Surefoot 05: Secrets & Lies Ch. 03

"No, it wasn't. Though no physical activity took place, your lies and their unwanted, explicit nature demonstrate both sexual harassment and a profound disrespect towards your fellow crewmembers."

Beside her, Kami had her arms folded over her chest. "Jared, we spoke about this on more than one occasion during our sessions. Perhaps we were too busy having imaginary sex in my office for you to take onboard my warnings. As Ship's Counselor I'm supporting Commander T'Varik's decision."

Jared felt like his stomach had plummeted into his boots. He focused on Sasha, standing nearby, and let his anger grow. "You set them up to do all this, didn't you, you little bitch? I want to see the Captain!"

"Captain Hrelle has other matters to deal with, but he respects my authority and decision."

"And given that you refer to his daughter as both a sweet little ride and a bitch," Kami added, "Meeting him... might not be for the best."

"Mr Miro," T'Varik concluded, "I hope this experience is a learning opportunity for you. Regardless of your cultural proclivities towards licentiousness, in a working environment you must look upon your colleagues as colleagues, not trophies. Perhaps you will learn from this."

Jared told her what she could do with her advice as he was led out.

"Or perhaps not," T'Varik revised.

*

Deck 1, Captain's Office:

The door chime sounded. Hrelle sat behind his desk, looking up at Giles and Kami, standing nearby. The boy looked nervous. Hrelle nodded to him. "It'll be okay." Louder now, he announced, "Enter."

T'Varik escorted Captain Lucille Arrington inside. The woman was as tall, blonde and arrogant as Hrelle remembered from months ago, when she had secretly delivered the high-tech communicator to Giles. The woman nodded to the boy before following protocol and approaching the desk. "Captain Hrelle."

He nodded back. "Captain Arrington. Welcome back onboard the Surefoot. And how are you?"

She sneered. "Cut the crap, Hrelle. I've got the Malurians eating ice cream and watching Fat Cat and Lil' Kitten, and the freighter crew facing the next twenty years sleeping with one eye open waiting for some other prisoner to knife them - and personally I won't lose any sleep if they did." Somehow she grew even more arrogant, a feat Hrelle didn't think possible. "How lucky for you, that you just happen to stumble upon a slave trafficking operation in your sector of space."

"Luckier for the slaves," Hrelle replied deadpan. "And it was Giles' squad who uncovered it. I only sit around, look pretty and let others do the real work. Bit like yourself, I expect - except for the pretty part, of course."

"Very funny." She looked at Giles now. "Let's go, you're coming with me."

Giles tensed, but T'Varik responded. "Cadet Arrington is under my direct authority. He is not going anywhere."

"He's not a cadet any more. He resigned."

The Vulcan straightened further. "Assuming that was the case, how would you be aware of that and not I?"

Arrington scowled at her. "I can't discuss that."

"Can't? Or won't?"

Kami set a reassuring hand on Giles' arm. "Captain Arrington, if there's some confusion regarding Giles, why not ask him yourself?"

Arrington looked to the Counselor, and then to Giles. "Well, boy?"

Giles tensed, clearly hating the attention, but finally replied, "No. I haven't resigned."

"There," Hrelle concluded, reaching to a corner of his desk and producing a small gold box. "Now that that matter is settled, here's a little Christmas present."

"Christmas?"

"Of course; it's Christmas Eve on Earth right now, or close enough. Giles was telling me your family still celebrates it." He pushed it a little closer to her. "That's for you, and your brother, and your father, and anyone else who might like it. Hope you like the colour."

Arrington frowned at it, as if that could make the box lid lift itself. Then she reached out and did it with her hand. She took out the communicator, and then dropped it on his desk as if it were on fire. She glared at Hrelle. "How did you get that?"

"I turned it over to him," Giles declared. "And I told them where I got it from, and why I had it."

His aunt turned back to him, shocked. "How could you do that? You had orders!"

"Who gave orders to conduct a covert surveillance of Captain Hrelle?" T'Varik asked.

"None of your damn business!" Arrington never took her eyes off of Giles. "I don't believe this! You betrayed your own family?"

His face screwed up with anger. "Oh yes, because that's what what this is about, isn't it? What the family wants? I thought it was all about finding out the truth about Captain Hrelle, for the good of Starfleet?"

"Not if this was an unsanctioned operation," T'Varik opined. "Involving unauthorised use of Starfleet Intelligence equipment."

Arrington turned back to the Vulcan. "You have no proof of that!"

"On the contrary, Captain, I gathered sufficient evidence from the device to confirm its origins, as well as details on the transmissions made. I believe a strong case can be made to Starfleet Command."

"Assuming we want to do that," Hrelle pointed out, lifting up the communicator and setting it on a shelf behind him. "But that would cause a mountain-high level of hassle. Investigations, enquiries, diversions from our mission, disruptions to the cadets-"

"Scandal," Kami added, "On many fronts. There'll be bodies strewn everywhere. Metaphorically, of course."

"Or... we could just call a truce between your family and mine," Hrelle offered. "We are supposed to all be on the same side, after all."

T'Varik's hands folded behind her. "I am not sanguine about allowing criminal activity to go unreported. However, my primary responsibility is towards my cadets, and any investigation arising from this would have an adverse effect on them."

Hrelle rose and walked around from behind his desk, joining them. "Well, Lucille? Have we got a deal?"

She glowered at him. "You think you've got it all worked out, haven't you, Hrelle? You think you're so damn clever." But then she turned on Giles. "But it's you that's proven to be the surprise, young man. The surprise. And the disappointment. You betrayed us."

"Yes," the boy admitted, looking upset but still standing his ground against his aunt. "Because my conscience wouldn't let me continue with this. It was wrong. It was nothing more than a personal vendetta from my grandfather that he nurtured in Dad and you and my brother and everyone else. I only wish I'd had the courage to say something from the start."

Arrington paled. "Giles... This isn't you saying that, it's them. It's him!" She glared at Hrelle. "I want to speak with my nephew alone."

"As Academy Liaison to the cadets I most certainly will not permit that," T'Varik declared. "You have proven yourself to be entirely untrustworthy."

"And you have nothing to say to me that I wouldn't want my superiors to hear anyway," Giles confirmed.

Arrington's eyes widened. "You're gonna break your father's heart with this behaviour! This is a disgrace. You're a disgrace!"

Kami stepped forward, half shielding Giles, her teeth bared. "Oh, I've had it with you, bitch."

T'Varik drew closer from the other side. "As have I. I will not permit you to speak to him in this manner."

"You and Dad and my brother and everyone else in our family wanted me to report on Captain Hrelle," Giles reminded his aunt, his temper rising. "Well, here's my report: I've lived with him, talked with him, eaten with him, worked with him. And I can tell you without hesitation that he's not a coward, he's not a traitor, and he's not a criminal! He's one of the finest men I could serve under, the finest I could learn from! I'm proud to be here!"

Arrington was turning red. "You're talking like he's your father!"

"I WISH HE WAS!"

Arrington raised her hand to slap Giles' face.

Hrelle caught her by the wrist before she could connect.

She faced him, fury in her features. "Let go of me. Now!"

He didn't move - except for tightening his grip, until her arm trembled... and the fury in her eyes began to get replaced by fear. "I- I said let go-"

"Captain," T'Varik started, drawing up to him.

"Esek," Kami warned, on his other side.

He ignored them both, tightening further as he spoke to Arrington through clenched, bared teeth. "Before you think of doing something like that again, Lucille, I want you to go back to your ship and visit your morgue. Visit it, and take a good, long look at the bodies I put there. Not the bodies of the children, but the last bastards who tried to assault a member of my crew. Look at what I did to them, with my bare hands. And don't think for a cold moment that I wouldn't send you there too if I had to." He finally released her. "My crew. My cubs. Don't ever raise a hand to any of them again." He took a step back from the now-frightened woman. "Commander, escort her back to the transporter room."

"Aye, Sir."

He stayed still, until he heard his door slide shut. Then he turned around. Kami looked concerned; Giles shocked. He focused on the latter. "Are you okay, Giles?"

The young man nodded, shakily. "I'm- I'm sorry, Captain-"

"Sorry? For what?"

"That you- that you had to do that-"

He drew closer and rested a hand on Giles' shoulder. "You don't have to apologise. Especially not for that."

"But what if she charges you with assault?"

Kami nudged him reassuringly. "No offence, Giles, but I am beginning to doubt if your family does anything by the book. Especially if she had to explain her own part in that, and with us as witnesses."

Giles nodded, swallowing, his brow furrowed. "Well... this'll be the first time I won't mind missing the family Christmas reunion..."

He looked up, trying to stay resolute.

And failing.

Hrelle drew him into a hug, murmuring reassurances as he looked at Kami.

When he pulled back, Giles caught his breath. "Sorry, Captain-"

"You don't have to apologise for that, either." He drew back. "You know, I have a Christmas present for you, too."

Giles forced himself to calm down. "Me?"

Hrelle returned to his desk and retrieved two small badges: squares with a single white circle inside each. "Unlike the communicator, these you get to keep."

Giles stared at them. "Squad Leader insignia?"

Hrelle nodded. "Jared Miro is leaving the ship, and Starfleet. Beta Squad need a new leader, and you're the most qualified." The Captain reached up and fitted the insignia on Giles' collar. "T'Varik has already sent for a replacement Flight Specialist for Alpha Squad; until they arrive, you may be pulling double duty until then."

Kami smiled. "They look good on you."

Giles looked stunned by the news. "I-I don't know what to say... except thank you."

"That'll do," Hrelle chuckled.

Giles smiled - but then it softened. "I won't be with Alpha Squad anymore..."

"You don't have to sever your ties with your friends, you know," the Captain reminded him.

"And if you're thinking about one particular friend," Kami added teasingly, "Keep in mind that, unlike when she was your Squad Leader, there won't be any hierarchical conflict now should you and Sasha choose to... well..." She looked to Hrelle. "Unless you want to play Papa Bear and forbid it."

He stared back derisively. "Of course not. Sasha and Giles are mature individuals. I trust them both. They have nothing but my support." He smiled as he clasped the boy's shoulders and squeezed. "But if you break her heart... I'll have yours for breakfast."

Giles laughed - but then stopped, not entirely certain how serious he was.

*

Deck 1, Mess Hall:

It was the most number of crew ever assembled in the one room. And with the obvious exception of Commander T'Varik, they all looked as tired as he felt, even the experienced crew. He decided to not dawdle. "You've all done exceptionally well the last couple of days. Because of your efforts, the surviving Malurian children will be reunited with their families, and the Federation will assist their colony to eventually return to their homeworld to join the others. Thank you.

And because it's Christmas Eve, a Terran holiday where a fat, furry man delivers gifts to good little children - I have left all of of you an extra week's worth of replicator credits in your accounts." He let them cheer that before warning, "Try not to spend it all on booze, we only have so many detoxicants onboard.

I also want to congratulate Giles Arrington for his promotion to Beta Squad Leader."

He paused for the applause and the back slapping on a grinning, blushing Giles which followed. "From his arrival onboard the Surefoot, he's talked incessantly about his leadership potential. Well, now he has the chance to prove it. He certainly can't be worse than the asshole who preceded him."

The room erupted in laughter, except of course from T'Varik.

"We will have a celebration for him. At a later date. For now, though, the ship is powering down for the night. We're staying put, and all systems are going on standby, with a skeleton crew headed by our esteemed First Officer. The rest of us are ordered to bed for the next twelve hours. Preferably your own, but if you can't manage that, try to get some sleep in there somewhere." After more laughter, he finished with, "Dismissed."

As Hrelle and Kami departed, the group milled about some, a few queuing up at the replicators to grab a snack before returning to their quarters. Alpha Squad congregated around Giles, Eydiir straightening up. "I'm pleased for you, Squad Leader."

"Thanks, Eydiir."

"And gladsome that you are achieving it now than earlier, when you were more a braying ass."

Giles gave her a sarcastic thumbs up.

Neraxis slapped him on the back a third time. "Pretty Boy Makes Good! Hope you don't turn into another Miro!"

"No chance," he assured her, looking at Sasha. "I learned from the best."

"We're gonna miss you on the Squad though, Giles," Jonas lamented, though he continued to try and be supportive.

"Indeed, Respected Squad Leader," Kitirik agreed, looking more relaxed now since his confession than Giles had ever seen him before. "It will be strange to have someone new in our group. I do not think I will like it."

"It's the nature of our life, Kit," Sasha told him. "Promotions, transfers, dismissals... And remember, Giles is only going to be in the next quarters, stinking them out with his socks and underwear instead of us."

"They're like roses compared to yours," he informed her. "Yours need force fields around them for health and safety reasons."

"Look at those two," Neraxis quipped. "The way they talk, you wouldn't think they were Bumpers."

"We're not Bumpers," Sasha denied, flushed.

"Bumpers, Friend Neraxis?" Kit asked.

"Yeah: Bump, Bump, Bump!" She slapped the side of her fist into the palm of her other hand for emphasis.

Kit frowned - but then his eyes widened. "Ahh! Coitus!"

"No," Giles added, looking just as embarrassed as Sasha. "We're just friends, and colleagues. That's all."

"Of course," Eydiir agreed - though the look she shot Jonas, Neraxis and Kit, in full view of the Squad Leaders, told another story.

*

Deck 1, Captain's Quarters, 2230 Hours:

"Captain, that subspace link has been established."

Hrelle scratched under his muzzle and prepared himself. "Patch it through."

The desk monitor lit up, to reveal a pale, middle-aged Terran in a Starfleet Admiral's uniform, his blonde hair and chin reminiscent of his son. He focused on suppressing his initial rise of anger. "Merry Christmas, Bill."

"That's Admiral Arrington to you... Captain. And you have some nerve calling me, after what you've done to my son."

Hrelle forced himself to stay calm; the reason for his call was too important. "Admiral, your son is the reason I'm contacting you."

"Why? You want to gloat over your victory?"

"Bill!" Hrelle snapped, regaining his composure once more when he saw the other man stop. "Admiral, since you've obviously already spoken with Lucille, you know I've agreed not to report you about that communicator. Now I'm trying to reach a further accommodation between us."

Arrington. "Fat chance."

"As I suspected. But like I said, I'm not here about us. The way Lucille went on before she returned to the Impala, she made it sound as if his whole family was going to cut him out of their lives, as punishment for siding with me.

I'm asking you... not to let that happen."

"Oh? And why the hell would that matter to you?"

Hrelle leaned forward, folding his hands together to keep them still. "When I was Giles' age, I was being groomed by my clan to take over the family business on Cait. But I didn't want that. I wanted to be in Starfleet. I wanted that more than anything else. My father and aunts and uncles wouldn't listen to me. They threatened what we call R'Nesikith: a formal severing of one's ties to their clan. It's usually only done in the most serious of circumstances.

Family is very important to my people. But I was young, and thought that nothing was more important than what I wanted. So I left. And my father ensured no one in my clan stayed in contact with me. Only my mother's mother defied him when she was still alive." He smiled. "She had balls of pure duranium.

I went on with my life, denying for the longest time how much their absence in my life hurt me. Not having them there when I graduated, when I got my first command, when I married." He paused. "And when I escaped from slavery, and desperately needed their emotional support. I tried to get back in touch with them, many times. There was never any response. Their absence remains an ache that has never gone away."

"That's such a sad story, Hrelle-"

"Bill... Giles is a remarkable, gifted young man-"

"Who chose to betray his family-"

"Who chose to listen to his conscience and not participate in an illegal operation. He didn't betray his family, he stood up to them. Did you know Lucille tried to strike him?"

That made the man react, with genuine surprise. "You're lying."

"Ask her yourself. He didn't back down. He has courage, the type of courage we need in Starfleet. He can have an amazing future ahead of him. Can we at least put aside this feud and agree on that, if nothing else?"

Arrington looked ready to argue further, but frowned and replied, "Yes. We can. For him, if nothing else. I'll... consider what you've said. And... thank you for saving his life. Arrington out."

The screen went blank. Sitting opposite him, Kami smiled. "That was very decent of you. It couldn't have been easy, contacting him like that."

He shrugged. "I owed it to Giles."

"But what if Arrington changes his mind and cuts the boy off from his family?"

Hrelle rubbed at his eyes. "Then Giles will do what I had to do: make his own. And he's got a good start already here, with all of us." He looked at her again. "What's with that frown?"

"You told me you and your clan stopped communicating. You never mentioned they imposed the R'Nesikith on you! Great Mother, that is medieval! Who does that nowadays, especially over an argument about career?"

"My former family, obviously. I don't want to talk about it tonight. I don't want to do anything now but sleep."

Kami regarded him for a moment, before slowly rising and stretching her limbs, her tail swishing languidly behind her. "I'd better let you get to bed, then."

"You don't have to."

She stopped and looked at him over her shoulder, shaking back her mane. "Excuse me?"

He paused for a moment, before rising to his own feet. "You can stay. We can have a sleepover."

She grunted. "First T'Varik, and now you."

He smiled. "You and T'Varik slept together? Tell me more."

"There's nothing to tell, horncat. And there'll be nothing to tell between us, either."