JPL | LtJg Black & PO3 duPont | "In my Wake I Leave Havoc."

Posted on Fri Jan 23rd, 2015 @ 6:20am by Lieutenant JG Teá Black
Edited on on Sat Jan 31st, 2015 @ 8:36am

1,476 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: A Spot To Kill
Location: Lounge

= V =

That evening Teá headed back to her quarters where she did some personnel reading mainly the yeoman to the command team a petty officer Cecil duPont. For intelligence yeoman's are always excellent sources of information; even the most loyal yeoman's. Putting the PaDD into her bag she stood and decided to head back to the lounge.

Cecil didn't like the lounge as much now that it was no longer being managed by that odd man, Norbert Bernard III, but it was still somewhere to go when he didn't want to deal with his roommate. Jenks had been in a mood lately, ever since his girlfriend dumped him over his fling at the Christmas party, so Cecil hadn't been spending much time in his quarters. He sat poking at his salad, considering looking for Chloe and seeing what she was up to.

Walking into the lounge Teá looked around, "could I get a Jack 'n Coke for that table over there and whatever that gentleman is drinking." The waiter nodded as Teá walked over to the table, "may I?"

Cecil looked up, and did a quick evaluation of the woman that stood next to his table. No uniform, spots, and was that shadow or folds of skin behind her ear? He couldn't really tell without being rude about it, her dark hair was hiding it. He tried to remember if anyone matching any of those traits had come through the rosters of incoming people he'd passed across Ivanova's desk recently.

"I don't believe we've met?" he returned, though he waved his hand to invite her anyways.

Taking a seat Teá smiled, "lieutenant junior grade Teá Black, new to the roster actually." Just then Teá's drink arrived and the waiter brought another of whatever Cecil was drinking, "my treat," she added raising her glass with a slight nod.

Cecil considered the gin and tonic that had been brought for him, and looked to the dark haired woman again. He chewed on her name, trying to remember what position had been attached to the name — he knew he'd noted the name because he remembered laughing at the idea of someone naming their daughter after how you'd order tea from a replicator. Hearing her say her name, and how the accent changed the pronunciation all together made his internal joke feel stupid. He couldn't remember which department it said she was assigned, and he was curious what she wanted. She didn't seem to be flirting with him, so maybe she was just being friendly.

"Cecil duPont, a pleasure to meet you," he returned, offering his hand across the table.

Taking his hand in a firm but still a feminine grip she smiled as she shook his hand, "it is indeed a pleasure," Teá said with a smile as she took a sip of her Jack 'n Coke, "so you're the commodore's yeoman?" She asked figuring he would just assume she looked up his personnel file allowing herself get acquainted with the crew she would be serving with.

"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Teá," he returned, eying the spotted woman with a raised eyebrow as he settled back in his chair. His hand held the drink she'd had brought for him, but he didn't drink from it.

"This is very true and my apologies for that," Teá said taking one more sip of her drink before setting it down. "It's just in my line of work or what I was doing it was a death sentence to mention what you did. Whereas here I'm more at liberty to say I'm the new intelligence officer."

"Interesting." He pulled the gin and tonic closer to himself, but still left it resting on the table. He looked at her face a long minute, then a look of recognition crossed his own. "You're the one that left Ivanova in such a sour mood after your meeting the morning we left Utopia Planitia."

"That would be me," Teá said with a laugh, "In my wake I leave havoc." She said still smiling, "so how pissed was she?"

"Pissed is never a word I'd used for Ivanova." He finally picked up the drink, and took a sip. Cecil couldn't help noting that the bartender was a little heavy handed with the synthehol in the drink this time. "She's too well bred for pissed."

"Okay so pissed wasn't the greatest word choice could've chosen," Teá said with a smile, "let's go with what you said how sour was her mood after I left?"

Cecil hid behind another sip of his drink to consider his answer. Since becoming Captain's yeoman — now Commodore's yeoman — he had found himself having many more conversations with people he didn't know about things that he himself didn't bring up first. It was starting to make him suspicious. He wasn't sure what Teá's angle was, but he suspected that Ivanova wouldn't be pleased. No need to add kindling to the fire.

"No more so than all the paperwork and repairs were already leaving her, I suppose," he returned with a shrug.

Shit. Teá thought looking at the yeoman, "sorry didn't mean to you put you on the spot or put you in a awkward problem. One of the annoying aspects of speaking with a intel officer we tend to put people in those awkward positions."

"Just being yeoman is enough to put me in an awkward position. Do you know how many people want to get on Ivanova's good side, and how many of them try to be covert about it, and instead come pump me for information?" He laughed, and shook his head. "There was this nurse, she was convinced that her chance at promotion depended entirely on getting Ivanova's attention. She threw herself at me one evening."

"Well I'm guilty of using you for information. But I'm not about to use someone else to help me get on someone's good side I need to do that all by myself." Teá said taking another small sip of her drink, "and truthfully going all covert can work but with yeoman's and other admin personnel I find being genuine works much much better than lying or being fake."

"That's a tactic I haven't seen before," Cecil allowed with a raised eyebrow and a raise of his glass. "In return, I'll give you a valuable piece of intel. Ivanova's a very private person; poking into or sharing information about her that she considers to be private is one of the top ways to provoke her wrath, just behind attacking someone she considers family."

Teá nodded she kinda assumed that of the commodore already, "even if said poking is to help keep her safe and the people she considers family?"

"She has people she trusts to handle that stuff," Cecil explained, shaking his head slowly. He knew that Ivanova's inner circle was tight knit, and that even they managed to cross her when trying to look out for her. He didn't want to think what she'd do with someone like Teá if she felt she was nosing in where she shouldn't.

Nodding Teá took another drink realizing how delicate she was going to need to be and truthfully she could be. But between Pond's background and whatever the hell the commodore has done prior to her achieving command of her own ship she was going to have eyes on her 24/7. "Have you been ordered to keep an eye on me for the commodore?"

"Asks the woman who bought me a drink and started asking me about Ivanova?" Cecil just shook his head.

Smirking Teá looked at the petty officer, "fair enough." Teá scanned Cecil's face to get a read as she sipped on her drink, "sorry again it's just old habits and......yeah."

"You need to find a way to switch off," Cecil suggested. "Find a hobby? Maybe tending a plant, I hear Japanese Peace Lilies are nice."

Teá chuckled, "you know your not the first person to suggest that. Maybe that's exactly what I'll do."

"Make sure you talk to it. Plants like being talked to," Cecil insisted, his eyes falling to his neglected salad. It was looking less than appetizing now.

Teá just nodded finishing her drink and noticing the time, "well it was a pleasure to meet you petty officer I need to get a few more things done before the day ends."

"I am sure our paths will cross again," Cecil returned, nodding back to her. "Have a good rest of your evening."

"You as well." Teá said walking out of the lounge not sure what type of impression she left all she knew she left one which was a advantage for her.

=/\= End Log =/\=

Lieutenant Junior Grade Teá Black
Intelligence Officer
USS Vindicator

Petty Officer 3rd Class Cecil duPont
Commodore's Yeoman
USS Vindicator, NCC-78213-E

 

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