Posted Sept. 24, 2022, 6:17 p.m. by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) (Lindsay B)
Posted by Major General Charles Tenkiller (Vice-Commander, Colonial Customs and Defense Agency) in CCDA HQ - One Small Shift In Respo sibilities, One Giant Shift In Perception (Tag Lt. Gov.)
Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in CCDA HQ - One Small Shift In Respo sibilities, One Giant Shift In Perception (Tag Lt. Gov.)
Posted by Major General Charles Tenkiller (Vice-Commander, Colonial Customs and Defense Agency) in CCDA HQ - One Small Shift In Respo sibilities, One Giant Shift In Perception (Tag Lt. Gov.)
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻(snip)
Adept at multitasking, Dasca was both skimming the records and listening to his words, marrying them together into a more complete picture of the people who would be intimately acquainted with her life. There was no other way to describe the relationship between a protective detail and the person they were sworn to protect. They obviously weren’t inside her office with her, or in her home, but they would be there in lock-step with her everywhere she went on Oed. She had naturally accepted the mandatory protection as a part of her role, and given the history of assassination attempts and her Office’s rather rocky position currently it was essential.
But there were certain differences between a Starfleet detail and a CCDA one. Namely, that they would have to find a common shorthand and also Eela understood that there were times and places she would need to set boundaries. She wondered if they would object to her working hideaway and even allow it. But the room in the back of the bookshop was defendable and she’d be fine with someone guarding entry to the space, so maybe they wouldn’t put up near as much fuss as she anticipated. And unlike other Starfleet officers, Dasca did not intend to imply in anyway that she could defend herself. After all, while she could sucker punch a person and aim a weapon with exceeding skill still, her days of being able to handle hand-to-hand combat were long over. In that way she was a goddamn liability. Ah well, she was used to it by now.
Finally, she looked up at Tenkiller and nodded. “I like the mix of species and experiences. They seem to be good fits for the shift leads. I trust you Major General, so if you say these are the best choices, I believe you. And I will trust them to fill out the rest of the shifts.”
Dasca folded her arms on the desk. “Now, obviously, with this change comes another one, namely my residence. I decided to take the top-floor of a twelve floor apartment building that had been previously used as the Lieutenant Governor’s residence. It’s one floor, so no stairs to aggravate my back, and as a single person I don’t feel like I’m wandering aimless in a vast space. But Starfleet has taken care of security there as well. Which made sense until today. Access to the building is by biometrics, as is access in the lift to my floor. The lift opens up into an anteroom of sorts that leads right into my living space. So logistically, a bit awkward but currently a plain clothes office is on duty in the lobby and of course there are security feeds. Given that it’s an apartment building, I have neighbours and I’d like to have at least a cordial relationship with them and not scare them off because there are scary agents around,” she said with a slight grin. “But as we joked a little bit about last night, I’m probably going to make as many enemies around here as I do friends. So, I’m not going to get in the way of your staff doing what they need to do to make sure I can go about my life safely. But, and I know this is going to irk people potentially, I intend to be out and about in public. The farmers markets, dinner in restaurants. That bookstore you directed me to. I can’t do my job effectively if the people of Oed don’t get to know me. That means I have to allow myself to be seen, regardless of how that might complicate security. The sooner people see me as a person with feelings, thoughts, and experiences to share, the sooner I can be productive here.”
~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.
Tenkiller listened and nodded in understanding. When she finished, he smiled his trademark ‘You’re gonna love this’ knowing smile and said “Hang on a sec.” and he tapped his desk and a voice said =/\= Yes, sir?=/\= Tenkiller replied =/\=Send ‘em in.=/\= and a few seconds later the door to the office slid open and four figures walked in and moved to the desk, two on each side, facing the Lieutenant Governor.
The Cardassian, Agent Hasid V’ter, stood over 2 meters tall and was built like a recruiting poster for the Cardassian military. However, in a very un-Cardasian manner, he smiled broadly in a friendly fashion. “Ma’am.” he said and inclined his head. The Ferengi, Agent Feleck Nords, was a bit short for a Ferengi and also smiled warmly; but there was something in his eyes that was almost predatory and left anyone paying attention with the feeling that it would be best to give him a very wide berth. He too inclined his head, but didn’t speak.
On the 9ther side of the desk was Agent Taliso Gan, the Bolian wrestler. Slightly bigger than V’ter, she was built like a Klingon juggernaut, but carried herself with a measure of professionalism and pride that was familiar in some of Star Fleets best officers. She inclined her head and said “Captain Dasca, it’s an honor to meet you. Looking forward to working with you, Ma’am.” And finally, there was Agent Chuck Mangioni, whose Betazoid heritage was .ore than apparent in his eyes and warmth of smile.”Lieutenant Governor, you are in very good hands.”
There was one other thing about the four that was so subtle as to be barely noticed… their emotional state was almost unnoticeable by Dasca’s abilities.. The Ferengi was a blank spot in the tapestry of the room, of course. But the other three tended to kind of blend in to the background.
Her keen hazel eyes regarded the four agents with all the intensity and curiosity of a captain inspecting her crew. The lack of extra mental input was not missed and strangely welcome for a woman who spent a lot of time filtering.
Tenkiller nodded towards a large table on the far side of the room. “Let’s all sit and get to know one another, shall we?” and he stood and the CCDA contingent all moved towards the table.
Eela rose as well and knew without a doubt the observant agents would not miss the subtle electronic whir of her brace. She wasn’t entirely sure how much Tenkiller knew about her and her file, and how much of that might have been passed along to the agents, but she was most definitely assessing how they took in that information. It would, after all, factor into how they moved about the colony together. She sat at the table without fanfare, but took a moment to adjust her position till she was comfortable, hands folded on the table.
Tenkiller and the agents took a seat after the Lieutennat Governor and Tenkiller said “Ok, questions first. Go ahead, Ma’am. Hit us with your best shots.” and he grinned.
Tenkiller, VC-CCDA
Dasca chuckled. “Well, right from the start I think we are all aware of the fact that my very request for a CCDA security detail is going to ruffle a few feathers. Quite simply put… I don’t care.” She shrugged. “The Governor and I have a mandate to make this colony as self-sufficient as possible and my role in particular is going to push a lot of plans in that direction- whether people like it or not. That puts you in the unenviable position of being not just on top of issues, but anticipatory to whatever the needs of the day are. So before I get to questions, I just want to say that as someone who was in uniform for forty years, I know how hard your job is. So I promise that I will never go out of my way to make your job harder than it has to be. Conversely, I ask that you understand that I can’t be shielded from life on Oed or its people. I’m going to be out and about and present. I want people to know me at least a little bit as Eela Dasca, not just that Starfleet woman, or the new politician in town. And I realize that that’s going to make me a pain in your asses because there will be some unpredictability involved. So, I guess, my first question is is that going to be a problem for anyone, and what might some sort of middle ground look like?”
~Eela Daca, Lt. Gov.
It was Agent Nords who smiled and spoke first. “Ma’am, our direction from the General are very simple. We are to lead your security and ensure your safety. Your scheduling and appearances are not up to us… that is your purview. Our role is to make sure that you go where you need or want to go safely.” Gam chimed in at that point. “Dont get us wrong, if you want to go somewhere that’ll get you killed,we are definitely going to say something, Captain.” Then V’ter said “And we hope you will take our positions and opinions into account. But we won’t tell you you *can’t go somwwhere.” Mangioni then finished with “We are not your conscious and we are not your parents. We are your security team. We go where you go, and we make sure that you live a long and productive life here on Oed.”
CCDA Security Detail
Eela smiled and nodded. “Good. And yes, your opinions matter greatly. I am trusting you and so if you feel I am putting myself at more risk than is necessary, by all means speak up. Consider that permission to speak freely from this moment on. You are going to be deeply involved in my life and we cannot possibly have the trust required if people feel uncomfortable speaking up.” She cleared her throat a tiny bit. “Especially given that in the past I have, on occasion, disregarded my own safety in situations where lives were at risk. I get that things are very different now, but there is still a part of me that is built around the idea of protecting those that cannot do for it for themselves. Which is kind of hilarious given my situation now.”
She inhaled deeply, taking a few moments to gather her thoughts, completely unhurried. Dasca took her finger tips and tapped her torso. Instead of flesh beneath her blouse, she tapped something that made of a semi-rigid material as she took in all five of them in turn. “Okay, so all cards on the table. Six years ago I was caught in an explosion and thrown backwards into a bulkhead. I fractured three vertebrae in the middle of my back and had a serious brain injury, the latter of which left me in a coma for three months. Nerve conduction studies showed paralysis.” She held her fist out in front of her. “In addition to repairing the nerves as best they could, they did a spinal fusion by replacing the injured portion of my spine with artificial bone. It’s all one piece. Which means I have no flexibility in that portion of my back. And it changes everything from how I stand to how I take strides. But… I can walk, which was never a given.” She spread her fingers. “Normally, there would be discs between each vertebrae that absorb shock. I don’t have that. And furthermore there is consequently more strain on the vertebrae and discs directly above and below the fusion, which cause me pain and might lead to further spinal issues in the future. I wear an antigrav brace that lifts my torso up just enough to take that pressure off. It was malfunctioning lately and between that and galavanting about the three quadrants with the Diplomatic corps, there’s been some disc compression and thus I’ve been in more pain than usual. I move more slowly and stiffly. Stairs suck and I avoid them. My apartment is only a block and half from the Tower, and walking is good for me, but especially on bad pain days, I will opt for an aircar for anything more than a ten minute walk. Any questions before I explain why any of this matters?”
~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.
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