In Collusion, or Useful Idiot?

Posted on Mon Oct 8, 2018 @ 3:17pm by Commander Caleb Ryan & Captain Maritza Soran & Lieutenant Annora Tessaro

1,788 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Victory Conditions
Location: VIP Suite 12, Deck Deck 24
Timeline: MD 09 10.30

[ON]

Caleb put a hand on Annora’s shoulder, stopping her before they headed into the conference room. They were using the admiral’s quarters instead of a normal interrogation room in deference to Admiral T’Vell’s rank until they had something more solid and concrete.

“Remember ta tread lightly,” Caleb told Annora. “Until we get somethin’ t’ sink our teeth into, she’s still an admiral an’ can make our careers a livin’ hell if we piss her off. If she’s obstinate or uncooperative, Ah’ll let the leash off. After we get that on the record.”

Allowing herself to smile a bit, Annora acknowledged her superior’s advice. "In other words, don't go charging in making a bunch of accusations. We're just here for a friendly conversation with the Admiral. As she had a hand in the project, it's only natural we ask is she has any insight."

“Exactly.” Caleb flashed Annora a smile, letting friendliness settle on his face before he hit the controls for the door. His upbringing told him he should let Annora go first, as a lady, but he was the superior officer, so he stepped through.

“Admiral T’Vel,” Caleb greeted. “Thank ya for meeting with us. This is Lieutenant Annora Tessaro, acting Chief of Security. Ah hope ya don’t mind if she asks ya a few questions about this mess that happened with yer project. Can Ah get ya’ll anythin’?” He headed over to the replicator.

Admiral T'vel sat at her desk, back straight, the usual Vulcan mask of her features revealing nothing. She still wore her Starfleet uniform, freshly replicated. "No, Commander. I believe we should not delay any further. Lieutenant, ask your questions."

“Fair enough,” Caleb said. Still, he got a water and put it on the desk beside the admiral before getting himself a coffee. He was here as a courtesy to the admiral’s rank, and to keep Annora in line. He didn’t think she would step out, but it was better to protect Tessaro with his presence.

"No drinks for me, thank you, Admiral. Let the record show, you have not been charged with anything in connection to recent events."

With that out of the way, Annora started with baseline questions, partly to ensure they were on the same page and partly to judge the admiral's reaction. It would be a bit harder with a Vulcan, but it didn't hurt to try.

"What is your official role in the project?"

T'Vel had her hands in her lap. They were folded neatly, no fidgeting. "I am the project sponsor. The idea to develop a new weapon was mine. I recruited the technicians and engineers who developed the systems and I recruited the captain who would command the test ship."


It matched the information already on file with the admiral being listed as the sponsor. The admiral had already made public her reasons for the weapon, and it aligned with what was laid out in the proposal, so that aspect was deemed unnecessary. The crewing of the test ship was worth looking into.

"You personally recruited Captain Tetsuro. Any particular reason?

"He had a technical background, an exemplary service record, and demonstrated clarity of thinking in the most dire circumstances. He also had an analytic and observant mind, which is ideal when handling experimental systems." There was a pause that felt like the Vulcan was going to say more, but she did not.

"Makes sense. Excluding recent events, his service record is commendable."

She'd already taken a cursory look at the captain's record as part of the investigation. Others in the department were going over it with a fine toothed comb.

"And the rest of the crew, how were they selected?"

T'Vel kept her eyes steady, but there was a pause. "Hayashi was left to select his own crew, who were vetted by Intelligence. I trusted his judgement."

That led to the question of did the Hayashi brainwash the crew, or did he select from those already a part of the Free Earth. That would be something worth looking into.

"You said the project has been in the works for five years. At what point did you start putting together a crew for the Svikari?"

"One year ago," T'Vel said promptly. "We had completed early trials, and it was time to start looking at integrating it with a ship’s system. It took four months to find a captain I was convinced had all the needed qualities. Hayashi came highly recommended by others at Starfleet Command."

“Which others?” Caleb interjected. That might be a place to make some delicate inquiries, and if certain persons Caleb suspected were interested in the project, well, he was known for making admirals jump on command.

"Admiral Ch'Thraan, Admiral Rasmussen. They both mentioned him, independent of each other, when I asked for recommendations." T’Vel fixed Caleb with a stern look. "Are you implying something, Commander?"

Caleb gave a slight shrug. “Just some threads we’re pullin’ on, seein’ what unravels, ma’am,” he told the Vulcan. He didn’t want to reveal Nick Bolero’s involvement too much just yet, though it would have to go in the official report.

"I understand you have a job to do Commander," T'vel said, "but these are career officers with pristine records. They may not appreciated you 'pulling on threads'."

“Ah understand that, sir, an’ we’ll do it as delicately as possible. But Hayashi was a career officer,” Caleb pointed out. “Don’t you wish someone had pulled on his threads a bit?"

T'Vel left a moment's silence. "You might have a point. But it is logical to trust the judgement of my peers. If a man is recommended by an admiral, it is fair to assume that man is of a standard."

“Granted. But Lord knows plenty of admirals have run with hidden agendas or alien influences. Not sayin’ you were necessarily at fault for gettin’ advice an’ heedin’ it.”

"Then what are you saying, Commander?" T'Vel's voice could have frozen nitrogen.

“Ah’m sayin’ we ain’t got a clue just how far this conspiracy is spread,” Caleb said. “Do we have another Section 31 situation? Or is this a more isolated group of fanatics? We lost good Starfleet officers on the McBride, not to mention all the Cardassians, an’ nearly startin’ a war. Ah guarantee answerin’ our questions will be easier than when Starfleet Intelligence or a review board gets ta askin’.”

With that, Caleb nodded to Tessaro to continue.

Annora made note of the other admirals who recommended the captain for the position. While she would do some cursory research, the names would be passed on to whoever took over the investigation.

"And the rest of the crew, how were they chosen?"

"Recommendations from the Office of Personnel Management, others in the Research Directorate, I imagine." T'Vel paused, her face still impassive. "Hayashi oversaw most of it."

Caleb made a few notes on his own padd. He was definitely going to need to make some inquiries himself. They definitely needed to talk to Nick Bolero before the man ended up...disappeared.

Lots of signs were pointing back to Hayashi, but he was dead. Instead of focusing on that, Annora tried to figure out any warning signs that were missed. "In retrospect, did Captain Hayashi or any other senior staff show any indications their allegiances had shifted?"

T'Vel thought. "I do not believe their allegiances ever shifted."

The Admiral's non-answer did little to help the investigation. Annora was expecting a yes or no question, with no being the likely response. "Care to elaborate, Admiral?"

"I can think of no incidents that indicate a change in perspective or a hardening of attitudes. I find it more likely that Hayashi arrived with his opinions already in place."

That actually made some sense, although it widened the scope of the investigation. "Understood. Why were the war games chosen to demonstrate the weapon?"

Caleb frowned a bit. At some point they must have changed. They had decided to kill Starfleet personnel. They could have used the stun setting on their phasers. They could have not abandoned their other sections, with one of them having a critical warp core failure that could have killed hundreds, all as a distraction to get away. Not to mention risking starting another war that would kill many.

T’Vel folded and refolded her hands, her only movement up to this point. "The project had gone so far in tests and simulations. We required some real world data to understand how the system would actually work. A wargame was the most practical solution. DS5 seemed a logical location. At the time of choosing, it was both isolated and unremarkable. But the shipyard could provide support for any damage sustained by Svikiri or other vessels."

"You said you believed the senior staff had been turned prior to their recruitment. Do you have any evidence to support that?"

She was wrapping up the questioning, but wanted to see if the admiral had any credible information on the betrayal.

"No evidence, Lieutenant. But logic suggests that to suborn such a projects so completely requires time, patience, and planning. It is not the action of someone recently converted, and to work so completely caution would require members of this conspiracy to have a long and verified commitment to the cause, to protect against covert investigation.”

“Have ya’ll ever heard of this Free Earth movement before?” Caleb asked. He hadn’t, but then he had been out of the intelligence game for five years now.

The Vulcan woman shook her head. "There have always been malcontents. Not long before I was born, as your species took its first steps into space, there was an organization called Terra Prime. With Humanity's establishment of the Federation, I believe it withered. I have not heard of any similar minded groups in this century."


Annora glanced at her data pad. Without any solid evidence to connect the admiral to the attacks, the line of questioning was limited. "That's all I have for you, Admiral. You have anything further, Commander?"

Caleb shook his head. “Thank ya for yer time, Admiral T’Vel,” he told the Vulcan woman. “Lieutenant, start the paperwork ta release the admiral from confinement. She’s free ta go. But please be available for further questions if they come up, Admiral.”

"I'm sure that many people will have questions." T'Vel gave Caleb a cool look. "Thank you for your professionalism, Commander, Lieutenant."

[OFF]

Rear Admiral T'Vel
Starfleet Security R&D
NPC by Soran

Lieutenant (jg) Annora Tessaro
Acting Chief Of Security

Commander Caleb Ryan
Executive Officer

 

RSS Feed