The Time is Near...

Posted on Sun Nov 7th, 2010 @ 8:41am by Vice Admiral Iluvar & Commander Fala Awen & Commander Michael Evans M.D. & Lieutenant JG Malia Jacy & Lieutenant JG Hannah Andeti

Mission: Episode 1.3 - "The Time of Trial"
Location: Courtroom, Deep Space Four
Timeline: Mission Day 06, 1030 hours

ON: [[Courtroom, Deep Space Four, Mission Day 06, 1030]]

Seated in the second row of the courtroom, Awen sat stoically, revealing nothing of her thoughts. It was an expression she wore quite often, but considering the circumstances it was certainly appropriate and necessary today. For the majority of the trial, the Bajoran had stayed on the Pandora and read about the proceedings when not attending to her new duties as Acting Commanding Officer. However, for the actual verdict she felt she should be present and had, therefore, left Christopher in charge.

Malia caught her breath as she slipped between uniformed officers and spectators alike until she'd snaked her way through the throng to the door, easing through and scanning for a seat. She'd never known anyone who'd been on trial before, and while she was concerned for the outcome where Iluvar was concerned, there was a small part of her that was excited. It was suspenseful and mysterious and ... thrilling. Other officers had come and gone to a few of the proceedings and in certain corners of the Pandora rumors had caught and spread like fire. As far as she was concerned, she'd only been able to attend one and couldn't help but wonder, as she took a seat toward the front, what all she'd really missed.

The counselor entered shortly after and quickly took a seat. She was well aware that the outcome of the trial wasn't looking good but she couldn't quash that tiny seed of hope that had become nestled in her belly. She glanced around, putting on a brave and hopeful face even as she took in the forlorn expressions of those around her. It was good to see that so much of the crew had turned out in support of the Admiral and she passed around an encouraging smile even as her heart dropped.

Dr. Haelen (PNPC) was having trouble staying in his seat until the proceedings began, and kept getting up to stare out the window or to gaze blankly into the crowded room. What would become of him, an "outdated" EMH, should the worst happen? Would the next commander of the Pandora keep him on? Would he be reassigned? Would he have to go back to the mines, or worse be taken offline? He returned to his seat, but was literally on the edge of it with anticipation.

Aerus (NPC) glanced over toward the prosecution table and was not surprised to see that every single one of the counsel members had a smug look of confidence on their face. The proceedings had been quite unusual, at least based on those that he had been involved in before. He saw Captain Wells (NPC) in conversation with Ensign Smith (NPC) out of the corner of his eye. It all came down to this...the final day of proceedings. The Inquiry Board had heard testimony from both sides and would be issuing their ruling. Despite his best efforts at remaining calm, it was a moment that Aerus awaited with nervous anxiety.

As the courtroom finally quieted down, Gareth looked over the large crowd that had assembled. It wasn't surprising that a man such as Iluvar - especially considering his position in the Eighth Fleet - had drawn such an interest. He and the other two board members had spent hours pouring over testimony and discussing what their verdict would be. As difficult as it had been, he would be glad to have the whole mess over with.

Gareth's eyes finally rested on Iluvar. Giving no indication as to what would transpire, the Admiral began speaking, "Having heard all testimony in the case against you, Rear Admiral Iluvar, the Board has discussed at length the evidence that has been presented. The Valar incident is the first item of concern. We are not here to rehash the investigation or report, however, the fact that you chose to involve yourself with the Ba'ku rather than reporting for the evaluations and counseling is concerning. We have to wonder if you would simply choose to do so again if the opportunity arose. As a StarFleet Officer, you have a duty to StarFleet."

The admiral's words could not be undeniably disputed. Iluvar had always known that his actions with regards to the Valar Incident would remain with him for the rest of his life. He had acted in what he had seen as the best course at the time and, though he occasionally wondered if he might have done anything differently if he had known then what he did now, he knew that what was done was done.

"In addition, it was unnecessary for you to involve yourself in Mirror Universe affairs. The Board recognizes that you did not willingly go into the Mirror Universe, initially, but once that was resolved, the Mirror Universe should have been avoided. The fact that you also brought back a child from the Mirror Universe is disturbing, as it is indeed against StarFleet protocol. StarFleet was not consulted on the matter and was instead informed after the fact," Gareth continued. His eyes moved to Arnold; Gareth didn't like the man, but unfortunately his assessment on many points was accurate.

For her commanding officer's sake, Awen wanted to disagree with Admiral Bullock, but truthfully, she couldn't disagree with what he'd said. At least not all of it. While coming back to the Prime Universe had certainly been good for Aris, the idea still made her uncomfortable. After all, if a Task Force Commanding Officer did so, it could look to others like it was okay to bring back whoever you wanted from the Mirror Universe. What if her brother were still alive in the Mirror Universe? Would she be tempted to bring him back? It was certainly a dilemma.

Once again, the admiral's words held some measure of truth, even if his assessment was open to some level of debate. Iluvar never once regretted assuming custody of Aris (NPC), nor would he ever. It was a decision that he had made in utmost confidence not only because his counterpart had requested it, but because he knew it to be right. His only hope was that his decision to do so would not result in some negative consequence for the boy at the conclusion of these proceedings.

Turning his attention back to Iluvar, Admiral Bullock said, "The recent incident with your former Executive Officer is also extremely troubling, Admiral. Whether or not your inability to follow StarFleet protocols has influenced your crew, you are still accountable for their actions. Commander Earlond may well have seriously damaged our relationship with the Romulans due to the covert op he took it upon himself to arrange. One would hope that crewmembers, particularly those serving under a Task Force Commanding Officer, would know better than to do something so risky."

Dr. Haelen shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His CMO, Dr. Evans, was part of that 'covert op.' Really it didn't look good for all parties, directly involved or not. Tony wondered vaguely why Evans had consented to the mission, or rather if he'd been ordered to undertake it.

Mali’s eyes widened and instinctively began scanning the faces of the rest of her crewmates to see what their reaction to the statement was. Surely this hadn’t been common knowledge on the ship or the gossip lines would have been jumping with whispered (or not so whispered) rumors. It made her curious to know just how far below command staff the truth had seeped.

The Bajoran frowned as the situation with Earlond was brought up. Two of her people had ended up on that little foray into Romulan space; a fact she was not happy about. Earlond had convinced them to take on the little side mission and, at best, Nol (NPC) and R'Vark (NPC) had bothered to mention it to her. The incident had shaken Awen's faith in her department - or at least with those two. It was a risky idea to begin with and the potential fallout...she shook her head slightly.

"These are serious offenses, Admiral," Gareth went on, gravely, "However, the Board does recognize the good you have done as well. Your actions during the Battle of Altorus, for example, were exemplary and likely saved many lives. You have also made good decisions at difficult times, in many cases, which is very important for a StarFleet Officer. In addition, your character witnesses speak quite highly of you. So we find ourselves weighing the good and the bad."

"Rear Admiral Iluvar, at this time, this Board of Inquiry has made its decision. Please rise," Admiral Bullock said, sitting just a little straighter in his chair. He found himself thinking of the trial of Admiral James Kirk, many years prior. While the circumstances weren't the same, some aspects reminded Gareth of the other trial. Idly he wondered if, in the future, others would look back on this day in much the same way.

Slowly, Iluvar rose to his feet and tugged gently at the hem of his uniform jacket. This was the defining moment of truth...the moment when the board would hand down its final decision. To say that he wasn't concerned about the outcome of these proceedings would have been an outright lie. At the same time, his main focus was on the fates of Aris and Peter (NPC). He thought about the fate of the men and women that had served under him since the day he first assumed command. How would this decision impact them?

Not wanting to delay the inevitable, Gareth got right to the point, "At this time, Rear Admiral Iluvar, you will be removed from the position of Task Force Commanding Officer of Task Force 22 in the Eighth Fleet. As a result, you will also be reduced in rank to Captain. However, you will be afforded all the rights and privileges of that rank, including retaining command of the USS Pandora. This decision is final and these proceedings are now concluded."

Iluvar remained motionless as the board rose to its feet and filed out of the room. People around the room slowly began to get up and mill about, but Iluvar's mind was elsewhere. It was almost as if everything else in the courtroom did not exist.

The counselor couldn't help but release a breath of relief. It was a blow to the Admiral, certainly, one that the crew would feel, but it was certainly better than she had expected. Captain Iluvar would be staying with them and for all her mental blocks the buzz of relief from the crew filtered through.

Dr. Haelen sat for a moment. Iluvar wouldn't be leaving. He felt a little guilty about the selfish feelings he had about keeping him as Captain and what that meant for his future. This was, after all, a serious downturn for Iluvar's career. But he couldn't really suppress the happy relief inside and tried not to let it show too much as he stood and made his way to his office.

Rising to his feet, Joseph (PNPC) put a hand on Iluvar's shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, sir," he said in a low voice.

"Nothing to be sorry for, captain," Iluvar replied, bring himself back to the present, "You and your team did their best. That's all anyone could ask..." He nodded politely to each member of the defense team before making his way for the door.

Aerus (NPC) watched the former-Rear Admiral disappear through the crowd. People seemed to part before him, giving him a clear avenue to the exit, which only seemed to accent the results of these proceedings all the more. Despite their best efforts, the inquiry had ruled against them. He glanced over at the prosecution table as he began to collect the PADDs that had been arranged on the table before him. They seemed to be quite confident in their victory, almost to a point that made Aerus feel a little guilty that he hadn't been able to do any more.

As Iluvar left the courtroom, Awen's eyes followed him. Being stripped of his position as Task Force Commanding Officer, and his rank, had to be quite a blow - especially since it meant that the inquiry had had at least some of the desired effect that Arnold had wanted. However, he was retaining command, which made her feel a little better. Hopefully now she could step back into her role as Chief Security/Tactical Officer, rather than Acting Commanding Officer of the starship. She was sure that even more of the implications of the day would be felt in the coming days and months, but time would tell. Though tempted to follow Iluvar to discuss the Pandora with him, she realized he probably needed some time to himself; Awen could speak with him later. For now, she rose and followed the crowd as it filed out of the courtroom.

OFF

A JP by:

Admiral Gareth Bullock (NPC)
Commanding Officer
Deep Space Four
Played by: Cmdr Fala

Captain Iluvar
Commanding Officer
USS Pandora

Captain Joseph Wells (NPC)
Legal Counsel
Judge Advocate-General
Played by: Capt Iluvar

Commander Fala Awen
Executive Officer
USS Pandora

Lieutenant Aerus (NPC)
Deputy Legal Counsel
Judge Advocate-General
Played by: Capt Iluvar

Lieutenant JG Malia Jacy
Assistant Chief Operations Officer
USS Pandora

Lieutenant JG Hannah Andeti
Chief Counselor
USS Pandora

and

Doctor Anthony Haelen (PNPC)
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Pandora
Played by: LtCmdr Evans