Return and debriefing

Posted on Mon Oct 6th, 2025 @ 3:27am by Lieutenant Daegan Baas & Petty Officer 1st Class Jaclyn Masterson [Baas] & Lieutenant Julianna ("Jules") Raihan

2,059 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: A Silence of Friends
Location: Security

[Transporter Room 2]

Deagan had gotten the transmission from Jaclyn. She had safely departed DS9 by civilian transport to SB310 and after identifying herself there arranged for a runabout to rendezvous with the Thunderbird and return her to the fold. Looking to the operator he nodded, "Bring her home Chief."

As she materialized she saw Daegan standing there and she smiled and a longing to hold him welled up in her, but they weren't alone so she restrained herself.

He grinned, glad that she was back safe and sound, "Welcome back. I know you probably wanna unwind but we need to debrief and the Doc will also be nagging to get you checked out."

Stepping off the pad, she had already written her official report but was looking forward to being debriefed...and doing some debriefing. There was a provocative edge to her tone. "Absolutely Sir, I got plenty of rest on the shuttle so let's get to that debriefing."

Daegan knew what she meant and was going to have to let her know again that they were done, what had started was before they knew she would be under his command and what had followed should never have happened. Not a conversation he was looking for but it had to be done.

As they entered the lift fortunately there was some there, "Deck 15".

The ride was quiet but he could tall she was jumpy, hoping that the Lieutenant behind the would leave, but that neve happened. After they had left the lift they were momentarily alone, and she leaned against him, "If we had only been alone..."

Daegan let out a breath, and was about to remind her that he could see her again and the reasons why, but a pair of crewmen came out of the Security center to start their patrol and nodded to him, "Sir."

Acknowledging them he continued into the Security Center and towards his office.

[Office of the Chief Tactical Officer | Deck 15]

Jules had found herself a spot, a third chair that had been pushed into a corner to be out of the way, and sat cross-legged with a PADD balanced on one thigh and a cup of Raktajino balanced on the other. Jaclyn had returned from her undercover mission and needed to be debriefed. From the Intelligence reports she had seen, the mission hadn't gone well at all but it would be interesting to get Jaclyn's view on things. While she waited, Jules read a briefing on the rise in Maquis activity provided by operatives working undercover on Starfleet vessels. Head bent over the PADD, tendrils of silky black hair falling forward along the sides of her face, she barely registered the fact that someone had entered until they spoke.

Reaching his office he stopped as the door opened letting Jaclyn stepped in happily and reached for the top of her uniform but stopped quickly dropping her hands thinking, ~WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING HERE!~ She could feel her face flush but she took a seat as Daegan moved passed her and around to his side of the desk.

As Daegan came around his desk he gave Jules a quick smile. Before taking his seat. "Like i said earlier, let's get that debrief out of the way so you can get checked out with the Doc." Looking to Jules, " Jul...Lieutenant, she's all yours."

"Welcome back, Petty Officer," Jules said as she rose and moved the second desk chair around to the side so that everyone could see each other comfortably. "I understand things didn't go so well for you." She dropped into her seat, folding one leg beneath her as she did so. "What happened?"

Though she thought she had made a good start while on DS9 nothing had panned out, but she wasn't going to let HER think the lack of success on her part. Letting out a breath she began. "After speaking with others casually on the transport and the station, I had made a potentially promising contact. However, there is an active and growing xenophobic organization spreading on Bajor. It seems this group has penetrated not only Bajoran academia, where I started, but also he provisional government, even their security forces. Those that I did get meetings with either cancelled or gave me information that didn't pan out."

"Eventually I began frequenting bars, letting people buy me drinks and even took a job at a dive I found, to see what I could pick up. Most was nothing substantial, glory days of the resistance, hatred of Cardassians, distrust of the Federation, that type of thing. But like I said there is a active and growing anti-Federation and general xenophobic sentiment. Handsy guys at the bar I was working at aside, after the second time I was attacked I extracted myself. I felt that warning the Federation about the Circle was more important that finding anything about some resistance cell that might or might not still be operating." Handing over a padd, "My official report."

"Hmmm," Jules hummed as she skimmed the report before passing it over to Daegan to have a look. "When the first contacts didn't pan out, you abandoned your cover and started working dive bars?"

She was trying to embarrass her in front of Daegan...Bitch. "No ma'am. As mentioned in the report, I had also gained student access to public historical information but only confirmed what we already knew. I had managed to hack into the core archive but found nothing there either. I lost that access when the hack had been discovered. They didn't tie me to it but the library access had been terminated for all visiting students while it was being looked into. I shifted to public interviews, but nothing of consequence. I finally shifted to the eavesdropping and elicitation route when my requests for interviews as a student doing academic research were completely and repeatedly rejected and all other avenues failed to bear fruit. I think the growing distrust of anyone that wasn't Bajoran had a lot to do with it."

"Certainly," Jules said, "it would though its not insurmountable." Jules turned toward Daegan. "Intel sent another operative under cover around the same time. That one has had more success and looks to be in a good spot to gather information." She turned back to Jaclyn, to include her, as she explained. "He spent more than a week doing the most menial, backbreaking labor, helping to clean out structures that had been made uninhabitable during the war, and offering his services to families in need. Odd jobs. Fixing plumbing. Lighting. That sort of thing. His cover story was that he had lost friends during the war. Took him awhile but, from his last report, he's making friends and contacts, building his network as he helps locals construct a memorial to the fallen."

She wondered if that had been who had helped her. "I see. That does seem like a better approach than an academic cover. Was he aware I was on Bajor?"

"He knew," Jules said, "but was under orders to maintain his cover unless your life was threatened. And knowing him as I do, he would have stepped in ... if he knew."

Jaclyn wondered if the man she was mentioning was the same that had contacted her. If he was the same guy the Lieutenant either didn't know him as well as she was saying or she is...no if she was with him he would have told her to contact Raihan, not him. "Well, I don't like the idea of having someone sent in as a babysitter, but I'm an investigator, not an infiltrator."

Daegan was surprised that Jaclyn had admitted her own short comings. He hadn't known about the other agent being sent in and he too was slightly irritated. "Was this agents insertion already planned prior to Jaclyn's mission?"

"Yes," Jules answered. "He'd already spent months in preparation for the assignment and, not, I might add as a 'babysitter'. His talents lay more in deep cover intelligence work."

Nodding, Daegan grinned in relief. "Good deal. Well fortunately no intervention was needed. You may not have found out what we were looking for but you at found information on this 'Circle' organization. From the sounds of it they're pretty wide spread and could pose a threat to not only other people but the Federation's position. Do you know of any incidents on Deep Space 9?"

"Not that I had heard," Jaclyn answered. "I think Commander Sisko being declared the Emissary may be holding them back...but that's just my opinion. Not anything I had overheard."

"And now you can return to your normal security duties," Jules said. "I don't mean at this moment, of course, just that your undercover services will no longer be required." She flashed an apologetic look at Daegan. "No offense of course. Intel just doesn't want to risk any other less experienced people being inserted into what has the potential to be a very volatile situation."

Jaclyn lost. " 'Less Experienced'...you were the one that...!"

Daegan cut her off before she got herself into trouble. "That's Enough! Wait for me outside."

Jaclyn's face was redder than her hair and she could feel the heat from her flushed face. Daegan had stopped her from really saying anything that would have forced charged...He still cared. Rising slowly she turned and stepped out into the Security Center.

Once the door had closed behind her Daegan looked to Jules, smirking. "Were you trying to push her buttons?"

Jules rolled her eyes at the door. "She has a truly terrible poker face, Daegan. The hatred rolling off her is like a living thing so yeah, I pushed back a bit." She smiled at him. "Course, I wasn't lying either. Intel wasn't happy with her performance and wouldn't use her again but they did say, that having one failed operative might make them feel all superior. Maybe not look for another one ... one with a good poker face."

He bobbed his head in agreement, "So basically they used her as a distraction to take possible attention off the people they had in place." Shaking his head, "You're just mean," he said teasingly. "Still coming over tonight?"

"Absolutely," Jules said. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I got some work to do. Might be late by the time I get there. You okay with that?"

"No problem...I'll just punish you later," he added with a wink.

"You can try," Jules retorted as she waved to Daegan before exiting his office and returning to work.


[Around 11 PM That Night | Daegan Baas' Quarters]

Dressed in civilian clothing, her hair long and loose, Jules pressed the chime and waited for Daegan to answer. The loose-fitting top over tight leggings didn't scream date night but then, the work day had been long, filled with reports and the like. In one hand, she carried the promised bottle of wine, a good white wine she'd gotten from a merchant somewhere along the way. She smiled when he answered and held up the bottle for his inspection. "As promised," she said.

Daegan smiled. "Perfect timing." Stepping aside so she could come in and as she did he gave her a little swat. Grinning, "I told you I'd punish you." Chuckling.

"Do that again," Jules growled, "and you'll be sleeping with one eye open for the foreseeable future."

"Haha...I have to do that already."


[Meanwhile, Outside Daegan's Quarters]

Jaclyn was walking down the corridor wear a very loose top, it's wide neck hanging off and exposing one shoulder and her skirt was short and form fitting. As she made her way all she could think about was his firm hands moving over her but she stopped cold. Her blood turned to ice and she could feel her face flush. She saw that Intel bitch walking into his quarters and could hear their exchange. As the door hissed closed she swallowed hard. She stood there for a moment shaking slightly.

She turned, walking away, her fists clenched. She did her best to hide her anger from those she passed, even as her nails cut into the palms of her hands.

---

Lieutenant Julianna Raihan
Assistant Chief of Intelligence
USS Thunderbird

and

Lieutenant Daegan Baas
Chief of Security

 

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