Fissures in the Ranks

A couple days passed since the battle of Harmonia.

In the conference room of the Serenity, tension simmered as Steele, and his senior staff officers sat around the table, their eyes fixed on the holographic screen at the front of the room.

Rear Admiral Thorne’s face appeared on screen.

“I just read your report, Steele, and I’m terrified by this discovery. A fellow human spacefaring civilization that despises the Federation... That’s something I never thought would happen.”

“It is disappointing, sir. The question now is, what do we do about them?”

Steele shared Thorne’s unease, his jaw tight with frustration.

Before Thorne could respond, Deon cleared his throat, his voice measured but insistent.

"If I may, gentlemen, the Federation’s third mission statement is to uphold equity and fairness, ensuring our policies serve all equally and justly. In line with this principle, we should seek to establish diplomatic relations and avoid plunging into an all-out war."

Qamiwat's chair scraped the floor as she leaned forward, her eyes narrowed, her tone sharp with disbelief.

“Were your circuits fried during the battle, android? They wiped out an entire planet, killed millions! These are not people we can reason with. Captain, we cannot afford diplomacy with an enemy that wants to exterminate us. We must retaliate—strike back with our own offensive.”

“If I may, Qamiwat, my circuits were functioning perfectly during the battle, and I witnessed the same horrors as you. However, an aggressive response like the one you suggest does not reflect the ideals of the Federation nor of Blue Star. Our mission is to maintain stability and provide defense within our borders—not to escalate the conflict further.”

Steele nodded in agreement.

Before Qamiwat could respond, Chen raised her hand, her voice calm.

“I agree with Deon. Peace is always the answer.”

Qamiwat crossed her arms, visibly upset.

Noble raised his hand.

“Sir, I propose another option: Our priority should be to strengthen our defenses and brace for the worst. There's no telling if they have more ships out there, possibly one far stronger than the one we just faced.”

Weiss, visibly shaken, hesitated but raised her hand to back Deon.

“I support Deon. We shouldn’t risk the lives of the crew so needlessly. We were lucky that no one was seriously wounded in that battle.”

Qamiwat looked at the opposition with a fierce gaze.

Dubois coughed, then raised his hand.

“I feel that talking with them is the better option. That blonde girl was kinda cute, so—”

“Dubois. Go clean the decks.”

Qamiwat interrupted.

“Now!”

She snapped, her tone seething with fury.

Out of fear, Dubois raced out the conference room and started cleaning.

Luceria raised her hand, her gaze on the captain, her voice tinged with urgency.

"Captain, I don’t believe either option is wise at the moment. Our shields are still regenerating, and our hull sustained damage during the battle. It’s too risky to go on the offensive or even enter their space while we’re still vulnerable. We need to complete repairs before considering any plan that involves the Serenity engaging them directly."

Qamiwat’s patience was wearing thin. Her voice lashed out, harsh and biting.

"How naïve of you, Luceria. Were you day dreaming? Was the Captain and I the only ones who participated in the battle?"

Luceria recoiled, her expression one of confusion and hurt, while the others stiffened in discomfort. Steele’s eyes flicked between them, his jaw tightening. This wasn’t just a matter of strategy anymore. It was personal.

“I’m just trying to be practical, Commander. I’ve seen too many ships torn apart because they ignored hull integrity. We need to be ready, not reckless.”

Qamiwat scoffed, her patience snapped.

“Oh, is that what you think? That we’re ‘reckless’? You’ve been so busy admiring the engine that you’ve completely missed what’s at stake here! You have no idea what we’re truly up against!”

Luceria’s cheeks flushed, her own frustration boiling over as she shot back.

“Neither do you, Commander! I’m trying to keep this ship intact for the long haul. Maybe if you weren’t so focused on charging into battle, you’d understand that we wouldn’t survive another battle!”

Deon intervened, trying to defuse the situation.

“If I may, ladies, both the Captain and Rear Admiral are here, and—”

But his words were drowned out as Qamiwat slammed her fist on the table, shaking the entire room, her frustration boiling over.

“This is outrageous! I can’t believe there are idiots serving on this vessel! How did you of all people get selected as chief engineering officer? I know plenty of others who would do a better job than you.”

She pointed a fierce finger at Luceria, eyes blazing.

Luceria flinched as Qamiwat’s words hit her like a slap, the insult cutting deep, leaving a shimmer of hurt in her eyes. She fought to keep her composure, but the sting of betrayal from a fellow officer was unmistakable, filling her gaze with silent, unspoken pain.

Observing this, Weiss gathered her courage and stood up, ready to defend Luceria.

“P-please, calm down Commander. She’s only trying to help—”

“Shut up, Weiss! What did you even do during the battle? I don’t recall seeing you anywhere! You were probably cowering somewhere, hiding like you always do. Alone, because let’s face it—no one even wants to be around you with your pathetic lack of social skills.”

Weiss gasped, tears streaming down her face as she collapsed back into her seat, turning away.

“Why do you keep forgetting the lives that were lost? Did the deaths of the colonists mean nothing? I bet you’d care a hell of a lot more if it were your loved ones who died among them!”

Qamiwat slammed her fists into the table, this time leaving deep holes, her hands now bruised and bloodied. Her eyes burned with fury as her rage took control. It wasn’t until Steele stood up that Qamiwat realized the full extent of her outburst. She had lashed out at the very people she should have trusted most.

Weiss sobbed uncontrollably, her body shaking with the weight of the outburst. Luceria held her tightly, her arms a shield of comfort, but her eyes burned with fury as she glared at Qamiwat. Chen sat frozen, her arms crossed tightly as she tried to process the raw intensity of Qamiwat's outburst, her face a mix of shock and disbelief. Noble sat in silence, his glasses reflecting the dim light, his expression unreadable but heavy with the weight of the moment. Deon sat motionless, his android mind carefully processing the emotional turmoil around him, trying to understand a world so deeply affected by pain. And Steele—his gaze fixed on Qamiwat, cold and unblinking—his face an impassive mask, but his eyes evoked a deep, unspoken disappointment that cut deeper than any words could.

For a long moment, no one spoke. The silence was heavy, suffocating, as the weight of Qamiwat’s actions cast a shadow over the room, eroding the trust of her fellow officers. She bowed her head in shame and slowly sat back down, unclenching her fists.

“Rear Admiral Thorne, I apologize you had to witness my first officer lose control. We’re all under a lot of pressure with this situation, as you may have noticed.”

“It’s alright, Robert.”

Thorne replied, his voice steady and understanding.

“For now, I need to contact the Admiralty and brief them on the seriousness of the situation. They’ll decide on what we should do. It should take no less than a day or two. Until then, remain in orbit and stay alert for any additional threats from this ‘Galactic Command of Man’. Thorne, out.”

Thorne’s image flickered off the screen as he disconnected. Steele let out a quiet breath, his eyes slowly scanning the room. The sight of his senior officers, each one visibly shaken or enraged by Qamiwat’s words, twisted in his chest.

“Everyone, but Commander Qamiwat, return to your stations.”

Without hesitation, everyone but Qamiwat left the room at a brisk pace, eager to escape the oppressive tension. As the door closed behind them, Qamiwat remained seated, her head lowered in shame, avoiding Steele's gaze. Alone with her captain, she felt the weight of her actions settle over her.

Steele studied Qamiwat with a look of genuine concern, understanding the source of her sudden outburst. His voice softened as he addressed her.

"Listen to me, Qamiwat, I understand—sometimes our emotions can overwhelm us, especially when it’s something this personal. You’re not alone in this, and we’re all here to face it together. But as my first officer, you represent me as well. Your actions reflect on this entire command. I condemn your escalation of hostilities toward your fellow crew members. That kind of behavior fractures us, and right now, we need unity."

Qamiwat stayed silent for a moment, absorbing his words. Finally, she spoke, her voice subdued but sincere.

"I apologize for taking my frustrations out on the crew. I don't know what came over me."

“Did Harmonia remind you of home?”

“Yes, sir. It did. It reminded me of what might have been if humanity hadn’t saved us from the Daemius 70 years ago. I’ll always be grateful to your people.”

Steele gave a slight nod, a small sign of understanding. He reached out, patting her shoulder in a gesture that was both firm and reassuring.

“The fact that you feel so strongly about it shows that you care, which is admirable. However, we can’t let emotions interfere with our work, especially when lives are at stake. Don’t let an incident like this happen again.”

“Aye, sir.”

“I’m ordering you to take a week off, Commander. When you return, I expect you to be calmer and more open-minded. Understood?"

“Understood, sir.”

Qamiwat turned and left the room, her posture a little steadier, leaving Steele alone in the quiet of the conference room, deep in his own thoughts.

Steele sat staring into space, the weight of his thoughts pressing heavily on him. His mind wandered to his late wife, her face as vivid as the day he last saw her. He felt a pang of guilt, an apology lingering in his chest for failing to save the colony and losing control of his crew.

With renewed resolve, he headed for the door, ready to return to the bridge.