Questioning

Posted on Sat Apr 26th, 2025 @ 9:58pm by Captain Xavier Carey & Lieutenant Commander Melor Pallara (Stoffels) & Lieutenant Commander Ryan Price

Mission: Those who are left behind
Location: Interrogation room
Timeline: Current

Gil molek, or just Molek walked in the room, as per custom, escorted by armed guards. Sitting at his usual seat, with his customary drink, water, sitting in front of him. Taking a drink, and rubbing his wrists as the cuffs were taken off. Seeing as he was not hostile, nor making any attempt to flee or cause chaos while he was here, he was granted by the Captain, but on condition of an extra escort.

As Ryan had asked he walked in first, alone. He entered the interview room and set his pad on the table he looked at the Cardassian, "I'm Commander Ryan Price from Starfleet intelligence, I'm here at the request of multiple parties to verify a number of statements you've made along with some crucial data that we need verification on, should that data be proven of value we could consider the asylum request you've made too the captain." he said with an almost haunting tone of voice.

"Captain I take it is too close to the situation to... make a decision unbiased." Molek replied as he took a drink.

First counter move...interesting Ryan get his expression as neutral as possible "He's not allowed to make that decision, it falls to me, so you can skip the Cardassian swager and I'll skip the good cop part." Ryan said resting his hands on the table. "What can you tell me about the former ruling counsel members?"

"Regarding Asylum, starfleet protocol indicates it is the choice of the Commanding Officer to make that judgement, unless there is a personnal connection which may cloud his judgement." Molek stated. "I am fully aware of starfleet protocol."

"Considering the nature of your mutual past the file lands in my lap." he said Past connection confirmed "Now I can make a preliminary offer, neutral world willing to take you excetera, or there is a nice place on earth fairly warm, small local population so you can live fairly anonymously, maybe even one day after the war is over go home, maybe."

"Starfleet protocol states that a minimum number of 2 Officers be present when it comes to gathering intelligence, as a way to avoid coercion." Molek paused as he placed the drink down. "Not playing hard to deal Commander. I am looking after your welfare as well. Based on your nonverbal cues I am seeing, you are gathering the basic information you need to deterine if I have been honest with the Captain. Do we have a history, yes. Am I offering information... I am... the location of the former Cardassian council, of which my family still sits on. But you will not get anything from me, until its recorded, and a Burger has been brought to me. During our first meeting, when the Captain killed his father, who headed up a starfleet Intelligence special operations faction. He told me about something called a burger. Fries and a shake. Encouraged me to try one if I ever had the chance."

"A burger and fries with a Shake?" Ryan decided to play along "I'll bring one here personally, all the good stuff on it, but I'll be honest with you replicators don't do the real thing justice, I'm not even gonna play games here, I'd rather we help one another here, we get the surviving counsel members to a safer location and all I have to do is get you a cheese burger, fries and a shake? what kind of shake did you want? Cherry or my personal favorite cookie crunch." Ryan stood upright looking too the mirror which signaled his counterpart.

Molek looked at him, calmly. "Whatever you feel like bringing me. But I think I will take the meal."

"Give me five minutes." Ryan said as he walked out. Ryan returned to the Interrogation room with a meal tray, on it was a Hamburger, a pile of fries with ketchup and a tall glass filled with a cherry milkshake, "As promised."

Smiling, "Thank you." Molek replied, as he picked the burger up. Taking a bite. "Interesting. I do believe that the Captain was on to something. If this replicated stuff does injustice to the real thing. Then I guess its worth the hype."

"You can get them with a number of toppings, There's a restaurant on earth that uses a charcoal grill to cook them, much better taste truthfully, but it's in a northern region on earth not the most Cardassian friendly climate, then again it's also the last place even I'd look for anyone truthfully," he dangled the idea of being able to keep a low profile even for him "So I kept my end of the deal, the counsel members?"

Right then lt commander Melor Pallara came in looking slightly out of breath. He had been so immersed in paperwork trying to get everything finished for the new chief that he had missed the message asking him to sit in on this.

He is a human-klingon with long black hair worn in a ponytale but looking almost completely human, only a few slight ridges on his forehead.
"Sorry sirs. I lost track of time." He and Price had not had time for a formal hand over yet.

"That's fine" Ryan said looking to the late arrival Whose this?

"I am sorry." Melor extended his hand. "I am Melor Pallara, I have been trying to keep Intel running since the last chief left."

Hoping this guy had got the message "It's signed off?"

"What, sir?" Melor asked politely.

Ryan froze in place "The Asylum request?"

"I think you guys need to get acquainted with each other before talking with me." Molek replied as he took a drink of the shake. "This I can do without."

Ryan stood up fully, "Let's take five." he said motioning for the other officer to meet him outside the interrogation room.

"I am sorry, sir. I did not know that that was required of me." Melor said. This was not the way he had imagined meeting the new chief.

Ryan waited until the door closed, "At this exact moment he thinks we're idiots, so now let's make him wait, plus I want to speak with the captain."

Melor only took a split second to understand and started to smile. "Well played, sir, well played. Shall I ask the captain to join us here?"

"We will need him sooner or later, I'd also like to lower the temperature in the interrogation room by four degrees." Ryan said. "It's time to change the tempo of this."

Melor smiled. "Consider it done, sir."

Ryan looked though the one way mirror, he was annoyed This guy is playing a game and it's not going end well.

"THey are lowering the temperature now, sir." Melor said a little later. "Do you want me to go back in?"

"Let him stew, for a few minutes until the captain comes down."

"Yes sir." Melor said. "I hope you find the department in order."

Molek paused for a moment, his father had taught him the ins and outs of the Federation intel. How one of the first things they would probably do during an interrogation would be to lower the temperature in the room. So... this was expected. Could he blame them. No. His government would be worst. "Commander, the information I have to give is important not only to me, but can also provide useful to starfleet as a whole. All I asked of you was for you and your colleague to be on the same page. I've nothing to hide..."

Ryan looked at the subject, that's what he was starting to think of this individual as, he weighed the next moves, as he stepped back into the room "It's simple, you say you have information and yet you stall, so this is how it goes, talk or you can spend the deration of the war in Alazia prison on Andor, its a nice and balmy minus fifteen during the daytime at this time of year." Ryan was one being nice "Talk or freeze your ass off."

"Despite what people know. We are not similar to your reptilian species on your Earth. We do not like the cold. We prefer the warm temperate temperatures. But sometimes, we enjoy a little bit of the cold." He paused with a smile. "Well that and training my father has put me through. In case I ever got captured by the starfleet. Didn't prepare me for klingons, however they would just extract some neckbones and wear them as trophy." Finishing the last fry of the meal. "Thank you for the meal Commander, to be honest I was not stalling. I know your protocols starfleet uses. I was merely making sure that you follow it."

"Then what's the deal?" Ryan asked making some assumptions mentally.

"There is a reason I chose the counsellor department of the Cardassian military. When not needed for counselling, i am assistant to the chief medical officer of the ship. Im here to save lives, much like your officers onboard in charge of the health of the crew." He leaned back. "I seen many deaths, but never have I been responsible for one. Nor do I intend to. If handing off information helps you minimize the deaths. On either side... then I will gladly do so. On the condition of Asylum, not to the federation or earth. But to this ship. There is only one Human I believe I can trust to make the right call, under duress... and he is Commanding this ship."

"Your options are pretty limited where you can go in the short run, I'll personally call in some favours of my own so you can enjoy a beach on the Baja Peninsula until we can arrange your permanent home wherever that is." Ryan said Made you flinch. "I'll speak with the Captain and we'll start the process, so do we have a deal?"

"Speak with your captain, and your colleague, and we have a deal. However, I do have some friends still in the military that may be able to assist us avoiding the dominion patrols. IF I remain on the Resolution as we attempt rescuing the counsel."

Ryan paused looking squarely at the other man "I'll have security move you too a secured guest quarters, you'll remain under guard, while your in those quarters you might want to try something call Dim Sum." Ryan stood fully "It'll take six hours to complete the necessary things."

"Chinese cuisine... one of my interests in food. Along with the betazoid and Andorian cuisine." Molek replied as he looked over to the door. "Might I request a visit to the bar."

"That's up too the captain on that one." Ryan said

"Then a civilian visitor."

"I'll see what can be done." Ryan said then added "It might be smart to ensure your information is organized."

"If I didn't have it organized, I wouldn't be sitting here."

"Good, We'll talk again after this is settled." Ryan said making his exit.