Face to face

Posted on Tue Sep 25th, 2018 @ 9:14pm by Commander Abigail Prescott & Lieutenant Commander Sarah Dufrai

1,807 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: The Return to Faltan
Location: Faltan Station - Command Building
Timeline: MD10 - 1541

The days have been quiet and things were finally wrapping up at Faltan Station. It was a rocky start for them the moment they had set foot on the surface of Faltan. It was quiet in the office of Abigail as Sarah stepped into it without a crack of sound as she looked at Abigail "Hey Sugar..." She said while looking at her direction.

Mint had been staring blankly at her computer screen when Sarah spoke. She jumped and nearly fell out of her chair. "Damnnit woman," she growled, shaking her head. "Must you be so aggravating?" Despite the words, there was a hint of amusement in her eyes.

Slowly walking forward and looking around "Do i really have to answer that question, I mean it is in my personality to do such things Commander" She pointed out and looked at Abigail "It seems ...my presents got ambushed" She shrugs "I'm sorry for your loss Abigail" She said with some sincere words of emotions.

Mint sighed and shook her head. "Thank you, though unless you have some magic documents, that was our last opportunity to find out what happened here," she ran her fingers through her hair and leaned back in her chair. "But this isn't why you're here, in the flesh?"

"No...it seems the situation at Faltan is more complex then I had hoped for" Sarah replied walking towards the replicator "Whiskey on the rock" She stated as the replicator replied with a beep with a glass appearing "People are dying out there Abigail... the situation is critical with Skinner around and I fear..." She took a sip of the drink and let the burning feeling go through her body "...I fear the Death Squad is here"

A small thud could be heard as Mint dropped her fist onto her desk. She wordlessly walked over to the replicator. "Double whiskey straight up," she said, then grabbed the chilled glass of whiskey when it materialized. She took a sip then sighed. "Not exactly what I was hoping to hear, Sarah," Mint turned to face the other woman. "The entire squad or just a few?"

Leaning against the replicator as she looked at Abigail "Well, that is the question, so far one of my team members got tortured by Skinner. She did quite a number on her. But It would not make sense for her to operate here alone, I know from historical facts that they like to operate in the neutral zone to stay out of Federation grasp...but why Faltan?" Sarah took another sip of her drink.

Mint looked at the amber liquid in her glass as she thought. "Perhaps the newly appointed Governor reached out for help with warding off Starfleet. Or," she paused to take a sip. "Or they found this a place where they could take control, have a colony of people at their disposal? I must admit, I don't know much about them, so I'm just throwing theories out there."

"From what I have seen so far" Sara took a deep breath "They are doing some quite dirty work out here...The Lieutenant we captured at the new operation area...revealed that they were powers beyond their current Commandant in their district" Sarah took another sip "If that is the case, seeing what is going on there...then it seems the handy work of Doc can be confirmed. Plus the rumor that Phantom shot at that tower is something I wont look away from either"

Another sip of whiskey burned down Mint's throat and she shook her head. "This is not what I envisioned myself doing," she pressed the glass against her forehead and groaned. "Why would they be here," she didn't say the words in question form, more thinking aloud. She began to pace, that annoying habit she'd developed over the past week. "Honing their skills? Easy targets? Hired for a specific task?" She stopped right in front of Sarah and tilted her head. "They had to know the admin team going missing would cause someone to come to investigate or were they stupid enough to believe we would just brush off twelve people going missing?"

Shrugging at the Commander pacing "Well if it is Vic and she is here, then this was all planned out. I bet my life on it that the attack on the ambassador is also planned. Testing strengths and such" Sarah now turned to place her back against the wall as she took another sip of the alcohol "Ahh...They all got specific roles and specific set of skills. The city I am operating in now is plagued by a disease that is unknown to us...I bet that Doc is behind that"

"Plague, assassinations," Mint downed the rest of her drink and placed the glass in the replicator to be recycled. "Kidnapping, torture... what could they be looking for?" She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "I have to admit, Sarah, I don't know what to do here. You seem to have good working knowledge of this group. What do you suggest?"

Sarah took the last sip of the drink as she looks a bit down to the ground when mentioning that she knew the group "Stay out of there way if you value your life" She shrugs "If...and by all the gods of every damn religion out there that I don't hope it is, but if they are here...consider abandon this station for good. Sacrificing lives for their pleasure is not worth it..." Sarah said with fair warning and concern in her voice "Whatever their agenda is, do we really want to know?"

"We cannot abandon this station," Mint shook her head. "Starfleet would never allow us to, and it's a vital hub to keep an eye on the Klingons and Romulans. We need this station." She sighed. "As much as I value every life here, we need to find a way to keep this station, mitigate our losses too."

Signing at that comment "I feared you would say that" Walking around herself now "I need time to get deeper into this, but ....it will put my team at risk even more" Sarah stops and looks shrugs "But more information will provide better protection for this station and Starfleet in the region. I got merely a few links connected"

"Sarah, I don't want to risk you or your team," Mint hung her head, went to the replicator and ordered another double whiskey straight up. After taking a rather large sip, Mint turned to Sarah and smiled sadly. "I really would rather just leave this pile of crap behind and start over somewhere else. But Command won't allow that, they'll just send in someone else to try to take over... Is there anything I can provide you to assist?"

She shrugs at that and looked over at her "Just keep them safe, my team and I will do everything in our power to stop them. Even if it means giving our life...that is the sad ending of a field operative" Sarah crossed her arms "I mean it Mint, these people are bloody dangerous and I rather avoid them at all cost. But I can't turn my back to those that serve with loyalty to Starfleet"

"I'm sorry, Sarah," Mint sighed. "I wish there was another way. I really do," she leaned against the wall beside the replicator. "I will do my best to keep them safe. Be careful," she smiled sadly. "We may not have gotten off on the right foot, but I do not want this," she gestured with the tumbler of whiskey. "I do not want to send you and your team to the slaughter, essentially."

Thinking about Skinner and plausible Phantom and Doc out there. Sarah took a deep breath "Time will tell, I would advise withdrawing any operations in the field back to this station or out in space only. Let's not provoke them as they are already enjoying this, something I don't want to give them" She signed "I will stay in operational duty for Faltan as the Chief Intelligence Officer, it gives me an excuse to come here when required"

"Any operations being yours or being any of ours?" Mint asked, tilting her head slightly. "Currently none of the station staff are operating off station aside from you and your team... Oh, and as for space, the Romulan Ambassador has called his wife's family. Seems they are the Tal Shiar. And they are breathing down everyone's necks."

Leaning against Abigail desk and smiled as Sarah spoke "I bet that Vic would intervene in that regard. We are punching holes into the enemy, but the real damage will come back at us sooner or later" Sarah smirks and nodded to herself "Time will tell" Looking at Abigail "How is the Captain?"

"Hopefully the Tal Shiar gives her a run for her money," Mint sighed. "And Captain Refelian is getting back on his feet. He's insisting on hanging out in the Command and Control center for as long as he can. I keep insisting he stay in his quarters and focus on getting stronger."

She giggles a bit at that last comment and looked at the floor "I think you gave the Captain a run for his money" She pushed herself from the desk and looked at her "Better not let the upper echelons know about...that" She grins at her.

Mint flushed for a second, but then became angry. "How do you know about that?" she demanded, moving to stand almost nose to nose with Dufrai. "Simply being the CIO does not give you the right to spy on your own command team."

"Haha" Sarah laughed back and pets Abigail shoulder "I am not just a CIO Mint, I am a former black ops...I know my ways and information is the most important thing around here" She pets her gentle on her cheek and walks to the door "Your secret is safe me dear, just don't cheat on me" She giggles and walked out of the door.

Mint growled at the retreating form of Sarah, not having words to say that would make any sense, nor come out intelligently. Realizing she still had the tumbler of whiskey in her hand, Mint downed the rest of its contents and left it on the corner of her desk. She then stalked out of her office and made her way to her quarters. People parted at the angry green woman stalking through the Command hub, not wanting to get in her way. Once in her quarters, Mint let out a cry of frustration. Why did she let that woman get under her skin like that? "Damn button pushing, evil witch," she said aloud before throwing herself face down onto her couch and screaming into the cushions.

 

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