Editing The Sevant Murders (section)

===Rivers Meets with Sevant, Resignation Offered===



(USS Nimitz - Deck 21, Brig - Sevant/Rivers - 1107)

"Sevant?  I'm sorry  couldn't get here earlier. D*** meetings, you know how they drag on. I was intending to come afterwards anyway, but Kestra said you asked to see me?"

Sevant didn't respond for many moments, his eyes closed and mind awhirl, stray thoughts and roaring emotions  ripping him in five different directions at once. He managed to compose himself with a deep breath, at least with  the outward appearance of calm, and looked up from his hands. "The timing is of no consequence," he said in his  deep rumble.
"I have nothing but...time."

His words seemed to Susan to echo the vast emptiness she could only guess at that lay within his very soul right  now, and cut her to the core. A hundred platitudes swept through her mind in an instant, only to be as quickly  dismissed. What words can you say to a man who has had everything stolen from him in one fell swoop? She settled  for a gesture instead, and placed one of her hands over his and squeezed it gently. 
 
"I've arranged to have you confined to quarters instead of staying here," she said, though she doubted in his  present state of mind it would make much difference to him. 

"Not necessary," he said after a moments thought. "I'm well aware of my actions." 

Sevant looked back down at his feet for several moments, took another slow breath, and held it for a few seconds.  He wondered momentarily why he was hesitating, he had already thrown away everything he had left.
What difference  did it make if he verbally acknowledged it? He interlaced his fingers, alternately squeezing and relaxing without quite realizing he was doing it, then looked back up at the Captain. "I formally tender my resignation from  Starfleet, Captain. I suspect a court-martial once we reach our destination, I am prepared for such consequences."

He squeezed his hands together until the knuckles were white, "I...
apologize, Captain. Obviously, I was not the  correct choice for First Officer."

Susan looked at Sevant in silence for a moment. She had expected this, knowing him as well as she did. But she  still wasn't completely sure how to counter it. What she did know was that there would be no court martial, since  there would be no evidence. As for the rest... she hoped that she could at least get him to think it over. 
 
"I refuse to accept your resignation, Number One," she began, having taken a short time to collect her thoughts.  "And there will be no court martial, I assure you. You can't have a court martial without evidence and there will  be no evidence." 

~No evidence? There is plenty of evidence. Computer records, personal statements... even the records that I was  arrested.~ He looked up at her blandly, and rapidly gave up the line of thought. Maybe he had already gone crazy  and was simply imagining everything he had done. Or, perhaps he was imagining the Captain standing here with him,  giving him what could be considered 'good news'. 

He finally shook his head slightly, "Why bother." he said, not quite as a question and mostly to himself.

Susan looked at him. "There will be no evidence because under the Admiral's orders the computer and all PADDs on the ship will undergo a complete restore. Hence, no evidence. The reason is to safeguard the ship and the crew from Doenitz, but the records of what you did will be wiped also. In any case, both Counselor Winters and I believe that you were acting under severe mental distress. The question of your competence as First Officer does not, in my opinion, arise since you were on compassionate leave at the time and Lt Nakamura was acting FO." 

Sevant buried his head again as the import of what she was saying went right over his head. "I tried to kill him, should have killed him..." He lifted his head again, and looked at his fingers. "I had him, in these hands. I..." he turned his hands over, then folded them together again.
"But I would have done to someone else, the thing he had done to me.
Maybe he lied though, perhaps... perhaps... " his voice trailed off, though he continued to look down at his hands. 

Susan took both hands in his. "What you tried to do was, by the laws of the Federation and of Starfleet, wrong. But the important thing is that you didn't do it. You stopped, before you killed him. If it helps any, all records we have show that his family has indeed vanished and it is believed they may well have been abducted. That does not, can not, ever excuse what he did to your family, but for what it's worth it seems as though Collins genuinely believed his own family to be in danger if he did not follow the orders he was given. His suspected accomplice has also been arrested and will be interrogated to see if Collins' story holds up." 
 
She looked him right in the eyes so he would understand she meant every word she said. "I know if it were me it had happened to I would want to tear the two of them apart with my bare hands, but Sevant, you must let us take all the proper steps. It may be that Collins and his accomplice can tell us more about their 'employers'; information that could save lives, not just here on this ship but all over the federation.
Information that could save someone else going through what you are going through now." 

Sevant didn't answer for many long, and silent moments. He just looked at his hands and continued to turn them over and look at them. 

Susan was reminded suddenly of Lady Macbeth, and shivered. 
 
"They'll be moving you soon," she said. "And Vanyssa will be visiting you too. She'll help you, Sevant, whether you can believe that now or not. And I'll be there for you too, in any way I can."

(posted by Trout & Liz Gueken)