Pirates of Starbase 109: Curse of the Black Void Part 2

Posted on Thu 9th May, 2024 @ 2:46pm by Captain Gordon Francis & Mindo & Commander T'Venderath & Commander Geraldine "Geri" Severide

2,173 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: O' the Cardiff Rose
Location: Brig
Timeline: 1305

Previously... Francis watched as Severide entered the interrogation room. He'd dropped a lot of information on his former situation onto her, but Francis didn't become an Admiral in Intelligence without knowing what to disclose and to whom. Fact was, he wanted her as fully informed as possible. Francis couldn't fathom how an officer as loyal to the uniform as Mindo could end up in a spot like this. Looking at Mindo, he saw an emptiness in his eyes. That fire he had within him as an officer seemed to have gone out completely. But why? Francis wondered as he leaned forward onto the console in front of him and watched as the interrogation started.

-Start-

Geri adopted her haughty airs that offended just about everyone when she really laid it on thick. Men especially became obsessed with a love/hate for the flighty brilliant yet aloof character she cultivated. In truth her keen intake of subtle details and micro expressions lead to as much information as truth serums and solid beatings. When she rounded the corner she waited until the anteroom door closed, crossed over to the other side of the door, and entered without knocking.

Two humanoids and Reptile, one of them former Fleet. Today had brought a tall order, it was about time she got a good case.

"Prisoners." She said this at the door and got their attention.

"My name is Commander Severide. I am here as Starfleet's adjutant to Military Intelligence for this investigation. Before we begin I'd like to offer to resolve any discomforts you may have, this could be a long session. Are there medical concerns, lavatory, fresh glass of water perhaps? We are not here to harm you rest assured...." She batted her eyelashes purposefully, "please ask." Theough her tone was playful and the banter loaded, that final long pause before 'please ask' spoke volumes.

The smallest prisoner on the end, the one Captain Francis had called Mindo, was the first to raise a hand. He was small in stature, almost child-like in appearance, though upon closer look he had the face of a grown man around thirty years of age. He had dark brown hair, and probing brown eyes set in a deep brow, with small, pointed ears, slightly different from a Vulcan's, looking like antennae on either side of his head. His face was completely clean-shaven, which added to the illusion of youth. The raised hand made him look like a delinquent nine year old caught misbehaving at recess.

"I'm extremely thirsty. I wouldn't mind some water," Mindo said.

Behind the mirror, Captain Francis crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. He felt almost bad that he'd expected some kind of stupid, taunting one-liner, but the request felt sincere and his voice definitely sounded parched. He looked on with interest. Was Mindo trying to play some mental games with Geri? Or was he actually thirsty?

Geri appreciated the man taking initiative, it made the process much more straightforward. She leaned into the hallway and spoke to nobody at all, "Can I get a pitcher of water and some glasses... yes. Thank you."

She finally walked inside the room and took the seat opposite the other three. She looked at the other humanoid and the reptilian in turn, "If you two need anything just speak up." She batted her eyes at them a split second before returning to a long stare at her padd.

"Mr. Mindo..." the way she said 'mister' was conspicuously accented to highlight his lack of rank, "Welcome back to Starfleet. If your compatriots aren't up for a chat we can put them back in the brig. I'm just looking to fill out the forms here. I know who you are...Mr... Mindo." She stared ahead at the humanoid, "...and you two strong but silent types are?"

Sutall straightened up. "You're good at names, apparently. Figure it out. Do you think we're all just dying to speak to a cute little thing from intelligence for a glass of water?" He scoffed and shook his head. "I want to speak to legal counsel."

Rane sat with his scaly hands on his lap, gazing into the mirror with a blank expression. He had nothing to add.

Geri played a coy smile to the false wall where she knew Francis watched. She grabbed her hair and mimed childish glee, loudly whispering, "Hunnff... he thinks I'm cute..."

She eyeballed Sutall directly, "As I said before, water is a courtesy, like names are a courtesy see?" Glancing to the other two she could see Mindo hiding inscrutable depth. The man was thinking, but had turned to a statue in effort to reveal nothing. Even such absence was telling. The crossed arms and obstinate follow the leader routine from these other two here told the tales of the messy internal hierarchies at work.

"...Now we can exchange courtesies, nothing more than names and needs, or you can go without. Let me remind you though, with no names, we can't really file the paperwork with your home governments. Certain rights like contacting counsel become problematic as we don't know what Sovereign laws you claim to come from. You don't give us a name we just assign you a number."

She crossed her legs behind the desk, assuming a nonchalance rooted in reality. "A Starfleet advocate has been assigned to your case though, to ensure all the rights and privileges of a Federation prisoner are met. You all will like her, I'll give you one guess as to her name."

"Seven of Nine?" Mindo guessed.

Behind the mirror, Francis stifled a laugh.

Geri took the witty barb in stride, "I like to think I am one of a kind."

Mindo didn't roll his eyes, so much as just looked away. The false bravado was grating on him, and he was starting to wish he was back in that smelly cell.

A long silence followed, Geri loved the weight of it. After a full minute where nobody talked, Geri nodded and seemingly came to a decision.

"Well... as we have a positive ID on Mr. Mindo I can proceed without you two. If you decide to continue this taciturn inscrutability you will wind up in a penal colony under federation control with a hexadecimal based name until you fess up worthwhile intel. And what's worthwhile has a half-life. As of now you are all three guilty of murder, piracy, conspiracy, willful destruction of Starfleet property... We are looking at life sentences."

At this, Mindo snapped back to attention. "Murder?!" he exclaimed. "You mean someone is dead because of this? Who was it? What happened?" Mindo's voice rose a little with each question. He looked greatly distressed.

Geri shook her head slightly, "Well, let's recount the actions... Hostile boarding action, disruption of the whole hospital and several surgeries, ongoing treatments, direct fire taken by security teams, attempts at kidnapping, damages causing severe injuries to officers and civilians, forcing pursuit causing the Thunderchild to open fire on this ship of mercy as well... yes these actions did in fact result in deaths. How could you think otherwise?"

"It wasn't supposed to," Mindo muttered.

"What was that Mr. Mindo?" she aggressively intoned at him, then cocked her head at the other two, "You two have one more opportunity to cooperate or your next conversations will be days from now under a much less pleasant environment. I'm not asking for your friends or family, just your... names."

Just then, Captain Francis entered the room and held up a hand.

"Thank you, Commander," he said with a full stride into the center of the room. "These guests of ours do not need to be detained any longer. I think we've learned enough, and frankly, I don't want to have to do any more paperwork on them. These men were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Francis addressed the detainees. He caught Mindo's eye, but had no idea what the diminutive former officer was thinking. "You three are free to go."

Geri wished for coffee, just for the spit take moment she felt to have been enlivened.

"Sir?! These guests are in fact currently prisoners. We've arrested them and for damn good reasons. How... Sir Are you dropping charges?"

"Did I stutter, Commander?" Francis said with exaggerated authority. "There is nothing of any significance for which they should be charged and interrogated by a Starfleet Intelligence officer, especially not one with the rank of Commander! These gentlemen aren't guilty of doodly-squat! None of them have any violent history beyond decking someone in a bar fight! As for Mindo here, aside from a small attitude problem, he's one-hundred-percent Fesarian. Show me a violent Fesarian and I'll French kiss an Appaloosa with a python's tongue!"

A fiery barb was repressed, the audacity of such a reversal in such public fashion had to have been an audible he called just now so Geri played her part, the "scorned underling." In truth her commander rank was a helpful one to allow her access without burden of a desk or profile. Intelligence promoted differently than the naval chapters, a persons position mattered far more than their rank. Francis had something in play, and it was enough to derail the meticulous interrogation planned.

Turning her persona from "doll" to "soldier" came with a shift in body language and tone. "Sir, I must protest this decision for the records. I await your orders."

Mindo watched the act with some amusement. Admittedly, Mindo hadn't expected this turn of events. He knew Francis had been, under strange circumstances, demoted to Captain, but Mindo didn't know where he'd been assigned. Mindo hoped he had an ally and not something way worse.

Captain Francis turned to the three. "Gentlemen, you are free to go."

The three, following Mindo's lead, stood and followed Mindo past the two officers and out of the room. Mindo didn't give Francis a single glance, and Francis did nothing as he passed by.

After they had left, Francis turned to Severide. "I have reason to believe Mindo is best utilized out of captivity. He's not a terrorist. He knows what he's doing." He rubbed his forehead. It was starting to sweat. Interrogation rooms were always too warm and dry. "As for the other two, I want them off this station. If they're still here tomorrow, I'll make sure Security picks them up for something and sends them somewhere uncomfortable. Make them someone else's problem."

Geri sat in disbelief, trying to make sense. Rank mattered enough that her restraint was in overdrive to hold her tongue. The three men had left and it was just the two of them, so she decided to speak carefully but bluntly.

“Sir… I trust you have your reasons for cutting my legs out from under me and humiliating me. If I’m to work with you on other matters successfully I will need to be in the loop on plays like this or I will find another posting. I’ll be bait, I’ll play the dumb, or bad or inept officer when we need it, but I’m not going to be left in the dark. Am I clear?”

She stood as she finished taking regular breaths and controlling her affect. Her heart was beating faster, and she couldn’t help it, fury kept her in an emotional rise.

"You are crystal clear," Francis said with a slight edge in his voice. "But when it comes to humiliation, you're bellyaching to the wrong person. I've been hogtied and flogged in the middle of town square by the biggest of wigs in Starfleet, facing bullhonkey allegations of things done by another man in my name, in front of Starfleet, the Federation, and worse, my own children. You're complaining about being humiliated in front of those three scallywags? I could walk around this station stark nude and it'd be far less embarrassing than the other malarkey I've been through. So if you have a problem with me, put it in your report and curse my name over a gin and tonic. But be glad it wasn't me who had their knickers in a knot over this. You'd be singing a very different tune. Now," he added, "the next time I pull an audible like that, I'll be sure to throw you a bit more notice. But I see no reason to be embarrassed right now."

Geri understood half of the words, but most of their meaning. Francis was one of the type to seek forgiveness later but act immediately.

’’If that’s the way he wants it…”

“Throw me anything sir, just not under the bus. I presume we are having them under surveillance?"

Francis nodded. "Yep. I want to know as much as your department can give me. You up to it?"

Geri maintained composure, “I’ll just have to try as hard as I can to impress you sir.”

End

 

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