This Is What You Call Down Time?

Posted on Mon Mar 4th, 2013 @ 5:57am by Admiral Lucius Hawke & Commander Dae Nalas

Mission: The Struggle Within
Location: Federation Shuttle Sirius

[b]* * * Federation Shuttle Sirius * * *[/b]


"Lt. Commander Nalas?" The man in Federation grey stood over the bunk where Dae lay snoozing. When the prone figure didn't budge, he tried again. "Commander Nalas!" Still nothing. He reached down and shook Dae's shoulder. "Dae, wake the hell up."

The man in Intel grey was what, in past centuries, would have been known as a 'handler' - an Intel agent assigned to oversee an undercover agent, serve as his contact, his extraction if things went bad. Commander Jens Larsson had been with Dae since the day Starfleet had discovered his talent for undercover work and put him to good use.

"Kiss my ass..." Dae murmured. "Go on to the picnic without me..." His voice was heavy, slurred with sleep. "And if you see that brunette, you know the one, tell her I'll be waiting in the hot tub." He promptly turned over and went back to sleep.

Jens rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated grunt. He'd known Dae for many years now, had been with him in an official capacity that long and he'd never changed. When he was not undercover, whatever Dae thought Dae said. If a woman caught his eye, he'd whistle, even if she was on the arm of a Nausicaan. He played hard, but Jens had to admit that given the pressure and danger that was a constant part of his life, he deserved it. And after all this time, he was due to rotate off deep cover and have some down time, something less stressful, at least by their standards.

Jens had to laugh at the idea that Intel in the Delta Quadrant could be considered low stress. Then again, compared to their usual activities, it was a walk in the park. Jens was due for a stint in San Francisco, where he'd spend several weeks behind a desk, being de-briefed and reconstructing the recent mission overseeing a man he affectionately called 'The Lone Ranger'.

"How long till we reach the wormhole?" he called up to the pilot.

"A while, assuming no problems.You have about twelve hours to get sleeping beauty to wake up and get presentable."

Presentable? Jens looked down at Dae and rolled his eyes. The pilot was right, the man was an absolute mess. Jens had gotten used to seeing Dae in every imaginable state and had reached the point where he barely noticed. But this mission had been a rough one and Dae looked the part.

He'd been on Cestus III investigating yet another wave of violence. The fear was that the Gorn were once more beginning a clandestine operation aimed at destroying the colony and once again removing the Federation colonists. It had required that Dae move among the rougher parts of the colony, seeking out what he could find. So far, it seemed to be the work of a local organization with hopes of overthrowing Federation oversight in order to gain control of a prime logistical location.

The method had been unique, however. Telepaths were at the root of it, using their abilities to stir violent behavior, outbursts, civil unrest - then riding in to the rescue to restore order. Jens had to admit, it was an inventive tactic. Given Dae's extensive telepathic talents, he'd been the man for the job, but it had worn him down. Finally, Jens himself had ordered the extraction. He had some news for Dae once he awakened - namely the move to the Delta Quadrant. Looking at Dae now, however, he was obviously filthy, needed a shave, new clothes and a good meal. Luckily, they could take care of all of it.

Reaching down, Jens yanked the thin blanket that covered the man away, leaving him uncovered and wearing only boxer shorts. The clothes he'd worn when they retrieved him had been thrown down the recycling chute and leaving them all wishing the shuttle windows could open for some fresh air.

"Rise and shine, sweetheart." Jens grinned over at the pilot as he spoke.

"Aww Mom, I don't wanna go to school today..." Dae murmured.

"Pity."

Jens bent down, slipped under Dae's arm and hauled him up. Moments later, a colorful string of curses in seven different languages echoed through the shuttle.

Up front the pilot shook his head. "Better you than me, Jens," he called out.

[center]* * *[/center]

"Hit me again," Dae ordered.

Jens passed him his third cup of raktajino and he took a sip. Lowering the mug, he regarded Jens a long moment.

"What in the hell was in that hypospray you gave me when you beamed me up?"

"Damn near every antibiotic known to man, and a sedative. Given the shape you were in, we didn't want to catch anything you might have, and you were so wiped out mentally you did little more than babble. Glad to see you can string two words together now. Welcome back."

Dae raised his mug in a salute. "Aside from shoving me in the shower, you always did take such good care of me." His tone was sardonic. "So now you're delivering me to where?"

"The Delta Quadrant. SB900 has requested you and the order came from the man himself."

"Admiral Hawke?" Dae was obviously surprised. "Sounds like a case of 'out of the frying pan and into the fire'. And this is supposed to be my change to a low-stress job? What did I do to make you hate me so much, Jens?" He gave a fake sniff and wiped non-existent tears from his eyes.

"You want the whole list or just the top ten?" Despite the question, Jens was smiling. This was an age-old routine with them and both men enjoyed the banter.

"Fuck you, and I mean that in the nicest way possible," Dae replied.

Jens' smile widened. "You wouldn't enjoy it, I'd just lay there."

"Touché, I bow to the master. Facing you that is." Dae inclined his head, then lifted his mug once more. After another sip he spoke again. "So what do you have on my department chief?"

"Funny you should ask that." Jens knew his next words would get a reaction. "You are the department chief, at least for a little while."

"The hell you say." Dae leaned closer across the table. "Seriously? I always knew Hawke had a sense of humour."

"Now see?" Jens leaned back in his chair. "I knew you'd enjoy this job."

"And what about you?"

"I am off to San Francisco," Jens answered. "They figured that after spending years with you, I needed a padded cell and soft soothing music and pretty nurses giving me sponge baths."

"Yeah, good luck with that." Dae's smile was a sly one. "Since it's you, you'll get Brunhilda, and she'll be wearing a horned helmet." He drank down the last of the liquid in his mug. "So they're chaining you to a desk so you can write the story of your adventures, are they? And pummel you with questions about what it's like to work with someone like me?"

Jens nodded. "Basically yes. I'll be on 900 in about two months, give or take. They are giving me some vacation time, then I'll be right back on your doorstep watching out for you."

"Lucky me. And how the hell do you get vacation time when I don't?"

Jens' smile returned and he pointed to the pips on his collar. "See these?"

That question got a grumble. "As I said earlier, fuck you."

"Hey you two, I hate to break up this little tea party, but you've got a call coming in from Admiral Hawke," the pilot informed them.

Dae stood and refilled his mug, then returned to the table. "Looks like it's business time."

Jens pulled the terminal at the edge of the table forward, then moved around beside Dae so that they would both be visible. Dae reached out to activate the viewscreen and the face of Admiral Hawke materialized. His appearance was quite distinguished, Dae thought. He'd heard talk (legends) of Lucius Hawke for as long as he could remember, but Dae's usual assignments meant that he wasn't in direct contact with the Starfleet brass. This was his first look at the man and he could understand the respect that usually went along with those stories.

"Admiral Hawke, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. "

"Agreed Commander. I trust the extraction went off without too much trouble?"

The question got a laugh from Jens and he answered first. "More or less, sir." His laughter faded now. "It was a rough time there and he was pretty well shot by the time I got him out. A nice long sleep and a shower did wonders."

"A long, leggy brunette would do even more but so far I'm out of luck there," Dae commented.

Jens rolled his eyes and muttered at Dae, but Lucius laughed. "Understandable. I know you still have about ten hours' travel time and need it to continue recovering so I won't take up much of it. Have you been briefed?"

"Brief is a good word for it, sir." Dae smiled now. "I understand that you need me as a department chief? That's a little unusual for me."

"It's an interim position. Some things are developing here that will mean a reassignment later in the year. Commander Larsson has all the particulars, so I won't go over them now. Some recent events required the move of 900's current Intel chief back to the flight wing and the next in line's been through a hellish assignment and needs some time before she takes over. The details of that are in your packet as well. I will say that while this is a little different for you, your special touch is just what is needed right now."

"I see." Dae considered that for a few seconds. "I thought Li was running things out there."

"She was," Lucius answered. "Before she was promoted to station XO."

"I see I have been out of the loop." Finally Dae nodded. "Very well, sir. I'll be there with bells on."

Lucius now addressed Jens. "See that he's brought up to speed by the time you arrive. I'll see you both when you reach 900. Hawke out."

Dae was silent in the wake of the call as he mulled over the current situation. "Jens, does anyone ever tell him no?"

A grin spread over Jens' face. "What do you think?"

Dae shook his head and finally laughed. "That's what I thought. Alright, let's get to it."

**************
Lt. Commander Dae Nalas
Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire

Commander Jens Larsson
Headed For Vacation

Admiral Lucius Hawke
Is The Day Over Yet?