A DECEIT OF LIES

Posted on Tue 29th Nov, 2022 @ 5:00am by

902 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: A Fresh Perspective
Location: Captain's Ready Room, Deck 12
Timeline: MD 4, 1320

The signal from Starfleet came over Ensign Cowley's computer, and he acknowledged it.

=^=Starfleet Admiral Nechayev for Captain Elena Navarra, Priority One Channel.=^=

Matthew flipped his intercom on for the Captain to hear his response. "Yes, Ma'am. Transferring to Captain Navarra's computer immediately. Holding for Admiral Nechayev."

The ensign's job was not speculating, but he did note it was the second call from the same admiral in as many days.

Navarra stood from the chair behind her desk and approached the wall-length viewscreen in her ready room. "What could the Admiral want again with me?" she thought to herself. "I mean, I couldn't have pissed her off this soon could I?"

Elena straightened her uniform and pressed a button beside the viewscreen. Admiral Nechayev appeared on the screen.

"Good morning Captain," she said, enthusisam in her voice. "I am calling to read you in on an Omega-level mission that you need to 1. be aware of, and 2. participate in ASAP."

Captain Navarra shuddered at the thought of being part of an Omega-level mission. There was top secret level information, but Omega-level stuff usually meant end-of-the-world type of scenarios.

"O.K. Admiral. What do we have?" Elena asked, as she walked back to her desk and took a seat.

Navarra's view screen changed from the Admiral's image to images of two Starfleet officers. "I have co-opted two officers under your command for a long-term mission. The first officer, Lt. Commander Isabella Perry, is in command of the mission and the second officer Riko McCord, is her second in command. In a few hours, you will go down to the brig and charge these officers with reckless endangerment, dereliction of duty, instigating a fight, resisting arrest ... anything you can think of to charge them. Throw the book at them. Then you will schedule a hearing quickly as possible, where you will kick them out of Starfleet."

Navarra stood there, shocked and at a loss for words. "Wait! I'm sorry Admiral, but what in the world is happening here?" Elena was still staring at the images of the officers on her screen. She recognized the officers from their Starbase 109 files she had reviewed after receiving her change of station order.

Necheyav shifted in her seat, trying not to let her annoyance show. She did not like anyone questioning her orders. Especially a Captain under her command. but, she trusted Nevarra's opinion and previous accomplishments, so she decided to play it cool.

"Captain," the Admiral said as she got closer to the camera. "You do not need to understand the particulars, but I need you to do this. You will be the only one on the station, besides Commander Henry Perry, that will know the truth. The two of you will be the mission team's only contact. But that contact is to be limited and only made in the direst of scenarios. We must keep the image of them being punished for their crime."

"And what crime is that?" Elena asked as she processed the information she had heard. Navarra was actually used to this cloak-and-dagger game. To be honest, it was one of the most efficient ways to negotiate. That didn't bother her. What bothered her was that she didn't have time to meet with the operatives and get a feel for them.

"The crime is whatever you can come up with, after you hear the events, but it needs to be severe enough that they are banned from the starbase for at least a year. This is very important," the Admiral replied. "Elena, this needs to happen within the next two hours, so the crew can start their mission. Can I count on you?"

With no hesitation Elena replied. "Of course, Admiral. As soon as the issue in question is reported to me, I will attend to it."

Admiral Necheyav smiled and sat back in her chair. "Excellent, Captain. I knew I could count on you. I think you and I are gonna get along well. Nechayev out."

The view screen went dead and Elena sat in her chair. "Ensign Cowley, come in here, please," she said after pressing the intercom button on her desk.

Cowley entered Captain Nevarra's Ready Room, bringing his PADD and ready for whatever he could do to help her. "Yes, Ma'am," he said, standing ready.

"Ensign, I want you to be honest. How much of that did you hear?" Elena asked looking Crowley in the eyes.

Matthew swallowed hard. He wouldn't lie, he never lied, but how much could he get away with not saying? Standing a little straighter, he decided to be honest. "When I heard it coming over the intercom, I knew you had left it open. Whether you meant to or not, I heard all of it, Ma'am. But I can forget it, if I need to do so."

Elena stood up and walked towards the Ensign and only stopped when she was directly in front of him. "Good." She responded. "That's what a good assistant is supposed to do. You are to continue your..." She paused for a second to think of the proper phrase. "In-depth assistance methods. But do not ever repeat what you hear to others. In return, I promise to help mentor you and help you get into any Starfleet discipline you desire. Now, let us go walk around the Starbase and kill some time before we have to fire some good officers."

 

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