.

"Admiral Vorlek brings up a good point. It is your duty," he emphasized the word, "to accept responsibility for your actions. You swore an oath to the Federation when you volunteered to serve, and it's unbecoming of any member in the service -- enlisted or officer -- to violate that oath, and therefore the uniform. Do you agree?"

"I do Admiral. And I realize my actions two years ago violated that oath, violated the trust implied in that oath."

"The violation of such an oath of course places you in what I believe humans would call hot water"

The Vulcan replied, looking to his human colleagues for validation before looking down at the PADD in his hand and the information contained within. It was only logical that a sentence be passed down which was fitting of the crime committed.

"My fellow Admirals, I see no logical option other than to proceed with sentencing - do we have agreement?"

Larsen took a long drink of water from his cup which was set in front of him, then glanced at his Vulcan comrade and the other members of the panel. "Agreed," he answered with a curt nod, then turned his attention back towards Zhao. "Thank you for your testimony and statements, lieutenant. Step outside while we deliberate," he instructed.

"Yes Sir. Thank you."

Min exited the courtroom at a measured pace trying to hide her nervousness. She had no idea how that went and the next while would determine her fate. Sitting down outside the courtroom she placed her head in her hands, staring at the floor fighting back tears. She felt helpless in this moment, her fate hanging in the balance, in the hands of several Admirals who'd probably never seen her before today, and only knew who she was from her personnel record and the case docket.

"Well? What do you think?" Larsen asked the collected group of admirals, specifically Vorlek. "Is she salvageable?"

The Vulcan Admiral was the more calculating of his colleagues, the product of decades of logic and training that had given him a mind honed to the most sensitive of issues, yet completely devoid of emotion. Cocking his head to one side he continued to think before eventually replying, arcing one eyebrow as he made his response.

"She is not a starship....she is a fugitive from Federation law who failed to follow her responsibilities to her uniform....that said...she does appear to have made the logical decision to return and face trial accordingly. Most officers in her situation would not have made themselves known to this Tribunal."

RAdm Jameson waited for Vorlek to finish before speaking up. As the youngest Admiral there, he felt it was proper for the other's to answer first. "If I may Admiral. As a point of order, Lt j.g. Zhao was not a fugitive. If she were, my colleagues over in the Marshal's service would have picked her up over a year ago when she was working on Starbase 214."

"The more important question as Admiral Larsen said, Is she salvageable? I believe the answer is yes."

"The impression I got from listening to her and reading her docket is that she's reached the end of her rope and needs a way out. I think she also realizes that we hold either that saving hand, or a knife to cut her loose."

"Her service record, aside from this incident showed promise. That she graduated from T'Sal means she's smarter then perhaps she even realizes. I know Adm Vorlek would concur that few humans have been accepted into T'Sal, and that she was, as was her younger sister, a remarkable exception."

"I also think that one of the things she lacked back then was grounding. That she is four months pregnant and the father is unwilling to support her suggests she now needs the solid ground that Starfleet offers."

"Whilst I agree that being admitted to T'Sal is a remarkable achievement for one so young, and for a human, heightened intellect relative to the rest of one's species does not give grounds to disregard the rules and responsibilities of a Starfleet officer. In addition, her reproductive state does not offer any immunity either."

Vorlek was less than impressed by his more emotionally inclined colleague. the T'Sal only accept the best students in their field, an institution that two of his children had themselves attended when they were younger.

"The question we should be asking ourselves is do we wish to have an officer serving in the Fleet that is of a questionable moral and ethical nature?"

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

LTJG Min Zhao
Asst. Chief of Operations
USS Galileo

ADM Larsen
Judge Advocate Deputy
Starfleet Command
[PNPC - Saalm]

ADM Jameson
Disciplinary Chair, Fleet Operations
Starfleet Command
[PNPC - Zhao]

ADM Vorlek
Judge Advocate Deputy
Starfleet Command
[PNPC - Holliday]

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