(no subject)

[downisup]

Eight thousand, one hundred and eighty-six.

Comments

[original_fine]

[Jim sighs. And pauses before asking the question he's been wanting to since this began.]

Would you do it again?

[downisup]

[That question has danced on the edges of her consciousness for six months.]

Knowing what I know now?

[She knows what she is supposed to say. What she is expected to say, as a former officer of Starfleet, who plead guilty and accepted her punishment. But the truth is more difficult entirely.]

I would take a second phaser with me, and prevent Captain Georgiou's death.

[Barring that, she would bring her body home.]

[original_fine]

It's just...

[He starts and stops, wanting to understand, not able to see how this squares with his understanding of loyalty. Or the mutineer Michael Burnham.]

I don't understand. You still feel... loyal to her.

[downisup]

[It's Michael's turn not to understand; her brow furrows, and she stares at him for a long moment before shaking her head.]

She was my captain. My friend. [She will always feel loyal to Philippa; her death will always be Michael's biggest regret.]

[original_fine]

[It's hard for him to understand what she doesn't understand about his confusion.]

But you... they call you a mutineer.

[downisup]

[Michael stops, reminds herself - she's close to the situation. She's been reliving it in her head for six months. He hasn't.]

She wouldn't fire first. I saw it as the only way to save her.

[original_fine]

[Sorry, Michael. This is pretty hard for him to square with what he's been taught.

But it's bringing back memories of a time when, too young, he'd questioned the Federation's priorities.]

I'm not a legal expert. But I think... [His brow furrows, but he bears down and says what he's thinking.] ...I think they need a different word, for what you did.