Discoveries

Posted on Tue Jan 18th, 2011 @ 7:06pm by Lieutenant Colonel Anastasia DeVries & Lieutenant Xylia Lischka & Petty Officer 2nd Class Wally Ruiz

Mission: Hippocratic Hijacking
Location: Security Offices, USS Arizona
Timeline: Following 'Booms in the Dark'

[Security Office]
[Deck 7]
[USS Arizona]

Having returned from the mess commonly known as the SS North Star, Stace S. DeVries decided a more direct approach was needed in terms of figuring out just what the hell had actually occurred on the vessel at hand. Surely, there was no denying the fact that space pirates had somehow obtained the knowledge of what the vessel was carrying and more so the extreme value of it, but there was something else that just wasn't sitting right with the Major. Something that was beginning to work her brain into a frenzy.

"Alright, listen up," Stace interjected as she marched into the room and eyed those sitting about their desks. "We got a situation on our hands and it needs some heavy lifting right about now."

Removing the possibility for anyone to get a word in edge wise, the red head continued her movement into the room until she was front and center and eyes locked. "As you are all aware the SS North Star ran into a bit of... difficulty recently. Apparently the vessel was carrying some highly rare and highly valuable medical supplies that were shockingly enough stolen via a rather professional hijacking team of space pirates. No, I assure you... I did not make this up. After doing some investigating within the cargo bay area where said merchandise was taken from, I discovered a few interesting things. The first being... there were traces of both argine and sorium along several blast points and the second being the indisputable fact that a phased polaron rifle had been fired in the same location."

Taking a deep breath, Stace crossed her arms against her chest. "Obviously this points us in several directions. As we should know, argine and sorium are Ferengi based explosive compounds... which would be available to just about anyone with enough latinum to afford it. However, a phased polaron rifle? That is strictly a Jem'Hadar used weapon and would be almost impossible to find now that they have retreated back to the Gamma Quadrant."

Releasing her arms and issuing both Lieutenant jg Xylia Lischka and Petty Officer Wally Ruiz an inquiring glare, the Major took a deep breath. "Anyone have any idea where that leaves us?"

Petty Officer Ruiz, or Ru, as he preferred to be called, looked from the Major to the Lieutenant and waited a pause before speaking. Afterall, he was only an NCO; most of these meetings had always happened with officers only, as was certainly the case on the Swiftsure, then the Drew Roche and finally the Sentinel. Now that he was, for all intents and purposes the senior enlisted man in the department, it was his responsibility to work closely with the Department Head, which is this case was the Major. "Uh, could it be that there are still a few rogue Jem'Hadar units left from the war," he asked. Even he found it unlikely, being the war had been over for many years now, and the Jem'Hadar only lived to be seven or eight years old, but it would at least get the idea out there and considered.

Lieutenant JG Xylia Lischka got to her feet when the Major walked in. Being that the redhead woman was her superior, it was the respectful thing to do. She gave thought to what she heard, allowing it to roll in her mind momentarily before speaking. Petty Officer Ruiz had a point. What if there were some rogue Jem'Hadar hiding somewhere? It seemed like it would be a long shot, but it wasn't necessarily impossible. Then again, there was also the Ferengi compounds to take into account.

"Petty Officer Ruiz might be on to something. Could it be possible there are rogue Jem'Hadar working with the Ferengi?"

Stace considered the possibilities before turning her attention back towards her desk. "I suppose the only way to know for sure is to do some further investigating. Let's see what the old sources have to tell us."

Receiving nods of agreement, the Major accessed the database before her and began scanning the local area for any reports of recent criminal activity with smuggling and/or rare weapons involved. Unfortunately for her the results were limited and it was becoming clear that she was on the high road to absolutely no where. Desperate times call for desperate measures, she thought to herself as she swirled around in her chair and entered some commands on the viewscreen in front of her.

"Don't tell me you've done something stupid," the voice of Brigadier General Brett J. Michaels greeted the red head as his face came into view.

Looking shocked by the accusation, Stace folded her arms against her chest and leaned back into her seat. "Of course not! You shouldn't think such things of me. I've called for business reasons I assure you!"

"Just what sort of business?" the old man grunted as he raised an eyebrow curiously.

Stace leaned forward a bit and sighed. "I need to find some smugglers. But not just any smugglers. I mean some super badass rare dealing weapon smugglers. The type even more super badass space pirates would associate with. I got some highly valuable medical supplies missing and I need to find them like yesterday."

"It's funny you should mention that," Brett retorted with a lazy stroke of his short beard. "Amanda contacted me earlier in regards to some problems within the neutral zone... I wonder if they're connected."

The Major felt her ears tingle at the mention of the usually shrouded woman. "I need you to cross reference this as soon as possible."

"Give me half an hour," came the quick response as the screen suddenly went black.

"Boy... I just love when he does that," Stace mumbled as she took to reclining in her chair again.

Xylia looked up from her desk. "Did you say something?"

"Oh, just talking to myself... I do that a lot it seems," Stace explained.

The Lieutenant nodded in understanding. "Anything I can do?"

"I don't think so," the Major replied. "I got the General trying to crunch out some leads for me. This sector of space can be a real bitch sometime."

And that alone was certainly no lie. The Romulan Neutral Zone was always a hub for some bizarre activity. Twiddling her thumbs, Stace took a few moments to herself and thought about the times she had once spent in this area. Years ago she had been assigned to this region of space - an assignment that didn't end in the manner that she would have liked. However, before she could tread too far down memory lane, her viewscreen started beeping.

"That was quicker than I expected," Stace greeted the man as he appeared before her again.

Brett shrugged indifferently. "What can I say? I know how to work some miracles."

"I'll be the judge of that," Stace scoffed. "Anyways, what do you have for me? Something epic I hope."

The General took a moment to sip his coffee before breaking out in a smirk. "Apparently there's a small outpost on the edge of the neutral zone... I'd start there. You might be glad you did."

And without so much of another word, Stace was up from her desk and out the door.