Hello Old Friend

Posted on Thu Jul 18, 2019 @ 3:44am by Civilian Melvyn Raddon & Lieutenant Jason Haines

2,170 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Doors of Perception
Location: Sub-Space Communication
Timeline: MD 12, 1100 Hrs

Admiral Jenson sat at his desk, securing a channel he initiated a comm. channel to the Raddon Corporation. Melvyn Raddon had really helped his career. Not only that, his businesses almost ran the back bone of the economy that fueled Starfleet. Even if the man hadn't been as close to a friend as he liked to keep, Jenson knew that it would have been in the best interest to help him once the Xi'Cadian affair began.

It took about fifteen minutes for all the communications relays to make the connection over the distance. He looked up when the screen activated and a young woman said, "Raddon Corporation, how may I help you?"

"This is Admiral Garrison from Starfleet Command", Jenson replied. He actually had a number of different names, depending on which facility he contacted Raddon at. "I need to speak with Melvyn Raddon."

"One moment Admiral and I will see if he is available", the lady said.

Melvyn was reviewing the quarterly reports from the dilithium facility located near Trill space. In the past several months there had been at least 4 incidents involving a shipment being attacked and robbed during transport. While the Trill Home Guard was more than capable of protecting Trill space and its outer-lying colonies, there was the issue of interstellar space being much harder to monitor.

"I believe we should invest in increased security, perhaps the Gorn woul---" Narajee, his Operations Manager began to suggest.

"No," Melvyn said as he looked up from the padd. "The rate of these incidents are not purely coincidental." He continued. "We have someone within our sphere of operation providing travel and shipping info to an outside party." Melvyn said seriously. He had been in the business long enough to know the typical security risks that came with his product. But for there to be such a high number of attacks so close to Federation-occupied space struck him as being too coincidental.

"Should we contact Starfleet Security?" Narajee asked.

"No. . .not this time." Melyvn replied. "I want to send a message that the Raddon Corporation is just as strong as it ever was, despite recent setbacks." He said. He knew that competitors were looking for an opportunity to strike at him at what they perceived to be a moment of "weakness". He would not put it past any of them to have recruited Raddon employees to assist in their goals.

"Contact our friends within the Syndicate, they are familiar with dealing with these types of matters discretely and effectively" He said intently.

Narajee nodded and noticed the arrival of Raddon's executive assistant just outside the conference room door.

"Mr. Raddon, you have a call from an Admiral Garrison, Starfleet Command." She said.

Melvyn nodded. "Ok, I'll take it in my office." He said as he stood and made his way towards his study. Once the doors had closed he activated the security protocol and pressed a button on his console, connecting his line to the Admiral.

"This is Melvyn," he said.

"Melvyn, my old friend", Jenson said. "I hope you got the bottle of vodka I sent to you? How are you?"

Melvyn smiled. "Indeed I did." Melvyn said as he took a seat and reclined back as he studied the Admiral's face. "However, I doubt that you've gone through the necessary hurdles to contact me on such a secure line just to confirm that i got your package?" Melvyn said. "I'd like to think that a man of your status would have delegated such a task to an appropriate peon." He said.

"You know me well Melvyn", Jenson replied. "I just wanted to let you know that I made sure your complaints about the current situation on Xi'Cadia reached the right ears. I've dispatched an asset to help pave the way for Admiral Thomas and his small strike force to make a strong enough impression to make the Cardassians stand down and to get your people and operations secure.. And let's face it, the Cardassians are the ones pulling the strings. Admiral Thomas might want to hurry though. The asset has rather aggressive tendencies and might have things cleaned up by the time he gets there."

Melvyn was idly twirling a letter opener as he continued to listen to the experienced officer. As his anger continued to mount as he thought about how swiftly he had lost his property to the hands of those backwater Xi'Cadian and their Cardassian overlords. He was not satisfied with just "paving the way" for a oncoming strike-force, he wanted to send a message.

"No!" Melvyn said as he slammed the metallic object into his table. "I do not want to simply make an impression." He said. "I want those spoonheads to learn that there is a price for crossing Melvyn Raddon." He said with rising anger in his tone. "I want them to watch what happens to anybody or any government that is suicidal enough to get in-between myself and my business interests." He said. "I appreciate you dispatching an asset. I'm sure he will be warmly welcomed by my people on the ground and firmly integrated into our upcoming. . .operation" Melvyn said.

"An operation?", Jenson said.

"Yes. . .operation, isn't that what doctors perform when they wish to remove a cancerous tumor from a patient?" Melvyn asked rhetorically. "The Cardassians and their Xi'Cadian lackey's have become a cancer upon my business and I plan on having them excised with extreme prejudice" He said.

Jenson smirked a bit.

"Melvyn, my friend", Jenson said. "Please, slow down a bit. We've known each other a long time. I've always come through for you. Not always on your time table, but I come through for you and then more. Although we know a lot of the same people, we definitely run in different circles. If you take on the Cardassians and the Xi'Cadians, you might win the planet, but you will lose the people if any word of this operation and its collateral damage leaks, not just on Xi'Cadia, but elsewhere."

He paused a moment before continuing, "If you play your cards careful, the Cardassians destroy themselves, not just this planet, but the whole lot as there is a lot of tension on Cardassia given this gamble they took. That also doesn't count the various backroom partners that the Cardassians owe for their support with this. Raddon moves in with support for all the displaced civilians whose lives were torn apart during the coup. Raddon's public approval soars and any short-term loss in profits due to this are wiped out. If my gamble fails, all we've lost is one lone vigilante thinking he could operate outside the lines of the more civilized politicians. If you want to do it your way, you do it without my asset. He's a pain in the ass, but he is valuable enough to me so there are only certain ways I want him to operate."

"The people will believe whatever I tell them to believe!" Melvyn said with a dismissive wave. "I could have a flattering story on FNN that would dominate the news cycle before you could bat an eye." He said. Melvyn had learned through prior experience that the Media was just as much of a weapon to be used against ones enemies as a disruptor was.

"This. . .asset. . .of yours, who is he and what exactly has he been dispatched to do." Melyvn asked. If he was going to amend his plans for the sake of being of convenience to the Admiral, then he had better damn-well know what to expect.

"He is that which the Federation and Starfleet tries to tell everyone isn't needed anymore", the Admiral said. "He is a warrior and a killer and he has a certain degree of moral flexibility as long as you know the strings to pull on. He isn't anyone who would have crossed your circle, his list of accomplishments are too dark and dirty for Starfleet. What has he been dispatched to do? Simple, bring the Cardassians' and Governor-Supreme Arkul's hand in this to the front, which will of course exacerbate current rumblings in the Cardassian government as well as make resistance to what is going on more serious, and of course secure Raddon assets so they can help when the Cardassian mining equipment starts exhibiting all the failures they are prone to in the presence of a trained operative."

He paused and continued, "And to add a little bit of sprinkles to the sundae, the asset will do an interview with a Raddon employee on how Starfleet and civilians working together can often bring about some change or other bullshit like that on the FNN. I hear his son has started to become a little bit too much like his father, so seeing daddy working with Raddon might get the boy to stop being a pain in the ass for you on the station. Being a pain in the ass is something the Haines' family does all too well."

"Wait a minute. . .did you say Haines?" Melvyn asked. "As in Intelligence Officer Jason Haines onboard my station?" Melvyn continued. He was familiar with the name because it had come up repeatedly in various encounters with Starfleet over the past several weeks. The young boy was quickly rising from being a mere nuisance to an actual problem for his company.

"Just what does our little Johnny Do-gooder thank of his father getting his hands dirty in an operation like this?" Melvyn inquired.

"Indeed, the very same Haines", the Admiral replied with a smirk. "I don't think Haines junior will blink too much if told about what his dad does. Trust me, his father has done far worse than what he will be doing on Xi'Cadia. I do have a card in play that will cause young master Haines far more grief than what daddy does for work. Assuming daddy survives Xi'Cadia, it should be interesting to see a certain family re-union."

Melvyn had relaxed a bit. It was apparent that the Admiral had thought this through before coming to him with his proposal. "Very well, I'll have my people on the ground meet with your asset once he arrives on the planet. Our main facilities have been seized, but we've been able to maintain a central location for our remaining operations on the planet." Melvyn said. "I'm certain your asset will find all the help he needs there." He added.

"Jenson, I'm trusting that you know exactly what you are doing." Melvyn said as he stepped closer to the screen. "Because if it doesn't, I assure you that I will not be the only one regretting it." He said with a certain tone of seriousness to his tone.

"Melvyn", Jenson replied. "We've known each other too long to resort to threats. I've got skin in this myself as the situation has a bunch of people's panties in a bunch. All will be back in order soon. And once it is, you can show the Federation just how reasonable a fifteen percent increase in rates is given the impact of the unfortunate situation."

"One last thing. . ." Melvyn said, his face still wearing the same weathered look of intent. "That Trill has suspended my company's charter to conduct research on the planet of Pangea. Her self-righteousness is causing a significant delay in vital research, especially with the arrival of several groups of travelers from alternative dimensions. There is no telling the amount knowledge and information the Federation is losing because of her intractability." Melyvn said forcefully.

"Well, my focus lately has not been in the temporal issues of DS5 lately", Jenson said. "And unfortunately my relationships with both Temporal and JAG are a little strained right now. I do know of one person in JAG you might reach out to who can help, Captain Michelle Anderson. She's from a colony world, Treya V. Treya V got more support from corporations than Starfleet in its early years, so she is quite sympathetic to corporate interests when it comes to legal interactions with Starfleet."

"Captain Michelle Anderson you say? Where could I find her if I was interested in explaining our plight?" Melvyn asked.

"Right now she is stationed on Starbase 212", Jenson said with a smile, watching the gears in his friend's mind starting to whir. "Shall I let her know that you might be reaching out to her?"

"Indeed, inform her that someone from my organization will be in touch with her shortly." He said as he rose to terminate the connection. "Good day, Admiral Jenson." Melvyn said.

"Likewise Melvyn", Jenson replied.

And because he knew that Raddon had racial issues, before terminating the channel he tweaked him a bit by saying ,"Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #47, Never trust a man wearing a better suit than you own."

He then terminated the channel.

[OFF]

Admiral Jenson
Starfleet Intelligence
NPC'ed by Jason Haines

Melvyn Raddon
CEO
Raddon Corporation

 

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