Episode 7a "Single Night and a
Running Man"
STARDATE 2402.15
Starfleet Command has transferred Security
Chief Leone off the Essex for special assignment. For the next few weeks, Lt. Comm. Leone
is under the command of Starfleet Intelligence. Starfleet Intelligence required certain
information from a group suspected to be, or involved with, an Orion pirate ring operating
within Federation held space. Starfleet hoped that the recovered data would create an
accurate picture of the pirate activity in the area. The mission involved dropping an
operative within their base of operations, securing the information, and returning the
information back to Starfleet for evaluation without raising any suspicions. Sergio Leone
had been chosen to conduct the mission.
A crew of independent traders had been
working with Starfleet Intelligence as undercover operatives for some time now. The
freighter, S.S. Southfield, was be able to move within the area without raising too much
suspicion. The base itself lied on a class M planetoid in the Orex star system, an
uninhabited area near the Triangle border. Despite a lukewarm reception by Captain Gomes
and his crew, the freighter used the cover of a solar flare to achieve orbit around the
planetoid. Leone beamed down outside the compound and hopefully enter from the outside.
The sun was expected to cycle a solar flare every six hours for several days. After the
mission is completed, the freighter will return to the drop off point to retrieve him.
It was believed that the pirates monitored
subspace radio traffic throughout the area, monitoring for any freighters or Starfleet
vessels. While the freighter was on its approach, the USS Arcamedes, a patrolling Nelson
class scout ship, broadcasted an open subspace communication, disguised as an ordinary
report to Starfleet. Contained within the message was a virus specifically designed to
disable the compound’s security system’s ability to detect Lt. Comm.
Leone’s life signs. Leone would be able to pass within sight of all security
detection devices while the virus functions. After 6 hours, the virus would erase itself
to avoid detection and possible examination.
The base was well secured and guarded, with high
walls and guard towers. Luckily for Leone, the guards were very undisciplined, and allowed
him to gain access inside the base. With equipment provided by Starfleet Intel, he easily
managed to travel throughout the base. During his search, he discovers that the orions
have been catering to a klingon officer and his entourage of guards. While dowmloading the
data for Intel, he also cracked the klingon officer's portable computer and downloaded its
contents for later study.
On the lowest level, Leone noticed a group
of orions preoccupied in an adjoining room. It appeared that the orions were conducting an
interrogation on someone strapped to a chair. With them was the klingon officer, observing
from a spot in the corner of the room. The victim was Deak Lifaq, orion businessman, with
whom Chief Leone has encountered before (see Episode 3a :"The Heart of Kaha"). Seizing the
opportunity, Leone stunned the room with a grenade and carried Lifaq out. The grenade
created a bit of a ruckus, sending orion guards pourig out of nearby rooms. Leone and his
corpulant companion ducked into the hangar deck where klingon guards were standing in the
way of their escape: an armed klingon shutlecraft. A well placed wide angle phaser shot
dispensed with the guards, and just in time, as the orions entered the bay. Leone barely
managed to drag Lifaq inside the shuttle as disruptor fire pounded the hull. The shuttle
rocked from incoming fire until Leone managed to swing the shuttle's weapons around and
lay waste to the hangar deck.
A brief series of close calls entering the shuttle
into space as the base's disruptor batteries tried to bring down the shuttle. Once out of
range, Leone moved the shuttle into a nearby asteroind field and waited. Orions ships
began entering the system, presumably to evacuate the base. While waiting for their ship
to rendevous, Lifaq told of how the klingons apparently had him captured because of his
involvement with the theft of their secret weapon plans and the destruction of one of
their warships (see Episode
3a :"The Heart of Kaha").
Several hours later, long after the orions
abandon the system, the destroyer USS Coral Sea, entered the system to retrive the
shuttle and return Leone and Lifaq to Starbase 11 for debriefing. During a quiet time,
Leone managed copy the information he obtained from the orion base and secured them for
personal study.
Stardate 2407.12 Supplemental:
The USS Essex has been ordered to Starbase 2
for routine inspection and scheduled maintenance. The captain has an appointment to meet
with Commodore Wesley the day after arrival. The remaining crew are free to spend time on
the orbital station during off duty hours.
The USS Hastings, a Larson Class destroyer, is docked
here at Starbase 2. Captain Curp knows the captain of the Hastings, Lance Anderson from
the last time the Essex docked here. They share an unusual interest for the sport of
bowling.
Stardate 2407.12
Capt. Curp
The Commodore has become very comfortable with
the Captain over the last year and speaks with a friendly frankness. He tells the Captain
that Starfleet will be conducting an internal investigation of his ship and crew, citing
the events of the last several months, specifically the incident with the Doctor coupled
with an extensive exposure of the crew to sensitive information. Although no charges have
been brought against him specifically, Starfleet Internal Affairs wants to conduct an
investigation to ease any future misgivings. When the investigation is to begin
hasn’t been determined, but, it will certainly begin before the Essex goes back onto
patrol.
On a lighter note, the Commodore is happy to
inform the Captain that his first officer, Randall Baxter has been promoted to Captain. He
leaves for the USS Zukov, a Loknar class frigate. This leaves the Captain with the choice
of promoting of his officers to the position, or having Starfleet assign one.
Stardate 2407.12
Chief Eng McGillicutty
Engineer McGillicutty encounters Lt. Commander
Ramos, the engineer of the Hastings. He said that he had heard of his inquiries about the
disappearance of his father’s transport through the ‘grapevine’ as he calls
it. He hands McGillicutty a computer disk with readings from a deep space observatory near
the Gorn border. It shows a high level of background tachyon interference in that
particular area of space. He explains that most researchers attribute high tachyon levels
to fluctuations in stellar matter, like the cores of certain large stars and changes in
the gravitational fields of binary and trinary star systems. However, mechanics know that
warp accidents also create tachyon residue, though not usually to such a great
degree.
Note on Cornelius Monk: A financier of Alpha
Centauran descent, the Monk family (Centaur Financial Group, LTD.) owns several business
interests, including a string of luxury resorts in several systems throughout the
Federation. Robert McGillicutty met Cornelius Monk during a trade conference on Babel.
They made fast friends and kept in frequent contact over the years. They frequently
discussed trade matters, because both of their livelihoods depended on good trade. Robert
McGillcutty’s bureaucratic influence has helped Cornelius on more than a few
occassions. In turn, Monk’s business contacts have turned the tide of several
negotiations for McGillicutty. The family has met the stout man on several
occasions, though his personal life runs more in the business arena. He sent condolences
to the family when Robert’s disappearance was announced, but did not attend the
memorial service.
General facts: Robert McGillicutty’s
transport was one of 143 ships lost throughout the year. Most were lost due to natural
phenomenon. Ships lost due to mechanical failure were second most common. 36 vessels
were lost to known pirate activity. 26 vessels were lost, listed as ‘unknown’.
Stardate 2407.12
Security Chief Leone
After examination of the information from the
Klingon computer terminal that Leone downloaded, he discovers that the Commander
K’latnur, the Klingon officer on the Orion base, was dispatched from the IKV Tong to
acquire the Orion pirate boss, Deak Lifaq for interrogation. The Tong was to return to
pick up K’latnur on an undisclosed date (at least as far as the files tell). The
Commander lists the cruiser’s course coordinates in a secured file, undoubtedly for
selfish purposes known only to him. The name of the destination is not mentioned,
nor is the nature of the mission.
Stardate 2407.12
Nostrilla Flonaise
Both Plazir and Amell send their condolences
the Jackson and his family. In regards to her inquiry about the disappearance of Robert
Jackson, they have very little to offer. They do, however, make a historic comparison
between space travel and early sea voyages and the treacherous and tragic losses
travelling in the great expanse.