Amber hauled Jenny into the captain's ready room, twisting her arm roughly. Jenny winced, looking down at the deck, unable to meet T'Sel's eyes. T'Sel raised an eyebrow at them. "What's this?" she asked levelly.
Amber shoved Jenny forward by her arm. "She's up to something, ma'am. I caught her sending an illegal message to Earth."
Jenny whimpered softly from pain, not from fear. "Commander, you're hurting me. Let go!"
"No," Amber answered her flatly. "Not until you start explaining yourself to the captain, Lieutenant."
T'Sel shifted her gaze to Jenny. "Well?"
Jenny finally met the Vulcan's steady gaze, her eyes brimming with fire instead of the tears T'Sel expected. "Oh trust me, Captain, you already know. You caught me before and damn near broke the same shoulder Commander Jackson seems so intent on twisting. I got careless, and that's all you need to turn me in and have me court-martialed. But trust me when I say that our little 'encounter' will go public."
T'Sel's gaze turned to a hard, cold glare. "I warned you once about these activities of yours. That was your only chance."
Jenny yelped as something finally cracked in her shoulder, tears of pain mingling with the angry fire in her eyes. She started to go to her knees, which only prompted Amber's grip to tighten.
T'Sel's Vulcan ears couldn't mistake that distinctive snap, and concern for the injured office, regardless of her crimes, brought her around the desk. "Let her go, Commander. You've broken her arm."
Jenny gasped as Amber finally released her, ignoring the annoyed sigh the security chief gave her. She dropped to one knee on the deck, her left hand clamped over her injured shoulder. Despite the tears of pain, her voice remained surprisingly level. "You shouldn't care, T'Sel. I'm a criminal, remember? You've known that since I first came aboard. I didn't change, and I got caught."
Amber nodded, crossing her arms as she towered over the young lieutenant.
"Back away," T'Sel snapped. "She's not going anywhere. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't get far."
Amber backed away a few steps, scowling as T'Sel helped Jenny up from the deck and settled the young woman into one of the chairs.
"Wrong, Lieutenant." T'Sel's voice was quiet and level, the only clue of any internal emotion a subtle spark in her eyes. "You are still an officer under my command."
Jenny stared at the deck, biting her lip. She knew she deserved to be thrown in the brig and had no doubts that T'Sel would authorize it. Only Jenny knew what her message contained, and everyone would assume the worst, thinking she'd endangered the ship. She hadn't really; the only people at risk were the Romulans, but that was top secret. She didn't think T'Sel or Amber was cleared to hear it.
"Permission to lock this young woman in the brig before hell rains down on us?" Amber's flat tone did nothing to mask the anger and dislike she had for the younger officer.
"Denied." T'Sel's equally flat response brought Jenny's head up. "You'll take her to sickbay and tell the doctor who injured Lieutenant Goldman's shoulder. I rather think that as long as she cannot access the ship's computer that she's quite useless to whomever she's reporting to. Don't you agree, Commander?"
Amber's jaw clenched tightly. "Yes, Captain." Clearly unhappy with the situation, Amber helped Jenny up from the chair and escorted her from the ready room.