Capt. Lia Rouiancet: The Nature of the Relationship

[Tony Colella]

(( Bridge, Deck 1, USS Octavia E. Butler )) 

Rouiancet: =/\= Only this, Captain: We would like to understand why the flow of the narcotics to Argratha is happening and, once we do, stop it from continuing. =/\=

A dangerous thing to admit, perhaps, but honest. And if the bridge crew's earlier speculation had been true, and the motivation was profit-driven (by whatever currency Captain Ives might want), then they could work with that and attempt to find alternate means of providing that currency.

Besides, Lia had a hunch. Even if she and Captain Ives were currently opposed (and, truly, there was little chance that would change anytime soon, even if they could reach an accord), she respected something of the authority and confidence that Ives projected. That didn't mean that she was doing good with those qualities, of course, but that Lia had noted that they were qualities -- and that she might well be able to spot a lie.

Ives: =/\= (slight smile) The only way the narcotics stop is when the Black Kris loses interest in this world, but as of right now it’s a very lucrative operation for my parent organization. =/\=

Whether Ives had meant to share or not, there was a lot of information in that statement. Even if it was a "no" -- and Lia had no illusions about the answer being otherwise -- Ives had given them several leads in not many more words. She glanced over to Peri to see if she'd also caught the largest revelation (a parent organization called Black Kris), only to see that Peri had something entirely different to say.

Katsim: (low) One of the other ships is turning back.

Forsyth: (low) What?!

That might be meaningful, and it might not. In either case, Lia trusted her officers to track any developments, and she made a brief note using her arm console to investigate the Black Kris. For now, though...

Rouiancet: =/\= It sounds as though I ought to speak with your parent organization, then. And since you and I have already established a dialogue... =/\=

It wasn't much of a leap to determine what Lia wanted, but she preferred Ives to make that leap anyway. Would she be willing to introduce Lia and the Butler crew, and Starfleet through them, to the Black Kris? In any event, it seemed more reasonable now for Ives to have some concept of Starfleet, since if she belonged to a larger group of -- what? smugglers? pirates? freebooters? -- that operated in the area, then presumably they and Starfleet had run into each other before. Lia wasn't conversant in every interaction the ships of the GQ Task Force had with other powers, after all.

Katsim: Response

Ives: =/\= Captain, what you are propos--- (offscreen) Say again?! =/\=

Hm. Unexpected. Related to the ship that had changed course, perhaps? Or -- something else?

Forsyth: Captain Rouiancet, we may have a problem….

Rouiancet: What is it?

Forsyth/Katsim: Responses

On the viewscreen, Ives was clearly discomfited, too. 

Ives: =/\= Damn their--- (comms muffled) =/\=

Not good news, whatever it was, and since the Charlotte was currently engaged with the Butler, Lia didn't care for anything that her tactical officer viewed as a problem and that apparently concerned the pirate captain before her, too.

Rouiancet: Lieutenant, shields are still up, yes? We might need them.

Not, perhaps, from an attack by the Sweet Charlotte, but Ives was perhaps not entirely in charge of the ships in-system.

Forsyth/Katsim: Responses

Rouiancet: What about our echolocation? What's the likeliest vector?

Forsyth/Katsim: Responses

Rouiancet: =/\= Captain Ives, what's happening over there? =/\=

And by "over there," she didn't just mean on the Sweet Charlotte. No, Ives might not be in charge of all the ships they'd detected, but there were big differences between allies and enemies. What were those other signals?

Ives: =/\= Response =/\=

Forsyth/Katsim: Responses

Tags! and TBC!

--

Captain Lia Rouiancet

Commanding Officer 

USS Octavia E. Butler

V238208LV0
she/her/hers (this character)