Complex 47 was one of the many administrative building complexes that made up LIBCENTCOM the central command of the Liberty Navy. Rear Admiral Knight was having an office here for the time being. The Battleship Harmony was in drydock at Norfolk Shipyard leaving her and most of the crew stranded on Manhattan. The complex was nothing more than a pile of office buildings that were connected. It looked gray and boring among the green forests and fields that were surrounding most of LIBCENTCOM.
LIBCENTCOM had its own fully outfitted spaceport and transportation system with trains going to and forth to the different station hubs like a continous trail of ants. Moving machinery, armaments and personnel at high velocities. There was also landing pads spread around the whole center and one of these was cleared for an LSF IDed vessel that would contain the Agent who saved the Harmony from greater harm than it had suffered now.
Knight was already waiting at the door, looking up at the landing Avenger that she was notified of by the command center.
"Special agent Emilia Young..., yes 6th Department ... I'm expected." Emilia sighs and listening to another question. "Rear Admiral Victoria Knight." Pause, Emilia listens to another indecipherable pronounced question from the speakers upside. "DH-44-70." A voice from the speakers lost it's interrogative intonation. "Excuse me, which section?" The voice from the speaker repeated the same, but way more louder. "Understood, thank you."
After a few minutes of use the perfect system of elevators and escalator Charm has come to the right room. The door opened in front of her and agent measurably entered the room. Charm recognized Knight in a moment, Emilia remembered Admirals photo from the personal file that she read. She she approached to the woman in admirals uniform and faultlessly saluted.
Knight was looking at her with appreciation for an LSF agent following military protocol. She saluted as well and was ready to get into the office room. When agent Young approached her she immediatly was looking at her differently. She had imagined some arrogant agent who would look down on them.
"Agent Young. Pleasure to meet you. Lets talk in the office." she said and went into the room after her, closing the door. She walked behind the desk in the room and sat down after gesturing agent Young to sit down in a chair in front of the desk.
"Well miss Young. I guess you know the details about the whole incident as good as I so I would very much like to know now who was responsible for this. And how you got to know about it. Actually you have a lot to explain." she said being quite direct as she didn't want to waste any time and was eager to find the responsibles for this.
Young crossed her legs once she settled back in her chair. Her voice was calmly and even soothingly while maintaining austerity and officialdom.
"Sadly I did not receive the permission to spread all information, but I'm sure you will be satisfied for now. We tracked the sabotage team for a long time, too bad we were not able to arrest them earlier. They were professional and knew their job well, so we collect necessary evidence only after the bombs were set. Unfortunately we could not bring them to an authorized court..., for the reasons... You see those Navy officers were a part of large and powerful network so we had to eliminate them covertly."
Charm sips a cup of tea standing on the table and observes the Admirals reaction.
She followed Young's explanation carefullly and looked a little concerned after the whole explanation.
"So you say that my ship has been bombed by our own men? By Navy personnel? I find it hard to believe that. And with you having taken them out already we can hardly interrogate them." she sighed. "Good people died there. And while the ship is out of order important parts are being undefended, risking more people. Will this be the end to this already? You took them out but was that all? Someone with that power doesn't sound so easy to take out."
The agents voice became a little more irritated, but it was barely noticeable.
"You see I was working for months to save your life, the life of your crew, and your ship. I can understand your confusion, but please be patient and keep common sense. Yes at first it sounds like a madness, but ask yourself whoever could install those bombs without having an access codes? Who could know the most vulnerable parts of the ship, encryption codes to install the spy equipment? I have direct proofs, but I have no rights to provide them."
She paused, then lowered her voice.
"And I'm afraid it's just a beginning, due to power of this network. Even within the LSF we can't work openly, because this sort of corruption impacts the Security Forces as well. That's why we forced to act in the covert way and trying to spread as less information as it possible. We were trying to keep your Battlegroup in save, because it's still mostly "loyal" if you wish. That's why They tried to simply destroy your flagship."
Char sips some tea again, she obviously calmed down.
Knight was rubbing her temples.
"You are telling me that I have to trust you. I believe there is no reason not to but it is still hard for me to believe that my own people should have placed bombs on my ship. Will I receive the files from the beginning when this is over?" she asked and got up, walking to the window behind her an looking outside.
"If this conspiracy that you tell me about is really this strong then we need to be very careful. You say they have both strong LSF and Navy influence? Who many forces do we have that you are sure of are on our side?"
She turned around again and watched the LSF agent. She didn't quite look how she expected but then again she was probably handpicked from the billions of libertonian citizens.
Youngs voice and look have became more arrogant than they were before.
"Conspiracy? Well that's not exactly, but you can call it so if you wish. This is the quite specific type of corruption, I bet you will see it yourself, since you are not going to believe me on this one. "
She looked at the at the cup of tea and wet her lips.
"Also sabotage team was not formed from the ranks of your battlegroup, it was the other Naval unit which I'm not going to name it... I can't. But they have received the security codes and all necessary information from... we are not sure if it was the highest ranks of the navy directly or someone from their associates. How much forces do we have? I don't have this information, we don't know exactly. "
She sips some tea, Charms look changed to original tranquility and officialdom.
"Speaking of the files, of course you will, we gathered quite a lot already. But once again for now I can't spread any files, this is not the matter of trust, in our age information is floating like a river. You will get more information in the case if you are willing collaborate on the matters of security. "
"None of my own. I am very glad to hear that. Although I worry who of our own forces would dare do such a thing. We have a war to fight. But I guess we will find out rather soon. What do you suggest we do then? I mean I don't have much to work with since you are not authorized to give me anything." she sat down again and looked at the agent, folding her hands and leaning her chin against them. Her face shower her worry but also her determination that she wouldn't let this stand.
"I will do what is necessary to protect this Battlegroup and Liberty." She stated with a tone in her voice that made clear she thought it important for Young to know.
Charm continued in the same manner.
"Good to hear that. Please don't get me wrong, information can easily become quite dangerous weapon in the hands of -our- enemies. Besides information costs a lot nowadays. I can only say that the amount of information that you will get depends on how close will you cooperate since it carries exclusively practical value. "
Her voice became more voluminous.
"According to my command the most efficient way to provide your personal security and the battlegroup as the whole is my work inside of it. It is not the necessity, but this is my first and the most favorable proposition. Not to mention to say that during our work you will learn a lot... let's say in the natural way."
Young took a sharp look on Knight and then finished her tea.