Miranda, Part 3

Posted on Tue Dec 11, 2018 @ 12:21pm by Commander Caleb Ryan

1,022 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Doors of Perception
Location: USS Nemesis/Briefing room
Timeline: MD01 0900

“Good,” Pierce said, stepping away from his conversation with Eve. “It looks like everyone is here. We can start--”

“Not everyone, Commodore!” a nasal voice said as the doors to the briefing room opened and a short, thin, dark-haired man with a bad haircut strode purposefully into the room. “It seems somebody failed to inform me of this mission briefing!” He gave Ash a pointed look.

Ash raised an eyebrow. “If I needed you here, Lieutenant Smith, I would have told you,” he said innocently.

“You know very well the instructions from Starfleet Intelligence are that I am to be advised of all pertinent operations!”

“You were advised,” Ash said. “We are doing routine border scans of the nebula.”

Anderson Smith glared at Ash.

Pierce rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Are you sure I can’t shoot him?” he asked Eve.

Eve crossed his arms. “No more than I can punch him.” She glared at the sniveling Starfleet Intelligence rat.

Lt. Anderson Smith glared right back smugly. “May I remind you that my monthly report goes out this week?” he said. “If you desire a good review--”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Anderson,” Irissa said, feigning the best expression of repentance that Ash had ever seen, “The comm array is down for a Level One diagnostic at the time you send your reports.”

Smith blinked. “How do you know when I send my reports?”

Irissa shrugged innocently.

“You!” Smith shook a finger at the Betazoid. “You...You...conniving b--”

Nestor Calis stood up, the finger suddenly poking the large, muscled marine in the chest. “Choose your next words carefully, Lieutenant.”

Smith paled and cleared his throat, straightening up and regaining his composure. “This is going in my report,” he said. “And if my report gets lost -- again,” he looked at Irissa, “then that will go in the report too! This insubordination cannot continue!”

“Who is the one being insubordinate?” Artemis Pierce asked, his voice firm. “Starfleet Intelligence may have put you here to look over my shoulder, but I am still the captain of this vessel! If you continue to interfere, I will put you out an airlock! Is that understood, Lieutenant?”

Anderson Smith stood there fuming. “Understood,” he muttered, moving past Nestor to the table to take his seat.

Artemis sighed. “Pierce to Desatu,” he spoke after tapping his comm badge. “Lieutenant Smith is clearly fevered and delusional.”

“Oh, yes,” came Zoe’s voice as she entered the room. “He is clearly unfit for duty. Lieutenant Smith, report to your quarters for medical leave.”

“Commodore!” Anderson Smith shouted, slapping the table. “You cannot do this!”

“Don’t make me call Security, Anderson,” Bubasti said, not doing well in hiding her grin.

“I’ll--!”

“Put this in your report. Yes. Of course. Now get out!” Pierce said.

Anderson snatched up his padd and stalked out of the room.

Pierce sighed. “Computer, seal the room,” he said. “Now can we start?”

Everyone got what they needed from the replicator and settled down to the brownies Hranni had made and brought to the briefing as Artemis activated the map on the holo-table.

“This is the Theta Tau nebula on the border of the Typhon Expanse,” Pierce said. “We come by here regularly, and you all know why. This time is a bit different. This time we are putting Operation Miranda into play.” His tone was serious as he tapped a few controls on the table. “The details have been uploaded to your padds for your review and will be automatically deleted within twenty-four hours, so bone up quickly. This must stay confidential and not leave this room. Strictly speaking, only Ash, Jera, and Rilasa are need to know. But all of you have had a part in Miranda up to this point. I am showing my trust in you and revealing the full details now. Boo?” he said, looking to the Caitian Chief of Security who had raised her hand.

“Am I reading this correctly?” she said. “This is Operation Miranda?”

“Yes,” Pierce said in his light Australian accent. I want you to know that no one is required to participate. If this is discovered, it could end your career. It could put you in prison.”

Everyone stirred, reading through the padd more carefully.

“It isn’t like we haven’t risked that before, Artemis,” Zoe said quietly.

Everyone around the table nodded, and Pierce released a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. He had always chosen his crew carefully, people whom he could trust, people for whom loyalty was important. And he returned that loyalty.

“Jera and Rilasa will bear the most danger, as will Ash. He will serve as their handler. We won’t always be in position to offer immediate assistance should there be trouble.”

Ash shrugged. “Again, nothing we haven’t risked before.”

Pierce smiled. “This is a major endeavor, but the death of Torm has left the perfect opportunity to put Miranda in play. So here is what we will do…”

FIN

Lieutenant Commander Ash Danrisa
Chief Intelligence officer
USS Nemesis
NPC Caleb Ryan

Lieutenant Commander Doctor Zoe Desatu
Chief Medical Officer
USS Nemesis
NPC Caleb Ryan

Corporal Nestor Calis
Marine Commanding Officer
USS Nemesis
NPC Caleb Ryan

Commodore Artemis Pierce
Commanding Officer
USS Nemesis
NPC Caleb Ryan

Lieutenant Commander Eve Three
Chief Tactical Officer/Second Officer
USS Nemesis
NPC Caleb Ryan

Lieutenant Anzio Mira’ni
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Nemesis
NPC Caleb Ryan

Lieutenant Bubasti P’Rurr
Chief Security Officer/Assistant Chief Tactical Officer
USS Nemesis
NPC Caleb Ryan

Lieutenant Irissa Toma
Chief Operations Officer
USS Nemesis
NPC Caleb Ryan

Lieutenant Hranni Brinn
Chief Engineer
USS Nemesis
NPC Caleb Ryan

Lieutenant Selin Maht
Chief Science Officer
USS Nemesis
NPC Caleb Ryan

Rilasa Graeca
Intelligence Consultant
USS Nemesis
NPC Caleb Ryan

Myru Jera
Intelligence Consultant
USS Nemesis
NPC Caleb Ryan

Lieutenant Anderson Smith
Intelligence Officer
USS Nemesis
NPC Caleb Ryan

 

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