The investigation was taking a while, so Arsha decided to surprise the Barmek family in the meantime. She and a crowd of people entered their temporary quarters. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here?\u201d asked Mrs. Barmek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to see if anyone can find a use for all this equipment,\u201d replied Arsha. \u201cI heard about your restaurateur skills and figured you may need it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy what?\u201d quizzed Mrs. Barmek as she and her husband looked at the equipment. They were, indeed, restaurant tools. Stoves, tables, barstools, cookware, silverware, and storage containers for food, it was all there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCaptain, where do you want me to put all this?\u201d asked an exasperated Dalengor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have three levels, Lieutenant,\u201d answered Arsha. \u201cUse them all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstood,\u201d sighed Dalengor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCaptain, you can\u2019t do this!\u201d protested Mr. Barmek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right, I forgot to ask about the storage fee,\u201d realized Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat storage fee?\u201d asked Bashoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, and all this equipment is free for you to use at your leisure,\u201d answered Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll of it?!\u201d asked Mrs. Barmek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI get it!\u201d realized Bashoon. Her parents turned to her. \u201cIt\u2019s all restaurant equipment! They want a restaurant on this ship!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026\u2026About that storage fee,\u201d answered Mrs. Barmek as the wheels turned. \u201cIt\u2019s a minimum storage fee, practically nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSend me the bill when you\u2019ve finalized it,\u201d replied Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, don\u2019t just stand there, everyone!\u201d urged Mrs. Barmek. \u201cLet\u2019s make Barmek\u2019s Bar and Grill look nice!\u201d She helped direct where each piece of furniture went while Mr. Barmek helped install the stoves. Bashoon turned to Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA plan to get back our assets?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd a plan to keep you from resigning your commission,\u201d confirmed Arsha. \u201cI need your help in investigating something. I heard from Rokalla that your skills in investigating are top notch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, I don\u2019t want to brag, but yes,\u201d chuckled Bashoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a mystery surrounding the Vorkath Monastery,\u201d briefed Arsha. \u201cI need your help in finding out what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat do I need to do?\u201d asked Bashoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a rumor that something is rotten in the Monastery\u2019s catacombs,\u201d replied Arsha. \u201cI need you to enter them and see if that rumor is true.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t that breaking and entering?\u201d muttered Bashoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOnly without a warrant,\u201d answered Arsha. \u201cThe mission doesn\u2019t start until Rokalla gives us the warrant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll right, when can I expect the warrant?\u201d asked Bashoon. The comms rang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShalvey to Arsha,\u201d called Shalvey\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGo ahead,\u201d replied Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAdmirals Rokalla and Rooshee are waiting to talk to you and Bashoon in your Ready Room,\u201d reported Shalvey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn our way,\u201d confirmed Arsha. \u201cRooshee?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s she got to do with this?\u201d asked Bashoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re about to find out,\u201d replied Arsha. They made their way to Arsha\u2019s Ready Room and Arsha switched the call on. \u201cWhat can I do for you?\u201d asked Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI just discovered an interesting report,\u201d answered Rokalla. He then read the report aloud. \u201c\u2018Judge Advocate General\u2019s report, Date: Marma 25, 4,006,298,078, TAU (Third Age of Unity). Subject: Inquiry into mutiny aboard CRS-1309,\u00a0Windscar<\/em>. Based on testimony from Captain Calmii and other surviving officers, the Judge Advocate believes there is sufficient evidence to conclude that certain members of the crew did mutiny against the Captain just prior to the departure of the\u00a0Windscar<\/em>\u00a0from the Vorkath Monastic Hospital.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAdmiral Rooshee, you served on that ship, correct?\u201d asked Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Yes,\u201d muttered Rooshee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMutiny?\u201d muttered Bashoon. \u201cOn a Realmfleet ship? 2,000 years ago? That\u2019s just\u2026shocking, it\u2019s unthinkable!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd yet, you\u2019ve never mentioned it,\u201d said Arsha to Rooshee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo,\u201d confirmed Rooshee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou know,\u201d interjected Rokalla, \u201cit wasn\u2019t easy to get this report. I had to pull in quite a few favors at Realmfleet just to get a look at it. It seems that it was classified by Sector 4.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSector 4?\u201d quizzed Arsha. \u201cThe spooks above the Intelligence Committee?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe same,\u201d confirmed Rokalla. \u201cSo, not only was the Windscar<\/em> without a captain after it self-destructed, not only was there a mysterious explosion at the site of the Monastery\u2019s old chapel, but it seems that there was a mutiny among the officers. Now, Rooshee, I\u2019ve read the official report of the inquiry on that mutiny, but I think everyone here wants to know your version of what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026I was at the old chapel,\u201d recalled Rooshee. \u201cWe were helping the Monastery run some tests on new equipment. Something went wrong. There was an explosion near us, heavy casualties. In the midst of the crisis, the First Officer, the Chief Engineer, and most of the bridge crew with us mutinied against Captain Calmii.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy?\u201d asked Bashoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey thought he was jeopardizing us,\u201d reported Rooshee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd you?\u201d asked Rokalla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was only a year out of the academy,\u201d testified Rooshee, \u201cmy head still ringing with words like \u2018duty\u2019 and \u2018honor\u2019. When they turned on him, I thought they were a bunch of self-serving, disloyal officers, so I grabbed a wand and I defended my Captain. Two or three others had joined us, but it was clear that the mutineers had most of the crew behind them. They were going to transmit sensitive information on an open channel, so we felt a need to destroy the ship. There was a running firefight all the way to the bridge. After we set the self-destruct for 30 seconds, we left immediately via beam-out. The mutineers tried to undo it, but it was too late. The Windscar<\/em> was destroyed. We had to wait for a few months for rescue. Captain Calmii died of extreme gill-intake deficiency shortly after. There was no body of water suitable for an extended stay for him.\u201d Rokalla pulled up the report again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018The Judge Advocate also believes,\u201d he read, \u201c\u2018that the surviving officers are deliberately withholding vital information from this inquiry. Further investigation is recommended. The Intelligence Committee must be informed.\u2019 Rooshee, I had just taken over as head of the Intelligence Committee in that timeframe and this whole thing was never brought to my attention! There WAS no further investigation! This report was classified and then it was quietly buried. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAdmiral Rokalla,\u201d muttered Rooshee, \u201cmay I suggest you take this up with someone else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re the only one alive who was there,\u201d observed Bashoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026May I suggest,\u201d repeated Rooshee, \u201cthat you take this up with someone else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re taking this up with you, Rooshee!\u201d snapped Rokalla. \u201cEnd of discussion on that! The Judge Advocate thought that you were participating in a conspiracy to cover up the truth! Now, what in the After-realm is going on here, Rooshee? Why did that mutiny happen? Why are you so determined not to say anything? Why did we find out from a diary that Balma\u2019s father kept about this incident?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve said all I can,\u201d growled Rooshee. \u201cI\u2019m under direct orders from Admiral Saverk not to discuss this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026All right,\u201d declared Rokalla, \u201cif you wish to play hardball, then we\u2019ll play hardball. I have obtained a warrant from the Judicial Committee to investigate the monastery as that\u2019s been believed to be the source of the mutiny. Arsha and Bashoon will be conducting the investigation and reporting directly to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou had no right to do that!\u201d roared Rooshee. \u201cArsha, so help me, if you investigate this, you\u2019ll be the first royal in millennia to lose her Captaincy!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s protected by that warrant from ANY retaliation, and you know it!\u201d snarled Rokalla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cArsha, don\u2019t you dare!\u201d boomed Rooshee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d affirmed Arsha, \u201cbut I have a duty to Realmfleet to find the truth of the matter. End transmission.\u201d The call ended and Arsha turned to Bashoon. \u201cMeet with Novice Norvorok. He can get you into the Monastery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAye, Captain,\u201d confirmed Bashoon. She set off to carry out her orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cArsha, be careful,\u201d warned Rokalla. \u201cRooshee seems bent on trying to keep this quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll be as careful as I can, Sir,\u201d promised Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s all I ask,\u201d replied Rokalla. \u201cAdmiral Rokalla out.\u201d The call ended. Arsha sat down and considered her next move.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The investigation was taking a while, so Arsha decided to surprise the Barmek family in the meantime. She and a crowd of people entered their temporary quarters. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here?\u201d asked Mrs. Barmek. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to see if anyone can find a use for all this equipment,\u201d replied Arsha. \u201cI heard about your restaurateur […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1661,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,94],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-1999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-1-her-highness-the-captain","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1999"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2732,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1999\/revisions\/2732"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1661"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}