Part 8:
The ship cruised steadily on, under the command of "captain" Tachaon, who swiftly discovered that the captain's chair was much more difficult to handle than he thought it would be when the local commodore called, though otherwise he was well prepared. Kane had isolated himself to quarters earlier, to better handle the incoming flood of reports to the new war admiral. The crew was busy, in good cheer despite the loss of their captain. The work parties moved to their business swiftly, and energetically. The local commodore, Commodore Renaux, was well known for being a rule-bound idiot that couldn't follow any logic but "Higher rank means more important, more important means better person for ANY job."
"'Captain', I must insist that you allow me to speak with 'Admiral' Kane immediately! And I do mean immediately." Commodore Renaux's voice was angry, and filled the room despite the fact that the volume was at 25% real. His face was red, and he was so angry that the nervous tick over the outer side of his right eye was spasming furiously. "I do NOT believe that you are in fact captain of 'your' vessel! The chain of command, as well as rank, would put Commander, correction, Captain Kirk in command. I pushed his promotion through myself! Now, I demand to speak with the captain of your vessel!"
"Commodore Renaux, I am in command of this vessel. As I've been trying to tell you-" Tachaon's voice was tired, as he had been trying to say this for several hours. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, and tried to ward off the sleep his haggard face shouted that he needed. He stared at the face in the left viewscreen of his office desk, as the local commodore interrupted him yet again, for the hundredth time in the last hour. This had been going on for 4 full hours, and the commodore refused to give up or let him get a word in edgewise!
The Commodore repeated his stubborn insistence that "Despite the erroneous nature of the war message, even if 'Admiral' Kane as you insist on referring him were promoted over the heads of his betters, Kirk would be in command! And I demand tha-"
"COMMODORE!" Kane's voice blasted out at what had to be an augmented level; no human set of lungs could have produced what Tachaon was hearing, let alone what the Commodore had to be hearing. The right hand viewscreen popped up out of the desk, hinge pulling it up to bring the face out of the desk, so Tachaon could see his friend. Kane's incensed voice still filled the room, even at the unaugmented levels. His face was drawn, but still strong, and his shoulders were squared back. The golden, stylized representation of Old Terra that perched on them proclaimed his new rank. "I think you have amply proved that I was promoted 'over the head,' as you phrased it, off at least one HIHGER ranking officer, not a superior officer. I'd drop you a rank or five, but I doubt that would be appreciated by central command. Consider yourself-"
"How DARE you! Once the proper admiral is put in charge, I will personally court martial you!" The commodore's voice, still infuriated, this time took on an edge of glee. "That is a threat directed against what you have to know to be a superior officer, as well as an insult! I will contact-"
The commodore's speech was overly dramatic, and his repeated and trite drawing out of words to emphasize them was done in a manner that was guaranteed to dislocate his jaw shortly. An angry Kane, who seemed to have switched back on his augmentation, interrupted it and the camera on his end zoomed in to focus on his forehead. A vein throbbed in one temple, as he began to shout furiously. The decibel warning blinked on Tachaon's console, and he swiftly switched it down to safe levels. However, Kane had apparently engaged his remote override, as the commodore's hands were clasped around his ears in pain at the noise he could no longer reduce.
"COMMODORE, MY CURRENT FLAG CAPTAIN HAS BEEN FAR MORE PATIENT WITH YOU THAN YOU DESERVE! I LEFT THE ORDERS NOT TO BE DISTURBED AND HE HASN'T INTERUPTED YOU ONCE TO PASS THEM ON, DESPITE YOUR CONTINUAL RUDENESS! I'VE READ YOUR RECORD, YOU DON'T DESERVE YOUR CURRENT RANK OR COMMAND. I AM HEREBY RELIEVING YOU OF BOTH OF THEM, AND PLACING YOU UNDER ARREST FOR YOUR BLATANT DISRESPECT OF MY AUTHORITY. YOU ARE TO IMMEDIATLY REPORT YOURSELF TO THE BRIG! I WILL BRING CHARGES TO BEAR AS SOON AS MY CRAFT HAS DOCKED!" Kane's voice suddenly managed the impossible, as it became louder yet, then dropped to normal, albeit with a disgusted rather than angry tone, almost spitting out the last word. "AM I CLEAR, Commodore?"
Commodore Renaux was blanched by the ending, and blinking, shook his head to clear it of the ringing. He then shouted, in a manner that insisted that he was half-deaf instead of angry. "I understand, and will obey under protest. I hereby lodge a complaint against you. Now, before I report to the brig, I demand to know why Captain Kirk is not in command!"
"Alfred is not in command because he was executed for the murder of Private Vork, and the assault resulting in the severe wounding of Marine Lieutenant Second Class Bigpapaj."
"Murder?" The commodore's jaw went slack, and eyes were slightly glazed in shock. He hadn't anticipated what could actually be a good reason for his cousin to not be in charge of the Ajax after the 'promotion' that Kane had received.
"Yes, murder. He was also charged with treason, cowardice, and desertion in the face of the enemy. He attempted to attack Lieutenant Tachaon, and the marine detachment in the courtroom stopped him, at the cost of Vork's life. Lieutenant Bigpapaj is injured, but healing rapidly, and no longer in danger. At least, not from the injuries he received at the hand of Kirk." Kane's voice was studiously neutral as he recited the list of events, in an obviously pre-planned format.
"Treason? What evidence do you have? And what proof of the other charges?" The commodore demanded, voice full of shock, and anger.
"He sabotaged our defenses by installing interrupters that shifted our shield frequencies to harmonize and enhance the radiation released by what otherwise would have been a harmless warhead. Other devices interfered in our point defense grid, preventing the destructing of said warhead and two others that carried the same improved ECM suite, as well as decreasing accuracy against other incoming missiles. His command code was used to unseal the panels, and even a cursory inspection couldn't help but notice the devices once we looked. He was also witnessed to have installed them by one of our chiefs, who received orders not to speak of it. Luckily, he knew when to belay orders, and I've already placed a commendation in his file and field promoted him to senior chief."
"I don't believe you. I will want to see the evidence on that right away! I-" Kane didn't wait for the Commodore to finish.
"You will immediately report to the stations brig, commodore! Now, I insist you-" Kane was interrupted by the Commodore's console, as it started beeping for Renaux's attention. Renaux turned the intercom on, and the voice of the station's AI, TriCon, spoke.
"Commodore, Central command just sent in the most recent personnel report. One of the officers on your watch list was transferred. Captain Kirk is now an assistant to strategic command."
"Say again, TriCon?" The commodore asked softly, as everyone stared at their consoles.
"Captain Kirk has been transferred to strategic command as an assistant to the admiral in charge, Admiral Herknav. Is there a problem with that?"
Kane cut into the conversation via remote computer access. "TriCon, state the full name of the individual you are reporting on."
"Captain Alfred Simon Samuel Kirk, promoted directly before transfer to strategic command from Space Construction Yard 1."
Everyone was silent, wondering what was going on. Then the commodore started in...
"I demand to know the meaning of this Kane! I hereby lodge a complaint..."
The ship cruised steadily on, under the command of "captain" Tachaon, who swiftly discovered that the captain's chair was much more difficult to handle than he thought it would be when the local commodore called, though otherwise he was well prepared. Kane had isolated himself to quarters earlier, to better handle the incoming flood of reports to the new war admiral. The crew was busy, in good cheer despite the loss of their captain. The work parties moved to their business swiftly, and energetically. The local commodore, Commodore Renaux, was well known for being a rule-bound idiot that couldn't follow any logic but "Higher rank means more important, more important means better person for ANY job."
"'Captain', I must insist that you allow me to speak with 'Admiral' Kane immediately! And I do mean immediately." Commodore Renaux's voice was angry, and filled the room despite the fact that the volume was at 25% real. His face was red, and he was so angry that the nervous tick over the outer side of his right eye was spasming furiously. "I do NOT believe that you are in fact captain of 'your' vessel! The chain of command, as well as rank, would put Commander, correction, Captain Kirk in command. I pushed his promotion through myself! Now, I demand to speak with the captain of your vessel!"
"Commodore Renaux, I am in command of this vessel. As I've been trying to tell you-" Tachaon's voice was tired, as he had been trying to say this for several hours. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, and tried to ward off the sleep his haggard face shouted that he needed. He stared at the face in the left viewscreen of his office desk, as the local commodore interrupted him yet again, for the hundredth time in the last hour. This had been going on for 4 full hours, and the commodore refused to give up or let him get a word in edgewise!
The Commodore repeated his stubborn insistence that "Despite the erroneous nature of the war message, even if 'Admiral' Kane as you insist on referring him were promoted over the heads of his betters, Kirk would be in command! And I demand tha-"
"COMMODORE!" Kane's voice blasted out at what had to be an augmented level; no human set of lungs could have produced what Tachaon was hearing, let alone what the Commodore had to be hearing. The right hand viewscreen popped up out of the desk, hinge pulling it up to bring the face out of the desk, so Tachaon could see his friend. Kane's incensed voice still filled the room, even at the unaugmented levels. His face was drawn, but still strong, and his shoulders were squared back. The golden, stylized representation of Old Terra that perched on them proclaimed his new rank. "I think you have amply proved that I was promoted 'over the head,' as you phrased it, off at least one HIHGER ranking officer, not a superior officer. I'd drop you a rank or five, but I doubt that would be appreciated by central command. Consider yourself-"
"How DARE you! Once the proper admiral is put in charge, I will personally court martial you!" The commodore's voice, still infuriated, this time took on an edge of glee. "That is a threat directed against what you have to know to be a superior officer, as well as an insult! I will contact-"
The commodore's speech was overly dramatic, and his repeated and trite drawing out of words to emphasize them was done in a manner that was guaranteed to dislocate his jaw shortly. An angry Kane, who seemed to have switched back on his augmentation, interrupted it and the camera on his end zoomed in to focus on his forehead. A vein throbbed in one temple, as he began to shout furiously. The decibel warning blinked on Tachaon's console, and he swiftly switched it down to safe levels. However, Kane had apparently engaged his remote override, as the commodore's hands were clasped around his ears in pain at the noise he could no longer reduce.
"COMMODORE, MY CURRENT FLAG CAPTAIN HAS BEEN FAR MORE PATIENT WITH YOU THAN YOU DESERVE! I LEFT THE ORDERS NOT TO BE DISTURBED AND HE HASN'T INTERUPTED YOU ONCE TO PASS THEM ON, DESPITE YOUR CONTINUAL RUDENESS! I'VE READ YOUR RECORD, YOU DON'T DESERVE YOUR CURRENT RANK OR COMMAND. I AM HEREBY RELIEVING YOU OF BOTH OF THEM, AND PLACING YOU UNDER ARREST FOR YOUR BLATANT DISRESPECT OF MY AUTHORITY. YOU ARE TO IMMEDIATLY REPORT YOURSELF TO THE BRIG! I WILL BRING CHARGES TO BEAR AS SOON AS MY CRAFT HAS DOCKED!" Kane's voice suddenly managed the impossible, as it became louder yet, then dropped to normal, albeit with a disgusted rather than angry tone, almost spitting out the last word. "AM I CLEAR, Commodore?"
Commodore Renaux was blanched by the ending, and blinking, shook his head to clear it of the ringing. He then shouted, in a manner that insisted that he was half-deaf instead of angry. "I understand, and will obey under protest. I hereby lodge a complaint against you. Now, before I report to the brig, I demand to know why Captain Kirk is not in command!"
"Alfred is not in command because he was executed for the murder of Private Vork, and the assault resulting in the severe wounding of Marine Lieutenant Second Class Bigpapaj."
"Murder?" The commodore's jaw went slack, and eyes were slightly glazed in shock. He hadn't anticipated what could actually be a good reason for his cousin to not be in charge of the Ajax after the 'promotion' that Kane had received.
"Yes, murder. He was also charged with treason, cowardice, and desertion in the face of the enemy. He attempted to attack Lieutenant Tachaon, and the marine detachment in the courtroom stopped him, at the cost of Vork's life. Lieutenant Bigpapaj is injured, but healing rapidly, and no longer in danger. At least, not from the injuries he received at the hand of Kirk." Kane's voice was studiously neutral as he recited the list of events, in an obviously pre-planned format.
"Treason? What evidence do you have? And what proof of the other charges?" The commodore demanded, voice full of shock, and anger.
"He sabotaged our defenses by installing interrupters that shifted our shield frequencies to harmonize and enhance the radiation released by what otherwise would have been a harmless warhead. Other devices interfered in our point defense grid, preventing the destructing of said warhead and two others that carried the same improved ECM suite, as well as decreasing accuracy against other incoming missiles. His command code was used to unseal the panels, and even a cursory inspection couldn't help but notice the devices once we looked. He was also witnessed to have installed them by one of our chiefs, who received orders not to speak of it. Luckily, he knew when to belay orders, and I've already placed a commendation in his file and field promoted him to senior chief."
"I don't believe you. I will want to see the evidence on that right away! I-" Kane didn't wait for the Commodore to finish.
"You will immediately report to the stations brig, commodore! Now, I insist you-" Kane was interrupted by the Commodore's console, as it started beeping for Renaux's attention. Renaux turned the intercom on, and the voice of the station's AI, TriCon, spoke.
"Commodore, Central command just sent in the most recent personnel report. One of the officers on your watch list was transferred. Captain Kirk is now an assistant to strategic command."
"Say again, TriCon?" The commodore asked softly, as everyone stared at their consoles.
"Captain Kirk has been transferred to strategic command as an assistant to the admiral in charge, Admiral Herknav. Is there a problem with that?"
Kane cut into the conversation via remote computer access. "TriCon, state the full name of the individual you are reporting on."
"Captain Alfred Simon Samuel Kirk, promoted directly before transfer to strategic command from Space Construction Yard 1."
Everyone was silent, wondering what was going on. Then the commodore started in...
"I demand to know the meaning of this Kane! I hereby lodge a complaint..."
