[Artemis Fowl] Lest We Forget
After the whole Fowl affair - and the Cudgeon one - Julius is being repremanded by the Council.
Genre(s): General, Angst
Rating: PG.
Pairing(s): Briar/Julius.
Status: 1/1. 1100 words.
Warnings: slash
Archchancellor Samphire, the chief Council member of the Underground, looked down at his notes, viewing the inanimate pieces of paper with more respect than was in his eyes as he looked up, glaring at Commander Root as if it was his fault he existed. Or at least that it was his fault for being here, standing in front of him, when it had been the Archchancellor's decision to call Root to him for a meeting.
The notes were shuffled. "It's come to our attention that you were more aware of problems within your policing system than you have been instigating to us."
"Yes, there have always been, and will always be, problems within the LEP system because not everything can be prepared for. We had no way of predicting that a human genius would find out about the fairies, kidnap an officer, and then find out how to escape the time-stop."
"The Fowl Affair-" the Archchancellor raised his eyes from the notes, "- although a horror that has made me personally loose all faith in your success as Head of Police forces - is not what I am referring to. I was referring to your deliberate withholding of information that by all rights you should have forwarded to us immediately." He looked down yet again. "Information concerning one Briar Cudgeon."
Julius's weight shifted and his eyes dropped. "What information? Perhaps I had no knowledge of it personally; I only get given reports that are considered vital or particularly unusual."
"Almost everything in his file. Psych reports; mission reports, debriefings; some personal complaints from various members of your staff - including…" he looked down at the pages for reference yet again, "complaints from 4 different Captains." He smugly looked up from his notes, as if the facts of that would make the floor open up and swallow Julius whole. "Information such as this would have made it to your office, I'm sure. And then, if things had been happening properly, they would have made their way to the Council Chambers and from then they would have found their way to my office. Hmmm. Isn't that right, Commander?"
"I don't know what to say, Archchancellor. I wasn't--"
"You know about this. I know you do. No one else at that Plaza of yours would have any reason to protect the bastard! I've got the reports here about how much they all hated him."
"He's still there."
"Ah. Yes. Even after that whole fiasco you still didn't have the guts to fire him and just demoted him instead."
"He's clearing up rubbish and taking forms around to be signed. I think that's low enough to drop from Lieutenant and 2IC."
"Why wouldn't you do anything about his behaviour? Not even dismissing him - a reprimand, talk, anything. This doesn't bode well for how you handle yourself in sticky situations. If it wasn't for the fact that now we don't have anyone ready to replace you, I'd right now be talking to the Council about the insecure nature of your position, Commander."
"I've sent in my recommendations for the new 2IC. Captain Kelp is a wonderful example, he's got a great record, great relationship with the rest of the force, commands a great deal of respect from civilians and his peers …"
"Don't encourage me, Julius. I don't want to have to send you your notice, so don't tempt me with an impressive new face."
"Sorry, Archchancellor."
The councilor placed the notes back down, straightening them and then pushing them to the edge of his walnut desk. He rubbed his neck and leaned back to look up at Julius standing in front of him.
"The real issue here is not your possibly dismissal - I'm not really considering that; your 300 years of high command is not something we can replace readily - it is why you did not alert the Council of a possibly dangerous person who was in a position of power and that we were considering for a Seat."
"I'm sorry, Archchancellor. I assure you that it won't happen again."
"I didn't expect it to. I can understand that the same situation will not arise again. It's not as if you are hiding many other ex-lovers in the force, Julius."
"No."
"How did you let it get this far? You're a smart man most of the time and, although I understand what an emotional connection can do to judgment… It wouldn't have been hard to see any of the signs. Seriously, Julius, we could see this coming from Briar for centuries - he's always been insecure and power-hungry."
"We were all power-hungry and insecure, Dameon."
"He's always been more ruthless in his actions though. Which is why, frankly speaking, my predecessor choose you for commander over him."
Dameon Samphire sighed and leaned back in his swivel-chair.
"I just want to know why you didn't tell me about how far he'd gone. Can you tell me? I really thought you would be honest with me… Especially about Briar - he was my friend as well."
"I… I wanted to believe that he hadn't gone too far. That he could come back to the land of reason." Julius looked up, meeting the eyes of his old friend. "Lest We Forget. That's a Mud Man motto they use on rememberance days for those who died in the Great Wars. Lest we forgot those who fought and died for us."
"Julius…"
"I didn't want to forget the man Briar once was. I'm sorry, Dameon."
And Julius left, pulling the pieces of his world back together as he walked through the door and down the corridor.
~ ~ ~
The fingers that lightly stroked the side of his face held a chill that caused him to shiver, the goosebumps going all the way through his body. He closed his eyes as the tips brushed across his eyebrow and down over the lid, as lightly as a leaf on the breeze. He gently nipped the tips as they brushed over his lips, as Briar's lips brushed over his--
"Commander?" It was Kelp. "How did the meeting with the Archchancellor go?"
"Oh, fine, fine, Captain. I think the Council might want to speak to you before they accept my recommendation."
"What recommendation, Commander?"
"That you become my new Second In Command. You're ready for it, definitely the best for the job."
"I had thought that Captain Newt-"
"I can't stand Sprites."
"Oh. I'll try and live up to the position, Commander."
"I'm sure you will."
"And Commander, I realize how hard it must have been to… Cudgeon… Well, thank you."
"You haven't gotten the position yet, Kelp, so get out of my sight."
Genre(s): General, Angst
Rating: PG.
Pairing(s): Briar/Julius.
Status: 1/1. 1100 words.
Warnings: slash
Archchancellor Samphire, the chief Council member of the Underground, looked down at his notes, viewing the inanimate pieces of paper with more respect than was in his eyes as he looked up, glaring at Commander Root as if it was his fault he existed. Or at least that it was his fault for being here, standing in front of him, when it had been the Archchancellor's decision to call Root to him for a meeting.
The notes were shuffled. "It's come to our attention that you were more aware of problems within your policing system than you have been instigating to us."
"Yes, there have always been, and will always be, problems within the LEP system because not everything can be prepared for. We had no way of predicting that a human genius would find out about the fairies, kidnap an officer, and then find out how to escape the time-stop."
"The Fowl Affair-" the Archchancellor raised his eyes from the notes, "- although a horror that has made me personally loose all faith in your success as Head of Police forces - is not what I am referring to. I was referring to your deliberate withholding of information that by all rights you should have forwarded to us immediately." He looked down yet again. "Information concerning one Briar Cudgeon."
Julius's weight shifted and his eyes dropped. "What information? Perhaps I had no knowledge of it personally; I only get given reports that are considered vital or particularly unusual."
"Almost everything in his file. Psych reports; mission reports, debriefings; some personal complaints from various members of your staff - including…" he looked down at the pages for reference yet again, "complaints from 4 different Captains." He smugly looked up from his notes, as if the facts of that would make the floor open up and swallow Julius whole. "Information such as this would have made it to your office, I'm sure. And then, if things had been happening properly, they would have made their way to the Council Chambers and from then they would have found their way to my office. Hmmm. Isn't that right, Commander?"
"I don't know what to say, Archchancellor. I wasn't--"
"You know about this. I know you do. No one else at that Plaza of yours would have any reason to protect the bastard! I've got the reports here about how much they all hated him."
"He's still there."
"Ah. Yes. Even after that whole fiasco you still didn't have the guts to fire him and just demoted him instead."
"He's clearing up rubbish and taking forms around to be signed. I think that's low enough to drop from Lieutenant and 2IC."
"Why wouldn't you do anything about his behaviour? Not even dismissing him - a reprimand, talk, anything. This doesn't bode well for how you handle yourself in sticky situations. If it wasn't for the fact that now we don't have anyone ready to replace you, I'd right now be talking to the Council about the insecure nature of your position, Commander."
"I've sent in my recommendations for the new 2IC. Captain Kelp is a wonderful example, he's got a great record, great relationship with the rest of the force, commands a great deal of respect from civilians and his peers …"
"Don't encourage me, Julius. I don't want to have to send you your notice, so don't tempt me with an impressive new face."
"Sorry, Archchancellor."
The councilor placed the notes back down, straightening them and then pushing them to the edge of his walnut desk. He rubbed his neck and leaned back to look up at Julius standing in front of him.
"The real issue here is not your possibly dismissal - I'm not really considering that; your 300 years of high command is not something we can replace readily - it is why you did not alert the Council of a possibly dangerous person who was in a position of power and that we were considering for a Seat."
"I'm sorry, Archchancellor. I assure you that it won't happen again."
"I didn't expect it to. I can understand that the same situation will not arise again. It's not as if you are hiding many other ex-lovers in the force, Julius."
"No."
"How did you let it get this far? You're a smart man most of the time and, although I understand what an emotional connection can do to judgment… It wouldn't have been hard to see any of the signs. Seriously, Julius, we could see this coming from Briar for centuries - he's always been insecure and power-hungry."
"We were all power-hungry and insecure, Dameon."
"He's always been more ruthless in his actions though. Which is why, frankly speaking, my predecessor choose you for commander over him."
Dameon Samphire sighed and leaned back in his swivel-chair.
"I just want to know why you didn't tell me about how far he'd gone. Can you tell me? I really thought you would be honest with me… Especially about Briar - he was my friend as well."
"I… I wanted to believe that he hadn't gone too far. That he could come back to the land of reason." Julius looked up, meeting the eyes of his old friend. "Lest We Forget. That's a Mud Man motto they use on rememberance days for those who died in the Great Wars. Lest we forgot those who fought and died for us."
"Julius…"
"I didn't want to forget the man Briar once was. I'm sorry, Dameon."
And Julius left, pulling the pieces of his world back together as he walked through the door and down the corridor.
~ ~ ~
The fingers that lightly stroked the side of his face held a chill that caused him to shiver, the goosebumps going all the way through his body. He closed his eyes as the tips brushed across his eyebrow and down over the lid, as lightly as a leaf on the breeze. He gently nipped the tips as they brushed over his lips, as Briar's lips brushed over his--
"Commander?" It was Kelp. "How did the meeting with the Archchancellor go?"
"Oh, fine, fine, Captain. I think the Council might want to speak to you before they accept my recommendation."
"What recommendation, Commander?"
"That you become my new Second In Command. You're ready for it, definitely the best for the job."
"I had thought that Captain Newt-"
"I can't stand Sprites."
"Oh. I'll try and live up to the position, Commander."
"I'm sure you will."
"And Commander, I realize how hard it must have been to… Cudgeon… Well, thank you."
"You haven't gotten the position yet, Kelp, so get out of my sight."