Beg, Steal or Borrow – A Private Matter - Part 1
by Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC) & Colonel James Darson
Post Details
ON:
David didn't want to leave James stewing for too long, so immediately after finishing with Petro and before the departments heads meeting in less than 40 minutes, Davies called on the Major.
=^= "Major, I need to talk with you in private regarding your remarks earlier." =^= David said, his voice emotionless but his heart pounding.
Darson’s voice came back crackly over the COM, but sounded uncharacteristically serious, =^= “Yes sir, Commander. If you wouldn’t mind coming down to my office to discuss this in person, I believe I can resolve this matter to your satisfaction.” =^=
=^= "I am already on my way to you. Davies out." =^= He closed the comm as he transported down to the Marine deck.
---Deck 72, Marine Complex---
As Davies approached the door to Darson’s office, the door hissed open and two Marines walked out. One was Lieutenant Flynn, and the other was an enlisted marine who bore the tabs of a corpsman and was carrying a medkit. They were discussing something intently as the door closed, but paused to turn and salute Davies as he got closer.
“Sir,” Lieutenant Flynn said politely, “Major Darson is expecting you. You can go right in.”
David nodded his acknowledgement as the door to Darson’s office opened.
Darson didn’t rise from his seat as Davies entered the icy office, “Thank you Commander, for coming all the way down here,” he said in an even tone.
"I had to get clarification and I didn't want to do that publicly." David said as he sat himself uninvited into the chair opposite the Major. "Your presentation came as something of a shock, but not as much as the statement that you took your cut, that was wounding Major and I need to know what it is that I am to put in my report to Starfleet?" He asked the question coldly as the Admirals voice rang in his mind.
“Hmm…” Darson sighed as he leaned back in his chair and contemplated the acting CO’s words, “’you took your cut’” he mocked, making air quotes with his hand, “…that’s how you put it? I think that you’re misquoting me on that, Commander. I said ‘spoils of war that were due to me’. That implies something completely different than what you’re insinuating. Do you really think that I would take something like this without permission,” he indicated the box of latinum that sat closed and morose in the back corner of his office, “than come right out and advertise it in front of a crowd? That’s slightly insulting Commander.”
Davies eyed the Major. "Insulting as it may sound, that was how it came across. Now if you would care to expand on what you see as a 'Spoil of War', perhaps I can put paid to how it came across and set the record straight!" He advised.
Darson waved his good hand in the air as he shifted his other arm to relieve some discomfort, “What exactly is a ‘spoil of war’? I suppose by definition, it is any profit extracted as the result of winning a war or other military activity. The military activity in this case was my siege of the pirate base. And the profit…well, I do admit that I did take a profit of sorts from it.”
Darson held up the hand again to forestall a response, “Profit, Commander…can be acquired in any number of forms,” He toyed with one of the gold chains around his chest, “things like these,” he touched the circlet gently, “this,” he waved his hand casually towards the sealed box, “that...all constitute items of significant monetary value…and in my eyes, significant worthlessness as well.”
"Mmm." Davies responded, shifting his weight forward. "So what exactly did you 'reward' yourself with, because by what you’re saying, the pleasure of the attack gave you some exhilaration, but what of those trinkets around your neck, is that a 'spoil' as well, or did they come to you in some other manner?" His heart was pounding, he could see the Major was quite comfortable, except for his arm but there was also more to his story that obviously had been cut short in the Captains office.
Darson again lapsed instead to silence, before standing suddenly and saying in an odd tone, “Come Commander…there is something I want to show you,” As the Commander stood, Darson moved gracefully around his desk, and towards the door. He pressed the controls lightly, and as they whooshed open, indicated that Davies should go first, “After you, Commander.”
David followed Darson’s hand and studied him for a moment and not really knowing the man, he had to take Tahir’s word that he could be trusted, even though David had not given the Major any leeway. His jaw tightened as he stepped into the dimly lit corridor with James only a step behind him.
As the door to the office hissed shut, Darson started to exit the suite, and headed down the corridor at a brisk and steady pace, “What I am about to reveal to you Commander,” he said calmly to the acting CO working to keep pace with him, “is something that I tell you in confidence. This is highly classified information, and if you so much as breathe a word about this to anybody, I’ll see to it that you spend the rest of your days buried on a Penal Colony in a backwater region of the Galaxy. Do I make myself clear?”
David chuckled, but didn't give a verbal response to the Major as he was not inclined to take stock in threats. Davies had damn good contacts and he also knew that the Admiral on board DS5 was baying for the Majors head on a platter.
"Clear as mud, but I am intrigued by what you have to show me, so I will say this, as long as what you have does not endanger the station, crew or any personnel aboard or the authority of Starfleet, then I shall play along with you Major."
“Good,” Darson grunted as he turned a corner to enter the busy floor of the main section of the Marine Complex. Marines bustled around doing various jobs, but stopped to salute him and clear a path as he moved across the floor, parting like the Red Sea. Darson didn’t pay attention to any of this, instead saying quietly to Davies, “As you are no doubt aware, after the Dominion War there was a massive upswing in pirate activity throughout the quadrant. This was no doubt caused by the massive influx of displaced people from the war, people who had no other place to turn for shelter and work than…less than legal ventures. Smuggling, Pirating…etcetera.”
"I can understand that, but that still doesn't answer the question I initially asked." David said as they moved through the crowded concourse, "Obviously, you have something of great importance, or else you would not have all this hidden away and why? what is it all for?"
Darson took the small step at the end of the floor gracefully and gave a non-committal grunt to Davies question and continued, “It is unfortunate, but the Federation’s resources were severely strained after the War. We couldn’t help even a small fraction of those who needed it, we were too busy rebuilding critical infrastructure, the fleet…regrettable, but not unexpected. So of course they would turn to other means. Regardless, this increase in pirate activity did not go unnoticed. Complaints started pouring in for more patrols on trade lanes, but that would only strain our resources further. What do you suppose should have been done?”
"There wasn't a great deal we could do. Limited resources, men, ships and fuel, all took its toll. Obviously we had allies we could ask for help, but we had to go through protocols and you know damn well how hard life was after the war, especially for off worlders, but we had to get ourselves back on track first." Davies replied flatly, as he began to have an inkling of what he thought Darson had hidden.
Darson lapsed into silence as he headed straight for the armored and heavily guarded door to the Marine Restricted Section. He remained silent as he checked himself and Davies in, and the Commander was given a quick and non-intrusive scan by the guards for weapons in accordance with his rank.
Placing his arms back at his side, he wondered what would have been the repercussion had he been armed. He followed James now, to the other side of the checkpoint.
As they passed the checkpoint into the cool and sterile halls of the restricted section, Darson continued, “Regardless of what the causes were, it was obvious to anybody who bothered to pay attention that this was a serious problem…and this upset a few very serious people. I’m not sure if you know this, but three years ago, a joint Marine and Starfleet Intelligence operation was initiated, codenamed WINTER STARLIGHT. Its goal was to identify major pirate bases, so they could be eliminated in one fell swoop instead of hunting them down one at a time, which would have resulted in a larger expenditure of time and resources than we could afford.”
Davies nodded his head. "Yes, but it was a necessity. In the end, too many ships were needed and not enough patrols to cover all the sectors occupied by pirate forces. All it did, was to send the futile ships we had left to their demise. We lost, if I recall, 28 ships and nearly a thousand men and I do know that a third of those were marines."
Darson nodded, “So you do know of it. So you should also know that the operation was an unqualified failure. All that ever managed to be found was small bases, and no chance was given to find connections to any larger ones. The operation was labeled an enormous waste of resources, and was about to be scrapped…that is, until pirate activity in this sector began to increase dramatically. Action of this scope could only mean a base of sufficient size to suit the needs of the operation. So, I was dispatched along with a couple of other agents to see what we could do to find the base. I managed to gather enough evidence for a rough idea of where the base was, but I knew that I didn’t have enough to get authorization for a fleet action.”
As they came upon the door labeled MTAC, Darson manipulated the biometric security and entered the dark room, “The Legacy incident,” he continued conversationally as he walked to the conference table that faced the dominating screen, “as annoying as it was to deal with, provided me with the intelligence and the leverage I needed. And the rest as they say…is history.”
OFF:
TBC
Commander David Davies
Temporary CO
Major James Darson
Marine Commanding Officer
by Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC) & Colonel James Darson
Post Details
| Title | A Private Matter - Part 1 | |
| Mission | Beg, Steal or Borrow | |
| Author(s) | Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC) & Colonel James Darson | |
| Posted | Mon Jun 29, 2009 @ 9:30pm | |
| Location | COs Office / MCOs Office | |
| Timeline | SD9 07.20 - |
David didn't want to leave James stewing for too long, so immediately after finishing with Petro and before the departments heads meeting in less than 40 minutes, Davies called on the Major.
=^= "Major, I need to talk with you in private regarding your remarks earlier." =^= David said, his voice emotionless but his heart pounding.
Darson’s voice came back crackly over the COM, but sounded uncharacteristically serious, =^= “Yes sir, Commander. If you wouldn’t mind coming down to my office to discuss this in person, I believe I can resolve this matter to your satisfaction.” =^=
=^= "I am already on my way to you. Davies out." =^= He closed the comm as he transported down to the Marine deck.
---Deck 72, Marine Complex---
As Davies approached the door to Darson’s office, the door hissed open and two Marines walked out. One was Lieutenant Flynn, and the other was an enlisted marine who bore the tabs of a corpsman and was carrying a medkit. They were discussing something intently as the door closed, but paused to turn and salute Davies as he got closer.
“Sir,” Lieutenant Flynn said politely, “Major Darson is expecting you. You can go right in.”
David nodded his acknowledgement as the door to Darson’s office opened.
Darson didn’t rise from his seat as Davies entered the icy office, “Thank you Commander, for coming all the way down here,” he said in an even tone.
"I had to get clarification and I didn't want to do that publicly." David said as he sat himself uninvited into the chair opposite the Major. "Your presentation came as something of a shock, but not as much as the statement that you took your cut, that was wounding Major and I need to know what it is that I am to put in my report to Starfleet?" He asked the question coldly as the Admirals voice rang in his mind.
“Hmm…” Darson sighed as he leaned back in his chair and contemplated the acting CO’s words, “’you took your cut’” he mocked, making air quotes with his hand, “…that’s how you put it? I think that you’re misquoting me on that, Commander. I said ‘spoils of war that were due to me’. That implies something completely different than what you’re insinuating. Do you really think that I would take something like this without permission,” he indicated the box of latinum that sat closed and morose in the back corner of his office, “than come right out and advertise it in front of a crowd? That’s slightly insulting Commander.”
Davies eyed the Major. "Insulting as it may sound, that was how it came across. Now if you would care to expand on what you see as a 'Spoil of War', perhaps I can put paid to how it came across and set the record straight!" He advised.
Darson waved his good hand in the air as he shifted his other arm to relieve some discomfort, “What exactly is a ‘spoil of war’? I suppose by definition, it is any profit extracted as the result of winning a war or other military activity. The military activity in this case was my siege of the pirate base. And the profit…well, I do admit that I did take a profit of sorts from it.”
Darson held up the hand again to forestall a response, “Profit, Commander…can be acquired in any number of forms,” He toyed with one of the gold chains around his chest, “things like these,” he touched the circlet gently, “this,” he waved his hand casually towards the sealed box, “that...all constitute items of significant monetary value…and in my eyes, significant worthlessness as well.”
"Mmm." Davies responded, shifting his weight forward. "So what exactly did you 'reward' yourself with, because by what you’re saying, the pleasure of the attack gave you some exhilaration, but what of those trinkets around your neck, is that a 'spoil' as well, or did they come to you in some other manner?" His heart was pounding, he could see the Major was quite comfortable, except for his arm but there was also more to his story that obviously had been cut short in the Captains office.
Darson again lapsed instead to silence, before standing suddenly and saying in an odd tone, “Come Commander…there is something I want to show you,” As the Commander stood, Darson moved gracefully around his desk, and towards the door. He pressed the controls lightly, and as they whooshed open, indicated that Davies should go first, “After you, Commander.”
David followed Darson’s hand and studied him for a moment and not really knowing the man, he had to take Tahir’s word that he could be trusted, even though David had not given the Major any leeway. His jaw tightened as he stepped into the dimly lit corridor with James only a step behind him.
As the door to the office hissed shut, Darson started to exit the suite, and headed down the corridor at a brisk and steady pace, “What I am about to reveal to you Commander,” he said calmly to the acting CO working to keep pace with him, “is something that I tell you in confidence. This is highly classified information, and if you so much as breathe a word about this to anybody, I’ll see to it that you spend the rest of your days buried on a Penal Colony in a backwater region of the Galaxy. Do I make myself clear?”
David chuckled, but didn't give a verbal response to the Major as he was not inclined to take stock in threats. Davies had damn good contacts and he also knew that the Admiral on board DS5 was baying for the Majors head on a platter.
"Clear as mud, but I am intrigued by what you have to show me, so I will say this, as long as what you have does not endanger the station, crew or any personnel aboard or the authority of Starfleet, then I shall play along with you Major."
“Good,” Darson grunted as he turned a corner to enter the busy floor of the main section of the Marine Complex. Marines bustled around doing various jobs, but stopped to salute him and clear a path as he moved across the floor, parting like the Red Sea. Darson didn’t pay attention to any of this, instead saying quietly to Davies, “As you are no doubt aware, after the Dominion War there was a massive upswing in pirate activity throughout the quadrant. This was no doubt caused by the massive influx of displaced people from the war, people who had no other place to turn for shelter and work than…less than legal ventures. Smuggling, Pirating…etcetera.”
"I can understand that, but that still doesn't answer the question I initially asked." David said as they moved through the crowded concourse, "Obviously, you have something of great importance, or else you would not have all this hidden away and why? what is it all for?"
Darson took the small step at the end of the floor gracefully and gave a non-committal grunt to Davies question and continued, “It is unfortunate, but the Federation’s resources were severely strained after the War. We couldn’t help even a small fraction of those who needed it, we were too busy rebuilding critical infrastructure, the fleet…regrettable, but not unexpected. So of course they would turn to other means. Regardless, this increase in pirate activity did not go unnoticed. Complaints started pouring in for more patrols on trade lanes, but that would only strain our resources further. What do you suppose should have been done?”
"There wasn't a great deal we could do. Limited resources, men, ships and fuel, all took its toll. Obviously we had allies we could ask for help, but we had to go through protocols and you know damn well how hard life was after the war, especially for off worlders, but we had to get ourselves back on track first." Davies replied flatly, as he began to have an inkling of what he thought Darson had hidden.
Darson lapsed into silence as he headed straight for the armored and heavily guarded door to the Marine Restricted Section. He remained silent as he checked himself and Davies in, and the Commander was given a quick and non-intrusive scan by the guards for weapons in accordance with his rank.
Placing his arms back at his side, he wondered what would have been the repercussion had he been armed. He followed James now, to the other side of the checkpoint.
As they passed the checkpoint into the cool and sterile halls of the restricted section, Darson continued, “Regardless of what the causes were, it was obvious to anybody who bothered to pay attention that this was a serious problem…and this upset a few very serious people. I’m not sure if you know this, but three years ago, a joint Marine and Starfleet Intelligence operation was initiated, codenamed WINTER STARLIGHT. Its goal was to identify major pirate bases, so they could be eliminated in one fell swoop instead of hunting them down one at a time, which would have resulted in a larger expenditure of time and resources than we could afford.”
Davies nodded his head. "Yes, but it was a necessity. In the end, too many ships were needed and not enough patrols to cover all the sectors occupied by pirate forces. All it did, was to send the futile ships we had left to their demise. We lost, if I recall, 28 ships and nearly a thousand men and I do know that a third of those were marines."
Darson nodded, “So you do know of it. So you should also know that the operation was an unqualified failure. All that ever managed to be found was small bases, and no chance was given to find connections to any larger ones. The operation was labeled an enormous waste of resources, and was about to be scrapped…that is, until pirate activity in this sector began to increase dramatically. Action of this scope could only mean a base of sufficient size to suit the needs of the operation. So, I was dispatched along with a couple of other agents to see what we could do to find the base. I managed to gather enough evidence for a rough idea of where the base was, but I knew that I didn’t have enough to get authorization for a fleet action.”
As they came upon the door labeled MTAC, Darson manipulated the biometric security and entered the dark room, “The Legacy incident,” he continued conversationally as he walked to the conference table that faced the dominating screen, “as annoying as it was to deal with, provided me with the intelligence and the leverage I needed. And the rest as they say…is history.”
OFF:
TBC
Commander David Davies
Temporary CO
Major James Darson
Marine Commanding Officer