The Search - Part 1

Posted on 20 Feb 2013 @ 8:38pm by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal

1,043 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: M9: Rest, Recovery, and Reflection
Location: USS Achilles - Crew quarters
Timeline: MD - 35, 0143

With his controllers approval he set his plan into motion. For the plan, he had selected a green, infiltration specialist for Da`nal's own crew and he selected the middle of the night to issue his 'order'. Directing a comm channel directly to the Ensign’s quarters he waited for her to acknowledge the communication.

The comm unit's chime woke Cammy from a light sleep. ~Who'd want something at this hour?~ She hauled herself out of bed and walked over to the console. "This is Ensign Valentine. Who is this?"

As the channel was acknowledge and the image of the partially conscious ensign came into view, he filmy and dryly bypassed any sort of pleasantry and barked his instructions. "Ensign Valentine; confirm secure channel, and prepare for identity confirmation!"

Not fully awake yet, his tone triggered Cammy's 'being addressed by drill instructor' mode instilled by her Academy basic training days. "Yessir." She hit a few buttons on her console. "Ready for confirmation, sir."

It wasn't long before the computer announced the results. "Voice analysis, Iris, and DNA scans confirmed."

"Good. Ensign, an unsettling situation has developed. We believe the Klingon Empire is preparing a major assault on Romulan space not only to 'reclaim' territory they lost but to capture key Romulan sectors along the border. The reason you are being drafted is that we believe your commanding officer is preparing to provide Federation patrol information, deployment schedules, and even transponder codes to the Empire.

"We know that he spent time in Romulan space and that he supposedly ended a long standing blood feud between his House and a powerful Romulan family. Starfleet Intelligence believes this was a diversionary move to relax Klingon-Romulan tensions...the Hobus disaster has only help to accelerate their time table."

What followed was out and out lies but it would be impossible for the ensign to know or to find out one way or another. "We have been able to confirm that the pertinent information has been downloaded and the previous XO reported that there was nothing being stored in the ships computer and that the ships CO had a padd that had been isolated from the main computer, containing what looked like a service record. He was to have run the record through decryption protocols, but before he could report on its contents he ended up dead; conveniently, and supposedly at the hand of a Kzinti sympathizer.

"Make no mistake you are being sent into danger. You are to find that padd and to search for any other storage device that could be used to transfer the data. You are not authorized to do any analysis; only recovery. Once you have things in hand you are to establish a data link with the main computer at SB-47. You don't have to access anything; we will be notified by the use of your ID code. Once we know you have completed your mission we will move in."

"Do you have any ideas where to start looking for the PADD?" Cammy asked. Unless it had any special markings on it, it wouldn't look any different from any others. If the information was so important, she could see a few PADDs with false information being planted to throw off Intel operatives. "Any traits that I can use to confirm a PADD is the one you're looking for? A scratch in the casing, a personalized user interface...anything like that? I can go through all the PADDs in his office and quarters, but it may not be the most efficient approach. If time is a factor, knowing how to separate the wheat from the chaff will speed things along."

"There isn't much to go on other than the possiblity of the data being stored on an early model padd in use about 3 years ago. One thing we do know is that it has been seperated from the ships computer so its interface has either been disabled or removed."

"Understood." She replied, making a note of that. "What is the time-frame for this operation? How long do I have for retrieval?" She didn't want to ask too many questions and give the impression she didn't know what she was doing, but she didn't want to go off half-cocked either.

"It would make things easier if you completed your mission while still docked. However, we intercepted a communique between Da`nal and the Head of the House of Varal, his father, and a klingon ship is on the way. This may be when he plans to transfer the data.'

"Understood. Don't worry, I'll get the data for you. Anything else you need?" Her mind was already working on discrete ways of finding the PADD. Klingon's weren't known for their wits, but she didn't want to arouse even the slightest suspicion. She also couldn't rule out the chance of confederates on the ship. She'd have to do this the spy-holodrama way.

"Be very careful, your commanding officer is no fool. He is a former Chief of Security, is highly decorated and has gone from a Commander to a Rear-Admiral in less than 5 years...that is almost unheard of. I will be monitoring any additions to your service record so we will know of any 'trouble' you might get into. There is to be no record of this communtcation...is that inderstood?"

"Yessir. You can count on me."

"Very well, you have your orders, Good Luck. Out"

Before going back to sleep, Cammy took a moment to work out a few different approaches. The first thing that came to mind was to find a way to pinpoint the PADD's location. Slipping into the CO's office or quarters and rummaging around wouldn't be a problem; but if he noticed the slightest thing out of place, it might arouse suspicion that she couldn't afford to incite at this point. Surgical precision had defined Intel agencies and clandestine operatives since the field was conceived and she wasn't about to break from tradition. ~If the PADD isn't connected to the central computer, but still physically on the ship or starbase...~ A grin appeared on her face as an idea sparked in her mind.


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NPC - Section 31 Operative
Played by Da`nal

Ensign Cammy Valentine
Infiltration Specialist
USS Achilles

 

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