into a corner. She had used it when she was unable to get to her weapon to cause cold blooded killers to throw down their own. This woman displayed more mettle than some of those had, she covered any fear with a glare of annoyance, but she couldn't prevent the color from draining out of her head.
The assistant got on the internal line and explained to Ash that Sara insisted on seeing him. Ash must have asked her to put Sara off but the assistant told him that Sara had said it was urgent and was being very insistent. In the end Ash relented and the assistant glanced up at Sara but avoided eye contact.
"The supervisor will see you now."
Sara stood back upright and smoothed down her clothes. "Thank you so much for your help."
Marc Ash was already stood when Sara went through the doorway into his office proper. He was just coming around from behind his desk to meet her. Unlike Sara's small and spartan office the supervisors was of a fair size. Like her office his contained cleaning facilities in the back although his were part of a full bathroom. As well as the desk and seating in front of and behind that he had a group of comfortable chairs arranged around a low table. On the walls either side of the simply functional communications and data analysis screens were display screens that showed images of the ECSIS logo, the European Confederation's flag and the Confederation's Chamber of Governance.
Ash dispensed with full formality by addressing her by her first name. "Sara, I hope this is important, I'm very busy right at the moment."
"It is sir," Just because he had started informally it didn't extend to allowing Sara to be too familiar, she still had to address him as befitted his superiority.
If I addressed him as he deserved to be addressed I'd be referring to him as an ass hole more often than not.
She continued bluntly, "Sir, the report you filed earlier on is wrong."
Ash didn't indicate that Sara should take a seat nor did he take one for himself, so they remained standing in the middle of his office.
"I do not believe it is for you to criticize me," Ash said. "But I'll admit that as with any preliminary report there may be some small inaccuracies, but they will have been corrected in this final draft."
Sara stared straight at her supervisor, not the least bit intimidated even though he stood over a head taller than she did and was puffing up his chest to make even more obvious the difference in size between the pair of them.
"This isn't a matter of a few small spelling mistakes or a slight problem with the exact sequence of events. That preliminary report contained a major factual anomaly and I want you to explain why."
Ash's face flushed red with anger at being addressed in such a manner by one of his subordinates. "Explain yourself now otherwise I'll have you up on insubordination charges. I've given you a lot of leeway in the past, Fox, but this time you've pushed your luck too far."
Sara still didn't give an inch. She stared calmly at Ash. "I'll tell you what's wrong with your report and if you can't explain yourself it will be you who is up on charges, sir ."
Ash looked at her aghast and Sara pressed on, telling him where his report conflicted with the facts as they had truly occurred. Halfway through her speech Ash absentmindedly took a seat but Sara still wasn't invited to do the same and so remained as she was. When she was through it took Ash a moment to realize and for that time the room was silent.
Eventually he found his voice. "As far as I was aware the events unfolded as I put down in my report. You say that there is no way this Carla Swift could have killed that man, are you absolutely certain?"
Sara didn't hesitate. "Absolutely. And I want to know why you lied about it."
Ash got back out of the seat and started pacing around the room not looking at Sara. "I never lied . . ."
"Sir, I just told-"
Ash stopped pacing and faced her. "I never knowingly lied. Everything in that report was
The assistant got on the internal line and explained to Ash that Sara insisted on seeing him. Ash must have asked her to put Sara off but the assistant told him that Sara had said it was urgent and was being very insistent. In the end Ash relented and the assistant glanced up at Sara but avoided eye contact.
"The supervisor will see you now."
Sara stood back upright and smoothed down her clothes. "Thank you so much for your help."
Marc Ash was already stood when Sara went through the doorway into his office proper. He was just coming around from behind his desk to meet her. Unlike Sara's small and spartan office the supervisors was of a fair size. Like her office his contained cleaning facilities in the back although his were part of a full bathroom. As well as the desk and seating in front of and behind that he had a group of comfortable chairs arranged around a low table. On the walls either side of the simply functional communications and data analysis screens were display screens that showed images of the ECSIS logo, the European Confederation's flag and the Confederation's Chamber of Governance.
Ash dispensed with full formality by addressing her by her first name. "Sara, I hope this is important, I'm very busy right at the moment."
"It is sir," Just because he had started informally it didn't extend to allowing Sara to be too familiar, she still had to address him as befitted his superiority.
If I addressed him as he deserved to be addressed I'd be referring to him as an ass hole more often than not.
She continued bluntly, "Sir, the report you filed earlier on is wrong."
Ash didn't indicate that Sara should take a seat nor did he take one for himself, so they remained standing in the middle of his office.
"I do not believe it is for you to criticize me," Ash said. "But I'll admit that as with any preliminary report there may be some small inaccuracies, but they will have been corrected in this final draft."
Sara stared straight at her supervisor, not the least bit intimidated even though he stood over a head taller than she did and was puffing up his chest to make even more obvious the difference in size between the pair of them.
"This isn't a matter of a few small spelling mistakes or a slight problem with the exact sequence of events. That preliminary report contained a major factual anomaly and I want you to explain why."
Ash's face flushed red with anger at being addressed in such a manner by one of his subordinates. "Explain yourself now otherwise I'll have you up on insubordination charges. I've given you a lot of leeway in the past, Fox, but this time you've pushed your luck too far."
Sara still didn't give an inch. She stared calmly at Ash. "I'll tell you what's wrong with your report and if you can't explain yourself it will be you who is up on charges, sir ."
Ash looked at her aghast and Sara pressed on, telling him where his report conflicted with the facts as they had truly occurred. Halfway through her speech Ash absentmindedly took a seat but Sara still wasn't invited to do the same and so remained as she was. When she was through it took Ash a moment to realize and for that time the room was silent.
Eventually he found his voice. "As far as I was aware the events unfolded as I put down in my report. You say that there is no way this Carla Swift could have killed that man, are you absolutely certain?"
Sara didn't hesitate. "Absolutely. And I want to know why you lied about it."
Ash got back out of the seat and started pacing around the room not looking at Sara. "I never lied . . ."
"Sir, I just told-"
Ash stopped pacing and faced her. "I never knowingly lied. Everything in that report was
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