LtJG Jovenan – The Limbo

13 views

Skip to first unread message

Jovenan

unread,

Aug 1, 2023, 2:30:05 PM8/1/23

to USS Artemis-A – StarBase 118 Star Trek PBEM RPG

((Brew Continuum, Cait Spacedock))

Jovenan felt awkward. She had shot down the question about where she had been heading, not wanting to open up about her homesickness. Commander Dakora had asked her to join for a coffee, but after that she didn’t know what the Commander would want her to do. To continue conversation? To thank for a chat and leave him so he could focus on his work? She didn’t have many options to choose from, but whichever she chose, there was a chance she’d appear rude.

Jovenan: Uh, may I ask, sir? I asked what you do out of work, but I realised… I don’t actually know much about what you do at work.

His eyebrows moved, ever so slightly. She didn’t know what it meant.

Dakora: You want to know what I do? ::He laughed, wryly.:: Why would you want to know that?

Jovenan: I – I don’t mean to ask about the secret stuff, and I saw a little of your work during the last shore leave, but, uh, there’s no terrorists dropping asteroids on planets every day. It’s just that… I haven’t met too many intel officers before.

It was true. The only other intel officer she could remember meeting was the other ensign besides her and Hiro when Commander Niac took them spacewalking. Commader Dakora was the only one she had worked with, and even then, it was an exceptional case. Or was it? Was that something that intel officers did all day?

Dakora: When you break it down the bulk of my job isn't that much different than yours. ::He rapped the knuckles of his left hand on the table for emphasis.:: We take tiny, disparate pieces of information-- gathered from a wide variety of sources-- and try to figure out what it all means. ::He rapped the knuckles of his left hand on the table for emphasis.:: But, while you sciencey types might be trying to unlock the secrets of a newly discovered plant or something, I may be trying to extrapolate how the assassination of some political figure on X planet a sector over is going to cause an influx of security resources to move to that area, emboldening the local warlord of planet Y to act up over here in the Borderlands. ::He shrugged.:: If we do our jobs right, we can advise the Captain and crew of potential threats before they're a problem. ::He cast his eyes down to the table.:: When we don't, well...

She followed his look to the PADD on the table. Oh right, the Suliban attack. Did he blame himself for the fact that the Suliban pirates had surprised them? Jovenan wanted to believe there was nothing he could have done, but she didn’t know enough of the field nor the subject to say either way.

As for his explanation, it made sense. Maybe. It was research work of a different kind. Just… Different. She wanted to ask more about how it worked, what methods they used, where the research questions came from and more, but she realised those questions would be beyond something that could be discussed with a junior officer in a public café. She went ahead with another question instead.

Jovenan: How would it differ if you’d be stationed on a station or a planet? What do intel officers do on a ship?

Dakora: I've only ever served on ships, but I can imagine there are some aspects that are easier-- not having to shift your threat coverage area every time the ship moves and it would be much easier to cultivate a network of informants and allies if you were on the planet or base every day.-- might simplify things. ::He scrunched up his face a little as he thought.:: Though there would be downsides as well. The fixed location adds a level of predictable vulnerability that may not be present on a ship. It's much easier to plan an attack if you know exactly where the target will be six months from now.

And this was where the difference to science came in. They served on a starship and had recently been in a spacebattle, so she knew they were always in a small risk of being targeted. But to Jovenan, those had been attacks against the ship or somebody else. The science officers, if they were not on the bridge or some other operational posting, were often bystanders in a battle. Very few opponents would target a ship for its scientific operations. But an intel officer was a desired target. It had not occurred to Jovenan for some reason. She wondered if he ever stressed how many people had a bullet with his name written on it…

The Commander shook his empty cup. While they had been talking for a while, it had been the coffee he had been after.

Dakora: I guess we've been talking longer than I realized. ::He smiled.:: I should probably get back to work and let you get back to enjoying your shore leave.

Oh, okay.

Jovenan: Then, I’m letting you also enjoy your… uh, work, sir.

The Commander stood up, followed soon after by Jovenan.

Dakora: It was nice talking to you Jovenan. I'll see you later.

Jovenan: You as well, sir!

As he walked away, Jovenan could help but think of how she used to be terrified of all senior officers. Commander Dakora didn’t scare her or intimidate her anymore, really, but what had taken the place was an awkward limbo state of distant respect and not-quite-yet-friendship. When would she make friends of the senior officers of the Artemis and be comfortable with them, if ever? When would that even be appropriate, and how would you do that?

Abandoning those thoughts, she picked up the pace and resumed her journey to the transit terminal.