Intersections

Posted on Sat May 30th, 2020 @ 1:32am by Alliance Alice LeMat & Security Johannah "Mack" Shepard

Mission: Bright and Shiny things
Location: Security Chief Office?
Timeline: TBD

ON

LeMat walked the corridors casually; the black duster and slacks mated with a red turtleneck today added a splash of color; he was going for an official meeting, he had the shoulder rigs and a Long Slide automatic on the right hip fully ready with scope. Yeah he was a bit heavy handed in his selection; but the rumors of Kitties and other dangers made him a bit skittish; or that was at least a good excuse to carry enough firepower to level a Bear in the event one of those showed up. He had a destination this time; he would be dropping by one Ms. Shepard; running the Security end of things around here. With an Older bottle of Scotch; a peace offering, and from the rumors flying she might could use a belt or two. Red Eye is so common, but a bottle 12 year old scotch usually helped smooth things over for the most part. If LeMat is fortunate she might share a glass with him; if not, he had other more interesting spirits he could delve into.

Knocking on the outer door frame while leaning on the opposite LeMat had announced he is here.

"I am looking for Ms. Shepard, I thought it polite to check in ahead of being asked to visit?" LeMat said quite calmly and held the bottle to view. "I even came bearing gifts."

Mack looked up from her console, on which she was practicing her one-armed wallpaper hanger act, trying to maintain as full security coverage as she could while still having enough teams available to quickly, efficiently, and as safely as possible, sweep the warehouse decks for signs of predators. She was fairly certain she recognized the voice of the man speaking. She got up and opened the door. "Alice," she said, when she saw who was there. "What brings you to Wonderland? Still falling through looking glasses?" She grinned. "Well, since you brought whiskey, you might as well come in." Mack stepped back and let Alice in. She shut the door behind them both and walked over to her desk and sat down. She opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out two heavy whiskey glasses and set them on the desk. "Have a seat."

"Scotch , gentlemen do not do crude drinks and long as I do not break the windows it is pretty safe." He walked in, setting the bottle on the desk and glancing at the screens. "Don't ever change, you are much more fun as you are." He winked. "You look pretty good for a Kitty Chew Toy?" He had that sly smirk as he wait for her to open her gift. "I heard there was some steady work, maybe a race or two to keep me from getting bored and... " He nod to her as he took the seat. "How could I be in the area and not stop by to see my friend, that would have been rude."

"And you are many things, Alice LeMat," Mack said. "But rude isn't one of them." After the incident with the big feline, the medics had set the fractures in her left forearm and knit them back together. They put her arm in a brace and told her to keep it in the sling for a few days. That would be up soon, but she found the sling incredibly annoying. She gestured to the bottle. "Speaking of which, would you be so kind?"

"At the lady's request." LeMat open the bottle and pour two fingers into each glass and offered Makensie her glass before taking his own. "You will not go blind on this stuff; fall down maybe but not blind." He raised a glass. "Here is to old fruends who just met... again." It was a bit cheesy and all but he would take it in stride as he took his drink, savoring it. "I see you got a crew but how you like your Alliance side of the equation?"

"To old friends," Mack said, and took a drink. "Wow. That is good. Anyway, the Marshal hasn't found time for me yet. I'll probably meet with one of his deputies in a day or so. I've only actually been here a few days myself. How have you been, Alice."

"I have a few more bumps and brusies but none the worst for wear." He answered with a sly grin. "What if I could arrange for you to meet the Lawman you are going to be dealing with in that regard?" He took another drink of the scotch.

"That would be great," Mack said. She looked at him warily. "You're grinning like the cat that ate the canary. What's the catch?"

He opened the left side of his coat and on the shirt near the Shoulder rig was a Badge. "I thought it best to cut out the Middle Man." He smiled. "I am another Marshal and the only one currently on the station so you and I get to work together if it is okay with you?" He salute with the off hand. "Fate and Destiny have a sense of humor."

"Really?" Mack said. "That's... great. Really. I'll try not to step on your toes if you'll try not to step on mine." Mack got right down to business. "I'm not much more than private security here. My job involves keeping the peace and loss prevention for the most part, but I think you know I'll be looking into anything that threatens the safety and well-being of the people who live and work here. And these people, Alice, most of them don't like the law and they don't like playing by the rules. That's part of the reason no one knew that thing was down in the warehouse decks or if there are anymore of them. The locals disabled most of the sensors down there. No video, no audio, no motion sensors, no heat sensors, etc. That's why I've got so many of my people crawling around down there blind."

"I have walked the decks, especially 7 on the 'off hours' that should have the place turned down." LeMat said. "I have a full rigging before I go there at that time but I did notice a dislike to the security measures and the consistency of damage tells me it is no use to repair." He grinned. "How about you and I play a game with the Baddies?" He had the sly grin.

"That depends," Mack said. "We can't disrupt business on the warehouse decks right now. A big Blue Sun shipment just came in. The plex's full time population is around 800 people. We've currently got about 3000 aboard. Yanking the chains of the plexies, Old Man Petrovich, or Nikolai Udinov is not high on my list of priorities at the moment. So, like I said, I suppose this all depends on what you have in mind."

"Nothing much really." LeMat said. "Just thought that we could cooedinate some on the Patrols; I have my Boys doing the showing their presence in higher profile crime areas, just passing through letting it be known we are there. "He explained. "We do this so that those wishing not to be seen by the Deputies will move out of our sights. Kindof hearding them to oher areas and leaving them places where we want them to be. Make safe places to do business like a shell game and we are moving the shells randomly so they have to scramble a bit. Best way to cut crime is to make it less profitable to do Business here. Can't stop it all but make it harder might cut the numbers a bit?"

Mack looked thoughtful a moment. Alice LeMat and the former Browncoat captain went back a ways, back to when Mack first started freelancing after the war. It was polite of the man to ask her opinion, and Mack felt she could trust Alice... to a point. But there was an elephant in the room that neither of them were going near. As Mack had pointed out, she was just Chief of a private security force employed by Greenleaf Skyplex. Alliance law gave her similar powers to those of municipal law enforcement within the plex, with jurisdiction extending to security, loss prevention, and investigations regarding any business venture that might extend out of the plex. But she had to submit to Federal authority, and Federal authority was pretty broad. If Alice wanted to send his deputies out on patrol, he could, but...

"Okay," Mack said. "But do it with a light touch. As I understand it, the last asshat that had my job rode roughshod all over the people here. Some kind of iron fist of justice or some such thing. The people here need a break from all of that. But I think we can sell the patrols as you guys helping out with security because of the craziness over the Blue Sun goods that just came in." Mack grinned. "And if I get a complaint from Nikolai Udinov or Sasha Petrovich, well, I'll just point out that it was your idea, that my authority is subordinate to Federal authority, and they should take it up with you."

LeMat took a longer swig of his drink and smiled.

"I see that we have established the Buck stops with me." He nod. "WHat I want is not to directly raid or interphere with their business; just do what we do and be less predectable. Maybe leave open places that we choose so no endangering Plexies Safer hang out. Just show we are watching; that is our job and they know it. Just add some stimulating game of How they get around us than being totally predictable." He nod again. "They know a new Marshal and new rules; while I am letting them learn me why not set up something we can change in our favor under the guise of my learning my Job?" He smiled. "ANd that gives you more freedom as you said' you will direct them at me. You get some breathing room while the 'Higher Ups learn the New Marshal, I won't get us killed; especially me. But a little change never hurts either side, men like yo mentioned liked ot not be bored, I will keep them on their toes without stepping on them."

Mack nodded. "But let's be clear," she said. "I'm only going to ask for help when I need it, like now, when we're a bit overwhelmed. When I don't, I'd appreciate it if your deputies stuck to being Feds and left the everyday local stuff to me. If my people think the Feds don't trust them to do their jobs with out deputy marshals looking over their shoulders, they'll resent that, and that resentment will make it impossible for me to do my job. We can make this a regular thing whenever we have a large shipment or shipments come in, or otherwise have a lot of transient residents passing through, like if an Alliance cruiser docks. I'd rather have your people backing me up than Alliance Shore Patrol any day. Deal?"

LeMat put his drink down still some left. "Let me adjust that; how this works is there are places my people cover and places your people do when not helping oone another; that also meant we do not be seen tripping over one another but more of a respectful ' you patrol east and I take west, then next day we switch to your people south and mine north. It shows each as confidence the other is competent and if needed we can call upon one another for 'Hot Spots and break-outs." He took his glass again. That way we sweep twice the area just overlap on edges to cover one another." He winked.

"Fair enough, Alice," Mack said. "You have a deal. We'll have to read each other in on each other's on-going investigations, as much as you can. I'm betting the Alliance won't like you reading an ex-Browncoat in on on-going Federal investigations, but at least I've got my huā shì de official Alliance security contractor license, so you can wave that in front of your higher ups if they protest. I just don't want us tripping over each other. I won't spread that information beyond whatever officers need to know, especially not until I know who's who and who I can trust." Mack sipped her drink some more. "Not that I'm complaining, but what made you decide to take this job anyway? I thought you were happy wandering footloose and fancy free."

"Let us just say the Director is very persusive." He downed the last of his scotch before setting the Glass down. "I figure we have both sides of the street covered; you are my Buffer from certain Elements of concern and I am the Buffer for the Alliance." He gave Mackense a knowing look. "Did you ever considewr that my Counter-Part in all this deal might have made it to where I thought I might actually be of use in this job." He smiled. "Perks are sometime whom you know rather than What you know when it comes to a badge, I cannot do it all alone and it helps to know who has my back is trustworthy. A fairly important part of taking any job in my profeswsions?"

Mackensie nodded. "Alright," Mack said. "Have your people coordinate with Sergeant Michael Chang. He handles our patrol schedules. It's good to see you Alice. Really. This job would have been a whole lot harder without you here."

"It is rare to be able to work with someone you trust with your back." He rose to smile. "I will get the people in shape and I think the job will be easier for both." He winked. "Take care of the arm and carry Catnip for a while." He joked as he turned to leave.

Mack laughed. "Qù nǐ de! (Screw you!)" she said. "Get out of my office already! You Feds might be able to sit around and do nothing, but people like me actually have work to do!"

"I don't pay the cost over run bill so have at it." He gave a final wink before leaving.


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