I don't own Star Trek, SPN, Nikita or NCIS LA.
Chapter 15 – "hearing"
They woke two hours later, but didn't have time for another round, because let's not forget they still have jobs to do. Izzy's first officer called her to reminder her that their quests have to get back soon. She was needed back at her ship and she wasn't the only one with waiting responsibilities. Considering that Jim and Dean have to hand over a mission report for the admiralty as soon as possible, so Izzy moves back to her vessel. She visited her father again for 10 minutes. During their following final meeting between Izzy, Sam and G they established a safety protocol for her and her men. They will need protection should they come into the crossfire.
That was two days ago. Since then the three of them had only time to chat via conference call. It gave them a foretaste for the coming future. They all know that after they get their orders they will see each other only this way and that for a long periods of time. They don't like that very much, but they all love to be Captain and that they can make a difference, so they wouldn't change that for the world. They accept the situation and make the best of it.
They would suck it up and dream of get-together's after a long time, something to look forward too and to make the time go by faster. But all three are sure that this will not break them, but make them stronger. They are a unit and no matter where they are, they always will be one. They always will have each other's backs, no matter where they will be in the wide universe.
But now they have other things on their mind, Dean, Izzy and Jim are ordered in front of the admiralty for a hearing and Izzy doesn't have a good feeling about it. But of course she is prepared, just like she always is. That is why she stops them before they can enter the hall for the hearing. It wasn't a public one, only with the admiralty, so nothing like the Kobayashi Maru debacle. But it can be equally as bad in matters of consequences, should something go wrong. But she also is prepared for this and probably will leave the hearing with more problems than before, should they force her into action.
Both look at her perplex as she sternly eyes them, she has to stop them from saying anything that can get them in trouble. That is why she orders them. "No matter what happens let ME do the talking."
"Why?" both ask curiously not that they don't trust her. Besides that they can see an order, when they hear one. But both like it if they know all the variables of a situation instead of only the things they are presented with.
"Because I am the one of the three of us, who has a degree in law and that means I have the means to get us out of whatever they" she points at the doors behind her. "want from us." But she has a slight idea where it will go, but they don't need to know that, now. It would make them angry and that will not help her or them.
"Why do you think we would need your expertise?" Dean wants to know.
Izzy sighs; sometimes they both can be to tense and that clouds their judgment. "Our actions during the whole Nero crisis are not really in the Federation norm. We are" she makes a hand gesture to emphasize the point. "What they call a wild card. Something good if needed, but hard to control or?" she asks them and gives them a bit for now.
Without thinking about it, because what Izzy says describes them like a diam. "Yes." they answer together.
"There lies the problem, they are afraid of us and that is why they want to control us or at least try to get control over us."
"Makes sense." Jim says and that is a fearful thought. All three of them hate to be caged and that is what would happen, if they get their control over them.
"Good that you agree and I am the best bet to stop them from controlling us, because even if they think that our actions are to wild, they still were in the frame of the Federation regulations." Izzy points out. As answer they simply nod in agreement, because they know she is right. She was their best chance, just like she always is. She is the brains behind their actions in the most cases. Not that Jim and Dean aren't smart, but they only have street smartness, but for this kind of situations they need book smartness as well. Both things Izzy has plenty of.
With that Izzy turns around, walks to the door and opens it. She steps in first and the boys follow her. This way she signals the admiralty that she would take the lead on this. In silence they walk to the middle of the room where three chairs were positioned in front of the admiralty, which currently contains 5 admirals, who are reside on Earth at the moment. One of them is Admiral Rose, a person, who definitely will not be on her side. Another one is Admiral Pierce, someone she doesn't like, but who she can influence. The other three she doesn't know, but she hopes that she can argue their case.
Wordlessly all three of them take a chair, while the admirals simply watch them. As soon as they sit Admiral Pierce addresses them. "Captain Kirk, Captain O'Neil, Captain Winchester thank you for appearing in front of this hearing." As if we had a change not to come, Jim and Dean share the same thought. "We are here to discuss your actions during the Vulcan crisis." They all nod instead of answering, so Pierce keeps going. "First we want to ask you Captain O'Neil how you justify deposing acting Captain Spock of his position?"
That question tells Izzy so much. It confirms her assumption and that is, she would be the center of this hearing. She is a woman in charge, currently there are only 5 women with the position of a Captain in a fleet of over 200 vessels. So you can say that it is a male dominated area and the males want to keep it that way. But Izzy wouldn't be Izzy if she came unprepared. Just like that she slips into her lawyer role. "According to Regulation 619, a Captain can't lead, if he is emotional compromised. That was the case here. Not only did Captain Spock lose his home planet, he also lost his mother. Even as a Vulcan he has feelings. They feel as well as we do and that is what happened here, Spock felt the loss of his mother and planet."
The next question comes from Rose. "Your relationship with Captain Kirk has nothing to do with it?" His tone was arrogant and cocky. Izzy has to bite the inside of her check to stop herself from punching his damn smile off of his face. Dean and Jim feel that Izzy doesn't like this Admiral. They ask themselves, why is that? That is something they have to find out later. For now they have to get this farce over with, because they like Izzy realized, what this is about. The old hogs don't want a woman in charge. But Dean and Jim were on the same page they wouldn't let this happen to Izzy. She is a good Captain and deserves the position.
"No." was Izzy short, but determined answer.
"But he become Captain after that or not?" Rose declared in a matter of fact way.
"But I didn't know that at the moment." she answer evasive, she wants him to ask more. Rose may be a spy, but he isn't a lawyer and so he can easily manipulated.
"But I thought you called Spock because your Lover" he emphasized the word like it was curse and the faces of the others share his opinion, because they don't like it as well. All three can hear that the admiralty doesn't like their relationship, considering it is against their regulations, or at least all but one. But all the three of them are on the same page, they don't care. With a stubborn streak they will make it work against all odds, besides Captain Pike gave Jim and Dean a point to start. "Was deported of the ship."
For a moment her lip twitched, but it was fleeting, she doesn't want him to know, that she wanted him to say that. "I know it looks that way, but the reason, why I deposed Spock of his position, is that he left Captain Pike behind." In two faces she can see that they respected her for that, but the others are still skeptical about it.
"Why would Captain Pike be that important to you?" Rose asks with a silver tongue, like he his Loki Odinson himself, but he can't keep up with Izzy on her bad days and today is not a bad day for her, even with this farce of a hearing. But Dean and Jim start to feel the hostility between Izzy and Rose. Ssomething is going on, besides the hearing, that they don't know off. One glance at each other is all that is needed to make clear that they would talk about it later to find out what. It must have to do with the situation she currently is in. Both still don't have a clue about that. They only know what Dean told Jim and that wasn't much.
"Spock disobeyed a direct order from Pike." she tells them matter-of-factly.
On all admirals beside Rose question that, it was written all over their faces. How does she know that? But Rose was confident that he knows the answer. That sets off her inner alert and a thought hit her, not a pleasant one. But she doesn't know for sure, she needs more to satisfy her suspicion. It is always good if your opponent is too confident like Rose at the moment and that leads to mistakes. "As far as I know that order was only given to three people, only two of them are still alive."
That right there is all she needs to know and again she hates to be right. Sometimes she wishes to be wrong, so that her life would be easier, but that's not going to happen. The universe is out to get her. But she doesn't show, that he handed her more evidence, against him. "But I know the person, who gave the order in the first place, very good. So I know that the order was given without me being present."
This time Rose let some of the others admirals take the lead. "How do you know Captain Pike in that way?" Pierce wants to know and Izzy can see the discreet smile on Roses face as she was asked that, like he thinks that he has her now. Only because she has to reveal, who her father is, it was always clear that she has to clear that up someday. So she wasn't worried, she only regrets that it wasn't on her own terms.
But it had to come out at one point, so she answers. "Because I am his daughter and I learned most of my values and his leading style from him."
Silence followed that statement. Dean and Jim try hard to keep their laughter in, because she made the whole committee speechless with that statement or at least the most of them. Both saw the knowing look on Rose face and the vindictive streak in his eyes. That of course doesn't sit right with them.
It took some time till the Admirals found their voices again and Izzy let them have the time, she has time if she wants to win this. So let's not rush things. But it was Pierce, who voiced. "Why weren't we not informed about that?"
Without a care in the world she looks at her nails and says. "I asked the Dean of the academy and the admission office to seal my application. So only they and the people I told about my heritage know about it."
"You should have told us." Pierce declared fierce.
Now the fire in her was awoken as she looks at him and says with a hard voice. "I don't have to." He wants to interrupt her, but she doesn't let him or the others, as she simply speaks over him in a louder voice. "According to regulation 540 the heritage of a cadet is not of concern for officers in the fleet."
Again they were speechless. No wonder she beats them at their own game, by feeding them their own regulation back at them. But this time it was Rose, who spoke. "How do we know she really gets her good scores, because of her abilities and not because of her father."
She feels Dean and Jim stiffen beside her, they are starting to get angry and she can't have that. Not that she was in a better state, she was pissed as well, but she tries to stay calm, at least on the outside, she has to. So in a calm voice she states. "Finally we reach the point, why we are here." The tone was joking, but it was just a mask. Now even Rose was speechless. Dean and Jim were not better, they also don't have a clue, what she is planning, but they keep it cool. Good, she has all their attention, so she gets up and says. "Did you really think that I didn't know what this is about, as soon as I read the invitation for this hearing, I knew. This isn't about our actions" she points at herself, Jim and Dean. "during the Nero crisis, but the simple fact that I am a woman in command of a very important ship."
The Admirals look like children, who were caught with one hand in the cocky jar. But she wasn't done, not by a long shot. She only starts and she knows that it will bite her in the ass later, but she started it, so she has to finish it. "To I have to remind you … that you." she points at the Admirals, to emphasize her point. "Appointed me in the position, after Rose." now she points at him to clearly single him out. "Spoke for me." That is nothing that he likes and his face falls a little bit. "But the base problem is I am a woman and you all are a chauvinistic bunch."
"How can you say that, we the Federation are for gender equality?" Pierce said outraged. That was exactly what she wanted him to say, she has prepared a stage for it.
A vicious smile starts on her face and the other admirals know that they were played. "Is that so, can you tell me then why there is not a single woman in the position of an admiral at the moment?" A brave admiral wanted to say something but she didn't let him. "Or how we have over 100 vessels out there in space an currently without including me only five were commanded by women?" She makes a dramatic break, before she goes on. "The Federation preaches gender equality, but asses like you, stop that from actually happening. But don't worry I will change that step by step." she tells them. Her tone at the end was mockingly.
Rose feels brave again, he doesn't want to be bested by her and he will take her down if he has to, even if it was sooner than planned, but it would work, even better for him to out her now, if she compromises herself. She is such a rookie in his eyes. "And how will you do that?" he asks.
With a smile on her face she says. "Simply by deposing every last chauvinistic officer in charge we have and that includes you."
"Is that a threat?" Pierce wants to know.
"Oh no." she shakes her head and adds after a moment. "This is a promise. Do you want to know, how I will achieve that." She can see the curiosity in their eyes. "I will find every bad deed you ever did and use it against you. I already started with one of you." As soon as she said that she knew it was a mistake, she let her anger take control. She showed Rose her hand, but she ignored it, because it happens and now she has to work with it. Good, that she already has a contingency plan in the works.
"What makes you think that you will leave with your position after this thread?" Pierce wants to know.
"The simple fact that I came prepared. I am the Captain of the Division now and as such know all the tricks I need to know. That is why I recorded everything said since the moment we entered and I will use it, even at the cost of my career. But do you want to know why I will not lose, but win?" she asks them rhetorical and can see that they really are curious, how she will achieve that. "With friends, who have my back" for a short moment she looks at Jim and Dean. In their eyes she can see that they were with her all the way no matter what.
She turns back to the admiralty and goes on. "With the help of every female officer, who was victim of chauvinism in the Federation and let me tell you there are many. But some male officers will help as well. But the most important factor, my joker if you want to call it that, is that I am better connected than all of you combined. I have connection to the SCC, the business world, the academy and not to forget other planets. So I promise I am a thread." with that she walks to the door, before she opens it, she says over her shoulder. "Boys we are done here. Don't worry they will not do anything against either one of us if they know what is good for them." with that she walks out.
Dean and Jim follow her with big smiles and a little worry at what just happened, because did she really threaten the Federation as a whole. Not that they wouldn't back her up, they always would do. But they still have the feeling that something is missing. That is why they follow her in silence for now; they will get their answers soon, that is their gut telling them. To anyone else she was the epitome of confidence, but they know her better, something else was going on beyond the surface and she was in a managing state to keep the outcome positive for her. They hope they find out soon and help her.
It turns out they didn't have to wait long as they follow her into a little room near the hearing hall. As soon as they enter behind her, the door closes and Izzy secures the room with the help of her Division ID. "CPD342 alpha red alert." Nobody besides her can have accesses to the room. They can't ears drop, even with an outgoing signal, just like she wants it.
Jim and Dean look first at each other and then at her. But she ignores them as she mutters to the room and starts to pace. "Damn … damn … that was a dumb … dumb move." she was so pissed at herself. But it happened, now it was time to work with it. Before her lovers could even ask what is going on, she activates her tricorder and says. "O'Neill to Division."
A moment later she hears Michaels voice over the tricorder. "Bishop here, Captain what happened?" he asks her because he knows that she would only call instead of coming back directly with the shuttle to the ship if she run into complications.
"Activate protocol back-up." she orders.
"Fuck." he curses and asks after a moment of following through with his orders. "What happened?"
She sighs and says. "I got cocky and told Rose that I am on to him."
"Are you crazy." he yells at her. She let it slide, because she knows he only is concerned for her.
"Looks that way." she tries to joke. "But I planned ahead." she adds after a moment.
"Yeah, you did, but we thought that we use that protocol at a later time, a much later time." he emphasizes. This protocol would not only let her lovers in, so that they learn what's going on. But they also have to start planning the mission to take down Rose sooner, meaning she will go under cover soon and in the Romulan Empire at that. Shit doesn't begin to cover it.
"I know." she says defeated, before she asks. "But you did as ordered?" not that she believes he would disobey her; he wasn't the type for that, only if she would do something really shitty, so not this time. But she still needs to be sure.
"Of course, he is on his way to your location and will be there in some moments. You have 20 minutes." Not enough time to explain all, but it will do. She will have to leave after he arrived. Rose can't find them in a compromising situation, like planning to take him down; he doesn't need to learn about this. She never would put them at risk, that is why she has to keep them save.
"Thanks." with that she ended the call and was happy that G currently wasn't on a mission, but at home. That makes things so much easier. She also activates her watch to alert her that she will have to leave in 20 minutes.
The whole time during her call Jim and Dean watched her and with every word they got more worried and curious. They need to know, what is going on. "Izzy." Jim tries to get her attention.
It worked she turns to him, because she has time now. But a glance at them almost makes her cry. She knew that this day would come sooner, but not so soon. It can't be helped so she tries to compose herself, of course with her lovers here that isn't working. "What just happened?" Dean wanted to know. There was no joking or humor in his voice, only concern. He voiced how Jim felt as well and Izzy knows that.
She steps to them, looks at their beautiful faces as she lets her mask fall and says. "Remember I love you." That doesn't sound good. But before they can say anything she goes on. "But what I tell you next is only a part of it and I need you to trust me with the rest. I can't tell you all, it is too risky, but some things you need to know." They have to protect themselves.
"Okay." they say irritated. They have no idea where this is going.
"Please take a seat." she prompts them. She doesn't want them to faint on her. Not that they would do it, but you never know and she would tease them merciful for it should it happen. Dean wants to protest, but Jim can see the desperation in her eyes so he makes Dean sit down, before he himself takes a seat.
Agitated Dean says. "There … we sit … now start." His worrying is growing by the minute; no scratch that by the second. Anger is his method to voice that. He isn't the only one. Jim feels the same.
Normally Izzy would start to pace, but she has to do this face to face, so she simply starts to nervously tap her foot. "As you know I am the Captain of the Division."
"What is it with this damn vessel?" Dean wants to know.
Izzy has to smile, because her smart lovers have figured out that the Division isn't a normal ship in the fleet. "The Division is one of the two ships that work on infiltration and gathering information."
"Meaning?" Jim wants clarified. He has a slight idea and hopes that he is wrong.
"In simply terms we are spies." she states and let the words sink in, because she knows that it is a hard nut to crack for them. It was for her as well after she learned it, but now she can't picture her doing anything else.
It took Dean a moment to say. "You are a spy?"
"Yes, but in this case I am more of the leader and not an actual spy, but I still work as one if it is needed." Like I have to in the near future, she finishes in her head. She wouldn't risk her crew for this and she wants to show Rose she can save herself if she has to.
That makes so much sense and answered so many questions for them. At the same time it opens up a new set of questions and the answers to them don't make them happy. Not that they aren't proud with her achievement, because it can't be easy to work as a spy. But it still a dangerous job to do and not something they want their girlfriend to see in, even if it makes her sexy as hell. Not that they would voice that out lout. They love their balls too much to risk them with such a comment.
But before they can react to that statement in any way, the computer alerts them that someone wants to communicate with the people in the room. Izzy steps to the communication terminal and activates it. "Yes." she asks.
"Izzy it's me, let me in." G says.
She types something in the terminal, the door opens and an older guy, Dean and Jim don't know, but still good looking, steps in. But apparently he knows their girlfriend, because he embraces her in a hug, before he asks in an agitated tone. "What happened baby girl" Jim and Dean don't like that endearment for their girlfriend from a stranger. "I thought we use this protocol at later date."
With a sigh she answers. "I made a mistake. I had my hearing today and I got cocky."
"Just like your mother." he interjects.
"Yeah, I know. But I told Rose that I am on to him."
"Baby girl that was a rookie mistake." he berates her.
Her lovers get angrier with hearing him scolding her for her mistake and with the nickname. As one they say. "Hey." to get their attention. At the same time they get up.
They look at them and G can see the jealousy on their faces. He can't resist to tease them. "So that is them?" he turns to Izzy to look at her judging, as he puts his arms around her. "I thought you have better taste in men."
Normally she would tease them with him, but time was a factor at the moment. So she playfully shoves him and says. "Stop it G, I know you don't mean a bad way, but as your goddaughter I need your help at the moment."
With the word goddaughter Jim and Dean let the breath out they subconsciously kept in, because they thought someone was stepping on their territory. "Yeah, ok." G says, walks to them with an offered hand and says. "Hi, I am G and I am this ones." he points at Izzy. "Godfather."
They shake hands with him. But instead of focusing on small talk, they ask. "What is going on?" Jim wants to know.
After a moment Dean adds. "and what has Admiral Rose to do with it?"
"Oh, they are smart, I like that. You need someone, who can keep up with you." G says and the boys are proud to get the approval in some way from her godfather. They like that.
If they put their mind to something they don't miss much, so of course they would pick up on the things that were going on between her and Rose. So she walks to them and says. "Rose is as dirty as an officer can be, and he chose me to take the fall for him." She can see the outrage in their eyes and they want to protest. "I am working on turning the tables on him. I can't tell you what I am doing."
"Why?" Dean wants to know.
"Because after the hearing today, I think that Rose has spies on your ships and he will use them to compromise you." Not something she will let happen to them.
That angered Jim and Dean more. "Shit." They say, because they can understand that she can't tell anything because of that fact.
"You can say that again. But that isn't all. For now it has to be enough. In a months' time we will meet at coordinates I will send to you over a secure channel. But until then G will be your contact person for me."
It took Jim only a moment to let that implication set in. "No contact for a month?" he wants to be clarified.
"Yes."
"Damn."
In that moment her alerts starts ringing. Her time was up. "Boys, I have to go." She steps to Jim and kisses him with all the passion and love she has for him. "I love you." she whispers in his ear as he hugs her to himself. After a moment she steps to Dean and kisses him in the same way. "I love you." she whispers to him as well as he embraces her with his strong arms. They are her save haven and to walk away from them hurts, but for their safety she has to.
Without giving them a change to say anything she turns around and walks to the door. She doesn't want them to see that tears were running down her face, because of their goodbye for now. But before she can leave through the door, they yell. "Izzy." she stops, but didn't turn around, so they say to her back. "We love you too." with that she turns for a moment to them, smiles and leaves.
They see her tears and it almost breaks their heart, but it had to be done. They may not be spies like her, but they know that she has her reason for no contact between them for a month. G breaks them out of their goodbye and says. "I know you are worried for her." they face him and he goes on. "But trust her, she is very good and her ship will do anything to keep her save." He learned during his short stay on the vessel, that her crew really likes her and that they would do everything to keep her save. So they nod. "For now we have to catch the spies on your ships."
With that they started to plan to use some of Gs team as new officers on their respective vessels. Jim and Dean would do everything to keep Izzy save and that means weeding out their crew to find a rat.
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