A Failing Mission

Posted on Sat Feb 15th, 2025 @ 4:33pm by Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami

1,110 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Timeline: Past

Adrianna slumped into the worn-out chair of her Freecloud safehouse, wincing as she peeled off her jacket. Her arms bore fresh bruises, and a thin cut traced the curve of her jaw. The smuggling run with Vance had gone sideways—again. Yet, despite the danger, she couldn’t deny the rush that came with it. The way he had pulled her behind cover when the deal turned sour, the way he had shielded her. It was too much, and she knew it.

The comm screen flickered to life, bathing the dimly lit room in cold blue light. Her handler’s face appeared, sharp and unyielding as always. The fine lines on their forehead had deepened over the years, a testament to a career of watching agents slip into the grey. Their eyes, dark and piercing, scanned her with clinical precision, missing nothing.

"You look like hell, Adrianna."

"Good to see you too," she muttered, stretching out her sore legs, "It’s done. The cargo is where it needs to be."

Her handler leaned forward, resting their elbows on an unseen surface. "And what about Vance?"

Adrianna exhaled sharply,"What about him?"

"You tell me. Every time you check in, you look more like his partner than a mere translator. Right now, you are bruised and exhausted, yet in your report that I received that outlined what happened- you are still defending him. This isn’t what we trained for."

She bristled but kept her expression neutral, "Vance is making changes. He’s picking up fewer illegal runs, stepping away from the worst of it."

A flicker of something—doubt, frustration—crossed her handler’s face before they let out a humourless chuckle, "You really believe that?"

"I’ve seen it myself," she insisted, leaning forward, "He’s questioning things. He’s talking about retiring from the work altogether. The mission might not need to go as planned—if he’s already moving in the right direction, why push?"

The silence stretched, thick with unspoken words. Adrianna willed herself to hold their gaze, to make them believe this was just about strategy. Just about efficiency. Not about the way her stomach clenched when Vance looked at her a little too long. Not about the way he had started talking about safer runs, about walking away from it all—never outright saying he wanted her by his side, but making it clear all the same.

Her handler studied her, searching. Then, their voice softened just slightly, "You’re getting too close, Adrianna. Be careful. If you get too close- the mission fails and you become a sitting duck on Freecloud. Do you have any idea what they do to Fleeters on Freecloud?"

"I’m staying on mission," she insisted, though the words tasted like a lie, "If we take him down now, we lose all potential for real change. He is a prime example of a man being reformed."

"Or you just don’t want to be the one to arrest him."

Her breath hitched, but she forced herself not to react. "That’s not—"

"This is your last warning, Baciami," they cut in, tone as cold as the screen between them, "Either you finish what you started, or we pull you out."

There was a pause, the handler watching her closely, before they continued, their voice adopting a more measured tone, "If you need a break, Adrianna, it can be arranged. Maybe check in with Starfleet, remind yourself why this mission matters. Your family would no doubt appreciate hearing from you."

Her fingers curled into a fist on her lap. The suggestion was a calculated move—she knew it, and so did they. Family meant everything to her. The thought of seeing them, even for a moment, was tempting. But she also knew what they were doing: reminding her of her duty, of the people who would suffer if she let emotions cloud her judgment. She swallowed hard. "I don’t need a break. I just need time. Vance is planning on heading to Earth in a few weeks, then he has a mission he needs me for. I'll continue playing the role of translator on Freecloud as I did whilst getting my name out here to keep up appearances. I trust you'll have eyes on him whilst he is on Earth."

The handler nodded once, but their expression gave nothing away, "Then don’t waste it."

The screen cut to black, leaving Adrianna alone with her thoughts—and the weight of a choice she wasn’t ready to make.

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CONFIDENTIAL REPORT
Agent: Adrianna Baciami
Handler: [Redacted]
Date: [Redacted]

INCIDENT REPORT: COMPROMISE RISK ASSESSMENT

Subject: Unauthorised Emotional Attachment to Target (Vance Adams)
Date of Incident: Multiple occurrences observed over past weeks

Summary:
Agent Baciami has exhibited behaviour indicative of personal attachment to Vance, the primary subject of Operation Drifting Gallivant. This includes deviations from mission protocol, reluctance to execute necessary deceptions, and moments of uncharacteristic hesitation.

Key Incidents:
[Date Redacted]: Agent failed to deliver intended misdirection in conversation with Vance. Instead, she engaged in personal discussion, disclosing non-essential personal details.
[Date Redacted]: Surveillance logs indicate extended private interactions, beyond mission necessity. Notably, an observed moment of physical closeness (hand on his arm) suggests emotional entanglement.
[Date Redacted]: Agent ignored direct instructions to extract information from Vance, citing "poor timing." This has delayed progress in mission objectives.
Assessment: Increasingly compromised judgement, potential security risk.

RECOMMENDATIONS & ACTIONS

Formal Review: Immediate psychological evaluation to assess level of attachment and risk to mission.
Mission Reinforcement: Private briefing to reiterate objectives and remind Agent Baciami of operational priorities.
Extraction Consideration: If behaviour does not self-correct, recommend early extraction to preserve mission integrity.
Surveillance Enhancement: Increase monitoring of all interactions between Agent Baciami and Vance.

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HANDLER CONVERSATION LOGS (EXCERPTS)
Date: [Redacted]
Participants: Handler & Agent Baciami

Handler: You are too close, Adrianna. This was never supposed to be personal.
Baciami: I'm handling it. He trusts me, and that is useful.
Handler: You hesitate now. You rationalise. That isn’t handling it—that’s compromising it.
Baciami: He’s not an idiot. If I push too hard, he’ll know something’s wrong.
Handler: And if you don’t push at all, you may as well burn the mission yourself.
Baciami: I know what I’m doing.
Handler: Then prove it. Or I pull you out.

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FINAL WARNING

To: Field Operations Command
From: Handler [Redacted]
Subject: Urgent Review: Agent Baciami

Given the ongoing concerns outlined above, I formally request an evaluation of Agent Baciami’s effectiveness in Operation Drifting Gallivant. If current trends continue, extraction may be the only viable course of action.

End of Report.

 

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