Just to Make Things Complicated

Posted on Wed Dec 31st, 2014 @ 4:03pm by Captain Tim Williams & Lieutenant Commander Horatio Hawke & Lieutenant Commander Ciaran McIntyre

Episode: Orphans
Location: USS Highlander - Main Bridge
Timeline: MD30 1000hrs

His captain's log submitted and assigned to the next outgoing subspace burst from the ship's comms array back to Starfleet Command in an encrypted packet, Tim made his way out of his ready room and back onto the bridge. The events down on the planet's surface had troubled him, and he was finding it difficult to maintain his usual jovial attitude. What the hell had happened to put these creatures on the surface?

He stepped around the security station and dividing rail and moved to lower himself into the command seat at the centre of the bridge.

Ensign Marcus Reilly was bored out of his mind and had been passing his watch at the helm by sneakily watching funny vids on the PADD he rested on the console. While the ship was in orbit, he had only one job to do and that was make sure it didn't suddenly fall out of orbit. Ship's don't just fall out of orbit, so he alleviated the boredom with something else.

He stifled a chuckle as one vid ended with its subject flat on his face. At that moment, a red alert popped up on his navigational scanner. Crap! he thought, straightening in his chair and sliding the PADD out of the way. "We've got a ship incoming," he said, then looked back with a double take as he saw the captain in the centre chair. "Er, Captain."

Lieutenant Junior Grade Ruel Ariin consulted her scanners when the contact came in. The Highlander's sensors were incredibly quick to translate the initial contact into something registered with the Starfleet data banks. "Ship is Cardassian, Sir." She reported. "Galor-class configuration."

"What the hell are the Cardassians doing here?" Tim wondered aloud, frowning as the ship became visible on the viewscreen. True, Dreyas IV was close to Cardassian territory, just as it was close to the Talarian Republic, but it was still well within Federation borders; closer to Starbase 126 than either of those powers.

"Hail the ship and put it on-screen," Tim ordered.

The image that appeared was that of a typical Cardassian male wearing the armour-like uniform of the Cardassian military. He was sat in the lone command chair typical for the centre of a Cardassian bridge, and has his arms symetrically positioned on each of the arm rests. Tim recognised the emblem of the Cardassian Third Order one one of the display screens behind him.

"Federation vessel; state the reason for your presence in this star system."

"What, not even a 'hello, how are you'?" Tim asked, automatically shifting into his usual manner when dealing with people he didn't know or trust. "And I thought we were all friends now. This is Federation space; why don't you tell us what you're doing here. It might put me in a better mood to share."

The Cardassian's face distorted in a clear sense of frustration - to Tim's satisfaction - but he knew that the captain was right. "I am Gul Brenor of the Cardassian Third Order. We have been tracking a known criminal for the past two years, and believe he has taken refuge on the planet below." He paused as if considering his next words before deciding to be blunt about it. "Are you providing aid or protection to this criminal?"

Tim's eyebrow raised in a manner not too dissimilar to how his Vulcan friend Sath's did whenever the captain tried to tell him a joke. It certainly wasn't the answer that he had been expecting. "Gul Brenor, this planet has been recently terraformed by the Federation. We are merely here to settle the colonists intended to occupy the planet. There should be no other presence here." He elected not to tell the Gul about the creature or its attacks.

Brenor looked to the side for a moment as he received information from one of his subordinates. "Our scans corroborate that you have begun construction of a colony site on the surface. However our scans also indicate that construction has ceased, and you have personnel on the surface providing a secure perimeter around the site. Have you detected our charge in the vicinity?"

"We have had some trouble with... the local wildlife." Tim paused as he remembered the doctor's report - that the creature's DNA structure showed signs of artificial manipulation. "The criminal you are tracking: Who are they? What are their crimes?"

Brenor briefly considered whether or not to divulge his information, before clearly deciding that he needed Starfleet's cooperation if he were to retrieve the criminal from within Federation borders. "The criminal's name is Doctor Kotan Entek. His crimes are the illegal experimentation upon sentient beings, murder, manslaughter, and theft of state-owned laboratory equipment. He is believed to be attempting to genetically alter what he believes to be the ultimate shock-trooper. In truth he is only creating monsters."

Tim pressed the control on the command console between his seat and Hawke's to mute the comm. channel as he looked at his bridge crew, hoping they had been checking Federation records whilst he had been talking. "Do we have any intel on this Koten Entek?"

"Looks like he was part of the Obsidian Order," Ariin reported, "runs in the family by the looks of things. He's the son of Corbin Entek. By the looks of things he's got both the skills and the lack of morality to pull off what they're accusing him of."

"Sounds like someone we would definitely want to keep from continuing his experiments if he is on the surface," the captain observed.

"We should send a signal to the Security teams on the surface, Captain." Lieutenant Ariin chimed in helpfully. "It might help them to know that they're not just hunting a creature down there."

"Get a message down to Lieutenant McIntyre on the surface," Tim agreed, looking over towards the tactical officer. "And get Hawke back up here, too."

Tim pressed the control to return audio to the channel. "There is a change the man you are looking for is on the surface," he told the Gul. "There is also a chance that he has been experimenting on Federation citizens within Federation borders, which means that if you want him, you will need to cooperate with us. Our scans of the surface show no other life forms other than our away teams, and no hidden facilities. Do you have anything that could assist us in locating where he may be hiding?"

"We have a few tools which could assist in the search," Brenor said begrudgingly but without argument. "I recommend we meet aboard your vessel to discuss the details."

"Agreed," Tim said. "Prepare to beam aboard in fifteen minutes. Highlander out."