| Abeyance | Abeyance is the least favorite operative word next to cancel. Because once placed in abeyance (suspension) operatives are one-step from being canceled, usually for not performing up to Section standards. To be placed in abeyance doesn't always mean immediate cancellation. Abeyance can also have a countdown as we learned with Belinda, Walter's one-day wife, who Birkoff upgraded from count two abeyance to count six because of his friendship with Walter. Most often, unbeknownst to them, abeyance operatives are sent into suicide missions for disposal, while others are simply executed in-house. In Section, most times you are only as good as your last mission -- or as Operations would prefer, Section is as strong as its weakest link -- so snip, snip! |
| Agency | The multinationally-governed board that oversees Section One and its many parts. The Agency is also linked to other crime agencies as the FBI and Interpol. The Agency's head of its Oversight division, George, is the one person feared by Operations and Madeline. George has the power to pronounce them in abeyance if they overstep their lines. Which they do a great deal, but so far have covered their butts, particularly concerning Adrian, George's "sweet thang." |
| A.K.A. | Stands for "also known as," and used to describe a person who has more than one identity. |
| Alias | An alternate identity; pseudonym. |
| Breach(ed) | Refers to a violation; a break; an infringement; usually used concerning security. See Mandatory Refusal below. |
| Briefing(s) | Briefings are meetings that Operations conducts in the central floor of Section. In a briefing, Operations displays the mission information in a hologram to the operatives sitting in the long rectangular table in front of him as he outlines the targets' names, background, contacts, dates, places, and Section's plan of attack. Briefings are also a time for operatives to socialize and bond with Operations during Q&A (questions and answers). |
| Cancel | To sentence someone to death. |
| Canceled | Already dead. RIP |
| Censure | To Punish, castigate, which in Section terms means when Operations or Madeline sternly talks to an operative for misconduct -- most often, Nikita. Censure can also include demotion or removal of privileges. |
| Clandestine | Something that is covert, secret, furtive. |
| Close Quarter Standby | A term used to tell operatives that a mission is about to go active at any given moment. They should stay in Section in closed quarter standby so Section can activate the mission without hesitation -- or snip, snip. |
| Collateral | In lay terms, collateral means to put something in a bond, security as a guarantee against a loss. In Section terms, it usually means securing the guarantee of a mission's success against a loss, which can involve sacrificing people, many times innocents to achieve that goal: "The good of the many outweigh the need of the few." |
| Com or Comm | Command. Is Section's central command division, which is most often overseen by Birkoff and his merry band of cyberheads. Birkoff is overseen by Operations, Madeline, Michael, or other high level operatives involved in the active missions. |
| Com Unit(s) | Communication devices(s) with which operatives communicate with each other and Section. Variations: a microdot that adheres to the skin and is usually placed behind an ear. Then there are also glasses that when the stems are pressed changes communication channels and/or the person with whom operatives speak. Another unit is inserted in the ear and made of black plastic, consisting of a padded ear piece with an inwardly curved four-inch long stem that is the mouth piece. |
| Compromised |
Is a word that means to discredit or a concession to something prejudicial.
Within the show the word is used to describe when either a mission, Section,
or operative is discovered (such as having their cover blown). In the latter, Nikita's cover was first compromised in Season One's episode of War. After exercising in her apartment and while disrobing and ready to take a shower, agents from Red Cell, Section's primary nemesis, broke in and tried to kill her. They weren't successful. Even naked Nikita was able to dispose of them. The lack of clothing made her light on her feet and she was able to sneak behind them... |
| Converging | A mission word meaning operatives are closing in on target -- or the enemy closing in on them. |
| Covert |
Something secret; concealed, which is what all operatives are: covert antiterrorists, i.e., ghosts,
since they are "dead" to the civilian world, and must remain so or be canceled. No operative,
including Operations and Madeline are allowed to socialize or contact anyone they have ever
known in the past prior to entering Section. If they do, they jeopardize not only their lives, but
those of the individuals they contact. In the real world, Section does not exist. Section is "the most covert antiterrorist organization in the world," and is even unknown to many world governmental bodies. |
| Debrief | All operatives must either log in Systems (see below) or give a play-by-play to Section debriefers of what occurred in a mission and their accompanying actions, which are evaluated. |
| Escalate | To accelerate; speed up. Sometimes used to describe a situation that is becoming volatile. |
| Exposed | A word mostly used by operatives to describe when they are in danger of discovery or being fired upon. |
| Factions | Another way of saying groups, divisions, parties, sides. |
| Field router |
A guarded device that contains Section's mission codes. In the wrong hands
the routers can be used against Section, because the one who controls the
router also controls the operatives and missions. The first usage of the device was in Season Three's Beyond the Pale when Michael distracted Walter in order for Nikita to steal a router from his work area so she and Michael could escape from Section. Not, as it turned out, to pursue a happily ever after life together, but to capture a Red Cell plant named Zalman. |
| Green Listed |
Is a term used to identify friendly Section informants. Green listed people
are third party agents, some of whom are terrorists, who supply Section with
information or goods for money and/or protection. The term Green listed was first used in Season Two's Mandatory Refusal by Dorian Enquist (Gregory Hlady, an actor friend of Roy Dupuis), who later kidnaped Madeline to blackmail Section. A very bad move on his part! Green listed informants have a better working relationship with Section than its operatives since Green listers are free to live their lives in the Real World. The only times their lives are disrupted by Section is when green listers get cocky, such as Dorian Enquist, and Martelli, who killed Stephen Wolfe (Operations' son) in Season Three's Under the Influence. Both men got their hearts pumped with lead for their betrayals. The best known green listed Section informant is chemically-pumped, Cockney Gadfly, Mick Schtoppel, who in Season Three became Nikita's flat neighbor ("Yeah, baby!"). |
| Hard Data | Irrefutable information. |
| Housekeeping | In Section, housekeeping is not a job for Hazel the maid. Housekeeping Section-style is a job for the ghouls at heart, who must dispose of dead bodies scattered by either Section operatives or their enemies, tut sweet, to prevent their discovery. You could say they are the civilian counterparts to road-kill picker uppers. Sometimes their job requires them to kill not quite dead casualties. Although, at times, Housekeepers get a break and are called in to simply pick up a target for interrogation -- then dispose of them afterward. |
| 357 | Telephone call-in code to Section when Housekeeping is needed by an operative. |
| Intel | Short for intelligence. |
| Level - rank | So far, it is known that an operative can aspire to climb five levels, and Level Five seems to be the highest. Michael is a Level Five, Nikita is a Level Two. Beyond Level Five, it is implied that the person would no longer be field active, but managerial, such as is Madeline, whose rank is presently not known. |
| Level - floors | Different levels within Section run different elements. Example: Level Eight holds "Buffered Hostiles." Many of those levels are secured and an operative has to be of a certain rank to access, or given permission -- although it has not stopped Nikita. "You go, girl!" |
| Mandatory Refusal | When an operative's cover is breached while in an active mission, he is to go into mandatory refusal, and reject all communication and contact from all sources, including Section. A breached operative does not know who in fact has breached his cover and for what purpose, thus cannot trust anyone, and must proceed with the mission by himself until completed -- no matter the collateral. See Second Season episode Mandatory Refusal for further entertaining clarification. |
| Material | A cold term used for new Section recruits. Nikita was Michael's "material" when she entered Section while he trained her for the two mandatory years it takes to evaluate whether a recruit is worthy to become an operative. Although Nikita is now a Level Two operative, in HR (hopeless/hopeful romantic) terms, she is still Michael's material and he, hers. With them "material" has never been a cold term . . . |
| Medical | Section's in-house hospital. |
| (the) Meet | A meeting, usually clandestine. |
| Mission | Refers to the act of going into the field to hopefully -- or better! -- successfully accomplish a planned goal to extract information, a person, or attack an enemy, usually a terrorist. Being an operative requires acting skills. Many times operatives must role play to accomplish a mission. Often a mission involves being under a cloak of darkness or cover. In missions, weapons are almost always involved, and most times include the loss of the enemies' lives. Sometimes operatives are also casualties, and innocents when they get caught in the fray, or used as pawns. As Nikita says about Section One, "Their goals are just but their means are ruthless" -- mostly. After all, the world must remain free of tyranny at all cost! |
| Mission Gear | The clothing used by operatives during clandestine missions. Mission gear means black pants, jackets, gloves, hoods, and foot wear, with the accompanying weapons and communication they carry. |
| Mobile Com(m) | Van or other transport as planes from where someone, most times Birkoff, oversees and directs the operation in a mission as operatives go in their maneuvers. A mobile com is the life and communication line between the field and Section. |
| Munitions | Weapons -- Walter's department and expertise. |
| Off Profile | Means the act of deviating from the mission plan. Off Profile is also a Season Two episode. |
| On the Pad | Is a phrase describing a mission that is waiting in the wings and about to go active. |
| Oversight |
The division of the Agency that overlooks the operations of Section One. The main focus of
Oversight is to make sure that Section upholds all rules and protocols. Oversight is what Congress is to the office of Bill Clinton's Presidency, but with teeth. Well, more like Elliot Ness to Al Capone, but with not as many teeth. Elliot Ness never had to deal with the intelligence and cool cunning of Madeline. |
| Panel | Michael in an episode of Season Two's arc said to Nikita, "Have they updated your panel?" From that statement, a panel is another term for PDA, see below. |
| Parameters | The lines of demarcation for a mission; the extent; boundaries. |
| Perimeter | The limit to how much safe space surrounds operatives in missions; the circumference in which operatives surround a target. |
| PDA | Personal Data Assistant. The slim hand held panels that show a mission's profile and parameters to operatives. |
| Profile | Refers to the planned parameters of a mission; a scenario of all pertinent information of targets laid out in a plan of attack that will lead to a successful mission. |
| Profiler | A person responsible for creating the profiles. |
| Retreat Point | The phrase Retreat Point was first used by Operations questioning amnesic Michael in Not Was concerning Orlando Perez, who escaped during Michael's rescue. "Were you able to extract an R.P. on Perez?" Operations questioned Michael. "An . . .R.P.?" Michael asked, clueless. "His retreat point is still unknown . . ." Nikita answered like a good girlfriend wannabe should. |
| Sanction(ed) |
The word sanction means contradictory things. On one hand, the word means to
condone or consent. On the other, the word also means to censure or punish
someone. Section uses the word for both meanings. As a punishment, to be sanctioned is the most lenient form of discipline for operatives. Since to be sanctioned usually means to be verbally reprimanded and perhaps have some privileges removed for a set time. Which is a far preferable form of punishment than abeyance or cancellation, by anyone's standards. Unfortunately for most, sanctions are more prevalent for the likes of Walter, Michael, Birkoff, and Nikita. The others tend to get a bullet or the Chair for an eye exam with the Torture Twins. |
| Sim(s) | Simulation(s) -- computerized scenarios created of profiles to see how they would work. |
| Single Sourced | Refers to an operative who is an expert in an area or has knowledge that other operatives do not, thus, making him more valuable to Section, which also makes the likelihood of cancellation less likely. |
| Singularity | It is a word that means an abnormality, a quirk, a uniqueness. In Section speak,
as far as we have seen, the word refers to a deviance from the mission script. The term was first used by Madeline to Michael in Opening Night Jitters while questioning whether his knocking the doctored wine glass from Elena's hand was a singularity. Essentially, asking him whether his refusal to drug Elena with an agent potentially lethal to her, was something he would do only once. He answered no. Thus, giving notice that his act of defiance was not a singular, random act, but deliberate. Though not said, his simple answer also implied that he would not participate in, and would prevent any attempt by others, to jeopardize her. That is why Section sent Michael on a mission so they could go into his house and drug Elena without his interference. The sneaky bastards! |
| Standby | Refers to either hold ground or wait for information. |
| Surveillance | To keep tabs on someone; follow and gather information. |
| Systems | The area where Section's mainframes are stored. |
| Tactical | What has been planned; strategized, and a branch within Section. |
| Target | Refers to a person or thing Section is after. Also known as a "mark," which is used for only people. |
| TOA | Time of arrival. |
| Tracker | A transmitting device placed on either people or things to track their whereabout. |
| Transit | Refers to something being sent, or on its way, such as computer data or the mission van. "The van is in transit. TOA, four minutes." |
| Tunneling-in | A computer term, usually referred to a virus or Trojan program that is "tunneling" into Section's computers to sabotage or extract data. |
| Type One Directive |
The term was first mentioned in Season Three's Third Party Ripoff by
Madeline. A Type One Directive is an internal dictum; a decision that once it's been made cannot be changed and is always executed, as Madeline told Nikita with uncompromising toughness to drive a hard wedge between her and Michael's romance. Under the guise that his relationship with Nikita has caused him to lose 1.5 percent effectiveness, which supposedly an operative of his stature cannot afford to lose, so she said. Uh-huh. We know the dictum was pay back for Michael's defiance in All Good Things or have control of our star-crossed lovers to protect hers and Ops' power base! Nikita didn't buy her psycho-babble, either. She did nothing to severe her relationship with Michael, so Bad Madd did. Bit by bit, she stripped Michael of his Level Five status, his office, his power, his dignity, until Nikita cried uncle and broke her relationship with him. "Bad Madd, did you party afterward in the Tower's Dome??!!" Lol, even though she's no good, she's no good, you got to love her evils ways, baby! Besides, not to worry HRs, Michael promised Nikita that they will be together again and sealed his promise with a kiss (sigh!). If anyone can turn the tables of Maddy and Ops, our favorite man in black can! |
| Valentine ops |
(Note: Although "Ops" stood for operations as first stated by Birkoff, the
abbreviation is also understood by us to mean operatives, so that is also
part of the interpretation given.) Valentine Ops are "players" in today's parlance, and sought after positions in Section for the randy at heart. Those who do Valentine Ops are smooth talkers who use their personality and physical charms to seduce targets in order to deceive or, pun intended, gain entrance into their confidences to get information for Section. Both being attractive people, Michael and Nikita have done Valentine Ops, though Michael has a far longer conquest sheet. Too long, Nikita would say! We first learned about Valentine Ops in Season Two's Not Was concerning Madeline's boy toy, Russell Burke, whom she had to shield from Operations' jealousy by making Russell single-sourced in his computer bio so Operations wouldn't send him in a suicide mission. |
| Van Access | The exit/entrance tunnel to the mission van that leads into Section. |
| White Room |
Don't go in there! The White Room is Madeline's home away from home, a place to relieve stress, and where interrogations are held. The room is a metal clad, sterile, cold, white, and round place with no hope of escape. That has an even colder metal chair in the middle where foolish interrogees, who do not yield to Madeline's warm dulcet toned questions, are bound, gagged, pummeled, drugged, and damn plain tortured to bits until they see reason. Poor boo-boos -- we feel their pain . . . |