Gathering Intel

Posted on Sun Apr 20th, 2025 @ 10:12pm by Lieutenant Commander Steve Ryan & Captain Michael Murphy & Lieutenant Aubrie Fox

1,124 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Maintaining the Status Quo
Location: Deck 1 - Briefing Room
Timeline: After Klingon departure

The Klingon vessel had just left orbit and the communique to Starfleet Command had been sent so Steve wondered it was a good thing to shed some light on a few things that were still unclear on the overall story.

Having the Montana sitting still on the planet’s orbit and wait for the situation to develop worried him. Not that he hated to wait but he hated waiting in the unknown and he really needed to gather more information to have a better view once the situation developed further.

That was the reason he concurred with the Captain to get Lt. Fox on the matter. And here he was, waiting for the Montana’s Chief Security Officer to show up in the briefing room to discuss his idea.

Aubrie entered the briefing room with a confident stride, her eyes scanning the room for familiar faces. "Sorry for the delay," she said with a nod, her voice steady despite the urgency of the situation. She took a seat across from Steve, her expression serious but open to discussion.

"I understand we have some pressing matters to go over," she continued, pulling out a PADD and activating it. "I reviewed the reports from the Klingon encounter, and I agree that we need to clarify our next steps. What specifics are we looking to address?"

Her meticulous nature and commitment to the task at hand were evident as she prepared to dive into the complexities of the ongoing situation.

Steve folded his hands on the table, watching Aubrie settle in. He appreciated her no-nonsense approach—this was exactly the kind of focus they needed right now. The Klingons had left, but the real work was just beginning.

“We need answers, and our best chance of getting them is from our ‘guest’ in the brig,” Steve said, leaning forward. “The Klingons may have been posturing, but I don’t like being left in the dark. We need to know why they were really here and what they were after.”

"Well, Seems like we gotta go get answer before this blows up in our faces" Aubrie stated.

He pushed back his chair and stood, motioning for Aubrie to follow. As they made their way to the brig, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were walking into something bigger than they had anticipated.

[Brig]

The brig of the USS Montana was a stark contrast to the rest of the ship—cold, sterile, and designed to suppress any sense of control from those held within. The overhead lighting cast a sharp glow on the reinforced force fields, humming softly as they maintained their containment fields. Inside one of the cells sat Vanderberg.

Vanderberg looked resigned. He barely acknowledged that there were new people in the brig.

“Alright, Vandeberg, listen closely,” Aubrie began, her tone firm yet composed. “You have two choices in this situation. You can either choose to answer our questions willingly and make this process straightforward, or you can refuse to cooperate. If you decide to go that route, be aware that we have ways to extract the information we need, and it won't be pleasant for anyone involved. The decision is yours to make.”

He slowly nodded. "I'll tell you anything you want to know. I assume my fate is sealed regardless."

Did not Expect that. Aubrie began to pace. "Start from the beginning"

"Okay," Vanderberg said with a sigh. "It wasn't my idea. But I admit I got greedy. No one was supposed to even find out. Gratingol came up with the idea. Our Security Chief had a way to get in touch with the Klingons. I fudged the records so that no one would miss the pergium. It was supposed to be a victimless crime. When you showed up here before the Klingons did, I panicked. I wanted to confess everything when you arrived, but they threatened me." His head hung low.

Aubrie turned to Ryan and Murphy to see what their responses were. She was in the mode of taking no bull crap, and she for some reason was getting a hint of it.

The XO nodded slowly at Vandeberg's words. Steve was definitely not happy about being to hard on him but the information they were retreating were indeed useful.

"Nobody asked for the missing pergium? Anyone except the Klingon might be pissed at us?" He asked in order to have a clear view of all the parties involved.

Vanderberg shook his head. “As far as I know this was a one time thing, and the Klingons were the only ones involved. We pushed the miners and Horta to work harder to get the extra shipment ready to help avoid outside suspicions. The Horta were not cooperative at first, so they used pain sticks on them that we got from the Klingons. That’s what got them angry.”

"So if the Klingon got their cargo, they won't be back for more?" Steve inquired.

Aubrie turned to Vanderburg, Hoping he didn't say they would be back.

“We never set up a recurring pickup,” Vanderberg answered.

"That's not exactly a yes... But not even a no" noted the XO eyeing Lt. Fox for further opinion and to see if she had more questions for the prisoner.

“I didn’t mean to be vague,” Vanderberg said apologetically. “To my knowledge this was a one time deal and the Klingons wouldn’t be back for more. I just don’t trust Klingons. They scare me.”

Aubrie let out a weary sigh, her shoulders slumping slightly as the weight of the situation settled in. "It appears we might have to confront them once more," she said, the concern evident in her tone. Her gaze drifted to the window, where dark clouds loomed in the distance, mirroring her unease.

With a determined nod, she turned back to her team. "I’ll ensure that the security teams are placed on high alert until we receive further instructions. Every member must be vigilant and prepared for anything that may come our way."

She paused, scanning the faces of her colleagues, searching for any additional insights or reports. "Is there anything else we should be aware of that could impact our response?" The gravity of the moment hung heavily in the air, and everyone understood the importance of being fully informed.

The XO shook his head "I'm personally fine with the answers we got" he concluded.

"If Your good Commander, Then so am I" Aubrie stated

"Thank you lieutenant" Steve tapped a few notes on his PaDD as he left the detainment area headed for his office.


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Lt. Cmdr. Steve Ryan
XO, USS Montana

Lt. Aubrie Fox
Chief Secuirty Officer
USS Montana

Mr. Vanderberg
Prisoner

 

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