Tattletale

Posted on Thu Jul 2nd, 2015 @ 5:27pm by Suresh & Lieutenant Commander Michael Darwin & Lieutenant Commander Gilroy

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Java - The Promenade

"Here, this is where the problem started," Darwin pointed at a data point on a padd Gilroy held.

"Hmm. I'll get a few extra people posted at that time and around there," Gilroy answered then looked up and nearly rocketed from his seat.

Darwin, seeing why Gilroy was suddenly ready for a fight, grabbed his arm and made his fellow Security officer sit back down. "Remember, the bad one is dead." He'd already told Gilroy all he could about this new Suresh, the one that had killed the original one. Still, Gilroy's prejudice - one could call it hatred - of Suresh remained. Darwin couldn't quite blame Gilroy.

Watching as Suresh crossed the cantina's space towards them, Darwin sipped his coffee and told Gilroy, "Just listen, okay?"

Gilroy growled, a rumble that made those closest to their table move away. He stared at Suresh as he joined them.

“Nice to see you too.” Suresh sat in a chair across from the two of them and got down to business. “I have something for you, a matter for Security.” His gaze shifted from Gilroy to Darwin. “And a personal matter to discuss with you Dar.” A waitress appeared and he ordered coffee, something that could chase away the whiskey since it was still early.

Gilroy leaned in, his gaze on Suresh direct, "Start with the Security matter, then."

Beside him, Darwin nodded at Suresh, making an apologetic face at the same time.

Suresh met Gilroy’s gaze and spoke, his voice calm. “I see the suspicion still lingers. Perhaps in time….” He shrugged, then reached for his coffee. “This concerns the two men in Saturnalia the other night when we were there.” Suresh took a few minutes to give the men’s names, outline their activities, their usual routes and tastes in the women they snatched. “My men down below are on the lookout for them in case they show up again, with orders not to alert them but to call me. I can then call you as arranged.”

Looking mildly put off, Gilroy glanced at Darwin then gruffly acknowledged, "That's good information. I'll give you other contact names, in case Darwin isn't available."

“Thank you,” Suresh answered. “They specialize in the young and more...exotic? Which is why the two ensigns drew them like a magnet. Now that I’ve put out the word that they are ‘enemies of Suresh’ basically, we should be able to track them down quickly. Apparently, no one wants to see what happens if Suresh is crossed or thinks anyone is invading his territory.”

"What happens when you are challenged?" Gilroy asked. "At some point, someone will test that boundary. How do you intend to show power then?"

“I’ll have to cross that bridge when I get to it but from what I’ve heard, and what I saw on Eden, the old Suresh never fought his own battles, did he?” Suresh paused to think on Gilroy’s question. “But, I’m keeping close tabs on things and unless a complete disaster happens, I should know about any problems before they get that far. Word is getting out that Suresh has lost the crazy obsession and is back to business.”

"Good, that's what we want," Darwin chimed in. "Have you met with Lazan yet? Far as I know, he hasn't yet been able to lay claim to Suresh's remains. We've been keeping them tied up with legalities. JAG is helping with that. At some point, though, he's going to want to publicize that Will."

"He has been elusive so far but he is my next order of business. What could possibly be in that will, though?” Suresh asked. “Do you think it involves Li?”

"Gods, I hope not," Darwin rubbed a hand across his face. "That'd be bad. We need to get Lazan on board with not bringing out the terms of that Will. Think you can convince him?"

“I’ll do my best. If he thinks it’s to his advantage, then he should agree and there are lots of reasons it is to his advantage...like maintaining his position here,” Suresh reasoned. “A little blackmail goes a long way, especially when you know as much about his past as we do.”

"Seyla might know more, as well," Darwin suggested.

Gilroy grunted, voicing his distaste for Seyla in that one non-verbal sound. "What else do you have?"

“Li knows him better than anyone, most likely,” Suresh added. “He was her contact after all, so I will see her and get what I can.” He fell silent and sipped his coffee. “The next thing involved my identity down below the equator. I was speaking to two of the men just now and they noticed this.” He held up his smooth left forearm.

"No scar," Gilroy noted. "How'd you explain that?"

“I used Ivor.” Suresh smiled. “One of my men asked and so I told him that there was a quick switch, thanks to Biro, and that the alternate universe copy was shipped off to Elba and is now dead, while ‘I’ had the scar removed to pretend to be him, if you follow me. I also told them that since everyone up here thinks I am the new one and thus an okay fellow, they seem to enjoy my company. That covers me when I am up here doing something like this with you two or out with Six.” He shrugged and smiled. “I said it was time to retire Isha’s memory and move on and now they think I am a genius. You should’ve seen their expressions.”

"Six? The Borg?" Gilroy's eyes narrowed as he glared at Suresh. He glanced at Darwin.

Again, Darwin rubbed his face with a hand. "You're going to keep seeing her, Surie? I thought we talked about this." They had.

“Yes, that Six and yes I am.” Suresh looked from one to the other. “We did talk, Darwin, and I promised not to rush her into anything she wasn’t ready for or didn’t want, and to keep her out of our political maneuvering in the Pit. I intend to abide by that, and I’ve given her those same ground rules. She’s been told not to be wandering down there alone, but only with me and only on rare occasions will she be anywhere down there but my quarters. If she does come down, I have procedures in place to handle it. No one down there will lay a finger on her and if they do, they know they’d better be booking passage off this station before I find them.”

"You know... I'm not actually all that concerned about 'others' laying hands on her. She's Borg, she can handle herself. I'm more concerned about you laying hands on her," Darwin said.

“Do you want to try telling her I shouldn’t see her anymore?” Suresh asked. His expression softened then. “She seems to be rather determined to continue doing just that.” He paused and smiled. “I also had the big brother talk with Bryce, who seems to be her guardian angel...big guardian angel.”

"Lovely." Darwin shifted in his seat, unhappy about Suresh's interest in the Ensign but realizing there was nothing he could. "She's an adult. Just... ugh... whatever," he waved his hands at Suresh.

“I am not looking for a fling here, Darwin.” The words came out of Suresh’s mouth without a thought and they surprised him. He realized, however, they were true and that gave him pause for a moment. He shook his head to clear it. “Sorry, got sidetracked there. This does bring up the personal issue, though.”

"You said it's a personal issue with me," Darwin replied. "What is it?"

“More for your information. Six and I met Reva and Riley for dinner last night. We got some of your favorite barbecue and took it to the Arboretum. It started with Six’s sudden headache and proceeded to my sudden overwhelming desire to slam her to the ground and take what I wanted right there. You see where this is going?”

It was Gilroy who answered, "Madhava. She's off her inhibitors." His growl surfaced again. "I'll have her picked up and taken to Piper."

Darwin looked surprised. "Wait a minute, I just saw her the other night. She's... Is she off her inhibitors?"

Suresh shook his head. “I don’t think it was hers. I think a certain green woman is pulling her strings behind the scenes. Reva may be young and impulsive but she seems to value her position here. No harm came of it other than Riley likely getting no sleep and Six and I having to shower down to get rid of the scent.” The image of Six and the shower rose in his mind bringing an immediate smile. “I did have a talk with Seyla about it however. Bad idea, given all the public places Reva goes.”

"Still, I'll have the Ensign taken in," Gilroy said. His Klingon side was showing.

Darwin wavered. He was pretty sure the Ensign wasn't to blame, but Gilroy was the senior officer and the matter fell under his responsibilities. "Another chat with Seyla might not hurt. Gil, I could talk to the Ensign, too. Maybe impress upon her what a bad idea it is to be around our local Madame?"

"Instead of taking her to Piper?"

"Well, yeah. If she's off her inhibitors, Piper would already know and would have notified us. This is probably Seyla's doing." And Seyla fell under Darwin's area of responsibilities.

"Get it under control, then," Gilroy ordered. "Last thing we need is the males of the Station getting riled up." Considering how riled up Gilroy was at the moment, this was a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Gilroy's anger, though, was triggered by Suresh for being Suresh and by mention of the Orion, Madhava. He held her in a degree of contempt usually reserved for those like Suresh.

"Will do," Darwin acknowledged.

“At least in public,” Suresh agreed. “I don’t care what she does at home. Seyla either for that matter. I do care, however, what I do at home and what I am supposed to be doing now. I’m meeting Six at the lake and if I am late, she may toss me in it.”

"We'll talk later, then," Darwin said as Suresh stood and left.

"I'm really not sure about this," Gilroy grumbled.

"He's actually weirdly nice, considering who he looks like. Just think of him as a twin. Same looks, different person."

"Same name, still an obsessive personality," Gil shook his head. "Perhaps, someday, I'll see him as you do."

"Lesser miracles have happened."

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Lt. Gilroy
Lt. M. Darwin
Suresh