« Reply #63 on: July 19, 2008, 10:34:16 pm »
Surprisingly enough, no I haven't been watching, reading or downloading the news. I just remembered the episodes at the beginning of BSG(R) Season 3, when the Cylons had occupied New Caprica. I just remember being horrified with the XO, and this scene was playing out in my head as I did my dishes tonight.
Lemmie know what you think.
2294
“No! I absolutely, categorically, and expressly forbid it!” I roar at my junior officer.
Gamal rocks back on his heels, his ears almost literally pinned back. The others of our group look similarly surprised by my vehemence. I rub my eyes and regard the young officer. His ‘bright idea’ is just not going to happen, but I need us all on board if we’re going to manage our night-time escape from the ISC planet we’re trapped on. Our covert raid failed and now the resupply depot’s garrison is aware of and looking for us. There’s only one way back to our shuttle, and an enemy encampment is blocking our route.
“Lieutenant al-Rahhbi, that is a direct order. Now, are you going to obey it, or do I have to place you under arrest?”
“Under arrest? Are you out of your mind? Sir,” he hurriedly appends.
I let it slide. I’m trying to get a very fundamental point across and don’t want it sidetracked. “Look, Lieutenant, there is absolutely no way in Tellar’s Seven Hells that I will ever accept that offer from anyone. Get it out of your head right now, and that’s an order too. I am not ordering you – any of you – to your deaths.”
“Sir, I’m volunteering! And if we don’t get out in time the rearguard you’re ordering to remain will—“
“—face the possibility they will die or be captured,” I cut him off, not quite agreeing with him. “But if we do get out, everyone comes home.”
“My way is far more effective and will almost certainly result in far fewer casualties or injuries on our side!” he continues to argue.
The thought occurs that I should stun him just to shut him up, but we have time for a lesson so I decide to give him one. “You’re arguing with your captain to get him to let you go blow yourself up,” I remind him cuttingly. “That’s stupid on two levels; you’re being insubordinate by disobeying a direct order to let it go, and you’re still arguing to be allowed to blow yourself up!”
“Sir! Request permission to speak candidly, Sir!” he snaps out.
“Sure, we may as well make it official. I want this understood by everyone, people: this is not just for Gamal alone. You will hear why this will never happen under my command or within my influence, and then it will never happen or be discussed again as a legitimate tactical option. You all tracking that?” I bark.
My crew all nod or offer species-specific analogues. Gamal is the expected exception.
“Sir, I am not at all eager to lose my life, but I am willing to sacrifice myself if it will protect my crewmates and friends and allow them to escape. How is this any different from what you’re planning?” he demands in frustration. “My way will ensure the enemy cannot stop us. Doing it your way risks us being under fire all the way out if the rearguard is overrun!”
“You want to know the difference?” I yell into his face. “Okay, here it is: This is all about motive and intent. Your suicide bombing is all about taking as many enemy lives as possible and deliberately setting out to kill yourself while doing it. It’s all about death and destruction, and that is not how the Federation or the Star Fleet does things, and it sure as hell isn’t the way we do things under my command! I will sooner stun you and drag your stupid carcass back to the ship myself than allow you to stay and ‘volunteer’ for such a morally repugnant and wasteful act,” I blaze at him.
“Sir, I protest! You have no right to treat me this way!” Gamal fires back. “I offer you an alternative to your plan and you question my intelligence, my Oath—“
I stare the young idiot down. He’s arguing his commanding officer in a crisis situation so he has no leg to stand on. However, he’s in my crew and I am not in the habit of leaving people behind. He subsides, simmering.
“My rearguard action is all about saving as many of our lives as possible, with the hopes that if we get out in time, the rearguard can also be saved! It is all about life and hope, because where there is life, there is hope and that is what the Federation and Starfleet are all about, God-damnit!! When you have no hope you are beaten and just waiting to die. Equally, when you are that willing to give up your life you are a danger to those around you.
“We may not be able to rescue the rearguard. They will have to make a choice then; fighting to the bitter end or surrender. If they surrender they will still have their lives and their hopes of either being rescued, escaping at a later date, or being released.
“Have you got that? Is it penetrating that where there is life, there is hope? As soon as you give up that hope you’re a dead man anyway. Are you that eager to die, Lieutenant?”
“No Sir!” he snaps back, furious. “But I will do what I have to and what I can to safeguard the lives of my comrades, and I strongly and formally protest at your impugning my intelligence and questioning my motives!”
I reign in my temper. It’s running too hot and he’s right. I’ve overstepped. Trying to cool off, I nod. “You are correct, Lieutenant. I formally apologise for impugning your character.”
He doesn’t really look that mollified. Oh well.
“You do realise, don’t you Lieutenant, that I’m arguing to save your life too? That you are included in my ‘everyone makes it home’ plan? I don’t consider you expendable, Lieutenant. Maybe you should stop seeing yourself that way too.”
I think I’m getting through to him. He’s not immediately shouting back, anyway, so I take that as a hopeful sign. He’s a bit hard to read through his anger.
“We are not Klingons, Sto-vo-kor-bent on dying gloriously. The situation will never be that dire. And even if it ever does, this is not that situation. Your ‘alternate plan’ is rejected, Lieutenant. My orders stand.”
“Very well, Captain.”
He looks as if he’s swallowing what he wants to say, but he’s finally acting like a Starfleet officer and obeying his captain’s orders. Bloody took him long enough. I get back to the planning business at hand: the survival of all of us.
I'm not happy with the ending, but the surrounding scene was hard to engineer. All I had was the immediate argument, and TI think that probably shows.
Thoughts, comments, and suggestions are welcome. If you have an idea for a better wrap around, that'd be good too.
