Star Trek: Erin

Part 65: Expurgation

     I faltered before catching myself. "Seriously, you can't just do that in the middle of the hall."

     "Your reaction was the only problem with that." She followed me into the turbolift, making no move for a handle once inside, although she did nudge a tribble away with her foot. "You may call me Rijeka."

     "Deck 5," I told the turbolift, before returning my attention to the Section 31 operative. "What do you want? Where's Glasgow this time?"

     Her eye twitched a little at Glasgow's name. "This is not Operative Glasgow's department."

     What was Glasgow? Extraction, right? "So you're another type. Clean-up?"

     "Commonly called expurgation, but clean-up is fine."

     "Cool, so what are you cleaning up and how long is it going to take?"

      "Eager to get rid of me?" Rijeka gave a little smile and tugged a loose, dirty-blonde curl back into her low bun. "Fair. This is partially a courtesy, you being the ranking operative on the Enterprise."

     I snorted. "You honestly don't have someone of higher rank?"

     "It is not based on your Starfleet rank." She shrugged. "You have simply been an operative longer. Involved in more missions." Rijeka pushed the tribble away again. It seemed to be trying to eat her boot.

     The turbolift arrived. We stepped from it, finding Klove there. Right. "Klove, this is—"

     Rijeka stepped forward with a warm smile. "Lieutenant Carf. Helping with the sweep."

     I tensed. Shit. She knows? Hanging back for a couple seconds, I opened my channel with Nowak. Kept my voice low. "Hey. As if this wasn't complicated enough, our annoying friends are back."

     "Ah. Exciting. What does Glasgow want?"

      "Different one this time. I'll tell you soon. Out." Closing it, my heart stumbled as I noticed Rijeka watching me.

     Her head tilted. "Who knows about us?"

     "None of your fucking business." If they even think about touching Nowak, I swear—

     Rijeka seemed unphased. "Next time, just tell me it is Novo. Much more convincing, and operatives are allowed to talk with each other." That small smile returned. "Also, is that any way to speak to a lieutenant?"

     I glanced at Klove. He was doing his job and managed to miss our conversation. "Just don't get in the way." We moved off, properly this time.

     Rijeka continued to speak softly. "It may surprise you, but our interests are aligned. Section 31 is also tracking the interlopers due to apparently extratemporal origins."

     "Of course they're time travellers. Dangerous?" I eyed a woman who resembled the redshirt. Similar face shape. Not her.

     "Possibly. We would like to have an opportunity for questioning before Temporal Investigations gets their grubby hands on them."

     I had a lot of questions, but something about talking to Rijeka felt like standing at the edge of a five-hundred-foot drop into a raging ocean. In a word: bad.

     So, I decided to think a little for a change. Temporal Investigations must be as it says on the tin. There was an internal eyeroll as the Nowak in my brain made a comment about outdated phrases. Investigating time. Section 31's already a shadowy thing, there might as well be another. My mouth curled in a dark smile. And they're rivals. Cute.

     Novo? My smile faded. Who's the other operative aboard? Original Tetra would've been the one getting this 'courtesy' if it wasn't for—I looked to Rijeka. "What issue were you cleaning up—" Klove was in earshot. "—before, ma'am?"

     The operative grinned. "A little blossoming security breach, but it is taken care of. I simply happened to be in the right place to help you."

     "Yay." I glanced at Klove as we reached the turbolift again. He shook his head. "Deck 6 next. Good to know they aren't hanging around the bow phasers." Although they could've already been here. Engineering will have to do a full check of the ship. I cursed myself quietly. How could we have let them run loose for so long? I flipped open my communicator. "Deck 5 clear. Moving on. Out."

     Klove looked between my communicator and 'Lieutenant Carf' with a little frown.

     We did move on, but as we once again exited the turbolift, I spoke softly to Rijeka. "You couldn't have chosen a lower rank for your cover? You're constantly making this weird for Klove."

     "It was the clearance I needed to complete the mission I was originally here for. I am not going to apologize for your ego, Valencia."

     I gave her a condescending smile. "Next time, just call me Cobos. Much more convincing."

     "I am starting to see why Glasgow does not like working with you."

     Halfway through Deck 6, I received word from Nowak. "We glimpsed your red-blueshirt pair."

     "Where?"

     "K-7. They were not seen on cameras coming from either side."

     "Must've beamed in."

     "Precisely. Take your team to K-7, fifth floor. I am pulling most teams back, staggering around turbolifts in case they return. Station security will join you, but this has left my hands. Parra is taking control."

     Fabulous. This is becoming big, fast. "I want to know where they're going to be, but their movements are so fucking random."

     "They are certainly unpredictable." A pause. "How was your friend?"

     "Still here. Being an asshole."

     "Are they involved in what we are doing?"

     "Weirdly enough, Section 31 wants them too. Says they're time travellers."

     "That is complicated."

     "Yeah, I'm having a great time. I'll get moving though." I glanced at Klove. "K-7, fifth floor. Expecting trouble."

     "Ma'am."

     We moved off.