The Wrong Place to Ask the Right Question

Posted on 2025, Fri Aug 8th, @ 9:28pm by Lieutenant Ariana Tessaro & Ensign Juno Atala

366 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: Episode 1A "Shadows of the Empire"
Location: London
Timeline: Prior to recall

Ariana spotted her exactly where she expected her to be — leaning against the railing, takeaway coffee in hand, watching riverboats drift past as if she had nowhere urgent to be.

Ensign Juno Atala turned her head just enough to catch Ariana approaching. “Tessaro? I thought you were still in Rome.”

“Work trip,” Ariana said smoothly. “Needed a change of scenery.” She stopped beside Juno, matching her stance, both of them facing the grey water.

Juno sipped her coffee. “So this isn’t just a social call.”

“Depends on your definition of social.”

They stood in silence for a moment, the muffled city noise rolling over them. Ariana kept her eyes on the water when she spoke again.

“I’ve got a small problem. One I can’t solve from behind a desk. It’s nothing official. Not yet. And if you say no, you can forget this conversation happened.”

Juno raised an eyebrow. “And if I say yes?”

“Then you do exactly what I ask, when I ask, without trying to piece it all together. You’ll see only what you need to see.”

“That sounds… safe,” Juno said dryly.

“It’s not,” Ariana replied. “But you’re quick, adaptable, and you don’t scare easy. I need someone like that.”

Juno tilted her head. “Why me? The Leonidas is full of people with those qualities.”

Ariana glanced at her then, just for a second. “Because you don’t know enough to be a liability. Yet.”

The wind picked up, carrying the sharp tang of the river. Juno studied her for a long moment before setting her coffee on the railing.

“I’ll bite. What’s the job?”

Ariana’s lips curved faintly. “Data retrieval. A location I can’t access alone. In and out, nothing flashy. We do this right, nobody even knows we were there.”

“And if we do it wrong?”

“We won’t.”

A long beat. Then Juno shrugged. “Fine. But I’m blaming you if this ends with me explaining myself to the Commodore.”

Ariana smiled — the kind that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Don’t worry. By the time he finds out, we’ll be halfway to the next problem.”

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