Beg, Steal or Borrow – Insecurity
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Commander Rakka
Post Details
Isha glanced from the window as her door chime sounded for a second time. As she wriggled her fingers relieving the stiffness that had set in she turned back, ignoring the caller and keeping her attention on the stars as if a glimmer or ripple might give her a clue as to the location of the cloaked ships. She might as well stare into space and seek the motivations of the nameless Nraehhi'Saehne (Political Officer) for all the good it would do. He had taken it on himself to force her to take a side by instructing her to convey his message to the Federation.
That had been over two hours ago.
Forbidden to approach her own consulate Isha sifted through her options; if Tahir had still been in residence Isha might have gone to her. She thought of approaching Doctor Adams, but Isha hadn’t spoken to Chelsea since her boyfriend had left Rh’vaurek for dead and she didn’t quite trust herself to keep her composure. There was the diplomatic officer, of course, but Isha didn’t trust her and she thought that the feeling was mutual.
Turning from the window Isha ambled across the room down to her desk. She picked up the isolinear chip which now held the Nraehhi'Saehne’s message for Deep Space Five, her eyes lingering on the green stoned ring that seemed to wink at her as the light glinted off one of its many facets.
Isha shook her head, “Not unless my life is in danger, and maybe not even then,” she muttered aloud.
I could ignore this Tal’Shiar faelirh ch'susse-thrai and ask Rh’vaurek, Isha thought with a sigh as she flopped into the chair letting her head fall limply back, but for all I know he is part of this; one could never tell.
What to do?
What to do?
There was one other possibility; if that earnest boy hadn’t been shot dead and cast into space Isha may have thought of it sooner and given the nature of the threat it made sense … that was it.
---
Almost hesitantly Isha approached the main security office, the chip secure in the tiny space sewn into the lining of her sleeve; she carried nothing else with her. If things went well she would do as demanded and pass on the message, then it would be out of her hands, she could retain her neutral stance. If not she would find another way to give the Nraehhi'Saehne’s warning without getting herself involved.
Smoothing the plain fabric of her dress over her hips Isha paused and breathed deeply assuming a mantel of calm before she opened the door and stepped inside.
“I’d like to speak with your Head of Security,” Isha said to the duty officer.
"Do you have an appointment?" asked the Ensign.
Isha linked her fingers together before her, “I don’t,” she said, “Perhaps if you could see if she is available,” she suggested.
"Well, she's with someone at the moment. Have a seat, and if she's finished soon, she may have a few minutes for you."
She nodded curtly, “Thank you.”
Isha turned away but she did not sit, instead she shifted her attention between her fingernails and a print of a starscape that she assumed was intended to brighten up the area. It failed.
A few minutes later, a rather humbled-looking young officer burst out of Rakka's office.
"Don't ever come to me with such a request again!" Rakka barked after him, leaning out the doorway. "When I assign you a shift, I expect you to honour it--I don't give a damn whose 'birthday' it is! Have a little pride in your uniform, will you?"
"Sir, yes sir!" exclaimed the young officer, quickly straightening out his garments and rushing off to be on time for his patrol.
Rakka glanced over at the Romulan woman waiting outside her office. "Well--it must be the infamous Isha," she said, crossing her arms. "I admit, I did not expect you to come here."
Isha watched the man scurry away before turning to the Nausicaan. Isha had seen her speak at the funeral in an outpouring that had seemed at odds with the creature’s rather fearsome appearance; without that experience Isha would have found her considerably more intimidating.
She tilted her head to one side allowing her gaze to slide over Rakka until it came to rest on hers; black like polished granite. “Infamous? Really? You must tell me what you have heard to make you think such a thing, Commander, but first I would appreciate a few minutes of your time - in private,” she said with a glance at the Ensign; he might not be looking in their direction, but he had ears all the same.
Rakka stepped back into her office and gestured to a chair, watching the elegant woman enter and get herself settled and feeling a brief, murderous moment of envy.
"I expected I would have to chase you down," Rakka remarked. She had a lot on her plate, and not having to go out of her way to catch up on Isha's information-gathering was somewhat of a relief.
“Like you I did not expect to find myself here either, but it seems I have been given no choice in the matter.”
"Well, clearly we have a potential... situation... at the moment," said Rakka, getting down to matters. "I can only trust you are as motivated as any of us to see that this station remains safe. What do you have for me?"
Isha laid her hands on the arms of the chair, wrapping her fingers around the tubing. The beginnings of a smile twitched at her lips as she spoke. “I have been warned to leave the station, Commander,” she said, “an act that would put me in direct conflict with my orders as Ambassador. You will understand that this makes me reluctant to obey this instruction.”
Rakka blinked. She had plenty of questions, but one came to her mind of first importance: "How long do you have?"
“Thirty six hours – thirty three and a half, now; I had more than a little trouble deciding who I could trust. That boy of yours, Riley was most helpful with another matter, I’d have come to him if that were still possible,” Isha said her tone measured as she gauged the reaction of the security chief, quite aware that if Rakka exhibited the same lack of control as most of her kind she might well end up minus a head if she didn’t move quickly. “I would have trusted him, Commander Rakka,” Isha said, “can I trust you?”
Rakka took a deep breath. "Trust is a mutual thing--Captain Tahir has trusted you... and I trust her," she began. "I will admit I might not otherwise have put much faith in you, and I hope in this you will value my honesty. But this is an unpleasant situation for both of us, and right now, I feel that you intend to be straight with me--and believe me when I say, Nausicaans are quite adept at detecting when a person is lying. Your forthrightness so far is appreciated. I believe, in this, we can trust one another equally. Now tell me what is going on."
Pursing her lips, Isha nodded. “The warning came from the Nraehhi'Saehne who serves on board the Rhiandhaell, the missionary ship that communicated with Captain Tahir; the Political Officer is a representative of the Tal’Shiar, an agency I have thankfully little to do with. He spoke with me long enough to tell me to leave and to transmit an encrypted message, a keycode and instructions that the consulate must not hear of this, and to convey the content to Deep Space Five. Quite why he cannot simply use a comms channel is beyond me, but the thing about Political Officers is that they expect to be obeyed without question and those that ignore them tend to experience a marked reduction in life expectancy, so here I am … conveying the message,” Isha smiled now, as though the thought amused her.
Isha slipped her index finger up her sleeve and withdrew the isolinear chip, laying it with a click on the polished surface of the desk, “The thing is, I don’t take kindly to threats, particularly not from Tal’Shiar Enarrains who don’t have the presence of mind to check with whom they are speaking before they make them. This chip contains the message he transmitted. I examined the key and I fully expect this recording to decay as soon as it is played. I have not yet listened to it, and that is why I require a witness: you, otherwise people might think that the threat to the station comes from me, which I’m sure is what our nameless friend intended.”
Rakka studied the woman and could detect no deception, despite the general cast of the woman's features, and even the lithe way she had walked into the room, all of which suggested a person capable of plenty of guile. She took up the chip and inserted it into the port of her computer console.
Isha closed her eyes, “The key sequence is numeric; 829389421:234:7,” she related before opening them again and resting her folded hands in her lap.
Ambassador, I do not need to impress on you the importance of the task that it is my duty to lay upon you in which the Empire demands and requires your co-operation.
You will be aware of the ships cloaked off the station, their purpose is irrelevant to you. Suffice to say that a Federation vessel was involved in the theft of property from one of those ships which is now believed to be aboard Deep Space Five. On our behalf you will demand that the property and the perpetrators of the crime are handed over to us within twenty four hours or appropriate action will be taken by our vessels. The goods, representations of the Kholairlh-a (Elements), are extremely valuable, both in terms of material worth and for their symbolic relevance.
Following this ‘incident’ a second strike will occur within forty hours of receipt of this message. Our missionary ships house followers of the D’ravasai whose ambitions must not become widely known. It is your duty and responsibility to ensure that the Federation Station focuses its attentions on a ‘rogue element’ within the Consulate seeking to take advantage of our external attack to launch their own internal assault on Deep Space Five. If you are unable to identify a suitable candidate within your organisation you yourself must accept the role.
Soon, you need not know when, we will contact the Federation space station and issue our demands in person; be sure that you are ready to respond as requested.
We sincerely hope that you will be able to leave the station in time but if not, know that the Empire is grateful for your sacrifice.
As she listened Isha leaned her elbows on the desk and gradually sank forward until her head rested on her hands placed either side of her head, painted fingernails lost in her hair. She stared down at the desk.
Isha swallowed. Faelirh ch'susse-thrai ri'Nanov imirrhlhhse’enh , she said as the message ended, not offering a translation.
Rakka drummed her fingers on the desk. "Stolen property," she muttered. "All this cloak-and-dagger nonsense, when they might have just asked for our cooperation? Hardly the behaviour of an ally." She sat back. "Tahir mentioned a female by the name of... Veralan Iawaain." She waited for a response from Isha.
With a throaty chuckle Isha raised her head dropping her hands down flat on the desk, “Do you really think he cares about your co-operation? You clearly have little experience when it comes to dealing with the Tal’Shiar. Our friend was remarkably mild in that message, though I think he mistakenly believes me to be his ally. If I were you I would get used to hearing words like ‘inept’ and ‘amateurish’ aimed in your direction,” she said; it would be interesting to watch how they dealt with that challenge … from a distance, of course
"Thank you for your opinion," Rakka snarled cynically. "I assure you, I hear plenty of worse words on a regular basis."
Then you should learn to mask your discomfort a little better, Isha thought, tensing at the undercurrent of anger. “As to Iawaain, I’m sure that her situation is unrelated. Its quite a routine matter really, she is accused of murder, she defected and is no doubt seeking asylum, and I have requested her extradition. I have reason to believe that she is in Major Darson’s custody,” Isha added with a quirk of an eyebrow, “perhaps you could ask him to grant an interview if you would like to know more.”
"Mrrhh... I'll see if I have time," Rakka muttered. Tahir had asked her to look after this matter, although she wasn't sure of the relevance at the moment. She might just ask for a report from Darson. "So what do you know about this 'property', and supposed theft?"
Isha spread her fingers on the desk and sat back. “Exactly as much as you do, Commander Rakka. I however am willing to speculate. I seem to recall that after the Treaty of Algeron was signed the key delegates were presented with representations of the Kholairlh-a, they were quite beautiful and so lifelike. Of course I was only about four years old then – I hadn’t even passed D’Sora …Senator Taris had a set, and I confess that I took one of the figurines, Okhala to be precise. In the right light she really did appear to dance with flame, and when they took her back from me they taught me rather soundly not to take things that don’t belong to me, but pain, like anger burns hot and burns out.” Isha shrugged turning her gaze once more to Rakka. “But I think that Avilh will sing more loudly to you, the earth endures unchanged … strengthened by trials,” a line from a poem.
Rakka rubbed her eyes in exhaustion, her mind already wanting to freeze up. Either she had just been dealt a history lesson, or a ream of poetry, or something in between, but she was still waiting for a concrete answer to her question. She knew these tongue-twister Romulan names were going to kill her before the week was out. "Yes, and?" she urged tiredly.
“I don’t recall who received the other figurines, perhaps a family with links to the D’ravasai …”
Rakka could see her shortcomings were obvious--she was not up on her Romulan social studies, and there was nothing of a diplomat in her... although, she supposed, this was why Intelligence officers and Diplomats existed. She had already expected she would have to rely on both Isha and Ayren, but so far, the practice of it was not as smooth as she would have hoped.
"So what we know is...." she began slowly, needing to lay this out simply so as to formulate a clear course of action, "someone may or may not have one of these things somewhere on the station, but we don't know who, or where. We know someone in the Consulate is suspected of planning an internal assault, but we don't know who, or why. Do you have any concrete information that might shed light on any of this?" Rakka pressed on. "Do you have any suggestions as to how we might proceed--any plans as to how you might glean any further data?"
”Our invisible friends believe that the figurines are on the station; search the station. They requested records of ship movements – find out who was on those ships, while you’re at it learn whatever it was they told your own diplomatic officer when she paid them a visit … you’re the head of security … I wouldn’t dream of telling you how best to do your job,” her smirk was irrepressible. “As for me, I will do my job. I have done what our invisible friend requested of me, though not in the way he expected but as a close friend constantly reminds me, nobody is above the notice of the Tal’Shiar.”
Rakka leaned forward on her desk and fixed Isha with a hard stare. "In case it hasn't occurred to you, Ms. Isha, my overbearing presence all over the Romulan Consulate sniffing around for suspicious persons would probably not go over very well. I don't want to make this already alarming situation worse--I need someone with your experience and talents. You've been a very nice messenger, but if your assistance is going to stop here, let me know now."
The derisive expression melted from Isha’s face as she drew in her hands and knitted her fingers together in her lap; she shifted uneasily in her chair.
“Whatever the threat is, it does not reside in the Consulate,” she said. Though Isha returned her gaze, the Nausicaan disturbed her. “You heard the instruction yourself; find someone to blame or accept the blame yourself. I will do neither, though if I should find someone who is involved you will be the first to know. I should add, Commander, that the Consulate is Sovereign territory, and if you or any of your colleagues come ‘sniffing around’ it will be considered a hostile act.”
"I'm pretty sure that's what I just said," Rakka sighed. "So this leaves me with very few options. I have been warned of an internal threat, which I have to take seriously but apparently I am not allowed to investigate it. What is your intention in all this? I can't see you either fleeing the station with your tail between your legs, nor can I expect you're going to allow yourself to be martyred. So either you're expecting that these threats are empty, or you're planning more than you're letting on."
Isha did not quite agree that they were saying the same thing, but she was not about to argue semantics with a Nausicaan. “You may investigate all you wish, just not in my Consulate,” Isha said, her voice little more than a whisper. “If you will continue to appreciate my forthrightness, I need to make something quite clear. You have heard instructions from a Nraehhi'Saehne that were for my ears only, I have shared this with you at considerable risk to myself should he discover this, though I do admit that it is a risk which buys me an insurance policy; your word to the authorities on this station that I am not behind our problems. Without that, suspicion would most naturally fall at my feet and whilst I’m sure your facilities are of the highest standard I do not wish to become intimately acquainted with them. I have a request for and in return I will do what I can to assist you.”
"I certainly hope so--while I don't suspect you of having anything to do with this, your continued cooperation will only strengthen that belief," Rakka replied. "Can you at least tell me what you know of this man issuing the threat?"
“Until this Nraehhi'Saehne makes his formal demands please keep this information to yourself. I know nothing about this man beyond his rank. He may be acting independently or with the support of a faction, a House … who knows it may turn out that he is controlled by someone more powerful than my own masters,” Isha bit her lower lip as she reflected on this possibility. “but I think a faction is more likely … don’t you?”
"I suppose it does seem likely," Rakka agreed, "but I am not the expert on Romulan social affairs."
“We Rihannsu have raised paranoia to an art form and so I have to maintain a very careful balance, the wrong word from the right source … well you know how it is, on a scale of things the life of an Ambassador isn’t really worth very much. Just keep this between us for now, and if you find that you must visit my Consulate I guarantee you that I will be suitably outraged; I’d prefer it not to be known that I am being overly co-operative.”
"Heaven forbid an Ambassador should be caught acting ambassadorial!" Rakka said cynically. "Well, Isha--I can search for stolen goods, but otherwise you've really tied my hands here. Without your leave to share this information with fellow officers, there is no way I can adequately deal with this threat! Some of this falls directly within the jurisdiction of Strategic Operations, and as for detecting an internal threat, Intelligence might be of some use. Now, I realize you have not shown much faith in my abilities thus far, but know this--a good Chief of Security is not someone who knows and can do everything themselves. It is a person who knows how best to use the resources available to them. So far the only resource you are allowing me to make use of is yourself, and you have quite admitted to being a limited one. How can I do my job if this information is to be kept between the two of us?"
Once again Isha reminded herself that she was not talking to a Romulan; from that perspective Rakka had a point. “Commander Rakka,” she said in a tone she hoped would be interpreted as reassuring, “I don’t think it will be long before he contacts the station and starts throwing his weight around, I’ve given you a head start. Once I leave this room there is really nothing I can do to stop you from involving your colleagues, if that is what your mnhei'sahe - conscience for want of a better word demands that you do; I will not hold that against you, and I will rely on your judgement. I’m sure Agent Gabriel would be eternally grateful if you provided him with an excuse to poke around the Consulate.”
"Well... I'm not sure Mr. Gabriel's presence in the Consulate would go over any better than mine would," Rakka remarked. "I'll have to think about that one. But for now... I feel strongly that, at the very least, Strategic Operations should be briefed on this. If I were to bring this to Lt. Cdr. Da'nal, would you feel I had betrayed your trust?"
Isha nodded as she digested her words, Rakka was being far more reasonable that she would have been had their positions been reversed, far more reasonable than Isha had expected. "The ship that carries tr'Rehu, the one that contacted Tahir, it was described as a missionary vessel; to me that says lightly armed ... now, unless our 'friends' are on a quest to find some common sense I doubt they are alone; the presence of the Nraehhi'Saehne suggests they have company. If Commander Da'nal happens to detect them I would not feel betrayed ... I would like to know what is out there before they decloak, wouldn't you?"
Rakka nodded. "Very well. Perhaps you might also be at ease if Ms. Kelan were kept abreast of the situation. I have a feeling we may need an experienced diplomat."
"The Betazoid," she said as though there was only one. Isha raised an eyebrow the smallest fraction of an inch, "I agree, on condition that they share what they learn with me; something you people dismiss as unimportant may prove to be the one element that blows their veil apart."
"Us people?" Rakka repeated. "I should think we all have similar motives here, at least in preventing anything from becoming unnecessarily deadly. At any rate, I wouldn't think to exclude you from any of this."
"Experience has taught us to be reticent when it comes to the ... to non-Rihannsu," switching at the last minute to a less derogatory term than yikh. "I do hope that your colleagues are as keen to share their knowledge with us as you appear to be." Isha smoothed her skirts over her knees. "If you have no further questions for me, I think I have taken up enough of your time," Isha said, she had a few extra resources she could throw at this problem, if she could persuade Rh'vaurek to make them available to her.
Rakka nodded. "Go on then." She watched Isha rise and begin to leave, but a thought came to her. "Isha?" she called.
She paused, laying one hand lightly against the dooframe. “Something more?” Isha asked, turning back to the room.
Rakka sat back in her chair. "You helped Petro with her dress. Why?"
“Do you have children, Rakka?” Isha asked.
"No," she muttered, almost insulted by the question.
“I was reminded of the day my husband and I first took our son Hexce to our Rianov (Weaponsmaster). As a five year old boy he was naturally excited at the idea of learning to fight – we all stood back and allowed Hexce look around the armoury, then suddenly as he touched the handle of one of the blades, I forget which, he appeared confused and afraid of the idea that moments before had been all he could talk about; it was as if he knew what the objects were for, but was suddenly very aware that picking up a stick and staging a battle with a friend is a very different thing from picking up a sword. Hexce didn’t know where to start which of course was the first realisation he had to make before he could begin to learn. Petro had that same expression on her face when I met her in that boutique.”
Rakka contemplated this for a moment. "Petro is not a child," she finally said. "But... if your intentions were only to help... then I suppose I might be glad for it. Good day."
Family was of great importance to the Rihannsu; both the family one was born to and the families one made. Why had she even bothered to try and explain her motivations to someone who could not even begin to understand, Isha wondered, hadn’t she just witnessed the creature chase one of her own people away, seemingly for the temerity of asking if he might enjoy the day of his birth with his?
Isha straightened, dropping her hand from the door frame, her lips drawn into a tight line.
"We're all children, Commander Rakka," Isha said inclining her head in the briefest nod that courtesy allowed before turning to sweep from the room.
OFF:
Ambassador Isha t’Khellian
CSec: Cdr. Rakka
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Commander Rakka
Post Details
| Title | Insecurity | |
| Mission | Beg, Steal or Borrow | |
| Author(s) | Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Commander Rakka | |
| Posted | Sat Feb 07, 2009 @ 9:22pm | |
| Location | Chief Security Officer's Office | |
| Timeline | SD7 - 16:30 ish |
That had been over two hours ago.
Forbidden to approach her own consulate Isha sifted through her options; if Tahir had still been in residence Isha might have gone to her. She thought of approaching Doctor Adams, but Isha hadn’t spoken to Chelsea since her boyfriend had left Rh’vaurek for dead and she didn’t quite trust herself to keep her composure. There was the diplomatic officer, of course, but Isha didn’t trust her and she thought that the feeling was mutual.
Turning from the window Isha ambled across the room down to her desk. She picked up the isolinear chip which now held the Nraehhi'Saehne’s message for Deep Space Five, her eyes lingering on the green stoned ring that seemed to wink at her as the light glinted off one of its many facets.
Isha shook her head, “Not unless my life is in danger, and maybe not even then,” she muttered aloud.
I could ignore this Tal’Shiar faelirh ch'susse-thrai and ask Rh’vaurek, Isha thought with a sigh as she flopped into the chair letting her head fall limply back, but for all I know he is part of this; one could never tell.
What to do?
What to do?
There was one other possibility; if that earnest boy hadn’t been shot dead and cast into space Isha may have thought of it sooner and given the nature of the threat it made sense … that was it.
---
Almost hesitantly Isha approached the main security office, the chip secure in the tiny space sewn into the lining of her sleeve; she carried nothing else with her. If things went well she would do as demanded and pass on the message, then it would be out of her hands, she could retain her neutral stance. If not she would find another way to give the Nraehhi'Saehne’s warning without getting herself involved.
Smoothing the plain fabric of her dress over her hips Isha paused and breathed deeply assuming a mantel of calm before she opened the door and stepped inside.
“I’d like to speak with your Head of Security,” Isha said to the duty officer.
"Do you have an appointment?" asked the Ensign.
Isha linked her fingers together before her, “I don’t,” she said, “Perhaps if you could see if she is available,” she suggested.
"Well, she's with someone at the moment. Have a seat, and if she's finished soon, she may have a few minutes for you."
She nodded curtly, “Thank you.”
Isha turned away but she did not sit, instead she shifted her attention between her fingernails and a print of a starscape that she assumed was intended to brighten up the area. It failed.
A few minutes later, a rather humbled-looking young officer burst out of Rakka's office.
"Don't ever come to me with such a request again!" Rakka barked after him, leaning out the doorway. "When I assign you a shift, I expect you to honour it--I don't give a damn whose 'birthday' it is! Have a little pride in your uniform, will you?"
"Sir, yes sir!" exclaimed the young officer, quickly straightening out his garments and rushing off to be on time for his patrol.
Rakka glanced over at the Romulan woman waiting outside her office. "Well--it must be the infamous Isha," she said, crossing her arms. "I admit, I did not expect you to come here."
Isha watched the man scurry away before turning to the Nausicaan. Isha had seen her speak at the funeral in an outpouring that had seemed at odds with the creature’s rather fearsome appearance; without that experience Isha would have found her considerably more intimidating.
She tilted her head to one side allowing her gaze to slide over Rakka until it came to rest on hers; black like polished granite. “Infamous? Really? You must tell me what you have heard to make you think such a thing, Commander, but first I would appreciate a few minutes of your time - in private,” she said with a glance at the Ensign; he might not be looking in their direction, but he had ears all the same.
Rakka stepped back into her office and gestured to a chair, watching the elegant woman enter and get herself settled and feeling a brief, murderous moment of envy.
"I expected I would have to chase you down," Rakka remarked. She had a lot on her plate, and not having to go out of her way to catch up on Isha's information-gathering was somewhat of a relief.
“Like you I did not expect to find myself here either, but it seems I have been given no choice in the matter.”
"Well, clearly we have a potential... situation... at the moment," said Rakka, getting down to matters. "I can only trust you are as motivated as any of us to see that this station remains safe. What do you have for me?"
Isha laid her hands on the arms of the chair, wrapping her fingers around the tubing. The beginnings of a smile twitched at her lips as she spoke. “I have been warned to leave the station, Commander,” she said, “an act that would put me in direct conflict with my orders as Ambassador. You will understand that this makes me reluctant to obey this instruction.”
Rakka blinked. She had plenty of questions, but one came to her mind of first importance: "How long do you have?"
“Thirty six hours – thirty three and a half, now; I had more than a little trouble deciding who I could trust. That boy of yours, Riley was most helpful with another matter, I’d have come to him if that were still possible,” Isha said her tone measured as she gauged the reaction of the security chief, quite aware that if Rakka exhibited the same lack of control as most of her kind she might well end up minus a head if she didn’t move quickly. “I would have trusted him, Commander Rakka,” Isha said, “can I trust you?”
Rakka took a deep breath. "Trust is a mutual thing--Captain Tahir has trusted you... and I trust her," she began. "I will admit I might not otherwise have put much faith in you, and I hope in this you will value my honesty. But this is an unpleasant situation for both of us, and right now, I feel that you intend to be straight with me--and believe me when I say, Nausicaans are quite adept at detecting when a person is lying. Your forthrightness so far is appreciated. I believe, in this, we can trust one another equally. Now tell me what is going on."
Pursing her lips, Isha nodded. “The warning came from the Nraehhi'Saehne who serves on board the Rhiandhaell, the missionary ship that communicated with Captain Tahir; the Political Officer is a representative of the Tal’Shiar, an agency I have thankfully little to do with. He spoke with me long enough to tell me to leave and to transmit an encrypted message, a keycode and instructions that the consulate must not hear of this, and to convey the content to Deep Space Five. Quite why he cannot simply use a comms channel is beyond me, but the thing about Political Officers is that they expect to be obeyed without question and those that ignore them tend to experience a marked reduction in life expectancy, so here I am … conveying the message,” Isha smiled now, as though the thought amused her.
Isha slipped her index finger up her sleeve and withdrew the isolinear chip, laying it with a click on the polished surface of the desk, “The thing is, I don’t take kindly to threats, particularly not from Tal’Shiar Enarrains who don’t have the presence of mind to check with whom they are speaking before they make them. This chip contains the message he transmitted. I examined the key and I fully expect this recording to decay as soon as it is played. I have not yet listened to it, and that is why I require a witness: you, otherwise people might think that the threat to the station comes from me, which I’m sure is what our nameless friend intended.”
Rakka studied the woman and could detect no deception, despite the general cast of the woman's features, and even the lithe way she had walked into the room, all of which suggested a person capable of plenty of guile. She took up the chip and inserted it into the port of her computer console.
Isha closed her eyes, “The key sequence is numeric; 829389421:234:7,” she related before opening them again and resting her folded hands in her lap.
Ambassador, I do not need to impress on you the importance of the task that it is my duty to lay upon you in which the Empire demands and requires your co-operation.
You will be aware of the ships cloaked off the station, their purpose is irrelevant to you. Suffice to say that a Federation vessel was involved in the theft of property from one of those ships which is now believed to be aboard Deep Space Five. On our behalf you will demand that the property and the perpetrators of the crime are handed over to us within twenty four hours or appropriate action will be taken by our vessels. The goods, representations of the Kholairlh-a (Elements), are extremely valuable, both in terms of material worth and for their symbolic relevance.
Following this ‘incident’ a second strike will occur within forty hours of receipt of this message. Our missionary ships house followers of the D’ravasai whose ambitions must not become widely known. It is your duty and responsibility to ensure that the Federation Station focuses its attentions on a ‘rogue element’ within the Consulate seeking to take advantage of our external attack to launch their own internal assault on Deep Space Five. If you are unable to identify a suitable candidate within your organisation you yourself must accept the role.
Soon, you need not know when, we will contact the Federation space station and issue our demands in person; be sure that you are ready to respond as requested.
We sincerely hope that you will be able to leave the station in time but if not, know that the Empire is grateful for your sacrifice.
As she listened Isha leaned her elbows on the desk and gradually sank forward until her head rested on her hands placed either side of her head, painted fingernails lost in her hair. She stared down at the desk.
Isha swallowed. Faelirh ch'susse-thrai ri'Nanov imirrhlhhse’enh , she said as the message ended, not offering a translation.
Rakka drummed her fingers on the desk. "Stolen property," she muttered. "All this cloak-and-dagger nonsense, when they might have just asked for our cooperation? Hardly the behaviour of an ally." She sat back. "Tahir mentioned a female by the name of... Veralan Iawaain." She waited for a response from Isha.
With a throaty chuckle Isha raised her head dropping her hands down flat on the desk, “Do you really think he cares about your co-operation? You clearly have little experience when it comes to dealing with the Tal’Shiar. Our friend was remarkably mild in that message, though I think he mistakenly believes me to be his ally. If I were you I would get used to hearing words like ‘inept’ and ‘amateurish’ aimed in your direction,” she said; it would be interesting to watch how they dealt with that challenge … from a distance, of course
"Thank you for your opinion," Rakka snarled cynically. "I assure you, I hear plenty of worse words on a regular basis."
Then you should learn to mask your discomfort a little better, Isha thought, tensing at the undercurrent of anger. “As to Iawaain, I’m sure that her situation is unrelated. Its quite a routine matter really, she is accused of murder, she defected and is no doubt seeking asylum, and I have requested her extradition. I have reason to believe that she is in Major Darson’s custody,” Isha added with a quirk of an eyebrow, “perhaps you could ask him to grant an interview if you would like to know more.”
"Mrrhh... I'll see if I have time," Rakka muttered. Tahir had asked her to look after this matter, although she wasn't sure of the relevance at the moment. She might just ask for a report from Darson. "So what do you know about this 'property', and supposed theft?"
Isha spread her fingers on the desk and sat back. “Exactly as much as you do, Commander Rakka. I however am willing to speculate. I seem to recall that after the Treaty of Algeron was signed the key delegates were presented with representations of the Kholairlh-a, they were quite beautiful and so lifelike. Of course I was only about four years old then – I hadn’t even passed D’Sora …Senator Taris had a set, and I confess that I took one of the figurines, Okhala to be precise. In the right light she really did appear to dance with flame, and when they took her back from me they taught me rather soundly not to take things that don’t belong to me, but pain, like anger burns hot and burns out.” Isha shrugged turning her gaze once more to Rakka. “But I think that Avilh will sing more loudly to you, the earth endures unchanged … strengthened by trials,” a line from a poem.
Rakka rubbed her eyes in exhaustion, her mind already wanting to freeze up. Either she had just been dealt a history lesson, or a ream of poetry, or something in between, but she was still waiting for a concrete answer to her question. She knew these tongue-twister Romulan names were going to kill her before the week was out. "Yes, and?" she urged tiredly.
“I don’t recall who received the other figurines, perhaps a family with links to the D’ravasai …”
Rakka could see her shortcomings were obvious--she was not up on her Romulan social studies, and there was nothing of a diplomat in her... although, she supposed, this was why Intelligence officers and Diplomats existed. She had already expected she would have to rely on both Isha and Ayren, but so far, the practice of it was not as smooth as she would have hoped.
"So what we know is...." she began slowly, needing to lay this out simply so as to formulate a clear course of action, "someone may or may not have one of these things somewhere on the station, but we don't know who, or where. We know someone in the Consulate is suspected of planning an internal assault, but we don't know who, or why. Do you have any concrete information that might shed light on any of this?" Rakka pressed on. "Do you have any suggestions as to how we might proceed--any plans as to how you might glean any further data?"
”Our invisible friends believe that the figurines are on the station; search the station. They requested records of ship movements – find out who was on those ships, while you’re at it learn whatever it was they told your own diplomatic officer when she paid them a visit … you’re the head of security … I wouldn’t dream of telling you how best to do your job,” her smirk was irrepressible. “As for me, I will do my job. I have done what our invisible friend requested of me, though not in the way he expected but as a close friend constantly reminds me, nobody is above the notice of the Tal’Shiar.”
Rakka leaned forward on her desk and fixed Isha with a hard stare. "In case it hasn't occurred to you, Ms. Isha, my overbearing presence all over the Romulan Consulate sniffing around for suspicious persons would probably not go over very well. I don't want to make this already alarming situation worse--I need someone with your experience and talents. You've been a very nice messenger, but if your assistance is going to stop here, let me know now."
The derisive expression melted from Isha’s face as she drew in her hands and knitted her fingers together in her lap; she shifted uneasily in her chair.
“Whatever the threat is, it does not reside in the Consulate,” she said. Though Isha returned her gaze, the Nausicaan disturbed her. “You heard the instruction yourself; find someone to blame or accept the blame yourself. I will do neither, though if I should find someone who is involved you will be the first to know. I should add, Commander, that the Consulate is Sovereign territory, and if you or any of your colleagues come ‘sniffing around’ it will be considered a hostile act.”
"I'm pretty sure that's what I just said," Rakka sighed. "So this leaves me with very few options. I have been warned of an internal threat, which I have to take seriously but apparently I am not allowed to investigate it. What is your intention in all this? I can't see you either fleeing the station with your tail between your legs, nor can I expect you're going to allow yourself to be martyred. So either you're expecting that these threats are empty, or you're planning more than you're letting on."
Isha did not quite agree that they were saying the same thing, but she was not about to argue semantics with a Nausicaan. “You may investigate all you wish, just not in my Consulate,” Isha said, her voice little more than a whisper. “If you will continue to appreciate my forthrightness, I need to make something quite clear. You have heard instructions from a Nraehhi'Saehne that were for my ears only, I have shared this with you at considerable risk to myself should he discover this, though I do admit that it is a risk which buys me an insurance policy; your word to the authorities on this station that I am not behind our problems. Without that, suspicion would most naturally fall at my feet and whilst I’m sure your facilities are of the highest standard I do not wish to become intimately acquainted with them. I have a request for and in return I will do what I can to assist you.”
"I certainly hope so--while I don't suspect you of having anything to do with this, your continued cooperation will only strengthen that belief," Rakka replied. "Can you at least tell me what you know of this man issuing the threat?"
“Until this Nraehhi'Saehne makes his formal demands please keep this information to yourself. I know nothing about this man beyond his rank. He may be acting independently or with the support of a faction, a House … who knows it may turn out that he is controlled by someone more powerful than my own masters,” Isha bit her lower lip as she reflected on this possibility. “but I think a faction is more likely … don’t you?”
"I suppose it does seem likely," Rakka agreed, "but I am not the expert on Romulan social affairs."
“We Rihannsu have raised paranoia to an art form and so I have to maintain a very careful balance, the wrong word from the right source … well you know how it is, on a scale of things the life of an Ambassador isn’t really worth very much. Just keep this between us for now, and if you find that you must visit my Consulate I guarantee you that I will be suitably outraged; I’d prefer it not to be known that I am being overly co-operative.”
"Heaven forbid an Ambassador should be caught acting ambassadorial!" Rakka said cynically. "Well, Isha--I can search for stolen goods, but otherwise you've really tied my hands here. Without your leave to share this information with fellow officers, there is no way I can adequately deal with this threat! Some of this falls directly within the jurisdiction of Strategic Operations, and as for detecting an internal threat, Intelligence might be of some use. Now, I realize you have not shown much faith in my abilities thus far, but know this--a good Chief of Security is not someone who knows and can do everything themselves. It is a person who knows how best to use the resources available to them. So far the only resource you are allowing me to make use of is yourself, and you have quite admitted to being a limited one. How can I do my job if this information is to be kept between the two of us?"
Once again Isha reminded herself that she was not talking to a Romulan; from that perspective Rakka had a point. “Commander Rakka,” she said in a tone she hoped would be interpreted as reassuring, “I don’t think it will be long before he contacts the station and starts throwing his weight around, I’ve given you a head start. Once I leave this room there is really nothing I can do to stop you from involving your colleagues, if that is what your mnhei'sahe - conscience for want of a better word demands that you do; I will not hold that against you, and I will rely on your judgement. I’m sure Agent Gabriel would be eternally grateful if you provided him with an excuse to poke around the Consulate.”
"Well... I'm not sure Mr. Gabriel's presence in the Consulate would go over any better than mine would," Rakka remarked. "I'll have to think about that one. But for now... I feel strongly that, at the very least, Strategic Operations should be briefed on this. If I were to bring this to Lt. Cdr. Da'nal, would you feel I had betrayed your trust?"
Isha nodded as she digested her words, Rakka was being far more reasonable that she would have been had their positions been reversed, far more reasonable than Isha had expected. "The ship that carries tr'Rehu, the one that contacted Tahir, it was described as a missionary vessel; to me that says lightly armed ... now, unless our 'friends' are on a quest to find some common sense I doubt they are alone; the presence of the Nraehhi'Saehne suggests they have company. If Commander Da'nal happens to detect them I would not feel betrayed ... I would like to know what is out there before they decloak, wouldn't you?"
Rakka nodded. "Very well. Perhaps you might also be at ease if Ms. Kelan were kept abreast of the situation. I have a feeling we may need an experienced diplomat."
"The Betazoid," she said as though there was only one. Isha raised an eyebrow the smallest fraction of an inch, "I agree, on condition that they share what they learn with me; something you people dismiss as unimportant may prove to be the one element that blows their veil apart."
"Us people?" Rakka repeated. "I should think we all have similar motives here, at least in preventing anything from becoming unnecessarily deadly. At any rate, I wouldn't think to exclude you from any of this."
"Experience has taught us to be reticent when it comes to the ... to non-Rihannsu," switching at the last minute to a less derogatory term than yikh. "I do hope that your colleagues are as keen to share their knowledge with us as you appear to be." Isha smoothed her skirts over her knees. "If you have no further questions for me, I think I have taken up enough of your time," Isha said, she had a few extra resources she could throw at this problem, if she could persuade Rh'vaurek to make them available to her.
Rakka nodded. "Go on then." She watched Isha rise and begin to leave, but a thought came to her. "Isha?" she called.
She paused, laying one hand lightly against the dooframe. “Something more?” Isha asked, turning back to the room.
Rakka sat back in her chair. "You helped Petro with her dress. Why?"
“Do you have children, Rakka?” Isha asked.
"No," she muttered, almost insulted by the question.
“I was reminded of the day my husband and I first took our son Hexce to our Rianov (Weaponsmaster). As a five year old boy he was naturally excited at the idea of learning to fight – we all stood back and allowed Hexce look around the armoury, then suddenly as he touched the handle of one of the blades, I forget which, he appeared confused and afraid of the idea that moments before had been all he could talk about; it was as if he knew what the objects were for, but was suddenly very aware that picking up a stick and staging a battle with a friend is a very different thing from picking up a sword. Hexce didn’t know where to start which of course was the first realisation he had to make before he could begin to learn. Petro had that same expression on her face when I met her in that boutique.”
Rakka contemplated this for a moment. "Petro is not a child," she finally said. "But... if your intentions were only to help... then I suppose I might be glad for it. Good day."
Family was of great importance to the Rihannsu; both the family one was born to and the families one made. Why had she even bothered to try and explain her motivations to someone who could not even begin to understand, Isha wondered, hadn’t she just witnessed the creature chase one of her own people away, seemingly for the temerity of asking if he might enjoy the day of his birth with his?
Isha straightened, dropping her hand from the door frame, her lips drawn into a tight line.
"We're all children, Commander Rakka," Isha said inclining her head in the briefest nod that courtesy allowed before turning to sweep from the room.
OFF:
Ambassador Isha t’Khellian
CSec: Cdr. Rakka