Intelligence Matters

Posted on 28 Feb 2019 @ 5:45am by Lieutenant Jinn Tevran (Jan 2389 - TRNSFR After Gorn War) & Lieutenant Junior Grade Eira Cortez

Mission: Ka Hakaka Maikaʻi - The Good Fight
Location: CIO's Office
Timeline: Before To Rip the Scales From Our Eyes / After Revelations

ON:

Jinn read through the information on his screen slowly. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but he suppressed it quickly. His ACIO certainly had an interesting file. She came from a Covert Ops background, so they had that in common. The mutiny against the Captain was an interesting anecdote too. He reserved passing judgement for now, but luckily she was due for a meeting with him here any minute now.

He had run small teams before during some of his missions, so this wouldn't exactly be new to him, as much as he did prefer working alone. A team of two should be manageable, but it would all depend on how well he could manage Lieutenant JG Cortez. She was currently an unknown and he didn't like the unknown. In his line of work, the unknown got you killed.

He took a sip of his raktajino as he slowly glanced around his office. Sparsely furnished, he had no personal items set up. Maybe he'd move some things from his quarters here, but for now he enjoyed how nothing here could yet give him away.

Cortez pressed the chime on the door to the office, stood back, and waited for the door to slide open. While she waited Eira fixed up the braid in her hair that was coming out, quickly braiding it again. "You requested to see me, Lieutenant?" she asked her new boss when she entered. Let's see how this meeting went: they were two very similar people from what she'd read already.

Jinn leaned back in his chair as Cortez walked in. "Indeed I did, Lieutenant. Please take a seat."

He motioned to the two chairs across from him. He kept his mind focused inward for now, he wanted an initial impression of the ACIO before he started probing around her thoughts.

"I've been reading your file," he grinned wryly. "How's having the training wheels put back on?"

She took the seat offered and sat, shifting to try get comfortable, "I'm doing OK. I know it's only been a few days, but it's the learning to trust that people don't have ulterior motives for everything they do, is hard. There's times I wake up in the middle of the night and think I'm still out in the field, and that is terrifying on its own. But what do you mean by training wheels?"

"I met with the Captain and XO when I came aboard," Jinn replied. "I was referring to the modified house arrest and supervision if you go off ship. As an intelligence officer, and especially one from a Covert Ops background, that must be stifling."

Eira nodded, "Possibly more than you realise. I'm watched for everything I do, and Lieutenant Stevens isnt making it easy on me either."

Jinn slowly opened his mind outward. He wanted to gauge his subordinates honesty on these next few questions. "Don't you think it's warranted? At least a little bit? You went against your Captain and crew. Suspicions about your loyalty are only natural."

"I apologize, but I didn't come here to be interrogated." Eira responded flatly. "Yes the supervision on away missions is warranted, I can understand that: to make sure I'm not going to sabotage anything or anyone, or essentially betray Starfleet. House arrest? Not so much. The Captain knows the reasons why I went against him and this crew, and it's something I'm definitely not proud of."

"Lieutenant, I'm your department head, and as such I think I have the right to ascertain just how much you're to be trusted," Jinn replied, equally as flat, leaning forward in his chair and crossing his arms. He could sense mounting hostility and defensiveness coming from Cortez and he didn't need his telepathy to tell him that. He did, however find one piece of her statement interesting: The pang of genuine regret he sensed when she mentioned that she had her reasons.

"You know as well as I how sensitive our jobs are," Jinn continued. "And also how trust can be a fickle bitch that is hard to earn and easy to lose. I need to know I can trust you to have my back, and not stick a knife in it."

He leaned back again, this time propping his feet up on his desk and smiled. He wanted to keep Cortez off-balance. "We aren't Security, we aren't the Marines, we aren't Command. Intelligence is its own fun little beast. I want to trust you. Tell me why I should."

Mirroring the leaning back in the chair, Eira just looked at him, "It all comes down to family and how unbelievably stupid they can be. In my case, my darling brothers have gotten themselves caught up in a serious amount of shit and mentioned me in it, and now I'm getting blackmailed into co-operation as a result, otherwise they die. Simple as that. I'm not asking you to trust me, I want to be able to prove that I can be trusted and not have people judge me based on previous actions." She tried physically and emotionally to stop being guarded with everything, but it was hard. Eira knew that eventually everything was going to come out, it was just a matter of time, but hopefully her response was a good one.

Jinn felt real pain and frustration there. Cortez was still holding back on the details, but he could read the emotions coming off of her like a book. He stopped himself short from directly reading her thoughts, better he coaxed the truth out of her naturally than telepathically.

"We can only BE judged by our actions, Lieutenant," Jinn replied. "Trust me when I say that I understand the burden that family can be, but why haven't you gone to the authorities with regards to this blackmail?"

"I didn't go to the authorities because it would mean more trouble for my brothers, and it would essentially create a shitstorm that I didn't want to get more involved in."

"You aren't alone in this universe, you know," Jinn chuckled. "Does the Captain know the precise details?"

Eira smiled a bit, "Yes, I know that. And yes he does, as do Lieutenants Cassidy and Emerson. I told Cassidy everything when he came to see how I was doing after I got put in the brig until Lieutenant Stevens could figure out what he could do with me, and Emerson was there as my counsellor when I told the Captain."

"And what did the Captain propose as a solution to your situation?" Jinn asked.

"At the moment? Nothing, but he's advised to let him know anything else that goes on from here on out." Eira replied. It was a weird feeling for her to be feeling hopeful for the future, but then again she was more than happy to just disappear into the crowd and not re-emerge for quite a while at the same time. "Personally, I'm going to get a medical and psychological evaluation done on our next shoreleave and then present it to the Captain and see what he says."

Jinn mulled over what Cortez had told him. There was a lot to unpack here and most of it was pretty damn intriguing. She was holding back, to be sure, but he could sense no deception from her in what she had told him. She was being as open as she felt comfortable being.

"I would also like to be informed should anything new come up," he replied, finally. "The Captain obviously has Command authority, but let's be honest- If this situation is as screwed as you say, his capability to help will be limited and constrained by that authority. You and I both know that sometimes the best weapon isn't a bright, shining sword that you wield in a noble duel, but a dagger in the back in some dark alley."

"For now, I'm satisfied you're trustworthy," he continued, tapping his head. "Mind reader and all that."

He chuckled to stave off the potential apprehension. "And no, I didn't delve deep. Your secrets can remain your own, unless they start getting in the way of us doing our jobs."

"Trust me on this, nothing will be getting in the way of working." She had completely forgotten that Jinn was a Betazed and that he could read minds, which made more sense now. "Is there anything else you'll be requiring of me at the moment?" Because I am either keen for a drink or some food or some sleep, I don't know." Eira laughed a bit.

"No, that will be all, Lieutenant," Jinn replied, shaking his head.

Eira stood up and straightened her jacket before making her way towards the door.

"Oh and Lieutenant," Jin began, stopping Cortez before she made her way out the door. He tapped the side of his head again and winked. "You're mostly keen for a drink."

"If you're keen for one too, meet me at the bar and it'll be my shout." With that last word, Eira walked out the door and back to her quarters.

Jinn watched Cortez leave and chuckled to himself once the doors were closed. She'd be an interesting one to work with. He pulled up her file and started reading again. He stopped soon after though and shut the screen off. A drink actually sounded pretty good right about now.

OFF

Jinn Tevran, LTJG, SF
INT

Eira Cortez, LTJG, SF
AINT