NPC H’all - …we must carry it with us, or we find it not
CPT Arianus
(( Shuttle Griffin, Enroute to Andoria ))
H'aal listened to other’s arguments, but there were still some questions - One thing was to get Cassie out, another was a legal question of custody.
H’aal: Still, Alex, how do you plan to legalize this… change of custody?
Storm: Sambur can likely speak to more of the legalease, but…
Alex turned to look at the R’Ongovian.
Storm: My understanding is that this is a somewhat legal grey area. I filled out the missing person’s report, and was advised that he can legally detained so that a hearing can take place on Cassie’s custody. But I’m not allowed to have a part in taking him down. I’m here for Cassie - nothing more - technically.
Jaran: Wait, are we even allowed to take him down? Legally? I've never had to detain anyone before.
Sambur: We won't be detaining him. Andoria law enforcement will. We are authorized to request that detection, once he's identified, and to question him in regards to his activities and movements of Cassie. We have to give Andoria cause to either arrest him or hand him over to Starfleet jurisdiction. Which I believe we can provide.
H’aal smiled.
oO Talk for yourself, lawyerman… Trusting Andorians to do the job? Meh, Starfleet…Oo
Sambur: He has been actively keeping Cassie separated from her mother for years now, with an established pattern of skipping planet any time either she or Mr. H’aal come anywhere near them. A strong case can be made for custodial interference. In layman’s terms, parental kidnapping. That, plus the missing person’s report, was ruled sufficient cause for Starfleet Security to open an investigation of his activities. Which we are empowered to pursue. But as she said, Lt. Storm can’t be part of any questioning or subsequent detention, given the clear conflict of interest. For purposes of the investigation, she’s here as our best lead to finding him and that’s all.
Storm: Nat and I had a short pow-wow before leaving. Thanks to H’aal, our intel puts him in the area of Andoria called the Eastern Ice Shelf.
Jaran: ::under their breath:: The whole planet is an ice shelf. Eastern, sure, why not.
Sambur: Are there any Starfleet bases or facilities in the region? If he travels to anything recognized as sovereign Starfleet territory, including docked vessels, we can alert its Security Chief to take him into immediate custody and cut right through any Andorian red tape. Yes, that means this shuttle, so long as he does not come aboard under any sort of false pretense.
Cole: Got it, he’s gotta do it of his own free will.
The big cat shrugged. The more and more Starfleet got into details, the more complicated it became.
oO If it were up to me, I’d just knock him out and leave him at the front door of the nearest security station. Oo
H’aal: if a lawman wants Kona to be passed to Starfleet, I think it can be arranged…
Storm: From what I know of Kona, he’s going to try to lay low, so he’s likely in an area that would have a relatively high percentage of non-Andorians.
Alex retrieved her PADD.
Storm: Nat, I’m going to steal the viewscreen for a sec.
The starscape disappeared, leaving a map of the Eastern Ice Shelf.
Storm: So these areas…
Alex drew an asymmetrical blob-like circle on her PADD which displayed in the front of the shuttle.
Storm: …Are mostly populated by Andorians and Aenar. But this area. ::Alex scribbled over a small portion:: has the highest percentage of non-Andorians. I’d suspect we’ll find him here.
Jaran: Gonna make it a challenge to hunt down two specific people.
Cole: ::with a twinkle in her eye:: Where's your sense of Adventure?
H'aal leaned in, staring at the hologram as he would, searching for details only he knew.
H’aal: I would expect you to be satisfied with that wish, Lieutenant.
Storm: I’m just sharing the intel that H’aal was able to find for us. Nat is in charge of the operational undertaking, so I’ll turn everything else over to her.
Jaran: Take it away, Nat.
Cole: The first thing we’re going to do is inform the Imperial Guard of not only Kona’s outstanding fines, but also that a child is involved. Growing up I remember hearing stories of how fiercely honorable Andorians are. An ancestor of mine had a… tenuous friendship with one for a while. That changed when he helped rescue someone in the Andorian's family. The point is their dedication to family is absolute. That might tip the scales in our favor.
The security lieutenant paused for a moment, possibly in case someone would want to ask for details, but no one voiced the question, so she continued.
Cole: I’d prefer we handle this as quietly as possible. If we could intercept Kona ::gestures to the display:: those that look like a residential biome, we could have a polite conversation to convince him to stop. Otherwise our best option would be to control where he runs. Limit his route by the illusion of many options, but they ultimately funnel to the same singular location.
H’aal glanced at Cole and frowned.
H’aal: I would say by my experience, Andorian’s Guard will be anything but hidden with their presence in the streets searching for Kona. They will definitely smoke him out, and limit his options on the run… but… ::nods to unspoken, and then glance to Cole:: I would choose a less visible approach and search for a helping hand more locally, just my opinion.
Jara looked at her medkit. That glance didn’t escape anyone.
Jaran: ::gesturing at medkit:: Please don't make me need this.
Sambur: ::To Storm:: I’m not familiar with how well Betazoids can hide their psionic presences from each other. Is this a skill Kona might have developed?
Cole: That’s actually a good question.
H’aal: Alex?
Storm: Response
And that was enough to know the decision had been made. H'aal nodded and gestured to Alex that he agreed.
Jaran: Yeah, this plan is great. But Kona seems to be good at making friends exactly where we don't want him to. He also seems to be pretty good about knowing when it's time to run. How do we know that's going just going to happen again?
Sambur: Cassie Storm is the child of a Starfleet officer, and Kona Antares is now the target of an official inquiry into her missing person status. Once he knows we're coming, if he so much as sets foot on a vehicle bound for West Andoria with her let alone off-planet, I can get a judge to sign a warrant for his arrest. And add a charge of flight to avoid prosecution.
Cole: Once we land I plan to pop the warp field regulator, just in case he tries to escape in our shuttle. Probably an overly cautious measure, but rather cover our bases just in case.
H’aal: I stay in my corner and make friends in Port Authority. ::shrugs:: To cover the angle with people who do not exactly check the personal papers, if they are gold-pressed into latinum… ::grins:: To let them know there are always deeper pockets…
Not that he would ever associate with someone like this… but on the other hand, if warrants and lawyerman forms worked all the time, H’aal would be out of work.
Storm: Response
Jaran: Do you think we can count on the Andorian authorities to help us?
Sambur: They are required to provide us a secure place, under their jurisdiction, from which to question him. But not to transfer either him or Cassie into Starfleet custody or even hold him any longer afterwards. His legal status will be determined by the results of the questioning.
Cole: They’ll cooperate as much as they’re able too. If Kona resists or causes any additional issues, that’ll only help our side of the case.
Storm/Jaran: Response
Sambur: Antares skipping out on his bills on Arbazan in favor of avoiding any uncomfortable conversations with yourself or your client could prove very useful in establishing consciousness of guilt. I’d appreciate a copy of your findings for my records.
The security officer clicked the display off, returning the main view screen to the streaking lights of stars.
Cole: Anyone else have questions, comments, concerns?
H’aal: Plan you have, paperwork with locals there Mr. Lawyerman will cover… I have a box of Saurian brandy packed, for friends and family. Anything else?
Storm/Jaran/Sambur: Response
Cole: ETA to Andoria… Fifteen minutes.
Storm/Jaran/Sambur: Response
The pilot keyed up the local weather and winced.
Cole: Weather reports indicate that it is a balmy negative twenty eight degrees celsius. So bundle up extra carefully.
Storm/Jaran/Sambur: Response
H’aal stepped closer and leaned toward Cole, smiling.
H’aal: Mrs. Cole, can you ask Arrival Control whether Thoras from Customs is on duty today? If he would be, just say hello to him from me and tell him I have something to declare. ::blinks one eye::
Cole: Response
Storm/Jaran/Sambur: Response
Caitian just smiled at the comments and moved back to the cockpit, where he sat in his seat and buckled himself in.
H’aal: Andoria, here we go.
Storm/Jaran/Sambur/Cole: Response
TAG/TBC
–
H'aal
“Friend”
As simmed by
Lieutenant JG Ollie Bergmen
Operations Officer
U.S.S. Artemis-A
A240009JC1