Chapter Text
"According to the evidence presented in Section 4.1 of this document, we can infer that the next directive of this campaign should focus attention on the Alnitak system. Specifically..."
Compiling reports is not the best part of my job, but it's not the worst, either. Much of an Analyst's life is spent in examining random collections of data and making connections therein. Explaining those connections to the groups who will choose what action to take, however, requires time and tact. And a great deal of tea.
"Financial data from the three major banking conglomerates (appendices V, VI, and VII) show several trends, most notable of which is..."
I sipped my tea as I continued putting thoughts, facts, and ideas together. This report was meant to summarize the previous months' work. My most recent assignment had ended well and, as usual, the team split up to pursue other projects. For me, that meant returning to a small office in a generic Ascarios building to create new algorithms and analyze situations.
"In short, if the constabulary of this system is involved in..."
I was interrupted by the chime on my data pad, indicating an urgent message. I saved the report to the server and opened the communication. My breath caught as I read: "Analyst Van-Siriel. Report to Controller Rilan's office at your earliest convenience."
"Well, this will be interesting," I said to the empty room. I saved my report to the server, shut down all peripherals, checked my uniform, grabbed my data pad, and walked out of my office. When a message from a Controller says "earliest convenience", they really mean "now". I made my way swiftly to another level of the anonymous building and pressed a door chime.
The chime read my fingerprint and the light above the panel scanned my retina. The door swished open, not waiting for any other verification. Odd. Either they’re watching the cameras or this is more important than they wanted to let on.
Controller Rilan was a tall woman with dark skin and hair. She usually has a pleasant smile and gentle manner, delivering all manner of good and bad news with the same ease. She looked up from her desk and said, "Ah, Analyst Van-Siriel. Thank you for attending me."
"Yes, sir." I stood before her desk and waited. She didn't take long to get to the point.
"You have new orders, Analyst. Effective immediately."
Thank the tides. Please let this be interesting. I maintained a polite interest in my tone, but my heart leapt at the possibilities. "Sir?"
"You will be taking a Counselor position on the Tharneshvaya, a new ship in the Orion line. The total crew count will be somewhere between 20 and 30. Command of the ship will be headed by Lt. Commander Verrus Mal-Cavantar. This is his first full command and we need MIS presence on the vessel." She leaned back in her chair, steepling her fingers in front of her chest.
A member of the royal family? Not the crown line but… I counted the heirs between Marquess Jonisai and Verrus. Not that far off. A good catastrophe at a gala and he’d be on the throne. I felt my eyes widen at the name and asked, "Open MIS presence, sir?"
She smiled again. "No, Counselor. At some point you may be an open presence, but for now, this is 'need to know'. And he does not. You may eventually get another Counselor, but for now, it is your ship. Argent Unit says that you need to be there."
This time, I didn't let the surprise out, though I was startled by the information. My stomach turned over, anxiety seeping through the anticipation. Argent Unit has our best pre-cogs. If they want someone in a particular place, something big may be coming. "Yes, sir. If I may ask, to whom will I be reporting? Is there a particular Inquisitor involved?" In my heart I added, Please let it be someone I can work with .
"Yes, actually. This falls under Inquisitor Col-Toriov's jurisdiction. You will report your observations to him. He will inform you if any of your mission parameters change." She pushed a small box across her desk. "Here is your new signet. You are still an Analyst, but you may need official Ordo credentials."
I took the box. I'd wanted this for a long time. True, it wasn't exactly the way I wanted it to be given to me, but I could make this work. I will never rise higher than Analyst in the Ordo, as there are no and have never been Inquisitors who are strong empaths. There are none who would take me on as an Apprentice and, even if someone should be that bold, no set of reviewers in the galaxy who would advance me further. But this is halfway there. Maybe all hope isn’t futile. Or maybe this is as close as I get. My data pad chimed at me, but I didn't look. I returned my attention to Controller Rilan as she began to speak again.
"That will be your official orders. You are expected to be on a transport to Gholek in six hours. Stop by the Beta Squad for some new equipment. You will not need to stop at the armory after you visit with them. You will also need to pick up your new set of uniforms." She let her smile drop and seriously added, "We do not know how long you will need to be in this position. Perform the role of Counselor and observe the ship. You will have enough security on the ship and with the A.I. to be able to monitor almost anything. I do not need to tell you that even the slightest detail might be the difference between success and failure."
Well. That was ominous. I nodded, "Sir. Yes, sir." Though slightly cheered by the prospect of visiting the Baker acolytes for new toys, not knowing how long the operation would take–or even if this was an operation in the traditional sense–was worrying.
She stood, signaling the end of our interview. "You should be on your way. You have much to do, including sending a brief note of introduction to your new Lt Commander, Counselor."
I bowed, my fist on my chest in a formal salute. When I straightened I gave the traditional Ordo answer, "Yes, sir. I have heard and I will obey." She returned the salute, I pivoted on my heel, and walked out. Six hours, then I'd be off.
Too much to do and not enough time to do it in. As usual.