Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Jan 3, 2021 22:45:09 GMT
[NPC - Colonel Helena Vasser & Alpha Sergeant Gorsk - Eastman's Office, Post-Promotion Thread]  &  Colonel Vasser had gotten used to the stares cast in her direction especially as she tread past the officers moving along the corridors. There was simply a tension that remained in the air, especially after what had happened to Commodore Perry. There were those that held the Alliance responsible. There were even whispers of war. However, having served in a war, Vasser knew there was a different tenor to things when they escalated to that point. The Federation and the Alliance were still a ways away from that. Hopefully, that would remain to be the case. As she finally reached her destination, she stood in the antechamber, noting the differences since the last time she'd come to Eastman's office. One of them was certainly the woman's title. Vasser had been flanked by Gorsk. The alpha sergeant had expressed her preference that Vasser not attend alone. There was a hint of wisdom in the Na'kuhl's words, and thus she had brought her along. As she arrived, her eyes fell upon Mabel. "Hello, Lieutenant. I'm here to meet with your captain. I believe she's expecting me."Vasser glanced to her side. "Oh, this is Sergeant Gorsk. I'm not sure if you two have met. She can keep you company while Captain Eastman and I talk." To that Gorsk's eyebrow simply arched before her gaze shifted in Mabel's direction.
Tag: Judith Eastman |
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84 
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Jan 4, 2021 1:31:53 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) & Lt. j.g. Mabel Henriksen - Commanding Officer's Office, Front Ear Station]The office itself had only changed in subtle ways. Mabel had received, in addition to her extra pip, a slightly larger desk, which had room for more tchotchkes. Reveling in the civilian mannerisms of her CO, she used this space. She looked up from her desk, donning a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles that, while far subtler than her boss's tortoiseshell styles, still evoked the CO in that they were glasses, and took in the Nyberrite colonel (whom Mabel still mistrusted) and her green... assistant? "Let me check in with the Captain," she said, a little less bubbly than usual but still pleasant. Vasser here with subordinate. Send both in?
-MWho is the subordinate? Chromar?
-J.E.W.Gorsk
-MSend Gorsk in to take food, then out. Classified info may be of concern. Feed yourself too. You've lost weight.
-J.E.W.Mabel had in fact been trying to slim down a little, but the Captain made it so hard to maintain any progress. "The Captain invites Ms. Gorsk to take some food too," the young woman said at last, as the doors came open. Inside the main office, things were very similar. The artwork was unchanged, as were the bookshelves, and the setup with the work desk and the conference table. The one thing that had changed was a new addition to the furniture: a shawarma machine, currently cooking a more-than-adequate amount of lamb. The Captain stood beside it, donning a non-regulation apron over her duty uniform. Also laid out on the conference table was a quantity of chopped salad, hummus, tahini, peppers, french fries, and pita bread (cut in halves), all laid out in bowls with different serving utensils. Most COs would consider it an utter waste of time, but Judy clearly didn't think so; she thought it was the best way to steer towards at least a soft reset in relations. They weren't going to trust, but they could work better together. "Colonel, thank you for coming," she said to Vasser, and then turned to the green-skinned woman. "You must be Sergeant Gorsk, pleased to meet you."The elaborate setup, almost restaurant-style, merited some explaining. "This is shawarma, a delicacy from Earth's middle eastern region. You take the pita bread, right here, then add some meat to it, and the other toppings here, to taste," she explained it, while demonstrating by preparing a pita with everything but the peppers. Cutting the meat, in particular, was something she treated almost ritualistically, cutting shavings off the skewer with a large knife, so that they landed right in the pita. "Mabel, this is for you.""Thank you," the young woman accepted it, taking the portion in hand, in a napkin.
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Jan 4, 2021 6:39:06 GMT
[NPCs - Colonel Helena Vasser & Alpha Sergeant Gorsk - Eastman's Office, Post-Promotion Thread] & As the pair of Nyberrite officers stepped into the office, they each had their own opinions of what awaited them beyond the threshold. Gorsk, was somewhat surprised by the appearance of the station's captain in an apron serving a small feast. Of course, her response wasn't exactly intelligible by her expression. Gorsk had a superb poker face. Vasser, however, was familiar with Eastman's hospitality, and was more surprised by the fact that the captain had still extended such a courtesy to her in particular. Especially, when one considered the history between them. It was doubtful that all was forgotten, but perhaps then was the beginning of the journey to forgiveness. "Come Sergeant," Vasser said, " "let's not ignore the captain's hospitality."The Na'kuhl woman stepped forward and eyed the set up. She collected a small sample of meat, some of practically everything but the bread itself. "Thank you for your hospitality, Captain Eastman," she said simply. She then retreated from the room as Vasser continued to prepare herself a small serving as well. "I hope you're not offended by Gorsk's selectiveness. She's a picky eater, but mainly because her people don't digest grains of any sort." A slight smile spread across Vasser's lips. "She's not the sort to make a fuss about it, and tends to appreciate it if others don't as well."
Tag: Judith Eastman |
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Jan 4, 2021 19:17:55 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) & Lt. j.g. Mabel Henriksen - Commanding Officer's Office]"My pleasure," Judy accepted Gorsk's thanks, aware of the likely awkwardness. Most people, on both crews, would expect this meeting to launch with barely disguised hostility, not lovingly catered lunch. "I'm not one to judge dietary restrictions," she then said to Vasser, alluding to their onetime standing breakfast meetings, and all the things that, between heart disease and kosher laws, she did not eat. She served herself, going heavy on the meat, but making up for it by not taking too many fries in her pita. Trips to old Israel, her people's ancestral homeland, were a hallmark of her youth, so she had an enduring fondness for Middle Eastern cuisine. "So, Colonel, how are you?" Judy asked, as she took a seat, still next to the shawarma machine. Mabel, meanwhile, met Gorsk at the antechamber, and gestured at one of the guest seats opposite her own desk. "Captain Eastman is a little unusual," she said, by way of explaining the lunch they'd been served.
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Jan 5, 2021 2:03:44 GMT
[NPCs - Colonel Helena Vasser & Alpha Sergeant Gorsk - Eastman's Office, Post-Promotion Thread] & Helena simply nodded as Judy made it clear that she had no objections to Gorsk's dietary restrictions. She didn't expect the Starfleet captain would, but this conversation thus far felt more like a feeling out process, as if they were trying to determine where the boundaries lay. It was likely a lingering result of the distance that had grown amongst then over the past few months. It was likely that feeling that had Vasser almost looking for something more in Judy's question of how she was doing. "If I were to start complaining, I likely wouldn't stop," she responded. "I haven't experienced anything out of the ordinary recently, so in that aspect, I would say quite well." For the time being she decided not to rush into the topic that they would no doubtedly get to soon. "I would ask the same of you, but not before offering my congratulations on your recent promotion."Of course, mentioning the congratulations instantly brought her mind to Perry and the fate that he had suffered. She took a deep breath before asking her question. "I suppose the search has yielded no new information?" It was arguably a safe question to ask, but there was still some question of how much information would actually be shared. She took a moment to take a bite of what she had constructed. In the antechamber, Gorsk took the seat that Mabel had gestured towads. Sitting down, her eyes seemed to inspect the chair. She didn't voice her observation, but found it to be very... soft. Her eyes then lifted to Mabel as she labeled her captain as 'unusual.' Her eyes peered into the office where she'd last seen Eastman and then back to Mabel. "Unusual in what way?"
Tag: Judith Eastman |
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Jan 5, 2021 4:32:37 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - Commanding Officer's Office]Vasser's comment about complaining sounded almost... Jewish. If Judy didn't know the woman better, her head might've even gone in that direction. As for the mention of her promotion, Judy reacted as politely as ever, with a brief, "thank you."She appreciated the honor paid to her in the promotion, but wasn't one to bask in the glory for an extended period of time. Certainly not given the tragic fate that had seemingly befallen her predecessor. "Still no trace of the Lusitania. We have absolutely no idea what happened, other than that it's vanished, and given the Commodore's condition as it was when he left, that's very bad," she shared forthrightly. "You know, my promotion is a lot of things, but on some level, I see the fact that the Admirals chose me, as opposed to bringing in someone from the outside, as vindication of how we dealt with the aftermath of the Hera disaster. That decision, to keep digging, as opposed to taking the easy scapegoat and running, the Admirals see the sense in it."Vasser, as a former Captain herself, knew just how very... special the median flag officer was, and this was implied. Also implied was that Judy viewed her leadership, beyond that incident, as being validated. Such a self-image had ramifications for Nyberrite-Federation relations that Vasser could both like (the overall sensible Captain Eastman having a mandate) and dislike (Judy could view her actions in September[fn]Joint Exercises[/fn] as validated too).
[NPC - Lt. j.g. Mabel Henriksen - Antechamber to the Commanding Officer's Office]"Well," Mabel started, in between bites (but never speaking with her mouth full). "Most of them are a lot less nice. The feeding thing is her thing."
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Jan 5, 2021 5:43:44 GMT
[NPC - Colonel Helena Vasser - Eastman's Office, Post-Promotion Thread] Hearing the news about Perry, or rather the lack of it, had been disheartening, but not unexpected. It was troubling how the Lusitania had essentially vanished without a trace. Helena suspected that Judy would have preferred to have been apart of the search, thought it was likely Starfleet had other plans for her. And perhaps those plans included Vasser herself, or at least maintaining and repairing the strained relationship between the Federation and the Alliance. No doubt, recent events had played a role in Eastman's recent ascent to the position of captain and commander of this station, and by extension the Mac. Helena's smile broadened slightly even as the woman mentioned as much. It wasn't boasting, but simply reminding the Nyberrite commander what the state of things truly were. "If it's any consolation, I likely would have made the same choice myself," she pointed out. It was doubtful that it was much of a consolation, seeing as Vasser's opportunity to reach Starfleet admiralty was nothing more than a distant dream. "Considering the state of things of affairs, I hope you know that I'm obligated to ask once again about the extradition of Avi Moz," Vasser stated. She knew what the response would be, but she had been sincere. Her superiors were still interested in some sort of restitution for the long, covert infiltration not to mention the abandonment of Moz's post. At best, it could be a simple formality that they could get out of the way. Because in Vasser's opinion, there were pressing matters to discuss.
[NPC - Alpha Sergeant Gorsk - Antechamber of Eastman's office, Front Ear Station ] Gorsk listened as Mabel attempted to explain how Eastman was unusual compared to other Starfleet captains. "She is nice... and she feeds you?" Gorsk summarized. "So, she is unusual because in addition to being a Starfleet commander, she performs the duties of a nanny?" Perhaps this was a level of distinction in Starfleet that even Vasser had not achieved before joining the Alliance.
Tag: Judith Eastman |
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Jan 5, 2021 6:04:10 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - Commanding Officer's Office]And just like that, they had to go from the friendly realm of things they agree on, to the political hot potato that was Avi Moz. Truth be told, Captain Eastman would not have approved the operation, but as Captain Ellis had approved it, Judy had no intention of leaving those involved out in the cold. As much as she would've liked to... "That ball is no longer in my court. You'd have to go through the civilian courts to get Moz extradited," she said matter-of-factly. The Federation was a nation of laws, whether it was convenient or not, though Judy wasn't sure whether it was convenient now. "Between us, we can call the score even. We may have Moz, but we also have to live with her," she joked. She would've preferred it if Avi Moz, shaken by her misadventure, had gone elsewhere, but alas. Judy took a careful bite from her pita, making sure any tahini drip landed on her napkin and not her apron (it may have been made to get dirty, but Judy preferred not to make it so).
[NPC - Lt. j.g. Mabel Henriksen - Antechamber to the CO's Office]Mabel was taken aback by Gorsk's description of her Captain. A nanny? That was hurtful. "No, not a nanny. The Captain is just different. Most people in her position treat Starfleet like a military, especially after the war, but she's more relaxed."Granted, recent circumstances had conspired to make Starfleet seem more like a military.
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Jan 5, 2021 6:29:46 GMT
[NPC - Colonel Helena Vasser - Eastman's Office, Post-Promotion Thread] Honestly, Moz was an issue low on Vasser's priority list, but given that she hadn't been as forthcoming with Nyberrite command about that list of concerns, it was largely where their focus was. Judy had offered the typical run around of having to petition the civilian courts for extradition. The Nyberrite commander had no qualms about kicking this particular witch-hunt to a Nyberrite Negotiator to try and chase down. "Well, that is disappointing," Vasser feigned her disappointment. "I"ll have to be sure to alert Command so that they can assign a negotiator to pursue this further."This would likely get tossed back and forth between courts until it ended up on the desk of some ambassador that wanted to make a deal. Either way, it was likely out of Vasser's hands for good. And with that grievance, Avi Moz as well. Judy joked that they could call it even, but did point out that they were likely the one's stuck with Moz. "You can't say I didn't try," Vasser teased back. She took another bite of her pita, and nodded approvingly. "Your culinary craft continues to amaze me," Vasser said. "Admittedly, there was a time I didn't think I'd receive such another invitation." A single observation, yet a reminder of how things had changed over the months. As she sat there, Helena finally looked over to Judy. Perhaps it was the impatience of youth, but her mind didn't linger solely on the meal, but drifted to some of the business the pair of commanders still had to discuss. Her mind navigated some of the topic for one appropriate for the present scene. "Should I be surprised that your Mr. Harmon isn't here with an armed entourage to escort me to an interrogation room?"
[NPC - Alpha Sergeant Gorsk - Antechamber of Eastman's office, Front Ear Station ] "I fail to see the offense," Gorsk stated. If she interpreted Mabel's reaction correctly, she had insulted the human in some way. "I assumed your captain's maternal tendencies made her a more formidable commander." Gorsk's head tilted slightly. "Do you not attempt to mimic your captain's behaviors?"
Tag: Judith Eastman |
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Jan 5, 2021 18:39:57 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - Commanding Officer's Office]"Shawarma is really quite easy. The machine does most of the work for me," Judy good-naturedly dismissed Vasser's praise. The shawarma machine was, in fact, a promotion gift from Max, who sought to protect his wife from eating sad desk lunches. And of course, business was business. "Mr. Harmon actually thinks more highly of you than you'd think," she said. "As much as he does mistrust your employers."That much was true. Harmon wasn't a fan of Vasser, from what Judy could tell, but his dislike mostly stemmed from the low esteem in which he held the Nyberrite Alliance. "And besides, I think we do a fine enough job talking without pointing phasers at anyone."
[NPC - Lt. j.g. Mabel Henriksen - Antechamber to the CO's Office]Mabel slowly came to realize that there had been a bit of a cultural misunderstanding here. "In our society, calling the Captain a nanny implies that we're children, so it's hurtful," she explained. "But you're right. I think Captain Eastman's way of doing things does make her better at her job."
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Jan 7, 2021 8:21:43 GMT
[NPC - Colonel Helena Vasser - Eastman's Office, Post-Promotion Thread] Vasser continued to nibble conservatively from her shawarma, even as she listened to Eastman mention Harmon. She admittedly was surprised to hear that the Starfleet Intelligence officer had a slightly elevated opinion of her. Vasser's lips curled slightly. "Really?" she repeated. "Or is it that the commander simply doesn't think of me as lowly as he does my colleagues?" She took another bite as she continued briefly with the small talk. "I feel that's proven to be true thus far," Vasser stated. "And I suppose there is much to discuss, but we may share a mutual concern of exactly how much we can say to one another."
[NPC - Alpha Sergeant Gorsk - Antechamber of Eastman's office, Front Ear Station ] Gorsk didn't understand what the woman was saying. How exactly was describing the captain as a nanny, an insult? At first she thought it may have been something lost due to the universal translator, but it was soon revealed that it was more of an insult to the crew than the captain. Gorsk's head tilted slightly. "The term was chosen to describe your captain, not the crew," she explained. "I do not know your crew well enough to determine if you all collectively act as juveniles."
Tag: Judith Eastman |
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Jan 7, 2021 20:55:57 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - Commanding Officer's Office]Judy sighed, still holding the pita in her hand. "You're right. We both have our proverbial gags, all those 'sensitive' and 'top secret' headers on our PADDs. However, I think we did just fine before the joint exercises, and we can at least go back to that level of openness in the discourse between us."Judy had a large - even leading - role in the estrangement between them after that incident, and while she had felt justified at that time, and still appreciated the sense of justice that led her to cancel their standing meetings, the results had not been good.
[NPC - Lt. j.g. Mabel Henriksen - Antechamber to the CO's Office]"I think this is a cultural difference," Mabel concluded, succinctly. It was one of the struggles of working in a diverse, multispecies environment, especially with unfamiliar species.
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Feb 1, 2021 13:56:35 GMT
[NPC - Colonel Helena Vasser - Eastman's Office, Post-Promotion Thread] "Agreed," Helena said simply. She had to admit, that Judy had been among the few to seemingly give her a fair chance. The incident with the joint exercises had certainly soured their relations for a time. Perhaps this was an opportunity for them to make it back to some sort of common ground. Perhaps it was time to test the waters with a bit of intelligence. "It does appear that a conscious effort was made to conceal the material that was smuggled aboard the Soteria," Vasser shared. "Though, thtey didn't take Gorsk's meticulous record keeping into account. It appears the containers with the hybrid weapons was removed from the manifest shortly after disembarking. However, Gorsk keeps additional records offline prior to leaving any port. Just in case of a malfunction while in transit."Vasser didn't particularly care for portraying herself as a commanding officer that didn't know what was happening on her own ship. In the back of her head, the warnings from Colonel Nox seem to ring loudly. Would passing what she'd discovered up to Command do more harm than good?
[NPC - Alpha Sergeant Gorsk - Antechamber of Eastman's office, Front Ear Station ] Gorsk's large red eyes narrowed slightly as Mabel made the suggestion that perhaps their miscommunications had been the result of cultural differences. "I see," she said while nodding slowly. "I have found that humans have... many... cultural differences. Your people often enjoy pointing out said differences."
Tag: Judith Eastman |
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Feb 5, 2021 3:56:28 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - Commanding Officer's office]Judy enjoyed another bite of shawarma, relishing the slim yet juicy cuts of meat, in some way analogous to the revelation Vasser just made. "About that, our thinking is that the big-shots aren't on the Soteria, since there's no one on your crew that seems to benefit from what went down, or what they wanted to go down. The best theory we have is that a handful of your crew got blackmailed - or more likely, bribed - into doing what was needed, like fudging the manifest."Judy sighed rather loudly. Kickbacks seemed to be a way of life on the frontier, and as much effort as she put into cleaning up, there were always a few bad apples in the docking rings. "There's probably some trail of Latinum breadcrumbs running around, waiting to be chased down."This wasn't Judy's profession, but she'd still picked up a working knowledge of criminal investigation procedure.
[NPC - Lt. j.g. Mabel Henriksen - Antechamber to the CO's Office]"It's what we do," Mabel confirmed. Cultural differences were the name of the game for humans.
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Feb 5, 2021 15:42:32 GMT
[NPC - Colonel Helena Vasser - Eastman's Office, Post-Promotion Thread] Admittedly Helena wasn't fond of the idea that members of her crew had been blackmailed or bribe to work against her. She was rather proud of her crew, but she was practical as well. The evidence did seem to suggest that there were members of her crew that were working against her, coerced or not. She slowly nodded. "I agree. In fact, Major Chromar is certainly looking at the crew to determine who else could have been complicit." Naturally, Javik was in that number, but there wasn't very much left that they could learn from a Reman corpse. Vasser bit into her shawarma once again. It was rather tasty. She only briefly wondered how Gorsk was faring with Mabel. "I'm presently using my contacts at the Ferengi Futures Exchange and in the Orion Markets to see if any members of my crew have made any recent hefty investments." Vasser exhaled before continuing on. "There is, however, another piece of evidence that I am ill-equipped to pursue: the shipping labels[fn]S1M9 Crash and Burn[/fn]" Vasser paused briefly and then continued. "Among the debris, it appeared that the container's shipping label was Federation, not Nyberrite in origin. It could be nothing, but I don't think we're in a position to leave any stone unturned."
[NPC - Alpha Sergeant Gorsk - Antechamber of Eastman's office, Front Ear Station ] Mabel seemed honest enough when it came to Gorsk's assessment on humans. She also didn't appear to be one to fill silence with idle chatter. Still, most of the humans Gorsk had come to know were uncomfortable with silence, so the Na'khul woman took it upon herself to attempt to further their discourse. "Are your responsibilities limited to sitting here the entirety of your day?"
Tag: Judith Eastman |
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