Hidden Machinations
Posted on Sun Jan 14th, 2024 @ 10:49am by Lieutenant Commander Hiro Sommers-Yoshida
1,109 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Episode 1: Palingenesis
Location: USS Veritas, NCC-74412
"Captain's Log, Stardate 78034.5. We've been at the "Black veil cluster" for the last 4 hours. It is a so called black cluster and, although sensor technology has improved over the years, there were some problems with retrieving good data. The final scan showed something no one had expected: a derelict D'deridex class warbird. We're now preparing to go inside the cluster to try and board the ship."
USS Veritas, Bridge
"We're in Transporter range of the Romulan ship, Captain."
"Good Lieutenant. Inform Chief Simmons that he can beam the Away Team aboard." Captain Chris Davenport replied while his eyes were fixed on the View Screen. The old and broken ship slowly rotated around one of its axis. It was an eerie sight inside this black cluster where not much light was present.
Shortly after he'd given the command the Veritas was hailed by Commander Christine Flear. "Away Team to Veritas. We're onboard the Romulan ship."
“Acknowledged Commander. Keep this channel open.” Right after he’d answered his XO, Chris contacted Transporter room 2. “Bridge to Chief Simmons. Keep a lock on the Away team. I want to get them back as soon as they encounter trouble.”
Simmons was quick to respond. “Aye, sir. Will do.”
Next Chris turned to face his Chief Security Officer and Chief Science Officer. “John, V’Lan, keep a lookout for those infamous Gravitational waves. They can be tricky.”
“Yes, sir.” Lieutenant John Larvik said. The Vulcan Science Officer beside him merely nodded in response to her Captain’s command.
IRW D’Arvuk
Commander Christine Flear took a moment to survey their surroundings, her tricorder humming softly in her hand. Lieutenant Jean Batiste, a by now seasoned Operations officer, analyzed the flickering consoles, while the hulking Bolian Security officer, Ensign Corexx, maintained a vigilant stance.
The eerie silence inside the ship was broken only by the occasional creaking of the severely damaged ship. Commander Flear ordered, “Jean, see if you can access the ship’s logs. We need to know how it ended up here.” As Batiste worked on the console, mysterious shadows danced across the dilapidated corridors.
Located on the cold, dimly lit Bridge of the Romulan Warbird, the away team remained and silence enveloped them as Batiste diligently worked on a nearby console. Christine’s eyes scanned the shadows, wondering what they could obscure. “I have something.” Lieutenant Batiste said as he finally deciphered a fragment of the logs.
Commander Flear came closer to the console and started to read. The piece of the ship’s log was pretty garbled, but Christine understood it revealed the warbird’s ill-fated journey into the Black veil cluster. “This is decades old.” She pointed to a specific part near the start of the fragments. “Here the Dominion is mentioned. And there..” her index finger trailed to another part. “..it describes a surprise attack by six Jem’Hadar fighters.” Then she saw something that made her stop and think. “This code sequence. I’ve seen it before.” Her eyes widened with a mix of surprise and recognition as she suddenly realized what she was looking at. Christine knew all too well from historical records what it meant.
Meanwhile, on the Veritas, Captain Davenport had noticed the sudden lull in the conversation. “Number One, report. What did you find?”
“Sir,” Christine said as she stood straight, “we’ve discovered that this Warbird is the D’Arvuk. It was attacked during the Dominion war by the Jem’Hadar and drifted into this black cluster. But this is not just any Warbird, sir. It belonged to the Tal Shiar.”
Captain Davenport’s voice held a contemplative tone, ”This complicates matters. We need to understand the implications of the Tal Shiar’s involvement in this region. Try to download as much information from the Warbird’s computer as possible for analysis. Exercise caution, Number One. I want you and the team back on the Veritas as soon as you’ve gathered the necessary data.” The urgency in his command was clear and it left the XO with the order to guide her team through the delicate task ahead.
“Yes, sir. I’ll report back when we’re ready.” Christine once more turned to Jean Batiste. “Time to put your skills to the test, Jean.”
Jean smirked and said in his French accent, “Once more unto the breach.”
USS Veritas, Conference Room, 5 hours later.
In the conference room, Captain Davenport, Commander Flear, and the senior officers gathered to discuss the results of the data extracted from the Romulan Warbird D’Avruk. As the holographic display flickered to life, revealing decrypted files, the name Aito Yoshida caught Davenport’s attention. Chris furrowed his brow, “Yoshida was listed as a Starfleet Intelligence Officer, not as a Terraforming expert. That’s an unexpected twist.”
Lt. Commander Varis, the ship’s intelligence specialist, added, “The file is partially corrupted, but it also mentions a research facility on a planet called Goloroth. It is located in the Neutral zone.”
Commander Flear nodded, “This raises more questions than answers. We should proceed cautiously, Captain.”
The mysterious connection between Aito Yoshida, Starfleet Intelligence, and the until now undisclosed research facility hung in the air, promising a complex web of intrigue that demanded unraveling.
“Agreed Commander. But this also needs explaining. A Terraforming expert that turns out to be an Intelligence Officer. An unknown research facility in the Neutral zone. We can’t just ignore that.” Davenport continued, his voice carrying a tone of authority, “None of what we’ve seen and heard leaves this room. This information is to be treated as classified. I’ll be in contact with Starfleet Command to report our findings. Number One, I’m assigning you to lead the continued investigation. Gather whatever data you can and keep me updated. The mystery surrounding Yoshida and this secret facility needs unraveling, but for now, discretion is paramount.”
With those orders, the senior officers dispersed, each tasked with their part in the unfolding mystery, leaving the conference room with a shared understanding of the delicate nature of their mission.
“Hidden Machinations” (Eternal Eclipse) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfSvMknKbZI]
Captain Chris Davenport (NPC)
Commanding Officer
USS Veritas
Commander Christine Flear (NPC)
First Officer
USS Veritas
Lt. Commander Varis (NPC)
Intelligence Specialist
USS Veritas
Lt. Commander V’Lan (NPC)
Chief Science Officer
USS Veritas
Lieutenant Jean Batiste (NPC)
Chief Operations Officer
USS Veritas
Lieutenant John Larvik (NPC)
Chief Security Officer
USS Veritas
Chief Owen Simmons (NPC)
Transporter Chief
USS Veritas
Ensign Corexx (NPC)
Security Officer
USS Veritas
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