"A Heated Exchange"
Previous Post: "Open Mouth, Insert Combat Boot" by Matt
-=/\=-
Stardate: 60322.2315
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Admiral Koneki's Office
Enaii stormed into the Office of the Admiral like a tornado through a trailer park. "Koneki you self-serving son of a…"
"Enaii!" Charles snapped, halting the woman in her tracks, this was not what he'd expected. "What's all this about?"
The Operative looked like she was about to tear into something, wisely, Koneki stepped behind his desk, putting a rather large piece of furniture between them. "You send me into the field with a novice crew… you give incomplete intel to the greenest of my members… and you ask me WHAT'S This ABOUT?!?"
Koneki was completely put off, it was not like Enaii to pass the blame for her team's failures onto someone else. "In fairness Enaii, it was a very simple task, hardly more difficult than shore leave, and somehow YOUR team managed to compromise the mission."
"Oh no!" The woman snapped, "You're NOT blaming this on them, and you're *sure as hell* not blaming it on me. You leaked the information!"
This was a curious turn of events, the Admiral hadn't been expecting that accusation. "I have no idea what your talking about."
The Operative was fuming. "Tell it to someone else Charles…"
He hated it when she referred to him by his first name, coming from Katie it seemed almost natural, but from her it was a painful jab. "Honestly Enaii, I have nothing to do with an information leak."
The Intel Officer was unimpressed. "Don't try to play both sides against the middle, it won't work on me."
Koneki shook his head. "Enaii, I did not send you out on a compromised mission, I would not do that to your team. I know you would see right through it, it would not be logical."
He seemed genuine in his logic, causing the Operative to consider another possibility. "Then you have a mole Koneki, and he's right under your nose. No one should have been able to identify us, we did not leak our cover."
The Admiral immediately went on the defensive. "You said it yourself Enaii, your team is full of rookies, how can you be so sure?"
Enaii glared. "They are naïve, but they are not stupid."
"Pride goeth before the fall…" Koneki admonished.
The Operative shook her head. "Not pride Admiral, confidence. If there is pride in this office, it does not belong to me. You've been compromised, don't let your big head get in the way of seeing it."
She had a point, but he would not admit it. "That will be quite enough from you Commander."
Immediately the Intel Agent snapped to attention, it was amazing how a change in command tone could trigger the perfect soldier in her. "Yes, sir. What are our orders then?"
Koneki shook his head and sat down at his desk. "You have no orders, your team will be debriefed and will enjoy a little down time."
Enaii did not move. "The MERCURY sir?" she protested.
The Admiral's eyes narrowed. "Since when did you start caring for Mr Dawson?" he taunted.
The woman showed no sign of outward emotion. "I do not. He is a member of my team and entitled to be a part of the rescue mission."
"What rescue mission," Charles countered, "I don't recall authorizing that."
Enaii narrowed her eyes and glared.
Koneki sighed, he knew better than to push her, especially in her current emotional state. He would have more leeway once she had completely recovered from her "debriefing", but for now he did not want to risk pushing her over an edge he would never recover her from. "Very well, have your team ready for 1300 hours. You will be taking on a new Security Officer, she should already be on board. Have Mr. Dawson, Ensign Mei and Ensign Summers report to my office before you leave."
Enaii nodded and turned to leave the room before pausing and looking back. "Sir?"
"Yes?" Charles offered, wondering why she sounded so friendly all of a sudden.
The Operative appeared to think about how to phrase what she wanted to say. "I don't want him to know…"
Koneki grinned smugly, some things never changed… her predictability contrasting with her potential for the unexpected was one of the reasons he cared about her and was so protective of her, he knew she'd never feel the fatherly bond he had for her. "Of course not," he grumbled, "Mr. Dawson will never know you displayed even the remotest amount of concern for his well-being."
-=/\=-
Writing the hopes, dreams and future of:
Lieutenant Commander Enaii - Intelligence Liaison Officer
And if you see no reason for giving thanks, rest assured that the fault is in yourself. 2005 post #246
Lisa Mac Isaac {lisa_mac_isaac@hotmail.com}
USS ANUBIS
~~Chief Tecumseh 1813
