round 19 LtCmdr Chen & PNPC WO Adrijan Lukic - Betrayal

[Sedrin Belasi]

((Starbase 118: Holding Cells))

::Chen sat with his arms folded over the back support of the chair he'd wheeled out from behind the nearby guard station console. He'd spun it around and re-settled himself after sitting in view of Lukic for a good ten minutes, just watching him. With the seat backwards like this, he could lean forwards towards the cell and really pile on the pressure. He didn't need to tell Lukic why he was there. He didn't need to bombard him with questions. He certainly didn't have any desire to indulge in the interrogation methods that some of his black-collared compatriots might on other installations - on occasion, they would forget that they were Starfleet officers and cross more than one line. He didn't even have Sabina Tiam with him. This was about psychological pressure and winning the mind game that Lukic had started when he'd decided to try to play everyone in the Black Tower for fools.::

::Lukic had begun by trying not to look at him. Then he'd tried turning his back on him. Now, the Serbian was sat in the corner of his cell, hands in his pockets with a resigned look on his face.::

Lukic: You're going to sit there all day, aren't you.

::It was more of a statement than a question, as though he was perfectly aware of the way things would play out.::

Chen: Until I get what I'm looking for.

Lukic: And what is that, exactly? An apology? Do you want me to beg to be released? Give you a sob story of how a man like me ended up betraying my uniform because of outside influences beyond their control?

::Chen took in a slow deep breath through his nose. They'd reached indignance. He could work with this.::

Chen: I don't believe you ever had any loyalty to that uniform. And if you wanted to be released, you'd already be begging. I wouldn't describe you as a man, Mr. Lukic, so much as a loose end. We know what happens to those in your line of work.

::There was a pregnant pause.::

Chen: You know what I want, because you pretended to work for me. Just like you pretended to work for other intelligence chiefs before you came here.

Lukic: You want to know who I work for and what we're trying to achieve. Too bad.

::His lip curled into a sneering smile. Chen had a feeling that he was about to get the "I know my rights" speech, the one where the guilty party quoted chapter and verse of every regulation they mistakenly believed would help to save their skin. He'd heard it many times, usually from a Romulan and involving the word 'extradition' - in this case, he had a feeling he would be hearing 'court martial'.::

::He was going to shut that down before it started.::

Chen: If you're not going to tell me anything then maybe you'd be more useful as bait.

Lukic: For what?

::He looked nervous all of a sudden, even though his tone was defiant.::

Chen: As I said, you're a loose end. Not to mention a liability, being as you wound up in a holding cell instead of doing whatever it was you were supposed to do. So, suppose I file a report exonerating you and turn you loose. I'm pretty sure we'd see someone from your organisation show up on the station and make some kind of an attempt to dispose of you.

::While that was a viable plan, Chen had no intention of condemning the man to death like that. It would be barbaric. They would have to take measures to make sure he could survive before rearresting him and sending him for trial. His words, however, seemed to have cracked the veneer of Lukic's resistance. A little more pushing and he was going to start getting answers.::

Chen: For example, we know there is at least one other operative aboard, because you sent a message to them on the Albion.

::There was a long silence as Lukic considered what Chen was saying.::

Lukic: They'll kill me if I tell you anything.

Chen: They'll also kill you if you don't, won't they?

Lukic: ...yes.

Chen: What were your orders?

Lukic: I...

::He opened his mouth and blunted.::

Chen: What were your orders?

Lukic: I can't! I...

Chen: ::Antennae tipping backwards, Irritably:: Computer, record an official amendment to the file of Warrant Officer Lukic, Adrijan, Starfleet serial number TX-832-538. Warrant Officer Lukic is hereby exonerated of all...

Lukic: NO! No, stop! I was ordered to sabotage the satellite that you had in storage in the Black Tower. Someone pulled some strings to get me assigned here. I don't know who the other operative is, we don't get told anyone else's name. Just how to send a message. That's all.

::The traitor had risen to his feet. Chen remained in the exact same position, although his antennae slowly moved forwards, back into their neutral position.::

Chen: How were you supposed to sabotage the satellite?

Lukic: Destroy as much of it as possible. Emitters. CPU. Eventually the transponder, although I used that to send the burst message to the Albion. I hoped someone was aboard to receive it, so that they could have a chance to stop the Albion from deactivating the satellites.

Chen: They failed. You failed. We will track this operative down and we will detain him in the same way as we have detained you. If you continue to co-operate, you will be sent for trial and most likely held in a high security stockade. That's unless you give me a reason to drop charges and have you released before then. Is that clear?

::The answer was a grim nod.::

::The best way to drag information out of Lukic was going to be to do it in small bursts. Chen couldn't risk pushing him too far, or he could start to resign himself to the fact that he was going to be hunted down - the trick was to keep him believing that there was a way for him to survive, have him thinking that Starfleet custody was somewhere he wanted to be. For now, knowing that the satellite could still be a target and, therefore, potential bait, was good enough for him to make a few plans.::

Chen: I'll be back, Mr. Lukic. ::He stood from his seat, and wheeled it back behind the guard console. Once he left the room, the regularly posted security guard would return and resume her duties.:: Until then, I suggest you make yourself comfortable.

TBC

Lieutenant Commander Chen

Chief Intelligence Officer

Starbase 118 Ops

&

PNPC Warrant Officer Adrijan Lukic

Ex-Intel Ops & Sicarius Operative

Starbase 118