Cmdr Ridire

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:cool: you'd better pay you're taxes from now on if you live in california or the taxman may show up at your door with a leather jacket, sunglasses and a shotgun On the plus side, which is about the only one I can think of, the whole California and Arnold thing did lead to a humorous ad for AOL that features my state's former governor, Jesse Ventura going "Man, they'll allow anyone to be governor there."

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Debbie had been able to get some rest but not nearly enough. She couldn't claim exhaustion but she was weary...physically, emotionally and every other way imaginable. When she was overly tired, Debbie was prone to a dreadful syndrome called "Foot In Mouth Disease." She'd suffered an attack of it in the cargo bay just yesterday when she questioned Commander Ridire's decision to stun the six men now in Reaent's brig. Not only was she out of line, she had badly misjudged the Commander. As if to prove how badly she'd misjudged him, Ridire had just informed her he didn't mind her questioning his decision. Her timing may have been off, but overall, he wasn't upset or angry. In a convoluted way, the Commander's attitude about the incident only made Debbie feel worse. She would have preferred some type of punishment, even if was only a stern lecture. She almost said something to that affect but decided not to push her luck. Besides, she had another issue to discuss with Ridire, one that genuinely concerned her. The Reaent had just arrived at Starbase 345. As she and the XO were entering the Ready Room, the Commander announced there would be no shoreleave. He must have seen the expressions on the faces of the bridge crew. Even Mr. Sivuk was taken by surprise. Debbie knew the Starbase had been locked down after the Cairo disaster. She and the base CMO had tried to keep in touch but it had been very difficult. All communications to and from the base were carefully monitored as were those to and from the Reaent. The Doctor chose her words carefully. "Is Starbase 345 still locked down? And are they going to lockdown Reaent too? Is that why there will be no shoreleave?" "Yes," replied Ridire. "Starbase 345 is still locked down. The colonists and the Cairo's crew will be debriefed there and then they'll be sent on their way. As for the Reaent being locked down, we will be under lock down while we are at the Starbase. As soon as the Captain returns we will be departing." She stepped toward the XO. "This crew needs a break," she stated softly but firmly. Ridire looked at her and nodded. "I agree with you, Doctor. But the order came from the Admiral himself." That was all Debbie needed to hear. She threw her hands up, choking on her frustration. It wasn't Ridire's fault the crew wasn't getting shoreleave. She didn't want to ream him about something he had no control over. The CMO walked to the outside wall of the room and gazed out one of the huge windows. She seriously considered banging her head against the transparent aluminum. Debbie shook her head in disbelief. Reaent had been damaged and required repair. The crew was exhausted and beyond stressed. All they needed was a few day off to rest. "They don't care," she fumed. The Doctor whirled around to stare at Ridire. She was clearly annoyed but managed to maintain a civil tone. "They don't give a rat's rear about this crew!" She shook her head again and started pacing. "Why can't we have a few days? This is a huge station. They can handle another fifteen hundred people. And it's not like we'd all be off ship at the same time." Debbie suddenly stopped pacing and again stared at Ridire. "The powers that be are going to try to keep this quiet, aren't they? That's why they won't let any of us off this ship, isn't it?" They were not rhetorical questions. Aidan watches the Doctor pace around the office for a few minutes before he decides to get a hot chocolate from the replicator. He sits down behind the desk and listens quietly to the Doctor's complaints as he continues to watch her pace. When she finishes she turns to face him. Aidan shrugs slightly and says "Yes, we need a break but unfortunately we're either not going to get it or it is going to have to be while we are all still on the ship. Once the guests are offloaded Mr. Mclean will be able to return the ship to it's normal operating levels. And at the least we won't have any alerts going off or even requiring a normal duty shift. So no, it's not quite as bad as you think." Even before her eyes narrow, Aidan knew it was the wrong thing to say. Aidan sighs "De...Doctor, if it was up to me I'd order the ship to Risa for a week. Unfortunately, it's not up to me. Nor is it up to the Captain. It is up to the Admiral in charge of this sector so if you want to try and persuade that Admiral to change their mind then you should be wearing three gold pips instead of me....if you can pull it off. As for myself I intend to read a couple books, spend some time in the holodeck and most importantly...grieve. First though and most importantly, I need to contact Fiona's family, my old ship, and Nick among others and tell them what happened." Aidan takes a sip of the hot chocolate before continuing "As for what happening to the Cairo and to Rigel being covered up, how? You can't cover up a ship being wiped out any more then you can cover up how a planet died. It's bloody near impossible. Especially given the number of people involved. There's an old adage that says that the chances of successfully keeping a secret is directly and inversely proportional to the number of people involved. With this one we are talking about thousands of people, Doctor. So no...Starfleet and the Federation are not going to be able to keep it secret. However, there is a difference between covering something up and making sure it doesn't cause a mass panic when it hits the news and being prepared in case it does cause a mass panic. Aidan takes a sip of the hot chocolate before continuing "As for what happened to the Cairo and to Rigel being covered up, how? You can't cover up a ship being wiped out any more then you can cover up how a planet died. It's bloody near impossible. Especially given the number of people involved. There's an old adage that says that the chances of successfully keeping a secret is directly and inversely proportional to the number of people involved. With this one we are talking about thousands of people, Doctor. So no...Starfleet and the Federation are not going to be able to keep it secret. However, there is a difference between covering something up and making sure it doesn't cause a mass panic when it hits the news and being prepared in case it does cause a mass panic. Not as bad as it seems? Easy for him to say, she thought ruefully. He's not the one who has to deal with it. Debbie was just about to say something she would probably regret later on. But Ridire saved her from another attack of Foot In Mouth. He saw it coming and cut her off. His explanation regarding a possible cover up was perfectly logical. Debbie had to admit it would be nearly impossible to keep something of this magnitude quiet. That was especially true considering the number of people involved. She was simply angry at these anonymous admirals who showed so little concern for an overworked and heavily stressed crew. And she was a bit curious about the Commander's "mass panic" remark. The CMO slipped into one of the chairs facing the desk. She'd almost forgotten about Fiona. For some reason, she half expected Ridire to accompany his friend's body home. Perhaps that had been the plan. Unfortunately, there would be no leave for anyone so Fiona's escort would be someone other than Aidan Ridire. She took a deep breath and tried to steer her thoughts away from the no shoreleave issue. All it did was make her furious. Debbie had to admit she was merely speculating. She didn't know what the Commander's plans were regarding Fiona Nashawryn. She did agree that Ridire needed time to grieve for his friend. He'd mentioned someone named Nick. This Nick was probably the third leg of the triangle. Perhaps he was the one Fiona had fallen in love with? Debbie debated whether or not to ask. She remained quiet for a moment and then looked at Ridire. "I thought you might have wanted to escort Fiona home. But that isn't possible now, is it." She slouched in the chair just a little. "Will this Nick person take her home?" Whatever he had been expecting the doctor to say, it wasn't that. It takes him a few seconds to respond which he does by shaking his head and saying "I intend to take Fiona's body back to Earth myself assuming that I am allowed to do so. If not then unfortunately she will be taken home without any escort. As for Nick taking her, that would be...improbable. Nick is the First officer on Skyharbor Aegis in the Cardassian system. I'm sure he'll ask for leave once he finds out but even the fastest runabout wouldn't get here or to earth in time." Debbie stared at her boots for a long moment. She knew she was treading on highly sensitive ground. The odds were Fiona Nashawryn would return to Earth for burial without an escort. And...the Commander knew it. Talk about grief. The CMO thought back to a previous conversation she had with Ridire. He mentioned there was someone else who be even more upset about Fiona's death than he was. That someone else must be the mysterious Nick. When Nick found out, would he feel as responsible for what happened as Ridire did? Debbie looked up. "You never know, Commander. They may grant you leave." She hesitated only a moment before climbing out on a limb. "So," continued the Doctor. "Nick left Venture to become First Officer of Aegis and you left to become First Officer of Reaent. Is that when Fiona decided to transfer to Cairo?" Somehow Aidan knew the Doctor was going to ask that. He shrugs slightly "It might have played a part. I didn't know that she had decided to transfer until..well...until the original away team mission to the Cairo. She had received the offer about the time I was deciding on mine. I guess I'll never know for sure which part, if any, it played in her decision, Doctor. The guilt is still mine and Nick will feel the exact same." He pauses then says "No, he'll feel it worse." He sighs "On the other hand, Fiona was perfectly capable of deciding independently. We were her closest friends, yes, but she was hardly a teenage girl, Doctor." Debbie was a little concerned the Commander would evade the question. She was greatly relieved when he chose to answer it and thereby, continue their conversation. His feelings of guilt over Fiona's death troubled the Doctor. Grief over the loss of a close friend was one thing. But grief coupled with guilt was far worse, especially if the guilt was irrational. Ridire had just stated the obvious. Fiona wasn't a teenager. She was a 33 year old woman, an adult by anyone's definition. She was also a highly trained physician and a Starfleet officer. In plain language, she was quite capable of making her own decisions. So why did Aidan Ridire insist on feeling responsible for her untimely death? And Nick? Why would he feel worse about this than Ridire? Debbie decided to climb further out on the limb. She would proceed from the Nick angle and work her way back to Ridire's "irrational" feelings of guilt. "Was Nick in love with Fiona?" asked the CMO quietly. "Or was it the other way around?" Aidan smiles faintly and shakes his head "No, nothing quite so Freudian. There was a certain amount of...mutual attraction I'm sure but Nick wouldn't have let it go anywhere. Partly because he didn't want to throw a wrench in the proverbial monkey-works. And also because...well...how to explain this." He pauses for a few seconds then says "I'm not entirely sure that cadets in the medical program at the Academy have to take this particular test but I did. I called it the Greatest fear test but it's really known as the Psych test. They set up a situation, based on a cadets psych profile, that makes the Cadet deal with that fear. Mine was having to order someone to do something, knowing full well that it was a suicide mission. Nick's was, as he told me after he and I became friends on the Venture, watching all of his companions be killed and he was the only one to survive. That they died despite his best efforts to save them. Most people fear death. Nick doesn't fear death but he does hate and loathe it, however..in effect he fears the absence of it. Specifically that everyone he cares about will die and he will be the only one to survive. That doesn't make him suicidal, far from it, but he always keeps part of himself shielded from those he cares about, outside of immediate family, simply because he knows the relationship is transitory..that it will be nothing more then ash one day..that those he cares about will be ash..and he will still exist. And he didn't think..in fact he knew that Fiona did not and could not ever understand that. And for him there was no way around that." Debbie listened quietly while the Commander talked about his friends. It was probably the best thing he could do for himself right now...sit back and remember them...one alive and well...the other now in a stasis unit about to make her final voyage home. "Fiona may have understood," offered Debbie with a slight smile. "She just didn't agree with Nick's philosophy." She paused a moment. "Death comes along with life. It's all part of the same package. You can't allow your fear of death to prevent your from embracing life...and that includes truly close relationships. As a physician, Fiona would have known that. Your friend Nick doesn't want to get too close to the fire for fear of getting burned. Unfortunately, he'll miss out on all the warmth life has to offer...and that's a shame." Aidan shakes his head "No, it's not a difference of philosophy. It's a difference of emotions and biology. Let me ask you a question. If half of your genetic make-up gave you the ability to live centuries wouldn't you more then a little concerned about the ramifications of getting involved with someone that would only live, at best, another 70 years? And if and until you worked through those concerns like your parents did wouldn't you be more shielded then most people are when it comes to romantic relationships?" Debbie leaned forward and frowned. "That depends on how long it takes you to work through those concerns," she answered. "Besides, I assumed we were discussing humans. Unless Nick possesses a genetic predisposition toward extreme longevity, I should think he'd be quite satisfied with a seventy year relationship. Most people would consider such a thing a dream come true." Aidan shakes his head "No, it's not a difference of philosophy. It's a difference of emotions and biology. Let me ask you a question. If half of your genetic make-up gave you the ability to live centuries wouldn't you more then a little concerned about the ramifications of getting involved with someone that would only live, at best, another seventy years? And if and until you worked through those concerns like your parents did wouldn't you be more shielded then most people are when it comes to romantic relationships?" Debbie leaned forward and rested her arms on the desk. "That depends on how long it takes you to work through those concerns," she answered. "Besides, I assumed we were discussing humans. Unless Nick possesses a genetic predisposition toward extreme longevity, I should think he'd be quite satisfied with a seventy year relationship. Most people would consider such a thing a dream come true. Obviously he doesn't." Ridire started to speak but there was something else Debbie just had to say. "I'm sure you'll do what you can to help Nick through this mess. But I'm more concerned about you." The Doctor smiled slightly. "After all, you're my boss and that means my life is in your hands, not to mention the other 550 or so lives on this ship." I'd like those hands to be rock steady." She leaned back in the chair. "So my question is this...how are going to get through this mess?" Aidan shakes his head slightly "Your assumption was my fault. To humans seventy years is a long time..but even to a person who is half El Aurian seventy years is little more then the blink of an eye. Fiona would have become an old woman and Nick would look more or less like he does right now. At any rate, as for how I am going to get through this...mess as you say I quite honestly have no clue yet. One can mentally prepare for one's death or the death of people one cares about but that says little about how one actually deals with it. I've been too busy with other facets of the problem so I haven't been able to deal with the main part of it. I do know that sooner or later we'll find out exactly pulled the strings here." Aidan finishes the last of the hot chocolate and then sets it back on the replicator for it to be disposed of. As he does so he says "Doctor, you're thinking that my guilt is misplaced. No it's not...I'm feeling guilty because I wasn't there to protect her. That was one of my responsibilities to her. Just as it's one of my responsibilities to you and everyone else on this ship. The only difference was that here it is a responsibility of duty. With her it was a responsibility of the heart. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to attempt to get some sleep. I probably won't be real successful at that but then I'm having nightmares whether I'm awake or not. Good night, doctor." With those last words, Aidan steps through the Ready Room doors and disappears into the nearby turbolift."

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Aidan steps out of the Captain's ready room while trying to force himself to relax. Though trying to relax is harder then it sounds when his heart was settling somewhere below his knees. He focuses his attention on the Doctor as he asks in the calmest tone he can manage "Where do you have the families of the ten lost? The nightmare of not knowing is worse then the nightmare of knowing and it's about time they find out exactly how deep this nightmare goes." Debbie slowly came to her feet as Ridire spoke. Outwardly, he appeared relatively calm but his eyes betrayed the inner turmoil he was dealing with. "The families are isolated in Holodeck 2 along with a man named Quinn. I think he's one of the colony's officials." The Commander nodded and walked toward the turbolift with Debbie following close behind. The doors swished closed and Ridire ordered the lift to deck 12. Debbie was a little relieved the XO would be the one to break the news to the family's of the ten lost men. She agreed they should be told soon. There was no point prolonging their agony. But there was something else that concerned her even more. Just how deep did this nightmare go? How much was the Commander planning on telling the colonists? The CMO quickly decided she had to speak now or forever hold her peace. "Mr. Ridire, I need to talk to you." It takes Aidan a few seconds to realize that the Doctor had said something. He was trying to order his thoughts and form the words that he was going to say so he wasn't paying much attention to the immediate present. He says tiredly "Doctor, if it's about before it can wait until some other time. Otherwise speak your mind." "About before?" questioned Debbie silently. And then she remembered. It had only been a few hours since she'd mouthed off to the second highest ranking officer on the entire ship. How could she forget such thing? Yes, she needed to talk to Ridire about that. But she sure didn't want to, especially now. She forced herself back into the present. "I know we have to tell these people about those ten men, but how much more information do you plan to give them? And what will you say when they ask who is responsible for all of this?" Aidan frowns and says "I intend to tell the colony survivors that the ten were lost when the base exploded and that we did everything we could to locate and save them beforehand. Concerning the status of the colony I am going to tell them that a follow-on survey ship will have to be sent to assess the planet's state and that we couldn't stay around to see because the resulting explosion would have tore this ship apart." He pauses for a second then finishes "As for who did this to them, I will tell them that while we have some possible leads that will need to be investigated we still don't know what exactly was going on or who was behind all of this. As it stands doctor, the only thing we know that the colonists don't is the death of the Cairo. At any rate, we'll be dropping them and the crew of the Cairo off at Starbase 345 while we undergo repairs." Debbie caught herself grinding her teeth. "You beamed over to that flying rock to retrieve evidence," replied the CMO. "It sounds like you didn't find much." Her voice dropped to just above a whisper. "It also sounds like these......people may have gotten away with mass murder." Aidan shifts his attention from the point on the wall he had been focusing on to the Doctor as his eyes narrow. After a second he relaxes, realizing the rebuke was the same one he was making to himself internally. "No, we didn't find a whole lot of evidence. The time constraint was too narrow." His voice takes on a hard edge as he adds "However, these....people have gotten away with mass murder...but only for now. Even the cleverest of flies makes a mistake at some point. The spider only has to be patient." Debbie caught the tail end of the Commander's glare. She hadn't meant to place blame on anyone. She'd merely stated what appeared to be a sad fact. It wasn't Ridire's fault they hadn't been able to retrieve any evidence. The perpetrators were responsible for that. "It wasn't your fault," said Debbie softly. "I was on the bridge. If they'd waited another few seconds to beam you back, you and the others would have been killed. It was very brave of you to even attempt it." Aidan shakes his head slightly "I know you weren't trying to assign blame, Doctor, just that what you said is sounding very much like what I'm telling myself......and I am blaming myself. And as for waiting a few seconds that risk I would have accepted if it would have meant finding some more evidence." He closes his eyes briefly "As for the brave compliment, that would be more honestly directed to the survivors of the Cairo and the colonists. I did what needed to be done, nothing more...there was no bravery in it. Perhaps some foolishness...but no bravery." Debbie smiled slightly. "I respectfully disagree," offered the Doctor. "You deserve the compliment. What you and that team did went above and beyond what was necessary. Besides, you don't impress me as a man who behaves foolishly....which brings me to another matter." The CMO shifted her weight uncomfortably, searching for the proper words to use. "About those remarks I made earlier today in the cargo bay." She hesitated a moment, forcing herself to look the Commander in the eye. "I think I may have been out of line. As a matter of fact, I'm certain I was...and I'm sorry." During the Doctor's speech of contrition the turbolift had slowed to a stop and the doors slide open. Aidan blinks in confusion at what the Doctor had said and then it clicks. He steps through the open door as he says "Let's discuss that later, Doctor. We have far more important things to tend to right now then what went on in the cargo bay." Aidan remains quiet during the rest of the walk to Holodeck 2 as he tries to form the words that he's going to say before he has to say them. Presently they arrive at Holodeck 2 and they step through the door. Debbie simply nodded and followed Ridire down the corridor and into the holodeck. Inwardly, she winced at the idea of having to discuss her rude comment ever again. Perhaps, the Commander wasn't overly concerned about it. With a little luck, it might slip his mind permanently. No matter what, Ridire was right about one thing. This was not the time to worry about Debbie's faux pax. At the moment, there was a far more pressing issue to deal with. The two officers stepped into the holodeck and quickly surveyed the small group gathered there. Ten adult females and approximately fifteen children of various ages milled about what appeared to be the lobby of an outdoor resort. They were accompanied by an older couple, the man who earlier identified himself as Quinn and a woman Debbie assumed was Ouinn's wife. It was a pleasant enough environment. Debbie made a mental note to congratulate Dr. Linkowitz on his program choice. Everyone in the room took notice of their arrival. Miles was standing relatively close to the door and immediately approached the CMO. In the meantime, Quinn recognized Commander Ridire from their encounter in the lounge. He hurried toward the XO, anxious for news on the missing colonists. Many of the young women were close behind. Debbie hung back while Ridire prepared to speak to the refugees. She pointedly glanced at Linkowitz who seemed to understand they were bearing bad news....there would be no reunion. Aidan forces a calm expression on his face despite it being the last emotion he was feeling. He glances at the other Doctor as he says "Why don't you take the children to the cafeteria down the hall. I'm sure they're hungry by now." That statement draws the colonists up short. Aidan waits until Doctor Linkowitz and the children leave before speaking again. "Computer, close current program and create a recreation of the Reaent's main Observation lounge." Aidan moves to sit down at the head of the table of the holographic version of the Observation lounge on Deck 1. He waits until the others have been seated, with Quinn opposite him. "I suppose there is no good way to say it so I'll just come out with it. A few minutes before we warped out of the Rigel system, the people that kidnapped you set of a series of large explosives that destroyed the base they were keeping you and ripped it and the surrounding area from the moon. It went hurtling towards the planet your colony was on. While we tried destroying the newborn asteroid before it hit your planet we were not successful. Furthermore we could not locate the ten men that stayed behind to affect the transport of those of you who beamed onto our Deck 10. I am eternally sorry but they and those attackers who we didn't capture were killed." Aidan doesn't have to wait long for the reaction, all but two of them break out into tearful gibbering. The only two that don't are Quinn who seeks to console his wife and the lone Tellarite in the room. The Tellarite stands from his chair and approaches Aidan. Even Aidan, who hasn't had much dealings with Tellarites, can tell that this one is plenty mad. The Tellarite all but bellows "You could have done more!" Aidan shakes his head slightly and says calmly "No, we did everything we could. We were already strained to the limit of our resources when we transported the bulk of your fellow colonists up. That took nearly all the power we had. If there was any more we could have done I assure you we would have done it. I am sorry and I know how you...." That seems to enrage the Tellarite further as he growls "You do not know how we feel!" The Tellarite takes a swing at Aidan but Quinn saying sharply "That's enough, Kev." causes the Tellarite to stop. Aidan had remained perfectly motionless as the Tellarite's clenched fist had come close to hitting nearly him square in the jaw. After a few seconds he glances at Quinn and says "I also should inform you that the Cairo was not involved in this..at least not in the way you think. As you might have figured out, the Cairo that arrived at your colony was a fake. The real USS Cairo suffered the fate that befell your colony before it even arrived. Their survivors and their dead, along with your people, will be taken to Starbase 345. Starfleet will have people waiting to help you get back on your feet there. Now, if you wish to ask or discuss anything else, I am at your service." It takes a few hours more for the meeting to come to it's conclusion. Aidan walks out of the holodeck with spirits past the breaking point. He slumps against the wall of the corridor and closes his eyes, trying to will away the sadness and tears that are threatening to slip past his tightly wound control. Their guests figured out what was about to happen as soon as Mr. Ridire asked Miles to take the children down the hall. You could see it in their eyes. They knew something had gone terribly wrong. A couple of the women were already crying before the Commander could say a word. Debbie wasn't sure why the Tellarite male was even in the room. She later learned his name was Kev. He was one of Quinn's assistants and had demanded he be allowed to wait with Quinn for news on the missing colonists. The Tellarites were known throughout the galaxy as foul tempered and ill mannered. Kev did his best to live up to that reputation. The CMO would never understand what Kev hoped to accomplish by taking a swing at a Starfleet Commander. Fortunately, Ridire was so much taller than Kev, there was little chance the Tellarite's punch would hit home. Still, Debbie wouldn't have believed such thing happened if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. They remained in the holodeck for what seemed like an eternity. Debbie stepped out several times to order everything from additional medical personnel to food and beverages. Some of the women who's spouses were killed wanted to break the news to their children privately. They were escorted to any available room so they could spend a few minutes alone with their kids. In the meantime, the other colonists who were housed throughout the ship were told of Rigel's fate. Several of the colony's officials then joined the group in the holodeck. They asked endless questions, many of which couldn't be answered. They wanted details, most of which couldn't be provided. Above all, they wanted to know who was responsible and why. They were hurt, angry and frightened and there was precious little anyone could say or do to help them feel any better. When Debbie finally left, there were still quite a few people milling about in the holodeck. Most appeared to be colony officials. The CMO quietly slipped out of the room leaving two security officers to assist the colonists. Over all, it had been one of the worst days of her life. She inspected the front of her uniform as she walked toward the turbolift. It was stained from a variety of food and beverages from grape juice to some exotic brew one of the colonists insisted on having. She looked like she hadn't changed in days. Debbie shrugged it off. She never claimed to be a waitress and stained clothing was the least of her problems. She couldn't possibly look any worse than she felt. As Debbie approached the turbolift, she heard voices from behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the colonists leaving the holodeck. The security officers were escorting them in her direction. She then looked toward the turbolift and that's when she saw Aidan Ridire. He was leaning against the wall, eyes closed. He looked awful. He did open his eyes when Debbie stopped in front of him but made no effort to push away from the wall. The CMO didn't bother asking if he was okay. Instead, she again glanced down the corridor. The colonists would soon be upon them. "Commander," Debbie spoke softly. "Let's get out of this corridor." Aidan follows her gaze down the hall and with some effort he nods his agreement. Aidan turns and takes the few steps into the turbolift. Aidan turns and takes the few steps into the turbolift. As he slumps against the turbolift wall he says "Computer, Deck 9." Aidan studies the Doctor for a few seconds before saying "I would suggest, Doctor, that you go get some rest. That's what I'm going to do. As soon as I check on the prisoners in the brig I am going back to my quarters, get cleaned up and then either get the sleep of the just..or of the damned. I haven't quite figured out which one it'll be yet." Debbie nodded and offered a weak smile. "Excellent suggestion, Commander. Everyone on this ship needs a good nap," she said. "Especially you." The lift arrived at its destination and the doors opened. Ridire stepped off but Debbie remained in place. He looked back at her as he departed. "Good luck with the prisoners," said the CMO. She waved as the doors closed with a swish. "And may you enjoy the sleep of the just, Aidan Ridire," she whispered to the empty lift. "We've certainly endured enough damnation already." Debbie then ordered the lift to deck 19. She had to check in with Sickbay before returning to her quarters. As Aidan steps into the brig he regains his normal pose and sense of control, even if it was more then a little forced. He barely glances at the six prisoners locked up in individual cells as he steps over to the Lieutenant jg in charge. Aidan asks "I don't suppose they've said anything yet?" The Lieutenant shakes his head "No, only two of them have woken up from being sedated so far. Medical checked them all out, they'll make it." A trace of acid in the Lieutenant's voice betrays a certain amount of distaste at that prospect. The Lieutenant continues "The two that have woken up have been as mute as statues." Aidan nods "Very well. I want six guards in here at all times until we arrive at the Starbase. I do not want anything happening to them, Lieutenant." One of the two awake prisoners chooses that moment to speak. He sneers "Oh, is the little Commander afraid of us?" Aidan turns his attention to the one that spoke as he approaches the cell. Aidan smiles malevolently "No...not afraid. I don't want anything to happen to you because I want Starfleet Intel to have a very long...very detailed talk with you. However, I would suggest to you that if you want to keep yourself intact that you keep your mouth shut. Killing innocents may be impersonal for you, little coward, but for everyone on this ship..and me especially you committed a very personal crime. The only reason you and your fellow five prisoners aren't a bloody smear is that for right now you are more useful intact and able to speak then you are...otherwise. I'm quite sure that Starfleet Intelligence will just love it when they get their hands on you. And then we'll simply stick you in the deepest darkest hole we can find. Personally I'm in favor of Rura Penthe as I'm willing to bet that the Klingons would be willing to...take you off our hands once we're through with you. You have the Sword of Damocles hanging over you and one way or another it will fall, I only pray to God that I'm there when it does." Aidan turns on his heel and exits the brig without saying another word.

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Aidan frowns and nods "Very well. Cover positions." He waits until the three security personnel move into position before letting the turbolift doors slide open. No weapons fire greets them, in fact, the corridor is tomb silent. Aidan glances at the two doctors "You two will be in the middle. Lieutenant Sharilar will bring up the rear. The rest of us will bring up the front of this little group." I want Auxiliary Control and the Primary Computer core rooms swept first. Shamor, proceed." It takes a few minutes to ascertain that the other rooms in the corridor are clear. Finally they approach the doors to Ten Forward. As the group takes up positions, Aidan taps his commbadge and says "Computer, activate the PA in Ten Forward." The Computer beeps it's acknowledgment of the order giving Aidan enough time to compose his words. Before he can say anything though the doors slide open to reveal a unkempt older man standing there. The force field crackles as brushes against it. His attention focuses on Aidan's rank pips before saying "Thank the maker." The man holds up a antiquated looking phaser and continues "We surrender. All we wanted was to out of there. When our kidnappers panicked we also panicked and..." Aidan frowns and holds up a hand "Hold it. Before any explanations get said, what is going to happen first is that you and your...fellows are going to give up their weapons. One by one your people are going to approach the door and toss your weapons out here. If any of them try anything, we'll stun them. Is that clear?" The older man nods and then turns to speak to someone else. Before long a small pile of weapons is collected in the corridor and Lieutenant Sharilar confirms that nobody else in Ten Forward is armed. Aidan taps his commbadge "Bridge, the situation on Deck 10 is under control. Send some more security down here to help keep order along with a full medical team." Once the bridge acknowledges that, the Commander's group finally enters Ten Forward. They find it nearly packed with what has to be at least a hundred dirty and unkempt people. Aidan manages to keep from looking surprised at seeing a Horta nestled in one corner of the room. He also doesn't fail to note the fearful look in the eyes of most of them. Though the lone Tellarite and the lone Alpha Centauri were looking more angry then fearful. Aidan glances at Shamor and Matthews and says "Start seeing to them." He then switches his attention back to the man that "greeted" them and says "I am the First Officer of this ship, Commander Aidan Ridire. You..and they are?" The man nods "Our apologies for any trouble, Commander. I am Quinn. I and the others are the last group of colonists that were on the moon." Aidan gestures to a nearby booth "Very well, Quinn. Let's sit down and you can explain everything to me. The verbose version please." Quinn nods and after the two are seated he starts in on the explanation. How that when people started being transported from the surface of the moon, the people running the base, who were humans according to Quinn, panicked and that in the confusion the colonists used the opportunity to gain their freedom. They managed to locate the massive transporter assembly that had been used to beam them to the moon in the first place and were attempting to beam back to the colony. Unfortunately the abductors had destroyed the enhancers that they placed on New Rigel so the only place the colonists could beam to was the Reaent. Quinn also informed Aidan that ten of the colonists had stayed behind on the colony in order to make sure the others escaped." By the time Quinn finishes his story, Aidan is rubbing the bridge of his nose in order to deal with the pressure of a headache that had quickly formed during the story. The physicians were in the middle as the security team prepared to storm Deck 10. Fortunately, there wasn't much to storm. The intruders weren't in the corridor. They'd moved into the Lounge. They were nothing more than colonists who had managed to commandeer a heavy load transporter and beam themselves to the Reaent. Debbie couldn't begin to express her relief. She felt like a two ton weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She hadn't even realized how tense she was until they'd been given the all clear. As she and Russ made their way through the crowd, they were pleased to find this group was also in fairly good condition. Aside from a few bumps and bruises, there was nothing wrong with these people that a good shower wouldn't cure. However, there was one thing that puzzled the two physicians. Some of the newly arrived refugees seemed far more emotionally distressed than the colonists who'd been beamed into the cargo bay. Debbie picked up on it almost immediately as did Russ. Even one of the security officers commented that a few of the colonists seemed to be emotional wrecks. They were rambling on about those left behind. The CMO asked him to point out one. He nodded toward a young Baron female with a small child in her arms. It didn't take an expert to see the woman was extremely upset. "I'm going to talk to her," said Debbie nodding toward the woman. "Maybe she can shed some light on who was left behind and why." "Good idea," replied Russ. "I'll ask around too." It only took a couple of minutes for the sobbing woman to explain what was going on. There were still ten colonists on the moon. They'd stayed behind to operate the transporter so the others could escape to the Reaent. All of them had spouses and children now huddled in 10 Forward. There was growing panic that the remaining colonists would never be seen alive again. All Debbie could think about was more dead heroes. She took a deep breath and approached Commander Ridire. He looked like a man with a problem. If he didn't have one already, she was about to hand him a biggie. "Sir, may I have a word with you?" Aidan glances up at the Doctor and frowns slightly. He gestures to the seat across from him that Quinn had vacated a few seconds earlier. He then tiredly says "What is it, Doctor?" Debbie glanced at the chair and then slowly sat down. She had a feeling Ridire already knew about the colonists who stayed behind to operate the transporter. "Ten stayed behind," "I know." Debbie sighed. "They're all males and they all have spouses and children who happen to be in this particular group of refugees. Needless to say, the families are on the verge of panic." The Commander looked at her and nodded. "I have to tell these people something," continued Debbie. "Before I start offering words of encouragement, I need to know if there is any hope of retrieving those ten men." Aidan sighs inwardly and says "I notified the Bridge and the transporter chiefs once Quinn explained about that. As far as I know right now they're trying to get a lock on them to beam them up. The problem is that they might have tried to beam here after our shields were up. Depending on the timing, the transporter signal might have been bounced and..." It was a fortunate thing that Aidan intended to cut himself off there, having not wanted anyone to hear what he was alluding to. Because at that precise instance he had let his gaze wander to the window and if he still would have been speaking he might have swore audibly. Several curses run through his mind as he registers what he was seeing on the moon below. One small explosion had quickly given away to several more and so on. His eyes narrow and the cold expression he had on his face earlier returns in a heartbeat. He jabs his commbadge and says just audibly "Computer, black out all windows on deck 10." Even as the computer complies with the request Aidan looks to make sure that no one else had noticed what was going on with the planet below. Aidan turns his attention back to the Doctor as he says quietly "Doctor, get them all down to Cargo Bay 2 right now and keep them there. Don't let them wander. And for God's sake keep them calm." He watches as surprise gives way to the beginnings of annoyance in the Doctor's eyes. He holds up a hand to forestall whatever she was going to say. With a cold tone he says "Doctor...Lieutenant..I gave you an order, carry it out. This is not the time to let your inherent Doctor's intransigent curiosity to have some leash. Now go." For a split second, Debbie debated whether or not to argue the point. She quickly glanced over her shoulder and saw the windows had been blacked out. The CMO immediately chose to follow orders. She wasn't sure what disaster lay beyond those windows, but she knew by the tense expression on Ridire's face it couldn't be good. Debbie abruptly stood and nodded. "Yes, sir. We'll move them out of here." She started to walk away but turned back after taking only one step. "Please let me know what's going on as soon as you can." Aidan nods and says "Of course, Doctor." She hesitates still so he asks "Is there anything else?" Finally she shakes her head "No...nothing that can't wait." Aidan frowns to himself as he watches the Doctor turn and walk away. He muses to himself that being, at times, confusing must be a universal constant with medical personnel.

Aidan studies the retreating form of Doctor Matthews as she slips into the crowd. Her insinuation was almost enough to make him say something highly unprofessional in response. Still, he can't deny what she insinuated was a very brief thought that ran through his mind. However, he may be many things but one thing he wasn't..and would never be a cold-blooded killer. He wasn't going to become what the killers of the Cairo had become, he wasn't going to sink to their level of depravity. The six that beamed aboard armed were simply a tactical situation to Aidan. With security stretched as thin as it was the chance that the six would cause trouble, especially in light of the chaos caused by the intruders, couldn't be ignored. The simplest way to deal with them was to sedate them but then Aidan doubted they would simply allow themselves to be sedated. And the last thing that needed to happen right now was a hostage situation. The intruder alarm sounding draws Aidan's attention back to the task at hand. As he heads for the door, Lieutenant Shamor and a couple of spare security personnel fall in behind. As he slips through the door he gives a wide berth to one of Dr. Matthew's nurses as she slips through going the other way. He turns and heads for the nearest turbolift but before he reaches it he finds Dr. Matthews leaning against the corridor wall, apparently fuming to herself. Debbie had been leaning against the wall with her eyes closed when she sensed someone was standing in front of her. When she opened her eyes, she wasn't quite prepared to see the first officer glaring at her but there he was. The CMO quickly pushed away from the wall as the Commander addressed her. He pauses and waits until she has her attention on him. In an emotionless and glacier cold voice he says "Doctor, detail a couple of your people to accompany Lieutenant Shamor and myself to Deck 10. There may be casualties there because of the intruders..or the intruders may need medical attention themselves. Either way we need to get the situation under control before this....situation manages to get even more chaotic. Be quick about it though. We have one other stop to make before we get to Deck 10." If looks could kill, Debbie would be six feet under. Ridire was clearly annoyed with her. The last thing she wanted to do was irritate him any further. "I'll go," she quipped. "I seem to be the only one just standing around right now." The moment the words crossed her lips, she wondered if she'd made another mistake. Perhaps the XO would have preferred she not accompany the team to Deck 10. But it was too late now. She'd already volunteered. How would it look if she suddenly changed her mind. Aidan nods after a second and says simply "As you wish, Doctor." With that he steps into the nearby turbolift. Debbie picked up two medkits from a nearby cart and tapped Russ Eckert on the shoulder. "You're with me," she whispered. "Possible casualties on Deck 10." Russ nodded and grabbed another medkit. The two physicians then fell in behind Ridire and Shamor as they made their way to the turbolift. When they all stepped inside, Debbie was grateful she was standing behind Commander Ridire. She forced herself to concentrate on the crisis at hand in an effort to steady her nerves. The group takes the turbolift to the armory on Deck 9. While the turbolift is in motion Aidan glances at Lt. Shamor and says "I think it's safe to say you know this ship better then me. What's your recommendation on how to proceed once we get to deck 10?" Shamor thinks for a few seconds then says "That you take the other security guards and the two Doctors and make sure the intruders don't escape off Deck 10 and make their way to Engineering or the Bridge. I can get onto Deck 10 on my own and make my way to where Ensign Kenickie is. She'll need the help because of her condition." Aidan arches an eyebrow then shakes his head "You're right..you're going to Deck 10..but you're also wrong..we're going too. Sorry, Lieutenant, I am not the type that lets others do my fighting for me. This is my home too and if it's at risk then I intend to do something about it. Besides, I know you're good at your job, your record itself more then proves that. However, only a person looking to die walks into the situation that we have on Deck 10 without backup and sorry, I'll be buggered first before that one happens. Now if the doctors or your subordinates here wish to take your suggestion fine, their choice." A glance at the two security guards is enough to tell Aidan that they intend to remain. As the turbolift doors open near the armory Aidan lets Shamor lead the way. They retrieve several phaser rifles from the armory as well as several 24th century equivalent of flash-bang grenades. Once properly equipped the group takes the Turbolift to Deck 10 but before it can stop and opens the door Aidan presses the control button that holds it in place. He glances at one of the security guards and says "Any lifesigns in the corridor, Lieutenant Sharilar?" The young female human activates her tricorder and reports after a few seconds "No. The only lifesigns are in...Ten Forward." She arches an eyebrow as she says that, clearly surprised by that considering that both Auxiliary Control and the Primary Computer Core are also on Deck 10.

Name: Aidan Ridire Rank: Commander Position: Executive Officer Stationed: USS Reaent DOB: 06/01 Age: 36 Species: Human Home Planet: Earth Eyes: Emerald Green Hair: Dark red. Height: 6' 2" Weight: 180 lbs Awards & Decorations: Starfleet Silver Star Purple Heart Federation Medal of Valor Languages Known: English French Irish Family: Wife: Dr. Deborah Matthews Status: CMO, USS Reaent Father: Mikel Ridire Status: Federation Diplomat (Retired) Mother: Aine Ridire Status: Professor, University of Dublin Sister: Ciara Ridire Status: Graduate Student, Xeno-Archaelogy, University of Cork Aidan is the eldest child of Mikel and Aine Ridire of Ireland, Earth. Born to a career diplomat and a University Professor, perhaps it was only given that Aidan grew up with a love of learning and history. Though perhaps genetics played a part in it. The Ridire family, part of Clan O'Connell, goes back more then 1500 years. The O'Connell's ruled much of central and western Ireland in those days and they, and others, left more then a fair share of ruins for young children to explore. As Aidan grew older he and his friends would go off and explore those ruins and try to imagine what life was like back then. He especially liked exploring the ruins and cairns at Rathcroghan, the site of an ancient castle and burial ground that lies near Aidan's hometown of Longford. As Aidan's 10th birthday neared he got an unexpected shock when his parents told him that he was to be an older brother. At first Aidan didn't like the thought of having to share the attention of his parent's but any jealousy disappeared when his sister Ciara was born. The two are quite close and Aidan is protective of his sister. One time when they were exploring Rathcroghan she fell and injured her leg. Instead of leaving her there to go and summon help, he carried her the entire way home and insisted on taking full blame for the incident despite it being her idea to go exploring that day. Aidan attended and graduated from Eton where he got high marks. He applied to Starfleet Academy was accepted into the science program, specializing in xeno-anthropology, xeno-biology and xeno-archaelogy. He graduated from the Academy with high marks and was assigned to the USS Venture as a junior science officer. When he was a Lieutenant he transferred to Ops and was promoted to the post of Chief Ops officer thereupon. He remained in that post until he was promoted to full Commander and chose to accept the assignment of Executive Officer aboard the USS Reaent. Several notable missions in which Aidan had a sizable role in include the rescue of hostages on the planet of Ariel shortly before that planet joined the Federation. He led a team that distracted the hostage-takers while a fellow Lieutenant, a Lieutenant Ayers, on the Venture led the actual rescue team. As a Lieutenant, Aidan participated in an undercover mission that ultimately broke up the smuggling ring led by an Orion named Drax. He and a Lieutenant Grayson went undercover as independent smugglers who ended up joining Drax's group and over a period of months they were able to bring about Drax's downfall. Unfortunately, Lieutenant Grayson was killed during the mission. Both Aidan and Lieutenant Grayson were awarded the Federation Silver Star. It should be noted that Aidan also would have been killed if not for the timely arrival of a rescue team from the USS Venture. He received the Federation Medal of Valor for helping to repel a sizable Cardassian incursion on the USS Venture during the battle for Deep Space 9. After the war, the USS Venture returned to it's exploration duties and returned to the frontier of the Federation. Medical History: Aidan has no know allergies nor does he suffer from any current medical conditions. He has had a couple broken bones and suffered a stab wound as a result of the Drax mission. Psychological File: Aidan is something of a dichotomy psychologically. He is very disciplined and focused and is usually slow to show any temper. However at times he shows the typical Irish quick temper. He is protective of those he considers friends and can be a holy terror when he feels one of them or family has been wronged somehow. On more then one occasion he found himself in a fight in some bar in one such example. He is generally reserved and it takes him time to trust people and to open up to them. He is also loathe to talk about what he is feeling or thinking when it comes to what he considers his private affairs.

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USS Reaent May 29th, 2003 10:00 pm est

Aidan forces the anger and frustration under control as he considers apologizing for hitting the window. He decides against it as he doesn't really feel all that sorry at the moment. As the Doctor continues her report he resumes his prior leaning against the window. He's proud of his heritage, of belonging to a family which traces it's lineage back nearly two millennia to the old Kings but with Irish pride goes a does of Irish temperament. He had spent most of his life learning to control it but even the strongest of controls could be breached by the situation being laid before him by Doctor Matthews. He had started to suspect that the Cairo's "accident" wasn't so accidental when he was checking through the records at the colony. It is tragic enough that a close friend and her shipmates died due to an accident, however it was far worse then mere tragedy when that friend along with her shipmates had been, to all intents and purposes, capriciously murdered in a case of identity theft and Lord knows what else. Aidan waits until the Doctor finishes her report concerning the real Lieutenant Drew before he says "I have a couple questions. Have you been able to contact Lt. Facon? If he's recovered from his apparent poisoning he might be able to provide some answers to this..situation. Secondly, has Command been notified of the real Lt. Drew's apparent disappearance? And lastly, considering Lt. Aerso's exposure to Lt. Facon when he was feeling ill has it been checked if Lt. Aerso was vaccinated against Quillick's Syndrome? If he was and it was recent it might...." Aidan leaves the rest unsaid but he adds "At any rate, I suggest that we have Starbase 345 run down everyone Lt. Facon and this faux Lt. Drew had contact with. I'd be especially interested to learn if they had any contact with each other, either directly or through someone else."

USS Reaent May 15th, 2003 10:00 pm est

Aidan steps through the doors to the colony's administration building and finds, unsurprisingly, that all the monitors and systems are working perfectly fine despite everyone being gone. He glances at Sivuk and says "Why don't you see if you can get access to the colony's sensors, it'll hopefully help us figure out this modern day Roanoake. I'll see if I can gain access to the computer logs and records concerning the last few days." It takes a while to find the records and to work through the encryption protecting them. Unfortunately the records leave as many questions as answers. The computers had dutifully noted that the "USS Cairo" had arrived, though the computer noted that the "USS Cairo" was two days late. The computer also noted that shortly after arrival, the "USS Cairo" had started beaming down a large amount of equipment and personnel." Aidan calls up the sensor logs concerning the "USS Cairo" and as he notes the transponder signal he frowns darkly. He doesn't fail to notice that the colony's sensors report that shortly after the "USS Cairo's" arrival the entire population of the colony just up and vanished without a trace or a fight. "Mr. Sivuk, see if you can find the colony's comm records from this mystery ship that masqueraded as the Cairo. They had to have signaled the colony concerning their arrival. And any other comm transmissions you can find as well."

Aidan stares up at the cliff before him as he tries burying his growing frustration as far down inside him as he can, knowing full well that unlike earlier he can't afford to go off on a tear even f it was emotionally justified. He shifts his attention to the town that is arrayed below him. The town that should be teeming with one thousand lives but now, like the Cairo, it seems to contain only a thousand souls. His instincts are telling him that the answers to the mystery of the disappearance of this modern day Roanoke lies down there somewhere and yet the only clue found so far was firmly in the direction of the cliff. He stares up at the cliff as the rest of the Away team make their recommendations. Finally he says "We'll split up. I'll go around that side of the cliff and look for a path up. Shamor, you take the other way. Keep an open comm channel the entire time. If we don't find a path up we'll have the ship do a site to site transport as that will be easier then climbing that thing. Sivuk, you're with me." As Aidan turns and heads off he only hopes that while the cliff provides a clue...a modern day "Croatoan "carved in a tree, it doesn't turn him into a 24th century Governor John White doing so.

USS Reaent Thursday, April 24th 2003 10 pm est

Aidan only peripherally acknowledges the people he passes as he proceeds down the corridor. He is too busy fuming to really be that aware of his surroundings. The problem with consciences is that sometimes they picked the most inconvenient times to start nagging. On one hand, he knows he should have tried to be more understanding on the actions and motivations of Lieutenant's Shamor and Garnoopy but at the same time it is so bloody infuriating that he just wants to clock the both of them. Not that he thinks he would have had more then a chance of beating them. His martial arts training aside, he still would have been up against a Klingon and Lord knows what tricks Shamor has up his sleeves. Still, some dark usually buried part of him would have relished in the attempt. As he walks down the corridor a memory floats before his mind's eye. USS Venture Somewhere on the Frontier Two years earlier. Aidan glances up from the book he was reading as the door enunciator sounds through the bedroom door. He sets the book down and reaches for a light robe as he slips off the bed and pads through the bedroom door. He steps into the main room and as he reaches the door he says "Lights, low." The lights come up as the door opens to reveal Fiona standing there. As Aidan starts to say something, the words die unsaid when he notices the tears in Fiona's eyes. She says in a small hesitant voice "I'm sorry if I woke you but I...I guess I didn't want to be alone. Can I come in?" Aidan steps aside and gestures towards the couch "No apologies needed. Please sit down and tell me what has you so upset?" He watches her sit down at one end of the couch as he goes to retrieve a cup of tea from the replicator. He sets the tea down on the low table before her as he sits down on the other end of the couch. He waits silently for her to speak, letting her have time to collect her thoughts and find the words. Privately he has a feeling he knows what he's about to be told. Her first words confirm his suspicions when she says "Nick stopped by earlier, he said he wanted to talk. He said he...that he...di..." Her tears catch up with her and Aidan finds himself damning one of his best friends. Before he can react, Fiona shifts positions on the couch, moving so she is crying into his shoulder. He holds her gently and says quietly "That he values and likes you as a friend but that despite your feelings beyond friendship towards him he doesn't return those stronger feelings and that you should stop thinking of him as potentially more then a friend." She nods and Aidan holds her as he waits for her to get her tears under control. After a few minutes her crying stops and she draws back enough to look up into his face. She murmurs "Yes...but how did you know?" Aidan sighs "Nick....asked me a few weeks ago for advice on what to say to you. I told him that I didn't feel comfortable in giving out such advice. Because both of you are two of my best friends and also because I've never had experience with....unrequited attraction." He hopes he says the lie with enough conviction to make it sound like the truth. She says "He wouldn't tell me why. He said I shouldn't think it was my fault, that it has nothing to do with me. He wasn't lying was he?" Aidan sighs quietly "From what he told me, he was telling the truth." Aidan covers up that half-truth by saying "He does care for you a great deal..as a friend. I'm sure if he could have found a way to not hurt you he would have done it." She nods and he can see her trying to hold back on the remaining tears. She hides her face in his shoulder again as a the tears roll down her cheeks. She says sadly "it's just so unfair..." He sighs to himself and thinks "My dear, you have no idea exactly how unfair it actually is."

Aidan clenches his fists as he tries to not listen to the little voice whispering in his head "Deck the Klingon, go ahead..he deserves it." He shifts his attention to Shamor and says in a cold dead tone "Let me ask you this, Lieutenant...how many little gold circles do you see on my collar? There should be three there..right? How many people on this ship outrank me? One right? So unless that one person tells you otherwise or unless Lieutenant Matthews actually conjures up a medical reason to prevent me from entering Sickbay your choices are very limited here. So I strongly suggest to you and your subordinate that you reconsider whether or not you really want to get in my way on this. After all...failure to obey the Chain of Command and insubordination would not look real good on your records." Aidan briefly glances at Garnoopybefore he continues "Let me remind you of the regs since you've apparently forgotten them. 'Starfleet General Order 104, Section C: The chief medical officer may relieve a commander of duty if the commander is mentally or physically unfit. The physician would have to back up this claim with the results of a physical examination.' Has there been a physical examination? No, there hasn't been. So on what basis that would actually be a defense against a violation of General Order 104 are you trying to keep me out of Sickbay?" Slowly and deliberately Aidan shifts his gaze to look up into the Klingon's impassive face as his voice drops another fifteen degrees below zero "Furthermore, I have the Captain's permission to check in with Sickbay as regards to the disposition of the bodies. Oh..and yes, the Captain does know of my...personal interest which I suspect is the reason you two and the Doctor are attempting to treat me like I'm a six foot plus tall container of Trilithium." Aidan's voice steadily goes colder as he continues "Ever since I've joined this ship I've tried to quietly fit in and give myself time to adjust to all of you and you time to adjust to me. After all..I've spent most of my adult life on a different ship and I am still the outsider to a large extent here. However as it stands right now that "quietly fitting in" is at an end. One way or another if I have to go through you or around you to get in there I'll do it. However I'll be generous. I'm going to take a walk around the deck. It should take me about fifteen minutes to return here as I'll be benevolent by walking slowly. If the both of you are gone when I return then I'll pretend that this little incident never happened and you two and Doctor Matthews can congratulate yourselves privately that you got away with defying a Superior Officer. If you're still here, I'll circumvent your interference."

Uh, actually they only go up to 25, including the Prime Directive and Omega Directive. DA, one I see no reason to nitpick canon that far. Second, I'm the one that is right as far as canon goes here. I refer you to page 468 of the Star Trek Encyclopedia. It's right next to the picture of Commodore Decker in the first column.

USS Reaent Chat Log April 10th, 2003 9:00 pm central Format: WordPad