My Brother's Keeper

Posted on Mon Mar 9th, 2020 @ 10:48am by Executive Officer Jake Ford & Brent Cadascott (*)

Mission: Mission 11 - Prospecting
Location: USS Excalibur - Officers' Lounge
Timeline: MD -14 06:00
Tags: Fancy meeting you here
1157 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Lieutenant Commander Jack Ford watched the starfield drift past out of the window. Open space. Several days out of Starbase-621. Finally back into the action. He sipped a steaming cup of coffee, watching the stars float past the window in the way they only did when the ship was at warp. He liked being out here.

He didn't hear the doors open but he sensed the other body in the room all the same. He lowered the cup from his lips, a smile replacing it.

"I wondered when you'd get here," he said quietly. "What is it about intelligence officers that they have to be all dramatic and creepy about how they arrive anywhere?"

Brett was a man of very little words but even he had to smirk at the man's comment on him being dramatic and creepy. "You believe I arrived after you. I thought I had trained you better than that Jack." The man mused sitting next to him.

"You trained me well enough, Brent." Jack lifted his mug in mock salute. "Didn't expect to see you here, though. Your call was a little unexpected. And to meet here on the Excalibur seemed a little...risky?"

The older man came into the light and sat down revealing himself to be wearing a blue-tinged uniform. It was unassuming and perfect for a lowly ensign in a mining survey team. "For you more than me." Brett fidgeted for a moment before he settled. Maybe he should have brought his own drink with him.

"So, what do I owe the pleasure?" Jack asked, a little overconfident smirk on his face as he took up his seat opposite. "Lost something precious again?"

"I think it more I have found some precious you have lost. It just happened to be where something of mine is." Brett pushed the PaDD over to the man that showed security footage of Jake Ford. "I do believe he belongs to you?" Brett did not normally throw the family card at anyone, it was a low blow but he was fed up of Gregnol escaping at every avenue.

Jack eyed the footage. Then Brent. Then the footage again. He put the PADD down. "You're watching my brother? What - looking for leverage or something? I haven't seen him in...couple years? What's he into that's got you interested?"

"Gregnol." It was a simple word but the man was the one who got away and was thriving more and more as time went on. it was frustrating, he should not have thrived in such a dire situation, on such a desolate ship.

"Gregnol...that name sounds familiar." He watched Brent for clues. "Ah yes. He was one of yours, once upon a time."

"Sort of." The Intelligence Officer murmured. Gregnol was one of Securities but would not lower himself to what he thought was a level beneath him. "But you and your brother are going to get him into my web again." Brett could not believe his luck if he was honest.

"You're the one bringing me into this. And Jake. You still haven't told me what the connection is," Jack observed.

"Jake is onboard SS Mary Rose as there Security Officer of all things. I see the phrase serve and protect runs deep in your genetic pool." The Intelligence Officer commented on thinking on his own brother and sister and what they brought to the Cadascott genetic pool.

"Difference is that I serve the Federation's interests, rather than my own," Jack replied. He glanced at the PADD again. He'd not kept up with Jake's movements since leaving Starfleet. Made sense that he'd find work on a ship like that. He was the sentimental sort, after all. He eyed Brent. "I do hope you're not planning to move on Jake. He's not the most patriotic, but he's hardly the sort to cause us problems."

"I am not making a move on anyone Commander. Gregnol needs to be brought back into line and you can do what you want with your brother." Brent said simply. It was not a hard mission in his mind, pretty simple use the brother to get to the Russain.

"Hmm. Not difficult. I assume you had something in mind?" Jack inquired, waiting to hear Brent's plan.

"I want you to use your brother to help keep an eye on Gregnol." It was a simple matter. He would not suspect the brother of his Security Officer to be someone who was less than honest.

Jack smirked a little, leaning back in his chair. "Easy enough. Maybe I'll even pay him a visit; get to see this famous Gregnol of yours up-close."

"He isn't much to look at but he certainly is an asset I want back in the uniform and back in Security." Brent would not mention the other universe and facing down the Butcher of Betazed as no more people needed to know about that but Gregnol on their side would be a much better thing than where he was.

"Noted. I'll do this for you, Brent, but...let's leave my brother out of our affairs, hmm? He's not worthy of the Ghosts' attention." Jack felt like treading carefully. He didn't want to draw their attention that way if he could help it, but by saying so he might well do that very thing.

"Of course he is," Brent said with a small laugh that sounded false. "You should know by now everyone is worthy of my attention Jack. How else do you think I found you?" It was a threat wrapped up in niceties but Brent Cadascott was not kidding.

Jack's face tightened, his former confidence draining. "You didn't..." he hesitated. "I joined the Sons of-" he again hesitated, not wanting to speak it out loud. Instead he wrapped his fingers around the armrests of his seat until his knuckles turned white. "That isn't how this is supposed to work."

"But it is how it is working," Brent said simply as he smirked a little. Jack was not stupid and knew what was for the best of him and his brother. The Intelligence Officer masked as a Science Officer rose tugging his jacket into place as he did out of habit.

Jack scowled as Brent made to leave. He'd agreed to be a part of this out of patriotism, out of belief in a certain ideal. But this meeting just made him distrust intelligence operatives even more. "Next time we meet you'd better have good news for me," he just said.

“I have the same hope Jack.” Brent said back. He soon disappeared as quickly as he had appeared leaving the other alone. It was not often that Brent left somewhere with people h as ppt and today was no different it seemed.

OFF::

Commander Brent Cadascott
Intel Handler
Starfleet Intelligence
(PNPC Gregnol)


Lieutenant Commander Jack Ford
Executive Officer
USS Excalibur
(PNPC Ford)