=/\=Northern Province, mosaram mountain range, i'Ramnau =/\=
Sren strolled quietly through the courtyard of his secluded home the sounds of the slight breeze rustling through the trees and bush's that filled his courtyard and surrounded his home filling the air. He had been on an extended leave that had finally been granted it had been over 3 years since he had last been on i'Ramnau but as with all carefully laid plans, something always seemed to change them at the last minute. Bringing the padd in his hand up to eye level again he quickly scanned its contents for the third time as though hoping it had changed since he had last looked. However it had not he was to report to the capital immediately for a mission assignment his leave was cancelled they expected him in less than 4 hours.
Letting a sigh escape from his lips Sren started walking with purpose once more heading back into his house and into his private chambers, most knew the walk it was the stride that many officers developed where something important had to be achieved quickly it was a stride that seemed to carry him to his chambers in seconds. Opening the sliding door to his wardrobe he pulled out the dark green uniform with its chest harness he had hoped not to use it in the next 3 months but it would be getting a reprieve.
::20 minutes Later::
Sren watched as people seemed to take special pains to walk as far away from him as possible it was the usual reaction to the uniform he was wearing. When he was fresh faced recruit he had loved instilling that feeling of unease and fear, however as the years wore on it lost its appeal it was a constant reminder that he had chosen a life where he would be segregated from ordinary citizens. Where he would have few friends and those he did have even though they disguised it well were suspicious whenever he decided to visit them. Of course he didn't blame them he had forged a career based on lies and deception for a organisation where lying and having flexible moral attributes where a desired quality in a field agent.
Walking down the street he gave himself a mental shake it was no good being apathetic about his situation for all he would lament his position he also knew he would be lost if he were ever to leave it. He loved his job, loved his duty there was nothing more satisfying than knowing the secrets and answers to questions others wouldn't even think to ask, and if they did that they would never find out. He hide a quick grin as he adjusted his stride and posture let confidence flow back into his every move as he neared the Transit Hub soon he would be in the capital back within the confines of the walled fortress that served the Tal'Shiar soon he would be watched and evaluated for his every move.
Walking a bit faster than the jostling crowd that was filling the precinct leading to the hub he pushed his way through the crowd moving for one of the free cabins on the mass conveyance. The noise for the crowd was as always at a high children laughing and screaming avoiding the scolding looks from their parents instead focusing on the wailing laughter of their comrades dodging and weaving in and out of the crowd intent on having as much fun as possible before they boarded. The few stall holders that were open shouted there wares offering their best prices for anything a customer showed interest in while covering the entire din of the crowd was an announcement telling everyone that the conveyance would be leaving soon.
Pushing through the last of the crowd Sren moved past the attendant who seemed harassed at the amount of people trying to get his attention he seemed ready to tell him to get back in line but bit his tongue once he took in the uniform. Not caring what the man had been about to say or whether he was actually going to say Sren simply walked past and climbed up onto one of the carriages. Moving across the little room he sat down in the far corner and felt his body relax into the seats padding as it moulded around him ready to cushion his body against the acceleration he would soon experience. Closing his eyes he listened and felt as the carriages behind and to the front jostled slightly and filled with noise as people piled in, he could have requested a shuttle transport due to nature of the orders and his rank which granted him some privileges in the way of transport. He had decided against it he hated allowing shuttles anywhere near his home it was his one place of total peace where he could let his guard down. Many missions required alternate personalities be adopted new mannerisms learned to pass for what ever was required of him. At his house he could could keep his original personality centred use it to drop the walls that divided his mind from truth and fiction.
With a slam he opened his eyes once more, he noticed that the attendant had closed the door to the carriage for him within minutes the carriage gave the smallest of lurches as the drive engine in the tender engaged and started to pull the entire train forward along its raised rails. Soon he would be heading through open countryside and back into a busier closed lifestyle rather than the quiet and open one he had managed to enjoy for the first 3 weeks of his leave.
=/\= 2 hours 15 mins later =/\=
The soft footsteps seemed to be all around him as the noise from his and and a handful of others broke the otherwise dead silence that seemed to permeate the Tal'Shiar headquarters and its grounds. He had been summoned to the 3rd inner tier of the building a tier he himself did not have access to he still resided in the 2nd tier. As he walked towards the large inner doors leading to the elusive tier he noticed the slight vibration in that seemed to pass through him the sensors and weapons jammers always operated at maximum strength here. He knew that the section of shock troopers that manned the gate and that in the event of a breech would fill this corridor with deadly disruptor fire, were even know reviewing his scan would have captured his cortex from sensors and would already be probing his identification.
As he neared the doors a soft hiss was all he heard as the door slide open revealing four shock troopers in ceremonial uniforms standing two either side of the hall gripping plasma rifles. Walking through he noticed no difference in ornamentation or or atmosphere the 3rd tier seemed to be just as the last. He knew he shouldn't feel it but he did feel slightly disappointed after all the further into the fortress one got the more power one was deemed to have and yet there was no sign of it. Walking further into the fortress he heard the door shut behind him and the stamp of feet as the shock troops returned to the well hidden bunkers that overlooked the doors both facing out into tier 2 and facing into his present tier.
Walking with as much authority as he could Sren continued on until he found the door he was looking for it was a unobtrusive door sitting on its own no ornamentation or gilt to denote it was anything other than a cupboard. The only marking on it was a small inscription "Section 5, Division 6" which was neatly coloured in a black against the dull grey of the door. He pressed the chime and waited even though it could have only been a few seconds from him pressing the chime to the door opening it was a long wait. He knew that this could be his step to promotion the agency only let you into the 3rd tier if you were selected.
The two people waiting for him were perhaps the most mystifying thing he had ever seen in the agency rather than the hawk like faces he had imagined her sat a man who had to be in his early hundreds and could easily have passed for a grandfather far from a hawk like expression he seemed to be a cherry fellow. His companion seemed to match him a cheery albeit a very much younger female sat to his side.
"Welcome erie'Arrain tr'Tomalak I hope we haven't inconvenienced you to much calling you back from your well earned vacation." boomed the old man as he slowly filled three glass's with fresh citrus.
"No sir it was no inconvenience" Sren reached out and took the preferred glass from the man "Thank you sir" Slowly he took a sip almost at once his senses were assaulted by the pungent taste that overwhelmed him for a second it was refreshing in its own way Sren tended to stick to wine or water .
"Of course it was an inconvenience Lai we gave him 3 months leave to recover from his last mission and now that he has barely sat down we call him back" The woman quipped as she too took her glass and enjoyed a drink from it.
The man looked at her for a moment the cheery routine dropping if only for an instant as his gaze bored into her before he continued "We may have given him leave in the past but circumstances have changed something which I am sure our young erie'Arrain not only knows but appreciates."
"I do sir your communication mentioned a new assignment?" Sren said watching as the two higher ranking officers seemed to get ready for another round of verbal ping pong.
"Yes Sren I may call you Sren may I" the woman continued without waiting for a response "An opportunity has arisen that this department feels will not arise again and therefor is imperative we exploit it. The problem is we have a limited time scale in which to do it to be exact we now have less than 62 hours to have an agent ready with their new legend and en-route to the target." Crossing the room she turned on the wall screen quickly it was filled by a ship a Starfleet ship.
"The Charon a joint mission between the Federation and the Rhiannsu people it is a new bridge between our two empires and if it succeeds a way forward for peace between us" Sren had been staring at the ship as the old man had taken over from the woman with slick precision "The problem however is that we cannot get an agent on board the Rhiannsu commander refuses a political officer and she has the backing of strong friend both in the Galae and the senate. They view our presence as superfluous we are denied an agent on board, even if we did get an agent on board they would enjoy none of the privileges of a political officer in the Rhiannsu Star Navy."
"However we doubt that Starfleet would allow one of us to take command not that, that bother us we need information Sren the Galae is purposefully slow in releasing the information we could get it faster but only buy using key assets in their command structure. We have therefor decicded to act on a moment of fate. Ael please explain further for the erie'Arrain" Slowly Lai moved back to his seat and sate down with a quick thump as once again a new image came onto the screen as Ael moved her fingers across a panel quickly brining up the profile of a young woman.
Erie'Arrain Verelan Neral
Tal'Diann Officer
USS Charon
