Findings and Suspicions

Posted on Sun Mar 10th, 2024 @ 6:45am by Lieutenant Commander Lyra Cassiel & Captain Ivan Petrov & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov

Mission: S1 Episode 7: Prime Factors
Location: Ready Room; Vengeance
Timeline: Date 2371-09-16 at 1600
5242 words - 10.5 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

After dealing with Daniel, Sovas, and then following up on her own leads, Lyra made her way to the bridge and directly to Ivan’s ready room. She wished she had better news to give him - something concrete to bargain with - but the truth was that the chance of success to negotiate a deal for this technology was very low. She entered the bridge and spared a few acknowledging glances to the gamma shift staffers working while she crossed the room and stepped down to the door of the ready room and hit the chime.

Ivan had only just returned to his office, realizing he had left some paperwork on his desk that he was meant to finish in his quarters. Inevitably, the words on the PADD had drawn him in, and so the large man was pacing back and forth and reading when the chime went off. He paused and looked at the door, wondering who it could be.

“Come.” He ordered.

Stepping in, her eyes immediately found Ivan and she offered a respectful nod. “I have the report of our findings and suggestions for some potential diplomatic options for your negotiations with the Sikarians here, sir.”

“Ah, good.” He said, giving her a tired expression with pursed lips before he turned and proceeded slowly back to his desk. Sitting down roughly, he gestured to the chair opposite his desk. “Come, have a seat, and tell me what your team found.”

She handed Ivan one of the two PADDs she was carrying as she took her seat. Immediately, she crossed her legs gracefully at the knee and powered up the device in her hand. “I will start by saying unfortunately we found no official records of the trajector technology being traded to anyone despite a large number of requests.”

“That’s disappointing, but not a sign of defeat. They have never dealt with Terrans before.” He said, leaning back and looking at the PADD. “A closely guarded technology calls for a huge compensation. If they need something we don’t have, we might be able to go get it.”

Lyra nodded, but didn’t glance up from the small screen. “Their main interest is of course money, but they also voraciously crave stories and unique experiences. Offering our literature database to them as incentive along with whatever sum of money may help our cause. If you look on the next page there is a list of the largest trade deals we could find - some officially recorded ones and some that were under the table, as it were.”

It was a list of ten deals with the largest of them being a small fleet of ships, mining rights to a small moon in Sikarian territory, and weather monitoring and control technology.

“I’d also suggest hosting the magistrate for a meal here and providing some of Terra’s finest.”

“Who could turn that down?” the Captain said with a chuckle. He thumbed through the PADD for a few seconds in silence, his sharp brown eyes reading each item of history in exchange. When they crossed one that piqued his curiosity, he looked up at his Chief of Security. “Holographics? I know they have rudimentary hologram technology, but I didn’t see anything down there which even came close to a holodeck.”

“I had wondered about that myself.” She finally looked up and her eyes met Ivan’s with her typical inscrutable gaze, but she was obviously quite engaged on the topic. “From what I was able to learn, it isn’t something they have much of an interest in - perhaps due to misconceptions of the technology because they do not have something as advanced as we do. They are a species that desires to have genuine experiences, they crave something tactile in said experience - when you put forth illusions of forcefields and lights, that doesn’t sound particularly appealing to them on paper.”

Ivan’s eyes lingered on Lyra’s face for a few seconds. He observed her beautiful, unreadable features, and found himself wondering who she really was. He was a man who had always had a hard time seeing the way that other men saw. Still, he recognized an attractive woman when he saw one. He wondered, in the instant, if his son had found the real woman beneath those dark and alluring eyes.

“Well, there is no teacher better than experience, they say. We should invite the magistrate here and find a way to show her the merits of this technology.” he said, looking back at the PADD. “And there are many other options for us to exploit.”

It was impossible to miss the way he was looking at her, and her gaze held steady as she considered it. It was far from the passing, near dismissive looks he usually gave her in their always truncated conversations. Perhaps he was finally seeing she was here to stay and there was little he could do about it.

“I think that is an excellent idea.” She agreed, “We could also offer our library of music and art as well as literature. They may be slightly less interested in those initially, but reminding them that we are the only Terran vessel that will ever be out here - for now at least - they may find it more tempting since they won’t simply be able to find it from someone else down the line.”

Ivan considered it all for a moment, pressing his massive hands together and rubbing them slowly. Then, at once, he placed them on the desk and looked back to Lyra, a small smile on his face.

“I think we should try and group these assets together into one singular experience. Perhaps a well-played trick can impress them.” he said, preparing to elaborate. “We invite the Magistrate to Vengeance along with one of her senior aides, but we beam them directly into the holodeck with a program in progress. It would be an exact replica of a captain’s mess on a larger ship, such as the Galaxy Class. They would be none the wiser. And while we dine, we can listen to live music and be served by beautiful and intelligent staff. We can wow them with all the treats we have to offer, and when we reveal we are in a holodeck, she will be sold.”

It was Lyra’s turn to contemplate with a slightly raised brow and a pensive expression. “It could work,” she agreed. “I would definitely suggest having Urso on hand to make sure that the holodeck grid remains stable, any blip in the illusion would ruin it, of course.”

“That would be fine.” He responded. “Perhaps we could make use of the slave girl who has been trapped in the computer core. She has direct control over the grid, can anticipate our needs, and my wife has found her useful, it seems, before and after her accident.”

“If you think she would be cooperative then I don’t see why not.” Immy had been a decent slave though not without her issues. Those issues, however, had never really become Lyra’s problem and if Yana was comfortable dealing with them, then that was that. “On the note of a meal though, if you flip a few pages more, I took the time to look into Magistrate Syrene’s personal life and made a basic profile for her including places she seems to frequent when she goes out to eat in anticipation a meal might be provided to her.”

“Very good.” Ivan said, looking over the information gathered about Syrene through Lyra’s meticulous efforts. “We shouldn’t have trouble finding some dishes she is sure to like from our own diverse cuisine. After all, we have the cultures of an Empire to draw from.”

He grinned at her, warm, yet still tired.

“Good job, Commander. Is there anything else?”

“Two things.” Lyra nodded. “In my research on Syrene, I did find evidence of a rather unfortunate incident in her youth that resulted in the death of two people. Underage operation of one of their vehicles on top of being under the influence; she has rich parents, they made it go away. Well, tried to, but Terran ingenuity wins.” She smiled slightly, proud.

“Interesting.” Ivan said, turning his head to the side and thinking. “I’m not familiar with their law. If such a thing were to come out, what might happen to the Magistrate?”

“She could potentially lose her position, but Syrene is very popular with her people so it is not a guarantee. It is easier to lament away a mistake made in youth, unfortunately.” She shrugged. “But it could put the fear of the gods into her.”

“I suppose it could at that.” he said, seeming to accept the limitations of that particular backup plan as it was. “And the other thing?”

“You’ll remember I said there were no official records of the technology being traded, but there have been rumors. Despite best efforts, we weren’t able to substantiate them, however I have an idea of where I might be able to find solid information regarding those rumors. It would require me to go down to the planet and meet with one of the Sikarians who - theoretically - in turn will direct me to the appropriate avenues to acquire the trajector should diplomatic options fail.”

“That is a plan B that I can get behind.” Ivan said, nodding to her. He wanted to avoid bloodshed this time. After all, they couldn’t kill everyone they came across. They needed friends to go with their enemies. “Do that then, Commander. Let me know what you can dig up.”

“Of course, sir.” She nodded.

“Before you go, though, one more thing.” he said, holding up a finger. “I know you spend a lot of time with Commander Petrov. I tried to check up on him myself, but I’m the last person he’s interested in talking to about his current situation right now. To say I was alarmed at his conduct on the Gladius is an understatement. I want your perspective on him. What the hell is going on with him? What was he thinking?”

So they were going to have another try at this.

Lyra sat back and considered what to say, a non answer wouldn’t get her anywhere, but neither would the truth. “Andrei is a man who demands compliance with his wishes. Why he decided to go after O’Shea, I really couldn’t say. Maybe it was simply wanting to dispense proper Terran justice, maybe it was something else.”

Ivan was ill satisfied. He shook his head. He was a father, not a fool.

“Lyra, that doesn’t make any sense to me. You expect me to believe you share my son’s bed and, by some miracle I can’t even understand, managed to get him to stop sowing his wild oats around my Fleet, and you have no special insight on why he behaved that way when so many opportunities have been given to him; so many incentives to be civilized? Is he still a child that he would do something like this?”

Lyra tilted her head just slightly, “You think because I share his bed he tells me everything? I would love that, but he most certainly does not. He doesn’t like to hear the word no. He heard the word no.”

Ivan watched her with suspicious eyes. He doubted that was all she had, but he understood there was probably nothing he could say that would get him more without a greater cost. He breathed out of his nose heavily and leaned back in the chair.

“Has he learned his lesson, in your estimation? Or is punishment a futile effort with my Executive Officer?”

“Can a man who has never been punished be punished?” Lyra replied, her tone even. She was trying to play nicely with Ivan, but she was not going to give their secrets away. “But I suppose it was successful in the way that I’m sure he won’t do something similar again.”

That had worked before when they had spoken in the hallway outside Andrei’s quarters. He had let himself be cowed by guilt, knowing he hadn't been there for his son because of his exile. But now, he had time to think. His response was irritable, but not confrontational. “Andrei has been punished before, and any statement to the contrary is ridiculous. What have you been told?”

“I don’t need to be told, I know what I have seen this past week.” Lyra replied evenly, not shying at his irritation and continuing to hold his gaze steadily. “He’s angry, not contrite, but that doesn’t indicate whether he ‘learned his lesson’ or not. I’m sure he has learned something.”

“Well, I certainly hope he has. This is not the nursery anymore, and he has been given everything he has right now.” Ivan said, clenching his jaw. “People depend upon a commander to do their job and to follow orders as they have been set out. I’m trying to determine if my son lacks self control, or if he’s the very devil’s spawn.”

Ivan wasn’t a perfect man, and he had committed more atrocities than any Starfleet commander in recent memory, but he was no backstabber unless he had to be. After viewing those recordings with Annalise, he wasn’t so sure.

“My hand is held in order to avoid irreparable damage to his name by removing him as my second in command. I need more than guesses. I need more than a man who is angry when he gets what he deserves. You are my second officer. I need more from you than this..pretending. You are brilliant, and you know exactly what’s going on.” Ivan stood, stepping around the desk and starting to pace slowly. “Those Kazon that were with him on Gladius. They were more fearsome than any I’ve ever seen. I can only assume they came from the Lovarr.”

Lyra remained seated, turning her head to watch Ivan pace but giving no reaction otherwise. “Of course they did. They were part of the training program for more disposable soldiers that had been set up under your wife’s direction there; unfortunately Andrei did take the best ones, so that was a loss.” She sighed.

Ivan watched her for several silent seconds without a response of any kind. It wasn’t clear what was going on in his head, and he wasn’t sure if he believed her or not. He thought it would be a good idea to have a conversation with the Commander of Lovarr, at least, but for now, he was done trying to get answers out of Lyra.

“Let me know what you turn up on the planet.” he said, looking at her still, her eyes telling him nothing. He gave the Imperial Salute then. “Glory to the Empire.”

“Glory to the Empire.” She moved to stand, tall and unwavering.

“Dismissed, Commander.” he said, and then went over to gather his things from the desk one final time.

Lyra turned and left without a word. Her expression didn’t waver until she was finally alone in the turbolift where it gave way to annoyance. “Deck three.”

It wasn’t even five minutes later that she walked through the door to Andrei’s quarters while in the middle of pulling her gloves off her hands and still wearing the rather annoyed look on her face. Her eyes came up and found Andrei in his workout clothes likely preparing to spar with one of his holographic opponents.

“Darling.” she greeted.

Andrei was finishing his stretches while a mean-looking Klingon with a large scar on his face stood patiently, picking the grime out of his fingernails. Andrei was wearing a combat outfit which hugged his body like a glove. It was white and spotless. Standing up, the handsome man smiled.

“Good afternoon, Love.” He said, and then his smile faded a bit. “What’s wrong?”

Lyra paused before she answered, taking a breath to make sure she didn’t direct her annoyance toward him. “I just got done giving my report to your father. It was all going so nicely until he started being nosy about you.”

“I love when people talk about me. Do tell.” He said, walking toward her and grabbing her hand, smiling to counter her frown and hoping it would ease some of the tension she was clearly feeling.

“Well first of all he seems to think you just tell me everything that goes through your head and for some reason seems to think that even if you did he is somehow entitled to share in that knowledge.” She held his hand and stepped closer to him, her free hand finding his hip and just resting there.

“Dear old dad is trying to pick my brain, is he?” He asked, looking into her eyes. “What does he want to know?”

“He wants to know if you’re very sorry for your bad behavior and if I think you learned your lesson.” She moved her hand from his hip around and swatted his behind playfully. “Bad boy.”

“Very bad, yes.” He said with a smile. “And what did you tell him?”

“I told him you learned something I’m sure.” She shrugged slightly. “I don’t think he’s very pleased with you though, darling. He’s apparently trying to figure out if you’re still more or less just a pouting, tantrum throwing child or some sort of devil spawn.”

“Him and everyone else.” Andrei said with a raise of his eyebrow. He was calm, and seemed amused. “Sometimes I wonder myself.”

He leaned in and kissed her forehead sweetly and then pulled back, looking at her again.

“I am, of course, incredibly sorry in any way for whatever I did. I certainly won’t do that again, no.” He said dramatically.

Her eyes closed just briefly when he kissed her forehead, then opened again when he pulled back. “He also played the ‘you’ve been handed everything and have earned nothing’ card and how he is protecting you like a good father by not removing you as XO.” She sighed softly then. “He’s less than pleased that I wasn’t more helpful with answers given I’m his second officer.”

“He’s right, really. He has given me everything here. That is his job, the little enabler.” He said with a wink, stroking her cheek. “You are breathtakingly beautiful, my love. You make me want to engage in a different kind of exercise.”

Reaching up, she took his hand to still it so she could turn and kiss his wrist. “I’m afraid he may also start looking at the Lovarr - he found those slaves suspicious. I know where you got them from, but if he starts poking around, I do hope that girl you put in charge has strong resolve and knows where her loyalty should lie.”

“Perhaps I should have a talk with her. I’ve trusted Harper’s loyalty so far, but I doubt she’s prepared to survive a grilling from my father.” He said, looking at her with a confident but rational expression. “She may have to stretch the truth, after all.”

Lyra didn’t exactly look pleased with that plan. She hadn’t confirmed it - though truthfully she hadn’t tried hard to - but she was relatively sure given the fact the woman had been XO of the Lovarr when Andrei captained it, she had also been one of his women. For once, he could see the conflict on her face between trusting his loyalty or not knowing his nature. She had her own dogs on the Lovarr who could keep an eye on the situation though; they were still terrified of her hand even more than Andrei’s.

She licked her lips and looked away. “Yeah.”

“I would have to do it over comms, which isn’t ideal. I can’t leave, after all.” He said, thinking. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t noticed Lyra’s change in demeanor, but he wasn’t sure exactly what to attribute it to. “I could have her come here.”

“It may look suspicious if you have her come here though right after the conversation I had with your father.” Lyra pointed out, her eyes falling on the waiting Klingon and stopping there.

“Are you not confident in your ability to ensure her cooperation and loyalty without your physical presence?” It wasn’t exactly accusing nor demeaning, but as she looked back to him with her brows slightly raised, it was clear she was searching.

“I’m not confident in my ability to have such a sensitive conversation in a way that can be easily documented. Who’s to say how much attention my father is paying to me right now?” He asked, obviously dodging the question, but still making a good point.

Lyra opened her mouth to start to say something and then closed it, moving away from him and going to the desk where she raised the screen and took a seat. It was a pointless fight. He’d be loyal or he wouldn’t be and she would find out later.

Andrei watched her walk away, not even beginning to understand what was going on in her head. He furrowed his brow, watching her.

“Is there a problem here?” He asked.

“What do you mean?” Lyra asked, her fingers moving to the control panel so she could type in her access credentials and her eyes solely locked on the screen.

“You seem annoyed.” He said, the furrow of his brow deepening further as she seemed to pretend like she didn’t know what he meant. “Is there something wrong?”

Lyra took a deep breath and sighed it out slowly before she finally looked at Andrei. “I’m chief of security, Andrei. Covering up a transmission so your father couldn’t find it isn’t a difficult task and you know that; you were assistant chief after all. You want to meet the woman face to face and that’s that. What else is there to say?”

Her tone wasn’t angry, she simply sounded resigned and perhaps mildly disappointed.

“I think it’s best. Let’s not make it out to be more than it is.” He said, calm and seemingly undisturbed. “This is business, and there’s nothing to be worried about except for our little secret.”

He could hide behind business all he wanted, but the fact he was picking the more obvious and dangerous option of inviting the woman to the Vengeance for a personal meeting was really all she needed to know to confirm her suspicion of the relationship. She wasn’t stupid nor incompetent, but sometimes he seemed to think she was. She stood and walked over to the replicator, ordering a cup of tea for herself and then going back to the desk to work. “Of course, darling.”

Andrei felt a sudden flash of anger at her, knowing immediately that he was being dismissed, like she thought it was a waste of time to actually talk to him. He turned away from her, his fists balling for an instant before he leveled his gaze on the Klingon in the corner.

“Begin.” He said, and the Klingon charged immediately, his bare hands raised to grab Andrei. He simply used the Klingon’s momentum against him, and used it to force the unholy creature to the floor. When he was down, Andrei walked over and unceremoniously stomped hard on his head, causing a sickening crunch and the splatter of holographic blood on the blue carpet. Andrei’s jaw was set, and he sat down on the couch in silence, reaching for a nearby PADD and opening it.

It was highly unusual for a silence between them to be tense, but this one was. Between them, the broken hologram continued to bleed out on the floor since it hadn’t been dismissed after Andrei’s victory. The only sounds that broke the silence were from Andrei’s PADD and the occasional soft tink of her teacup hitting the saucer. She could tell he was angry, but she wasn’t about to go and fix it right now.

A few minutes later, she cursed softly under her breath. “Fucking useless creature…”

Andrei looked up at her, his curiosity prompting at least that, but he didn’t break the silence between them by asking what she was talking about verbally. His main response was a sudden suspicion she might be talking about him.

After another few minutes, she finally logged out of the console and the screen lowered back into the desk. The teacup went back into the replicator, and she finally crossed the floor, walking through the holographic blood and gore without a second thought. She reached down as he sat there and placed a hand on his cheek. “I don’t want to fight, Andrei. I’m sorry. I know it’s just business.”

“It is.” Andrei said, looking up at her. “If I was sneaking around, I could sneak better. There’s no reason for any doubt about who shares my bed.”

There was a part of her that roared at the challenge he subtly gave; he really must have thought her incapable. She kept the feeling in a stranglehold and out of the expression on her face which instead projected contriteness. Sliding down into his lap, she straddled his legs and moved the hand from his cheek into his hair to play with a few strands lightly. Her brown eyes met his mismatched eyes and she lightly kissed his lower lip.

“I don’t doubt, darling, but you know how jealous I can get. Forgive me.”

“Trust me. That is the only retribution I require.” Andrei said. He softened, but not without pressing his point home. It was clear that, despite his tendency to behave in the way that would avoid conflict with her, this particular thing bothered him. In his mind, if he was going to have fights about sleeping with other women, it was perhaps better to be guilty. At least then the suspicion would be based on something real.

“I do.” She assured him, kissing the corners of his mouth softly. “I’m sorry.”

He kissed her back then, finally seeming satisfied with her statement of contrition. Placing a hand on her hip, he leaned forward onto her chest for several silent seconds.

“I forgive you, and I understand.” He said in a low voice. “I’m with you, and not anyone else. I’m not going to do anything to hurt you.”

Lyra lowered her head to nuzzle into his hair as he rested on her soft breasts. She spoke then, her tone soft, sweet, and slightly imploring. “Promise?”

“Promise.” He said back to her while laying on her. His hair smelled of his shampoo and natural scent. “You have nothing to worry about.”

The silence that settled between them this time lacked the tension from before. Her fingers ran through his hair, calming herself as much as him. After a few quiet minutes of the chaste, affectionate touching, Lyra finally spoke up again with a quiet voice.

“The day after tomorrow I’m going to be going down to the planet to meet with Garit. I wanted to go today or at the latest tomorrow, but the little cretin is off-world.” It was pointedly obvious now who was the useless creature she had been referencing.

Leaning up, he looked at her, considering the mental image of that man gawking over her without him present. He didn’t like it, but he also knew Lyra’s disgust for aliens at the very least. What he was actually concerned about was her safety. He had put his confidence in her ability to defend herself, even over her own protest, and she had been kidnapped and nearly killed back on Benea. He wasn’t going to do it again.

“Well you’re not going alone.” He said, his voice a mix of an order and a statement of fact. “Who will you take with you, love?”

Lyra frowned, her head shifting in a slight tilt. “I wasn’t planning on bringing anyone with me, darling. Why?”

“Because, you’re looking for criminal contacts. They could try to hurt you.” Andrei said as if it were obvious. His tone, still, was gentle, as her rubbed her arm gently. “I don’t want a repeat of Banea.”

Lyra’s frown turned into a scowl. Did he think she was incapable of defending herself because of that? In fact, did he think the situation was at all comparable? They’d been in the middle of a war zone when they were on Banea. She hadn’t been captured by some merchant’s thugs, she had been captured by a large team of military personnel and had killed a number of them before falling. She had also freed herself.

Meanwhile, Andrei - she stopped the thought there and took a slow, deep breath. The scowl eased into a more neutral expression and then finally lifted into a small smile. “Alright, darling. I’ll take someone with me - Corvin, perhaps.”

“Mmhmm.” Andrei said, a hard expression coming over his face. He didn’t like that, but he also didn’t want to upset her. He decided to be an example for what he wanted, and just speak his mind on the matter. “I wish you wouldn’t. He wants to get under your skirt even more than the merchant does. Don’t get me wrong, I trust you. But I hate the idea of those men ogling you together.”

“Alright.” She replied simply and without hesitation then she kissed his cheek. After thinking for a moment, she spoke again. “What about Julius instead then? I think I unsettle him too much for him to try and get under my skirt.”

“I'm not sure Julius thinks about anything but fighting and shouting at people.” Andrei said with a grin. “He’s perfect. Thank you.”

“Of course, darling.” Lyra kissed his grin, her hands on his cheeks. She then moved from his lap and sat down next to him. “Now, why don’t you do your training proper? You know I’d love to watch.” She indicated toward the Klingon hologram on the floor.

He looked down at the blasted Klingon head on the ground before standing up.

“Computer, restart program. Raise to advanced difficulty.” He said, and the Klingon disappears from the floor only to reappear in the corner. Andrei got in his stance, giving some distance between him and Lyra. “Begin.”

As Andrei moved, Lyra stretched out on the couch in a way that accentuated her absolutely breathtaking figure. She propped her head up in one hand to watch, a small smirk playing on her full lips.

“The victor gets to fuck the princess.” She declared.

“That would be me, creature.” Andrei said to the hologram opposite him, a smile crossing his handsome face. “Keep it in your pants.”

END