Interrogating "The Lost" (Part IV)
Posted on Mon Jan 20th, 2025 @ 11:23am by Commodore Samantha York & Lieutenant Commander Damion Wolfe & Lieutenant Bela Swain
Edited on on Mon Jan 20th, 2025 @ 11:25am
994 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Broken Mirror
Location: Calypso Brig
[PREVIOUSLY]
Ross looked at the PADD, then back to Alex, pushing the PADD back toward him as he replied in a hostile tone. "That's proves nothing! All you got is a video you could have easily manipulated to make it look like me."
"Really?" Alex said with a raised brow as he looked around the room at the others. "Okay then." He added before reaching down to his side and pulling out his phaser.
Alora stared at her husband, wondering what he was thinking, but she was pretty sure he was bluffing.
"Whoa!" Damion said as he approached, putting his hand on Alex's arm. "There is no need for that, Commander Knight."
"Raise your sleeve." Alex said, his eyes locked on Ross.
[CONTINUED]
"What?!" Ross replied. "No."
"Raise your damn sleeve, Ross." Alex repeated, sounding a bit frustrated.
"That's enough, Commander." Damion said, raising his own voice. "I don't know what you are trying to prove, but threatening a prisoner in Starfleet custody is a serious offense."
Alex looked over to Damion and countered. "Lost members tattoo themselves in order to identify one another. Some tattoos even reveal members groups and ranks. I am willing to be, Grunt Ross, has himself one tattoo." He looked back to Ross and smiled. "Show us your tattoo, Ross."
Damion looked over to Ross, then to Alora, finally to Alex. "Listen to me, Commander. There are better ways at getting him to show us this tattoo without pointing a weapon at him. Stand down."
Alora put a hand on her husband's arm. He was normally not this hostile and she wondered what was really going on.
Bela watched the entire thing and took mental notes. This hostility was exactly what she warned against. "I agree with Commander Wolfe," the counselor answered softly. The entire concept of violence was uncomfortable to her.
"You would." Alex replied as he walked over and grabbed the PADD off the small table. He walked back to Alora and pulled up another picture. "Remember this picture? The one I told you about. The guy who was photographed outside of Coltar's safehouse?" He tapped the PADD again as a few sections of the out of focus figure was highlighted and compared to the photo of Ross in the depot. "It's the same guy." He whispered. "It's the same-" He stopped himself and lowered the PADD, looking to Alora. "He killed Coltar. Dutch confirmed it before I left the Prowler."
Damion looked over to the interaction with Alex, then turning to Bela. He took a moment to think before focusing on Ross. "Mister Ross, remove your shirt, please."
"What?!" Ross replied, looking confused. "No. I have tattoos, but not the one he is talking about."
"If you don't have it, then this will go a lot smoother." Damion countered. "And we will place you in guest quarters, under guard of course, and drop you off at the nearest Starfleet Starbase. So, in retrospect, you showing us that you don't have it will work heavily in your favor. Won't it?"
Alora watched curiously. She'd seen Alex work and was curious to see if Damion's ploy worked.
Ross looked between both men before rolling up his sleeves. He revealed the tattoos on her forearms as he held his hands out to them. "Satisfied?"
Damion looked over to Alex.
"Tell him to remove his shirt." Alex added firmly.
"Oh come on!" Ross shouted back.
"I said remove your shirt!" Alex shouted back, stepping toward Ross, but he was held back by Alora. Alex pulled away again.
Damion looked over to Ross. "Remove your shirt please, Mister Ross."
"You can't be-" Ross began but was cut off.
"Mister Ross..." Damion replied, raising his voice slightly, as he stared at the man with a firm look. "I understand this is a discomfort, but if you don't have the tattoo in question, then you have nothing to worry about. Unless you have the tattoo, in which case it only proves to us that you have been lying to us about who you are and your intentions. Now, you can either remove the shirt willingly or by force. You decide. Either way, it's coming off."
Alora counted to ten. Aloud. Then, to keep the two men from doing something they might regret, she said, "Computer, show a holographic display of the prisoner's arms and torso with tattoos."
A moment later, Ross' arms and torso appeared outside the cell, slowly turning so everyone could see the tattoos.
"Well, Ryan, I think you have something to tell us," Alora said, turning her attention back to their prisoner.
Bela did not approve of this behavior and she was going to have to write it up at some point. However, in this case, it did yield a result. She looked at the prisoner and said, "Please." Her eyes widened as she sympathized with him. "There's no more need for violence, is there? Tell us the truth. It will help your situation."
"I have nothing to say to any of you." Ross folded his arms across his chest. "Don't you people have rules against this sort of treatment?"
Bela looked disappointedly at Alex. He had ruined any chance of her making a connection with Ross and Ross was not incorrect about the rules. She probably needed to make a report about this. Turning back to Ross, she said, "I really wanted to help you. I wish that none of this happened in this way. However, given the circumstances, I guess we can do nothing more but keep you in the brig."
Alora nodded. "Come on. Let's report what we have to the captain and go from there." She took Alex by the arm and headed out of the brig.
OFF
Lieutenant Commander Damion Knight
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Calypso
Lieutenant Bela Swain
Chief Counselor
USS Calypso
Commander Alex Knight
Commander
The Prowler
Commander Alora Knight
First Officer
The Prowler
Ethan Ross
One of "The Lost"
RSS Feed