#25 The Game Is Afoot

Posted on Sun Jan 28th, 2024 @ 4:40pm by Lieutenant Alona Tal "Centurion" {Meji}

Mission: Hijacked
Location: Lithar III
Timeline: current

ON:

Lounging back once again in her pilot's chair, Centurion Alona of the Romulan Republic had her feet up in the co-pilot seat, crossed at the ankles. Her Risan caracal was curled up on her lap, purring, as she slowly, softly stroked his fur. Just as she finished her cubed melon chunks and cleaned her mouth and hands, there was a quick flash of light outside her ship. Alona glanced up, expecting to see just another merchant ship coming out of light speed. She did a double-take when that vessel turned out to be a Starfleet vessel. And, not just any Starfleet vessel, a Galaxy class. Reaching out she magnified the image via the viewscreen, looking to the registry. USS Amandora.

~Amandora...Amandora~ she thought, trying to recall why the name piqued her interest. Then it came to her. "Amandora." When she spoke Nefri looked up at her even as he gave a stretch. "Amandora, my sweet. Commodore Song's ship. Though, last I recall it wasn't a Galaxy class." Reaching her index finger up behind her left earlobe, feeling the nodule beneath the skin there, Alona pushed on it and immediately heard within her ear the activation of a comm signal. "Scout 3-2-3-6-5. Confirmation call. Disposition of USS Amandora. I await your response."

Within two minutes her eardrum received a message back within the ear canal where the comm nodule was located. "Border Scout. Disposition of USS Amandora. Galaxy class, under command of one Commodore Song. Last reported to be at Starbase Danvers."

Really? She thought. Yet, right out there in front of her was the USS Amandora, and this was most defintely not Starbase Danvers. Alona lifted Nefri off her lap, setting her feet on the floor as she transferred him to the co-pilot seat. "Sorry, love. Duty calls." She gave him a reassuring scratch under the chin before she went into duty mode and faced her console head on, sitting up to do so. "Border Scout asking for confirmation and clarification. I have a visual on Amandora right in front of me. Contact Starfleet and inform them. I shall await your call."

***

On the Amandora, now sitting over the planet Lithar III, was immediately given a wide berth by all the civilian ships in the area. Tallman couldn't help but grin at that. Nothing like big brother showing up when you least expect it, even if that wasn't really the case. But, it served his purposes. But, as he sat there in HIS chair, his eyes on the screen but seeing none of it, he could not shake this feeling that he was being watched. It did not feel internal, as if one of his people was a traitor or a mole, but instead seemed to come from outside the ship. "Are there any other Starfleet vessels in the area?"

The thug at the science station looked to his screens, then over at his Boss. "No, Tallman. Nothing of the sort."

"Keep your eyes peeled," Tallman ordered. "Something isn't right."

The thug nodded and continued to monitor his station. But, from behind him at Tactical, another thug spoke up. "Tallman, Starfleet Command is requesting visual communication." She informed him.

Tallman stood up and walked to the center area at the lower Bridge. "Enact our ruse, Tina. When it is ready, open the channel." Tina did as ordered, and when ready within thirty seconds, she let him know.

***

Over on her runabout, Alona was informed by her handlers that the Amandora was scheduled for a complete overhaul at Starbase Danvers, and should be remaining there until the maintenance is complete. Starfleet Command had been surprised to hear that the ship was now in traffic around Lithar III. "Curious," she said to herself. "This is not a good sign. There is something amiss. Permission to head for Starbase Danvers and investigate further."

It took over a minute before they got back to her. "Permission granted, Border Scout. Your new designation is Savior. Starfleet Command knows you are headed that way, and they have provided access codes to board the facilities at your leisure. They want to know as much as we do what is going on. Overseer, out." The transmission cut, and she heard the click inside her ear. Activating her systems but maintaining her cloak, Centurion Alona turned and began to head away from Lithar III. Within an hour she was free of the star system and in free space. Setting her ship for warp four she then activated light speed and jumped, her ship hidden behind the cloak. A warp trail would be left, but without a solid object to pin it on it would be hard to track her all the way to her destination. Not that anyone would be looking.

***

On Amandora the face of Admiral Aaron Stone came up on screen, and Tallman was quite familiar with all the brass at the top. On his side, Admiral Stone was looking at Cyndi Song, on her Bridge as she faced him, with standard operating procedures being performed by her crew.

"Aaron," Tallman said, in the guise of Cyndi, playing it up with a stupidly friendly smile and a positive tone of voice. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Stone kept his face neutral since what he had been told about Amandora did not match up with a giddy Commodore and her crew looking just fine. "I was to understand that you were at Starbase Danvers, Commodore. And yet, here I have a report that you are in the Borderlands, over the world of Lithar III. Is that true?"

Tallman knew there was someone, or something, watching the ship. But, how, he could not say. So, he laid his acting on thick. "It is, Admiral. One of my crew had a personal matter they needed to see to, so I left the starbase to aid in their situation. You know me, Aaron. My crew means the world to me, and if I can assist them in any way, I will. Even using the might of the Amandora to do so."

Stone swiped his face with a hand as he leaned back with an irritated sigh. "Next time, Cyndi, keep HQ informed. A scout ship happened to catch sight of you and it brought up red flags. You've had enough problems with people boarding your ship and mucking with your crew. We thought this was just another one of those times."

Song/Tallman nodded. "I assure you, Admiral, the Amandora is in good hands and all is fine."

Back in his office Admiral Stone did not believe that. It seemed that Song was willing to tell him what he wanted to hear, but he did recognize that there was a vast amount of particulars that were not mentioned. Having been in Intel for a few years he could not trust all that was said from this particular CO. That, and he did not remember Cyndi ever being this forthcoming without a bit of argument. He already knew what he was going to do. "Thank you for clearing this up, Cyndi. As I said, next time you will be called on the rug. Stone, out." He closed the channel.

"Whoa!" Tallman said. "That was close."

"You think he bought it?" Tina asked.

Tallman shrugged and looked back at her. "Who cares? We're not staying anyway. Hearing that there is a scout ship around here somewhere means we need to advance to the next step. Helm, get us hidden in a pole on one of these planets. Shut down to auxiliary power and sit still."

The orders were acknowledged and the Amandora began to move to a hidey-hole.

OFF: