Another Intel Ship?

Posted on Sat Sep 7th, 2019 @ 11:42am by Rear Admiral Farenia Meowlith & Captain Enalia Telvan & Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox
Edited on on Sun Sep 22nd, 2019 @ 6:25pm

Mission: Family Detention
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: 2396

Captain Enalia Telvan had learned that not only one of her officers had been kidnapped, but the mother of that officer as well and had ordered an investigation be started as to how it had happened. Mona Gonadie was already back aboard and the initial interrogation with Baroness Sienae Nei'rrh, under the supervision of herself and Baroness Marelith had already been conducted to rule out the possibility that the Baroness herself was involved and she was investigating the Romulan Baronesses crew that had obtained the dinner pass and knew of the Dox family plans on the evening when the kidnapping had occurred. It would be a long series of interrogations, however, and Mona was allowed to witness the proceedings only with one of the other Artan family Miradonians in attendance as well as sensors tracking for lies and deception.

After all, Enalia had to concede to Marelith that checks and balances remain in place with neutral parties on all sides to remove all doubt. If one of the people interrogated showed a sign of deception on any of the three's senses, they would investigate further, but until then they would assume innocence.

However, Enalia had quickly determined in talking to the Miradonian R&D chief that the brutal attack she had witnessed where her wife and mother-in-law were taken from her by force had emotionally compromised and newly pregnant Mona far too much. As such, when Mona requested to be removed from duty, Enalia felt it was likely for the best at least for now.

Reviewing those initial roundup reports, Enalia hummed over the lineup. They had thirteen likely suspects, but only three really stood out as having the opportunity throughout the whole affair - assuming there were only one or two agents in play, that is. The one that scheduled the dinner, the one that got the free meal voucher, and the one that provided flight plan clearance.

As she was mulling over the details of each piece and wondering just what the Tal'Shiar wanted with the Dox's, a conference call came in from Intel Command. As the screen popped up, she recognized Commodore Meowlith, but not the Captain. "Commodore, what an unexpected surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Farenia smiled warmly as she saw the face of her one-time lover and old friend. "It's good to see you Enalia. Unfortunately, we've got a bit of an issue in addition to what you've reported. Nothing new there, right? If you're done playing pirate with your family, the Persephone, our newest addition to the Intel fleet, could use your help with tracking down a cloaked ship in Federation space we suspect is involved with Titan research. Unfortunately, I'm already late for another meeting with the admiralty, so I'll have to let Captain Naraan explain the situation to you. And please... Both of you... Try not to fight each other." With that, the feed from the Commodore cut out and the two Captains were left staring at each other.

In the center of the screen was the image of a tall, stern-looking woman in command crimson. Her eyes had a half-lidded, judgmental expression and her jet black hair was up in a large bun on the back of her head, and between the slightly olive complexion not unlike Lieutenant Dox's and the slight points on the tips of her ears, she had the aire of a Vulcanoid race about her.

Tilting her head slightly, she began to speak. "Good day, Captain Telvan. My name is Captain Naraan Seria of the Starship Persephone. I trust this is not a bad time?" Noting that Farenia had referred to her rank and first name, a naming convention of the Cervan people, Enalia deduced along with her only slightly pointed ears that she was speaking to that somewhat rare offshoot of the Vulcan race.

"Not at all, Captain. It's an honor to make your acquaintance." For a hair's breadth, Enalia had almost said pleasure, but then she remembered that Cervan culture prided themselves on honor, just as her prior Intel Chief had and hoped the other Captain hadn't noticed anything. "We've recently had two crew kidnapped by Tal'Shiar agents, but the USS Hera will provide whatever assistance we are able to."

Maintaining her authoritarian air, the bunned Captain answered, "As the Commodore indicated, we have evidence of the incursion of a cloaked ship into our space and perhaps our purposes are aligned. There are several details that have been deduced that make the implications distressing. A fairly well-hidden sensor net picked up at least one cloaked ship crossing the Neutral Zone twelve galactic days ago. We have rather advanced sensors and there was a residual ion signature captured in the net during the event."

"Over those twelve days, that same minute ion signature was detected in several locations in Federation space. The ion signature of a Leosa Class Warbird. First at Galordan Core, picked up by a sensor array left behind in the former location of Starbase 336. A second in the newly minted 'Dedjoy System'. You can, I imagine, presume that Intel command is quite concerned regarding the implications inherent in these... coincidences." The Cervan Captain raised an eyebrow at the implication.

"That is rather concerning... And it may explain why my two crewmembers were kidnapped." Without hesitation, Enalia pulled up the access systems for Mnhei'sahe and Jaeih and locked them out, just to be safe, then issued orders for all command codes to be randomized to a new set. "Both of those were locations of Titans and we were involved with both incidences. The Dedjoy system itself, we had to unload four genesis torpedoes onto Primordius. If you scan the systems touched by Gaia, you're likely to find more traces of the same ship."

The spotted Captain leaned back in her chair and pursed her lips for a moment in thought. "And it's highly likely that this ship is being targeted specifically. We have the only relatively accessible complete set of scans from all three events."

"Intriguing hypothesis, Captain. We shall check the sensor nets that correspond with those locations." Captain Naraan commented, gesturing off-screen indicating she was deferring that task to someone at that very moment. "However, you should know that the last detected location of the signal was registered at the Tellar Prime substation. The sector is on alert, but the coordinates indicate the ship in question is rapidly returning to the Neutral Zone at maximum Warp.

"Most likely en route to Romulus then, and with our kidnapped crewmembers." Enalia logged the information and sent out orders to collect her people still on Vulcan and make haste for Romulan space. "I don't suppose your vessel has similar stealth systems to what ours does? Would you be able to enter the neutral zone undetected?"

With a bit of a wry grin that clarified that, while Vulcanoid, Captain Naraan was no Vulcan, she replied. "We have some stealth shielding. Nothing quite as advanced as the Hera's fabled systems, however. And the latest Intel suggests that the Romulans have erected sensor nets of their own that we most certainly would trip. However the more important question is if either of us has authorization from Intel Command to even try?"

"Have your lost lambs been deemed valuable enough to risk an act of war if a rescue attempt is discovered?" She leaned in with a strange look on her face that wasn't quite curiosity and wasn't quite sarcasm. It was something one might expect from a Caitian eyeing a meal.

It was Enalia's turn to grin, but hers was her usual piratical lopsided grin that indicated that she didn't give a crap. "If I asked Command what they thought, they'd tell me to cut my losses and let the diplomats on both sides work it out, while both sides denied the existence of everything they were talking about."

She then leaned in closer to the screen. "But I know that one or both of them have information that we can't let fall into the hands of anyone researching protomatter weaponry, the Titans, or anything remotely like that. So guess where I'm headed. Mother-chankin Romulus. And I bet that's where this ship of yours is heading right now, as well."

Enalia then leaned back in her chair. "And I know the Commodore told you we have the fleet's most powerful ship-based tachyon detection grid strapped to us. So... Are we helping each other then?"

Leaning back, the woman on the screen and spoke off-screen. "Ensign Reilly, what's our ETA to the Tellar prime sensor station?"

From the background came a young man's voice replying, "At current speed, we will arrive at the last known location of our mystery ship in six point three days, Captain."

Smirking, Captain Naraan shrugged at the screen. "It seems we are en route in no particular direction that may or may not align with a certain ionic breadcrumb trail as we speak. What an amazing coincidence, Captain."

"Well then, once I pick up the remainder of my crew from Vulcan, I suggest we calculate the most likely crossing point of our prey and proceed from there. Are we in agreement, Captain Naraan?" Enalia had been upset at the loss of her Flight Control Chief and friend, but now she had a trail to follow and there was no way she would allow them to get away.

"You mean these calculations based on the last telemetry?" Naraan gestured off screen as a private message came across Enalia's private message server. "Looking forward to meeting you and yours in person, Captain. Subspace messages that never happened are so... Impersonal."

The spotted Trill smiled more softly. "Yes they are. We'll have to have dinner. My wife is an amazing cook. Safe travels, Captain."