| Faith in the System |
| Summary: | Cadmus and Madilyn discuss a particular special duty assignment and the situation surrounding it. |
| Date: | 30 Apr 2041 AE |
| Related Logs: | None |
| Players: |
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| Security Hub -Deck 6 - Battlestar Cerberus |
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| More than just an office for the Marines and their XO, this room has remote surveillance views of the Brigs as well as a state of the art communications center built into the far bulkhead. A locked and heavily armored door to the aft leads into another room, the white lettering on it reading 'ARMORY.' There are a few desks scattered around the room for getting necessary paperwork done and the Commandant's picture hangs on the wall next to one of the President. |
| Post-Holocaust Day: #62 |
The lifeblood of any policeforce is paperwork; truly, Cadmus Maragos, Lance Corporal of the CMC, is awash in it. Requisition forms, after-action reports, duty roster sign offs and other such sheets are arranged across the surface of his desk in orderly little piles. Mating them are a series of small boxes, stamped with the identifying codes the MPs use for pinhole cameras, fingerprinting dust, and all of that good police stuff. Converse to the expected look of a harried madman, Cadmus looks totally at home amidist this stuff - he is busily scribbling away.
With a squeal and a clang, the hatch to the ship's security hub swings open. Through the entryway steps Madilyn, on-duty, and appearing here to have a word with Cadmus regarding a memo that was sent out in the previous days. Hair back in a tight bun, as is the norm for duty hours, and mug of coffee in hand, her boots thump into the otherwise quiet room. "Good afternoon Lance Corporal. I hear you wanted a word with me?" she begins, not wasting any words.
There is a momentary pause before Cadmus stands to attention and snaps a sharp salute; his unfamiliarity with actually *seeing* you probably accounts for the delay. "Major. I'm glad you could make the time. Private Sankis, could you give us a short moment? It won't take very long," he says, turning briefly to address the only other MP currently present in the room. "I have two things I'd like to bring up with you. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes."
"Good…short and sweet. Works for me," she replies, returning the salute to Cadmus. Looks like she was prepped for that, seeing as how the coffee mug was in her left hand! When the other MP stands to leave the room, Madilyn gives a nod. Then, and only then, does she make for the chair across the desk from Cadmus, pulling it back, and having a seat. "Have a seat Lance Corporal. What's on your mind?"
Returning to his chair, Cadmus runs the palm of one hand down his cheek; his eyes trace over the accumulated junk on his desk, never seeming to focus on any one thing at a time. "The first is a question about our new Private. I understand that you had to clarify a few things for her in the Atheletics area, the other day." Not really a question, but he doesn't seem to think it's a bad thing, either. "In my initial report to Lieutenant Lunair, I noted that she might possibly be a problem to train in the current situation, because I suspect it will be difficult to instill a proper sense of discipline in her. I'd like to know what you might recommend, given your experience - both in years of service, and your exchange with Private Zaranj."
"The exchange in the athletics area was…well, in all honesty, not something I was entirely prepared for. Between you and me? There's a lot to the woman that I don't think we've even begun to identify. I plan to very carefully re-read her personnel files. She's part philosopher, and seems to have some very pointed ideas about the very nature of both Choice and the Cylons. While I certainly don't want to discourage such manner of thought in my marines, the admittedly brief exchange leads me to the same conclusion: discipline may be a problem. At this point? I've no real idea how to best approach the situation. I'd like to have a private chat with her before making any important decisions…get a better feel for the Private when I'm more prepared to address her line of thinking and questioning."
Madilyn shifts in her seat, leaning back to adopt a more casual position. She cradles the mug with both hands, pursing her lips together between thoughts and letting her head tilt to the side a bit, staring past Cadmus to the back of the room. "I wish I could could give a more concrete answer, but I don't have the necessary information at this moment."
There is a long moment while Cadmus seems to…collate…this information, his eyes fixed upon you but with the same blank - or more properly, impassive - expression. Suddenly, however, one corner of his mouth begins to quirk up, and he raises his hands helplessly. "Well, sir, that's… Largely what I was already thinking. I'm glad I have some outside confirmation about my own assumptions, then," he murmurs. "I confess, I was a little off-put by her initially, because he approach to recruitment was largely by telling us that we needed her, and while she logically seemed aware training was important from an integration standpoint, she didn't seem to think we had anything to teach her from a *practical* point of view. But I suppose that's neither here nor there, save as background information… The real reason I wanted to talk to you was I was hoping for some executive guidance."
"Again, I think some of those issues may be best addressed by a more personal sit down with the woman. If she does indeed have skills or information that is usable, far be it from me to prevent her from using them. I like my soldiers to think, not just follow my instructions. I'll give her high-marks for challenging me right off the bat, though. Godsdamned, been a while since a Private's tried to start a fistfight…" she muses, letting her voice trail off, while a smirk plays at the corner of her mouth. Whatever she's thinking just then goes unsaid. "As for executive guidance…well, that's something I live for, hm?" She doesn't turn to look at Cadmus when she talks but he's good to ask away.
"It's about Apprentice Swigert, and the special duty. That's why I asked Sankis to leave the room," Cadmus begins, turning a pen over in one of his hands as he speaks. "Let me be very clear to start with that I intend to do my duty, because the duly appointed Counsels have determined that Swigert is guilty of treason, and handed down a sentence. I especially intend to do my duty, since it's largely my doing that she is being placed under the gun. But there's a lot of people who seem to know what's going down, and they're very unhappy with the verdict. And, for the record, so am I. At worst, Swigert is guilty of obstruction of justice and negligence." He pauses, lifting his coffee cup to sip a few times from it. "I don't think anybody involved is happy with the outcome."
"Well, let me present the situation to you as I see it. Apprentice Swigert somehow, for some reason, was associated in some way with a fire set aboardship. The circumstances of which, at the start, weren't entirely clear. I have to rely on you and the other MPs to do your job, to the very best of your abilities to clarify those circumstances. If you've done your job correctly, properly, and to the extent you were trained by the CMC, answered all the questions and collected the evidence, the burden is no longer on you, or the other MPs, or me. Your findings, the things you were trained for, are turned over the the JAG Corps, to do what they were trained for."
Like Cadmus, she pauses here and there, collecting her thoughts and sipping from her own mug. "I don't think now, of all times, is the time to stop having faith in the mechanisms of justice that we've heretofore relied upon. You'll recall that she was found guilty of treason in addition to the other lesser charges including arson, improper hazarding of this vessel, and destruction of military property. We're not exactly in a situation where dangers to this ship from inside could be tolerated, wouldn't you agree? It comes down to a question of willful activity versus negligence. The JAG Corps, using your evidence, has decided the latter. The verdict is rendered."
Returning the cup to his desktop, Cadmus nods very slowly. "I agree completely, sir. I have had to remind several Naval personnel of this fact. Without a system of justice, and without faith in our own institutions, I believe we will rapidly descend into an anarchy from which we cannot recover from. We, as Marines, are the last line of defense against that. While the Office of the JAG may *decide*, we *enforce* and *police*. Which is precisely why the rumors which are now spreading throughout the ship concern me more than they might otherwise," he says, shifting a little in his chair. "Both Sergeant Demos and I recommended that Swigert *not* be tried for treason, however, because everyone involved was very well aware that it was…overkill, perhaps? Yet the prosecution pursued it anyway. As the judgement has been handed down, my hands are tied, and the punishment will be carried out. But I was curious as to your opinion on how to persue such matters in the future. I do agree with one thing the unhappy majority is saying: we can't afford to kill people unless we absolutely have to. Perhaps I was not ardent enough in making it clear to the Office of the JAG that Swigert should not be tried for that offense…?"
"Well, we now know this fact: the JAG Corps aboard this ship is more…zealous than you or Sergeant Demos or myself may like to admit. Perhaps they're making an example? Maybe it's the desperation of the situation in which we now found ourselves." Now Madilyn flashes Cadmus a look that says that little opinion doesn't go any farther. "It's hard for me to say. If that's the case, well, that's one hell of an example. What I can is this, since you summed it up well: as we can only enforce and police, and since we can't do anything but report to the JAG Corps what crimes we feel a suspect may be guilty of, the next time you send a recommendation to that particular office, I'll make sure the point is made more clearly. Perhaps if they can't be bothered with the recommendations of a Lance Corporal or a Sergeant…"
"Hmmm. Perhaps so," Cadmus admits, pursing his lips as he lifts two fingers to his chin. "Would you suggest, then, that if I feel another crewman is at risk of being made an example of, that I perhaps request a higher-ranking officer put in a recommendation to the court? I don't like to second-guess myself, but I admit I'm currently being more cautious in my open cases than I would have been in the past. And I feel that's dangerous, as something might slip past me."
"My recommendation is this: you do your job the way you always have. Run your investigations. Follow the field manual, the forensics guidelines…go where the evidence leads. When you arrive at a conclusion, make your recommendation as always. Then, take your recommendation to Captain Archer or myself. We can then make the recommendation to the court. One of the things about having rank is that you have to delegate…I can't run investigations for you, and so have to rely on your judgement. If your findings bring you to a particular conclusion, then I have to trust it. Like you said, what are we without faith in our system of justice and everyday operation?"
"Hell if I know, sir. But I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like that territory," Cadmus admits, letting another little wry grin slip across his lips. After a momentary head scratching, he pushes himself out of his chair and salutes again. "I think that covers it, Major. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me about all of this. I really do appreciate it." Looks like he's not the kind of guy who wants to waste your time any more than you want it wasted.
Madilyn stands then, pushing the chair back in at the front of the desk. Cadmus gets a wan little smile from her. "If I couldn't give advice, I'd really just be a glorified secretary. That's the dirty secret the CMC doesn't want you to know, Lance Corporal. That being said, I make it a point to talk to my marines when the need to talk, schedule permitting." That's all she says before she turns to leave, sending the dismissed MP back in after she leaves.