OOC: This s before the Jefferies Tube incident.
IC:
=/\=Calm down, Mercury,=/\= he said in a calm voice.

She planted her hands on her desk and bent forward so her face filled the screen. “Akhae!” But she immediately moved to her calming techniques out of unfortunate trained habit.

=/\=Hey, just because you can speak Rihannsu, doesn’t mean you should.=/\=

“And just because you can be condescending, doesn’t mean you should“

He exhaled. =/\=You’re right. Thlhom veherr’a=/\=

“Apology accepted,” she said, pulling the chair up and sitting. “I’m doing the best I can Blue, but this is not a sustainable situation.”

=/\=Just do your job to the best of your ability.=/\=

“I am! But how do you propose I fulfill the objective when all the variables keep changing?”

=/\=Adapt, like you’re so good at doing.=/\=

“This is not Eta Corvi, Devora, Psi Velorum or Unroth! I can’t just make stuff up. I do have to work here, remember? I don’t just get to walk away after the powers that be get what they want. This is where I am assigned and you know I actually want to be here. So I need them to not screw this up for me.”

He sat back in his own chair and regarded her through his computer terminal. =/\=Faye…=/\=

“What?!” Her exasperation was clear. “Can I not have one thing that doesn’t feel like a sideways punishment? I agreed to this charade because I got to do something useful, that I was good at. Have some fvadt direction in my life. I haven’t even demanded you all fulfill your original bargain.”

=/\=Why don’t you?=/\=

“Huh?”

=/\=Why don’t you demand it?=/\=He held up his hands. =/\= I get no say in it, but it seems to me to be only fair after everything that went down at and after Unroth.=/\=

She looked off into her mostly undecorated quarters. “What the point?” Calloway said softly. “There’s nothing to know.”

=/\=Or maybe there is everything?=/\= Closing her stormy coloured eyes, Faye sunk into the back of her chair as she continued. =/\=Look, I can only do so much. My job is to make sure you have what you need to accomplish your objective. No more, no less. And what you need is some reassurance. So ask for it.=/\=

“What I need is for them to amend their orders! I can’t do what they are asking me to. A couple cases, sure, but too much has changed. It’s not worth it to continue as directed. I need to be open about what I’m doing. They’ll likely hate me anyway, so why don’t I just come clean about it? So, why don’t you go back to them and ask if I permission to amend the restrictions?”

He exhaled. =/\=Alright, I’ll ask. But until then, orders stand as given. Sit tight and keep out of trouble.=/\=

She couldn’t help but grin. “It’s almost like you expect me to cause waves here.”

He just raised his eyebrows and then winked. =/\=Deep breaths Faye. It’ll be okay.=/\=

“Says you,” she tossed back with a grin. “Fine! I’ll do it your way for now.”

=/\=Oh! Trust! There it is!=/\= he teased.

“Bye, Blue!” she said, ending the call. With the blank screen before her, she confirmed that the call had been heavily encrypted. The source had been far closer than people would have believed under the circumstances, and even seem unnecessary, but protocols were protocols for a reason.

~Faye Calloway, Data Specialist