Coffee Break Broken
Posted on Mon Sep 5th, 2016 @ 12:11pm by Admiral Lucius Hawke & Lieutenant Commander Kh'ali & Commander Oralia Zeferino
Edited on on Mon Sep 5th, 2016 @ 2:30pm
Mission: Further Challenges
Admiral’s Office
Metaphorically knee-deep in reports, Oralia paced the Admiral’s office, reading one report after another. Two, in particular, stopped her in her tracks and made her sit in one of the armchairs. She went over the reports twice before moving on. Another report kept her in the armchair, worry gnawing at her. These things required another’s input. “Computer, where is Admiral Hawke?”
=^= Admiral Hawke is in the Executive Officer’s office =^= the computer replied.
“What’s he doing there?” Oz wondered out loud.
=^= He is meeting with Acting XO, Lt. Commander Kh’ali. He arrived at 1400 hours and the meeting has run for 21 minutes. =^=
She had meant that as a rhetorical question, but, as she often did, forgot the computer was a very literal creature. “Ah. Thanks,” she muttered and stood. “Time for a walk.” She headed out for Kh’ali’s current office.
XO’s Office
Kozel looked up as Oz entered the XO’s outer office. He immediately stood behind his desk as she approached. “Good afternoon, Commander. What may I do for you?”
“Oh, nothing. Just thought I’d drop by and chat up our acting XO,” Oz said as she started past the guy’s desk.
“Of course.” He pressed the panel on his desk to open the door. “Go right on in. Is there anything I can get for you?” Kozel asked.
“No, I’m good, thanks,” Oz strolled through the doors. “Admiral Hawke, Commander Kh’ali, hope I’m not interrupting anything personal.”
Lucius looked over as the doors closed and smiled. “Of course not, Oz. Have a seat.”
“We were actually just discussing calling you. I got a report in that Lt. Sukotav was hit with a blast down in Science but he has been released from Sickbay and is back at work,” Kh’ali reported. “What’s up?”
“I got in three troubling reports - one is about the presence of a Borg cube five days out from the Station; two others involve two deaths: Legate Boroca on Cardassia and Chairman Rekar on Romulus. One is with the Obsidian Order, the other the Tal’Shiar.”
Lucius raised an eyebrow as he looked back at her. “Both of them? What the hell is going on out there? Which is, I suppose, what you came to ask me?”
“Um... yeah, Mr. Intel,” Oz nodded, smiling slightly. “Since they’re both heads of their own intel/intrigue organizations... maybe we should put an extra layer of security on you, too. Aia and Saye, as well.”
“Aia has a detail already due to the Krenim situation so that should be plenty.” Lucius frowned for a moment. “I could but I'm not sure that’s necessary. Both of them are notably non-Fleet. I’m curious if someone somewhere is trying to make a statement. It might be time for me to reach across the divide, as it were, and make some calls. I know the Vice-Chairman but with the Order, it’s somewhat unclear. Boroca was notoriously tight-fisted with the reins there.”
“If it is a concerted effort, the blowback on the Fleet could be severe. Those two worlds don’t often cooperate on anything but this could do it,” Kh’ali stated.
“This isn’t something the Fleet would have done, then?” Oz watched Lucius for any tells. “I’d rather not have us get caught on more than one front - with a Borg cube possibly heading this way, any issues coming through the wormhole, or cutting us off on the other end, will be deadly.”
“It would,” Lucius agreed. “I’ll get on this immediately and Kh’ali, if any requests come your way, send word. Leto can start digging as well. Which reminds me Oz, any word on Dae yet?”
“Edana was found; Dae was released and should be back up here. Leto should know where he is,” Oz answered.
“Released? And the charges? Who actually did it, because I’m not going to believe Dae did,” Lucius answered.
“Dae didn’t. It was a guard, taking orders from a currently unknown person. She’s been found and the Archadians are working to get her to talk. Gilroy’s left that investigation to the Archadians.” Oz shrugged. “For now, the charges against Dae have been suspended, pending review of the file by the Magistrate.”
“Well, at least that’s progress.” Kh’ali muttered. “Otherwise, I might have to tag Gil and go down and go full Klingon on them. As for the Romulan/Cardassian issue, I’ll keep you both posted if anything comes my way. I can alert Flight Control and they can monitor the cube.”
Oz nodded. “We’ll talk soon, then. I haven’t heard from Darwin or his three wards; I’ll check with Gilroy, see if he has.”
Lucius shook his head. “Neither have I, but with a Borg cube out there, I intend to make contact. I’ll stop by and see you later Oz. We have a few things to cover.”
“Okay. I’ll warn Hope,” she said, teasingly. “I’m off to the Promenade for a cup from Java.”
* The Promenade - Java *
Taking a seat in Java, Oz put her mug on the table and sniffed at the scent of coffee, cream and sugar. She smiled, anticipating her first sip.
A shadow fell over the table and then a man sat down across from her, his features unmistakably Krenim. “I’ve heard that all the caffeine in that stuff is poison,” he commented. “It can kill you.”
“Breathing air kills you, too,” she jested. “Eventually.” She took a sip and grimaced, wondering why this Krenim was sullying her coffee time.
“Among other things. I understand you are sitting in the big chair right now. As such, I hope you’ll be more reasonable than Admiral Hawke,” the man stated. “Your science officers have something I want, something stolen from my people by Hawke’s own son and a Brenari spy.”
“More reasonable than Admiral Hawke?” She laughed lightly. “I’ve been called lots of things before. That’s not one of them. And whatever object you’re talking about, if it’s stolen... file a report with Security.”
The man’s eyes narrowed at Oz’s sidestep. “Maybe I’d rather take something as repayment,” he suggested. Leaning in closer, he lowered his voice. “Like a certain night club owner? Or perhaps a young man whose ‘chances’ may be running out?”
The threat made her blood run cold. Coffee be damned: she reached up, knocking her coffee to the floor, and grabbed the man’s shirt front. “You just made a mistake,” she said, pulling him off balance.
The scuffle drew plenty of attention from those at the nearby tables but the man didn’t seem to notice. His attention was all on Oz. “Then perhaps I should let you consider my offer,” he whispered. “Think on it.” He managed to touch the small device strapped to his wrist and in an instant, Oz’s grip was empty.
She lurched into the empty space then glanced around, as if he’d somehow managed to sidestep away from her. Noticing the attention she’d garnered, she grimaced but ignored the stares. Instead, she tapped her commbadge and ordered Security to her location.
******************
Admiral Lucius Hawke
Lt. Commander Kh’ali
Commander Oralia Zeferino
Nevros(Krenim)
