Weeding Them Out

Posted on 22 Feb 2021 @ 3:15am by Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale
Edited on on 17 Mar 2021 @ 1:52am

1,317 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Extinction
Location: Intelligence Office
Timeline: Mission Day 1 at 1300

After Camila had finished with the department meeting, she tapped her combadge as she transferred personnel files to a PADD. "Commander Di Pasquale to Commander Geisler."

"Geisler, here. What can I do for you, Commander?" Joey asked after she tapped her own combadge.

"Do you have a few minutes to do some cross department work?" Camila asked.

Cross department work? Joey asked herself mentally. It had been nearly a year since she'd worked with Security on anything. Not since the Dolmoqour incident, and that was a time she wanted to forget, except for the birth of her two children. "Of course. My office or yours?"

"Yours," the Security Chief responded.

"Very well. I'll meet you in the analyst center," the Intelligence Chief said as she began to secure the information she was looking over.

"See you soon, Di Pasquale out," Camila said before she gathered the PADD and a cup of fresh Raktajino. With those in hand, she headed to Intelligence. It was a short trip and she soon found herself outside of the Chief of Intel's domain. She shifted the PADD to under her arm, then reached out to tap the chime.

Joey manually opened the door when the chime rang and smiled when she saw the Security Chief standing on the other side. "Camila," she greeted, stepping aside to allow her access into the analyst center. "Let's head to my office so we can talk. This way." She gestured with her hand, then made her way toward her office.

The Security Chief entered with a smile and the PADD she carried and followed Joey. "Afternoon, Joey," she said. "I hope I don't give you a headache today."

"Nonsense," the taller woman said as she slipped into her office and moved behind her desk. "We've worked together quite a bit before, so this can't be much different. That being said, what's up? It's got to be pretty worrisome if you're coming to us for help."

Camila entered and waited until the doors closed. "With the revelation of the pirate that was on the ship posing as a crewman, and several others, I want to do an in depth investigation on everyone on this ship at the present, the past year and a half, and anyone that has expressed any interest in transferring to this ship."

Joey arched a brow. "Wait, you want to investigate every current member of the Black Hawk crew who has joined us in the last year and a half, myself included, as well as investigate those who have expressed an interest in transferring here?" She repeated, trying to wrap her head around all of that. It seemed like quite the undertaking. "And I can assure you, I'm no pirate. If I were, I wouldn't have gotten involved with the Captain or started a family with him. That being said... where do you want Intel to fall in in all of this?"

"Internal Affairs," the ombre haired woman said. She knew what IA involved and how deep they went up in someone's background. She also knew they were well loathed by everyone in Starfleet and to get them involved usually was accompanied by the sound of a latex glove snapping on skin. "They have the personnel to get it done and thoroughly." She said nothing about Joey being the Captain's wife because if she was a spy, she'd want to go straight to the top and not someone in Operations that was only a Lieutenant. Besides which, Camila had already done an investigation on the woman when she had first joined the ship as her Assistant Chief of Security.

Curiouser and curiouser. "And what makes you think I have the pull to get Internal Affairs involved in something like this?" Joey asked, clasping her hands in front of her. After all, she was just the Chief Intelligence Officer on one of many starships Starfleet had patrolling space. And, Joey was genuinely curious to know how her colleague would answer that question. After all... Internal Affairs had more important things to do instead of digging through the backgrounds of people to see if they might have ties to illegal activities in the Gamma Quadrant.

"If the Consortium, the Dolmoqour and everything else we've had on this cursed ship won't convince them to do it, nothing will," The Security Chief said. "We've had pirates, infiltrators and even normal personnel turn on us. What would it take to convince them if that doesn't? Take it to the Captain and see what he says, but he's given me pretty bold authority to do what it takes to make sure this ship is safe."

"Perhaps," the Intelligence Chief stated. "I'd rather not pull Captain Geisler into this if at all possible. He's got a lot on his plate presently, and adding to it isn't on my list of things to do. The same with Commander Walsh. I'll see what I can do about getting their help. If need be, I'm owed a favor. I'll call it in."

The ombre haired woman gave her a long look for a moment. "The Captain will have to be involved anyway," she said. "He's the commander of this ship. As for Walsh, the less we need him, the better."

"Yes, the Captain will eventually need to be involved, but if I can get the ball rolling without involving him, then I will. After all, you did say he gave you pretty bold authority to do what it takes to keep the ship safe. I'm sure that includes utilizing all necessary personnel it takes to see to it that it's done," the taller woman said. At her words regarding their Executive Officer, Joey couldn't help but wonder what was going on there. She thought the two were friends, and while she was curious, asking about it needed to be left for another time. "Whose records, if there are any, should be priority?"

"Giving me bold authority when it comes to the security of the ship, I should have stated," Camila responded. "That doesn't give me leeway to call in IA. I'd try the Admiral that shanghaied you into Intelligence and stole you from my department."

Joey unclasped her hands and took a seat behind her desk. "I'll speak with the Captain. He might have different ideas when it comes in how to get them involved. You didn't answer my other question, though. Are there any personnel records you want investigated first?"

"No," the Security Chief said. "Everyone that had anything loosely covered in their records was already weeded out. It's the others that I'm concerned about."

Joey nodded. "Then I'll speak to the Captain and get the ball rolling."

"Thank you," Camila said. "If they can't get involved, we're going to have to go through every file of every person on this ship one by one and make a ton of inquiries."

"It's not a problem. Is there anything else you require of me?"

"Not at all," the other woman said. "Are you able to join me for lunch at Talons later or heading to be Mommy?"

The taller woman smiled. She really did love being a mother, but made time for those she cared about. "I can join you for lunch. What time would you like to meet up?"

Camila glanced at the chrono. "How's fifteen hundred sound? Time enough to get changed and take a sonic."

"That sounds good, but I'll likely still be in uniform. If I go back to my quarters, there are two little ones and two furballs that won't want me to leave. I can work a bit longer."

"We could go now," the ombre haired woman said. "It's the end of Alpha as it is."

Joey nodded and rose to her feet once more. "Now sounds good, then I can head straight to Captain Geisler and speak to him about Internal Affairs."

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