Testing The Spook

Posted on 14 Jan 2018 @ 8:21am by Lieutenant Nimh Ahressa (Dec-Jan 2389 - TRNSFR, Bre'el Dip. Msn.) & Lieutenant Junior Grade Gidassa Thomas (Dec-Jan 2389 - TRNSFR to Bre'el Dip. Msn.)
Edited on on 14 Jan 2018 @ 8:21am

Mission: He ho'omaka hou 'ana - A New Beginning
Location: Corridor Outside Senior Officer Conference Room - Deck 1
Timeline: Following the Mission Briefing (Backpost)

Ahressa needed to test how well connected Thomas was. Not because of her doubt in the green woman's skills. Intelligence had been plagued by lack of information lately, or withholding there of. Whilst Nimh couldn't act openly, she could at the very least see what the young woman knew and help steer her in the right direction, whether by having people reach out to her, or leaving hints to Thomas for her to follow.

Of course, it could end up being that Thomas was entirely capable and had enough contacts and assets of her own to pull intel from. Nimh had worked the initial investigation after the Gorn attack in July. She'd talked to a survivor, she'd heard how bad it had been. Why hadn't the fleet sent at least that info out.

That's what you're here to find out. She reminded herself. It was inconsistencies like these that had prompted Commander Khalfani to reassign her to this theatre again.

"Lieutenant Thomas, can I have a word with you?" She called to the green woman as she gained distance from the young betazoid.

Gee turned and paused, then smiled at the woman approaching her. "Of course. Lieutenant Ahressa, correct?" she said, as she came close. She recognized the Lieutenant, but she really hadn't talked to the Ops officer until now. Truth be told, Gidassa had been something of a hermit, pouring over page after page of intel data that, well, didn't have a whole lot in it. A lot of it was a maddening listing on everything that (Starfleet) didn't know, but was either "working on" or "in progress of collection".

Gee had more or less shanghai'd a couple of crewmen to process paperwork in her department, but otherwise was on her own at the moment.

"Nimh, actually." The Bajoran surpressed the annoyance at the very classic mistake. Bajorans have their family names and individual names in reverse to most cultures." She then pretended to wave it off, "I was wondering, surely you as Intel would have other venues of inquiry into this situation? I mean...did that whole thing just sound off to you just now? Or was that just me?"

Nimh had to pretend to be clueless and observant at the same time. Thomas' next reaction would reveal if the woman had any experience under her belt and how resourceful she'd be. The Bajoran hoped she wouldn't have to reveal herself to Thomas any time soon or at all.

"I do apologize Lieutenant Nimh. Regarding the meeting... well, let's step into my office, shall we?" she said, glancing down the corridor. It wasn't real crowded, but not the best place to discuss this either. She nodded with a smile in the right direction, and led the way.

Chief Intelligence Officer's Office - Deck 14

Once they were inside, she pulled a seat forward for her visitor, and then sat down heavily in her own seat. "I don't know how to put this. I didn't say much in that meeting, as there wasn't much to add. I've been reading, eating and occasionally sleeping since I got into this office. There's almost nothing in any of the reports I've received. A lot of promises, but no hard data. Add to that crew that suddenly get flagged and sent to other ships. I'm not talking one or two, but dozens, some of them in relatively important positions. I admit I haven't been on a new launch before, but this seems... awkwardly disorganized. Reports I request get lost, or reclassified above my level.

She signed into her system, then gritted her teeth and closed her eyes in obvious frustration. She turned the monitor as proof of what she put into words. "We just lost our Chief of Security. Lt Korat - reassigned; reason? Classified." Gee wasn't happy, and it showed. "I had looked at her record before this, luckily. She's a bit brash, sometimes disorderly, and has been gigged for busting heads on more than one occasion in bars. She was also put down, by a former commander, as the most trustworthy person he could think of when things went sideways. Now I can't even open her record."

Gee sat back in her seat, seething for a moment, before moving forward suddenly to rest her arms on her desk and look intently at the other officer. "Everything we had in that system... and not one picture or scan of the attacking ships? No. Something isn't right. I'm just trying to decide how best to approach the Captain about it."

Good girl. Ahressa hid a smile, flexing her features into that of shock. This was quite similar to her own investigations and the information she'd been given when preparing for this mission. "That's more gut wrenching than the Dominion War brewing." The Bajoran sighed. "If there is anything I can do to assist you, let me know?"

Now, how would Ahressa point Gidassa towards sources that would talk to her? That was a good question and the Bajoran had to tread carefully, lest she tip her hand too early.

"I appreciate that. It just seems like there's nothing but trititanium walls out there," Gee replied.

Leaning back in her chair, Gee tapped her fingers together where she'd templed them."So, we're set up to fail..." she pondered, before suddenly declaring, "Chess! We're a chess piece; a pawn or bishop or something! So who stands to gain, and who stands to lose, if we fail?" she continued, more or less thinking out loud, as she started to access her system again. "Maybe they didn't cover their tracks..." she muttered as she began to search.

Ahressa who had remained standing, crossed her arms on her chest, watching Gidassa. The kid had the intelligence to question things. This held promise for her intelligence career.

"Isn't there people or...what do you call them, informants, you can talk to?" Ahressa offered.

Gee looked up and paused. Maybe the Ops Chief wasn't comprehending her level of access.

"If we're not getting the proper reports, you'd think we have access to humanoid intelligence?" Gee chuckled sarcastically.

Humanoid intelligence, or HUMINT, was the highest level of intelligence because it relied on covert sources who often worked undercover. Otherwise, they were usually informants who were feeding intelligence to their handlers.

"The only thing I've come across is a report of potential Klingon involvement in the Gorn attack that was discredited due to lack of evidence," Gee answered.

You always have HUMINT access, it's the reports that are more easily lost, kid. Or burried. Ahressa put on a chastized face before her eyebrow raised. So, Sanchez's report was discredited.

"So what can we do?" She asked finally, putting on her best clueless yet inquisitive face. Nimh couldn't afford to be too shrewd.

Gee appreciated the help of a senior officer. Especially one with war experience. She had read Nimh's file. Yet, there were also classified sections that again, she was not able to access.

"Well, do you have any intel contacts?" Gee asked. "I've already put a request into mine and have not heard from them."

Gee started to wonder why Nimh was checking up on her and her answer to that question would be telling: A helping hand or something more nefarious?

Nimh shook her head, "not on your level no," she shrugged, "mine are mostly Bajor System based and focused on the sector itself, we called them birds. But I know roughly how it works and I know things sometimes get lost...purposefully, or accidentally." The Bajoran remained calm and relaxed as she spoke. It was the truth, everything she had said, however, despite her hidden past, her time on Bajor as an intel peddler had taught her this lesson first.

Gee nodded. She appreciated the veteran Bajoran and could understand experience borne from war.

"That's my very concern. It's as if we are being purposefully kept in the dark or these reports are being pigeonholed-- for what agenda, I don't know," Gee lamented.

Ahressa nodded, "it worries me too." The bajoran sighed, "let me know if there is anything I can do to help?" It was time to leave the Orion woman alone, lest she got too suspicious.

OFF:

Nimh Ahressa, LT, SF
Chief Operations Officer

Gidassa "Gee" Thomas, LTJG, SF
Chief Intelligence Officer