Posted by Civilian Alston ‘Fox’ Mace (Director - Colonial Intelligence Agency) in Federation Embassy - The Mystery Continues TMODJ (PRSIM) - Tag Mathis

Posted by Civilian Jeannette Mathis (Federation Ambassador) in Federation Embassy - The Mystery Continues TMODJ (PRSIM) - Tag Mathis

Posted by Civilian Alston ‘Fox’ Mace (Director - Colonial Intelligence Agency) in Federation Embassy - The Mystery Continues TMODJ (PRSIM) - Tag Mathis
Posted by… suppressed (17) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Alston stepped out of the Company slider in front of the Federation Embassy. He decided that this one was one stop where he didn’t need to keep a low profile, so he might as well make it as official as possible.

Passing through security he entered the embassy and stepped up to someone who looked like they were a receptionist.

“Excuse me. I was wondering if I might be able to get an appointment with Ambassador Mathis.”

• Mace

Gold flecked brown eyes looked up at the man and appraised him more knowledgeably than a simple receptionist would. She wore a causal, but elegant at the same time, navy blue dress. Over it she wore a long sleeveless vest reminiscent of Klingon attire. On it were the emblems of the Federation Diplomatic Corp and her position as a junior ambassador. Her copper highlighted blonde hair was braided intricately with runic beads woven throughout.

The woman looked down at the computer as his identity was forwarded by security. “Director Mace. Welcome to the Federation Embassy House. I am sure Ambassador Mathis will want to speak with you.” Lady McKenzie was no empath but she was excellent at her job and well trained. She had been one of the top 5 trauma counselors in Star Fleet before changing career paths. She had had dealings with all kinds of law enforcement and security as she helped patients over the years. Mace was here about Mr Jones or the Vren or both. Either way she was sure Jeanette would make the time to speak with him.

She pressed a button on her ear comm. ||Ambassador, Director Mace of Colonial Intelligence is here and would like to speak with you.||

Revna, Lady McKenzie

“Thank you,” Mace said with a nod.

||By all means, I’ll see him. I’ll be right out.|| She could have just had Revna show him to her office, but that wasn’t how Jeanette did things.

A moment later, a door farther down the hall opened and a Human-appearing woman stepped out. Jeanette Mathis was of average height but moved with an ease and confidence that was compelling. She was dressed in a light blue long sleeved dress that went to her shins, and around her left arm was a black band of fabric. Her bright blond hair was pulled up and back onto her head in a soft twist, and her heels clicked on the polished floor as she moved.

She turned to the woman helping her. “Thank you, Revna,” she said before turning back to her guest. “Mr. Mace, shall we talk in my office, or would you like a tour of the new embassy?”

Jeannette Mathis, Federation Ambassador

Alston took a breath as turned towards Jeannette, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to being called Director, let alone being in an overt position.

“Thank you for taking the time to talk with me Ambassador, I know your schedule is busy. And as much as I’d like to take you up on a tour of the embassy, I will have to take a raincheck today. This is probably a conversation better suited for your office.”

• Mace

Reading bewteen the lines, she gave a simple nod and gestured. “Come, it’s this way.” Jeanette gave Revna a grateful nod and a long look that said she’d fill her in after.

Down the hallway from the large lobby, Mathis stepped through an open door into a modest sized office. There was a large pale wood desk, heavy but simple in design, sitting opposite the door. The decor was light, making use of the expanse of multi-paned widows that could be tinted at will for privacy or to block the sun. But there were panels of light blue floral fabric hung between each tall window, softening the hard lines of the window frames. Behind her were a series of light wood shelves with books and a few objects from her travels, each with a story of an assignment or mission she had served on. It was a small clue of her longstanding legacy with the Federation, whose flag stood proud in the corner along with Oed’s.

Her office was much like this former residence, an attempt to pare down the ostentatiousness of its former Treasury owner. They had left some of the touches, like the carved pillars and the decorative mouldings, but she had insisted they make it more neutral and inviting.

She moved to the side of the office where a small sitting area held a dark blue couch and two matching arm chairs around a low round coffee table. “Please, have a seat and we can chat.”

Jeannette Mathis, Federation Ambassador

“Thanks,” Alston said as he sat down in one of the arm chairs, taking in the office. As someone always on the move, he had come to appreciate a minimalist style of design. There was a lot that could be said with only a few things, not to mention that some of the people who he had met that flaunted their wealth the most, were actually living credit to credit.

“I’m sure you are wondering why I’m here Ambassador. It’s not that often that the Director of the local intelligence operation just walks into a foreign embassy. I can only assume that your security already scanned me on the way in, so they can confirm that I’m not here to bug your new building,” he said with a small smile. “What I am here for is that Colonial Intelligence is assisting in the investigation into Mr. Jones’ death. I was hoping that you might be able to answer a few questions for me.”

• Mace

Mathis gave a simple nod. “I’ll help however I can. If I can answer the questions, I will.” She wasn’t going to promise answers she didn’t have, or wasn’t allowed to give, but when it came to Dash and his death, she was motivated to find answers more than most.

Jeannette Mathis, Federation Ambassador

“I appreciate your willingness to help,” Alston said leaning back in the chair. He pulled his PADD out of his inner coat pocket.

“I do understand that some items may be confidential. All I ask is that if that is the reason, you please let me know. If I feel it’s warranted, I will contact Federation Security to see about getting the appropriate clearances.’

“What was your impression of Mr. Jones? What was your experience with him like?”

• Mace

Jeannette sucked in a breath. Whatever she had expected for an opening question, that had not been it. “Dash… Dash is… was a kind soul, Director. He was a man who had been horribly hurt by life from a young age, and struggled to not let it destroy himself and his future. But had did overcome that. He committed his life to serving others, to serving the Federation. As an aide, he was thoughtful, on the ball, thorough. He was a great support, especially when the work got difficult. He was impeccable with his word, and he never once gave me a reason to doubt my trust in him. He wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but… he made me laugh and kept me from taking our job, and life, too seriously all the time.”

Jeannette Mathis, Federation Ambassador

Alston nodded along as he jotted down a few notes. “Did his early life ever give you any concerns? Or cause any problems for him that you are aware of in recent years?”

• Mace

Mathis’s breathing and expression were rather even as she gazed at Mace. “I explained to the police that there are delicate details about Dash’s adolescence that may or may not be in play right now. I legally, as best I know, cannot share those details, but then again, he told me, so maybe it doesn’t matter any more?” Mathis threw her hands out with a half shrug. “But I was never concerned about his work or his commitment. He never gave me a reason to doubt him. But… it did affect his self confidence. I think he felt like he had to prove himself at every turn. I think to think that that eased over the years we worked together, but there was always this underlying anxiety, this self-doubt. I don’t know if it’s related, but all I know is that he was… unnerved y something. Worried, even. He needed to reassure me that he’d never do anything to put me or our work in jeopardy. At first it was about his relationship with the Lieutenant Governor, but I reassured him that I saw no conflict of interest and that I trusted them to be professional. The Lt. Governor did say that he was worried about something and he was going to tell her the next day, but then he died. I don’t know if she’s found out what that was yet. I suppose that was the most concerning thing. Dash was never prone to melodrama, so if it had him that worked up, it had to have bene something. I told Inspector Pangolin as much.”

~Jeannette Mathis, Federation Ambassador

“I appreciate your candor Ambassador. Was there anything that would give you the impression that Mr. Dash would go outside of the normal channels, perhaps through not so legal means, in order to complete an assignment?”

• Mace

“Hells, no,” Jeannette said firmly. “Nor would it be necessary here. While I will credit him with some unorthodox solutions at times, it was always perfectly reasonable under the circumstances. Always above board. Keep in mind that he met me after I was doing mostly embassy work. Most of the time we were on Federation worlds, and the embassy served a somewhat different function than on outside worlds.”

Jeannette Mathis, Federation Ambassador

Alston nodded along as she spoke, checking a box on the display of his PADD.

“Would you be familiar with a program or group using the name PAD?”

• Mace

Mathis frowned, not even trying to school her features. “PAD?” She shook her head. “Never heard of it. It definitely not something related to our work here on Oed, that much I know.”

Jeannette Mathis, Federation Ambassador

Alston schooled the frustration from his face, so much for the easy answer. Time to jump tracks and see if he could dig up a new lead.

“What projects was Mr. Jones working on, or had recently completed?”

• Mace

Jeanette drew in a steadying breath. “The biggest for both of us was the welcoming gala for the Vren, along with setting up this embassy. He spent a lot of time working on the logistics of getting this place set up, which meant coordinating with a lot of people, including the Lieutenant Governor and contractors.” She paused and thought through the last few weeks since they had arrived and shook her head. “Everything had been going well even as we navigated hiccups and the challenges that come with being representatives of a government that much of the colony is wary of.” Mathis shrugged.

Jeannette Mathis, Federation Ambassador

Another dead end. Perhaps it was time to put the cards on the table and see what she was holding. At this point, the chances of her also being involved in a potential conspiracy were statistically nonexistant.

“Okay, cards on the table here Ambassador. We have credible intelligence that an outside group was trying to leverage Mr. Jones to gain access to a project they referred to as PAD. What I’m trying to figure out, what is this program, why did they think Mr. Jones had access, and why did they target Mr. Jones in the first place.”

• Mace

Genuine shock touched her eyes before she managed to contain herself. Normally Jean couldn’t be so quickly rattled, but given everything her emotions were far closer to the surface than usual. She blew out a breath, stared at Mace and then shook her head. “Because I don’t know what PAD is it’s hard to say what they thought he could do. As far as I know he didn’t have access. But maybe someone he knows does? I don’t know how this relates to anything but as far as leverage goes there is only one thing they could have used that would have caused him to feel so upset as he had been. In fact, if these people had found this out somehow, then yes, I can Dash being very upset and struggling to balance his options. His duty to Oed and to me versus his own reputation.”

Mathis leaned forward, no trace of pretence in her expression. She was all busines. “This does not go outside of our investigative circle unless we all decide it does, and I must be included in that decision. I get final say because of the very small possible impact on our negotiations with the Vren, am I very clear?”

Jeannette Mathis, Federation Ambassador

Mace nodded as he sat up and tucked his PADD back into his coat, as a sign of how serious he took the confidentiality. There would be no notes, or recordings, that could potentially leak.

“Nothing you say will leave this room, without your explicit permission.”

It was a risk depending on what information she had, but it was worth it to also lay the groundwork for any future cooperation.

• Mace

Jeannette expelled a breath. “Good. I did mention to Detective Pangolin that Dash had a… past, on Ajilon as an adolescent. While I didn’t think the details were pertinent at the time, I can’t be fully sure. So, I will tell you that Dash had been in trouble with the law. At one point, he and a friend were in the middle of robbing a residence when it turned out someone was home. His friend panicked and there was a struggle with the resident and the man was injured. He later died at the hospital from his injuries. While that part was not Dash’s fault, he was also arrested and charged. However, his advocate plead for leniency because it was Dash’s first arrest and up until very recently before, had been an excellent student and citizen.” Mathis took a deep breath. “Instead of juvenile rehabilitation, he went to a special boarding school and did community service. After five years, his juvenile record was sealed. He got a fresh start as an adult and persued work in the public sphere.” She leaned forward. “He paid for his mistakes and committed his life to positive work. But there was always a part of him that was ashamed. He still remained friends with the friend that went to prison for manslaughter, but kept his distance as the man had struggles. Recently, Rafael showed up here on Oed, asking for Dash’s help looking for work, and there was a brief argument in a restaurant but they were on well-enough terms. Dash told me all about this himself before whatever it was that had him so squirrelly recently. So I am certain that it wasn’t about Mr. Tores.”

She tapped her fingers on the desk for a moment and gazed at Mace with a piercing look. “I’m one-quarter El Aurian, Mr. Mace. While I don’t have the full gifts of my grandmother, my hunches are always dead on and I trust my instincts. Dash’s shame surfaced during our conversation in a way that was familiar to me. I can’t help but think that his past is somehow involved, but I couldn’t tell you how. His records were sealed. Were knowledge of his adolescent mistakes to come to light during these negotiations, it might cause a stir but I don’t think it would be enough to discredit Mr. Jones’s involvement, nor my reputation here. But that’s what he was worried about. So it had to be something else that was related. I just don’t know what.”

Jeannette Mathis, Federation Ambassador