Untenable (Gabriel/Revek)

[Gabriel Arthur]

[USS Phoenix - Officer's Mess]

The environs of the Officer's Club was a touch nicer than what the usual crew mess was - more generous elbow room with the tables, a few more real plants dangling from their holders...all the trappings of the life that went with being a senior staff officer of the line.  Even if Gabriel wasn't a departmental head, his status as the husband of the captain would likely get him in without any questions asked.  Not that there was a hard and fast rule about it, leastways not that Gabe knew.  Still, decorum was decorum.

Gabriel, however, was mostly focused on one fact of the Officer's Mess - real alcohol was served, and that was exactly what he needed right now.  He sat at a far table, the tastefully-illuminated top cool under his fingertips, a tall glass of beer in his right hand.  It was a pale ale, one of his favorite kinds, and he drank it wishing it was something harder.  Kentucky bourbon...old-recipe moonshine...whatever.  Anything to prepare him for this goddamn meeting.

He could still remember the day he found out that not only was Revek Tre'el still alive, but the bastard still wore a Starfleet uniform.  Even worse, the man was assigned to this ship.  The Phoenix's reputation as the place where careers were redeemed or died seeming to come back and bite him.  But the man was a member of the crew, and in charge, ostensibly, of the safety of his crewmates...his wife...his girls.  The least Gabriel could do, he reckoned, was attempt to sit down and talk to the man.  Maybe come to some kind of...understanding.

[Revek Tre'el]

[USS Phoenix - Officer's Mess]

The environs of the Officer's Club was a touch nicer than what the usual crew mess was - more generous elbow room with the tables, a few more real plants dangling from their holders...all the trappings of the life that went with being a senior staff officer of the line.  Even if Gabriel wasn't a departmental head, his status as the husband of the captain would likely get him in without any questions asked.  Not that there was a hard and fast rule about it, leastways not that Gabe knew.  Still, decorum was decorum.

Gabriel, however, was mostly focused on one fact of the Officer's Mess - real alcohol was served, and that was exactly what he needed right now.  He sat at a far table, the tastefully-illuminated top cool under his fingertips, a tall glass of beer in his right hand.  It was a pale ale, one of his favorite kinds, and he drank it wishing it was something harder.  Kentucky bourbon...old-recipe moonshine...whatever.  Anything to prepare him for this goddamn meeting.

He could still remember the day he found out that not only was Revek Tre'el still alive, but the bastard still wore a Starfleet uniform.  Even worse, the man was assigned to this ship.  The Phoenix's reputation as the place where careers were redeemed or died seeming to come back and bite him.  But the man was a member of the crew, and in charge, ostensibly, of the safety of his crewmates...his wife...his girls.  The least Gabriel could do, he reckoned, was attempt to sit down and talk to the man.  Maybe come to some kind of...understanding.

[USS Phoenix - Officer's Mess]

Revek walked in an immediately saw the man, he had come to meet sitting alone at a table with a drink in hand. Can't blame him, he thought, making his way to the corner bar and ordering himself the facsimile of Kanar that the Federation passed off. Oh this will be fun. With his back still towards Gabe, the Cardassian took a sip of his drink, sighed heavily and then made his way over to the table and sat without saying a word.

If he was honest with himself, Gabe looked no less for wear over the past two years. Revek doubted that was from little wear, the man, whatever else Revek thought of him, was still a Starfleet officer and the job was not easy on it's people. The Cardassian also had to remind himself to be warry, Gabe had at one time been involved with the intelligence community and Revek wasn't sure of how that relationship had developed, being left out in the cold himself since his release.

The one thing I can be sure of is that he still doesn't like me. Revek couldn't imagine that his absence for the past two years had done anything to improve their relationship and if Gabe was aware of some of the Cardassian's dealing with his wife it was most likely much worse than when he had disappeared. Well, lets get this over with. Taking another shallow sip, he stared at Gabe and said, "So you wanted to talk." No question in his voice. Revek was making a statement and putting the ball in the engineer's court.

[Gabriel Arthur]

A sidelong glance at the bar area showed Gabriel that Tre'el had showed up.  He wasn't surprised at that - for all his flaws, the Cardassian was a man of his word.  And punctual, too.  Typical Cardie, he thought, quickly squashing the racism.  It wasn't the species that Gabriel had a problem with.  Just the one.  Tre'el was a symptom of a greater disease, and it wasn't called 'Cardassian'.  It was something deeper, something darker, a cancer in the heart of the Federation itself.

Gabriel slid his beer over to his other hand as Revek approached the table, sitting in silence.  He wasn't sure how long Tre'el was going to let that silence stretch out, laying across the conversation like a blanket, a tactic he was sure the man had used in interrogations before.  A simple tactic, child's play compared to what he had done to Archangel.  Instead, though, he surprised Gabriel by speaking first.

"Her name's Aria," Gabriel said, taking a drink of beer and carefully putting the glass down, looking back up at Revek.  "Dunno if you remember her, or not.  She's our other daughter and was barely a toddler the last time you were around.  I know you remember Seika.  Our children, both of them.  Growing fast and strong and smart."  His expression was stone-faced, his slate-blue eyes fixing on Revek's grey face.  "Your job is to protect them, same as any of us.  But tell me, Revek...imagine you had children.  How would you feel if a spectre from your past who had put your loved ones to torture suddenly showed up again?  How would you reconcile it in your life?"

[Revek Tre'el]

A sidelong glance at the bar area showed Gabriel that Tre'el had showed up.  He wasn't surprised at that - for all his flaws, the Cardassian was a man of his word.  And punctual, too.  Typical Cardie, he thought, quickly squashing the racism.  It wasn't the species that Gabriel had a problem with.  Just the one.  Tre'el was a symptom of a greater disease, and it wasn't called 'Cardassian'.  It was something deeper, something darker, a cancer in the heart of the Federation itself.

Gabriel slid his beer over to his other hand as Revek approached the table, sitting in silence.  He wasn't sure how long Tre'el was going to let that silence stretch out, laying across the conversation like a blanket, a tactic he was sure the man had used in interrogations before.  A simple tactic, child's play compared to what he had done to Archangel.  Instead, though, he surprised Gabriel by speaking first.

"Her name's Aria," Gabriel said, taking a drink of beer and carefully putting the glass down, looking back up at Revek.  "Dunno if you remember her, or not.  She's our other daughter and was barely a toddler the last time you were around.  I know you remember Seika.  Our children, both of them.  Growing fast and strong and smart."  His expression was stone-faced, his slate-blue eyes fixing on Revek's grey face.  "Your job is to protect them, same as any of us.  But tell me, Revek...imagine you had children.  How would you feel if a spectre from your past who had put your loved ones to torture suddenly showed up again?  How would you reconcile it in your life?"

Revek remained silent a moment, outwardly stoic but inwardly surprised. He should know better. Taking a slow drink he decided to re-educate Gabriel as to the nature of his mind. "Mr. Arthur, I would like to remind you that I have an eidetic memory. That means I am incapable, barring outside interference, of forgetting anything. I remember every report about you, your wife and both children that have passed before my eyes." He shrugged before continuing, "In a certain sense, I know more about those you love than you do but that has no bearing on my job, of which you were so nice to remind me."

He paused again and gave the man a hard stare. "Whatever you may think, I've never done anything but my utmost to protect those under my charge, even from themselves. I don't know if you remember, but I almost started a war trying to protect your wife from a marriage that would likely have killed her. So please, don't ever tell me what my job is again."

Revek took another sip of his Kanar and thought a moment about Gabe's questions. "I suppose, the easiest answer to your questions is to answer the one you didn't ask. What would I do if I were in your shoes and the answer is simple. I would kill you." He said it without bravado akin to how someone would state the color of a certain pain. "I would go a step further and say, I guess I am lucky you aren't me. But you aren't. If I may offer some advice. Don't try. It wouldn't end well for either of us." He shrugged again before continuing. "While I expect you harbor ill will towards me for my... involvement with your wife, I harbor you no such ill will." Only disappointment at not realizing your potential., he thought. "Do your job well, don't endanger this ship or crew and while I doubt we will ever be friends, we should get along quite nicely. Or is there something I am missing?"

[Gabriel Arthur]

Revek remained silent a moment, outwardly stoic but inwardly surprised. He should know better. Taking a slow drink he decided to re-educate Gabriel as to the nature of his mind. "Mr. Arthur, I would like to remind you that I have an eidetic memory. That means I am incapable, barring outside interference, of forgetting anything. I remember every report about you, your wife and both children that have passed before my eyes." He shrugged before continuing, "In a certain sense, I know more about those you love than you do but that has no bearing on my job, of which you were so nice to remind me."

He paused again and gave the man a hard stare. "Whatever you may think, I've never done anything but my utmost to protect those under my charge, even from themselves. I don't know if you remember, but I almost started a war trying to protect your wife from a marriage that would likely have killed her. So please, don't ever tell me what my job is again."

Revek took another sip of his Kanar and thought a moment about Gabe's questions. "I suppose, the easiest answer to your questions is to answer the one you didn't ask. What would I do if I were in your shoes and the answer is simple. I would kill you." He said it without bravado akin to how someone would state the color of a certain pain. "I would go a step further and say, I guess I am lucky you aren't me. But you aren't. If I may offer some advice. Don't try. It wouldn't end well for either of us." He shrugged again before continuing. "While I expect you harbor ill will towards me for my... involvement with your wife, I harbor you no such ill will." Only disappointment at not realizing your potential., he thought. "Do your job well, don't endanger this ship or crew and while I doubt we will ever be friends, we should get along quite nicely. Or is there something I am missing?"

"Semantics," Gabriel said, with a dismissive wave of his hand.  He shook his head, looking down into the beer glass for a moment, and then back up to Revek.  He shouldn't have been surprised that the Cardassian had chosen the fact that Gabriel told him his job description as a sticking point.  Revek was always the literal one.  "You hang up on them, but hide behind euphemism yourself.  'Involvement', you call it."  He shook his head again, laughing without the barest possible trace of humor.  "'Involvement'.  Extra letters, an extra syllable.  Still torture.  But you have your job, don't you?  You have your duty, same as we all do."  He leaned forward.  "I guess that's how you sleep, I have no idea."

Rubbing his temples, Gabriel gave a deep sigh.  He could have said a hundred smart comments about the magnanimous Revek Tre'el proclaiming that he bore no ill will, or that a good Engineer knew half a dozen ways to make accidents happen.  The fact that Gabriel even entertained the idea sickened him, a testament to how a cancer like Tre'el spread, bringing nothing but ruin to everything it touched.

"Look..." Gabriel said, after a moment, "I didn't bring you here to lay it on the table and measure.  No, there's nothing you're missing.  Matter of fact," he shrugged, taking a pull from the beer glass, "now that I think of it, I have no idea what I hoped to have happen here.  I mean, it's not like you're going to break down and have a cumulative attack of conscience over betraying her when she came to you for help."

[Revek Tre'el]

"Semantics," Gabriel said, with a dismissive wave of his hand.  He shook his head, looking down into the beer glass for a moment, and then back up to Revek.  He shouldn't have been surprised that the Cardassian had chosen the fact that Gabriel told him his job description as a sticking point.  Revek was always the literal one.  "You hang up on them, but hide behind euphemism yourself.  'Involvement', you call it."  He shook his head again, laughing without the barest possible trace of humor.  "'Involvement'.  Extra letters, an extra syllable.  Still torture.  But you have your job, don't you?  You have your duty, same as we all do."  He leaned forward.  "I guess that's how you sleep, I have no idea."

Rubbing his temples, Gabriel gave a deep sigh.  He could have said a hundred smart comments about the magnanimous Revek Tre'el proclaiming that he bore no ill will, or that a good Engineer knew half a dozen ways to make accidents happen.  The fact that Gabriel even entertained the idea sickened him, a testament to how a cancer like Tre'el spread, bringing nothing but ruin to everything it touched.

"Look..." Gabriel said, after a moment, "I didn't bring you here to lay it on the table and measure.  No, there's nothing you're missing.  Matter of fact," he shrugged, taking a pull from the beer glass, "now that I think of it, I have no idea what I hoped to have happen here.  I mean, it's not like you're going to break down and have a cumulative attack of conscience over betraying her when she came to you for help."

Revek was nonplussed by Gabriel's words. Thankless is an understatement. So few people realized the thin line that separated them from chaos and the things that needed to be done to keep that line from being erased. Gabriel, for all his intellect and talent was just another sheep to the Cardassian. He had to admit to himself that he wasn't a sheepdog, going by that old Earth metaphor. No, I'm a wolf and I usually don't even have the patience to wear wool.

The thought that maybe this is what rubbed Gabe the wrong way occured to him. Well, I won't do you the disservice of a lie. That would only hinder the mans abilities. "I find semantics are important. What some would call murder, others call self defense. To one side it's civil war, to the other it's revolution. When you say torture and betrayal, I remember duty and saving your wife's life." Revek shook his head. Time to nip this in the bud. "Remember, she made the deal. No one forced her. Then she tried to back out. It was either I did what I did or a member of my crew dies, a little girl under my charge loses her mother and you lose the woman you love. My conscience is clear. I know who I am, what I do and why I do it." Maybe he wasn't cut out to join the community after all... Revek couldn't decide.

[Gabriel Arthur]

Revek was nonplussed by Gabriel's words. Thankless is an understatement. So few people realized the thin line that separated them from chaos and the things that needed to be done to keep that line from being erased. Gabriel, for all his intellect and talent was just another sheep to the Cardassian. He had to admit to himself that he wasn't a sheepdog, going by that old Earth metaphor. No, I'm a wolf and I usually don't even have the patience to wear wool.

The thought that maybe this is what rubbed Gabe the wrong way occured to him. Well, I won't do you the disservice of a lie. That would only hinder the mans abilities. "I find semantics are important. What some would call murder, others call self defense. To one side it's civil war, to the other it's revolution. When you say torture and betrayal, I remember duty and saving your wife's life." Revek shook his head. Time to nip this in the bud. "Remember, she made the deal. No one forced her. Then she tried to back out. It was either I did what I did or a member of my crew dies, a little girl under my charge loses her mother and you lose the woman you love. My conscience is clear. I know who I am, what I do and why I do it." Maybe he wasn't cut out to join the community after all... Revek couldn't decide.

Gabriel was silent for a long moment, just watching the area behind them.  Being an officer's mess, it was mostly empty, except for the member of the waitstaff who stood tending the bar.  He was glad for that, really.  This was not the kind of conversation to have out in the open.  Gabriel wasn't quite sure why he'd chosen to have it here.  Witnesses, maybe?  If it came to swinging, the poor guy at the bar would go home tonight with one hell of a story to tell.

"Whatever, Revek," he said, draining his glass and setting it down with a little more force than was needed, which was absorbed by pint glass' thick bottom.  "I'm not here to rehash semantics with you."  It wasn't like Revek was going to suddenly wake up and realize he was a complete bastard.  Complete bastards didn't tend to do that - it's part of what made them what they were.  "And I don't need your rationalizations and jingosim.  Nobody will ever accuse you of not doing your job, or your goddamn duty."  He practically spat the last word, arms crossing over his chest as he leaned back.  "That's not the reason I think your kind is a running sore on the decomposing body of the Federation's ideals."  Gabriel obviously meant S31, not Cardassians.  He leaned forward again, palms spread out on the table, his voice low.  "I know what you did to her.  She told me everything.  What part of 'keeping the smiling children of the Federation safe' does that fall under, hero?"

[Revek Tre'el]

Gabriel was silent for a long moment, just watching the area behind them.  Being an officer's mess, it was mostly empty, except for the member of the waitstaff who stood tending the bar.  He was glad for that, really.  This was not the kind of conversation to have out in the open.  Gabriel wasn't quite sure why he'd chosen to have it here.  Witnesses, maybe?  If it came to swinging, the poor guy at the bar would go home tonight with one hell of a story to tell.

"Whatever, Revek," he said, draining his glass and setting it down with a little more force than was needed, which was absorbed by pint glass' thick bottom.  "I'm not here to rehash semantics with you."  It wasn't like Revek was going to suddenly wake up and realize he was a complete bastard.  Complete bastards didn't tend to do that - it's part of what made them what they were.  "And I don't need your rationalizations and jingosim.  Nobody will ever accuse you of not doing your job, or your goddamn duty."  He practically spat the last word, arms crossing over his chest as he leaned back.  "That's not the reason I think your kind is a running sore on the decomposing body of the Federation's ideals."  Gabriel obviously meant S31, not Cardassians.  He leaned forward again, palms spread out on the table, his voice low.  "I know what you did to her.  She told me everything.  What part of 'keeping the smiling children of the Federation safe' does that fall under, hero?"

Revek let slip a small mirthless chuckle. "Gabriel, please tell me you are not so naive as to think my kind isn't a necessary evil." The Cardassian moved his glass to the side of the table as if symbolically opening up. "You are absolutely right. We do not follow any of the ideals the Federation established itself on. And yet, if we didn't exist neither would the Federation you so love." He shook his head before continuing. "That protection comes with certain costs. Costs that are paid only by those who consent to pay them. Your wife agreed to pay them. Once she said yes the only out was... what's the saying... 'a long drop with a short stop.'"

The Cardassian was genuinely surprised at Gabe's reaction to what had happened years ago. Sure, it had been traumatic for Archangel, but she had been the one to say yes, no one had forced her. What Revek couldn't fathom was Gabe's inability to comprehend the necessity of it all. This is why I do not get emotionally attached. It clouds your thinking. "Yes, I did things to your wife that, if brought to light and proven would earn me a life sentence. But that will never happen and when the time comes she will be called upon to do just what you said. 'Keep the smiling children of the Federation safe.' That's how this works. We do things no one else is allowed to do so that you can go on riding your moral high horse pretending that you don't need us." Revek shrugged. "But you do and you're a fool if you don't see it."

[Gabriel Arthur]

Revek let slip a small mirthless chuckle. "Gabriel, please tell me you are not so naive as to think my kind isn't a necessary evil." The Cardassian moved his glass to the side of the table as if symbolically opening up. "You are absolutely right. We do not follow any of the ideals the Federation established itself on. And yet, if we didn't exist neither would the Federation you so love." He shook his head before continuing. "That protection comes with certain costs. Costs that are paid only by those who consent to pay them. Your wife agreed to pay them. Once she said yes the only out was... what's the saying... 'a long drop with a short stop.'"

The Cardassian was genuinely surprised at Gabe's reaction to what had happened years ago. Sure, it had been traumatic for Archangel, but she had been the one to say yes, no one had forced her. What Revek couldn't fathom was Gabe's inability to comprehend the necessity of it all. This is why I do not get emotionally attached. It clouds your thinking. "Yes, I did things to your wife that, if brought to light and proven would earn me a life sentence. But that will never happen and when the time comes she will be called upon to do just what you said. 'Keep the smiling children of the Federation safe.' That's how this works. We do things no one else is allowed to do so that you can go on riding your moral high horse pretending that you don't need us." Revek shrugged. "But you do and you're a fool if you don't see it."

"That's the thing, isn't it?" Gabriel asked, circling the empty beer glass around in his hands.  "Despots and murderers throughout history have always claimed that they're needed, and that the underpinning of civilization would crash down without them.  I think you even start to believe your own hype after a while."  He shrugged, sliding the glass aside again, mainly so he wouldn't throw it at Revek's head.  "But you keep taking it back to word games and vagueries, and I'm still trying to talk to you as a father, husband...as a man.  You blame me for riding the high horse, but what else is it that you're doing when you pretend that you work for the greater good, and not just for your own need to get off on power and control?"

Gabe reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a sigh.  "I have no idea if you've ever loved anyone in your life, Revek.  But I wonder...if the roles were reversed, and you did more than just kill me outright...would you do what you did?  If it was your wife tied to that chair?  Your daughter?"  He paused, almost imperceptibly.  "Your...sister?"

[Revek Tre'el]

"That's the thing, isn't it?" Gabriel asked, circling the empty beer glass around in his hands.  "Despots and murderers throughout history have always claimed that they're needed, and that the underpinning of civilization would crash down without them.  I think you even start to believe your own hype after a while."  He shrugged, sliding the glass aside again, mainly so he wouldn't throw it at Revek's head.  "But you keep taking it back to word games and vagueries, and I'm still trying to talk to you as a father, husband...as a man.  You blame me for riding the high horse, but what else is it that you're doing when you pretend that you work for the greater good, and not just for your own need to get off on power and control?"

Gabe reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a sigh.  "I have no idea if you've ever loved anyone in your life, Revek.  But I wonder...if the roles were reversed, and you did more than just kill me outright...would you do what you did?  If it was your wife tied to that chair?  Your daughter?"  He paused, almost imperceptibly.  "Your...sister?"

Ahh, so that's what he doesn't get. "Mr. Arthur, I don't pretend my work is for the greater good. It simply is. Have you ever seen a civilization succeed without people like me? No. No one has because it can't happen. You want to talk to me as a father then let me ask you this. Do you let your child stick their hand into a fire? What if that child was an interstellar organization and that fire was going to maim or kill that child? That's what the Federation is. A child. We protect that child from itself. Sure, you still get your little bumps and bruises but under our watch the Federation has survived."

Revek paused to finish his Kanar and thought for a moment before continuing. "As for the getting off on control and power. Not quite. Yes I very much enjoy what I do, just as you do. We are both professionals. Whatever countenance I have while I work is solely for the sake of my work. My... employers are very careful as to avoid selecting those people who do... get off as you said."

Revek was rather impressed with himself so far for not reaching across the table and seeing how strong the bones in Gabriel's face really were for the comment about his sister. His voice dropped into a rough monotone as he said, "Whatever hardships you have faced in your life, of which I am sure there are many, do not compare in any way to what I've gone through for her." Revek's grip on his glass tightened enough to send cracks spider webbing through it. "You feel a sense of loss and wrong doing towards you and yours. They are still here. Now, I will kindly ask you to never again bring up my sister with me or anyone else." Revek's voice was juxtaposed to his request as it was clear from his tone now that he wasn't asking.

[Gabriel Arthur]

Gabriel spared a quick glance down at the near-shattered glass.  He knew that he walked a hairsbreadth of an edge, here.  While the overall purpose of this wasn't to goad Revek, apparently Gabriel had found the prod with which to do that, should the time ever come.  It was good to know that the Cardassian's vaunted iron-willed control was more like a shield of rusted wire...at least, when it came to certain issues.  Not much unlike himself, really.

He knew that, somewhere, a more innocent version of himself was disgusted at even thinking that way.  That's what you are, Tre'el.  A destroyer.  That's what you do.  The slow poison in the system that always kills it.

Gabe also noted that Revek, once again, artfully danced around answering the question.  The Cardassian's reaction, though, was louder than the words the man wouldn't speak.  "I believe we understand each other completely, then, Revek," he said, spreading his hands to show that he meant no physical attack, but never breaking eye contact.  Revek was likely the superior hand-to-hand combatant, but Gabriel knew that he could probably hold his own...in a fair fight, that was.  "I don't think there's any need to belabor this.  Phoenix is big enough of a ship.  We don't need to interact except in official capacity."

[Revek Tre'el]

Gabriel spared a quick glance down at the near-shattered glass.  He knew that he walked a hairsbreadth of an edge, here.  While the overall purpose of this wasn't to goad Revek, apparently Gabriel had found the prod with which to do that, should the time ever come.  It was good to know that the Cardassian's vaunted iron-willed control was more like a shield of rusted wire...at least, when it came to certain issues.  Not much unlike himself, really.

He knew that, somewhere, a more innocent version of himself was disgusted at even thinking that way.  That's what you are, Tre'el.  A destroyer.  That's what you do.  The slow poison in the system that always kills it.

Gabe also noted that Revek, once again, artfully danced around answering the question.  The Cardassian's reaction, though, was louder than the words the man wouldn't speak.  "I believe we understand each other completely, then, Revek," he said, spreading his hands to show that he meant no physical attack, but never breaking eye contact.  Revek was likely the superior hand-to-hand combatant, but Gabriel knew that he could probably hold his own...in a fair fight, that was.  "I don't think there's any need to belabor this.  Phoenix is big enough of a ship.  We don't need to interact except in official capacity."

A bemuse look flitted across the Cardassian's face. "Mr. Arthur, we have enough history that you know I don't interact with anyone outside of an official capacity. Of that you have nothing to fear."

[Gabriel Arthur]

[FIN.]