Nico walked out of the Brig disappointed, according to the Treaty of Sirius holding prisoners of the Kzinti Patriarchy was frowned upon. To avoid an international incident, the information that they had gotten from the Kzinti, is all the information that they were going to get. The next step will have to be to go into their territory. But with the treaty of Sirius, which Nico originally thought covered Battleships and armament, he needed some help. There was a Judge Advocate General Office on the station, one would only hope that they were not busy.

Making his way to the section that held the department, it was as you would expect, a large statue of the Justice Embled, Glass Doors, very neat and organized, much like Starfleet HQ. He walked in.

Jade looked up from the padds spread across her desk as the glass doors slid open, her stylus pausing mid-note. The visitor’s purposeful stride—and the faint air of frustration he carried with him—told her this wasn’t a routine consult. She let out a sigh. It had been a busy day so far and it seemed it was only about to get busier.

“Lieutenant Commander,” she said, standing to greet him with her usual calm professionalism. “You look like someone who’s just discovered something you are not happy about.”

She gestured toward the chair opposite her desk. “Please, have a seat. I’m Lieutenant Jade Hart, JAG Office.” Her tone was even, but her eyes were sharp with interest. “Why don’t you start from the beginning?”

“Rightio, had a mission, found Augments, and well now I am trying to find out about a treaty or two. Extradition rights and well, how I can infiltrate without causing a war.” Nico spat it all out, he assumed she had the clearance after all she was JAG. He handed her his reports on the matter. “Sigma 7 Clearance.” he said.

Jade skimmed the PADD, tapped the Sigma-7 stamp, and met Nico’s eyes.
“Sigma-7 checks out. Short version: holding Kzinti or crossing into their space without clear authorization is treaty-level trouble and something we definitely need to avoid. However, we can find lawful ways to get you what you need. We can utilize waivers, covered survey teams, or properly authorized covert action but each requires different approvals.”

She slid the PADD back. “I’ll draft a concise legal opinion for Command. But I need you to tell me what your goal is? Extraction? Intel? Disruption? Or maybe it is something else? And if that’s not enough questions, how quickly do you need to move?” Jade smirked and waited.

“I need to move quickly, and it is for recon, so I am not sure how to word it. It is for Intel purposes. I need to get information to present to my handler before he goes and gets a team killed.” Nico said abrubtly.

Jade’s expression went sharp and immediate. “Understood — intel, fast, and lives on the line. I’ll handle the wording right now.”

She tapped her combadge, thumbed the PADD, and read aloud as she typed:

Emergency Reconnaissance Authorization (Sigma-7): Request immediate limited authorization for non-invasive reconnaissance operations in Kzinti sovereign space to obtain time-sensitive intelligence necessary to prevent imminent loss of life. Actions requested: short-range remote sensor overflight and remote probe deployment only; no detentions or direct kinetic engagement. All findings to be routed through Station Intelligence and the requesting handler. Sigma-7 clearance attached.

Jade looked up before speaking again. “That gets the point across: urgency, scope, and lifesaving justification. I’ll immediately forward it to Command and the Office of Interstellar Affairs as an urgent Sigma-7 package unless you want to make any edits.”

She added, more quietly, “I will also flag the legal risks in the cover memo, so Command knows exactly what it is that they are authorizing. You did the right thing bringing it here.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant, I owe you one.” Nico smiled.

Jade allowed herself a small, wry smile in return. “Just make sure it’s a favor that keeps people alive. That will certainly be payment enough.”

She tapped the PADD, sending the urgent request off to Command. “Now go do your job. And let’s try not to make me draft any more last-minute treaty loopholes today,” she said through a smirk.

With that, she leaned back in her chair, letting out a quiet sigh, already thinking about how she’d cover her bases if anything went sideways.

He smiled back and nodded, taking his leave.