Post #110: Too Perfect
Posted on Wed Oct 23rd, 2024 @ 3:59pm by Lieutenant V'Lar & Major Charlotte Thrace
Edited on on Wed Oct 23rd, 2024 @ 4:05pm
734 words; about a 4 minute read
Mission: Obsidian
"You have got to be kidding me." V'Lar said from the intelligence alcove at the back of the bridge moments after Jordan had left, looking at where Charlotte was standing against the bridge wall she sighed "Is he always like that?"
"Oh yeah." Charlotte said "He's always been the type who itches to get stuck into the action. That's sort of what makes him a half decent First Officer." she giggled "He'd be a great First Officer if he slowed down once in a while and assessed the risk before jumping."
There was an element of truth to this, especially given the situation at hand, the Arbazan's were a technologically advanced people, former members of the Federation it was impossible for them not to know that the Calvary was on their planet, so first question was why had the authorities not reported it to the Federation? There were a good few possibilities to that almost all of which went out of the window with the report that the Arbazan's weren't answering hails that to quote an old earth saying had both V'Lar's and Charlotte's 'spider sense tingling' it screamed suspicious behaviour, it screamed trap and all of which begged the question - why were they seemingly determined to walk into it? Years earlier Charlotte had clashed with Jordan on this point, as a marine she assessed risk differently. Starfleet was not, never had been and never would be a military outfit, the marines and fighter pilots were as close as Starfleet came to having a military element so how the marines and fighter squadrons evaluated risk differed from how the average Starfleet Captain did. Charlotte's threshold of risk was usually much lower because she was normally going in somewhere with battle hardened, combat trained marines who knew all the signs, how to shoot, how to fight, what the protocols were etc. This situation well it was weird to have the shoe on the other foot because taking people including a diplomat, doctor and counsellor down into an unknown situation was not an acceptable risk to her.
"Calvary's a Sutherland class right?" Charlotte said, as the pair headed off the bridge.
"Yes," V'Lar said "Looks like the Nebula Class of last century."
"So why wouldn't we be reading life signs?" Charlotte asked
"Could be any number of things." V'Lar said looking at a PADD "That ridge is in a mountain range, so weather might impact sensors, geology might impact, the cold temperature may impact especially if systems aboard the Calvary are not operating as they should."
"Anything that would explain the Arbazan's not saying a word?" Charlotte asked
"Five options." V'Lar said "One it's a trap, but then why not dangle a lure? Two faulty equipment on their end, three faulty equipment on our end, four despite all probability they don't know the Calvary is here, or five someone isn't being completely honest and the locals know the Calvary's here."
"Lovely." Charlotte said "I'll hope for anything but a trap. You got a cargo manifest for the Calvary?"
"Yep." V'Lar said bringing it up on the PADD and showing it to Charlotte "Looks like they were running cargo between worlds and got caught by the Cardassians out at Corinth."
"I sense a but coming." Charlotte said
"And I thought I was the telepath." V'Lar said "But it's too perfect. Most people wouldn't spot it but all these supplies are just what would be needed for a supply run along the Calvary's mission route. All in just the right amounts."
"Legend?" Charlotte asked
"Possibly." V'Lar said "No matter how many times I look at the immediate problem the Cardassian question keeps rearing its head. Because you and I both know that we're talking a resurgent Obsidian Order not the Cardassians en masse. So what would prompt the Obsidian Order to send a ship after the Calvary? It's pretty odd given where Corinth is, there's nothing of strategic interest out here. The Calvary has to have been carrying something or... someone that the Cardassians want."
"Question is who or what." V'Lar said
"And the only way we find that out is to get down there and get inside the ship." Charlotte said
"I hope you have an idea how to get in there." V'Lar said
"One or two." Charlotte said
**********
First Lieutenant Charlotte Thrace
Marine CO
Starbase Obsidian
Lieutenant Junior Grade V'Lar
Chief Intelligence Officer
Starbase Obsidian
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