Jetaal sent one of the more loomy Ensigns to invite Assistant Bar Manager Nalah to the Security Division offices for another conversation.
The evidence was accumulating, but Jetaal needed the encryption key to learn the true contents of the emails between Nalah and the SS Nagus. The best way to do that was to secure Nalah's cooperation. Before, Jetaal had been polite and visited Nalah's office. Now, Jetaal felt it would be more effective to be polite in an interrogation room.
Once Nalah had agreed to come, Ensign Loomy escorted her to the arranged room and left. Jetaal waited seven minutes and then entered.
"Hello, Nalah," said Jetaal politely, taking a seat across from the Ferengi. "How are you?"
Nalah admired the interrogation room. So Devoid of any decoration or instrumentation, fake or otherwise, that could potentially intimidate the people brought there. Yet where others would have seen an empty room, Nalah saw opportunities. She was sure she had a couple of mean looking frames, red ones, that Security could have used to show off some high profile people they interrogated. That would have shaken anyone in their boots, yes. Once again, Nalah demonstrated a unique, fearless approach in the face of danger. The strength of an army that would eventually lead her to success and Nagushood. She exhaled, lost in the thoughts, inspired.
After blinking a couple of times and realising, however, that she was still waiting, the Ferengi looked at her watch for the thirteenth time since she had been in that room. There must be a rule or something that would allow her to claim compensation later, surely. Seven whole minutes. She could have earned enough money to buy a mansion worth of the Grand Nagus.
Finally the doors hissed open and a familiar figure stepped through, sat across from her and greeted her.
Nalah sighed a little, "You know, if you had second thoughts about that Chinese set, all you had to do was ask."
After blinking a couple of times and realising, however, that she was still waiting, the Ferengi looked at her watch for the thirteenth time since she had been in that room. There must be a rule or something that would allow her to claim compensation later, surely. Seven whole minutes. She could have earned enough money to buy a mansion worth of the Grand Nagus.
Finally the doors hissed open and a familiar figure stepped through, sat across from her and greeted her.
Nalah sighed a little, "You know, if you had second thoughts about that Chinese set, all you had to do was ask."
Jetaal narrowly resisted smiling at the Ferengi's brazen reply.
"We've discovered the encrypted messages you traded with the SS Nagus," she said gravely. "I want the decryption key. Your cooperation will be noted in my report."
"We've discovered the encrypted messages you traded with the SS Nagus," she said gravely. "I want the decryption key. Your cooperation will be noted in my report."
Nalah looked utterly shocked. "What?! I bet they were trying to deal secretly with Swifty, I KNEW there was a reason he offered to help." Nalah drew quotes in the air while saying the word "offered".
"Just wait until I see him next..."
"Just wait until I see him next..."
Jetaal did not approve of liars, but that didn't keep her from silently admiring a skilled practitioner.
"These were your messages, transmitted from and received by your private terminal. We have evidence that you were responsible for poisoning Lieutenant Steele and yourself. Your chance to implicate other people in the act of poisoning has passed. I'd like to hear your side of the story, Nalah, but I need the decryption key first. We have to be sure the station isn't in some other danger."
"These were your messages, transmitted from and received by your private terminal. We have evidence that you were responsible for poisoning Lieutenant Steele and yourself. Your chance to implicate other people in the act of poisoning has passed. I'd like to hear your side of the story, Nalah, but I need the decryption key first. We have to be sure the station isn't in some other danger."
Nalah scratched the back of her head. "I am not sure which messages you are talking about so I cannot confirm that they were sent from my terminal. For all I know, it was Swifty trying to implicate me."
The Ferengi crossed her arms. "Or that Romulan who wanted to 'cut a deal' with me."
The Ferengi crossed her arms. "Or that Romulan who wanted to 'cut a deal' with me."
Jetaal blinked once. She wondered if Nalah had some plan for slipping this unavoidable loop, or if she were merely lying automatically.
She pulled up her PADD and showed Nalah a message sent to the SS Nagus from Nalah. "I've crossreferenced this timestamp on the servers to your recorded location in your office and verified no one else was present at the time. To counter the possibility of falsified location data, I've personally reviewed the security holocam footage that shows you entering your office not long before and departing it shortly after this email was sent. Give it up, Nalah. I know you sent this message. I know it was encrypted. Give me the key. Tell me why you did this. There may be something we can do to help you."
She pulled up her PADD and showed Nalah a message sent to the SS Nagus from Nalah. "I've crossreferenced this timestamp on the servers to your recorded location in your office and verified no one else was present at the time. To counter the possibility of falsified location data, I've personally reviewed the security holocam footage that shows you entering your office not long before and departing it shortly after this email was sent. Give it up, Nalah. I know you sent this message. I know it was encrypted. Give me the key. Tell me why you did this. There may be something we can do to help you."
Nalah sighed. Jetaal was a tough cookie. Scrupulous. Thorough. She really needed to try and hire her one day. The Ferengi was used to haggling over things, everything was a deal to be made, everything could be put to debate for the sake of a good bargain. But Jetaal didn't bite, she was certainly not someone Nalah would try to buy a new shuttle from. There was maybe an angle Nalah could try and turn to her advantage, or at least leverage a deal for some sort of leniency.
"Help me, hm? What help would I get if I, per chance, knew of this key?"
"Help me, hm? What help would I get if I, per chance, knew of this key?"
"If there were extenuatiing circumstances that prompted your actions, it could only improve your situation to tell us," pointed out Jetaal. "If you provide those - and the key - your willingness to help right this wrong will be taken into account when this case goes to the judge advocate."
Nalah gave this a thought. Jetaal knew of the encrypted messages, she didn't go after the Romulan, she studied her cargo, she had holos... The Ferengi was cornered without a real escape. All she could do now was cut her losses.
"Well... Okay. I was under pressure. I had to do it. My family!"
Nalah stared at Jetaal. Nalah blinking was the only thing suggesting time had not suddenly stopped, while she was waiting for a reaction that seemed to never come. Certainly her variable number of brothers might have contributed to a lack of sympathy regarding her latest statement, whether it was true or not.
Eventually Nalah looked away and coughed, "...an." She could be heard saying in between.
"Well... Okay. I was under pressure. I had to do it. My family!"
Nalah stared at Jetaal. Nalah blinking was the only thing suggesting time had not suddenly stopped, while she was waiting for a reaction that seemed to never come. Certainly her variable number of brothers might have contributed to a lack of sympathy regarding her latest statement, whether it was true or not.
Eventually Nalah looked away and coughed, "...an." She could be heard saying in between.
Jetaal leaned in closer. "Once again, please?"
Nalah looked embarrassed probably for the first time since she had met Jetaal and didn't have the courage to look at the Security Officer. The fact that the distance between them shrunk as she leaned forward didn't help.
She cleared her throat. She then swallowed. Eventually she ventured her gaze towards the woman in front of her and hiding behind an embarrassed grin she finally said, "Shan."
She cleared her throat. She then swallowed. Eventually she ventured her gaze towards the woman in front of her and hiding behind an embarrassed grin she finally said, "Shan."
1 Like
Oh.
Jetaal thought of the little image of Shan on Nalah's desk. Maybe she could have figured that out without Nalah's help, after all - but this way, the Ferengi's cooperation might garner a little good will from the judge advocate, for whatever that might be worth.
She sat back. "Thank you," she said politely, standing up. "Please wait here."
Jetaal stepped out of the interrogation room and the door slid shut behind her. "Ensign," she said to a nearby security officer. "Guard this door, please. No one in or out." She hurried to her desk and typed a swift message to LCDR Jinsoo.
LCDR Jinsoo,
The key is SHAN.
Please use it to examine the data we previously discussed and let me know the outcome.
//SIGNED//
LTJG Jetaal
Security Officer, DS13
Jetaal thought of the little image of Shan on Nalah's desk. Maybe she could have figured that out without Nalah's help, after all - but this way, the Ferengi's cooperation might garner a little good will from the judge advocate, for whatever that might be worth.
She sat back. "Thank you," she said politely, standing up. "Please wait here."
Jetaal stepped out of the interrogation room and the door slid shut behind her. "Ensign," she said to a nearby security officer. "Guard this door, please. No one in or out." She hurried to her desk and typed a swift message to LCDR Jinsoo.
| Security Level 2 TO LCDR Jinsoo FROM LTJG Jetaal SUBJ. Puzzles |
LCDR Jinsoo,
The key is SHAN.
Please use it to examine the data we previously discussed and let me know the outcome.
//SIGNED//
LTJG Jetaal
Security Officer, DS13
Nalah stared at the doors as they closed behind Jetaal. She blinked a couple of times, alone again in the room.
"You are welcome."
"You are welcome."
Rose receives the email and she begins decryption immediately "Let's see what you've been hiding then..."
After awhile she finally finishes the decryption, and is able to find the hidden transmissions within some of the messages that Nalah has been sending and receiving. Nods at the console and quickly emails LTJG Jetaal back about her findings.
LTJG Jetaal,
I finished the decryption.
I think you might be interested in what i've Found.
There is an attachment for you at the bottom with all the transmissions that were hidden within the messages she has been receiving and sending out.
Email again if you need anything else.
//SIGNED//
LCDR Jinsoo
Operations officer, DS13
//ATTACHMENT//Transmissions
After awhile she finally finishes the decryption, and is able to find the hidden transmissions within some of the messages that Nalah has been sending and receiving. Nods at the console and quickly emails LTJG Jetaal back about her findings.
| Security Level 2 TO LTJG Jetaal FROM LCDR Jinsoo SUBJ. Puzzles |
LTJG Jetaal,
I finished the decryption.
I think you might be interested in what i've Found.
There is an attachment for you at the bottom with all the transmissions that were hidden within the messages she has been receiving and sending out.
Email again if you need anything else.
//SIGNED//
LCDR Jinsoo
Operations officer, DS13
//ATTACHMENT//Transmissions
Jetaal waited at her desk, letting Nalah stew in the interrogation room. Jinsoo wouldn't be long.
Her confidence was rewarded a few minutes later. The decrypted messages were everything Jetaal had hoped. and as she read them over and filed her report, she felt a little sorry for the guilty Ferengi who had caused so much trouble. Nalah wasn't a bad sort, apart from the attempted murder, and it sounded as if she'd been honest about putting her family first, even if she hadn't been entirely forthcoming about the number of brothers.
She returned to the interrogation room where Nalah still sat.
"Thank you for the information," she said as politely as before. "Is there anything you wish to add to your statement before I place you under arrest?"
Her confidence was rewarded a few minutes later. The decrypted messages were everything Jetaal had hoped. and as she read them over and filed her report, she felt a little sorry for the guilty Ferengi who had caused so much trouble. Nalah wasn't a bad sort, apart from the attempted murder, and it sounded as if she'd been honest about putting her family first, even if she hadn't been entirely forthcoming about the number of brothers.
She returned to the interrogation room where Nalah still sat.
"Thank you for the information," she said as politely as before. "Is there anything you wish to add to your statement before I place you under arrest?"
Despite Nalah's unrelenting drive for bargaining, she knew when a deal was a no go and had to cut her losses. For the first time she decided to be (almost?) entirely honest.
"I don't know if there is much I can add but I don't go around killing people purely for profit."
She sighed.
"There is this organisation, 'The Ferengi Free Trade.' They don't seem so bad at first. It was as if all my dreams came true, I had access to things many Ferengi would only dream of. Finally I could show them that females could be successful. My brothers weren't, you know."
Nalah stopped to check Jetaal's reaction. She cleared her throat again.
"Brother... My brother. Anyway, they start asking more of you as time goes by. Eventually they took my brother.. for a 'trip'. It turns out they have connections with a number of less reputable organisations, usually ones that work in the dark, organised crime of sorts. I guess the Free Trade is one of the sources of income for these organisations. They wouldn't release my brother unless I secured a smuggling deal. This space station is in the right area. They have this system in place, they use many trading ships so it's difficult to track their communications."
Nalah grinned in her Ferengi way. "Unless it's illustrious Starfleet people such as the ones on this fine base, of course."
It couldn't have hurt to try to buy Jetaal's favour one last time. Once a business woman always a business woman.
"I don't know if there is much I can add but I don't go around killing people purely for profit."
She sighed.
"There is this organisation, 'The Ferengi Free Trade.' They don't seem so bad at first. It was as if all my dreams came true, I had access to things many Ferengi would only dream of. Finally I could show them that females could be successful. My brothers weren't, you know."
Nalah stopped to check Jetaal's reaction. She cleared her throat again.
"Brother... My brother. Anyway, they start asking more of you as time goes by. Eventually they took my brother.. for a 'trip'. It turns out they have connections with a number of less reputable organisations, usually ones that work in the dark, organised crime of sorts. I guess the Free Trade is one of the sources of income for these organisations. They wouldn't release my brother unless I secured a smuggling deal. This space station is in the right area. They have this system in place, they use many trading ships so it's difficult to track their communications."
Nalah grinned in her Ferengi way. "Unless it's illustrious Starfleet people such as the ones on this fine base, of course."
It couldn't have hurt to try to buy Jetaal's favour one last time. Once a business woman always a business woman.