Clandestine Introductions

[Cptn Corizon 0]

“I see you came after all.”

 

Putting her drink down and looking over at the man dressed in all black, she rolled her eyes. “Why wouldn’t I?”

 

“Well,” he said with a smile. “Loyalty can be a strange thing.”

 

“My loyalty,” she said coldly, “is with the Federation and the Alpha Quadrant.”

 

“Oh,” he said. “Is that why you’re here?”

 

Glowering, she ordered another drink. “Yes,” she said sharply. “Don’t forget that either.”

 

“Good,” he said turning his back to the bar. “I wouldn’t what you to be working for me for more trivial reasons. The good of the Federation is at stake here and…”

 

“Spare me the melodramatic ‘good of the Federation,’” she said, putting the glass of amber-colored liquid to her lips. “I don’t need to be convinced that I am here for the right reasons. If I didn’t, I would have already told…”

 

The pale figure next to her lifted a brow. “Already told your captain?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“If we were worried about that, we never would have approached you.”

 

Frowning, she took another drink and paid the bartender. “What is it you want me to do, exactly?”

 

“We simply need a pair of eyes on him. We want to know what he’s doing before anyone else. You know as well as we do that he’s not above taking matters into his own hands at the risk of the Federation. We need to know about it before he does it.”

 

“If you have so much evidence on him,” she asked. “Why not simply arrest him, or have him transferred out of this quadrant?”

 

“He has friends in high places,” the man said snidely. “If we had enough to move on him, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, now would we.”

 

“So you need a mole.”

 

“Something like that.”

 

“Why me?”

 

“He’s not exactly new at this whole spy game,” the man said. "If we moved someone aboard new, he might notice or look into their background. You have the virtue of already being assigned to his ship."

 

"So are six hundred other people," she pointed out. "Why me?" she asked again.

 

We knew you'd be trustworthy," he said, taking a drink. "Besides, we also knew that you'd have the proper skill set required to do what we need done."

 

"Which is observation. And only observation." She took another sip of her drink. "Anything else, and we renegotiate. I won't go around doing your dirty work for you." Turning, she gave him a look that was nearly a glare.

 

"That's more than agreeable. My associates and I have no interest in using you for anything more than that."

 

She considered him for a long moment, then nodded. "Will I be compensated?"

 

Slyly, the man took another drink. "Well, knowing that you're securing the safety of the Federation should be enough, but perhaps another pip will find its way on to your uniform."

 

Her eyes actually lit up. "A promotion," she breathed. "Yes, that would be fair payment, wouldn't it? Protect the true interests of the Federation, and advance to..." She frowned. "But if you targeted me as your... eyes and ears on the ship, won't he?" She finished her drink, muttering. "Corizon can be a crafty son of a bitch, sometimes."

 

"Its a possibility. But given that there are competing interests aboard your ship as is, he likely won't be able to filter enough static to find you."

 

"I won't worry, then. He has no reason to suspect anyone of anything. Not if he has a clear conscience." She paused. "He should have to be accountable to somebody. We all know what he does when he's let off of the leash entirely." She seemed confident enough, but at the same time she sounded as if she were trying to convince somebody: herself.

 

"Very good then. You'll find instructions for how often we expect updates, as well guidelines for unscheduled updates and a manual for how to encode your transmissions in your quarters aboard Excalibur."

 

She let out an unladylike snort. "I'm sure I'll need that." She set her empty glass down, sliding out of the seat and casting a last gaze at the black-clad figure. "You can rely on me and my discretion. I won't fail you."

 

"See to it that you don't."