“I do not wish to make accusations to anyone in this room. I am forced to believe that the Officers and Warrants under my command are above reproach and above the scandalous accusations of which I am forced to make. Unfortunately, I do not have that luxury. Until my Tactic Officer is found, I have to assume that everyone, including those in this room, is suspect.”
The assembled crowd broke out in insulted outcries, rallying against such accusations. Yen listened to their cries of indignation, nodding slowly as though in approval, though it was unclear as to whether he approved of the Captain’s decision or that of the Officers and Warrants. After a few moments had passed, Yen stood slowly, gesturing for the members in the War Room to settle.
Though his voice was soft, it carried clearly across the wide room. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, his voice barely calling over the outraged defiance of some of the more outspoken members. “Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated.” As the din in the room lessened, even the louder members of the War Room turned to the new speaker and, hesitantly, took their seats.
“I can clearly understand your frustrations,” Yen proclaimed as all eyes turned to him. “What the Captain is proposing is that someone within this very room, someone who has received the blessing and commission from High Council itself, is guilty of a crime, a crime that could be as horrific as murder.”
With the mention of murder, the crowd erupted once again into protest. Though she remained silent, Captain Hodge glared at Yen with eyes that pierced him like daggers. Motioning once more, Yen regained control of the crowd.
“To make these accusations,” he continued, trying to ignore the looks he received from the Captain, “is to accuse the High Council of having poor judgment in its nominations for every one of us assembled. When stated as such, it’s very easy to see why you’re all frustrated and indignant.”
“However, there is, as there always will be, two sides to this story. If something has happened to Eminent Merric and it was not someone within this very room, than it only leaves us to assume that it was a Crewman who committed a violent act against an Officer aboard the Revolution. I, for one, do not know the last time a Crewman so blatantly committed a crime against an Officer of the Fleet. But that is not what truly bothers me. To make an accusation against a Crewman aboard this ship means that one of us gathered in this room has someone working under their command that’s both treasonous and violently dangerous. Who among us is willing to admit that they have such little control over their Crewman that one could act out in this way and we don’t know the danger they pose to all those around them? I know my Crewmen well enough to know that no one in the Squadron could have committed this crime. Can every one of you say the same?”
Yen paused, allowing his assault on their pride to spread throughout the room. Though obviously infuriated, no one spoke out against his claims. “My point is this: before we go making objections to the Captain’s accusations, that we realize the precarious position in which she has been placed. Something as of yet unknown has happened to a ranking Officer on this ship. If something violent has happened, then we cannot, in good conscious, rule out a single person as innocent. To do so invites this sort of crime to be committed again and again.”
He turned toward Captain Hodge, who seemed gratified that Yen had regained control over this meeting. “Captain, I understand you position and support you in whatever you need to do completely. In fact, I volunteer my quarters to be the first to be searched for evidence of a purported crime.”
Captain Hodge nodded to Yen as he took his seat. Yen had, in one motion, placed every other Officer and Warrant in the room into a difficult decision. They could remain proud and oppose an inspection of their quarters and, subsequently, the common areas of the ship. Should they choose that route, however, they would be proclaiming that their own rank and privilege surpasses that of Yen who, in the absence of Merric, now stood as second-in-command of the Revolution. The only option Yen had really left them was to follow his lead and submit to being searched. The blatant hatred splayed across their faces was evident, but Yen showed little interest in their attitudes.
“Thank you, Squadron Commander,” Captain Hodge said as she stood. “I appreciate your proposal and, therefore, your quarters will be the first to be searched.”
Yen smiled softly to himself, happy that the Captain had understood his gambit and followed his lead. He knew, better than anyone, that there would be no evidence found within his quarters. And, should he have overlooked anything, it would be too simple to rewrite the memories of anyone looking through his quarters. By the time the search party left, Squadron Commander Xiao would be completely above any suspicion and would, instead, be leading the searches through the living quarters of everyone else on board.
The Captain gestured across the table to where a large Oterian sat, his furry arms crossed over his barrel chest. “Prestige Horace, the Security Officer for the Revolution, will be joining me during these initial inspections. Once we have cleared the ranking members of this crew, they will, in turn, take control of the inspections for their respective sections. I expect every inch of this ship to be searched. If something has happened to my Tactical Officer, I will not rest until I find someone who I can jettison through a very small airlock for this crime!”
She turned to Yen. “Squadron Commander, if you could please stay behind. Everyone else,” she said, raising her voice with clear anger ringing through her musical words, “your rooms’ accesses have all been locked by my command, rendering it impossible for you to enter before you are inspected. I have also declared an alert on board, so all your Crewmen are standing by their battle stations and will not be in their quarters either. Return to your quarters immediately and stand by outside your rooms for your inspection. You are dismissed.”
As the others filed out, Yen moved beside Captain Hodge. Though her steely eyes never left the departing Officers and Warrants, her words carried clearly to Yen as he, too, stood impassively. “I would like to thank you for your support, Yen,” she said, dropping the formality with which he had grown accustomed. “However, I don’t want you to think that this makes you above suspicion.”
“Of course not, Captain,” Yen replied.
As everyone finally left the room, Yen followed the Captain and Security Officer to his quarters. Entering the access code, Horace entered the main room, his large Oterian bulk stooping to fit through the shallow doorways. The search was conducted thoroughly, but quickly. As Yen surmised, nothing incriminating was found within his quarters. In fact, Captain Hodge congratulated him on the immaculate upkeep in his living area. As Horace turned to begin the next search, Captain Hodge paused, placing a cool hand on Yen’s arm.
“Commander,” she began, pausing as she gathered her thoughts. “I cannot stress to you how important it is that we find whatever happened to Merric. This blatant affront to my command endangers this entire crew, especially in a time of war. Rest assured, I find someone committing so potentially lethal a crime an affront to my command, as this type of insurgency undermines the good order and discipline I have strove to establish aboard the Revolution. While Horace and I conduct the rest of the searches for the Officers, I want you to begin inspections on your own Squadron. When you are done, I need you to search Merric’s sections as well, to include the weapons bays and the bridge itself.” She turned to face Yen, her deceptively shorter stature not hindering her piercing glare. “I want Merric found and I want someone to blame for whatever has happened to him. Find me something!”