Mindshard (ON HOLD)

Suits

  “Sorry, I’m busy.”  She said, cutting him off.  Then she was speaking quickly and tersely into the hand-held external, directing the station’s marine garrison’s comm center to make a connection to the surface.

     That left Krane with Finn as his only source of information.  One glance at the wiry xenobiologist was enough to tell the government man he wouldn’t find much more success there; Finn leaned against the corridor wall a few metres away while he was talking with Vaughn, arms folded defiantly across his chest.  If he refused to tell Krane once already what had happened in the Bay 1 waiting lounge, there was a good chance he’d refuse again.  So, despite an overwhelming desire to dig the information he wanted out of the reluctant marine and the determined scientist, Krane let his mouth close.  Hopefully there would be a thorough debriefing at the hands of a covert intelligence unit later, if he got his way.

     Finn watched the government man Vaughn had named Krane through narrowed eyes, observing the flickers of emotion that danced across his manicured features.  He was good, he had to give him that.  Krane let barely a twist of the lip or a narrowing of the eyes indicate he was anything but pleased with what had happened down by Bay 1.  But, by the very virtue of noting a narrowing and a twist or two, the observant Finn could see Krane was beyond annoyance and confusion with their apparent defiance of his wish to be let in on the events that transpired beyond his ability to survey.

     Not that he’d be getting any information out of him and, by the sounds of it, out of Vaughn either.  Since the Directorate saw fit to exclude them from what they needed to know about this strange, new assignment as liaisons to an alien people, turnabout was fair play.  With Deks throwing up the warding field, it was apparent the Pax operatives didn’t want anybody listening in, human or otherwise.  Considering his willingness to include Finn and Vaughn in their team, could he let Krane know what happened without betraying that trust?  Unlikely.

  “If this discussion is over, Mr. Krane, I need to get going.  I’ve a few things in storage back at DESE Ops to get.”  Finn rasped, pushing himself away from the wall.

  “Do you now.”  Krane hissed, his eyes swinging back onto Finn.  “This secrecy is detrimental to your assignment, doctor.  I suggest you drop it immediately or I’ll be forced to restrain you and Colonel Vaughn until you give me the information I’m looking for.”

  “Restrain us and you’ll find some very unhappy aliens in Bay 1 when we don’t arrive there 20 minutes from now.”  Finn quickly retorted.  “You saw their technology, their ships.  I don’t think pissing them off would be a good idea.”

  “With what they have in Bay 1 alone, they could probably take possession of this station.”  Vaughn added, handing Ling’s external comm link back to the marine sergeant.

     It was an exaggeration, but it served its purpose: eyes darting between Vaughn and Finn, Krane took a half step back, mind obviously working hard behind his hard eyes.  His career certainly wouldn’t be done any favors if he lost one of the most important stations in the Directorate to an alien force because of an insistence on some protocol being filled.

     Krane’s mind was finally made up a moment later when the marine Ling sent to retrieve the colonel’s kit returned, also carrying a bag that, with a smile, Finn claimed.

  “Very well.”  He rasped as Finn slung the bag over his shoulder via its carrying strap.  “Keep your secrets and carry on.  But I promise you: there’ll be a reckoning after you return.  And you make not like how it’s carried out.”

  “No doubt.”  Finn smiled tightly.

  “Just don’t do anything to make Humanity and the Directorate look bad, is all I ask at this point.”  Krane continued after a quick look at Finn.