Competing Interests
Posted on Wed Feb 7, 2018 @ 5:54am by Civilian 'Key Holder' Dorian Gabriel & Lieutenant Si'Lar Trellis & Lieutenant Ryan Milarno
2,056 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Victory Conditions
Location: Radon Corporation Storage Bay 762
Timeline: MD 4 - 0145 (Immediately after Snooping V)
ON:
Lieutenant Si'Lar Trellis was inside of a turbolift reviewing the civilian security protocols as he made his way to the storage level. The internal security system for the storage bay was designed to notify Station Security any time there was a serious breach. Considering the alarmas had gone off and then were manually deactivated shortly thereafter indicated that an individual had caused it. It was not until the computer registered a plasma discharge that Lt. Trellis decided to personally investigate the matter to determine if there had been an accident and if so if anyone was injured.
As the turbolift doors opened to the Storage level Lieutenant Trellis was slightly taken aback to see a Cardassian in a Starfleet Security uniform standing before him.
Ryan hadn't been there long and had only just opened up his tricorder to begin scanning the area when he heard the turbolift a few metres behind him come to a stop and the doors open. He frowned and turned to the turbolift. He wasn't expecting anybody to join him so he was curious.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that anyone else was going to respond to the Raddon Corp alarm." Lt. Trellis said as he gathered himself.
Ryan recognised the man, most likely from going through the security department roster. "Yes I most likely got the same alert that you did. Lieutenant Milarno, chief of security...and you are, lieutenant?"
"Trellis, Lieutenant Si'Lar Trellis," The Trill said as he stepped out of the lift. "Security Investigation Officer," he replied. "The alert came from Raddon Corp's storage facility, considering all the trouble that has been going on lately, I figured I'd take a look for myself and figure out what was going on." He said as he began to make his way down the hall. "Welcome aboard, sir. . .you've entered quite a shitstorm." He replied.
Ryan joined the lieutenant as he made his way down the hall. "Thank you...and yeah you're telling me"
"For one, we have an entire Cardassian Attack Wing just outside of our sensor reach and then just for fun we have an unpleasant Cardassian Embassy within our defenses." He listed. "And now...we've got whatever the hell is going on with Raddon and his group." Trellis said.
"Yep definitely a shit storm" Ryan agreed, repeating Si'Lar's words. "I hear Raddon and Co are quite xenophobic? They aren't going to take too kindly to me are they?"
"Xenophobic? That's an understatement, sir." Lieutenant Trellis replied. "They don't so much espouse fear of others, but actual subjugation and superiority. Then just for added flavor, they like to include a dose of self-pity and victim-hood into it." He said as he continued down the hall. "They firmly believe that having a coalition of races and cultures is a hindrance more than an advantage." He said.
"You would think in these times that we're in...all that kind of crap would be gone...clearly not" he said as he remembered his own experience with xenophobia in the past.
The two came before the massive 15 foot doors. Lieutenant Trellis looked to the locking mechanism and noticed that the panel had been tampered with and re-wired. "Well, it looks like someone decided to make themselves at home." He said as he continued to observe the workmanship.
Suddenly, the doors open slid open and the two Security Officers were greeted, rather unceremoniously, the two Security Officers.
"There you all are." Garcia said as he saw the two Starfleet Officers before him. "We received notification that the security sensors had been activated within the facility. We came over to investigate and discovered the tampered door panel as well as the remains of one intruder." Garcia said curtly, his body language not displaying an invitation to enter the facility.
"I'm Lieutenant Milarno, Chief of security and this is Lieutenant Trellis, security investigations. We received an alert too, we're here to investigate and we need to move that body to sickbay, immediately."
The look on Garcia's face indicated that he had no intention of allowing the two into the facility. "We already have the facility secured and our performing our own investigation." Garcia said, not wanting to give any further details. "We will contact Starfleet Medical to gather the remains once we're done investigating." He said.
"Yes, well regardless..." he flashed a smile. "This facility is on a federation starbase, We have a duty to everybody to find out what's gone on here to identify issues of safety, both to the station and the population. Now...if you'll excuse us, you'll let us through." Ryan's tone was calm and clear but teetered on the edge of giving him a warning if needed.
"Well, this might be a foreign concept to a Cardie to understand, but this is private property." Garcia said as his voice took on a less conversational tone. "I did not call for 'fleeter Security and that's because we have everything secure and under control." He said to the Officers. "Now go play Jack Booted thug somewhere else." he said dismissively.
Ryan smirked. "I understand perfectly. However what I don't understand or choose to believe for that matter is that you do in fact have everything under control...I could be wrong of course but I won't be able to confirm to my superiors either way after all there was a plasma discharge detected, things like that don't happen for no reason" he said and sighed. "Hey..." he said as he held his hands up. "Just a look" he took a breath. "And we'll be out of your hair."
Garcia could see that this was not going to end any time soon. He also realized that he was out-numbered.
=^="Garcia to Dorian" He said as he pressed his comm unit.
=^="Go ahead," Dorian replied.
=^= "You're gonna need to come back to Storage Bay 672, 'fleet security is demanding to conduct their own forensic interview of the facility." The Security Consultant said as he maintained eye-contact with the two Officers. He looked over the two and sized-them up. It was obvious that they keep themselves in good shape as Security personnel. Garcia figured that he could take on the Trill by himself without any problems; however, the Cardassian proved to be an 'unknown' factor.
Within several moments, Garcia heard the familiar sound of the rematerialization process as he was joined by the Head Security Consultant for the company. Dorian walked into the entry corridor where the other three individuals were standing. He blinked several times just to confirm what was standing before him.
"I thought you said Security was here, this. . ." Dorian said while pointing to Milarno, but looking at Garcia. "Is nothing close to a Security Officer." He said, turning back to Milarno. "Starfleet must be getting pretty desperate if they've welcomed you back, even as a 2nd fiddle to Trellis here." Dorian said.
"Well that didn't take long" Ryan muttered to Trellis.
Ryan looked back at Dorian. "Been a long time Dorian, how's things?" he smiled. "Oh actually I never left Starfleet and I'm no second fiddle to anybody" he corrected him. "I run the Security department now, something I seem to recall you used to do?" he asked. "Then you'll understand as to why we need to be in there to give it a quick check over and to move the body"
Dorian's expression darkened. Although he was no fan of Ryan, he at least could accept that Starfleet had saw fit to place a Human in control of the station's security as opposed to that monstrosity Rakka. But now it seemed as if Starfleet Command had regressed by not just picking a Cardassian, but a damn Doctor.
"I'm not surprised at all. They let an inexperienced Trill take over, why not hand the keys to Security to a misfit half-breed. Why worry about the fleet outside the station, we've just given the Cardassians all the advantage they need! I'm certain that the Cardassian Embassy is celebrating this silent coup over the Federation." Dorian said in an obviously antagonistic and hostile tone.
"You can go back to Sick Bay. I'm sure your talents are much more needed and appreciated there, than they are here. We'll call you if it's time to collect the remains." Dorian said while squaring his shoulders.
"I'm the chief security officer, my place is no longer sickbay. I won't remind you of that again" Ryan told him, his tone more aggressive than it has been. "Have you always been xenophobic? If so...why the hell did you join Starfleet in the first place?"
Dorian took a step forward and stood eye-to-eye with the Officer. "And I won't remind you again that this is private property. So unless you have a warrant, I suggest you go back to playing Soldier, Ryan." Dorian said.
"Ryan. . .that is the original name your mother gave you right? That's the name she gave you knowing that you were really a Cardassian half-breed." He said, still searching the other man's eyes. "Maybe your next career should be in Psychology or Counseling so you can figure out just how crazy your mother really was." He said.
Ryan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists and took a step forward, his temper rising, the veins in his head pulsating.
Lieutenant Trellis reached out and grabbed the Chief's arm. "Let's not do this here. . .we can take this up with the XO and get a warrant, then we can come back." The Trill said, hoping to head-off a dramatic incident.
Ryan stepped back next to Trellis and nodded as he breathed out heavily to calm himself down. He was so glad Trellis had heard that alert too, if he hadn't, he may well have acted without him there. He needed to work on his objectivity, he thought he'd be fine...obviously not.
"Why listen to him? I can see right through those ridged eyes of yours. . . you'd love nothing more than to barge through these doors, phasers-a-blazing and enforce your own kind of justice on the rest of us." Dorian said. He knew that a confrontation and the resulting the publicity from such an incident would definitely go in Raddon's favor and would pain Starfleet in a negative light.
Ryan turned his head quickly back to Dorian. "My own kind of justice? What do you mean by that?" he snapped. He wanted to know what he meant.
"You're a Cardassian. You can put on and take off whatever color uniform you want, but you are still a war-mongering. . .brutal. . .Cardassian." He said slowly. "The only real question is when you are going to stop fooling yourself and go back to your people." He added.
"You know what? This uniform that you mention, it's a good job I'm wearing it right now" He replied sharply. ~They aren't my people!~ he thought angrily but he wasn't going to lower himself any further than what he already had done. Ryan began to wonder if whatever had gone on in there was worth the abuse. He made his mind up. "A permit you say? You'll have it!"
"And we'll be right here waiting. . .Gul Milarno" Dorian said as he gave the customary Cardassian Military salute to the Officer.
"C'mon, let's go before an accident happens and then we have to report two more casualties." Trellis said to Ryan.
Ryan nodded and he turned quickly, heading out the way he came "Thanks for joining me down here when you did, there may well have been more casualties if you hadn't"
"There is something going on inside of there, if we're gonna find out, then shooting Dorian in the face probably is not the best way to go about it." The Trill said as they rounded the corner.
As soon as the two officers were out of ear-shot, Dorian gave Garcia a serious look. "Get whoever you need down here this instant to clean up this place. Those two are going to be back and start snooping around. We don't need them any further in company business than they already are." He said.
OFF:
Lieutenant Ryan Milarno
Chief Security Officer
DS5
Lieutenant Si'Lar Trellis
Security Investigation Officer
DS5
Dorian Gabriel
Security Consultant
Raddon Corp.
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