The Trail Goes Digital Part I
Posted on Wed Jan 24th, 2024 @ 8:01pm by Captain Marc Kidd & Lieutenant Commander Faith Benson & Lieutenant Sorine Kaida & Lieutenant Siadra Molaur & Lieutenant JG Andrew Griffin & Ensign Nala Rider & Cassandra Frost
Edited on on Wed Jan 24th, 2024 @ 8:11pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
The Sins of History
Location: Freecloud
Timeline: MD007 1000 hrs
Marc stood next to the Transporter Chief as his team assembled. He felt an overwhelming sense of pride. This was the first time they would be pursuing a perp. For Marc who had worked toward this moment from the beginning it was a momentous occasion.
Andrew had learnt very on that punctuality was very important , if you wanted to get your collar weighed down with pips. So he always made a point of being on time. Plus this whole thing about Gul Vamcet being seen in public bothered him. Why after all this time would a war criminal like this , who had been in hiding so long. Suddenly start showing his face in public? Was this tied in with his sons recent killing spree of anyone who could ID him?
“Lieutenant Junior Grade Andrew Griffin reporting for duty.” He said.
Kaida came in next, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She was due for a hair cut but there wasn't time for that right now. She'd have to put it out of her mind and keep trying to control it which would no doubt drive her nuts. But then again she never considered herself all that sane, not after the experiences of her childhood. She smiled and gave a nod to the Captain, much less formal than Andy's greeting which she'd heard on her way in. She came to a stop next to Andy.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Nala was quite excited about what was to come, as it would be her first official mission! While lab work/training was fine, being able to actually be out in the field working was an exhilarating thought!
Nala walked into the Transporter Room and for some reason, curtsied.
"Ensign Nala Rider reporting for duty, Captain!" Nala chirped with a lopsided grin.
Cassie stride into the transporter room in a short sleeve black top, black leather pants and black combat boots while carrying a deep red leather jacket over one shoulder. Around her waist was a brown leather belt with an attacked leg holster that was strapped around her right leg. In the holster sat a modified Klingon Disruptor that bore the emblem of a minor Klingon house on the grip, below which Cassie had scratched the image of an old earth Sheriffs Badge. On her belt currently sat three pairs of cuffs, each of different sizes, her standard issue tricorder, and small hypospray with several small glass tubes, each with their own colour.
Looking around at those gathered, She gave them each a nod, “alright, who’s ready for some fun?”
Nala's jaw went slack at how COOL Cassie looked!
Nala felt a little plain in a forest green long sleeve top with black pantaloons tucked into black calf length boots.
Siadra walked inside the transporter room, breathing out a sigh of relief. She hadn't missed the gathering at the tranporter pad. "Oh good, I've not missed it." She looked at the others and what they were wearing, grateful that she was wearing appropriate attire. Well what she considered appropriate. After that scare with that bug, Siadra decided to wear a long sleeved grey shirt, with a black vest, solid black pants which had pockets, with a pair of dark brown boots which went up to her knees. Upon her hands she wore a pair of gloves.
Faith sort of had the same idea that Cassie did. She was going in this looking like a mercenary or..something anyway close to that, outlaw, bounty hunter, lots of names. Calf high smooth dark brown boots, tan colored 'tight flex' pants tucked into the boots. Hip sling belt thigh holster, similar to Cassie's also, strapped around her thigh. Not quite able to see what was in the holster itself. Maroon long sleeve same 'tight flex' fabric v-neck shirt, under a brown duster. Damn..she didn't think of the whole badge thing. Oh well. Stepping inside of the Transporter room, Faith also had other gear they would need with her as usual for an away team. "So, I'm early. Got it."
Nala's jaw dropped again...and she felt WAY under dressed!
Marc looked at the group as they assembled on the transporter pad. He had never seen a more motley bunch. However, he had never been more proud of a group to inaugurate the SCIS on its first mission and apprehension. "Right ladies and gents this is a UC or undercover mission. Commander Benson has the overall command and I expect you to rely on Ms Frost's expertise in these matters. Get in, get him if he is there and get back. If he is not there find out where he is. I do not want any casualties and I especially want Vamcet alive. The Bajorans want him for trial. Now are there any questions?"
[Oh boy! Here we go!] Nala thought as her adrenaline spiked.
Andrew raised a hand.
“ What do we if his son is there. Do we arrest him as well or leave him to the local constabulary?” He asked.
"Unless Vamcet's son has evidence and is willing to cooperate he is to be left alone. He is not our target, and has done no crimes to merit our pursuit." At least none that we are aware of. Marc thought. "He is off limits unless of course he inserts himself into our mission. I hope I am understood." He continued.
"Well then good hunting..." Marc turned to the Transporter Chief. "Energize..." As his team disappeared he prayed to himself for their safe return. Then he made his way back to the bridge.
Andrew felt the transporter effect and soon they were standing in a street on Freecloud. He looked around at their location.There was a good assortment of various businesses from shops selling over priced goods to fleece offworlders. Old style Barber shops, restaurants even offices with people sitting at desks in suits and of course a Bar.
“ This is the area Gul Vamcet was seen so what do we do first?” Andrew asked.
Taking a look around, Cassie took in a deep breath and slowly released it. She was happy to be ‘on the job’ again, and while this one has more strings attached, she knew this would be fun. “Bar’s first, then the local law enforcement. We need to find out how things work around here before we go stepping on people’s toes” she said, turning to the group, “I hope none of you have brought a combadge you on this trip. Tricorder and the like are fine, they are easy to get your hands on, but combadges are the one piece of equipment that Starfleet keep a tight hold on” she said as she reached into a pocket on her pants leg and pulled out a few strips of latinum, “thus should be enough to get us some basic communicators from one of these stalls.”
Kaida glanced around her when the beam rematerialized. She had a habit of raising one eyebrow like a Vulcan when she found something interesting and since she'd never been to Freecloud that she could remember, everything was interesting to her. "Let's not leave anything behind," Kaida said softly as she continued to glance around. "Where are we going from here?" She asked no one in particular.
[So totally AWESOME!] Nala thought as she squealed in her mind, not knowing where to look first!
[Come on, Nala! FOCUSE!] Nala mentally smacked herself as she tried to look everywhere at once.
“The local bar should be our first stop. It may be a cliche but most cliche’s have a kernel of truth to them” Cassie suggested, looking to the away team leader.
Nala nodded...slightly distracted.
"Ok everyone stay on your toes, this place isn't like Risa. If we have to split up, stay in pairs at the very least, and don't be afraid to rough house a little" Cassie explained, turning to each member of the away team as she spoke, making sure to speak loudly enough that they could hear her but not so loud as to advertise to everyone around them. "Just follow my lead and try not to act like Starfleet. Most people around here can pick law enforcement from a lightyear away"
"I don't feel like law enforcement" Siadra remarked quietly.
Turning back around, Cassie began to lead the group towards to local bar.
The bar in question was designed to look like those from the old on Earth of the Wild West. A pair of large, stained, wooden swinging doors stood at the entrance. The doors were engraved with several murals of humanoids on various kinds of beasts from all over the quadrant. Klingons, Humans, Andorians, Nausicans and even one that could be described as a trill. Around the rim of the wooden doors, a simple saying was written in as many languages as there were murals. It simply said, 'Leave your problems at the door and your weapons in the lockers'.
Walking up to the doors, Cassie took a deep breath in before putting on her best poker face and stepping through.
Inside the Bar, there were several round tables scattered around the room with a long oak bar along one of the walls. In the air was filled with, of all things, the music of a piano playing up-beat melodies accompanied by a single fiddle. over on the far side of the room was a rectangular dark wood dancing floor ringed by a simple barrier of metal poles with red velvet strung between each of them leaving only two spaces for entry and exit.
The air was also filled with what appeared to be smoke of some kind, along with the smell of burnt plants and wood form the three fire pits that sat between the round tables and the dancing floor. While for the uninitiated, breathing might be difficult to begin with, the smoke itself didn't cause any permanent damage.
I am just a tailor, just an artisan. I am not star fleet. Siadra said to herself.
As soon as the group entered, the music suddenly stopped and practically everyone currently in the bar turned to look at the new arrivals.
Giving a slight chuckle, Cassie looked around at those stairing at them, "what's wrong? Has it been so long for some of you that you don't recognize a Gal when you see one"
The man behind the bar a Ferengi did not have to be a Betazoid to learn that this group could be Starfleet. A large group of mixed races walk in together and that spelled trouble. However, at the moment he had no proof and their money would be just as good as anyone else's. After profit was profit.
Nala felt like she had just walked into a lion's den and she was wearing a meat dress!
[Ooookay...yeah, time to go!] Nala was panicking so badly!
Something about the other customers of the bar behaving the way they did , concerned Andrew. Surely in a place like Freecloud a group of mixed races was commonplace. With all the tourists that visited the place. So why were they behaving in this manner ? It was not as if they were all in uniform.He looked at the faces around them , it would be silly to think Gul Vamcet would be openly standing around or his son. Although Cardassians where good at altering their appearance. However there was one thing they could not alter , Cardassians did not sweat. One customer in particular did look suspicious and Andrew clandestinely pointed it out.
“ The person near those bar stalls , there’s something odd about him…” Andrew whispered.
The Ferengi held out his hands for the music to resume. He did not want the customers to be interrupted too much. "Alright everyone people come here all the time. So how about a round on the house." To that most of the crowd seemed to cheer and return to their conversations.
[Oookay...weird much!] Nala thought, attempting to get her wild feelings back under control.
After the music and talking began to return, Cassie turned to the rest of the away team, "alright you lot, go get a table. Just don't forget to put your weapons into the lockers" she said before moving over to a vertical revolving belt of metal boxes, taking the key out of one of them and placing her sidearm into it.
Turning back around, Cassie pointed to Andrew, "you, with me. I want your discerning eye to watch my back"
“Don’t worry I have you covered.” Andrew replied.
Walking over to the Ferengi at the bar, Cassie places a couple of strips of latinum onto the bar, "sorry for the trouble. I've not long hired this crew and they're still a little green."
The Ferengi swiped up the latinum with a speed that did not seem possible for someone of his stature. "Not a problem Miss and thank you for the gratuity. May I get something for you and your friends." This Ferengi knew that the negotiations had just begun. He knew that Cassie looked for something or someone, now the question for him was could he get all of her latinum before he gave her what she wanted.
"a bottle of aldebaran whisky with half a dozen glasses" Cassie said, looking over at the away team for a moment before turning back to the Ferengi, "and maybe a little information on a bounty I'm chasing down?" As she mentioned the bounty, Cassie placed a couple more strips onto the counter. [Now for the bargaining] Cassie thought to herself.
The Ferengi snarled, his sharp teeth showed in appreciation. "It is rare to see a feee-male who knows how to negotiate. First payment for the whiskey. Will that be up front or shall I open a tab for you?"
Cassie returned the Ferengi’s grin with one of her own, “whisky first. I wouldn’t want to pay for useless information now would I?” She said, placing down a couple more strips, “have it taken over to my crew”
Once the payment for the whiskey was handled the Ferengi addressed the other matter. "Now, I cannot negotiate a price for information, if I do not know the information that you seek. Of course you have to understand that some information is worth more than others. So, if you would care to tell me something of which you seek.
Reaching down to her belt, Cassie retrieved a small disc shaped holo projector, placed it on the table and gave it a flick to activate it. After a second, the image of Gul Vamcet‘a head appeared, slowly rotating with the word WANTED above and the Reward of 15 Bars of Latinum below. “I’m after a Cardassian. The Bajoran government have put a decent price on his head and I was in the area anyway. If you help me out, I could cut you in”
Andrew watched the Ferengi closely something about the short aliens body language seemed off. As if he was trying to avoid looking at them.
“ Perhaps our friend here is not interested in Latinum?” He suggested.
The Ferengi eyed the two warily, and then he eyed the latinum. That was indeed a hefty price, but there was something to be said about the privacy of his customers. However, latinum talked... as the saying went. "Now, now lets not be two hasty Hu-mon. Before I give you information we negotiate a price. I will give you the information that I have for half the bounty. Three bars now and the rest after you catch him. Do we have a deal?"
“ Very well , so long as my colleague agrees.” Andrew said.
After a moment, Cassie gave a sigh before nodding, “fine, it’s a deal”
The Ferengi presents a thumb scanner to seal the deal and took his three bars of latinum. "Very let me see. Yes the man you seek has been in here frequently over the past month. He is quite the eccentric. Would simply sit in the coner of the bar and order a whole bottle of kanar. I don't know how he could stand to drink that swill, but then again I am not a Cardassian. In fact a few moments before you arrived he was here. I do believe you may have just missed him. However, I have heard him brag of a ship in orbit where he lives."
“ Did this person happen to give you a clue as to where this ship is ?” Andrew asked.
Cassie quickly placed a hand onto Andrew’s shoulder, “that shouldn’t be a problem. If it’s in orbit, we’ll find it” she said, turning back to the Ferengi, “thank you ever so much. If this works out, I might use your establishment more often” she said as she reached forward and ran a finger along his ear before turning around and heading back to the away team.
There was an old human saying about curiosity and cats. Tamar Vamcet could not quite remember it fully. But his curiosity had gotten the better of him. He had wondered who the Bajorans would send to look for his father. Seeing the group beam into the street Tamar assumed they were mercenary’s. At a safe distance he followed them into the bar. Maybe he could offer them more credits to go back and say his father was dead? But then whispers through the crowd reached him.
“ Watch out these strangers might be Starfleet”. He heard
Then turning away slowly as if it was a natural thing to do. Tamar left the Bar very quickly hoping none of the group saw him. Yes they could just be a group of strangers or worst case scenario Starfleet. For his fathers sake Tamar could not risk it.
Siadra was looking around taking in people's outfits when she noticed the one person that Andrew had spoken of in a quiet way, leaving. She moved towards the door, to see if she could spot which direction he had gone to. If she saw the direction he was going to, Siadra was going to follow. In fact Siadra did slip out after the particular person of interest.
Nala'd calmed down enough for her curiosity to come back and she started looking around the room.
There were so many creatures from so many different worlds that her head was starting to swim!
Just then a waitress brought over a large glass bottle with several glass tumblers and placed it down on the table the group has selected, “enjoy” she said in an alluring tone before returning to her usual tables.
Nala took one of the green liquid filled glasses and took a tiny sip.
"SSSPPPP! [What the devil's THIS stuff?!]" Nala thought, feeling her throat constrict and her hair stand on end!
Nala had the good sense NOT to react externally about the alcohol...even a Green Horn'd see she wasn't what she was pretending to be if she had!
Rejoining the group, Cassie gave a sigh, “well, I’ve got something, not sure how accurate it is but it’s a start”
“Should we split up or stay together?” Andrew asked.
Faith thought about it a moment, "Probably should stay together, just not...on top of each other, you know."
[If I had a say, I'd have us to stick together!] Nala gulped mentally, but she wasn't about to admit she was scared. Something about the other patrons was scaring her something fierce!
As the team sat and discussed a small scuffle could be overheard at the rear entrance. A raspy voice could be heard. "Move if you value you your life. You have no idea who you are dealing with."
Nala's hand subconsciously went to her waist, where she kept a small d'k tahg.
Hearing the commotion behind them, Cassie turned to see what was going on. While scuffles weren't unusual, someone being so loud was a little strange.
A Joint Post By
Captain Marc Kidd
Commanding Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Commander Faith Benson
Chief Security & Tactical Officer/Second Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Sorine Kaida
Criminal Investigations Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Siadra Molaur
Chief Forensic Science Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Junior Grade Andrew Griffin
Criminal Investigations Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Ensign Nala Rider
Facial Reconstruction Specialist, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigation Unit
Cassandra Frost
Criminal Apprehension Officer/CO ESU, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
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