The Investigation: Troy

Posted on Sun Feb 13th, 2022 @ 10:14pm by Commander Cyrus Cain & Lieutenant Commander Troy Marshall

Mission: S1 Episode 1: Caretaker, Part I
Location: Briefing Room, Deck 1
Timeline: MD 33, 0830 Hours
690 words - 1.4 OF Standard Post Measure

After their interview, Callie had exited to the Bridge, leaving Cain to prepare for his next move. He sat there, pondering over his PADD. His chief suspect, Troy Marshall, was indicated to be the one responsible by the attacker. Cain knew that could be a plant, of course, but sometimes the most obvious answer was the right one. He knew Marshall was an ambitious go-getter and imagined he didn’t like people standing in his way in his relationships or in his professional life. Tapping his commbadge, he spoke crisply.

“Lieutenant Marshall, report to the Briefing Room immediately.”

Troy was on duty at the tactical console on the bridge when Commander Cain's summons came. He handed of the station to an enlisted Gunners Mate and walked to the bridge conference room. He saluted and stood at attention. Lieutenant Marshall reporting as ordered Commander."

“Lieutenant Marshall, do you enjoy sharing your fiancée with Lieutenant Anderson?” Cain asked, looking up at the Chief of Security. “By that I mean…do you get off thinking about him drilling her?”

Troy’s expression remained neutral as he he stared straight ahead at the position of attention. "I have not shared my fiancée with Lieutenant Anderson sir. Callie may have been having a physical relationship with Lieutenant Anderson for the first week of our intimacy, at that time I was unaware of it. Nor was I aware of her earlier trysts with Mister Petrov. To the best of my knowledge, she has not been intimate with anyone but myself for the last twenty days."

“So you’re one of those… evolved Terrans, is that right?“ the Commander asked. “You don’t experience relational jealousy, Lieutenant? You’re so high above that sort of thing, are you? Is that what you want me to believe?“

Troy broke his staring forward to turn his head to look at Cain. "Callie had made her decision. Had Lieutenant Anderson continued to pursue her I could have invoked the right of challenge and fought him in a duel. It would have been better sport and proven entertaining for the crew." He nodded at the PADD. "My service record has never had any mention of me using assassination as a means to advance professionally or personally. Why would I want to start now?”

“A good question.” Cain said, turning his head slightly. “Could we not also ask it about Lieutenant Petrov? He also had the right of challenge, did he not? Why would this be a legitimate defense for you and not for him, or anyone for that matter?”

"I have no idea why Mister Petrov did not invoke his right to challenge." Troy’s expression remained unconcerned. "Perhaps he lacks confidence that he could win the challenge in a duel. You would have to ask him."

“Yes, but you didn’t answer my question, did you?” The Commander asked, looking at the man squarely. He was growing happy this wasn’t his full time role. “If the two prime suspects in this case are both implicated based on shaky evidence and both had recourse to violence in a proper way, why would one of them choose to enact some form of vengeance in a way that would set the entire ship into an uproar and get them in trouble? It doesn’t make sense.”

"Yes, the Lieutenant had the right of challenge. I don't know why someone else would not invoke their right." Troy looked thoughtful for a moment. "Perhaps the assassin wasn't an officer or an ally of an officer."

“Perhaps.” The Commander said, seeming to make up his mind in that moment about Marshall. He was no fool, of course, and he could still find out he was wrong, but he felt Marshall was completely innocent of this crime. That meant someone was trying to frame him or that he was to be next. “That’s all I have for right now, Troy. Return to the Bridge.”

Troy gave a single nod before rendering a salute and the standard salutary statement. He exited the conference room as if marching in a Pass and Review Command Ceremony.