Spy vs Spy

Posted on Wed Jul 29th, 2026 @ 2:18am by Lieutenant Korvek tr'Velar & Lieutenant Dashku Zhevou
Edited on on Thu Jul 30th, 2026 @ 9:48am

1,879 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Year One: The Point of No Return
Location: USS Moore - Engineering
Timeline: MD 005: 1600 hrs

Dashku was riding down in the 'lift, feeling a sense of deja vu as she headed down to the engineering deck. She had a PaDD in her hand in case she needed it, but she wasn't sure. The meet and greets were her way of getting to know people, they weren't always as productive as she'd hoped, but this one was unique. A half Romulan that she'd attended the academy with, she wasn't sure how she felt about him being on the ship. They both had enough influence from their respective cultures that they were wary of each other, or maybe it was better to say she was wary of him.

It wasn't long ago that she was heading down to meet Liana, the former Chief Engineer of the Moore. The two of them had a decent working relationship, but Liana had left and now she was going down to talk to Korvek. It wasn't that she didn't like him, but he was a Romulan and was raised as a Romulan. Sure, someone had given him the thumbs up to be a part of Starfleet and he had to pass all of the background checks and psychological assessments, but he was trained to answer them correctly. So was she, but it wasn't the point. She was loyal to Starfleet. And wasn't it Romulans who tried to steal the original ship in the Prometheus class line? Now one of them was the chief engineer of the very same class.

The thoughts seemed to disappear as the lift doors open and she stepped out into the hustle and bustle of a lively engineering flowed in. She took a moment to look it over once she'd stepped off the lift and let out a breath from her nose as she took it in and let the noise surround her. Finally she spotted the Romulan and made her way over.

"Lieutenant tr'Velar. Do you have a moment?" Dashku asked.

Korvek stood before the MSD, back straight, hands clasped behind his back, but didn't turn immediately. The board was in the middle of reporting a major diagnostic, spitting back mostly green results, but a handful of yellows and reds indicated that he and his team were likely going to have their hands full. His shoulders raised and lowered in a sigh. It sounded resigned, and not from the work ahead.

"'Lieutenant Korvek', I you would please," he stated as he turned just his head to look over at the Orion woman. Stiffly formal, even if he must have explained this over and over he didn't let himself sound annoyed exactly. But the explanation did sound as if by route. "The clan designation is inappropriate. We go by what is considered the 'first name'. It is not considered intimate or rude." He'd had to say that to over half his own team so far today.

Korvek blinked, a little crack showing in an otherwise expressionless mask as he recognized her. "Dashku Zhevou. I wasn't expecting to see you here." He sounded if he wasn't sure whether this would be a good or bad thing, wary. Orions, after all, had a reputation for treachery and aggression. Courtesy, and her uniform, demanded he give her the benefit of the doubt for now at least out loud, though is eyes did narrow slightly. So, they had both made it through the Academy. He supposed stranger things might have happened in Starfleet than either of them. Having almost duplicated her own internal thoughts, he relaxed his posture some and let his hands loose to hang at his sides. His eyes hadn't gone friendly though. "How can I help you, Lieutenant?"

Dashku had forgotten that he preferred his first name when being addressed, but she kept her expression natural despite the brief annoyance of being corrected. Her more aggressive nature wanted to correct him, but that was an old impulse she'd worked to curb. Finally she motioned towards his office, indicating they could continue the conversation there. "I am the Chief of Ops, I have done well for myself both in the academy and after. I like to meet with all department heads when the come aboard, make sure we get off on the right foot. Engineering is typically the most demanding department in terms of what is needed, along with the often overlap our departments have I make it a priority."

He inclined his head and moved towards his office. Though he hadn't placed anything in it to mark it in a personal way, there was something quite rigid. The desktop computer was perfectly parallel to the edge of the desk, the chairs arranged so as well and tucked in neatly. A stack of three PADDs were almost exactly aligned, one on top of the next, and equidistant between the desktop screen and the edge of the desk itself.

"Chief of Operations? You have done well. Congratulations." It was delivered in the same dry tones. Korvek didn't mean to mock her, but it didn't sound very congratulatory either. In fact, a Vulcan might have been impressed at that complete lack of inflection. He gestured towards the chair on one side for her to sit if she liked, and took his own. Even sitting, his posture was stiff. "Our two teams will be working closely, yes. Thank you for coming to talk, Lieutenant. What insight do you have to share?"

Dashku had fallen into step with him as the two of them walked towards his office. He was only slightly taller than her, but that didn't bother her. Once they were in his office, she took a moment to look it over, it honestly hadn't changed much since the last time she'd been in it save for some clutter. She looked back at Korvek and nodded, her tightly braided black hair bouncing with the movement. She wasn't sure what to make of him, it had been around eight years since she'd last seen him. She finally settled into the chair across from his desk, unsurprised he offered her nothing in terms of refreshment. Typical Romulan.

"I want to get our new partnership started off well," She started off coolly. "Engineering is the largest line item in terms of what's needed for my quartermaster's department and it's my job to make sure everyone gets what they need. Time with the sensors, holodecks and the like. Coordinating maintenance schedules, department needs and everything in between can be a lot of work. I like to establish a rapport, make sure the department heads know my door is open for any issues that come up and to discuss any needs up front."

Korvek waited patiently as she spoke, blue eyes fixed on her, fingers steepled before him on the desk, and did not interrupt. Only when she had finished did he speak, taking a moment that felt a bit longer than necessary. "That is...reassuring to hear. If Operations and Engineering are ever at odds, the entire ship will cease to function. I would prefer we avoid developing that sort of relationship. I'd like to extend you the same courtesy. Should any conflicts arise, I would rather you bring it to me directly rather than allow any differences to become..." He searched for a diplomatic word. "...institutional."

"It has been a long time since we last saw each other, and even then the Academy wasn't an environment that exactly encouraged much familiarity between us." The corner of his mouth twitched up, a milimeter, maybe two. He was amused at the perceived subtext, and laid into it a bit more. "I suspect neither of us has become much less cautious since then either. Just as I suspect we might both believe that despite us wearing the same uniform, serving the same captain, the same ship, trust is not given simply. It comes with reliability, competence...and time. I'm content to begin there, with you, Lieutenant." From his point of view, Korvek was being downright friendly. Would the Orion see it?

Dash pursed her lips for a moment before she relaxed, it was the only outward sign that anything was wrong but it was likely enough for him to notice. They were both Starfleet, both in gold uniforms, but he was right about it taking time for them to build any kind of trust. The few times she'd dealt with Romulans, she found them to be duplicitous under the best of circumstances, was he being genuine or was he here under a false pretense? It also occurred to her that he could be asking the same question of her, not long ago she was worried how her fellow shipmates felt with the surprise visit of her mother. Korvek wasn't here for that and there was no reason to bring it up.

It also wasn't lost on her that Romulans typically didn't easily succumb to the charms and comforts Orions offered, it made them dangerous. Not that she'd needed to rely on those particular tools in a very long time and she didn't want to start now.

Finally she simply nodded, her braid bouncing with her head once more, "I think we can find more common ground to build that trust. I'm hopeful we can use that as a foundation. If there was nothing else I can leave you to it. I'm sure we both have plenty of work to do."

As they got to their feet, Korvek inclined his head slightly and said, "Thank you for coming to see me first." The words were delivered with the same, measured restraint as everything else he'd said. Whether they were a simple courtesy, an acknowledgement of professional respect, or a subtle reminder the she had sought him out first was impossible to tell. Perhaps they were all three.

The other corner of his mouth rose slightly to match the first. It wasn't quite a smile, but it was the closest he had gotten to it since Dashku had arrived. He clasped his hands behind his back again. That had been an enjoyable conversation.

"My team and I will give Operations every support we can, Lieutenant. I look forward to seeing what we accomplish together."

"As do I Lieutenant Korvek," Dashku caught the move of his lips and watched him for a moment as he folded his arms behind his back. There was little to do but not it and regard his words with the caution they were due, and for a former Romulan officer they were due a great deal. She tapped something on her PaDD before she turned to leave but not before glancing back over her shoulder.

"And next time offer me something to drink," Her tone had a note of sweetness but there was an essence of command to it, but not that of a superior officer giving an order to one of lower rank. There was something more sinister to the tone, but it was a subtle difference. After all they were the same rank, her only standing was that she was a bridge officer and even then that was only a slight distinction. Without waiting for his answer, she turned and left his office.

He barred his teeth in a full grin at her back.

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