Part 5

Posted on Fri Mar 10th, 2023 @ 11:42am by Lieutenant Commander Diane Doctrine

Mission: Starship Side Quest
Location: USS Gagarin, Engineering.
Timeline: Current.

[Engineering]

Kilbane walked into Engineering first and looking around he saw Finchley at the main console so walked over to him "Bird, we need to talk."

Finchley looked up at Kilbane as he walked towards him. "I know that tone," he said "and you only call me 'Bird' when you want or need something from me or want me to do something I'm not going to like. What is it?"

"I need you to contact someone for me," Kilbane replied.

"That's not a problem, the communications system is still functioning," Finchley replied, "you can access it from that panel there," he said pointing to an auxiliary console.

"Well, that's the thing, I need you to contact them," Kilbane replied back.

Finchley was now suspicious, "Who?" he asked.

"Actually, grammatically it's 'whom' you should use," Kilbane said.

"Cut to the chase man, WHOM do you want me to contact?" Finchley asked, now becoming impatient.

"Vice Admiral Eugene K..." Kilbane began.

"NO!" Finchley shouted, "and if you mention his name again I'll chin you one!" Finchley said, shaking his fist at Kilbane.

"We need you to contact him Bird, he has access to information we need," Kilbane said.

"Then YOU contact him," Finchley replied hotly.

"You know I don't have the clearance for that, only someone in your line can!" Kilbane said, turning in exasperation Diane and pleading with his eyes for her to say something.

Diane could plainly see the reaction the vice admiral's name brought out in Kerr. She hoped Kerr knowing she didn't know any history between Kilbane, Kerr, and the vice admiral would gain a little favor. Attempting to tread lightly she spoke in tone she helped would diffuse the situation, "Finchley," she began, "We clearly have a mystery here, a real whopper in fact. Why not get all the information we can? If you don't mind me asking, what's happened between you and the vice admiral that you won't even contact him?"

Finchley's head whipped round to Diane "HE KILLED MY FATHER!" he shouted.

"You don't know that Bird" Kilbane said, trying to calm Finchley down "It's never been proven he had anything to do with your Father's death."

Finchley's head now whipped back round to face Kilbane "You know the orders he got, you know what the situation involved was....'a clandestine operation they called it, nobody but the Vice Admirals office could have given that order."

"The Vice Admirals office, yes, but we don't know it was the Vice Admiral himself" Kilbane replied, his hands now open wide "Anyone in there could have sent it."

Finchley picked up a nearby PADD and launched it past Kilbane's head "Just like a historian to make conjecture!" he said with venom.

"That's not fair Bird" Kilbane replied, "Yes, this situation is in the past, but you were the one who told me about it, I'm just going by what you told me."

Finchley rounded on Diane again. He looked her up ad down "And you Commander" he said with loathing in his voice, "...you have the gall to ask me...me...to go and ask him for help, kiss mine!" he ended, turning and stomping off.

Kilbane looked at Diane, "Well, it wasn't a definite no," he smiled wanly.

Diane rolled her eyes at Kilbane then made her way to follow Kerr, "Finchley, wait... please?"

Finchley turned round and stared at Diane, "WHAT???" he shouted, then realising is anger had the better of him he added through clenched teeth, "What could you possibly want, I said No!."

"I'm not trying to change your mind," Diane replied calmly but in a firm manner, "I am, however, curious as to what this admiral did to earn such wrath from you. Will you tell me?"

"That bastard sent my Father on a 'diplomatic mission' to the Renova system, Starfleet had been having dealings with a consortium who had information on Dominion activity there" Finchley spat back "But what made it galling was he knew they were a front for the Dominion, he'd gotten Intelligence reports telling him this. He still sent my Father, but failed to tell him that he knew the truth about the consortium. When my Father arrived at the rendezvous point, he was taken hostage and used as bargaining tool to get Starfleet to leave them alone."

Now shaking with rage, and almost incandescent, Finchley banged his clenched fist on the nearest console. "But Admiral Kerr didn't deal, instead, he sent in 3 battlecruisers to try to capture the Dominion, the plan failed, the cruisers were forced back and my Father was executed as retribution. So Commander, you can see why I'm somewhat upset and not willing to speak to that piece of vermin!"

Diane's head tilted as she listened. When Finchley was finished she quietly agreed, "I see your rage is completely justified. Finchley. I'm sorry. It was not my intention to bring up bad events from the past."

Finchley looked past Diane at Kilbane, "He knew it would be like this, and in order for you to have come with him here, he must have told you something, otherwise, why would you be here?"

Diane peered at Kilbane with narrowed eyes and asked, “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Kilbane marched over, "Ok you sanctimonious sack of shit, you're the one of the few people who can get the Intelligence information we need, so yes, I told her a little bit. However, that doesn't excuse you from carrying out your duty to Starfleet when we have a mystery at hand. Take your anger at me and the Vice Admiral, and you're pride and bury it!"

Finchley flew at Kilbane and grabbed him by the collar, slamming him into a nearby wall, "You dare speak to me like that!!!!?"

"Yes, I dare!" Kilbane replied, "Because deep down, I think you've always wanted revenge on the Vice Admiral, and now that an opportunity has arisen, you're to scared to face it. Think about it, you'd never ordinarily get close to him, but now, now a valid reason to see him has come your way and you're to chicken shit to take it. You talk the talk about 'wanting revenge', now walk the walk and take it by actually meeting him face to face, to get us what we need from the files only the Vice Admiral and above can release to us!"

Finchley let go of him and stood back, a horrible laugh coming out of his mouth "Oh no Kilbane... that was a good try, a very good try, get me to get you the Intelligence information on the USS Gagarin's trip, as then just 'supposedly' leaving me to exact my revenge on the Vice Admiral, but it didn't work. We all know that even if I were to get that meeting, he'd have a dozen Security guards in that room and I wouldn't get anywhere near him, but you'd still get what you both want." He added, pointing his right index finger between Kilbane and Diane.

"It's the closest you'll ever get to him Bird," Kilbane answered, straightening himself out. "We both know that. Get the meeting, what you do afterwards between you and him is then down to you."

Finchley turned round and began walking away, deep in thought. Stopping, he turned back round and looked at Kilbane. "No, it won't work, we'll be searched the minute we arrive, any weapons we have will be confiscated till we come back out the meeting."

"Do you remember the story you told me about Septimal Prime, how you managed to get to the Aga Prime Minister without a weapon, but you managed to knock him out?" Kilbane asked.

Finchley blinked, trying to see the relevance "I do remember it, yes, what's that got to do with this situation?"

"You said you were..." Kilbane began.

"...searched before I was allowed to see him," Finchley finished the sentence off.

"You used some kind of figurine on his desk to knock him out," Kilbane said. "What's to stop you doing the same thing in the Vice Admirals office?"

Kilbane looked at Diane "Commander?"

Diane looked between the two men. Leaning against the bulkhead and folding her arms across her chest she said, “There appears to be a lot more going on here than I thought originally. Are there any other channels with which this needed information can be obtained?… And I have to ask, are you planning on killing the vice admiral?”

"You don't have to know what my intentions are Commander, that's between me and the Vice Admiral, in fact it's better if you don't, then there's plausible deniability on your part," Finchley replied. "In answer to your first question, no, there's no other way, and with me being a level nine Intelligence operative, even I don't have the clearance you need, only the Vice Admiral and above can get that. Tell you what, I'll make a deal with you, you make the request to meet with him, if he agrees to meet with you I'll go with you. I'll try and convince him to give you the information you need on the Gagarin and if he gives it to you, you take it and go, and leave me alone so I can speak to him about my Father."

Diane made a show of thinking about the offer for a moment. Then she put her hand out to shake with Kerr, "Deal." Then she tightened her grip on his hand a measure and added, "Finchley, I've become fond of working with you. I'm going to ask that you don't do anything to jeopardize your career. All right?"

"And I with you Commander," Finchley replied, "but there's a saying, "What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over," and that's why I said once you have the Intelligence information, you leave me alone with him."

Diane softly sighed. She had a gut wrenching suspicion of what would happen behind those closed doors. “All right Finchley,” she said in a sympathetic tone, “If you aren’t going to behave… at least be careful.”

TBC...Pt 6