The Hunted And The Prey
Posted on Tue Jul 19th, 2022 @ 5:01am by Rear Admiral Declan Ford & Captain Marc Kidd
1,418 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
The Hunt Begins
Location: Ready Room - Deck Three - USS Artemis
Timeline: MD001 1000 hrs
The Artemis stood in dock as teams were making the final touches on the new ship. Marc stood and watched as he enjoyed his morning coffee. He felt that watching your ship being worked on was akin to watching a family member get surgery. The emotions of worry and of joy both washed over him. The order for him to report to his own Ready Room brought Marc to the present.
Marc had been waiting for a command for five years, and although he refused to admit it they were the best five years of his career, but he knew that the best was yet to come. Now he finally had a command, and his ship sat and awaited a crew. A cryptic message from his new commanding officer Rear Admiral Declan Ford made itself known via comm badge. What made the message cryptic was that it simply said see me in your Ready Room. What was more was that Marc had no love lost for the Admiral, and the database had little to no information on the Admiral. None of this sat right with Marc.
Admiral Declan Ford, the newly crowned Director of the Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit and Captain Marc Kidd did not get along. In fact, they haven't gotten along since they met. Kidd was a trainee fresh faced and ready to serve. The two just did not mesh, Marc wanted to go gung ho and get out there and explore, while protecting the Federation , and Ford was more a plan of action kind of man. Well, time had a funny way of circling back on itself and now Marc had to go see the grizzled Admiral hat in hand.
When Marc arrived at his own Ready Room Ford’s secretary greeted him. "Morning Captain... Grab a coffee and have a seat the Director will be with you in a little while." Meghan Kilkilli was a striking woman who wore her hair and glasses in the style of the old 1920s. There was just something about her that Marc always found attractive. However, he never could bring himself to ask the woman out due to her connection to Ford. To make matters worse at the moment he felt slighted that the Admiral had taken it upon himself to usurp the Captain's office.
The office opened and the trademark cadence and sternness of Ford’s voice could be heard coming from within. Ford spoke very slowly, as if he greatly contemplated everything that came out of his mouth. "Kidd get on in here." When Marc walked in, he found a glass of amontillado his favorite wine poured and a smile across Declan's face. "My, don't you look like the cat that swallowed the canary." Marc said as he sat down with little to no respect for the Director or his position.
"In fact I did. I roped you in didn't I. Help yourself to the wine, and here have a cigar even.” Declan lit one of the cigars and dropped into the chair as he threw his feet on Marc's desk. "You are probably wondering why I brought you in here. You are further wondering why I have personally seen to a number of reassignments as of late, the least of which was yours." He puffed and sipped smugly.
Marc looked at the cigar and thought about the blatant abuse of power that it represented. Nevertheless, that did not stop him as he lit it and took a puff. "Look let us cut to the chase and to use a cliché time is too precious to waste on heavy handed words." He raised his glass and toasted Declan. "I am going to warn you if you try to take everything that I have worked for away from me it will be the last thing that you do before you are hunted from now until eternity."
"Right, right... What do you know of the Aquil Sector and of criminal investigations?" Declan cocked an eyebrow thinking that he had Marc on the ropes. "Only that it is a new area of space that Starfleet has just begun to explore. That Poseidon Station has thrived in that sector. As to criminal investigations I only know what I have been trained in. If there is a link between the two, the only one I can think of is that the sector would be a great place to hide out if one needed to." Marc replied smugly, the game of chess that the two played had begun.
Ford was surprised by the amount that Marc knew, he was even taken slightly aback. "Too right, too right..."Declan’s voice trailed off for the moment. He took a breath and continued. "Marc you and I have something in common. We are both determined to be the top dog and make sure there is no one else at the top. I have a proposal for you along those lines. I propose that we join forces and take the cheese. I need someone... Someone to take a ship and clean up the entire Federation. But I need that person to do it without taking credit or being seen. The public simply needs to continue believing that crime does not happen in their precious Federation."
Marc interrupted Declan and he jumped to his feet to pace the room. "You mean the SCIU has been approved, and Starfleet needs someone..." "No gorram it, I need someone..." Ford cut the Captain short and continued speaking. "This is not for the SCIU or Starfleet or the Federation. This is for us you and me. All that you discover and everyone you bring to justice will be done at my bidding. In return when the job is done I will issue you orders to take the Artemis on her greatest hunt of all."
Marc's eyes widened, he could not believe what he just heard. The Director wanted him to break every oath, every Starfleet order just to grab at power. What was worse was Ford offered him something that albeit mysterious was something that Kidd could not refuse. A good mystery. Marc paced and drank and the silence in the office was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. When the wine was finished, he smiled. "Right first more wine, second what do you have in mind."
Ford returned the smile "You will take command of the Artemis with the public mission to explore locally while other ships push the boundaries of the Federation. I will make the arrangements with Starfleet Command to have you given the mission. You will take on a new crew here at the station. A crew that together we will select, one that should be up to the task that we are looking for. I have narrowed a group of candidates of the best and the brightest. We will select the crew together. Well, all except the XO, the XO will be your choice, your choice and yours alone. Although I have some suggestions for you. Once the crew has arrived your every mission, every move will be decided upon by both of us. You are my man as of this moment, nothing is done without my say so."
Marc took the refill of wine as Declan spoke and the words sunk in. He raised the glass and clinked Ford’s glass, his slow melodic voice drawled out. "As the Department commands, I will see it done." He smiled and the two men drank. Marc placed the glass down and looked at Declan the look said a thousand words. Among them was the insinuation that he was leaving.
Kidd straightened his uniform. He thinks he bought himself a sheep, but what he got was a wolf. Ford, I am coming for you. You are the one who has escaped justice for far too long. He thought as a maniacal smile crossed his lips.
Marc Kidd knew that justice was patient and it had waited quite a while for Declan Ford. Now that Kidd had a ship and a crew it would be a matter of time before Ford would be brought before the bench and that would be the greatest hunt of all.
A Joint Post By
Rear Admiral Declan Ford
Director
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Captain Marc Kidd
Commanding Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
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