Private Flint and Steel

[Tiberius Rath]

HRS RESOLVE

1800 Hours

​

Tiberius set aside a stack of flimsi and turned in his seat to start working through all the holomail he had not managed to get to today. He opened one and immediately felt a growing headache in his temples as he read. Morale and Welfare wanted to organize a shipboard event. He flagged it to respond to later. Next up was a message from legal about completing his yearly certifications to confirm that he did not own any stock in Sith corporations. Tiberius sighed and started to open a window to complete the certification.

A knock came at the door to his quarters.

"Come in."

One of his young staff ensigns entered. They were underway and no salute was expected, or given.

"Sir."

The ensign looked stressed, face pale.

"What is it?" Tiberius asked, weary.

"There was a problem in the cargo bay. The mercenary refused to listen to the crewmaster's instructions, said regulations did not apply to her as a noncitizen and um..."

"Yes?"

"That he could shove Republic military doctrine up his ass."

"Ah."

Wonderful.

"Was that all?" He'd just have to remind her that she still had to properly store her weapons while aboard. Simple enough.

"No, sir. There was a fist fight later."

"What?"

"She brawled with one of the officers. Socked him so hard it knocked him out."

Tiberius tapped a forefinger on his desk.

"I see... Where is she now?"

"Well, that's why I'm here, sir. The marines were threatening to arrest her and it got heated."

A muscle beneath Tiberius' beard flexed in his jaw as he ground his teeth together. "Very well. I will deal with it, Ensign. Thank you."

The moment the ensign left and the door hissed closed behind him, Tiberius rubbed at his forehead trying to massage away the headache.

This woman.

He stood abruptly and adjusted his collar. He would have to go sort her out himself.

Moments later, Tiberius knocked on her door. He stood outside her quarters, alone.

"Fiona. Open the door."

Fiona Tierney

 

[Fiona Tierney]

Had she started the fight? No. Technically she had finished it.

Fiona found the High Republic armed forces quite undisciplined. There was a distinction between viewing something as merely a job versus a profession. Most on board, ninety-five percent, viewed this as a job.

It was a good thing she was not an officer on board. Some may have gotten a worse fate than a punch to the face.

Back in her quarters, the redhead was using a hand towel to stem the bleeding on her face. The ring on the hand of one of the soldiers had nicked just above her eyebrow. The only blow he had gotten in.

Fiona. Open the door.

"Negative Admiral."

She did respect rank.

Yet Tiberius Rath was not her commanding officer. No one on board was. Her work was classified but granted her access to travel with the High Republic. It had caused some contention already among the troops. Not her problem to worry about.

 

[Tiberius Rath]

“It’s Commodore.”

Tiberius pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled for a moment. She was doing this on purpose. Making things more difficult than they needed to be. She probably knew the rank distinction and used the wrong one as an indication of how little she cared for it.

He had never liked mercenaries, but Fiona took a bland dislike and turned it into…

The Commodore’s jaw tightened.

The amount of chaos she had managed to cause since she had come aboard was astounding. But they couldn’t simply drop her off. They were transiting deep space. Besides, his orders would not allow it. Like or not she was an important asset to the Republic, even if he had not been read into her particular file.

“Open the door, or I will have it overridden and it will be opened anyway.”

Except that would involve calling maintenance or tech to come open her door, which would cause this whole situation to be blown even further out of proportion.

The manual captain’s override however would not. His fingers brushed against the keycard in his breast pocket.

She was going to make him do it, wasn’t she?

Fiona Tierney

 

[Fiona Tierney]

Dabbing the towel above her eyebrow, Fiona frowned in the mirror. Butterfly bandage. She didn't want to scar - scars were too identifiable. Opening the medicine cabinet behind the mirror, she began rummaging around while the Commodore huffed and puffed outside. Commodore Rath was part of the five percent on board who viewed the work as a profession.

Shame he couldn't inspire the same motivation into his troops.

Finding the bandage in question, medicine cabinet was closed and she went back to work in the mirror.

"Do what you must Commodore."

 

[Tiberius Rath]

The door groaned open, hauled aside after the manual override. Tiberius stepped inside, grabbed the door, and hauled it back closed behind him. Then he yanked down on the hem of his uniform which had become slightly disheveled from the effort.

“Fiona?”

Hard, dark eyes surveyed the room.

Empty…

Odd.

Then he heard a rustling from the head. Ah. Tiberius strode over and saw her standing before the mirror, holding up a bandage. He loomed in her reflection and his frown deepened at what he saw.

“You’re hurt. The brawl?”

The ensign had neglected to mention that, but Tiberius should have known. No one escaped a fist fight truly uninjured.

“Show me.”

Fiona Tierney

 

[Fiona Tierney]

Fiona was smoothing the second bandage down while Commodore Pompous broke into her room. She made no effort to move quickly or acknowledge his presence. In fact, the cabinet was opened back up, grabbing two pain killer tablets to take as a precaution. Mirrored door was shut once more and she found herself face to face with his demanding demeanor.

If this job wasn't paying so well the temptation to jettison herself out of an escape pod was disturbingly high.

"No, not hurt." Fiona went to go past him. He wouldn't move so she ducked around his side, moving to a small desk where a bottle of water sat. Tablets were taken with a sip of water and she turned to look at him. "Can I help you, Commodore?"

Leaning her backside against her desk, arms crossed, facing him.

"If you are here to lecture me about a small scuffle between honest folk, spare your breath."

 

[Tiberius Rath]

The headache worsened, a palpable frisson of pain in his temple.

Small scuffle between honest folk? He squashed a scoff of disbelief and instead let out an exhale through the nose. Controlled. Even.

His boot thudded on the ground as he took a step closer to her, dark eyes like two napped shards of razored obsidian in the dim light of the overhead, peeling away her features with their edged hardness.

She leaned against her desk, her figure and her injuries on display. Brazen. Rebellious.

Scant distance separated them, but then there was so little room in her quarters.

Tiberius’ jaw tensed.

“I will spare my breath,” he ground out, voice a low and gravelly timbre, “When you remember your place. You are a passenger on this vessel and still subject to its laws. To my laws.”

A pause.

“And why are you trying to transport a Reek hunting rifle?”

Not strictly for Reek but it could take one down in a single shot.

“Nearly gave the cargo master a heart attack.”

Fiona Tierney

 

[Fiona Tierney]

"Article One, Section One, Subsection Aurek, of the High Republic's military laws and regulations state the Senate passes all primary military criminal and disciplinary laws."

Commodore was acting as if this was the first scuffle on a military vessel. She suspected they had at least one a month. Nature and tension of being underway. Arms remained crossed as she gave her rebuttal.

"Technically then this vessel is under the command of your discretion and your interpretation of laws and regulations. However, the copy of the manual I received seemed very black-and-white on what is to be expected while serving one's government."

As for the rifle.

"I am uncertain why you are going through my things. I am not trying to attempt Commodore, I am transporting a reek hunting rifle. After this disaster of a job is behind me I have plans to go Reek hunting on Saleucami. Easier to just bring it with me so I am not jaunting about the galaxy."

 

[Tiberius Rath]

“Everyone’s things are gone through. It’s protocol,” he replied stiffly.

Those who hunted Reek and other large game and sought danger and risked much knew what it was to face death and so by facing death they knew what it was to be alive. Tiberius still remembered his first hunt. It had been raining and the ground was more mud than dirt and the long hours made him tired. So tired and muddy he had tracked the trail of a Narglatch until he found it and shot it. In the space between sight and shot there had been a moment where beast and man looked at one another and in that moment respect passed between them.

Tiberius felt such a moment pass between himself and Fiona in this moment. One sided. His appraisal of her may have been incorrect.

The frown came back. She was still insubordinate, reckless, and stubborn.

“I’ll have the rifle returned to you. But I need you to stop getting into brawls with my crew. You are a source of disorder. And chaos. I cannot have that.”

Fiona Tierney

 

[Fiona Tierney]

As a guest Fiona expected her things wouldn't be tampered with but it seemed not the case. If the quartermaster was scared of a rifle she hoped none of the components got damaged while being dropped or touched. Something told her she wouldn't be allowed to go down and look at it. Odd. A military scared of guns.

"I cannot promise anything. You have a crew of undisciplined vagrants. If one steps out of line they may find themselves at the end of my correction once again."

 

[Tiberius Rath]

Tiberius snorted.

"Is that right?"

It seemed tall talk of discipline coming from a mercenary, but she had quoted the regulation to him verbatim. And she hunted Reek. Tiberius decided to allow her leeway to maneuver. Cracking down on her this hard, this early in their mission would be ill advised anyway. He would end up having to maroon her somewhere and explain the events to command. That involved a lot of paperwork Tiberius would rather avoid.

"So you were just teaching some ill-mannered dogs a lesson," Tiberius pinched the bridge of his nose and relented, "Very well. Your injuries, don't give me the brave soldier talk. Do you need the medbay?"

A blow to the head could be worse than anticipated, but he expected her to rebuff every instance of aid.

She was stubborn, self-sufficient, and the type of person Republic Command would enjoy dropping on a planet with little to no outside aid to help start a rebellion.

"No, I expect you don't. Very well."

He was repeating himself. It was the headache.

Fiona Tierney

 

[Fiona Tierney]

"Very well." Fiona repeated, ending the conversation. "Have a good night Commodore."

As promised, Fiona kept to herself over the next several days. She sat far away by herself in the Mess. Quiet in the halls. A small nod in passing. Beyond that not a single soul had heard a peep from her. The redhead refused to speak - not that anyone was speaking to her. Bright blue eyes tracked the soldiers on board, especially during chow.

After day four Fiona felt she had enough information gathered. It wasn't even her main objective - this was just transportation to her real assignment. A sidequest, as the youth would call it. After midday chow, the redhead strode down the gleaming hallways to the Commodore's office. Refusing to ask anyone for help, she started near the bridge and worked backwards, knowing standard procedure would have his space nearby.

After fifteen minutes of searching the space in question was found.

There was no knock, no announcing herself. Fiona entered with all the confidence in the galaxy, completely interrupting Commodore Tiberius Rath without a second thought.

A half-ass salute for good measure.

"Commodore you have a double agent on board."

 

[Tiberius Rath]

"Um."

He should have locked the door. Blast her.

Tiberius stood fresh out of the shower, a towel around his waist. He had a cigar in one hand and a whiskey in the other. And he had forgotten to lock the damn door. Then again, his crew would never barge in unannounced without a knock after duty hours. That would have been unheard of.

Condensation from the sanisteam still dripped from his beard. His jaw tightened.

All he could think to say was...

"We don't salute in doors, Tierney."

This infernal woman.

If she had said anything but an accusation of a mole he would have kicked her out without a second thought. But he couldn't very well do that at the moment could he.

Tiberius chomped down on his cigar and motioned for a chair.

"Sit down."

Fiona Tierney

 

[Fiona Tierney]

"You want to put on pants or do you just free ball it?"

Fiona vaguely gestured to the towel. Who knew there was a sanisteam attached? Republic was outffing the officers areas with some of the nicest amenities around it seemed. Probably put that in the recruitment brochures littering ever shopping mall and secondary education institution in the governmental borders.

Drifting to his bar, she grabbed a lowball glass and filled it with two fingers of Shashy Idlewil liquor, quite rare as it was only distilled by the Shashy species. Returning the decanter back on top of the bottle, only then did she sit in the chair across from his own. Legs crossed in a casual fashion, she took a sip of the liquor.

Smooth. Much like the way she checked out the Commodore. A complete ass but a silver fox. It was a shame he didn't have the personality to match his looks.

 

[Tiberius Rath]

“You barged in here. Putting on pants when you have critical information would waste time,” he said around the cigar, eyes following her movements.

Taking his liquor, pouring into his glass, then lazily sitting in his chair all at a languid speed that made his teeth grind together until a muscle in his jaw pulsed in protest.

The commodore saw her eyes run over him, appraising. He scowled.

“Then again, you seem in no particular hurry. Tierney.”

The way he said her name was a curse and a warning all wrapped into one.

Annoyed, he stood there and continued to wait as droplets doused the floor beneath him. Though his hair was graying and he was no longer quite what he used to be, the planes of his torso still told of a man who knew something of hard training and exercise. He’d told himself he would never turn into one of those senior officers who had to be poured into their uniforms lest they exploded. Ironic that the one moment he’d chosen to take a minute to breathe she’d burst in with new problems.

Always a fire to put out.

He regarded the woman, measuring her in her non standard attire, her fiery hair and intense eyes, and the way she seemed to lounge there like an overlarge felid pondering her next meal.

“Out with it.”

Fiona Tierney

 

[Fiona Tierney]

It took a moment to lay all out. Fiona lingered over the expensive whisky by the end, having gone and got one more fingers worth as she methodically laid out her findings. Disturbing to her it was an officer on the bridge, privy to the movements the vessel was making. Tactical methods. Missions. A mid-level officer but one who still had access to critical databases.

"...most troubling is I follow him after mid-day mess for the last several days. I even stalked him in the mens head. A disturbing amount of your crew does not wash their hands. Either way his pattern does not deviate until then. After mess he purposely falls off the face of the ship. Goes into a restricted area I don't have access to."

Fiona paused, swirling the liquid, back to the chair in a relaxed pose.

"None of your other mid-level officers do this. I could be wrong and he has a different duty than I am aware of. If that is the case feel free to ignore this and keep your tactical secrets. If not...then you may want to begin poking around and find the what behind the why."

Tiberius Rath​

 

[Tiberius Rath]

Now in more seemly attire, Tiberius sat in a chair on the opposite side of the desk, knees in a wide stance. He picked up a water bottle that had been knocked off the desk, uncapped it, and began to drink vigorously as he marshaled what remained of his thoughts.

His chest rose and fell quickly, his heartbeat stammering, and he felt out of breath. Winded.

Not a 21 year old ensign anymore. He grunted to himself in his head.

Bottle still clutched like a life buoy in one hand, he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

"The hand washing is a monthly bulletin that goes out. They never listen," he said dismissively, thinking back to the disturbing bacterial flu incident that had half the crew in the sickbay on his last voyage.

Tiberius took in a deep breath, thinking, brows furrowed in a deep and well-entrenched scowl beneath which his eyes glowered like the barrel ends of two machine guns.

"No," he said after another moment, "He doesn't have any duties that should have him doing that. I can get you access to that area. You keep looking into this and bring what you find to me. And only to me."

Fiona Tierney

 

[Fiona Tierney]

"You may have something deeper going on. As in, who gave him access? Or did he filtch it off another? Keycard lost in the laundry....There's quite a lot for me to consider. And to sift through."

Mind was already racing with possibilities. The vessel was quite boring for her before this. They were on a long trip to their next destination but moving a slow patrol speeds. Fiona got it in theory, a show of force plus the ability to check in on areas of the Republic. She would have taken her own vessel but the Republic had been insistent she be escorted to the planet.

The HRS Resolve had been the only option.

Downing the last of the whisky, Fiona stood. Another mock salute towards the Commodore.

"Understood Commodore. I've got a lot to consider given you want me to continue my tailing of this officer. I will report back in five days. Maybe I can sample a different whisky then. Or maybe I bring something from my own stash."

Another mock salute to piss him off and she was gone.

Tiberius Rath​

 

[Tiberius Rath]

A scowl followed her out the door.

Over the next five days, daily life aboard the Republic warship continued on in a neatly regimented order. Three meals from the galley during the day. Two during the night shift. Every officer and sailor knew their assigned tasks, which left very little time for anything else. Life on the ship thus ticked on, like a finely wound clock.

Except one of the cogs made an odd sound, which had Tiberius struggling not to pay special attention to. Whenever he passed the officer Fiona was investigating, he felt his own eyes lingered too long. Could the fellow really be a mole? Anything was possible.

Tiberius made up an excuse why Fiona needed a restricted area badge. As a mercenary, however, she would have been tasked by her Republic contractor with all manner of objectives potentially. It raised few eyebrows.

For his part, the commodore tried to avoid her. Every time he caught a flash of red hair a scowl crossed his features. He probably should not trust her.

And yet…

They would be pulling into port soon for supply in the outer rim at a station. If the mole were to make a move relaying information, Tiberius expected he would do it then.

Fiona Tierney

 

[Fiona Tierney]

1900 Hours - Day 1

Finally allowed into the restricted areas. Intelligence from the looks of it. I didn't get many details. From general observation multiple groups determining route and monitoring for hazards. Junior office in question is focused on these areas in particular. Unsure yet if he is trying to overhear or take images. I can't linger too long myself.

2100 Hours - Day 2

Junior officer is off duty. Unsure why he lingers around the bridge. Other officers give report and leave as is standard. Suspect seems well liked enough but a bridge is not a social club. Body language observation gives clues he is trying to gain trust. Trust would be better gathered in a relaxed setting but I think he is also trying to gather as much information as possible. I haven't seen him speak to any third parties yet. Imagine he does this in the safety of his quarters. Stupid to assume otherwise.

0600 Hours - Day 3

Breakfast. Officer is ignoring crewmates and is on datapad. I leaned myself at an angle to observe but still couldn't make out completely. Looked like a message composition. Could be his mother or it could be enemy agents. Growing tired of being able to take more action with this Junior Officer. Ten minutes, a blaster to the head, and a search of his quarters would solve this.

1400 Hours - Day 4

Recommendation to the Commodore to move to have intelligence search his devices without alerting him. Too much movement between bridge and restricted areas. Most likely need a sweep of all personnel in that restricted area. None seem to be involved though. I suspect Junior Officer has a device to capture images and audio inside these rooms.

Stretching, Fiona joined the throngs looking to get off at port. Partially to watch the Junior Officer, partially to contact her own chain of command. She didn't trust the Republic not to spy on the Azure Cabal and any communications. It wasn't unusual to be radio silent for long stretches of the job but encrypted messages often came through.

Tiberius Rath​