Formal Inquiry

Posted on Sun Nov 23rd, 2025 @ 9:17pm by Captain Lorut Vila & Admiral Albion

1,051 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Rest and Recovery
Location: DS9. Meeting Room
Timeline: RR-01, midday

Vila entered the meeting room, clutching a PADD and her coffee. It was almost ubiquitous now; a necessity.

She sat it down, and then sat, herself, across from the Admiral.

"Sir," she said. "Good to see you out." She kept her voice slightly south of sassy, but the glimmer in her eye was still there. There'd always a part of her with a strong mistrust of authority.

"Captain Lorut."

"So, I know you didn't ask me here to give me accolades or something. Why am I here?"

The Cyborg-Caitian considered for a moment, then spoke, remembering that the Bajoran, like him, preferred to cut to the chase.

"You issued an Order 24. Eliminating all life on a planet. That needs an explanation," he said. He flipped on a holoemitter, tapping into what appeared to be some kind of gathering of further Admiralty.

She leaned back.

"Can't I have Lyo in here with me?" She asked. Still, it WAS her order.

She started.

"Yes, I issued the order to have the outposting destroyed. It was taken over by rogue Cardassians, and used to hold and torture former Bajoran and Maquis freedom fighters. I did it AFTER my crew assured me they'd gotten the survivors out." She paused a beat, fighting to keep calm.

"As you know, the Federation and Starfleet had failed my people in the past. I wasn't going to let it happen again."

Some nods, a few head shakes. One man spoke.

"What indication did you have that it would've "happened again?" The man asked, making air quotes.

Vila's eyes filled with fire. "I dealt with enough of the Obsidian Order to know better. And I waited for ten years for salvation. I had to do it myself. Only difference then was that I was a child. Now? I am an adult and have more experience and I understand the gravity of the choices I made," she said. "When I was in the Resistance, I was fifteen. I had just escaped the Hospital camp, where I had been tested on, assaulted, and starved. I will not risk any other child living through what I did, and if that means that a few innocents had to die, too, then so be it. Plenty of innocents died when the Cardassians came to Bajor, and no one cared then," she said. She could feel the bile rise up, and fought it back, straining to keep her cool.

The man remained silent, only a slight nod.

Albion continued.

"We called you here today because...believe it or not, I agreed with your decision. I know your road to the Captain's chair hasn't been easy, but you've never been reckless, and you act in the interest of OTHER people instead of yourself."

She nodded once. He was...sticking up for her?! Weird.

"But we also had to convene a formal inquiry, because that order has only been given a handful of times, and we have to have a written transcript of the reasons. Some Captains may see it as a justification. Some may see it as retribution. Still, others, like you. see it as a means to an end," he paused. "But no matter which reason, it's always been predicated by a serious situation. This one notwithstanding. Now, Counselor Campbell and Doctors Greene and Gocx said that you seemed otherwise in your right mind when you gave the order, and you and Commander Lyo had a short discussion on the ramifications. I believe you acted in good faith."

Vila let out a breath.

"I felt like it was the most prudent of my options. I hated to destroy the property of my own people, but it was a risk that I felt had a good chance of progressing into something terrible, given recent history. I would've made the same call if it were the Breen, or even my own people doing these things to others," she said.

A female spoke up next.

"Captain Lorut, if you had had another option, what would you have done?"

"Called for a second ship in the area, and work with them to disarm the Cardassians, and then contact DS9 for their assistance in rounding them up and jailing them, pending whatever negotiations would've been necessary to send them back to Cardassia. To be honest, though, their fate on Cardassia would've been the same-instant death. For all their foibles, they at least have cracked down on any remaining sentiments of the Order," she said. It was true. As much as Vila hated to admit it, they had learned at least that.

The woman nodded. "Thank you. We have a record of a call to DS9, and it appears the closest combat escort was a three-day voyage away-the USS Mary Rose. Their captain reports receiving the call, but was assured by the Station staff at DS9 that you'd already handled it."

Vila nodded. "I trust Captain Harrison's judgment in that," she said, simply. "As well as Captain Hodges'," she continued. "Both men are excellent strategists, and I am sure they would've advised me otherwise. I DID wait a full twenty four hours from rescue to issue my order to destroy the compound," she said. Was it twenty four hours? She'd been so drugged and out of it that she really couldn't remember.

The woman nodded agin. It was quiet for a few moments, before what Vila had garnered was the Fleet Admiral above Albion spoke.

"Thank you, Captain Lorut. Your testimony today is appreciated. We have decided not to remove you from command for the time being, but will be investigating further, as per a request from the Bajoran government."

Vila nodded. She'd do what she could, too, on her end, to smooth it over when she went home.

The holo ended, and Vila sighed.

She looked up at the Admiral.

"Thank you," she said, simply.

He nodded once.

"You're welcome. You're excused. Please try to avoid any further trouble for awhile, will you?"

Vila chuckled lightly. "I will do my best, sir, thank you," she said, rising, and leaving the meeting room quickly. No need to stick around, after all.

Now, she had ANOTHER meeting about some Task Group changes that were going to happen, so she made her way down the corridor and into another nearby meeting room.

 

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