TFV - Operation Vanguard (Chapter 2 continued)
Pell sat sullenly in the holographic briefing room, still smoldering under Verrik’s watchful eye.
The doors swished open to admit Sandhurst, who cast a brief, icy glance at Pell as he slid into a chair across the table from her.
“Disobeying direct orders, conduct unbecoming, and assault on a fellow officer,” Sandhurst began without preamble, reading verbatim from a padd before setting the device down on the table and staring at her with evident approbation. “What the hell is wrong with you, Ojana? I’ve never seen you like this before.”
“You’ve never seen me put in a corner, Donald,” she responded coolly.
“You were issued specific orders to report here, and you refused.”
Pell rose from her chair, prompting Verrik to stiffen in reaction as she appeared ready to come across the table at Sandhurst. “You wanted me back here for purely personal reasons. You’d have conjured any excuse necessary to bring me back to the Alpha Quadrant.”
He looked at her evenly, unmoved by the heat of her accusing stare. “I’ve given you your space for over six months, Ojana. Whatever else this might be, it isn’t a ploy on my behalf to get you back.” Sandhurst leaned forward, seeking to convey his absolute sincerity. “I understand what the Velk mission means to you… it’s your Lakesh. Nevertheless, I’ve ordered your recall because your talents are needed on a highly sensitive assignment of the utmost importance.”
Pell snorted derisively and looked away. “You have no idea, do you? The Velk were wiped from existence, and then brought back just as effortlessly, the playthings of gods. Only when they were ‘restored’ it was incompletely, with people and events changed irrevocably.” She finally turned back to face him. “It’s left their society and spirituality in shambles. As a species they’re lost, confused, and hurting terribly.”
“I was there, Pell. I remember,” Sandhurst said quietly.
“We did that, Donald. We did!” Tears welled up in the Bajoran’s eyes and coursed down her cheeks.
“We contributed to the problem, certainly,” Sandhurst conceded, “but the rogue Changeling provoked the wrath of the Gambis. None of that tragedy was your fault, Ojana.”
“No!” she shouted. “You don’t get to wipe your hands clean, walk away and then try to comfort me with hollow platitudes!”
“Is that what you’ve been doing at Velkohn?” he asked, dumbfounded. “Trying to atone for what… your sins against their people?”
“No,” she demurred in a small voice. “I’ve been trying to atone for yours.”
An awkward, painful silence reigned for nearly a full minute as Sandhurst tried to find some response to that accusation. Finding none, he continued, “I’m going to play you the briefing on the mission we received. If, after viewing that, you’re still not interested in participating, I’ll order you to remain silent about what you’ve learned and then I’ll arrange for your immediate return to the Velkohn Recovery Command.”
That got Pell’s attention, and for the first time since Sandhurst entered the room, he saw a flicker of the old Ojana behind her eyes.
Sandhurst stood and motioned to Verrik to exit the holodeck with him.
After the two men stepped into the corridor and the door to the holodeck had closed, Verrik turned towards the captain. “You recalled your former mate back from the Gamma Quadrant against her will to participate in this mission, sir? Surely there are numerous other qualified officers with diplomatic experience in Starfleet.”
“She’s one of the best, Mister Verrik, and her skills more than offset this current display of pique.”
“They would have to,” the Vulcan replied dryly.
*****
A half hour later Pell emerged from the holodeck, visibly shaken by what she’d learned. She turned to Sandhurst, her expression tinged with regret. “I understand,” Pell said simply.
“We need you,” Sandhurst emphasized. “If you’re unwilling to serve aboard Europa, then we’ll find a place for you on one of the other task force vessels. Velkohn isn’t going anywhere, Ojana, and we both know decades of work remain to be done there.”
Pell nodded numbly. “I apologize, Captain. I agree to the mission. Please submit the necessary datawork to have me transferred to your command.”
Sandhurst opened his mouth to reply, but Pell turned her back on him and walked away down the corridor. Verrik glanced toward Sandhurst, seeking orders regarding the diplomatic specialist.
“Let her go,” Sandhurst sighed.
“And the matter of the assaulted security officer, sir?” Verrik prompted.
“Consider this a captain’s mast,” Sandhurst said tersely. “She’ll be restricted to quarters when not on duty until such time as she’s been cleared by our incoming ship’s counselor. Additionally, I’ll place a permanent letter of reprimand in her service jacket.” He leveled a sharp look at the Vulcan. “Does that meet with your approval, Lieutenant?”
“I neither approve nor disapprove, sir. I simply sought to remind you the issue as yet had reached no resolution.”
Sandhurst said nothing as he pivoted sharply and left in the opposite direction that Pell Ojana had taken.
*****
. As for ego, Kirk's ego wasn't small, and for abrasiveness, Jellico wasn't cuddly. Terrence is multifaceted, which is what I intended. And I've often tried to juxtapose his harsher, cocky, ambitious side with his tender, compassionate, vulnerable side. I've written almost as much about his friendships with Pedro, Pell, etc. as much as about his beef with Sandhurst or with others, and I would argue that Terrence played a major part in the transition of Donald from engineer to captain, if for no other reason that Donald makes certain not to command in a style like Terrence's 
That... would be priceless!
