Posted by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Side Sim - You Want The Good News Or The Bad News? - Tag Calloways

Posted by Lieutenant Faye Calloway (Mission Specialist) in Side Sim - You Want The Good News Or The Bad News? - Tag Calloways

Posted by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Side Sim - You Want The Good News Or The Bad News? - Tag Calloways
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Faye wanted to point out that they went specifically after Leroy because of her, but wisely kept her mouth shut.

“Not so much a question, as an addendum,” Shara began. “But my investigation so far has uncovered five intelligence officers, including Faye, who were given false orders. With Faye’s particular task here on the Manhattan, I can piece together they why of it. But the rest is still very much up in the air. Whatever is done going forward has to be done carefully, lest we risk innocent to get to the traitors.”

~The Calloways

“Which is exactly why I brought in who I did.” He tapped a few commands into the desk display and a PaDD near his elbow activated as it downloaded the file he sent. He slid the device over and said “That is who found and extracted Strickland. The operation report is attached as well. We will now be working in conjunction with him… I would expect he will be with Strickland on the station, but I don’t know for certain.” and he watched the two read the files.

(Personnel file: https://www.star-fleet.com/core/character/195/ ))
(Operation: https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf1/manhattan/posts/116407/ )

Cochrane, CO

Before Faye read, Shara reached out and put a hand on Faye’s still trembling arm, drawing her daughter’s attention upwards to meet her eyes. “Hey, this might be hard to read. If you’re not ready to read it now, it’s okay. We’ll understand.” The last thing they needed was to further traumatize Faye by the gory details of an operation report. Shara’s life in Intell had been spent behind or sharing those damn things and it wasn’t fair to thrust it at Faye without some warning.

Inhaling slowly, Faye actually did go through the process of considering it, but eventually she shrugged. “Too late? I need to know. Leroy debriefed me after I escaped. He bore witness to my… ordeal. The least I can do is do the same for him,” she said softly.

So, together they read, though Faye finished faster than Shara (not unexpected) and while the elder Calloway read, Faye sat there, tears running down her face. She looked up at Alex and strangely she wasn’t embarrassed by her emotions. She supposed it would have been more worrisome if she hadn’t felt anything at all. That and she felt just a little beyond broken down. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it was where she was at. “He’s not just been my handler, Alex, he’s been my best friend. The closest thing I’ve ever had to a brother.” She felt like there was so more to say to it, but there just weren’t words.

Cochrane just looked at her and nodded in understanding.

Shara finished and slid the device back to Cochrane. “And he’s alive Faye because you threw yourself in the line of fire. I know it’s hard right now, but you were right about forcing the issue. I might have hated the way it happened, but if we had waited and played out my investigation to its natural conclusion, not only would you not be safe, but I can’t see that Strickland would have survived much longer. Because of you he had a least a glimmer of a chance.”

“Because of you he is alive, Faye. Without putting yourself on the line, we ad no reason to even think he was missing. He may not know it yet, but he owes his very existence to you.”

Faye silently digested those words.

“Interesting fellow you called,” Shara said across the desk to the Captain, through her expression seemed almost amused. Like she approved or something. “How long till we can expect Strickland to be at base?”

~The Calloways

“ ‘Interesting’ is a word… sure…” Cochrane said with a slight grin. He looked at Faye and said “Be careful around him if you meet up. He may not be quite as smart as you are, but he makes up for it in sheer willpower and an unsettling way of seeing through bulls&^t.” and he chuckled and looked at the desk. “From what I can see? I’d expect him to arrive in about two or three weeks. They were in the middle of nowhere, so it will take a bit… even at warp. And I imagine they’ll be taking their time and making sure he is physically fit to make the trip through the wormhole. If you want, I can send a message to the Nightingale. Ask how he is doing and such.” and he looked at Faye. “I don’t want you contacting him right now, Faye. Wait till he is cleared by medical, ok? No sense trying to force a conversation while he is still recovering. Plenty of time for that coming up, alright?”

Cochrane, CO

Faye’s eyes went wide. “Oh no! I wasn’t thinking that at all. No…” She shook her head. While Leory had had to debrief her immediately after the initial events on the Atlantis Faye had been almost dead when the ship found her drifting shuttle. And the her lunatic of a traitor boyfriend tried to drag her off the ship after she had just had brain surgery. She fully understood what he wight have to go through to regain even the smallest amount of strength and stability. Faye chuckled. “Besides, Leroy never gave had any conversation if he damn well didn’t want to. But, uh, if you can pass a message on for me. Just, uh, have them tell Blue that Mercury has his back. And he owes her at least dinner.” She couldn’t help but break out into a grin as she wiped the last of her tears. He was alive! At least for a moment the pure unadulterated anger that had courrsed through her had gone back to a simmer. It could be dealt with later.

“Just… thinking aloud, but in a few weeks, after I’ve made sure the system is stable and can be monitored safely by others, I want to go see him. But I think I’d like a week or so off this ship. It’s all too muddled right now. It’s my home, and I want to come back to it clear-headed and actually able to be here,” she said to Cochrane, avoiding her mother’s piercing look.

~Faye Calloway

Cochrane looked at her and his brow furrowed slightly. “Well…” and he sighed slightly. “We will have to see about that, Faye. For the time being, you are off the duty roster. But until the Counselor says otherwise, I’m not going to allow you out and about… especially walking into a station that has already been compromised. But I will entertain the idea once you are cleared for duty. And I know you are going to protest, but that’s just how it will be. Here, we can make sure, one, that you are getting the help you need to sort through things.” and he cast a quick glance at Shara. “And two, we can control access to you.” and he leaned forward. “Lest we pat ourselves on the back too hard… we probably just really pissed off a multi-quadrant criminal syndicate that managed to insert at least one, if not more, covert operatives into some of the highest levels of Star Fleet Intelligence without us even really knowing about their existence. Pretty sure they aren’t just going to step back and say ‘Yep, you beat us. You win.’ In fact, I’d be surprised if we didn’t hear something from them before we even get the fake Blue off my damn ship.” And he leaned back and looked intently at them, his ice blue eyes flashing with either anger… or excitement. It was impossible to tell.

Shara nodded at Cochrane. Whether Faye had processed the possibility or not, Shara was actually pretty good at deciphering those mysterious thought bubbles above her daughter’s head. She could already anticipate where Faye’s mind had drifted and knew that while they would have to guard against some of the issues that remained here on the ship, it was really important that Faye feel like she had a say, that she was not just other people’s puppet. Wasn’t that the whole point of letting Faye carry out the crazy plan she had concocted? It would be a delicate balancing act for sure.

“This is far from over. Personally, I think we are just getting started.”

Cochrane, CO

“Oh, undoubtedly,” Shara said, her tone speaking to years of experience with this sort of thing. She shifted her gaze to Faye. “But in the meantime, we need to play a game of sossta, okay? Just like old times…”

~Commander Shara Calloway, Starfleet Intelligence