What who's really worth? Part 1

Posted on Mon Jun 6th, 2016 @ 1:00am by Lieutenant Ishan Satele
Edited on on Fri Jun 10th, 2016 @ 12:02am

Mission: Vipers and Scoundrels
Location: Chief Intel Office, USS Victory
Timeline: Current

Kevin locked out the PADD's screen and sat back in his seat. The information he'd requested was as he'd thought it would be, now he had to pass it on to the relevant officer onboard the ship.

Tapping his COMM badge he said "Lieutenant Satele, can you drop by the Intel Office at your earliest convenience please, there's a matter I'd like to discuss with you that you'll want to know about."

Down in the shuttle bay, Satele was going over the Captain's Yacht's impulse engines, checking for cracks and faults that might have been caused by her sudden acceleration during their last mission. Hearing Kevin get her name wrong again, Satele sighed, "he's has to be doing it to piss me off. That's the only reason" she said before replaceing the impulse manifold cover and making her way to the nearest turbo lift.

After almost ten minutes, Satele made it to Kevin's office and tapped the door chime.

"Come" Kevin called.

"You wanted to see me Kevin?" Satele asked as she walked in through the doors.

"Please, have a seat Lt Satele" Kevin said, gesturing to the one opposite him.

Satele sighed I'm going to punch him one of these days she thought to herself before taking the offered seat, "what is it?"

"I believe you're well acquainted with the Maquis gun runner Kier Laramy?" Kevin asked.

Satele nodded, "I am"

Kevin could perceptibly see something was annoying Satele, then he remembered what it was that annoyed her "After a tip off, Starfleet Intel intercepted Mr Laramy about ten days ago trying to make a gun drop on Alknar Lt Sate...oh sorry, you prefer your name backwards don't you....Lt Nashi.....just kidding, Lt Ishan. He's already been tried and found guilty, but by a Starfleet court, not an Intel one. He's been sentenced to thirty years hard labour. Now, I can only imagine how terrible this'll be for him, the camps probably won't have any state of the art amenities and working conditions will be, well, 'strict' shall we say. There is however a window of opportunity for his sentence to be lessened, and this is why I was letting you know about his arrest and subsequent plight. I believe you're Maquis cell like to stick by one another, help one another when there's trouble etc, and you can help Kier Laramy, but this is where the catch twenty two comes in."

Taking the PADD lying next to him, he passed it over to Satele.

"In order for you to help Mr Laramy, 'we' at Intel require 'you' to list the targets your cell hit, when and how many Cardassian fatalities there were in each attack. For every truthful account you make that we can verify, one year of Mr Laramy's sentence will be commuted, but, for every lie you tell that we find out about, one year will be added to his sentence. Before you make any quick quips about Intel not knowing 'everything', we're not automatons, there are slight gaps in our information regarding your cell, but we'd like to try and fill them in. Of course, you don't have to do or say anything, you can walk away right now and no more will be said by myself on the matter, and Mr Laramy serves his thirty years, the choice is yours. Would you like a little time to think about this proposition?" Kevin finished.

Satele was not amused by this request, quite the opposite in fact. Giving Kevin a glare, she took a moment before responding, "this is extortion, black mail. You're telling me that you, or rather Starfleet Intelligence, has the authority to reduce a sentence already passed down by a Starfleet Court of law. You might get some good intelligence for the 'favour', but is it really worth undermining the Federation to obtain it? The Cardassian Empire as it was is gone, and the Union that replaced it won't be a threat either politically or militarily for decades to come. So, before I answer your question, answer one of mine first. Why do you want this information? The Maquis haven't been a credible threat to anyone since the end of the War and those of us who were lucky enough to survive the Dominion have either gone back to our routes and started a colony or have become mercanaries for hire"

"Oh Intel won't be doing anything, let's just say that there's certain people who can 'help' your friend" Kevin replied "as for extortion, we don't see it as you do, we see it as....acquisition of information by alternative means. As I said before, you can just walk away, nothing more will be said, but I'd like to think that as he's your friend, you won't. The Cardassian Empire isn't gone, it's just on a hiatus so to speak, they've been busy rebuilding, the same as the Federation has, and it won't be decades before they're a threat, it'll be a lot less, believe me. You're correct when you say we might get some good intelligence, actually, we're counting on it a little, but if nothing comes of this, we'll still carry on regardless. As to why we want the information, that's of no importance to yourself right now, more, it's to do with us helping Starfleet Command become 'ready' in case there's a change in the current political climate. You've actually hit the nail on the head when you said that some of the Maquis have become mercenaries for hire, Mr Laramy is proof of that. There's a little more to his situation though, but unfortunately I'm not at liberty to say any more on that....for now, but believe me when I say it's in all our interest 'if' you do help. Remember Lieutenant Ishan, I'm not the bad guy, I'm just trying to do what's best for us all."

He steepled his fingers, "There's no pressure on you, I'm not going to force you to do or say anything, but think on this. I didn't have to tell you anything about Kier Laramy being arrested, however I chose to, because I knew you and he were friends, and I knew that two situations could be helped, his and the Federations. If you'd like a little longer to think about this, then I can give you some more time to go back to your duty, my door will be open, but not for much longer, there is a certain time limit on how long I can hold off my own superiors."

Satele sighed, "I'm going to need at least a week to gather that sort of information. If I was at one of our old bases, I could get you that information in a matter of hours, but as it is there's only one base left and it's deep inside the badlands. I'd happily take you there in a shuttle, but only you"

"Thank you Lieutenant, I realize that this is a difficult situation for you but your co-operation is very much appreciated" Kevin said "I'll let my superiors know, but I'll also have to speak with the Captain, in confidence of course, about the use of a shuttle."

"Don't thank me yet, you may not like the information you get from this. You might even add a few years onto his sentence for what he's done"

"Oh, that wouldn't be us doing that Lt Ishan, it would be Mr Laramy self incriminating" Kevin said "But we'll wait to see what we receive first before making any decisions. Thank you for your time Lieutenant" Kevin concluded.