Rear Admiral Quinn Reynolds - A Traitor In Our Midst

[Quinn Reynolds]

((Ready Room, USS Gorkon))

::Quinn sank back in her chair, dropping the PADD on her desk as though it were covered in something unpleasant, and eyed the Mazarite in front of her. The JAG officer had an affected stern bearing, the sweep of grey starting at his temples adding that extra touch of gravitas. He'd been nothing but polite since his arrival, but near every word that had left his lips had a thin layer of slime and dismayed or frustrated her.::

Kotanne: I realise this must be hard to hear, Admiral.

Reynolds: Don't worry, Commander. I'm not going to shoot the messenger. ::As tempting as that might be.:: But you can understand why I might be angry that one of my officers was under investigation and no one saw fit to tell me.

Kotanne: I do, sir. But these were… exceptional circumstances. Exceptional charges. ::He offered her a thin smile.:: I'm sure you understand, especially with your background.

::Would she have done otherwise in his situation? Probably not. Hell, she hadn't. The nature of the crimes, and of the individual who committed them, required that any investigation or response be telegraphed as little as possible. There was the risk of a leak, and the person in question was more than capable of escape if forewarned. So she smiled, completely without warmth, and made a small sound of acknowledgement. 

::Yes, she understood, but that didn't mean she liked it. She had plans, and this most certainly did not fit into them.:: 

Reynolds: You're going to make the arrest today?

Kotanne: Yes, sir. The intention was to do so once I'd finished briefing you.

Reynolds: I'll join you.

::For a moment, she thought he was going to protest. Instead, he inclined his head in acquiescence. Much as she'd had to admit he was right about keeping her in the dark, there was little room for him to argue she couldn't be present at the arrest of one of her own.:: 

Kotanne: Of course.

Reynolds: And you'll use the Gorkon's brig.

::He stiffened, sitting upright in his chair, primed to object. Not entirely unexpected, but his grounds for doing so were thin.::

Kotanne: Admiral— 

Reynolds: The Gorkon is more secure than any of the surface facilities. ::She fixed him with a cool stare.:: And I assume you weren't intending to transport a high-risk prisoner aboard that shuttle of yours. 

::The corner of his eye twitched, his pronounced adam's apple bouncing as he swallowed. After a moment's thinking time, he inclined his head toward her. He was about to lie, but why?::

Kotanne: We had intended to use the Njörðr as our prisoner transport, but obviously after recent events… ::He let that linger in the air before continuing on.:: Thank you. We'll make use of your brig until alternative transport arrives.

::The languid orbit of the ship brought Deluvia's golden sun cresting through the ready room window, spilling light across her desk. Most of her crew couldn't see it; they were on the dark side of the planet below, enjoying the music, drink and beach bonfires of a luau. Her gaze fixed on Kotanne, Quinn couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right, and she decided to test the waters.::

Reynolds: The Gorkon does have a slipstream drive. It wouldn't be a problem to take you the whole way back to Earth.

Kotanne: That is a very generous offer, sir. ::He answered quickly, and there was that bob of his adam's apple again.:: But the transport shouldn't take long to arrive, and this criminal has caused enough... disruption as it is.

::His choice of words caught her attention, and she raised her eyebrows.::

Reynolds: I thought it was innocent until proven guilty, Commander.

Kotanne: That is the law's presumption, Admiral, not mine. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't assured of guilt.

Reynolds: I see. 

::She paused. Theories, options and outcomes ran through her head, and she allowed herself a few moments to process several of them. Indulging in conspiracy theories was something of an occupational hazard for intelligence officers, both former and present, but as the old saying went; it wasn't paranoia if someone really was up to no good.::

Reynolds: Well then, ::she stood, straightening her uniform, adjusting the obnoxious belt the uniform code insisted upon,:: let's get this over with.

::The Mazerite followed suit and got to his feet, watching her as she circled around her desk. A good head taller than she was, he kept a respectful distance beside her as they left the ready room. As calm as her outward appearance was, her stomach was churning, mind racing ahead at warp speeds, even as she was aware that for now, all she could do was to let events take their course.::

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Rear Admiral Quinn Reynolds
Commanding Officer

USS Gorkon

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