Posted by Commander David Morris (Commanding Officer) in Future Bargaining

Posted by Civilian Sisnil Zoi (Intelligence Consultant) in Future Bargaining

Posted by Commander David Morris (Commanding Officer) in Future Bargaining
Posted by… suppressed (11) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Sisnil disembarked from the shuttle on which he’d arrived in the shuttle bay of a Starfleet vessel - a place he’d never, ever assumed he’d find himself. At least, not as a free man. You see, Sisnil was what one might call a pirate - a freighter of the less-than-legal variety. He exited the shuttle bay, escorted by two security officers. Was that really necessary? He supposed it was. Starfleet was known to be overly cautious and his affiliations made him less than trustworthy.

Sisnil was a runner and computer specialist for the Orion Syndicate. One of the best, as luck would have it. And that was what had landed him here. To add to the irony, he’d come here from the Academy campus. That was a track he never expected. It was, he supposed, his consequence for getting caught. Better than the one the Syndicate would dish out, at any rate, when they discovered where he was. He looked at a map on a PaDD, the Captain’s ready room was on another deck on the other side of the ship. How tiresome. Why must these vessels be so large?

Six months ago, Sisnil was just another Orion runner - not just that, but Captain of his own vessel, alongside his twin brother, Noril Zoi. Noril didn’t know what had happened to him yet… probably assumed he’d been imprisoned. Maybe he could get word out… but it would have to wait. For now, he had to focus on solidifying this deal. Proving the Fleet could trust him so he could earn some level of freedom.

See, he was free in the sense that he was not in a Federation prison in some remote corner of space, but he was not actually free. There were strict contingencies to his contract. He was to cease relations with criminal organizations. He was to pledge allegiance to the Federation and Starfleet. To lend his skills to those whom he hated the most. He wasn’t exactly intended to remain clean, though… no, Starfleet had other plans in mind for him. To utilise him as non-Fleet intelligence. To use his contacts and skills for what the Fleet considered “Good”.

Six months ago was when all went wrong in one fell swoop. Sisnil separated from his brother, his crew, and his ship. His criminal career over under threat of a death sentence. Like any good Captain would be, he was glad the rest of his crew had gotten away scot free. He’d never turn on them. Never.

The Syndicate had hired him to steal a file off Starfleet’s’ mainframe. A firewall weakness was identified in the Academy’s system, and that was his in. So, off to the Academy Sisnil, Noril, and his crew went. The Academy could be a wonderful place to pick up jobs - after all, not every Cadet had clean hands. It all came down to which ones got caught. And Sisnil’s ship had a clean registration. No reason for Fleet law enforcement to stop a simple freighter from picking up supplies to take out to various colonies, after all.

Upon arrival Sisnil got right to work. The Syndicate had supplied him false identification to gain access to the campus. ‘Cadet Asephai’, said the badge. A Betazoid student from the homeworld, Betazed. He had no trouble gaining entry, he had the natural confidence that no one second guessed him. He barely had to show the ID at all. He chose a spot, turned his PaDD on, and got to work. The tip was good, the breach really existed, and gaining entry from there was easy. He just needed time to let the files copy over before anyone suspected anything…

~ Zoi

Six Months Ago

Lieutenant Commander David Morris stepped off the transporter PADD. Huh. I left here in medical blue, changed to a command red, and then came back here in red to take medical classes. Life certainly has gotten a lot more complicated recently.

He shook his head. That thought process could play out tonight in his bunk - right now, the day was beautiful, he was on Earth for the first and likely the last time in months, and he had a half-hour to spare before he needed to be in his Advanced Medical class. He noted a bench nearby with a Betazoid Cadet sitting, looking at a PADD. He walked over. “Mind if I join you, Cadet?”

Commander David Morris
Commanding Officer

Sisnil looked up. A command officer. Just what he needed. The emotion didn’t show on his face. Instead he smiled and scooted over, turning his PaDD screen towards himself. “Of course, Commander, sir.” He said going for the demeanor of a Cadet slightly nervous to talk to a higher ranking officer. “I hope you don’t mind. I’m working on something private here.” And a little blush.

~ Zoi
“Oh?” David asked, smiling and letting his forward-facing persona fall into the one he was still most comfortable with - the counselor. “I’m David, don’t worry about the rank.” He laughed. “After all, right now I am a student. “What is it that you’re working on, if you don’t mind me asking? Anything you could use advice on?” He smiled gently, disarmingly, the way he’d been taught and spent hours refining, but always sort of been able to do.

Lt. Commander David Morris
XO, USS Wolverine

“A letter to a lover.” Sisnil responded. “It’s not really something I want to show anybody besides the one it’s intended for if you get my drift.” He perked at the screen and then shut it off. “It’s okay, I can work on it later.” The disarming smile seemed ineffective on the man. It helped that Sisnil was Betazoid - he could sense David’s thoughts and feelings with ease. He really did mean no harm. Sisnil just had to be casual and relaxed. “If you are a student at your rank, what are you studying?”

~ Zoi

“I’m keeping my medical license up to date and active, so continuing education in the field. Once I finish my classes, back to the final frontier!” His eyes sparkled in merriment. “How long have you been at the Academy?” he asked, glancing for the rank pips that indicated year, “and what sub-field are you studying?”

Commander David Morris
Commanding Officer

Second year. It was the uniform they’d paid off a cadet about his size and build to give him. “Two years.” There would be no slip ups in his information. Sisnil was way too experienced in the game for that. “I’m on the Engineering track, computers and technology subtrack.”

~ Zoi

“Oh, who’d you have for Fundamentals of Computer Architecture? It’s been quite a few years, especially since I took my engineering classes, but you know how faculty can be.” He laughed, a picture of a human man with slightly graying strawberry blonde hair, dressed in a slightly wrinkled Engineering uniform flashing across his thoughts.

Lt. Commander David Morris
XO, USS Wolverine

“Professor Arkand,” Sisnil answered. He’d studied the faculty, that was the only human, blonde professor in the Computer Engineering department. “He really is a bit of an oddball, don’t you think?”

~ Zoi
“He is indeed,” David agreed. “Does he still include that one exam about halfway through the semester?” He was referring to one of the particularly unusual habits the man had of instead of a traditional midterm, dumping a damaged computer module in the center of the room at the start of that class period and verbally counting down to a containment failure, instructions left on the projector to repair the system sufficiently to input a command and re-establish the faux containment - non-traditional by any means and not even graded traditionally, but shockingly effective. This he kept at the back of his mind not entirely intentionally, laughing at the flashes that did cross his conscious thoughts.

Lt. Commander David Morris
XO, USS Wolverine

He caught a few thoughts. “He does. The one with damaged computer module?” He shook his head. Judging by David’s feelings about it, that should be the right response. “It… wasn’t my favourite exam.”

~ Zoi

“Oh?” he asked. “Why not? Most of us loved it, at least back while I was here as a cadet. It was certainly more interesting than a paper test.”

At the very back of his conscious thoughts, David paused for a moment. This was not quite right. He’d never met a cadet or ensign, having talked to a few as a counselor that had had Arkand, that didn’t love the exam, or at least think of it fondly. He’d have to watch a little closer - not letting it show, of course, through the techniques he’d learned between his Advanced Counseling Techniques for Telepaths and Empaths class (that certainly was a mouthful) and the seminar Intel had hosted for senior officers of Black Fleet.

Lt. Commander David Morris
XO, USS Wolverine

Sisnil sensed a moment of suspicion that was quickly hidden. Had he guessed? Sisnil’s paranoia wouldn’t let go of the idea. “It wasn’t what I expected is all. I’m sorry, I’ve got to go. I have an appointment to make.” He said and stood. “Uh, nice to meet you, Command. Maybe we’ll be assigned together sometime?”

~ Zoi

Well, that certainly wasn’t normal. “Where are you headed?” David asked, all hints of suspicion hidden and just the friendly, unassuming persona presenting, obscuring the black ops Commander behind it. “I learned all the shortcuts long ago, but unless you’re constantly up to things, I doubt you’ve found the half of them by second year. I can get you there twice as fast.”

Commander David Morris
Commanding Officer

Was the commander trying to stay with him? Hadn’t he said he was a medical officer? Why did he seem so… Irritably perceptive? “Off campus, it’s not for school.” He smiled, “Thanks for the offer, though.”

~ Zoi