Face from the Past

Posted on 12 Apr 2020 @ 1:29pm by Lieutenant Colonel Tage Gillis

645 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Changing Faces
Timeline: MD 03 - 2330 hours

=/\= Begin Log =/\=

Camilla left the ship's sickbay feeling...confused was perhaps the best word for it.

While inwardly she knew it was just as likely that Madison was the target as herself, perhaps she had truly believed like Commander Petrova did--that the killer was after Camilla and by mistake or as a sideways tactic got Madison...but this was clearly designed for the victim herself. Who would both want to kill the woman and also be on this ship? The place of the meeting had been last minute, so few knew of it...

It was in this state of mind that she passed someone in the corridor. She registered their face and stopped after just passing, then turned. "Do I know you?" she asked with her usual tactful way--seemingly startling the security personnel who was following her.

To the best of Tage Gillis's knowledge, he and Rau had never interacted directly. He knew, however, that his face would have been seen by her in some kind of briefs. Their peoples had been enemies, and while tensions had cooled slightly they were by no means friendly now. During their war, Tage had been very active in his capacity as a spy for the Union. The work was by far the most challenging he'd had. They were dealing with shapeshifters, after all. In spite of the challenges Tage had killed a fair number of the enemy in assassinations, and through the information learned in espionage he was responsible by proxy for more. So Tage was rather certain she did know him.

"No, ma'am," he replied. "I'm rather certain you do not."

"You look awfully familiar," Camilla said suspiciously, eyes narrowing at him as her pupil's shifted to snake's eyes. "You do not look like you belong to this ship." She lifted her head and sniffed the air. "Terran Union?"

With a bit of effort Tage refrained from replying with venom in his voice. Instead he maintained a cool and cordial tone. He inclined his head. "I do have that honor," he replied.

Camilla pursed her lips slightly. She showed equal restraint, equally painful, to not reply to the "honor" part of that sentence. "But you are not here with the ambassadorial delegation..." It was a statement more than a question, but trailed off to require an answer.

Tage was not immediately sure what the best play was. Being evasive didn't seem worthwhile, but he was always hesitant to give up any information to the enemy, even if it was a simple fact like his assignment as an observer aboard this vessel. There was nothing for it, however. "No, I am not from the delegation. I am a more long-term attachment to this vessel," he replied.

"The Union has always liked its spies, haven't they," the shapeshifter drawled. "Bet you were surprised when we came aboard."

"Spies?" Tage asked feigning surprise. "Oh, my, no. I am a mere cultural attache. The Union does, of course, make use of espionage on occasion. It's a necessary evil. We find the arrangement preferable to say, being an entire race of beings pretending to be something we aren't." he said.

Camilla snorted. "Racist," she said easily, entirely used to this attitude from the union. "I was born this way. Being an ass is a learned trait. What's your excuse?"

"A lifetime of fighting. A career hunting monsters. We can change into other things too, but it's slow and painful," Tage replied. "There something I can help you with, Ambassador?" he asked.

"No," the shapeshifter said with a smile that was more disdainful sneer than smile, really. "I think you've told me everything I need to know. Good day to you." With that, she shifted into a cougar in the blink of an eye--just because she could--and ran off down the corridor.

=/\= End Log =/\=

Secretary Camilla Rau (apb Bella) & Lieutenant Colonel Tage Gillis

 

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