Facing the Truth

Posted on 12 Feb 2026 @ 4:06pm by Lieutenant Aev Flammia & Lieutenant JG Ryan Collingway

3,016 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Silent Inheritance
Location: Security Gym & CSO Office
Timeline: Current

///Crew Quarters////

Ryan sat in his bed for a while. Despite the double-shifts he was pulling, he couldn't sleep. Not after that talk with Commander Harlan. Also, too much coffee during the day. He was probably in for a rough night.

Suddenly he rememered something Lieutenant Flammia had said. Something about self-defense training and seeing Ensign Harbridge? He was physically fit, but not really a combat guy. Sure, he had been in battle before. Tarvik III sprung instantly to mind. But that had been with a phase pistol. And he had basic combat training at the Academy, the same as everyone else. Most of which was probably forgotten by now.

If it was a way to burn up energy...

He stood, and went to see who was in the Gym.

///Gym///

The gym lay quiet in its night cycle, lights dimmed and warm, the ship’s distant hum filling the silence. In the center of the mat, Aev moved alone.

He wore simple training clothes, sleeves pushed back, skin already slick with sweat. His stance settled, balanced, and his hands rose open, relaxed. For a brief moment, he was perfectly still.

Then the form began. The movement flowed through him in controlled sequences: a pivot, a palm strike through empty air, a smooth redirection of an imagined blow. Every motion was precise, no wasted effort, no flourish. His feet whispered across the mat as he turned, breath measured with complete focus.

Strike. Shift. Turn.

Muscles tightened and released in practiced coordination, power driven from the hips, checked just short of its lethal conclusion. He held a final balance for a heartbeat, steady despite the burning, then eased back into stillness.

Somewhat in the shadows, Ryan watched Aev in his workout. Not with intrusion in mind, but he became entranced as he watched the Chief Security move. It was almost like watching a dance, each imaginary strike undoubtedly costly to an opponent. It was a feat he could never match in a hundred years. This might have been a bad idea. He was tempted to scamper away from the gym, but the CSO would probably hear him leave. Instead he cleared his throat politely when the Lieutenant had stopped moving. "Sorry," he said. "I thought about what you said earlier and was wondering if Ensign Harbridge was around. Probably pretty late for him though."

“Why are you apologizing, Lieutenant?” Aev asked, glancing toward Collingway “Ensign Harbridge is on Gamma shift. He won’t be available until it ends.” He stepped off the mat and crossed to one of the benches lining the far wall. Pulling his shirt over his head, he set it aside and reached for a towel, dabbing the sweat from his brow before dragging the fabric slowly across his chest.

When Aev turned back to Collingway, the man’s tension was almost palpable. It clung to him. Even with the implant’s dampening effect, Aev could feel it pressing at the edges of his awareness. His expression remained neutral. “Why are you so anxious?” he asked bluntly.

That much was true, though it was hard to pick out a specific reason. He didn't really know the Lieutenant. He wasn't fully comfortable with security. The meeting with Commander Harlan, and the worry that his past would be poked at. All of the above. He kept his voice neutral. "Just a long day, Lieutenant. I can come back later and talk to him then."

“No.” Aev tossed the towel back onto the bench and returned to the mat at the center of the gym. He stepped over the large Starfleet delta emblazoned there. “You evaded my question,” he said, voice steady. “Why are you so anxious?” It radiated off the young engineer like heat shimmer. Even dulled, Aev could feel it pressing at the edges of his awareness, seeping in if he allowed it. He drew a slow breath, anchoring himself.

The man was physically and mentally imposing. It was enough to make him want to shrink a little. Instead Ryan took a small breath himself, centering himself. He was under no obligation to tell him anything. Being diplomatic was a difficult feat at this point, but he tried it. "I appreciate your concern, sir. I am fine." He turned to leave.

Aev moved without warning, crossing the gym in a blur of precise steps. He caught the engineer’s arm mid-motion and stopped it cold.

The contact was a conduit. Anxiety surged through him like arcing current, sharp and invasive. It struck hard enough that he released Ryan’s arm at once and stepped back, jaw tightening as he forced air into his lungs. “I can feel it,” he said quietly. “Your anxiety. It surrounds you like a storm.” He studied the lieutenant more carefully now, expression guarded. “I apologize,” he added after a moment. “But it felt… suspicious and concerning.”

Ryan's heart pretty much stopped when Aev had grabbed him. For one laughable moment he was tempted to call security before realizing how pointless that was. He eyed the door like a trapped prey before opting for deescalation instead. "I don't understand," Ryan said. "What do you mean you can feel it? Are you, I don't know, a betazoid?" He raised his hands slightly and took half a step back. He had no idea if distance would make things better for the Lieutenant. Couldn't hurt to try.

Aev let out a quiet huff that almost passed for a laugh. “Betazoid? One could only wish.” A faint smile touched his mouth before it faded. “No. Not Betazoid. I’m empathic. I can sense emotions.” He tapped the device secured to his arm. “But this dampens it and keeps it manageable.”

His gaze shifted back to Ryan, steady and unblinking. “Even so, it’s obvious you’re not all right. And you’re not being entirely honest about that.” Aev’s expression tightened slightly. “It feels… suspicious, Ensi—” He corrected himself smoothly. “Lieutenant.” He held his gaze. “And after reviewing recent logs, I read a message from the planet regarding your misadventure.”

Ryan arched an eyebrow. "I'm not all right?? I came to the gym looking for help. To learn. Instead you invade my thoughts, and practically assault me when I try to leave. All because, why? I seem to be nervous around you? I think you might want to review your own behavior, Lieutenant. Before you do it to someone else." Sheer outrage mixed in with his anxiety. This was a bad idea from the start. Security had always failed him, one way or another. Or they made things worse.

He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. "Commander Harlan cleared me of sabotaging that elevator. I'm not responsible. So whatever 'message' you received, I doubt it's relevant."

Aev exhaled sharply, irritation beginning to rise. He fixed Ryan with a steady glare. “First of all, I cannot invade your thoughts,” he said evenly, though the strain beneath it was evident. “When you’re projecting as strongly as you are, it’s unavoidable. It’s like stepping in dog shit in a park, you don’t intend to, but suddenly it’s there and now you have to deal with it.”

He rubbed at his temple, recognizing the spike of irritation might not be entirely his own. The engineer’s emotions pressed hard against his senses, thick and unfiltered. Difficult, but he reminded himself, useful. Control required exposure.

Aev closed his eyes and drew in a slow, measured breath, forcing his shoulders to ease. “I apologize, Lieutenant. I should not have been so direct.” His voice steadied. “This ability manifested only recently. The device limits it, but it does not silence it. Strong emotions are… harder to filter. Especially when they’re as pronounced as yours.” He lifted a hand slightly. “That is not an insult. Merely an observation.” His gaze sharpened again, calmer now. “What do you need help with? What do you want to learn?”

"No, we're past that point. I am not asking for security's help ever again. It never usually works anyway," Ryan said, quietly but firmly. After the conversation tonight, he was definitely drained. He sighed a little. "Am I dismissed, sir? Or am I going to be tackled on the way out?"

The engineer’s anger bore down on Aev like added gravity. It pressed against his senses, heavy and unrelenting. He felt his own patience thinning and deliberately drew inward, forcing his breathing to slow. This was proving far more difficult than he had anticipated. “No,” he said evenly. “I will not tackle you. But you will unfortunately not be able to avoid me.”

He held Ryan’s gaze. “The message concerned something overheard on the planet. An allegation that you killed your friend.” His tone remained calm, though his eyes hardened. “I have not yet reviewed the full context, but it is a matter I am obligated to examine.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “Unless you would care to elaborate now, before I initiate a formal investigation.”

The silence was so defeaning one could hear a pin drop.

"I'm sorry you didn't read about all my misadventures, Lieutenant," Ryan said slowly, carefully. "My shooting of that officer is a matter of record. I have already been cleared by Starfleet Tribuneral." Despite his calmness, his heart was beating very, very fast.

Aev felt it his emotions shift: panic, sharp and sudden. Fear beneath the anger. There was more here than a simple deflection. He clenched his fist, nails biting into his palm to anchor himself against the surge of borrowed emotion.

“Lieutenant,” he said evenly, though his voice had cooled, “I am sensing there is more to this.” His narrowed at Ryan. “I have requested, and received, the transcript of the tribunal proceedings. If there is anything I should be aware of, it would be in your best interest to tell me before I begin a formal review.” A measured breath. “I have not yet completed my examination of the record, but I intend to. I also plan to speak with the witness directly.” His expression hardened slightly. “If there is nothing to the allegation, then you have nothing to fear.”

Ryan paled. What he told Vel on the beach would not match his account. He was trapped."I-" Ryan began, when the door suddenly opened. They both watched as a Ensign entered, listening to music. The Ensign didn't notice them as he started to lift weights. "Can we at least do this somewhere else?"

////Lt. Flammia's office////

A short time later Ryan sat quietly in the office as Aev prepared something, probably coffee. He had one more tool in his mental toolbox. He didn't want to use it. But he was out of options. "Doctor Emerson, and by extension Doctor Amberlyn know what really happened that day. They advised me not to tell anyone. Not until I was ready, at least."

“Would you like something to drink?” Aev asked as he dropped a sugar cube into his Vulcan mint tea. He stirred it once, then set the glass carefully on the desk. “Ignis,” he continued, “there’s an unopened transcript of a Starfleet tribunal in my messages. Open it and give me a preliminary review.” Only then did he glance toward the engineer, waiting to see if he would accept the offer before taking his seat.

Ryan nodded slightly. "Coffee would be good."

A soft shimmer of amber light coalesced above the desk as Ignis resolved into form, hands clasped behind his back, head tilted slightly in theatrical interest. “Opening tribunal transcript now,” he said smoothly. His eyes flicked as unseen data scrolled past. “Ah. Nothing says ‘pleasant evening’ like sworn testimony and procedural dread.” He glanced up at Aev, faint grin tugging at his mouth. “Preliminary review complete.”

Aev replicated a mug of coffee and set it on the desk, sliding it across toward the lieutenant before taking his seat. “Ignis,” he said calmly, “review the message from Lathria and flag any discrepancies.” As Ignis worked he lifted his tea and took a cautious sip.

Ignis’ expression shifted, less amused now, more precise. “One primary discrepancy,” he said crisply. “In his sworn tribunal testimony, Lieutenant Collingway stated that he mistakenly shot Lieutenant Mendon during crossfire with the Borg. However, in his overheard communication he asserts that Mendon attempted to kill him first.”

Aev lowered his tea to the desk with deliberate care as the implication settled in. His gaze lifted and fixed on the engineer across from him. “Lieutenant,” he said evenly, “that is a significant deviation from your sworn testimony.” A faint line formed between his brows. “You stated that Doctor Emerson and Amberlyn advised you to conceal this.” His eyes sharpened. “So they are aware of the discrepancy?”

Ryan released a slow breath. It occurred to him that he could just keep quiet and not say anything. Accept whatever punishment which came to him. The problem was, he doubted it would end with that. The Lieutenant would still inquire. And keep going, no matter who it affected. He was out of options. "They are aware of the cost of what would happen if the truth did come out. Especially in the wrong hands," he said. "But the overall 'gist' of what happened is the truth. Lieutenant Mendon is dead by my hands, and I am responsible."

“Why would Lieutenant Mendon attempt to kill you?” Aev asked, his tone measured but firm. “Was he assimilated? Context matters.” He exhaled quietly. The lieutenant’s emotions were still present, uneasy, unsettled, but no longer crashing against him. The edge had dulled to something he could manage without bracing himself. Aev allowed himself a brief, private thought: he wondered whether the good doctor was monitoring just how much strain these recent encounters had placed on him.

Ryan said nothing for a moment. "He was in the process of being assimilated. He begged me to kill him. I refused. He attacked me. I tried to stun him. It didn't work. And then I...." The horror from that day washed over him. Probably over Aev as well. He didn't know.

"The Benzites have a very anti-assimilation policy. Benezite genes cannot be changed for any reason. If it had been reported, his family would have been investigated. Shunned. Cast out. It would have caused destabilization in Benzer. Potentially pockets of civil war. A lack of faith in Starfleet...more so than what happened. Lieutenant Mendon's last order to me was that I never told anyone he was assimilated. To invent a story. An Ensign making a dumb mistake seemed easier than whatever the truth could present. For everyone." His feelings of horror was replaced by a feeling of a morbid sense of duty.

"The wreckage was examined by Benzar. A counsellor discovered the truth from the forensic evidence I left behind. He...agreed with my assessment and hid the truth from the rest of Benzar. As did the three of us, I suppose. Doctor Amberlyn and Doctor Emerson's primary focus was my health. Not the events of Benzar."

"And now, that information is with you. For better or for worse," Ryan concluded. "I realize I have no right to ask for anything. But I hope you take into consideration the people of Benzar, like I did. They are innocent in this." Duty turned into feelings of protection.

“I see,” Aev said quietly, leaning back in his chair. It was a great deal to process and made more difficult by the constant effort of holding his mental defenses steady against the lieutenant’s volatile emotions. Even so, beneath the turbulence, he could sense honesty. “Thank you for your candor, Lieutenant,” he continued, voice composed. “I will take everything you’ve shared into consideration.” A brief pause. “For now, I believe it would be best if you returned to your quarters.”

It wasn't the brig. At least, not yet. Ryan nodded simply, and left. He would send a quick message to Doctor Amberlyn to let her known the chaos that was headed her way. Along with an apology.

Once the engineer had left the office, the door sliding shut behind him- Aev released a long, controlled breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. The implant along his forearm burned faintly beneath his skin. It made him wonder how much it had dosed him over the past hour. His head throbbed; fatigue pressed in at the edges. Was the strain from Collingway’s emotional storm… or from the pharmacological inhibitors now circulating through his system?

He leaned back slightly and glanced toward Ignis. The hologram stood a step behind him, hands loosely clasped, silent and watchful. Lately, Aev had begun to find that steady, empty presence more comforting than he cared to admit. “What do you think, Ignis?”

Ignis tilted his head slightly, amber light catching along the edges of his form. “I think,” he said calmly, “you absorbed more than you should have.” His gaze flicked briefly to the implant on Aev’s arm. “Your biometric readouts show elevated neural activity and increased inhibitor deployment over the last forty-three minutes. The device compensated aggressively.” A faint pause. “So did you.”

He stepped a fraction closer, voice softening, just slightly. “You are not designed to function as an emotional lightning rod, Aev. Even with assistance.” A subtle, almost playful arch of a brow. “My professional recommendation? Hydration. Rest. And perhaps… fewer volatile engineers before breakfast.”

“Yes,” Aev agreed quietly. His mother’s warnings about the long-term effects of relying on pharmacological suppressants echoed in the back of his mind. Without the medication, he knew he would have been swept away in the engineer’s emotional storm. And yet… how long could he depend on it? The thought was daunting.

“I’ll need to speak with the Captain about this,” he murmured, rising from his chair. Fatigue settled into his shoulders as he straightened. “For now,” Aev added more softly, “I think I will retire to my quarters.”

[End]

Lieutenant Aev Flammia
Chief of Security
USS Arawyn

Lieutenant (JG) Ryan Collingway
Engineering Offfcer
USS Arawyn

 

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