Strange Face, Familiar Place

Posted on Mon Jan 7th, 2013 @ 5:33pm by Lieutenant Commander Leto & Major Patrick Smith

Mission: The Struggle Within
Location: CIO's Office

* * * Intel Chief’s Office * * *

Leto entered the code in the turbolift that gave access to the Intel decks and started her way up. She’d called ahead to make sure Patrick was in and now it was reveal time. he’d just returned and was due for one hell of a surprise, though she suspected he’d take it better than Nick had. Several minutes later, the lift stopped and she stepped out into the corridor and mad her way to his office.

Patrick sitting in his office was contemplating life, as you do. Since returning to 900 from his briefings back from he had received yet more reports, added on top of that came a wealth of information from various intelligence operations that were running within the delta quadrant and the station and he had had to learn and memorise everyone of them. While memorising top secret information and operations was something he had always been accustomed to this was starting to take the biscuit and he now wondered how he’d gotten from flying to where he was now. Grabbing a coca cola, his 8th that day, he sat back down and closed his eyes hoping to doze off briefly.

His impromptu nap was interrupted by a very familiar voice. It came from outside the door, its owner not yet visible.

“Welcome back, gorgeous.” She waited a moment, then stepped into the office.

Smith’s eyes popped open sharply at her voice, “Who the...” was all he got as he tried to process the woman before him. He screwed his face up slightly. “Ok no I’ll run with my first thought. Who the heck are you?” The voice nagged him but the face he didn’t recognise at all.

“What? Forgotten my voice already?” She crossed slowly to stand before him. “Wakey wakey..” she chanted, reminding him of that now infamous wake-up call. “That help?”

His eyes widened yet again, “No the voice was what stopped me mid sentence. Nita what the hell have I missed this time?” he asked lifting a few padds on the desk to see where this little piece of information had gotten lost.

“I had a most interesting trip to Archadia not long ago.” She sat down in front of his desk. “You recall we were sniffing around as something down there smells bad. I got spotted and given the Prime Minister’s henchman, you’ll find him on...” She paused and reached over, sorting through his padds, “on this one, I have to change. He’s looking for me.”

Pat took it and looked at the picture and the other information that was set out at the top of his bio. “So I’m going to guess then you decided to go the whole hog as they say and become someone new? Not a bad idea. Although it’s a tad creepy hearing your voice come from you...ish.”

“You think you had issues? Nick walked out and left me in Sickbay and it took him some time to adjust. It was hard for him and he’s still getting there. And the name’s Leto now.”

“I’d imagine so. But he is a spook. He will adapt because that’s what you guys have to do, though not usually as dramatic as you,” he added. “So what have you found out down there before you got rumbled?”

“This is my second transformation, though the first was before I met Nick. That one came after a little trouble in Chile with Li and Jackson....long story. Anyway. We’re keeping a close eye on the Queen, Melanippe the maniac. The new Prime Minister and she have never been bosom buddies and we think that something fishy is in the works. Nothing definite yet. NIck’s still able to move about the palace. I took a little break but now I can get back to it.”

Pat chuckled at the maniac addition to the Queens name, “Interesting. I would suggest poking into the Prime Minister’s business. Any bad blood there may turn up something, indeed check the line of succession. Some people are patient when it comes to being top of the food chain of a planet.”

“Well if Melanippe has children one of them will take over. Otherwise if something happens to her, and she has no offspring or nieces or other relatives, the Prime Minister moves to her position. In this case, Melanippe has several nieces so the Prime Minister is in no danger of losing her position if something happens to Melanippe. It puts the Queen in a very dangerous position obviously. Already, those surrounding the former queen and involved in her death are all mysteriously vanishing.”

“Well that rules out trying to take over as Queen then. I think I’ll have someone check up on the nieces though and keep tabs on them all the same just incase. It appears as if noone there is untouchable,” he commented. “I rather suspect though that whatever is afoot here will continue to take place where recent events have unfolded. Whoever is behind this will already have the infrastructure in place.” He scratched his chin, “Which really leaves us to find it.”

“Exactly. Something stinks big time and Levin was involved in it up to his eyeballs. There’s a report there also of the murder of the captain of the guard who was definitely involved in the plot to murder the old queen. And now, Veist, the PM’s main man, is causing trouble. He’d have finished me off if not for Nick.” Leto gave a sly smile. “Now he’ll never find who he’s looking for.”

“The murder of the Captain is of great worry. Her replacement is undoubtedly in on whatever’s going, however I would suggest focusing on Veist. It may be that you can uncover some of the foundations here and when we know what we are dealing with topple the tower from the bottom,” he said. “Plus those on the bottom are easier to get drunk, or to beat up. Whichever.”

“Or seduce.” She smirked at him. “Even Veist has to have a weakness and I intend to make good use of it. Rather ironic, don’t you think?”
Pat just shook his head and raised his eyebrows. “Whatever works. Just as long as we don’t have to explain to the Admiral when he returns when the Archadian government has completely changed since he decided to hop dimensions.”

“Understood. And do me a favor? Let me tell Nick about this little idea? I can keep him sane since you know he won’t like it. At all.”

“Ah yea probably a good idea. I have very little interest in getting to see how well Nick can fight,” he remarked cringing slightly. “Keep me in the loop as soon as you find anything. I’ll start mapping out what we do know to see if I can get anymore leads for you to pursue.”

Leto nodded. “I did get a message from Kh’ali that she’d been invited to dinner with Aegina, the Prime Minister. I’m hoping Nick can be part of the waitstaff so he can keep an eye on things. You’ll know what we know as soon as we know it. Though with what Kh’ali’s had to deal with the past few days, I hope that Aegina doesn’t cross her. She’s really not in the mood for stupid stuff and we all know what a pissed off Klingon can do.”

“That’s true. I trust someone will be going down there with Kh’ali to the dinner? We don’t really want her making accusations or spooking anyone who may be at the dinner,” he asked.

Leto raised an eyebrow. “She’s better than that. And Lt. Dobry’s supposed to go along as well. It’ll be fine. Don’t worry. If they do get stupid, Khali is more likely to put things in perspective for the PM. Namely, putting that woman in a position to have way too much to lose to continue being stupid. It’s what she did to Melanippe before she was queen.”

“Oh I know she is. But when things get stressful at home it tends to affect the rest of what's happening in your life,” he commented slightly bemused that he had managed to remember that report of all things. “Fingers crossed the Queen will listen and surround herself in people she knows can be trusted. Until then we have work to do.”

“We do. I have to get down to the planet and attract a certain someone’s attention.” Leto stood and gave Patrick a smile. “Welcome home, we missed you.”

“Yea. Pity the welcome home present was crap,” he joked indicating to the padds. “Good luck down there and stay safe. Both you and Nick,” he added.

“We will be. Bet on it.”

******************
Lt.(jg) Leto
Still Making Plans

Lt. Patrick Smith
Still Able To Be Surprised