Third Mission, Part VI
Posted on Nov 19, 2018 @ 8:12pm	by Chloe Nielsen
Edited on on Nov 19, 2018 @ 8:12pm
Mission: Section 31
Location: Ciris, NUMINO
Scene: Apartment
After narrowly escaping from Goin's quarters, Chloe Nielsen navigated through the tunnel network inside the mountain and returned to her apartment. Entering through the back door, she made her way across the living room and winced, suddenly feeling the pain in her shoulder from the skirmish with the Nausicaan. The apartment was modest, comprising of a living/dining area, a kitchenette and a bedroom.
Upon entering the bedroom, Chloe rushed to her bed and placed her hand on the wall above the headrest. A section of the wall shifted to the right, revealing an opening. The blonde extended her arm through the gap, pulling out a thin metallic blue case. Placing the case gently on the nightstand, Chloe lifted the hatch up, tapping its edge to turn off the in-built holo-emitters, thereby transforming a women's accessories case to a portable console. She tapped the side and the console slid back to reveal a hidden compartment containing gadgets for various purposes such as intelligence gathering, surveillance and an assortment of weaponry. She put some of the jewellery and clothing accessories in the compartment and slid the console over it.
Chloe pulled out the holos from her pocket and dropped them onto the night stand. She then removed the data crystal out of the back of one of the holos and inserted it into an empty slot, located at the back of the console.
The contents of the crystal were loaded onto the computer and displayed on the screen, built into the hatch. Chloe sighed, removing her blazer and tossing it aside. She wasn't surprised to find the information was encrypted. The agent then began running the decryption program that was developed and loaded into the computer by Section 31 R&D. She let out another sigh. Decoding the information was going to take some time so in the meantime, the blonde was going to take a warm bath.
Chloe leaned back on the edge of the bathtub, made of white rock, filled to the brim with warm water. The agent, now neck deep, felt her muscles relax. The water gave off a pleasant aroma due to the addition of a combination of natural oils, extracted from local flora. The room was dimly lit at fifty percent illumination, adding to the relaxed ambiance. Prior to stepping into the tub, Chloe changed her hair back to its natural colour.
Nielsen recalled the day's events, beginning with her arrival in the city. She wondered about the motivations behind the various attempts to assassinate her. Did it have anything to do with the hunt for Mirror Kate MacNeil? It might have been the reason behind Goin's murder – the Bolian had found vital information and was subsequently killed for it. She knew the Syndicate weren't the only ones interested in finding MacNeil. There were other groups, all vying to be the one to find and use her for their own nefarious purposes. Perhaps a rival group who wanted the Syndicate out of the way, thus eliminating Goin and trying to do the same to her. Was this Lady that the Nausicaan mentioned, the leader of a rival entity? Or maybe she was an agent of another powerful group such as Romulans or Dominion?
Her mind moved onto Lord Percy. Chloe didn't like the Deltan and it wasn't just due to his crude and smarmy personality. She found it suspicious that he just appeared out of nowhere when she was accosted by the Nuimon assailants at the spaceport. Firstly, how did he know, where to look for her exactly and secondly, his act of just eliminating those Nuimons without questioning them possibly meant he wanted to prevent them from incriminating him? His claim that the assailants at the spaceport were members of a Nuimon extremist group, who targeted her at random, didn't make sense. She believed that someone directed those men to her. Was it Lord Percy? The Nausicaan did mention a Syndicate operative was colluding with the Lady and wondered if that agent was Percy. The man also, after all, lied to her face about his relationship with Goin. So, maybe it was probable that the Deltan might be the double agent, 'Satchel', working against the Syndicate and in league with this mysterious 'Lady'.
TI: 45 minutes later
By the time Chloe finished her bath, the decryption software completed its work. The agent leaned back on a comfortable chair in the bedroom, holding a PADD containing the information, downloaded from the data crystal. She already knew the Syndicate was running an operation on Numino for the last few years, where they smuggled artifacts, obtained from an archaeological site, off-world to be sold in the black market. She also accessed the Starfleet database and learnt a joint Federation-Nuimon expedition discovered the ruins of an ancient civilization, where they also uncovered lots of advanced tech. Now, according to Goin's files, there was mention of a Syndicate operative, placed in the Federation scientific team to facilitate the smuggling of some of the artifacts. A neat little operation, they had there, running for more than five years without catching Starfleet's attention as far as she knew. But stopping the operation wasn't her objective so she moved on.
Nielsen raised an eyebrow, when reading a string of communiques between Goin, Gaven and Percy. In one of the messages, the Bolian mentioned, hearing of an individual, a doctor and apparently a scientific genius, who might know a way to weaponize the ancient tech. The blonde frowned. Of course, the Syndicate wanted MacNeil to design bioweapons that they could sell to powerful entities. But it was another message, again from Goin, that troubled her. He wrote about a group, opposing them here on Numino and that the leader of this rival group was led by the Lady. In a message exchanged only between Goin and Gaven, the former expressed his fear of a spy helping the Lady.
Now, another message, which the Bolian sent to both Percy and Gaven, contained information on his meeting with an unknown person in Ciris – that fateful night when Ges was ambushed by the Dominion and killed. Chloe suspected the spy was one of the recipients of that last message, meaning either Gaven or Percy was the double agent.
She closed her eyes, when the door chimed. Chloe stood up, erasing all the data on the PADD. There was a tense silence when she dropped the PADD on the chair and entered the living room, making her way to the front door. She tapped on a silver ring around her left middle finger and a holographic display of a tall Trill man waiting outside, materialized. The device had an embedded pattern enhancer, which was used to relay back sensor data from a localized area. Chloe sighed, partially relieved yet a little puzzled.
"Enter." The doors parted to permit the visitor inside. "Gaven, I wasn't expecting to see you here," Chloe said, smiling.
The Trill exhaled, eyeing her with concern. "I got news of the attempts to kill you and had to come down here to make sure you were alright."
"Well, I'm fine, though I can't say the same for the assassins."
He gave her a wry smile. "I know you can take care of yourself but you have become quite important to me and so I worry." They sat down on a plush ocean blue couch. "I can't wait for you to be inducted into our organization when we can have a true partnership both professionally and personally."
He meant, becoming an actual couple, because right now their relationship was professional with some personal benefits. Well, that wasn't going to happen as far as she was concerned because once she located and captured Mirror Kate, she would be returning home. Gaven was just a pawn.
Gaven asked, "Did you find anything in Goin's apartment?"
"Not much, except some holos and other personal items."
"Do you have them with you or did you give them to Percy?"
"The stuff's with me," she replied.
The Trill sighed. "I'd like you to hand them over to me, please. Ges was a personal friend and partner for my current assignment."
"Sure," she said, standing up. "Wait here. I'll get them for you." The agent headed back to the bedroom, the door closing behind her. She moved quickly to the nightstand, where the case sat and removed the data crystal from the computer. Grabbing the holo, she inserted the crystal back inside the slot and then returned to the living room with Goin's stuff.
Chloe handed the items to the Trill. "Here, that's everything." She watched as Gaven grabbed one of the holos and pulled out the data crystal. Since all the data had been transferred, she no longer needed the crystal. "Found what you need?"
"Yes." He nodded. "Goin mentioned leaving a data crystal for me in the event of his death or capture. It contains vital information that I need to complete my mission and locate this doctor…" He stopped, biting his lip. "Sorry, I wish I can tell you everything but can't…well not till you become a member."
"No, I understand." Chloe shrugged. "So, were you close to him?"
The Trill sighed, dropping the crystal into his coat pocket. "Yes, we worked well together but he was closer to Percy…like really close." That confirmed Lord Percy lying to her about only meeting the Bolian once.
Chloe frowned. "You know, I don't really like Lord Percy."
"You shouldn't. Lord Percy cannot be trusted so be on you guard with him."
The blonde smiled. "Thanks for the tip." Chloe usually didn't really trust anyone in her line of work, even though she worked to ensure her assets and targets trusted her.
The Trill exhaled a sigh of frustration. "And the presence of Starfleet complicates matters as the Camelot isn't supposed to be here."
"What do you mean?" Chloe raised an eyebrow. But he said nothing.
Location: USS CAMELOT, in orbit over NUMINO
Scene: Main Bridge
TI: Next morning
Anaqueen Spankryz stepped out of her Ready Room, turning to a younger human female and a tall Bajoran/Trill male. "I have accepted Chief Consul Hollande's invitation to meet her and she agreed to allow a small team to accompany me."
"Captain," Azula Sol began, sounding concerned. "I'd advice against you leaving this ship, especially when the current political climate is really volatile. I received reports that protests erupted all over the planet with a large gathering outside the government building because of Hollande's decision to cave into the Karemmans in exchange for those rangers and our arrival."
Ana sighed, nodding. "Your advice is duly noted, Commander but I have made up mind." She watched the younger woman frown, giving a sidelong glance at the Bajoran hybrid. "And I won't be going alone. Commander Cato and Lieutenant Hex will be accompanying me."
"Understood, Captain." Sol arched a brow. "But I highly recommend against going outside. It's not pretty and as a Starfleet Captain, you're a potential high-value target for angry demonstrators."
Ana assured, "We will only beam down to the council building and then return after the meeting."
"Yes, Captain." The ExO nodded.
The Trill continued, "Also, the Dominion Ambassador will be in attendance."
"Dominion Ambassador," Sol muttered, shaking her head. "I don't like this at all."
Cato raised an eyebrow. "Should we be worried about the Dominion attempting something?"
Ana said, a hint of caution in her voice, "Not really, just be on our guard with them and at the same time, maintain a certain level of civility."
"It shouldn't be a problem for Hex," Sol remarked dryly. "He wasn't even in Starfleet at that time."
Cato shrugged. "And in my case, I only just graduated and the war ended a few months later."
Anaqueen sighed, memories of the last Dominion war now at the forefront of her mind. It had been close to a decade since the end of the war, yet at times it felt like yesterday. Turning to her security chief, she informed, "Commander, report to transporter room one at 1130hrs."
"Aye Captain." the Trill hybrid nodded.
Scene: ExO's Office
Sol sighed, closing her piercing green eyes and flipping her dark brown hair behind when the door chimed. "Enter," she called, opening her eyes. The doors parted to permit a young human female, adorned in the science blues and with her jet black hair tied in a bun, inside. There was a nervous look in the woman's dark eyes, her hands fidgeting a little as she slowly approached the ExO's desk. "Can I help you, Ensign Das?"
The science officer inhaled deeply, still fidgeting much to Sol's annoyance, "Well…Commander, I…"
A loud exasperated sigh left the first officer's mouth. "Oh quit fidgeting, Ensign. That's improper etiquette in front of a superior officer."
"Sorry ma'am…" Hina Das dropped her hands to the side and stood in attention.
"At ease." Azula leaned forward. "So tell me what's on your mind."
The Ensign replied in a shaky voice, "Yesterday, sometime around 1500hrs, I was visiting a bar in Tirithi to ask for directions to a hot spring and while I was waiting inside for the bartender, I witnessed something that made…" She choked a little. "That made me uncomfortable."
"What did you see that made you so uncomfortable?"
"The Captain was there."
"No, she wasn't." Sol's voice, while calm, was laced with irritation.
"With all due respect, Commander, I saw her with my own eyes," Hina argued. "Her appearance was different. She had long, silver hair, was heavily drinking and dancing."
Azula shook her head. "Look, the Captain wasn't at some local bar, drinking and dancing. She couldn't have been there because at that time, she was holed up in her Ready Room, working on reports. The computer will confirm it."
"Okay, I did have a few drinks during the wait but I swear I wasn't drunk. I saw a Trill woman resembling the Captain."
"You saw *a* Trill woman." Sol chided, "Ensign, not all Trill females look alike. Perhaps, the alcoholic beverage may have been too strong for you."
"But it…." Her voice trailed.
"Ensign, head to Sickbay for a medical checkup and that's an order," said the ExO firmly.
"You're dismissed." As the other woman turned around, Azula warned sternly, "Ensign, breath a word of this to others and you will suffer the repercussions for slandering your commanding officer."
"Yes, Commander." Das left the room.
Azula exhaled, hoping the science officer heeded her warning. The last thing she and Ana needed was false gossip around the ship because Das had trouble differentiating between Trill women.
Location: Riivenvale, NUMINO
Scene: Alenvin home
Kate MacNeil smiled, stepping out onto the balcony, overlooking the backyard – a rocky slope that led downwards to a pool of water, where the multiple waterfalls surrounding the home, poured into. The tall woman closed her eyes, enjoying the sounds made by the falls and reopened them to watch her brother, Horaciin take Hamish down the hill.
Meow. She glanced to the right, grinning. "Well, lassie, you made yourself quite comfortable."
Crumpet meowed again, her eyes fixed on the Scot. The feline was sprawled across the flat surface of a large rock. Several such rocks were found for people to sit and enjoy the view. When Kate took a step towards it, the white Persian meowed angrily, swatting the half-Nuimon with her paw.
Kate laughed, taking a step back. "Okay, your highness, I see you don't want to share." Her mother, Dahlis Alenvin walked out, the Nuimon letting out a light hearted chuckle at the sight of her daughter speaking with the cat.
"What's going on here?" Dahlis settled on a rock nearby.
"Just Crumpet playing being queen of her rock," MacNeil replied with a chuckle. An angry meow and glare in her direction. "Oh alright, empress or…Maharani." A soft meow and she turned away. Kate sighed, sitting down next to her mother, when soft whimpering alerted her to Papu. The corgi puppy was struggling to climb onto a small rock, low in height compared to the others. Sitting on top of the rock was Muffin, the black kitten watching the puppy. She then turned her attention forward and spotted Josephine swimming towards Horaciin and Hamish. A brown haired Nuimon woman, around 19 or 20 years old, was helping the little lass along. Amianel, the youngest of Dahlis' children with her husband, was seen laughing with Jo Jo, when Phoebe, the golden retriever puppy, yapped, floating alongside the pair.
Dahlis sighed, her attention on the lake. "They grow so fast. It feels like only yesterday when Horaciin, Raemona and Amianel were children."
"I know what you mean." Kate smiled, watching her two wee ones, splash water around. "I'm really looking forward to our day trip in Ciris."
"Me too." The older woman nodded. "Are you sure Grace won't change her mind?"
"I'm afraid not. Grace isn't fond of social gatherings and still fears walking about in a city." The half-Nuimon sighed. "She wants to spend some time with the kids and your family with just the nature around her."
"I understand. We do plan on having a family trip to a resort, not far from here," Dahlis said. "Perhaps Grace would be willing to come with us."
"I'm sure she will." Kate smiled. She turned around upon hearing footsteps and smiled, spotting a young Nuimon woman in her late twenties, with long mousy brown hair, approaching them. "Hi Raemona."
Raemona Alenvin, Horaciin's twin, sat down beside her mother. "I am ready to go when you both are."
"I am," Dahlis said. "Kate?"
"I'll need a few minutes to say goodbye to Grace and the children and then we can leave."
Scene: Hotel lobby
After Gaven left the previous night, Chloe resumed working on studying the information from Ges' data crystal. Now she was waiting with him in a lobby of a large, upscale hotel and sighed, taking a sip of her drink – a light purple coloured beverage.
"I don't understand why Percy wanted me to bring you here," the Trill lamented, giving her an apologetic look. "Sorry for taking you away from your assignment."
"No worries." The blonde shrugged, sipping her drink. She was rather curious about Percy requesting her presence here. She frowned when the Deltan had arrived, now approaching them, a wide smile gracing his features.
"Sorry I am late. Hope you weren't waiting long." Lord Percy turned to Chloe and spoke, the concern in his voice annoying the agent, "Oh dear. I am so glad you are okay." He leaned forward to clasp her hands, which she immediately pulled away. "When I heard that awful Nausicaan tried to kill you, my heart just broke." He put one hand over his chest.
Chloe gave him a fixed stare. Seriously, with that performance, the man should have taken up a career in acting. It was so obvious his so called concern was feigned. "Thanks for your concern but as you can see, I'm doing just fine."
Gaven inquired, sounding impatient, "Why have you called us here?"
The Deltan made a clucking sound with his tongue. "Impatient are you? What's gotten stuck up your arse?" He tapped the Trill's elbow. "And where were you last night? You were unreachable? Wanted a chat with an old mate."
"I am not your mate," Gaven said through gritted teeth.
"Easy there, mate…I mean friend." The bald man grinned, clearly enjoying rattling the Trill. Turning to the agent, he winked. "Sure you prefer this dullard over me. At least, I can make things rather hot and spicy for you."
Chloe shook her head, rolling her eyes. The only time she'd want anything hot and spicy was with regards to food.
Percy continued, much to her further annoyance, "You missed out, last night. I was with a rather interesting companion. Her species…or was it his...can't remember." He grinned. "Anyway, her species, native to this quadrant, has quite an acquired taste in certain activities. Quite an interesting experience. Wish you were there with us." He then whispered something in her ear.
The agent's eyes narrowed. That man was a disgusting pervert.
Gaven questioned, his ire growing, "Percy, why are we here? And why demand I bring her along?"
Percy let out a sigh, speaking with a serious tone, "Well, last night, I was contacted by a rather interesting individual who claims…" He lowered his voice. "That he knows the location of the doctor we seek."
"Not in front of her," Gaven warned, giving Nielsen a quick glance. "Mr. Mwangi isn't going to be happy we involved a non-member."
The Deltan chuckled. "Don't worry, mate. She doesn't know what we're talking about."
"Who is this person?" The Trill inquired.
"A very important Nuimon," Percy said cryptically.
Now Nielsen's interest was piqued. If she heard right, then did it mean that Lord Percy was contacted by a Nuimon who had knowledge of Mirror Kate's location. If that was the case, then this could be the breakthrough, the agent needed for her mission. Now the challenge was Gaven. Since she wasn't a Syndicate member, the Trill wasn't going to allow her in the meeting. So she needed to find a way to get to the individual.
"Where do we find this person?" Gaven demanded.
Percy said, "Both of you. Come with me."
The Trill turned to Chloe. "Wait for me here."
"No, she comes too," Percy insisted and before Gaven could protest, the Deltan warned, "Otherwise, you won't get to meet him."
Gaven glared, teeth clenched. "Very well, then."
Scene: Foyer, Nuimon Government Building
TI: Ten minutes later
From the hotel, Chloe and the two men went to the Government building, which housed the Nuimon Planetary Council chambers as well as the offices of the consuls and other administrative personnel. It was the building where all the laws were made by Numino's twelve consuls, democratically elected by the people. There were twelve districts, spread across the three continents, Ithlirin, Edorii and Rohirr and each of them were represented by a consul who generally advocated for their interests.
On Numino, elections were held once every five years and there were no term limits for the consuls for as long as their constituents elected or wanted them and majority of them didn't appreciate individuals overstaying their welcome, often desiring for change. Following every election, the newly formed council elected a Chief Consul from amongst their ranks. The Chief Consul oversaw the council and served as representative for the government.
The blonde leaned against the wall in the foyer, having just entered the building through the back door. Because of the demonstrators gathered outside, using the front access wasn't possible so Percy led them to the rear entrance via an intricate tunnel system underground. Apparently, they weren't the only ones. Others including the consuls, their staff and especially off-worlders used this route. The rear foyer stood in what the Nuimons referred to as the annex – the part of the old building that survived the disaster in 2424. The new building, a multi-storeyed tritanium structure, housed the various government offices, except for the council chambers itself, which still remained in the annex.
Gaven asked, sounding irritated, "So Percy, is this informant in the council building?"
"Yes," the Deltan answered.
Nielsen inquired, "So what does he or she do? When you said important, do you mean they hold a key role in government?"
"All in good time." Percy winked, exasperating her a little.
Gaven informed her, softening his tone, "I'm sorry but you cannot come with us to meet this person. Eric will not be happy if I brought you with us."
Percy said, smiling, "But Eric won't mind if we bring her to a reception that I was kindly invited to. See Gaven, while you and I find my informant, she can just enjoy the party."
Chloe masked her disappointment with a weak smile. A reception was a good way to gather information from her experience. What the two men didn't know was that the agent had a way to put them under surveillance without their knowledge. She wasn't going to leave without discovering the identity of the informant. She watched the men move away to a corner to have a discussion and sighed, feeling something furry brush against her leg. Chloe became briefly concerned until a soft meow calmed her nerves.
"Where did you come from?" A Terran cat, here on Numino. Maybe the animal belonged to an off-worlder – there were some in the building after all. The cat circled around her and meowed, which the agent found amusing and then a female voice called out in their direction. Chloe raised an eyebrow, noting the Scottish accent in the voice.
"Crumpet!"
Chloe froze, when she tilted her head, spotting a tall human woman with long shoulder length auburn hair, approaching them. When the new arrival's eyes changed colour from hazel to indigo, Nielsen couldn't believe who she was facing.
Kate MacNeil chided, "You shouldn't wander around." The cat meowed, not budging from her spot. "Oh don't give me that attitude, lassie. We all need to stick together – you, me, William Wallace, Raemona and mother." Crumpet meowed again and Kate sighed, noticing the agent for the first time. "I'm sorry. I hope she wasn't bothering you. She's usually very sweet."
Chloe smiled. "Oh no worries. I wasn't bothered by her."
"Glad to hear." Kate returned the smile. "Now come along, Crumpet. There's some juicy fish for you." Apparently that did the trick. The word 'fish' seemed to have triggered something in the feline as it padded after the Scot. MacNeil glanced behind at the blonde. "Nice meeting you."
"You too." Chloe responded, watching as the tall half-Nuimon and her cat joined two Nuimon females and a beagle. She pulled out her sunglasses and put them over her eyes. The agent focused the lens on MacNeil and a blue outline flashed around her figure, confirming her to be from this universe. Well, it was fortunate that Gonzales had the foresight to add a quantum signature feature to the device. If it was Mirror Kate, then a red outline would have flashed not a blue one.
She frowned, not expecting the Kate MacNeil from this universe to show up on Numino – what a coincidence. Two Kate MacNeils just like two Anaqueens on the same planet. This complicated things and she wasn't too happy about it. But there wasn't much the Canadian could do but keep her focus on the mission. The sooner she located Mirror Kate, the better off everyone would be.
Scene: Meeting Hall
Dahlis spoke as the trio plus the animals, entered a rather large room, "Now we have this situation with the Free Nuimons, not to mention the protests happening all over the world."
Kate sighed, leaning to pet her dog, "Even after all these years and after everything we have been through, there are still people who hate off-worlders."
"Unfortunately, it's gotten worse over the years," Alenvin remarked with a sigh. "There is a growing movement to restrict off-worlders that started during Yesper Breg's tenure."
Kate blinked. "I don't understand."
Her mother explained, "Well, Yesper believed in a more independent Numino."
"More independent? But Numino has never lost its independence."
"True." Dahlis nodded. "But sadly, there are many on the planet who fear the influx of off-worders will erode our independence. Yesper isn't an isolationist. He tried to strike a balance between the political factions, though when he campaigned during the election, he leaned heavily towards the isolationists to win votes. To be fair, he does represent one of the most conservative districts on the planet." She paused for a moment, when a young woman arrived, carrying a tray with refreshments. Both Dahlis and Kate picked up glasses filled with yellow liquid. "It was the same with Anuita and in fact, she and Yesper worked as a pair."
Kate sipped her drink, which had a sour, citrus taste. "I'm guessing they aren't close anymore."
Dahlis shook her head. "During the 2430 election, Yesper promised to get rid of the Federation scientists and give Nuimons sole control of the project, claiming that they don't need the help of outsiders to study the artifacts. But a few months after the election, he changed his mind. Then the Karemmans built their first manufacturing facility and he didn't lift a finger to stop it. He and Hollande made sure it went forward." She took a sip from her glass. "Last year, Yesper was ousted from his position as Chief Consul and Anuita took over. Their relationship fell apart, of course as it was she who led the coup."
"And Hollande has proven to be the most inept Chief Consul in history," Raemona commented harshly, joining the two women, drink in hand. "I mean, she makes mother look good."
Kate sighed, smiling as William Wallace looked up at her. When she first met Dahlis and her family over twelve years ago, she recalled the friction between Raemona and the rest of the family due to politics. Raemona was a conservative, while her parents and siblings were progressives and MacNeil remembered her younger half-sister, unlike the others, didn't accept her in the beginning. Things changed in 2424, when Raemona's relationship with her mother began to improve and today, while they still disagreed in politics, the two women loved and respected each other. Raemona now accepted Kate as her sister, which made the latter happy.
Dahlis sighed. "Raemona, I know how much Hollande and Breg's decisions upset you. Honestly, I'm not happy with some of the council's decisions under their tenure like the Karemman facilities."
"Well," the younger Nuimon said tersely. "Breg was a weak coward and a liar who didn't keep his promises yet it makes me laugh how his popularity suddenly soared after he was forced out by his little bitch." She sipped her drink. "I heard from an old friend who works here that Hollande in the past few months, has been confiding in an off-worlder – a woman. I think, my friend said, she's human. I heard rumours this foreign woman is even controlling Hollande, making her do her every bidding. Some believe this off-worlder was the one who advised Hollande to cave into the Karemmans' demands about building a third facility."
Dahlis shook her head. "I'd advise you to take rumours with a grain of salt."
"Well, of course." Raemona took another sip. "But I wouldn't be surprised if the rumours hold true." She smiled, when William Wallace walked up to her before he returned to MacNeil.
"Aww…lad, how are you?" Kate asked the dog, who barked, tail wagging and then she frowned. "Where's Crumpet? Don't tell me she's wandered off again."
Scene: Foyer -> Meeting Hall
A bluish hue transporter beam flashed, only to dissipate a moment later. Anaqueen, along with Cato and Hex, a male Haliian, were greeted by a young Nuimon woman.
"Captain Spankryz, welcome to Numino." She smiled. "Please follow me to the meeting hall, where Chief Consul Hollande is expecting you."
Ana nodded. "Thank you." The Camelot officers followed the Nuimon down the corridor and entered a large room, already filled with other guests, invited by the Chief Consul. The Trill, as she continued to follow the young woman, noticed the reception was attended by the other consuls, some prominent Nuimons and non-Nuimons. The group passed by two consuls, deep in conversation but stopped to look at her. Ana figured they were consuls from their formal attire emblazoned with the symbols of their respective districts on their suits. The man in a white suit, embroidered with red flowers, raised his glass at her. That consul represented Hal Garden, a town built entirely in a beautiful garden and its residents were generally progressive. The other consul, a middle-aged woman, gave her a polite nod and from her outfit – grey suit patterned with two golden suns over a white mountain – Ana knew she represented Ciris.
They waited, watching their escort go up to a brown haired woman, whose back was turned to them, and whispered in her ear. The Chief Consul turned around, her mouth curling into a polite smile as she approached the Starfleet officers. The Nuimon, like the other consuls, adorned traditional attire, representing her district, Cannis – black suit emblazoned with designs of grey wolf-like creature. Ana felt it ironic a woman who hailed from a conservative district, was loathed by the isolationists.
Hollande greeted, "Captain Spankryz, I am glad to have you and your group here and I look forward to continue the prosperous relationship between my people and the Federation." A banner hung above her, displaying the planet's emblem - a golden bird - on a blue background.
"Likewise," Anaqueen said before introducing her officers. "Consul, Lt. Commander Cato Amaun, my chief of security and Lieutenant Hex, the Head Counselor."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Hollande said, nodding at the Bajoran/Trill and the Haliian. Some aides arrived, carrying trays with various local delicacies and drinks. "Please, help yourself to our refreshments." While Ana declined, Cato and Hex helped themselves to a few snacks and beverages. As she and Hollande were engaged in polite conversation, a stoic human woman joined them. Anuita smiled, introducing the new arrival, "Captain Spankryz, this is Elena Djiktra, a business woman who is looking to expand her enterprise into this quadrant."
Elena smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, Captain." She was tall at around 5'9", almost the same height as Hollande but with a paler complexion, sharp blue-green eyes and long, reddish-brown hair extending down to her mid-back with a rather unusual up do – more like a folded lump.
"You too, Ms. Djiktra." Ana returned a polite smile. "What kind of business are you involved in?"
Elena replied, "Well, all kinds of things – agriculture, pharmaceuticals, technology, minerals, tourism."
The Trill nodded. "I am assuming you are based somewhere in the Alpha Quadrant?"
"I started out in the Alpha Quadrant," the other woman said, a glint in her eyes. "But I have no headquarters as I prefer to be mobile."
"I see," was all the Trill said, eyeing the other woman with mild suspicion.
Hollande remarked, "Captain, I have learnt so much about trade, other cultures and politics just from a few conversations with Elena. She's quite a fascinating woman."
Another female voice chimed in, "I heard rumours it was due to Ms. Djiktra's counsel that led you to get the council to finally permit the Karemmans to build their third facility in exchange for the rangers' release."
Ana frowned, noticing a Vorta approaching the group, looking quite smug. The Dominion Ambassador. It had been nearly a decade since the Trill faced a member of the Dominion in person and could feel the tension rising in the air. Even though the war ended nine years ago, she still felt a little uneasy standing next to an individual who used to be an enemy. Although there was tenuous peace between the Federation and the Dominion, the two groups weren't friends or allies.
Elena let out a dry chuckle. "You flatter me, Ambassador. The council made the decision on their own without any help from me." The Vorta bristled, which didn't go unnoticed by the Trill.
Anaqueen remarked, "Well that's good to hear as it's never a good idea for outsiders to be interfering with local affairs."
The Vorta snorted. "A bit rich coming from Starfleet. I heard rumours the Commanding officer of the Black Sea, regularly meddled in council business including regular late night meetings with Hollande and her predecessor."
Ana began feeling a tiny spark of rage at the clone's acerbic words and responded in kind, "Ambassador…"
"Glina the eighth."
"Ambassador Glina," the Trill continued, sending her a fixed stare. "The thing about rumours is they mostly end up being false and you should not fall for them. It is Starfleet's policy to not interfere in local matters."
Instead of responding, Glina turned to Hollande. "Consul, it must be difficult for you to deal with such hostilities. The Founders wouldn't tolerate such dissent like you are with those demonstrators."
Hollande said in a calm voice, struggling to hide her nervousness, "We are a free and democratic society. Our citizens have the right to voice their opinions as long as it is done peacefully. I wouldn't be concerned. These demonstrations should end in a few days."
"Captain."
Anaqueen turned around, now facing a middle-aged human woman with chocolate brown skin and black hair, styled in a loose bun. "Dr. Adeyami?"
Naomi Adeyami, the lead scientist of the Federation-Nuimon expedition, asked in a quiet voice, "May I have a word with you in private?"
"Yes," the Trill agreed, excusing herself from the group as she walked away with the scientist.
When Nielsen entered the large hall, she was greeted by a Nuimon aid who offered her refreshments. Chloe thanked the young woman, picking up a glass containing greenish-yellow liquid. Gaven and Percy had left her alone, while they headed to another location to meet the mysterious informant. Since she wasn't allowed to accompany them, the agent sent a nanobot to tail them. She sipped her drink, feeling the bitter taste of the citrus flavour and then heard a whimpering sound. The blonde gaze downwards, smiling at Kate's beagle sniffing around her feet. "Hey there," she greeted, bending forward to pet the dog. With a cheerful bark, William Wallace wagged his tail and trotted to MacNeil, an older Nuimon woman, whom Chloe figured out to be the doctor's birth mother, Dahlis Alenvin, also a former Chief Consul.
She turned around and rolled her eyes at the sight of two Ferengi males, grabbing delicacies and shoving them into their mouths. To her disgust, they promptly spat out the food back onto the tray.
"Disgusting," one of the Ferengi moaned. "I can't even chew it."
The other Ferengi demanded to the Nuimon, "We want tube grubs, not this plant garbage." But the Nuimon marched away in disgust. A bunch of trolls with poor manners, giving off-worlders a bad name. About 85-90 percent of Nuimons derived their protein from plant-based sources, not animal meat.
She froze, hearing two female voices a few feet away and her gaze slowly moved around, only to fix on a Trill Starfleet Captain, who was conversing with a dark skinned human woman. Captain Spankryz was here. Chloe bit her lip, feeling a little nervous. She and Anaqueen had met before about five years ago, where Chloe was undercover on the Camelot, conducting a surveillance operation on the ExO without the Trill's knowledge. In a rather last ditch effort to expose Dhillon as traitor, she even disclosed the op to Spankryz, not just because the blonde's superiors were Neo-Essentialists but that Ana was not corrupt and known for doing the right thing. Unfortunately, Chloe didn't get far as her CO showed up and dragged her away, making up excuses about her mental fitness.
Although, Chloe was right and Dhillon was sentenced on charges of treason, she feared risking her own mission if Anaqueen saw and recognized her. The agent turned around.
Anaqueen sighed out of frustration. "Doctor, so let me get this straight. You want me to speak with Consul Hollande and have her tell Dr. Tirana to continue using your protocol?"
"Correct." Adeyami nodded. "Captain, my team's protocol has proven to be successful in numerous projects and has been adopted by many prestigious institutions in the Federation including the Vulcan Science Institute. So I don't understand how the Nuimons could reject it when they until now accepted my team's methods to be superior to their own."
Spankryz inquired, "So if I hear correctly, you believe the Nuimons should use your protocol because it is superior to theirs?"
The scientist bemoaned. "The Nuimon technological development is still way behind us and we are trying to help them catch up. But now they don't seem interested in learning from us and make progress. Dr. Tirana said the science guild has decided my team's role from here onwards will be advisory. Captain, I implore you to please speak with Hollande."
Ana inhaled deeply, her lips pursing together in a single line. In a firm tone, she said, "No, doctor. I won't do it."
The Trill explained, "Doctor, I'd like to remind you that we are guests on this planet. Since the artifacts were discovered on their world, it belongs to them."
Naomi protested, "But Captain, they have no understanding of the tech…"
Ana cut her off, "You were invited by their science guild. So you should be abiding by their rules and try working with them, not take over everything as if you are in the Federation."
"Captain Gates always intervened on our behalf," Adeyami retorted.
Anaqueen's eyes widened, taken aback by the revelation that the Black Sea CO, Captain Steven Gates, broke Starfleet protocol. What was that man thinking? She felt a sense of dread, thinking, what if Glina was right about his interference into local matters.
Chloe raised an eyebrow, when the eyewear vibrated in her pocket. The agent put them on and found strange thermal readings displayed on the lens. Heat signatures. Using her sunglasses, she managed to locate the source of the heat signatures - an older Nuimon woman, placing a tray down on the table. She zoomed in on the Nuimon's torso, where the heat signatures originated from. Nielsen had a bad feeling as she followed the woman outside the room and into a narrow corridor.
As the agent caught up with the Nuimon, the latter turned around, eyeing the blonde with trepidation. "May I help you?"
Chloe smiled. "Actually, I'm wondering where the nearest biowaste removal centre is?"
"I can take you there," the Nuimon said, waving at her to follow as the duo began walking and then as they turned around a corner, Chloe grabbed the other woman from behind, quickly placing her hand over the Nuimon's mouth, muffling any sounds.
Dragging her inside an empty storage room, Nielsen removed her hand from the woman's mouth and tapped on her earring to activate the signal jammer. She next shoved her against the wall. As the Nuimon opened her mouth, Chloe warned, "Don't bother. I made sure no one will hear you." The agent quickly placed a tiny patch over the woman's neck and then pulled out a thin, monofilament blade out of her sleeve.
"Who are you?" The Nuimon demanded.
"I should be asking you the questions," Chloe said, holding up the blade, its pointed edge over the Nuimon's eye. The other woman fidgeted and the agent warned in an icy tone, "Move and you'll lose an eye."
"What do you want?" The woman didn't show an ounce of fear.
"First off, let's see what you got in there." The agent slipped her hand inside the Nuimon's jacket pocket and pulled out a metallic silver spherical object, the size of her fist. She noticed the object glowed a bright blue and her eyewear confirmed it was the source of those strange heat signatures. When she spotted a tiny switch on top, the agent frowned, realizing the object was a grenade and narrowed her eyes. "What's the weapon for?" No answer. Nielsen inched the blade a little closer so its edge was barely touching the pupil. "You can either answer my question or lose an eye?"
The woman admitted, a look of hatred in her eyes, "Kill off-worlders. I and my partner are here to take out the Dominion Ambassador and the Starfleet Captain."
"Not going to happen."
The woman produced a feral smile. "Too late. In twenty minutes, my partner will finish the job and I'd rather die than give him up to you." Her voice trailed as she slid down to the floor into the realm of unconsciousness.
Chloe sighed. "I don't need your help to find your partner." The patch contained a toxin that would put the Nuimon into coma for few days or weeks and when she woke up, she'd suffer from short term memory loss. The agent then left the room, returning quickly to the reception.
As soon as Nielsen entered the hall, she began scanning for the other Nuimon assassin and found him. She spotted him across the room, standing by the main entrance and adorned in a guard's uniform. He was young, in his late twenties, tall and dark haired, his gaze moving back and forth between Spankryz and the Vorta Ambassador. How was she going to stop him without blowing her cover?
The agent was standing next to a table, when she absentmindedly touched a ball of white fluff in a stone bowl. An angry meow. Chloe immediate pulled away and chuckled, eyeing Crumpet with amusement as the feline was curled up inside the bowl, her tiny head popping out. "Wow, you certainly found a way to fit inside that bowl." The cat released a soft meow.
The agent slipped her hand inside her blazer, pulling out a thin, metallic black palm sized PADD and a pencil-thin stylus. She glanced up, spotting a bunch of glowing white dots buzzing around. An idea struck her and the agent aimed the stylus at the bugs, commonly found in the city. She pressed on the stylus' tip - a hologram of a glow bug appeared.
Crumpet meowed, looking up at the hologram with interest.
"Good girl." Chloe smiled – she found a courier to deliver a message to Anaqueen.
She'd next record a coded message on the PADD, only to be decoded, when the device identified Ana, through the latter's comm badge.
Kate inquired, approaching the Camelot officers with William Wallace trotting alongside, "Have you seen Crumpet?"
Ana raised an eyebrow. "Crumpet?"
"She means the stowaway." Cato grinned.
"Oh yes." Ana's voice etched with sarcasm. "The cat that nearly delayed our departure from Spacedock and she went missing. Kate, you really need to keep an eye on your pets."
Hex glanced around. "I remember seeing her following an aide, carrying a food tray."
"Lovely, of course." MacNeil groaned before hearing a meow. "Crumpet! There you are lass." The cat paid no heed to her as it was chasing after a glow bug. Then the feline leapt on the Captain.
Anaqueen managed to grab the cat, holding it away from her. Crumpet kept meowing, attempting to free itself from the Trill's grasp and chase the bug. It then meowed angrily when the hologram vanished, flailing its paws around. MacNeil took the animal off the Captain.
"You naughty lass! Running away and jumping on Anaqueen like that," Kate berated, placing the cat on the ground. "What's this on your collar?" She removed the PADD, inadvertently activating it. "This looks gibberish."
Ana took the PADD from the doctor, when the display changed and the Trill read the words -
Identification verified. Captain Anaqueen Spankryz before it changed again. She arched a brow. "It's a message for me, written in Trill."
"What does it say?" Cato inquired.
"Assassins." The Trill's eyes widened in alarm. "Targets are Glina and me. Neutralized one, left in storage closet. " The device now displayed an image of the Nuimon guard, which she showed to Cato and Hex.
Hex informed, "That guard is making his way towards Ambassador Glina." The other four officers turned around and spotted the young Nuimon slowly approaching the Vorta.
Ana ordered, "Go, Commander. Get to the Ambassador."
"Yes ma'am." Cato nodded, making his way towards Glina.
The Trill CO inhaled and then exhaled, her blue eyes fixed forward, when the guard stopped a few feet from the Vorta and her Jem'Hadar escort.
The Nuimon shouted, pulling out the grenade, "Numino for Nuimons! Free Nuimons." As he threw the object, Cato pushed the Vorta out of the way. The weapon then made contact with a table and exploded, releasing a bright blue beam outward but not beyond a few inches. When the energy beam dissipated, the table was nothing but a puddle of white goo.
Adeyami, sporting a shocked expression, nudged herself beside MacNeil, "That…projectile. It looks to be an artifact stolen from the lab."
"What?!?" MacNeil exclaimed.
Crumpet meowed, then yawned.
NRPG: Here's Part VI. Next installment, likely in December or maybe January 2019.
Chloe Nielsen
Section 31 Agent
Special Appearances by
Captain Anaqueen Spankryz
Commander/Dr. Kate MacNeil