" Sam "
(Previous Post was Tallulah's "Doing Good")
==========
Stardate: 60321.1145
Setting: TANGIERS ORBITAL, Restricted Corridor
The young woman walked briskly behind the rapidly moving ILO… the head
of the redheaded woman, which currently was green, still rang from the
stern talking to she had received before they had left. Although this had
not been the first time Rikar had experienced this, it still amazed her as
to just how different Enaii could be when she was in the field as compared
to being on a ship or even off duty.
As the ANUBIS' Intel Liaison Officer, Enaii could be dry at times but
she could also grasp the moment and become the life of the party… but when
the blond haired woman stepped into the shoes of a Level 5 Field Operative,
the ILO became someone completely different… a person with a single, all
consuming objective… the completion of the mission.
Had the CMO been captured while the ANUBIS was performing some
run-of-the-mill job… not that anything could be considered to be normal
for an SFI vessel the likes of the Scarab-Class ship… the young woman could
easily imagine that Enaii would have been amongst the first to offer
her skills and resources to help rescue one of their own. This was in
direct contrast to the cold-blooded attitude of the same women when she was
out on a mission, quoting that the lost of 1 or more operatives was acceptable
in order to see a mission be completed successfully.
Even understanding this and with the experience the ExO had accumulated
over the years, the subtleties of Intel work still eluted her for the most
part. Koneki had sent the ANUBIS and its crew here to the TANGIERS ORBITAL on
a simple fact finding mission, but never had the young woman entertained
the thought that there would be so many other Intel Operatives present on
the station, each keeping tabs on the others. Everyone belonging to an
Intel organization had come here under some sort of disguise and had with
reason kept their eyes open for anyone doing to same… this meant that in order
to remain hidden, each and every operative had to work alone and
independently of whoever had come here with them so as to allow for the whole not to be compromised.
Rikar had initially supported James' idea and method of bringing every
member of the team in the same room so as to touch base… and discover
that 2, well actually only 1 in actuality, of their own was missing, but
after what Enaii had said, the young woman saw the error of that action
recalling an ancient axiom that stated to "never underestimate an opponent."
Even if granting that a single Intel Operative out of the countless present on
the TANGIERS ORBITAL had figured out that some of the people at breakfast
had been somehow working together, the identity of these individuals and
their missions had been compromised. This became that much more important
when considering that the mission no longer consisted of gathering Intel,
but now dealt with a missing officer and the apprehending of renegades
responsible for the destruction of a Federation vessel and the death of its crew.
The game of Intel required everyone playing by the rules to walk a very
narrow line hidden in the shadows and behind false truths and deceit…
but because of their general lack of experience in that specific field, the
crew of the ANUBIS had *danced* all over this proverbial line in plain sight
of everyone who had enough sense and experience to keep an eye open for
something like this. Hopefully this not playing by the rules of the
game would end up giving them an advantage that would have otherwise been
inaccessible… and which would lead them to getting out of this mess
*alive* and with a full crew.
"Enaii… where are we?" The young woman inquired after having noticed
that the décor of the walls had changed to a far simpler set-up which could
only indicate that they 2 women had ventured into an area of the casino not
normally visited by the general public.
Just as the emerald skinned woman had expected to receive an answer
from the ILO, the corridor came to an end as a wall slid in front of them. It
was only after several seconds that the young woman realized that the wall
had not been a wall at all but a massive being whose shoulders span the
entire width of the corridor.
"I'm here to see Sam," Enaii promptly announced, not at all appearing
disturbed or troubled by the gigantic size of the security agent who
had step in their way.
"Do you have an appointment?" The gargantuan being asked in return, the
tone of his voice hinting that the question had been nothing more than a
polite way of indicating that they would not be going any further than they
had.
"Tell him *his daughter* wants to see him." The ILO countered with in
such seriousness that the ExO's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Although
she had wanted to ask a myriad of questions in regards to this unexpected
ancestry bombshell, the young woman remained quiet… at least for the
time being and until she and Enaii would be able to clear this matter up.
The living wall glared down at the 2 women obviously not accepting at
face value what the ILO had offered. Nonetheless the *thing* reached up and
activated some sort of communication device located on the side of his
head and waited a few moments for instructions. Within a minute the titan
moved out of the way granting the 2 women access to the inner sections of the
TANGIERS ORBITAL.
==========
The young woman followed her partner through a set of double doors and
into an office that was truly beyond this world. Unlike the plain and
simple corridors they had traveled to get here, the office was filled with
luxurious sculptures, paintings and other priceless art that would have
made the greater majority of museums jealous with envy.
"Well, well, well… what an interesting surprise. What brings you here
Enaii?" The man offered rather coldly as the 2 women stepped closer.
The young woman did not know a great deal about her life-partner's
biological ancestry, but she knew enough about general biology to know that the alien she did not recognize did not share any genetic similarities with the ILO making her title of *daughter* a purely honorary one… something that
Rikar actually found to be a relief.
"I need your help." The ILO announced without delay, a haunting dislike
lacing her words. The young woman could do nothing more than watch and
listen… the Enaii and this Sam obviously knowing one another in some
way that the ANUBIS' ExO thought best not to know of or even inquire about.
"Some things never change… you where never one to waste time on
pleasantries... luckily we share at least that in common. So what can
these old bones do for you this time?" Sam inquired, shooting a very short
lived smile in the direction of the Orion woman before returning his gaze to
the blonde haired woman… waiting for her reply.
"SFI sent a group of operatives here… and 1 of them is missing." Enaii
explained in a direct and to the point manner which was both very like
the ILO and very unlike her. To get to the point was exactly how the Intel
Operative worked, but to give out information to a relatively unknown
person… at least as far as the ExO had been concerned… on a current
mission had been something that had been completely out of character for the
ILO.
"Ed did mention that there were a particularly large number of outside
operatives on the station… but that was to be expected given that this
is our *Time of Renewal*… and that our special event that will celebrate
this has always attracted a large number of people from all 4 quadrants of
the galaxy. But why come to me? I always though you to be more than
capable of handling a situation like this on your own?" Sam inquired in a way that made the young woman internally wonder as to the exact condition of the
relationship between Sam and Enaii. Even tapping into her experience as
a Cns, Rikar could not figure out if the 2 of them were friends, enemies
or somewhere in between.
"The life of this operative may be on the line… and the situation is
more complex than it may appears." The ILO poignantly replied… never
breaking eye contact with the TANGIERS ORBITAL owner and head administrator.
"You have changed… and maybe it is for the better. We'd better go and
see Big Ed and figure out exactly what is going on in my casino." Sam said
with a sigh, showing the way with his hand to another door which the young
woman could only guess led to this mysterious "Big Ed" character that Sam had
referred to.
==========
Better known for the time being as…
Siltrish Brakas, Orion 'femme fatal'
"We are Grey, we stand between the Candle and the Star, between the
Darkness and the Light" 2005 post #200
Stardate: 60321.1200
Setting: TANGIERS ORBITAL, Administrative Office
Sabrina Jones {sabrina_sweet@hotmail.com}
Commander Sabrina Rikar
Executive Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
-Entilza Delenn, Babylon 5
