I leave you people alone for five seconds... [OPEN]

[edge_of_honor]

Characters: Miles Edgeworth and the crew of the Victoria II
Content: The (former) first mate has been confined to his quarters until further notice. Things can't go too wrong, can they?
Setting: Edgeworth's quarters
Time: During the Vicky Disaster
Warnings: Murphy's Law on crack
OOC Note: This log will span the entirety of the disaster. It will

Comments

Early in the plot, before Francis' strike -- shortly after the conversation with Kristoph

[isntthatwright]

Phoenix was going to get to the bottom of this. Not for an article or anything like that - the thought had crossed his mind, but he'd decided against it. No, this was because he wanted to know what the heck was going on here.

He'd heard Kristoph's side of the story. Now, it was time to get Edgeworth's. He'd heard that the ex-first mate had been confined to his quarters, so that was where Phoenix went. Taking a deep breath outside, he knocked on the door, deciding not to announce himself. If he said who he was, there was a definite possibility Edgeworth would tell him to get lost, after all. It would take more than a year on the same ship to put him on anything less than bad terms with Edgeworth.

mope mope mope

[edge_of_honor]

Oh joy of joys, it was a visitor. Well, it wasn't as if he could just order the lout to leave him alone, now could he? Edgeworth sighed, and said, "Come in."

*SLAP* SHUT UP WILL YOU SHUT UP

[isntthatwright]

Phoenix pulled the door open. Whether or not Edgeworth wanted to see him didn't matter. Phoenix was determined to get answers. "Hello, Edgeworth," he began, doing his best to keep his voice neutral and serious. "I'd like to talk to you about Kristoph Gavin." He didn't want to sound like he was making an accusation -- he wasn't. He was just trying to learn more.

OW OW HEY STOP THAT

[edge_of_honor]

Edgeworth blinked, his mouth slightly parted, before he clenched his jaw and glared at Wright. Just who the hell did he think he was, coming here without invitation?

"Of course you would," he said, with a sneer on his face. "Are you short on stories all ready?"

CAN I GET SOME TESTIMONY IN THE HOUSE?

[isntthatwright]

You know, if Phoenix hadn't gotten a reaction like that, he would have worried even more. It would have meant something was even more wrong. "I'm not looking for something to publish today. As fascinating as the politics on this ship are, I don't think that revealing them to the world would help your situation."

How to pose his next question, though? If he asked straight-out if Edgeworth had a grudge against Kristoph Gavin, it would sound like he thought Edgeworth did it. And in that case, if Edgeworth did harbor some sort of grudge, he sure as hell wouldn't tell Phoenix. "I'm just trying to figure out what happened here. Mr. Gavin was attacked by someone claiming to be under your orders. He claims that you have a grudge against him. But something doesn't add up here. That was a very careless assassin. Not only did he tell Mr. Gavin who had ordered the attack, but after doing so, he failed to ensure that his target was dead." Phoenix had a feeling about where all this was headed. "I'm not saying you did it. Actually,

[edge_of_honor]

Edgeworth stared at Wright, his eyes wide, completely frozen with surprise. The stiffness remained until he finished his speech, and as soon as he could speak, he snapped, "What in the world are you talking about?!"

After all, that grudge was certainly news to him.

[isntthatwright]

Phoenix was surprised at Edgeworth's surprise. He'd been expecting some sort of denial, of course, and perhaps a "I really haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about, Wright, now leave me and my immaculate office alone" but he hadn't imagined honest shock. And it was honest, Phoenix felt -- the reaction felt real enough, and he didn't think that Edgeworth was a skilled enough actor to feign this much astonishment.

He recovered from his own surprise after a moment. "Lieutenant Commander Gavin seems to believe you hold a grudge against him," Phoenix repeated.

And if he's this surprised....I guess that grudge doesn't exist, Phoenix thought. Or maybe it does, but Edgeworth isn't the one holding it. He didn't suspect anything of Kristoph -- why should he? Mr. Gavin was the victim in this case! No, it felt more and more like there was something else to this, something that was slowly becoming clearer to him. Leaving Kristoph alive had been done on purpose, he felt.

[edge_of_honor]

"For what?" Edgeworth glared at Wright, and asked, "Why would I waste my time with a grudge against Kristoph Gavin, of all people?"

Edgeworth could think of dozens of people more worthy of his ire, and possibly more, if he was granted time to compose a list. Granted, the man was irritating in the way that all overly pleasant higher class twits were, but if Edgeworth called hits on people just because they were obnoxious then both the ship and his entire bank account would have been emptied out years ago.

[isntthatwright]

Phoenix's mind was racing. "You both studied under Admiral von Karma, correct? Mr. Gavin cited that as the cause for the rivalry." From the looks of things, Edgeworth had no respect at all for Kristoph, so the rivalry was entirely one-sided.

But did Kristoph even have a grudge against Edgeworth? It hadn't seemed that way. He'd seemed convinced that Edgeworth had held a grudge against him, and sounded innocent of any ill will himself. Phoenix was also inclined to trust the man, despite a nagging feeling in his gut. Something in the way Kristoph had reacted....

If Kristoph was holding a grudge, then the attack made a painful amount of sense. The one with the grudge was attacked with the intent to sow discord in the ranks of the ship. Phoenix couldn't say for sure, but he couldn't deny the possibility.

[edge_of_honor]

"Hmph. I wouldn't say that." Edgeworth crossed his arms, and continued, "While von Karma did support the man early in his career, I'd hardly call him a fellow student."

Honestly, a rivalry? Just who did Gavin think he was?

[isntthatwright]

"Then how do you two know each other?" Phoenix pressed further. He needed to learn the nature of Edgeworth and Gavin's relationship.

[edge_of_honor]

"I first heard of him through von Karma," he said simply. "He joined the crew while I was still attending school, and he ...seemed competent enough from what I heard."

Edgeworth grimaced as he spoke the last few words, like a child who's parents chided him with 'if you don't have anything nice to say...' He quickly composed himself, though, and continued, "He was eventualy promoted to first made, and I had an opportunity to serve under him for a time. Afterward he had been given command of his own ship, and I didn't hear anything of him until the Lunasa bombings."

[isntthatwright]

That was strange. There was nothing in that story to suggest a grudge on either side. Maybe there was more to this than he was being told? "Is there anything that sticks out in your mind?" he asked. "This attack must have happened for a reason. Why else would the assassin make the claim that you sent him?" Think, Phoenix. There must be something you're missing here.

[edge_of_honor]

Edgeworth furrowed his brow and remained silent, while the scowl twisted in a severe, almost cartoonish way.

"...a mutual enemy," he muttered. "It's someone who either has their sights on the both of us... or the ship as a whole. It's a classic strategy - if we're too busy bickering amongst ourselves, then we'll be left blind and helpless to threats from the outside."