Please Explain

Posted on Mon Apr 17th, 2023 @ 1:52am by Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson & Lieutenant Commander Malakai Starr [Taylor]

Mission: Season 6: Episode 2: Survival
Location: Command cabin
Timeline: MD3 - 10h00
1430 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure

IC

Phoenix summoned Lieutenant Commander Malakai Starr to the Command building.

She had, heard rumors' and they were unsettling to say the least. And when she added on recent events, well, she had questions. She chose to have it be her and Malakai so not to drag others into it.

Malakai received the summons that Phoenix wanted to see him. He was curious as to why his sister-in-law wanted to see him but then reminded himself that Phoenix wanted to see him as his commanding officer and not sister-in-law.

As he made his way to the command building, he thought of anything that would give him a clue to why a meeting. He and Phoenix had a good solid relationship. He had been her XO with the Black Watch and never had there been a problem. He sighed as he reached the command building and opened the door and stepped into the warmth of the building a welcome respite from the bitter cold outside.

Pulling his hood down, he saw Phoenix sitting at the front of the room. Her expression unreadable and that puzzled him as he was usually very good at reading people's expression. He walked towards her as he unbuttoned his jacket. "You wanted to see me Phee?" Then correct it to "Commodore."

She stood up and calmly waved him in. "Come in Commander" She said, her tone all business. "I have a few questions around something that happened on the Elysium during the chaos."

Phoenix's tone was the clue. He had done something that she wasn't happy over. What could it be? He wondered as he walked closely to her. "Questions? Questions about what Commodore?"

"Ensign Derani was verbally abused by a member of her team." She stated. "You were present. And the person responsible has not been punished. Why?"

The question threw Malakai. "What?" He asked as he tried to remember the incident and then he remembered another ensign had been yelling at Derani. "Considering what was going on at the time Commodore with the ship in shambles, no power. I honestly thought the other ensign was just blowing off steam and I told him to stop. I didn't feel throwing him in the brig would mean much seeing the shape the ship was in." He explained.

"So its ok to call someone a fucking idiot because of the circumstances?" Phoenix asked mildly, as if it was not of great interest, which as he knew her, he knew it was deceptive.

"Of course, it isn't, and I know you Phoenix, you know it isn't. I resent you trying to trap me. However, as I previously mentioned. I admonished the other officer and thought the incident handled as we had bigger, more important issues to deal with."

"Ensign Dearni is now in medical." Phoenix said calmly. "I have been informed that someone has beaten her badly. When I add that to the confrontation in the shuttle bay and the rumor's of her being attacked by an officer who has since taken his own life, I see a pattern of behavior that makes me cringe."

Mal's knees buckled and his face paled. "What?" He asked, his voice shaken by what Phoenix had just told him. "I, I don't know anything about an officer attacking her and then killing himself." He said weakly.

Phoenix nodded. "It was not pretty but I am seeing a pattern Malakai that people blame her for what happened and are taking it out on her, verbally and now physically. That ensign blowhard who yelled at Miraj has a chip on his shoulder the size of north America and while you admonished him, he escaped punishment for abusing a member of the senior staff. And now other think its okay. It isn't. "

Mal hung his head and nodded. Phoenix was right, he should have done more. He was concerned with the ship and look what happened. He raised his head and looked at her, "You are right. I was wrong. This type of behavior isn't right or acceptable. I blew it."

"Well live and learn" Phoenix said softly. "But I need you to write up what happened and then we need to discuss, punishment." She added looking at Malakai. "While I think guilt is a pretty good motivator, I need to punish you for it so I do not look like I am playing favorites when I punish that Ensign and whoever put Derani in the Medical bay."

Mal stood ramrod straight as Phoenix spoke of punishment for him. He knew it wasn't personal, Phoenix was bigger then that but it still stung that he was going to be punished he even understood why. Couldn't have anyone think she was playing favorites because they were family. He nodded, "This is one lesson I will never forget." He said quietly. "I'll get right on the report." He assured her.

"And..." She let it drag out. "After you have done that, You will report to the Diplomatic Security team for a week,"

Mal's face fell as Phoenix revealed his punishment. "The Diplomatic Security Team?" He questioned then realized what it entailed. "You mean work with Matt?" So. he can rub it in and gloat? Hold his over me?" He questioned. Even though he and Matt got along well there was always a rivalry between them. More friendly than not but it hadn't always been that way. Then Mal married Kara, Matt's sister and things changed for the better.

"Do you really think he would?" she asked curiously. "That he would be so unprofessional?"

"In public, no he would be completely professional. " He admitted truthfully. "Its privately he'd say something if he said something at all." Mal answered after a moment.

Phoenix crossed her arms. "Don't you think you boys are a bit old for that sort of thing? Both of you married and are fathers. How long will this silliness between the two of you last?"

"Your married to him Phee. You know how competitive he is. You talk to him." Mal replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Like you are any better" she replied with a smirk. "Well then if you do not want to do a week with him, I can make a week with science or with medical."

At that Mal did grin. "That's true and I'm not any better." He paused and thought on it. "Okay, I'll go with the Diplomatic Team. Better the devil I know than the one I don't. And you better not tell Matt I said that." He mock threatened.

Here she smirked "Uh huh and how much is my silence worth Commander?"

He matched her smirk, "Well now, I don't know "Lily" He replied using her cover name when they were on the Black Watch. "I know things about you as well."

"oh?" she asked curiously. "Like?"

Mal smiled mischievously at her, "Oh, now that would be telling."

"Keep in mind, your wife and I talk Malakai."

Despite the seriousness of their discussion, Malakai smiled at that. "Glad to hear it Phee, in fact I think it is great. You two should talk. You know Kara and I talk too." He bantered back.

Phoenix smirked at that. She knew that Kara would not tell all her secrets. "So I will inform Captain Richardson that you will be his for a week and he is to play nice. You can start tomorrow morning."

Mal nodded glumly, "Yep you do that. Inform your hubby, I'll be with him for a week, and I'll see him in the morning."

"And you both will behave or you both become property of the XO for a month." Phoenix said calmly.

"Got it Phee. Message received loud and clear. Just make sure Matt gets it." Mal groused sourly.

"He will" She replied with a smirk. "Do not worry."

"Now, I'm worried." Mal replied soberly.

The Commodore grinned now. "Oh dear." she said half mocking. "You will be fine Malakai."

Mal looked at her then a grin appeared on his face. "I was laying it on pretty heavy wasn't I?"

"yeah and when your children are teenagers I hope they take after you and give you the same drama lama." She waved him off with a smirk. "People forget, I have raised a teenager and such things do not work on me."

"If they do, we'll just send them over to Aunt Phee and she can straighten them out." Mal chuckled. "And maybe what I tried didn't work but I'll keep trying. You can count on it. Gotta keep you on your toes."

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