Posted by Commander Jason Reilly (XO) in Quarters - Cmdr Reilly

Posted by Lieutenant Fihnrilkk’Hob”ledn-ardol (Fin) (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Quarters - Cmdr Reilly

Posted by Commander Jason Reilly (XO) in Quarters - Cmdr Reilly
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Fin stepped out of the shower and worked the muscles of her neck from side to side. She was exhausted. It was 0300 hours and she still couldn’t relax enough to sleep and this was the second night of wakefulness. Ghosts from the past were restless. The years of working for Intel paid well, but they also slowly ate at your soul if you took enough of the really difficult assignments. And she had. For the last two days Fin’s memory produced visions of the tough and sometimes questionable things she’d had to do on those occasions and it had worn her out. She’d tried to exercise and drink the demons away, but it hadn’t worked.

Standing naked in the bathroom, she brushed through her hair and stared at her reflection in the mirror. The face that looked back wasn’t the one she’d been born with, but it was a good one. That simple thought, that her face was good, gave her an idea.

With quick steps, the Cam’h”lan went to her closet and pulled on yoga pants and a slouchy shirt, slipped her feet into flats and left her quarters. A few moments later, she stood outside Jason’s. He would understand her situation and help her—right? He’d said he wanted to be friends… After a deep breath, Fin rang the chime.

—Fin

The chime woke Jason out of a deep sleep… well… as deep as someone like him ever had. His eyes popped open and he raised his head and looked around… and then at the chronometer… dropped his head back and whispered Dammit and got up and pulled on a pair of flannel pajama pants in a dark blue and black checkered pattern. He shuffled through the bedroom door and said loud enough to be heard through the door “Yeah yeah, hang on. I’m coming.” Probably some wayward Security officer with an issue and he didn’t want to bother the CoS who was probably with the Skipper right now.

He went to the door with his hair still all over the place and opened the door… and his eyes widened in half-surprise when he saw Fin. “F- er, Lieutenant. Whats wrong?” he asked, his voice slightly concerned but professional.

Reilly

Dark eyes took in the half naked body of the XO. Of course, he’d been asleep—everyone who could be was asleep right now except for her. “Hey…sorry to wake you, I really am, but I need a lot of alcohol and I know you’ve got it. Can I come in?” One hand wiped over her face as if she could scrub the tired away. “That’s a good look for you, by the way.”

—Fin

Reilly took a moment to comprehend what she had said and then he said “Uh… yeah. Sure. C’mon in.” and he stepped aside and held his arm out inviting her in.

The door opened into the living area, and the light coming form the windows illuminated the space enough for things to be seen, and then Reilly turned up the lights. To the left was a small replicator and recycler area, with a counter and a couple of cabinets. To the right was a seating area, couch below the windows, and a low table. Three comfortable chairs sat on the other three sides. Where a table would normally be directly to the right of the door sat… a piano. Black lacquer finish, with red and black keys. Sheet music sat on the stand, and some others sat stacked on the lid. A door past there led to a small refresher, and on the far left of the room was a widescreen, in front of which sat an overstuffed loveseat.

Small items and holes filled the space tastefully. The items included a few rings in cases, a broken ba’tleth, a large tankard with a dent in the side, a smoking pipe, and various other oddities. Set on a shelf by itself was a set of actual pens, the kind with ink. Hanging on the far right wall was a tattered Cardassian flag under glass with a picture mounted inside with the flag. It showed Reilly and group of Star Fleet Marines. The Marines were equipped in assault gear. Reilly wore khaki pants, a blue t-shirt with a faded picture on the front, and running shoes. Between them were the figures of several severely emaciated Bajorans.

“You said alcohol. But do you want to talk first? Or just drink?”

Reilly

Fin walked in slowly, knowing it was an inconvenience, but also that he was the only one she knew of who would understand her mindset at the moment. “I need sleep, but it has eluded me for two days.” She looked over at him. “Ghosts from the past—you know…”

“I need enough alcohol to put me out. It wouldn’t hurt if I also had a pass for work tomorrow.” The oversized t-shirt slipped off one shoulder, exposing creamy skin.

—Fin

Reilly shook his head and said “Go sit.” and he indicated the couch and chairs. He went to the cabinets and pulled out a bottle of something and a single glass. He then went to the replicator and got a cup of coffee.

Reilly set he cup of coffee on the table and then the glass. He pulled the stopper out of the bottle and poured the glass half full and then set it down and took a seat in one of the chairs facing Fin. “All right… you know the deal. Price for booze is talking. So talk, Fin. Whats on or in your head?”

Reilly

First things first, she picked up the glass and tossed back half of the liquid, almost gasping after she swallowed it. The burn was more than she’d expected. “Whew!” Fin blew out a breath through her open mouth. “What in the Hell is that?”

She was perched on the edge of the couch, not able to relax yet. He was serious about talking. It had been an agreement between them since they’d first met. If she was going to help deplete his alcohol rations, she had to pay for it with a story.

“Just drink it. It’ll help.” he said and looked at her and sipped his coffee.

Taking a smaller sip of the liquid fire in the glass, Fin looked down at the floor between her feet and started talking. “You know how our line of work can have serious consequences? I can’t get one particular operation out of my head.”

—Fin

The anger he had held onto for so long after their last op together was gone… but certainly not forgotten. Nor was the way he had lashed out and set her up to get pummeled. The shame he felt for that was still very real and fresh, but he kept it off his face. “I think I can probably imagine how that feels, yeah…” he said dryly, but with a slight turn up of the corner of his mouth.

Reilly

“This happened after you and I worked together. I was dispatched to Elba V to take out a man who was doing his best to become a…” she searched for the Federation Standard word. “A…dictator. He was gathering an army and annihilating the very poor within the boundaries of his designated area—about 700 square miles or so.” She sipped from the glass, using the pauses to gather her memories. “He really was a danger to the population. Intel was worried about the genocide of the Moorda people who all happened to live in that area. I was assigned to take him out and eliminate the threat.” She upended the glass and set the empty tumbler down in front of Jason for more.

Fin rose from the couch and began to pace. “Eldan Ekko was the name of the man. He had a son—Aldai.” The boy’s name seemed to be difficult for her to say, there were definitely strong emotions attached to it.

—Fin

Reilly remained silent, but reached over and filled the glass like before. He leaned back and sipped his coffee, watching Fin as she moved back and forth. Her normal fluid and graceful movements had a sharp edge to them, and that told Reilly all he needed to know… Fin was hurting in some form or fashion.

Reilly

On the way past the table, she scooped up the now filled glass and immediately took another drink. “He was only seven.” If Jason was paying attention, he would hear the tightness in her throat as she spoke the words. Fin walked to the large viewport along the wall and looked out. It would be easier to watch the emptiness of space than look at Jason while she told the next part of the story. She stood quietly for a few moments and sighed when she began to feel the effects of the alcohol loosen the tight muscles of her neck and shoulders and the lock down on the pain attached to the memory.

“Ekko was a very careful man. He had armed guards, a food taster, weapons hidden all over the estate, bulletproof windows, and doors that automatically locked, plus he was never alone. I watched him for several weeks to learn his habits and studied all the information Intel had about his past. Certain patterns emerged. One of them was that his son always went to stay with an aunt for ten days in the summer. It was like clockwork. As soon as Aldai left for his trip, I was at the house every day trying to get in to plant an explosive device. It was the only way to make sure Ekko died.”

She turned around and leaned her back against the viewport, letting the coolness of the surface soak through the thin shirt. “Ekko had a particular routine he followed in the evenings. After dinner, he would sit at his desk and review the day’s events, reports, numbers, etc. So that’s where I planted the explosives, underneath his chair.”

—Fin

Reilly had a feeling he knew where this was going… but he didn’t speak. He just sipped his coffee and stared out the window. He knew Fin wasn’t telling him because she wanted him to know. She was telling him because she needed to get it out and he was, for better or worse, the closest thing to a mirror she had on the ship. He waited for her to continue, but something inside him felt for her… in a way he didn’t quite expect.

Reilly

Every minute, Fin could feel the alcohol making the edges of reality a little fuzzier than the moment before. After two days of being awake, it gave her hope that sleep would come before morning. “The mission was taking longer than Intel thought it should.” She shook her head at their stupidity. “They don’t understand that you can’t always make things happen on a time table!” She could hear the slightest slur in her words and was amazed how quickly it had happened. She prided herself that she could hold her liquor, but whatever was in the tumbler was exceptionally powerful. “They sent a new agent to my location thinking I needed some help. AS if…”

Fin drew in a deep breath and let it out. “There was nothing to do but let the agent in on what was happening. I had a room with a direct line of sight to Ekko’s compound. I had to use a very high powered viewer, but it allowed me to see what was going on. It was late evening and I was headed out to pick up some food for the two of us. We planned to take Ekko out that night once the house was quiet and he was in his office. I wasn’t gone that long, maybe thirty minutes.” Two big gulps from the glass now.

The story was nearing its end…

—Fin

Reilly looked at Fin out of his peripheral vision. He knew that the story was coming to a close… and he knew that her being conscious was as well. Cardassian tequila packed more than a punch, it packed a cargo hold full of punches. He continued to sip his coffee, but his calm exterior was in conflict with part of him. Her presence there, in his quarters, brought memories and thoughts he believed best done away with.

Reilly

Without really deciding to, Fin slid down the viewport until she was sitting on the carpeted floor, surprised that her legs didn’t want to hold her up anymore. Green eyes looked curiously into the nearly empty glass in her hand. “Wow—this stuff is really good.” There was silence for a moment and then she remembered she was telling him about Aldai.

“Better wrap it up now. I was looking through the viewer, making sure we were a ‘go’. Smith, that was the agent’s name, had his finger on the detonator. I don’t know why
he jumped the gun. As I was taking inventory of guards and servants, I noticed that Aldai’s bedroom light was on. I was turning to tell Smith to abort when he pushed the trigger…”

It took a few moments before Fin could speak again. “I found out later that Aldai had come home early because his Aunt was admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery. So he was home when he shouldn’t have been. He was also…standing next to his father’s chair, telling him about his adventures of the last few days…” The rest of the liquor slid down her throat and the glass tumbled to the floor. Fin raised both hands and rubbed her face, wiping away traces of silent tears. “He was only seven…”

—Fin

Reilly watched her slide down, both physically and emotionally. And there it is. he said as the glass rolled to the floor. Downing the rest of the coffee in a gulp, he set the cup on the table and stood up and wlaked over to Fin. The tequila would have her in a sleeper hold by this point, so he squatted in front of her and looked her straight in her glassy eyes. “It wasn’t you, Fin. But I know that doesn’t change it, too. I’m gonna put you in bed now. Just… go to sleep. I got you.” and he moved next to her and put his arms under her and lifted. She was already dead weight, and soon she’d be limp. He walked her into his bedroom and laid her on the bed. He took off her shoes and then looked at her and said “Meh, whatever.” and he took off the rest of her clothes in the dark and covered her with the blanket.

Reilly walked out of the room and slid the door closed. He then went to his desk and sent a message to the bridge and the CO: Lt. Fin would be unavailable for duty tomorrow due to audit of previous operation. He then turned off the lights and laid down on the couch and stared out the window till he fell asleep.

Reilly

Later…that was all she knew. That and her head was killing her. Fin carefully opened one eye to see where she was while hoping the reality wouldn’t become a crisis. Hmmm…a bedroom. The other eye opened and she propped herself up on one elbow. Okay…this particular bedroom was unfamiliar to her. What was the last thing she remembered? Jason.

Uh oh…was this Jason’s bedroom? Fin had no idea. She tossed back the covers and was confronted with her nakedness. The answer to her last question now was ‘probably’. God her head hurt and what was that awful taste in her mouth? Something akin to having licked a bunch of Klingon boots after a battle. Ugh!

Fin got up carefully. =/\=Computer, lights on.=/\= The initial blast of brightness was painful, but she spotted her clothing on the foot of the bed. She got dressed slowly, made a trip to the bathroom where she was able to wash her face and rinse her mouth, and then headed for the replicator. If she didn’t get a gallon of coffee in her soon, her head would explode.

—Fin (really hungover)

As she came out of the bedroom, the lights were dimmed save for a single light over the counter by the replicator. It shown on a glass of water, a hypospray, and a PaDD with a flashing icon that said ‘Read Me’.

The note read:

‘Fin,

Drink the water first, then use the hypo. That should stop the headache for a while. There is breakfast waiting in the replicator menu, just activate and it’ll be there. You are cleared from duty today. Let me know if you need tomorrow. No, we didn’t sleep together. I just wanted to be sure you were comfortable, and I undressed you in the dark. I slept on the couch… which reminds me. Make sure I requisition new couches; these suck. Feel free to stay as long as you like, sleep or go through my things or both. I’ll be back around 1800 if you want to have dinner or need to talk more.

I’m glad it was me you came to, Fin.

Jason’

Reilly

So, it was Jason’s quarters. He’d seen her ‘in her cups’ before, but not for a very long time and not for the same reason. Picking up the glass of water, Fin turned and leaned the back of her hips against the counter. As she tried to gulp the liquid down, her mind rolled back to the night before. She hadn’t been able to sleep for a couple of days and knew Jason would have something strong enough to knock her out eventually, so she’d shown up at his door in the middle of the night, already under the influence.

Then true realization hit. Oh God, she’d told him about Elba V—at least she’d started to. Halfway through the telling, her memory grayed out. But she was feeling faor;u rested now and not so horribly sad, so she’d more than likely made it to the end of the tale.

Turning back, Fin set the empty glass down and picked up the hypospray. Without a thought that its contents might not be a good idea, she pressed the trigger and heard the ‘hiss’ of the spray as the medication entered her forearm. Within seconds, the pain in her head backed off to a level that food and coffee would take care of it. With a sigh of relief, she stepped to the replicator and ordered breakfast.

—Fin

The breakfast was preprogrammed. On a plate appeared pancakes, assorted berries, bacon, orange juice, and strong black coffee. A note was stuck to the wall by the replicator: ‘I remember that’s what you’d orser from that one diner when we got to go out for breakfast. Hope its stayed the same. If not, I’d recommend the egg white omelet.’

Reilly

Smelling the wonderful aromas, Fin smiled. “There IS a God! Jason, you’ve outdone yourself this time.” Taking the plate and orange juice to the table, she went back for the coffee and on a whim replicated butter and syrup. “Might as well go all in, right?”

The meal was delicious and filling. With a few berries in one hand and a fresh cup in the other, she got up from the table and wandered around the rooms, trying to see them with fresh eyes. The Jason of today was different than the man she’d known seven years ago. What could his living space tell her about the XO?

—Fin

The space was tasteful and the way he had moved things around made it unique as far as starship quarters went. It had, of course, the piano. The music on the instrument wasn’t printed or on a screen as would be normal. It was sheet music that was handwritten… notes crossed out and added; instructions written in the margins like ‘tempo up?’, ‘drumline enters’, and ‘needs more oomph!’ littered the papers. On the piano were several framed holos of people and places but their placement was… ‘off’. Some faced each other. Some were set right on the edge of the piano. One was even on it’s back looking at the ceiling with the head towards where the player would sit.

Around the room were various bits and things which seemed innocuous, but to Fin’s trained eye seemed too random to be accidental. A broken pencil. A book with three identical book marks in the same place. A broken locket with the faces inside in negative exposure. A well-worn chef’s hat with the name of a Risian resort. A brass mouth piece for some kind of instrument. All of these and more were seemingly placed in random spots and filled the room, but not to the level of clutter. To anyone looking at, or even searching, the room it appeared to be the collection of a person who spent the majority of their life going from place to place and collecting mementos. But, with Fin’s training and her familiarity with Jason, it was something far more organized and meaningful… and important.

It was a key. Not to the man, but to something far more meaningful… his memories.

The room, the way it was set up and the exacting detail to look random but not be… the room was…

A Memory Palace.

Reilly

As the idea dawned on her, Fin was surprised. A memory palace was a way for agents to keep a lot of information in their heads when it was too dangerous to write it down. But Jason—he’d turned his living space into a large ‘filing cabinet’. She maneuvered around the piano in order to see all the holos without touching them and disturbing their positions. The people depicted were ones she didn’t know, but seeing faces in his life was interesting. She briefly wondered who they were.

The broken pencil also caused a momentary pause. Just out of curiosity, her eyes searched for something that might represent her. With the negative feelings he’d carried for years, she wasn’t sure what to expect, but she kept looking.

—Fin