The starship captain shook his head.  “I’ll think of something,” he mumbled. Commander Vaughn showed another picture of the CCC building, this time from a bird’s eye view.  It showed the building to be surrounded by a moat.  For what reason, no one could discern.  “As you can see, the CCC is surrounded by a moat,” Vaughn said, pointing it out on the picture.  “I’m not sure how, but it’s possible that we could use it to our advantage.” “Don’t they have people that specialize in this kind of stuff?” Lieutenant Hardy asked no one in particular. Lieutenant Commander Ames nodded and turned to her.  “Yes, they do,” he answered.  “Most of the time an assignment such as this would go to the Stealth Squadron, but they’re...unavailable.” “On assignment, I take it?” asked Fleury.  Ames replied with a nod. “How far out from the CCC are we?” Mansel asked his helmsman. Broadaway checked his chrono.  “Approximately two hours.” “Alright, Ames, I don’t know if we’re going to go surface or not, but if we do, I want a team of your best Security Men ready to go.  Vaughn, you’ll be going with them.” The stocky Executive Officer nodded.  “Wouldn’t have it any other way.” “That’s all for now, we can’t waste a lot of time in here,” Mansel concluded.  “Broadaway, set us a course to Jupiter, come in on a cautious approach vector.” “Aye, Captain.” “Let’s move.” “How large will I need my team, sir?” Lieutenant Commander Ames asked as the officers were filing out the room. Mansel shook his head.  “I don’t know yet,” he confessed.  “I have no plan whatsoever.  Might just go blind on this one.  As for right now, just get some men together.  I’ll give you the word to add or subtract later.” USS Explorer 12:23 SET 2185 “We’re a good ways out sir,” Broadaway informed Mansel, who was standing beside his chair. Mansel nodded and paced back and forth behind the center seat.  “What do the long range sensors show?” “Nothing yet sir,” replied Lieutenant Talaj from her post behind Mansel.  “We’re still too far out to tell anything as of yet.” Mansel shook his head and squeezed the back of his chair.  There was no way one ship could manage to pull this off.  He either needed to have a few more ships, or make Marauder think he had a few more ships.  He frowned as he rubbed at his chin.  “We gotta figure out a way to see what it looks like around Jupiter.”  He looked over at Commander Vaughn who had his gaze locked on the viewscreen.  “What about Marauder himself?” Mansel asked.  “Do you think he’s down on the surface or on a ship somewhere?” Vaughn shrugged.  “No way of knowing,” he said.  “If I had to suspect, I’d say down on the surface.” “Why?” “Be easier to run things then by surface-to-ship communication.” “That’s a good point,” Mansel mumbled to himself.  “What about Marauder’s ship?  Do we have any info on that?” Vaughn crossed the bridge and sat down at an empty console.  “We can find out.”  After a few minutes of searching, he found a likely result.  “Here we are,” he announced, transferring the data to Mansel’s data screen on his command chair.  “The Constantine, reported stolen some years ago by a freight company.  Marauder turned up with it about three years after it was reported.” Mansel glanced at the specs of the ship as he leaned over the back of his chair.  “Hmm.  Seems to be pretty heavily modified, mostly for offensive purposes.  Safe to say that the Constantine is out there somewhere.” “Mansel,” said Vaughn, “we’re going to have to risk being seen; we have to see what we’re up against.  Without information, we can develop  no plan.” For a moment, their eyes locked and Vaughn could tell what was bothering Mansel.  Marauder had been eluding the grasp of the legendary Admiral Blackbird for years; who knew what would happen to them.  Mansel had no plan, and it was doubtful that he’d have one after they attempted their suicide surveillance run.  This was too much to place upon a rookie starship captain. Mansel finally gave in.  “Alright,” he conceded.  “A high speed pass, get everything you can in one go.  Talaj, take in as much data as you can; Vaughn, cover their reaction time; and Hardy, see if you can cut in on their communications.”  He stopped pacing and sat down in his chair.  “Broadaway, get us a course ready.” “Aye, sir.”  Mansel rubbed at his chin again as he sat in his chair, leaned forward.  It was risky but necessary, he knew.  He rubbed his sweaty palms against the arms of the chair.  Broadaway called that he had his course plotted.  Mansel sprang out the chair and strode up behind the Navigator to check it out. Vaughn met him there.  With a sidelong glance, he asked Mansel, “well, Mansel, what do you think?”