Game of Spies

Posted on Fri Sep 20th, 2024 @ 2:47pm by Lieutenant Commander Deanna Celes & Commander Jonathan Grayson

Mission: The Gambit
Location: USS Washington

Deanna remained quiet as they took the turbolift up to Deck 1. She knew Jon wanted to know what she had discovered on the computer, but she wasn't going to risk saying anything until they were in the captain's ready room, someplace she felt it was safe and secure to speak. They entered the ready room and she waited for the door to close. "I apologize for being so secretive, but we are being pulled into a dangerous game, a shadow game played by the most dangerous intelligence groups that we know."

"I understand Deanna." Jon replied once they were alone. "I hope you know you can trust me. As for being pulled into a dangerous game, I couldn't agree more. It is a game played in the shadows. Now, come and sit down tell me what you discovered and let's discuss our next move. I talked with Kate and she and the intel team are going over the runabout on the off chance something was missed."

Deanna tried to settle herself as she sat down. "How much about the captain and his past do you know Jon?"

"Deanna, take a breath and relax. You aren't doing yourself or the captain any good like this. We're going to find the captain and have him back here where he belongs. You need to believe that. As for the captain's past I knew he was in black ops but never pried and he never volunteered." Jon replied.

"If you look into his StarFleet records, you'll note that he has two large sections blacked out, just says classified for several years of his life. I was part of that second section, but the first blacked out section, that was when he worked with Special Operations. That department, as you know, they live in the shadows and deal with things that nobody else knows about. They are the people who eventually eliminated Section 31." Deanna was beginning to panic. She was thinking back to the missions she had accompanied Shran with some of the people they were now going to be dealing with. Before the war, you may recall it was reported by DS9 that the Obsidian Order and Tal Shiar joined forces to build a joint force that they eventually launched into the Gamma Quadrant on a mission to eliminate the Founders. That failed mission damaged the Tal Shiar, but it destroyed the Obsidian Order. Many top operatives of both were lost, assumed dead. When the Cardassians joined the Dominion, survivors returned to Cardassia. At the end of the war, the Dominion turned over all Romulan survivors they had as part of the surrender. One of the Romulans they returned was one nobody knew they had; Lovok. Lovok had been replaced by a changeling at some point, and we assumed he had been killed, but it turned out that the Dominion had done just as they had with Martok, they captured him and sent him to a detention colony where they could study him while the changeling replaced him. Lovok is one of the most devious and pragmatic members of the Tal Shiar you will ever encounter. He was powerful enough to keep the Romulan government unaware of most things he did unless he wanted it known. He'll work with the Obsidian Order remnants on a joint venture, trying to get something nobody is allowed to have, and the captain stopped them from having once before."

Deanna took a deep breath, "That requires me to have you look up the files from the Enterprise regarding the Iconian homeworld and the incident the Enterprise had with the Romulans. The Iconian homeworld was discovered to be in the Romulan Neutral Zone. Despite the dangers, Lovok believed it worth the risk to send a cloaked ship there. The technology they wanted was gone, but they found a star chart that gave Lovok an idea where to look for other Iconian worlds, and Velez Prime was an outpost world. If they are able to unearth Iconian temples, they may locate gateway technology, which would be disastrous. The captain will work with them for as long as he needs to before doing whatever it takes to stop that. Lovok never knew the captain, only that a Federation operative thwarted him in past attempts."

"I'll look into the Enterprise logs when we're done talking. Suffice to say, this is a highly dangerous game we're involved in Deanna and I know you know that." Jon sighed, "We can't allow them to find gateway technology and Shran knows that. We have to work with Shran without knowing what his plans are. This is where we have to be on our toes Deanna and out knowledge of Shran. You more than me but I know tactics and operations. One other thing Deanna, this is on a need-to-know basis with the crew as well as officers. Senior Staff needs to know but not the full extent. I told Kate but she doesn't know everything. I don't want wild rumors running through the ship." Jon finished.

Deanna agreed. "I have zero desire to discuss this with anyone unless absolutely necessary. We are dealing with the most dangerous people we will encounter that aren't supposed gods."

"Deanna, this is on a strict need to know and if no one but the two of us know the whole story, I am perfectly fine with that. As for the dangerous people we will face, I have every confidence in this ship and crew, you that know we can overcome and get Shran back with us."

Deanna nodded. "Should we meet with the senior officers then, let them know what they need to know, prepare them for things?"

"Yes. One big meeting rather than several small ones so no one feels left out or slighted. Everyone is on the same page." Jon answered decisively.

"I'll get them all together. We have time to discuss this while on the way to Velez Prime" Deanna replied. She offered a smile after a moment, "I think you changed the future Jon. This meeting, it was supposed to be you telling me the captain was dead. Somehow, perhaps by us leaving sooner to find him, we've changed time. That means we can help him. I don't know how, but I know we will find him and help him now."

Jon shook his head, "I didn't change the future Deanna. WE changed it, by keeping the faith in finding Shran. We are going to find and help him Deanna. Never lose sight of that. That is our goal, the safe recovery of Shran. We won't rest until he is safely back with us."

Deanna nodded. She walked out of the captain's ready room with purpose. "L'Rissa, break orbit. Set course for Velez Prime, warp 7." As the ship jumped to warp Deanna looked back at Jon. He was right, they were going to find the captain, no matter what.