(Backsim) Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek & Lieutenant JG Tiria Hamasaki: I Will Act
Koihime Nakamura
OOC: This takes place the day after Lael and German return from their camping trip on Cait.
((Rosek & Galven’s Shared Quarters, USS Astraeus))
{{Time Index: Early morning}}
::German had left for alpha shift a few minutes ago with plans to meet for a late dinner. Lael herself was on delta shift on the bridge today, leaving her alone in their quarters until late morning to finish unpacking and decorating. Some of her pieces would naturally stay in their storage boxes as they wouldn’t fit well with some of the things German had brought. The living area was adorned with a purple cashmere throw she’d purchased at Esperance along with a shelving unit that housed a few family heirlooms that she, thankfully, hadn’t had time to transfer to the Montreal before it met its untimely end.::
::A vase of purple chrysanthemums sat on each of the end tables and on the glass oval dining table near the replicator. The wrap-around desk in the far corner across from the dining area was divided into two workstations--one for her and one for German. Hers contained a holoimage of her with her mother and brother, one with her and her father, as well as the recent addition of an image she’d taken with German in front of a gorgeous waterfall on Cait. Tucked away in a corner of the room was Junu’s cat penthouse, the blackish gray wolf-cat asleep at the very top.::
:: Tiria pressed the admittance charm. It had been a hectic first week getting up-to-date on the new systems, and while she enjoyed it, it had meant that it had taken some time to schedule a time she could discuss this with Rosek. Hopefully it wouldn’t be as awkward as she feared. ::
oO But it most likely will totally be. Oo
::She’d just started pulling out her bat’leth to hang on the wall by the door when she heard the familiar sound of the door chime echo slightly through the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Junu perk up, her ears standing tall as her gaze went to the door. Lael gave the little animal a look and Junu laid her head back down, again closing her eyes. Arching an eyebrow, Lael turned toward the door.::
Rosek: Enter!
::The doors parted to reveal Lieutenant Hamasaki in full uniform. Lael felt strangely underdressed in her black yoga pants and her Daystrom sweatshirt. Grabbing a hair tie from the nearby end table, she tied her hair back in a messy bun before returning her attention to the helmswoman.::
Rosek: Lieutenant Hamasaki. What can I do for you?
Hamasaki: Good morning, Commander Rosek. ::wryly.:: I’ve got a few things you might want to know, and a warning, and then well... that’s it.
Rosek: ::arches an eyebrow:: A warning?
Hamasaki: First off, Crewman First Class Darix Cullin has transferred off the ship. You may be aware, but if you aren’t, I was able to discover he was a spy from the Al-Leyan Council. I’m given to understand that Starfleet Command is aware and acting upon this.
:: By given to understand, she was allowed to say that much and then keep silent, on pain of a lot of nasty consequences. ::
::A wry grin twisted Lael’s lips. She’d seen Cullin’s transfer request and had heard from her dad about Cullin’s threat. It seemed odd that Cullin had approached him with the threat in the first place. Granted, the security crewman had probably expected her dad to surrender once Lael and Kellan’s lives were threatened. Clearly, the man didn’t know her dad.::
::Of course, after being made, Cullin would be useless to the Council. As far as how the Starfleet bureaucrats would deal with it...well, they’d be pissed that it happened on their turf. However, she doubted much would come of it. There weren’t too many Al-Leyans serving in Starfleet that she knew of.::
Rosek: ::nods:: I was aware that Cullin had approached my father and threatened him with mine and my brother’s lives if he didn’t cooperate. ::sighs:: The rest, sadly, is politics.
Hamasaki: That is.. Pretty much what I would expect to hear. ::Tiria wryly smiles.:: My main thing is I wanted to warn you that .. I’m aware you are up to *something*, Commander. I trust your judgement. I trust that you won’t damage the crew. But I will be watching.. I trust you, but the phrase is “trust, but verify” for a reason. I only ask that you make sure that you’ve looped the Captain into it. He should be, if nothing else, a great sounding board. ::wryly again.:: That and I think it’s rude to plot on a ship behind the Captain’s back. And if you do something that will endanger this crew or ship.. I will act.
::Lael’s gaze narrowed, her grip on the bat’leth in her hands tightening. Up until this point, she’d had no reason to dislike the woman. But she didn’t take kindly to threats. The seriousness of the woman’s tone and the words she chose flared Lael’s temper. Little did Hamasaki know, Lael had her own contacts...ones in the Intelligence community. While she did have her issues with the Council, they weren’t in the least bit interested in a Starfleet vessel. The Council was too smart to risk a relations nightmare with the Federation simply to squash one little annoying pest, no matter how dangerous she might be to their way of life.::
Rosek: If you trusted my judgement, Lieutenant, then you wouldn’t be questioning my commitment to the safety and well-being of this ship and its crew.
::She laid the bat’leth down and drew herself up to her full height, the expression on her face deadly serious as she closed the distance between them.::
Rosek: I would suggest you think very carefully in the future before making such bold statements. You’re not the only person with connections in unseen places.
:: Tiria wasn’t really impressed with that response. Granted, it was a good one, but she had seen that response before - and it was the main reason why she gave the warning. Intentions were all well and good. But ... Tiria’s eyes flashed a second, as she calmed herself ::
Hamasaki: I do not have connections in unseen places.::wry:: And my connections would be no good in any case. Federation Security defers to Starfleet Security in these matters unless it was .. truly something that could not be held in house. But you misunderstand. I do not question your commitment. I am warning you that things might get out of control, and I.. also do not doubt your temper. I am hoping that this warning is entirely unnecessary, and all I achieve here today is at most a burning of a bridge. Of which I hope I am not. But I’ve seen this before from the law-enforcement side. And it ends badly far more often than it ends satisfactorily.
:: Okay, so Tiria fibbed a bit there. She had some connections within the JAG corps, but that wouldn’t matter. UCSFJ dictated that this would go through Mei’konda, and Tiria devoutly hoped that he was in on this. Or ... well. Tiria didn’t share Rosek’s dismissal of the Al-Leyan court. There were enough catspaws out there. On the other hand, she didn’t think Rosek was foolish. But she had took a vow. She meant to stand by her vow, fiat justitia ruat caelum::
::Lael eyed the woman for a long moment in an attempt to discern her motives. The little that she knew of Hamasaki’s background indicated that she came from the Shoals and formerly Federation Security. Lael was familiar enough with that from the time she’d spent in a juvenile detention center in her youth. The first thing she’d learned was to keep her head down...and failing that, not let them see her sweat. Hamasaki didn’t intimidate her in the least.::
Rosek: Was there anything else, Lieutenant?
:: There was an expression that came to mind, and Tiria refrained from even thinking it. Rosek might as well have posted a forcefield and a communicator announcing ‘No Visitors Allowed’ here. She had made her point. She wasn’t even really here to pry. ::
oO Although I don’t know if I’d have chosen to hide behind formality here when I’m clearly angry, but that’s neither here nor there.. Oo
:: Tiria carefully kept her tone neutral. ::
Hamasaki: No, that would be all. Oh.. actually, there is one more thing, Commander. As I said.. I just wanted to mention it. I hope I never have to worry. Just.. make sure you have a sounding board. :: Tiria salutes.:: May I be dismissed, Commander?
:: If she wanted formality.. ::
::The scowl that had been etched on Lael’s face moments before faded and she nodded.::
Rosek: ::as Hamasaki is leaving:: And Tiria?
:: Tiria looked back. Curiosity, as it was said, often killed the cat...::
Hamasaki: Yes, ma’am?
::Lael really had no idea how she got herself into these sorts of situations. From a young age, trouble had seemed to follow her whereever she went. More than likely it was her refusal to back down from a fight that led to her being in the middle of one. Until a couple of years ago, she hadn’t even been on the Council’s radar. Now she was a potential target for a government conspiracy to keep Leya-I pure from outside influence. The politics of a world that she’d known nothing about had become a large part of her life.::
Rosek: ::pauses:: I appreciate your concern, but...this is more complicated than I think you realize. The Council wouldn’t risk destroying relations with the Federation...even to get to me. If I feel the situation warrants it, I’ll bring it up with Captain Mei’konda. Until then...well, it’s better that as few people know the details as possible...for their own sake.
Hamasaki: Well.. I agree, which is why I’d rather you not tell me. ::a wry smile, and a note of amusement in her voice:: It’s just.. I would be unsurprised to learn they are willing to use cat’s paws and accept a level of collateral damage as long as it can’t be traced back to them. And people can often make foolish decisions about that. In any situation, I should get back to these certifications so I can get some time in today practicing close combat fighting. I apologize for disrupting any of your morning plans
:: .. but satisfaction brought it back to life. ::
Rosek: ::smiles wanly:: It’s fine. ::pauses:: I may not always like your opinion, but I will always respect it.
Hamasaki: That is about all one can ask for in life. In any case, I should get back to my duties. ::pauses:: Commander, do you know if anyone on board actually has any highly rated skills in martial arts or close combat? I.. probably should challenge an actual opponent instead of endlessly doing drills.
Rosek: ::smiles:: I’m a coral belt in jiu-jitsu. Maybe we could spar sometime.
Hamasaki: Oh. Well.. Yes. I’ll lose horribly though. ::Tiria laughs a bit.:: I guess I can take it onboard as a challenge to see how long I’ll last.
Rosek: ::shrugs:: I’m starting a class for anyone who wants to pick up a few moves. Maybe you could join.
Hamasaki: I’d like that. At least it’d be fun.
Rosek: ::smiles:: As much as I’d love to continue chatting, you have a duty shift and I have one in a couple of hours. I still have a lot of unpacking to do. ::pauses:: I’ll message you later about setting up that sparring match and will include the details for the training classes if you decide you’re interested.
Hamasaki: Aye, aye. Thank you again, ma’am.
:: Tiria headed out - more recertifications, the joy of her existence, and.. Well.. she felt better about the situation. Probably. ::
oO Still will keep an eye out .. .Oo :: Tiria thought, as she called the turbolift. :: oO Keep your mind connected, after all. Keep your mind neglected, Stumble, you might fall. Oo
---
Lt. Tiria Hamasaki
Chief Helmswoman/Operations
USS Astraeus
C239112CA0
&
Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek
Executive Officer
USS Astraeus, NCC-70652
I238110RH0