Protective Custody

Posted on Thu Nov 29th, 2012 @ 8:38am by Marina & Major Patrick Smith & Lieutenant Commander Leto

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Intelligence Suites

* * * Intel Center * * *

Smith hated meetings. Especially ones that involve trips away to places that he has to pretend to like people who often are clueless. In the case of his recent trip Intelligence gurus at Starfleet command who don’t do anything other than read out a padd. In short he was glad to be back. Getting to his office he called for Nenita to swing by so that he could fill her and and replicated a coke before sitting down with his feet up in the comfiest chair he’d had since the meeting.

Right on cue, Nenita appeared in the door. “Welcome home, handsome.” She looked him over and smiled ear to ear. “You need something?”

“Sure do. Just got back to the news that our bosses want missing. Our acting Chief Security Officer ambushed me in the hanger wanting to scan in intel places for the Admiral. I told her that we would do it and pass it on so thats on the to do list.” He took his feet off the desk and stood up. “On slightly related note hows our guest doing?”

“I’ll go on the Admiral hunt. As for Marina? Likely bored out of her skull. This place maybe fun and games for the two of us. Her, not so much. How’s her friend doing?”

“Her friend was taken to sickbay recently and has been moved to guest quarters, though I guess you know that. I plan to let Marina know that Jade is safe now and then let security look after her. She will be able to move about at least with them watching her. But before we bring her down i need to speak to Lazan.”

“She should be pretty safe, since she’s unknown to Suresh’s organization. It’s the other one that’s going to have issues, Patrick.”

Pat nodded. “I’ll bring that up with Lazan. Though I figure we are going to have to get Jade off this base as soon as we can.”

“Depends on what happens when Suresh gets back. If he gets back, that is. The Admiral my kill him and save us all the trouble.” She smiled at Patrick and shrugged. “Wouldn’t bother me any.”

“Nor me. Alright let’s go say hello and let her into the good news and then you can get scanning the intel suites, not that I expect the Admiral to be here, and then if you could make the arrangements for Jade to get taken into protective custody,” Pat half instructed and asked.

“I’ll leave you to handle Marina and report in to Security.” Nenita smiled warmly and gave him a wink. “Have fun.”

* * *

Intel Suites

Boredom sucked...

...but it was better than living life as a pleasure slave or a prostitute.

Everytime Marina Tam found herself bored to tears, she tried to remind herself of that fact. Still, being confined to quarters inside the Intel suite was exactly that. Confined. How long had it been? She’d stopped counting after the first few days. It was clear she’d be there an indeterminate time.

Sigh.

By now, she’d become familiar with every inch of the rooms she’d been assigned after Lt. Patrick Smith had confided in her he wasn’t the smuggler pilot she had originally thought. It was just part of his cover. He had brought her here, shown her where she’d be staying and told her she’d be safe. Then he had promptly dropped out of sight again.

However, he’d been good on his word: someone had come to remove the slave collar right away and before that first day had been out and someone else had come in with a hypospray to reverse the the drug she’d been given to inhibit her natural telepathic abilities.

There was a replicator which at the touch of a fingertip, could produce anything from food and drink to clothing. A personal terminal, with limited access, for her to use so she could watch holomovies. She was getting caught up on movies she had missed and seen others that had long been on her ‘want to watch’ list. And the entire time she spent lounging in her comfortable quarters, Marina remembered she was the lucky one...and wondered what had happened to her friend, Jade. No one had any answers for her (not that she saw very many people) or, more than likely, had them, but weren’t at liberty to share them with her.

Smith opened the door interrupting whatever thought may have come next, “Sorry about the lack of visiting. A trip through the wormhole for the usual riff raff briefings that really could have been sent to me over subspace. How have you been?” He asked remembering she probably doesn’t want to hear about his trip.

Marina barely managed to not squeak in surprise at his sudden and unannounced entrance into her quarters. Her fathomless black gaze held his as she blinked at him and finally spoke. “It’s alright, I didn’t think you’d be stuck pulling babysitting duty or looking for ways to entertain me. I’ve been well.” Bored, but well, she thought to herself. A small smile tipped up the corners of her mouth finally. “Ever hear of using the door chime?”

Pat caught himself, “Oh yea sorry. Gotta get down the levels to meet a contact. As they say something has hit the fan. And yea, I’d imagine that it would get boring fast in here. All being well though you and Jade can go shopping shortly,” he said hinting at Jades rescue.

Coming a few steps closer, she looked up at him. “I heard the alarm klaxons the other day, but I’m rather isolated in here.” A moment later, what he said about Jade registered. “Shopping? What happened?”

“The alarms were Suresh... kidnapping the Stations CO and XO,” Pat told her frowning slightly as if to say, ‘Why on earth would anyone be that stupid’. “Following that security raided his quarters and found Jade, in the nick of time by the sounds of it. From what I gather she was taken to sickbay and released. She’s been moved to guest quarters. Security is currently keeping an eye on her.”

“Is she alright?” Already her mind was filling with all sorts of worst case scenarios and she had to force herself not to do that. It wasn’t very easy though. Suresh had a reputation for being not only ruthless, but brutal as well.

“Yep. Two of his goons were roughing her up. Apparently though until then she’d been left pretty much alone with Suresh not going near her, so no need to worry thankfully. Sickbay tend to get wounds clear up pretty quick and that’s speaking from experience,” he replied.

The Romulan had left Jade alone? Marina found that difficult to believe. However, the Human woman’s beauty had earned her the less than special attention of two others. It was tempting to reach out and have a look into Patrick’s thoughts for more details, but on second thought, she didn’t want to know. Nor did she want to get caught digging where she shouldn’t.

Shifting her focus back to him, she tilted her head. “Been banged up a time or two, have you?”

Pat chuckled, “Yep. Had to rescue the Chief of security a while back. Involved me getting stunned to make it look like security had freed her. That and then the flying accidents.”

She wasn’t sure how to react to that, so she gave him a small smile. “All in a day’s work I suppose. At least in your line of work.”

“Yea true. Maybe I’ll fill you in on some of the flying stuff sometime... what of it I’m allowed to anyway. For now though I have to speak to a contact, and then I’ll be back to take you to security so they can set you up with proper quarters and a guard for the time being. Should only be another hour or two tops,” he said.

Marina smiled. “That would be nice, both the stories about your time as a pilot and getting out of here.” Tucking a section of dark, glossy hair behind her ear, she looked up at him from under her lashes. Odd how things had turned out. Originally, Suresh had given her to Patrick, to be used or done with as he saw fit, but it turned out that she had indeed been the lucky one. “I overheard what you said to him...Suresh...about perhaps having company on some of your runs. Was that just part of your cover?”

Pat smiled back, “Pretty much. I don’t do much flying now that I’m in intel outside of working for Suresh and now even that seems over. Anything else is recreational which is still a plus.”

“You sound like you miss it some.”

“I’ll always be a pilot. Was a marine corps one to boot. I got where I’m told and I’ll do the job I need to do and if I can get some flying into it then thats a bonus,” he answered smiling again. “Though I admit I don’t miss the hard seats especially given how spoilt I am with my office chair now,” he joked.

After having been left to her own devices for so long, it was nice to have someone to talk to, yet she knew he couldn’t stay. “Cushy chair, is it?” The answer was obvious. “I shouldn’t keep you. You said you had a contact to speak to. The sooner you do that, the sooner you can get back to make arrangements to get me out of here.”

Smith chuckled, “Yea. They’d need to watch out or I’ll be taking it for my ship.” He walked back out the door. “Should be back shortly,” he said before leaving letting the doors close.

Marina’s gaze lingered on the closed doors and she sighed then whispered to the empty room. “See you then.”

***************************

Lieutenant Patrick Smith
Chief Intelligence Officer
and Future storyteller / cushy chair thief

Marina Tam
Bored Betazoid Beauty

Lt.(jg) Nenita Quidley
Prowling Intel