A most unexpected benefit

Posted on Sun Jun 21, 2015 @ 5:20am by Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin

2,405 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: https://ds5.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/missions/id/7
Location: DS 5 Near space & FMS Precinct
Timeline: MD 03 1600

::ON::

[FMSS Van Buren Hendricks]

With Tevlet at the controls the Van Buren Hendricks managed to avoid any collisions with the incoming asteroid storm. The Marshals and their crowded passengers peered out of the windows at the massive planet that had suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Followed even more bizarrely by a bright star and two more planets, with attendant satellite moons.

Once everything had calmed down somewhat and the recall order was issued Steiner got back to business. "Let's find somebody we can drop our guests off too and then go hunting for some Ferengi lowlifes" He said standing behind Tevlet and Tu-Selok.

Half an hour later they had transferred the Starfleet personnel to the garrison ship USS Deloraine and were free to start their search. They had requested and received all the activated Promenade Escape Module transponder codes. Tu-Selok was querying the readouts on each one to check for Ferengi bio-signatures amongst the occupants.

She'd found a total of seven Modules which had Ferengi on board. The forth one being the most promising, EM-1287 just three occupants, all of whom were Ferengi.

"That's the first one we check!" Steiner said "A Module built to carry one hundred and twenty-five and there's just three of them on there? That stinks to start with! Where are they?"

Tevelt located the right transponder and brought it up on the navigation screen. "About fifteen minutes away, looks like they got clipped by something, life-support and power readings are dropping." He swung the controls over and started heading towards the Module.

Steiner was tempted to tell Tevlet to take his time but decided against it, letting Klatec die was probably giving the criminal an easy way out.

As the Marshals closed in they were hailed by a Recovery Shuttle sent out to round up Escape Modules. Steiner explained the situation and the shuttle crew agreed to wait until the occupants had been taken "Don't be too long though Marshal, that one's got a hull breach!" The crew advised them.

Closing up on the damaged EM-1287 Steiner could see a worried looking Ferengi peering out of the Module's single window. "Think they're pleased to see us?" he asked wryly "Alright can you get a transporter lock on them?" He called back to Tu-Selok "Let's beam them directly into the cell"

Like other Marshal's Service craft the Van Buren Hendrick's had a holding cell that could securely contain up to four prisoners.

Tu-Selok activated the transporter controls "Yes Chief, I've got solid locks"

"Alright, engage the weapons lock and let's bring them aboard!" Steiner ordered.

The shuttle's transporter could be configured not to rematerialize weapons, since nobody wanted armed criminals in the cell.

"Got it Chief, here they come"

A few seconds later three nervous Ferengi materialized in the cell, their joy at getting out of of the damaged Escape Module was quickly replaced by anger at finding themselves incarcerated.

"Ok, let's send Tu-Selok over to check on what they had with them over there" Steiner instructed "Keep a lock on her, that Module's pretty far gone"

The Vulcan Deputy disappeared and Steiner went back to greet their passengers. "Welcome aboard gentlemen" He said with a thin smile " You are being detained for questioning concerning the murder of one Duredk, a fellow Ferengi, whom I believe you were acquainted with...." He proceeded to read them their legal rights under the Federation Code of Justice.

"You got nothing Steiner!" Klatec replied baring his teeth "We don't know nothing about Duredk!" There was more than a trace of uncertainty in his voice though. "We aint seen him in a week and we ain't saying nothing! We'll be out in one day Steiner! One day! You got nothing!"

"Your legal right and your choice" Steiner acknowledged, although by the look of the three of them he'd clearly got them worried. Just a touch too much false bravado he figured.

Five minutes later Tu-Selok was back "What did you find?" He asked her, they'd already seen the Ferengi running around with what looked liked looted goods, back on the station during the evacuation.

"Quite a lot of valuable merchandise Chief:" Tu-Selok showed him images on her Marshal's PaDD. The compartment of the Escape Module was strewn with valuables. Everything from boxes of latinum, pieces of art work; boxes of jewelry and jems; piles of expensive clothes, including some jackets that only the most extravagant Ferengi would ever wear and even a couple of pieces of furniture; as well as several pieces of luggage.

"Looks like they had themselves quite the shopping spree" Steiner commented "Any weapons?"

Tu-Selok shook her head "Nothing that I could see or that showed up on a security scan Chief"

"Huh, that so..." Steiner was surprised, he'd expected Klatec and his little gang to have an illicit phaser or two. But it seemed Klatec didn't even have the weapons he's carried when he and Steiner had fought in the Box of Delights "Alright, well let's get the hatch security sealed and once that Rescue Shuttle has towed the Module back to the station we'll do a full inventory and take it all in as evidence. With luck some of that loot might have belonged to our murder victim."

"Tevlet, take us home" Steiner called forward.


[FMS Precinct]

Three hours later they had the three Ferengi transferred into the Precinct's holding cells; booked and bio-printed. Steiner had written up the probable-cause charges to hold them for the mandatory seventy-two hours and those were transmitted to the sector Federation Juridical branch to formally record the arrests. Steiner also had Tevlet forward the bio-scans to the FMS Sector Office to check for outstanding warrants.

Tu-Selok had been down to the hanger and inventoried the contents of the Escape Module and enlisted some assistance from Security to secure all of the items in one of their evidence storage compartments. A number of pieces of jewelry and some of the artwork had labels on them indicating they had come from Promenade merchants. More than likely looted during the evacuation was Steiner's opinion and he would go down to speak with the store owners later.

The three of them were sat in the conference room discussing the interview plan for the investigation. "We've got them separated and I want to start with the two henchmen first, Jataqu and Leharl. We walk them both past Klatec's cell and leave him sweat a little" Steiner said "I think one of those two is going to give us something we can use on Klatec and I'm open to deals if they want to cooperate"

Further talk was interrupted by a beeping from the comm panel on the reception desk. Tevlet went to answer it and came back a moment later.

"Chief, there's some lawyer by the name of Valentina Vasilyeva on subspace" He said "Asked for you by name and says they represent Klatec and his boys!"

Steiner was surprised, Klatec and his team had been processed but so far they had not given them their statutory communications access. Yet already word had got out of the arrest and now a lawyer was calling him by name....

"Alright" he said, gathering his composure and pointing to the conference room screen "Put them through"

When the screen cleared and the face appeared - Human, female, pale skinned and dark hair slicked back into a chignon. Pale blue eyes like phasers skewered him the moment the connestion was made

Steiner said "Hello, I'm Chief Deputy Marshal Wolfgang Steiner, and you are?"

"Valentina Vasilyeva, Marshal Steiner. I am Counsel for Messrs Klatec, Jetaqu and Leharl. I am enroute to DS5, but wished to speak my clients via secure channel before I get there. "

Steiner nodded "They have not actually been formally charged yet Ms Vasilyeva, we are still in a probable-cause stage of the investigati - "

"An individual has a right to representation, and to speak with that representation as soon after arrest as is feasible. I know you don't wish to contravene the rights my clients have when arrested under Federation law. I'm quite sure your procedures are followed scrupulously in that regard. And whilst subspace radio is an unusual channel, it is not without precedent.

"That is correct Ms Vasilyeva" Steiner agreed, not letting the woman's interruption get to him "And of course the Marshal's Service always complies with Federation legislation. However, as you are not yet here in person, you would need to be officially documented as the suspect's attorney of record. That would be a form FL-206.18 which needs to be filed with..." He stopped when the lawyer held up a legal PaDD showing the necessary form.

"Ah yes, that's the one. That needs to be filed and certified by your local office of the central... " The lawyer changed the PaDD's screen, now it showed a Court Seal. " Which I see you've already done. Thank you Ms Vasilyeva, now if you could you forward me a cop...." Steiner stopped again as he saw her tapping commands into her terminal. A moment later there was a beep from the comms terminal.

"Thank you," He gave her a thin smile "Please give me a few moments to confirm the details. I'll be right back" He tapped the hold button, blanking off his panel. "Efficient lil so and so, isn't she!" He muttered "Tu-Selok grab that file!"

The Vulcan returned with the downloaded file on a PaDD and Steiner scanned through it. Everything looked in order, she had filed the correct applications with the Federation's Central Court office on Vulcan and was now officially recognized as the attorney for all three of his suspects. He checked the time stamp on the document, by the look of it she'd got some judge out of bed to approve her application. Whoever she was, she had some legal clout for sure, but why was she representing these three lowlifes?

"Just which firm is she with?" He asked out loud as he accessed another part of the document "Anybody ever heard of her or these people, Luckman Harran & Partners based on Coridan?" He hadn't personally, they were not one of the usual criminal defense firms he had dealt with in the past.

Tevlet and Tu-Selok shook their heads, the names were new to them too.

Steiner sighed "Alright, she gets to talk to them. Tevlet, set up a link into the detention cells, open the channel controls so she can set her own encryption and make sure we turn off the audio recorder in the cells. Video stays on, she's only entitled to out-of hearing conversation, not out-of-sight. Just shut off any cameras that point directly at the in-cell screens. Don't want to get accused of lip-reading!" He said sourly.

"Got it Chief" teh Andorian replied

"Okay, here we go" He lifted the hold and resumed his conversation with Vasilyeva "Thank you for holding Ms Vasilyeva. Everything appears to be in order. I am arranging for you to be linked to your clients. We will open the channel controls so that you can set your own encryption protocols. I will also temporarily turn off audio recording in the cell block for the duration of your contact."

"Thank you, Marshall."

"I assume your clients will request we await your arrival before interviewing them?" Steiner asked, already knowing the answer. He could drag them in to the interview room and start questioning them but all they had to do was ask for their lawyer to be present and he'd have to stop anyway. Never hurt to try though.

"In an infinitely diverse universe it is possible they will not wish to wait. But I would prepare for waiting."

"Of course. You understand that will stop the clock on their probable-cause hold time" He said. He had seventy-two hours to investigate, interview and charge a suspect from the time of arrest. Then he either had to apply to a court for an extension or release them. If they were waiting for a Attorney of Record to be present at the suspect's request that stopped the clock on the seventy two hours, until such time as the lawyer arrived and it started again. It was double edged sword, they could not question suspects but they got extra time to do additional investigations.

"Your adherence to procedure is reassuring," Vasilyva replied, "But as I said, I am already en route. I should arrive in two hours, your delay will be minimal."

"I should also warn you there has been a major emergency here" Steiner explained "The station is still at Yellow Alert and so your inbound ship may be del-" She cut him off again

"I've included that in my estimation, Marshall."

"Of course. Is there anything else I can assist you with Ms Vasilyeva?" He asked, keeping a neutral tone. "If not I'll put you through to your clients"

"Thank you, Marshall. Your cooperation is noted."

Once the screen went blank Steiner turned to Tu-Selok "Get down to the Promenade, find the merchants who were looted, have them identify the items we found with Klatec and have them sign complaints! I'd like to tack on a whole load of felony theft charges as well as murder"

"Yes Chief " She acknowledged and headed out.

"Tevlet, monitor the channel. We can't listen in, but I'd like to know how long they are talking for"

The Andorian nodded and went off to his technical suite.

Steiner sat back in his chair and activated his terminal. Time to find out just who Miss Valentina Vasilyeva was, who her firm Luckman Harran was and why she was representing three minor league scumbags!

A few moments searching and he found her, a junior partner at Luckman Harran, a company so painfully discreet that it it didn't seem to have any clients at all. A few more moments showed them representing an assortment of individuals, all linked to the Orion Syndicate.

Huh... Klatec's a bigger fish than he seems then Steiner thought Or, he's got big-fish friends who don't want him in here talking to me!

To Be Continued...





Chief Deputy W Steiner
Deputy Technician Tevlet
Deputy Tu-Selok
FMS

Klatec & Crew
NPC By George

Ms V Vasilyeva
Attorney At law
Luckman Harran & Partners
NPC By Notty

 

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