Something Wicked This Way Comes - FAdm Malone - LtCmdr Rinehart

Posted on 241407.15 @ 1:16pm by Commander Tierney Rinehart & Fleet Admiral Kerry Malone

Space, in all of its dark unconquered voids, seemed a place unfitting to harness something as light and whimsical as Tierney Rinehart. It was not unlike trying to keep a bird captive in a cage, but like most caged birds Tierney had learned to sing. Her song was one that lamented the past, of how her life had been cast in shadow and forced to operate away from the bounds of common safety. It was a song of woe and of longing, and every note was sung by the beating of her intrepid little heart.

“Crewman, open hailing frequency tango nine.” She ordered, taking up the Captain’s seat on the bridge of the Talarian freighter Nug had delivered. She shivered to think of the implications. Her mother had once been a slave, bound to a house that used her race for pleasures of the flesh before her chance rescue by Starfleet when the colony they were on had been over run. Tierney was born just a couple years later when her mother had married the man who rescued her. Now, the product of such a union chased the stars themselves with a clandestine ship crewed by men who had once been slaves.

Nug had done well, even if he had planted a tracking device on the freighter and slowed down her progress while she removed and destroyed it. She’d told Mark twelve hours, last check on the clock she was pushing sixteen and they were less than half-way home.

“Channel open.”

“Admiral Malone, this is Lieutenant Commander Tierney Rinehart of Starfleet Intelligence, currently assigned to the USS Enterprise.” She spoke clearly, crossing her legs as she did. The Enterprise had requested the ship for covert missions and supply requisitions. The little Commander, however, knew there was greater purpose behind the unassuming looking ship.

After a few moments, the face of the Starfleet CinC appeared on the screen. "Commander Rinehart, it has been a long time. Good to hear from you again."

“Aye. It has been a minute, hasn’t it?” She replied, thankful for the warm reception she received from the big boss. Starfleet had done well when they allowed the man to take them under his wings and as such she’d never felt need to question his motives. Not even when news of civil war had spread like wildfire and, of course, not when she’d taken the liberties of freeing the Enterprise from the grasp of the Interceptor.

“Captain Rhodes asked me to procure a ship to help with supply runs,” she began, tamping down the flutter in her belly at the thought of the Captain, “it took pulling some strings, but the Ferengi came through. She’s a decent freighter, looks a little banged up on the outside, but she’s quite lovely and packs a few surprises.” Tierney’s hands played over the controls, bringing up the schematics for the man to take a look at, “As you can see she’s armed to the teeth and equipped with a cloaking device. Hopefully you’ll tag her on your roster of ships not to blow from the stars?” She finished with a hopeful, if not tired, little smile.

Kerry chuckled. "I'll generate you a secure transmission burst frequency, which should identify you as a friend to any Starfleet vessels without revealing your identity or intentions." He said. "Usual SFI boilerplate good enough for you, Commander?"

"Sounds perfect to me."She nodded, appreciatively, running her fingers back along the console. "And what of our friends?" Her eyes flitted up towards the screen once again, this time full of doubt and concern as she waited for answer. The Federation was an issue, "There's been news of supply vessels coming in from every front imaginable, its sounding more like they're using scare tactics, but I'm sure money is involved."

"They're on the back foot militarily, and they know it." Malone replied. "But I don't expect them to take that lying down, so they're going to employ far more... introspective... methods to win."

"Try to win, Admiral." Tierney corrected with an up swept brow at the thought of any outcome other than their failure. "They're not going to just lay down and weep, unfortunately. They've been bested by our military and our numbers -- but they'll try to win by implementing any other means necessary and that includes making purchases from less than savory channels. The proof is sitting on freighters not unlike this one." She shrugged, "Food for thought, is what my one contact called it."

"Well, I wasn't planning on letting them win." Malone replied. "But thank you for the tip."

A chuckle rolled from the tiny little Intelligence officer, her lips curling into a smile as she regarded the Admiral, "I didn't think you would. We all need to keep our eye on the prize, though. Thought is a very powerful thing. It can be used as a weapon." Her legs recrossed as she closed down the ship's schematic display and listened to the chirp of the transfer completing. The vessel, and her unnamed crew, were safe for now as they moved towards home. Too fast and they'd look suspicious, too slow and the same would follow. She'd let the helm officer choose his pace, knowing that he was used to running deliveries for the men he'd called masters.

"Commander, I have new orders for you." Malone said, as he reviewed the specifications. "I'm diverting you to... freelancer... activities against the UFP. If you catch my drift."

"Privateer, in other words."Tierney's color blanched somewhat at the thought of piracy. She'd said what she had in hopes he'd choose to deploy groups to do the job, but never had she thought one such group would be her own. It meant cutting the Federation off at the knees, but it also meant plundering and killing those responsible. In all of her time, there had only been one death at her hand and it had been because the poor bastard had tripped and fallen to his death mid-fight. "Consider it done." She answered boldly, not daring to show him her discomfort. "Should they come within a day's travel of the Enterprise, I'll dispatch them."

"Keep this mission from Captain Rhodes." Malone said, firmly. "I don't know him very well, and he assumed command more out of necessity than ability. I do not know if his morals would object to my orders, or if I can even trust him. You are to operate separately from his command - is that clear?"

The flutter came up again, her mouth drying at the thought of lying, be it through omission, to the man that held her life in the balance. He'd threatened to kill her if she appeared to have split loyalties -- but would that split of loyalty to the fleet's Admiral count? She nodded, holding back the need to swallow the lump in her throat. Praise be her ability to keep a straight face, "As always, Admiral. He'll never know a word of it and doesn't have to. I will say that I'm starting to believe in his promise as a Captain. Time will tell more." May the Gods help her, but still she gently defended the man. "I'll keep you informed."

"Very well. Malone out." The channel closed.

The screen went dark, once more reverting to the star field ahead, and she was left once more with nothing more than the chirps and beeps of consoles. She ran her hands over her face and through her hair, exhausted and now shaken by the prospect of a lie and blood being shed by her hands. "I know what you're thinking." Tierney spoke to the crew behind her. She could feel their eyes boring into her shoulders and the back of their head. "No one is going to die."

The rest of the trip home was going to be a long one.

---
Fleet Admiral Kerry Malone
Starfleet CinC

Lieutenant Commander Tierney Rinehart
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS ENTERPRISE