Codes, Cyphers and a fresh face

Posted on Thu Dec 15th, 2022 @ 1:41pm by Lieutenant Hadir Prenar & Lieutenant Laural Hawke

Mission: A New Beginning
Location: Deck 14, Intelligence Office
2199 words - 4.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Standing in a turbolift on her way to the intelligence office, Laural took a deep breath to focus her mind a little. She was looking forward to getting back to work on this fascinating ship, and her meeting with the Captain had been a good start for her. Feeling the lift begin to slow, Laural readjusted her shoulder bag to a more comfortable position before brushing her uniform down and walking out into deck 14. The deck hadn’t changed all that much since she was last down here.

Placing a hand in the deck number plate next to the turbolift doors, Laural made her way to the office of the Chief of Intelligence. She hadn’t intended to just walk in unannounced, but she was running a little on autopilot as her mind was lost in nostalgia.

Hadir had been sitting at his desk with his feet up. After the last mission he felt a small amount of relaxation was in order. He read one of his favorite books Don Quixote De La Mancha by an old Earth author named Cervantes. He had just arrived at one of his favorite parts where Don Quixote receives the Golden Helmet of Mambrino, when the doors to his office rather unceremoniously opened. A woman who by the color of her uniform was in Intelligence walked in. Hadir stood up and tugged on his custom tailored uniform. "Can I help you Lieutenant?"

Jumping a little in surprise, Laural was suddenly snapped back to reality by a male voice she didn’t recognize. Gathering her thoughts, she tried to think of an answer, “oh, um, perhaps? May I assume you’re the chief of intelligence?”

"Normally I would tell people to never assume because it makes an ass out of you and me. However, in this case you are absolutely correct. I am Lieutenant Hadir Prenar the Chief of Intelligence around these parts. You have me at a disadvantage." Hadir wondered who the girl was and what she was doing ignoring protocol and not ringing the chime.

“Lieutenant Laural Hawke, your new encryption specialist” Laural said, reaching into her shoulder bag for a small PADD and offering it to Hadir, “well, ‘new’ may not be the right word. Officer Returning to duty maybe?”

"Welcome back then Lieutenant. What brings you back to the Majestic? I myself have arrived here not too long ago and have not gotten to know many of the crew just yet. Add to that my recent return from a mission I have a lot of catching up to do. So, if you would be so kind as letting me know your specialty as well." Hadir hoped that he was not coming across too obnoxious, it was just that he had so much to catch up on.

“I specialize in Encryptions and cyber warfare with a hobby of interrogations” Laural replied, “as for what brings me back, I was tapped for a very sensitive mission which has wrapped up so I figured I might as well return to a posting I’m familiar with. I'm afraid the mission details are need-to-know, sorry”

Hadir smirked and chuckled at the idea of need to know. It was a phrase he had been hearing and circumventing since his time in the Order. If he wanted to know what Hawke had been up to he could find out. But, the truth was he just didn't care. "Well welcome back to the Majestic. My general way of operating is communication. Nothing is top secret among ourselves. That is to say any information we gather is free to be shared among members of this department..." His voice trailed off as he realized his manners. "I am sorry for not offering earlier. But please have a seat and can I get you anything? Do you have any questions for me?" He held a bottle of kanar aloft after he poured himself some.

“No I’m fine thank you” Laural answered as she took the offered seat, “as for questions, I’m sure I can up with a few. For example, you’re Cardassian, so why did you join Starfleet instead of help to rebuild the Union?”

"Now that m'dear is quite the tale. Suffice to say that there are those associated with Cardassia Prime that would rather see me dead and buried then helping rebuild the Union. Although I did serve with Damar and worked to take back the homeworld from the Dominion. As for the personal reason for being here I decided that it was time the galaxy saw my people as a group who wants to work together rather than apart." Hadir took a sip of his kanar as his mind trailed back to the bygone time and the complete tale that he was not ready to tell.

"Interesting that someone who helped Damar retake your homeworld would be persona-non-grata on said homeworld" Laural said, finding this man a little more interesting. "well, I wish you luck on changing the perception people have of the Cardassian Union. The Dominion War has left many scars across the alpha quadrant. Even the Klingon Empire hasn't fully recovered from the war"

"You have just stepped into Cardassian politics." Hadir began with a laugh. "You are too right with what you say about Cardassians in this post war galaxy. I know I have an uphill battle. However, imagine the image when a Cardassian takes command of a Starfleet vessel. That's the goal. But it will come in due time. Do you have any ultimate goals in Starfleet?"

After a moment of thought, Laural shook her head, "I don't really have any goals in Starfleet itself, other than just to server to the best of my ability. Outside of the federation, why don't we leave that discussion for another time. I'd rather not cause you to worry about me just yet, we're only just starting to get to know one another"

"Worry? I do not think I would worry for anyone for what they wanted to complete. Now I dare say that it takes a lot to make a Cardassian blush. So go ahead and spill it... Like you say we are getting to know each other, and I do need to know what could make you go off on your own little mission." Hadir tented his fingers as he spoke, he was insanely curious about this woman now. What could she possibly want to accomplish that would make him worry.

Taking a deep breath in, Laural quickly thought over whether or not it would be appropriate to tell him her ambitions. Eventually nodding to herself, she chose to say something, “well, it might sound extreme, but I’d love to see the destruction of the Orion Syndicate and the Nausicans brought under control”

Hadir smiled in that disconcerting Cardassian way. "Those are two good and large ambitions. But they will also take a long time to complete. Now perhaps we can turn our data listening devices and data analysts toward that syndicate. I tend to believe that they may be the next big threat."

Laural nodded, “I would agree. The Syndicate has been left to its own devices lately due to the war, so they’re feeling a little more cocky then usual, even with the Klingons breathing down their necks”

"Indeed... I have found that unless the Orions do or take something specific from Starfleet the fleet tends to stay out of their way. Our job will be to get the Captain some information, some data, or chatter that can force the fleet's hand..." Hadir paused for a moment as something dawned on him. "...I am sorry if my next question is going to be imposing. However, I feel like I have to know before we proceed with anything in regards to the Orions. Is there anything of a personal nature between yourself and the Syndicate?"

Taking a deep breath in, Laural held it for a moment before slowly releasing it. Hadir's question had hit her in a way she hadn't expected as a few suppressed memories came bubbling up, "a personal nature? yea you could say that. When I was young, an Orion slaver raid on my home killed my mother and abducted me for their markets" she said as she clenched her fists to try and keep her self-imposed psychic lid on her telepathic abilities. The last thing she wanted to do right now was potentially put her new Division CO into sickbay so soon after returning, "I was eventually sold to a 'scientist', although using that term would be extremely charitable. The things he did to me and what he forced me to do......no one should be forced to go through"

"Well m'dear I would say that is personal enough. I must apologize for brewing up those old memories. But you see it is important for if we are to embark on this we have to make it appear that you are not out for a vendetta. Believe me when I tell you vendettas will get you nowhere and cause a lot more heartache then they are worth." When it came to vendettas Hadir spoke from experience. To this day his father had hunted him for revenge.

“I suppose we all have our white whales to chase down, but perhaps learning to let it go is the hardest part. Something for me to work on I guess” Laural said, before giving Hadir a half smile, “so, wanna see something interesting?”

"It is why I am here. To see and know things that are interesting." Hadir replied with a broad smile.

Taking a quick breath, Laural stood up and unzipped her jacket, "don't get any funny ideas" she said as she slid her jacket off, tossed it onto the back of the chair she had been sitting on before removing her shirt. As she did, a patchwork of tattoos and scars began to be revealed. The tattoos ranged from basic tribal patterns to text in several alien languages ranging from Klingon and Romulan to Bajoran and even a little Baku. The most detailed tattoo was of a Kookaburra sitting on a branch stretched across her ribs on the left side of her chest, the blue and brown wing feathers contrasting with the white feathers on it's body. Even though she was wearing a sports bra, Laural still covered her cleavage with one of her arms, "most of these have a story behind them, mainly the texts"

Hadir would have been a fool if he tried to deny that the woman before him was attractive. Cardassians are known as good liars but perhaps they are not that good. He looked over the scarring and the tattoos. "Interesting artwork. I am guessing those are to cover the work of the Orions?" He motioned to her uniform as he spoke, indicating that she should get dressed. Hadir did not want her to become more uncomfortable than she already was.

Laural nodded, “yea, you could call it that.” She said as she slipped back onto her shirt and sat back down “Half of these scars are from a childhood of being forced to fight in what was little more then a dirt circle and the other half are surgical scars from inhuman experiments. Have you ever heard of a ‘procedure’ called vivisection?“ Laural asked, putting a very sarcastic inflection on the word procedure.

"I have indeed. But to the best of my knowledge that sort of work was abolished by most races centuries ago." Hadir could see that it would be a hard fight to prove that she did not have a vendetta if there was to be an intelligence operation. However, he also knew that it would be one fight he would gladly take on.

"well, I'll be sure to inform the Orions the next time I see them, because clearly the 'doctor' that decided to cut me open didn't get the message" Laural said with a mix of anger and sarcasm in her voice. Taking a deep breath in and holding it for a moment, Laural slowly released it as she tried to calm herself down again "sorry, I guess I still have a lot of baggage to deal with"

"We all come with our own set of luggage my dear Laural." Hadir said with a smile and then realized that he never asked her if he could call her by her first name. "That is if you don't mind me calling you Laurel." His smile broadened into that disarming and yet somehow not Cardassian smile. His comment about baggage hid the concept of his own issues, issues that he cared not to discuss at the moment.

Laural shook her head, “In more social setting like this I don’t mind, but in more professional settings I would prefer Lieutenant Hawke if you don’t mind”

"Of course, of course. I believe you and I are going to get along famously." Hadir said and he meant it. In the moment he admired the young woman and all she had been through.

Giving her new boss a nod, Laural smiled, “I agree. I look forward to working with you”