Security Briefing

Posted on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 @ 3:58am by Lieutenant Didrea Zade & Lieutenant Kevan Dash & Ensign Ziahli Lorel & Senior Chief Petty Officer Mason Malone

Mission: Scylla and Charybdis
Location: Security Offices
Timeline: MD 01 or something
1242 words - 2.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Bright and early, Mason walked into the security department, whistling softly to himself. "Hello!" he called out as soon as he spotted a new face. "Not seen you around here ma'am, hello.." He offered her his hand. "Chief Mason Malone, security investigations officer." While he had noticed her very dark eyes, instantly giving away her heritage, Mason gave no outward indication he had noticed, and made no effort whatsoever to try and shield his thoughts and feelings.

Ziahli lifted her eyes from the PADD she was bent over, her chin rested in a hand as she tempered her usual habit of being early for things with an inability to waste time willingly. Her dark eyes studied the gregarious arrival for a split second before her features relaxed into an easy smile. "Ziahli Lorel, future hopeful security investigations officer but current junior brig officer." Her smile broadened to a grin. "I'll try not to pester you too much."

"Pester away ma'am," Mason smiled, "I'm still learning the specifics too, and old habits die hard. I'm happy to have you trail along when you've got spare moments. I don't think the brig has any occupants at the moment."

The ensign quirked an eyebrow in agreement. "Technically, it's the one job on board where everyone kind of hopes you have nothing to do, right?" It was also, Zia had learned from her recent shadowing of a senior brig officer, the one job that absolutely had to be performed to exquisite perfection when it actually was needed. "Always happy to make time for more learning, though."

"Same," Mason smiled back. "Is this your first assignment?"

Zia lifted her hand to wobble it back and forth. "Yes, technically." Her eyes lifted to the ceiling for a moment as she considered the best way to respond. "I was originally signed elsewhere and found out halfway to rendezvous that I'd been transferred in-transit to the Athena." The Betazoid shrugged, visibly unperturbed whilst also, apparently, somewhat ignorant of the implied esteem. "I guess someone at head office filed a report in the wrong folder."

"Whoops!" Mason grinned, "that's the worst I suppose. But then... they're only uh... people, right?" Especially in present company, 'only human' just sounded wrong. "Welcome aboard in any regards, if noone had welcomed you yet. I've been here a few months now, and it's good people here. Loads of them to learn from. I suppose, in all my service time this is my second assignment but it's my first one in security."

"A few have definitely not allowed me to wallow in my own company," Zia assured him, eyes trained on the door as the trickle of personnel revealed a few culprits. A wink from one of them earned a pointed deadpan from the Betazoid, who pushed herself to sit up straighter and returned her gaze to meet Mason's. "At least I can't complain about things being dull."

"I'm sure you're okay to tell people to sod off if you want to be alone," Mason grinned, "want some coffee while we wait for the rest?"

"I'd ask you all to help yourselves anyways," Zade interrupted, the main doors to the department closing behind her. It took her a moment to recognize the new girl, a junior brig officer that transferred at some point during shore leave. With the realization that the weapons lockers in the science department were embarrassingly unkept, Zade's time had been occupied with inventory, along other tasks, and hadn't read her new officer's file yet. "You're... L'oreal, right?" she asked, the name coming off her tongue as lor-eel.

"Lorel," Zia corrected happily, placing the emphasis on the final syllable to rhyme it with bell. "Though I've also heard Laurel, Looral and Lorl, so I'll probably answer to anything." The Betazoid grinned. "Thank you for authorising my request to spend shore leave on the Orion, Sir. It's nice to finally put a face to my benevolent benefactor."

"The offer stands, ladies," Mason smiled as he got to the replicator. He cast both women an expectant look as he waited for their answer, while his own coffee appeared on the pad.

"More of a tea drinker myself," Zia smiled. "And I'm fine, thanks. I'll just end up spilling it on something I shouldn't."

"Don't be crazy, you can definitely hold your drink..." Kevan smirked, giving her a wink.

"As long as I'm not distracted," Zia shot back with a faint smirk.

Mason nodded in response to Zia, then looked to Kevan. "Coffee, lieutenant?" he asked as he still waited for Zade to say yes or no.

Ignoring the question, Kevan kept his eyes very deliberately on Zia. "I get the feeling you like to be distracted sometimes..." he smirked.

The Betazoid quirked an eyebrow, her eyes dancing, partway to some sort of agreement but chose not to reply.

Zade shook her head, both to Mason's offer and to Kevan's... audacious comment. To the latter, she wanted to roll her eyes more than anything.

At the shake of Trill female's head, Mason returned to the table and quietly sipped the hot beverage.

"Anyway," Zade said, getting the meeting started before even more derailment ensued. "If you weren't informed yet, we were asked to partner with science and operations to search for the Avalon, but we just got another task. An hour ago, sensors picked up a Romulan ship on the other side of the system we're in. It hasn't done anything yet, and we want it to stay that way while our people are doing search and rescue."

"So you want us to monitor that Romulan vessel?" Mason asked curiously, "or at least...some of us, while others keep the science and ops teams safe?"

As much as Zia's attention had lingered as a sideways coyness towards a certain Trill, the Security Chief's information was instantly enough to snap the Betazoid's attention back to a more official focus. Her eyebrows knitted but she said nothing, not even sure this early into her assignment whether she'd be deployed to deal with this or not.

Zade nodded to Mason. "We'll predominantly be collaborating with the other departments to find the Avalon, but a few of us will work with Intel to keep an eye on the Romulan ship." She passed out some PaDDs that detailed who was working on what, with what even she thought was a disappointing amount of additional background information. Without the proper clearance, the amount of information available... well, sucked to work with. Really the only thing detailed on the PaDDs were key signature patterns and markers that sensors would use to identify the Avalon.

"Can I volunteer for intel?" Mason asked eagerly, "I have recon experience, and I can read Romulan."

Zade looked to Mason with a neutral expression, not wanting to give him any false hopes. "Let me see if I can get you the clearance. The details for this mission are under a security clearance higher than my own, so I would need to talk to Lieutenant P'Rel. For now, assume you're searching for the Avalon." She knew Mason's experience and wanted to say yes, but it wasn't her place to, not this time. "Any other questions?"

Not seeing or hearing anyone else chime in, Zade nodded, trusting that her peers knew their tasks. In her experience, there were usually questions when little information was given in a briefing. "Alright, dismissed."