Lt. Commander Jo Marshall - Operation Q-Ball (Part II)

[Jo Marshall]

((Primary Shuttlebay, USS Gorkon))

 

Abuzz with noise coming from every angle, the shuttlebay was busier than a stock market crash on Ferenginar. Bodies moved between shuttlecraft, parts littered the floor as if the expansive space had become a chop shop and junkyard overnight in preparation for an eventuality no one wanted. 

 

Jo sidestepped a falling piece of Type-11 wall before it came crashing down behind her; the woman on a mission — and distinctly missing a perpetual mug of coffee in her hand — barely registered the thunk it made onto the deck with the clang of tritanium. Wiping a hand over her face, she looked over the Class-C shuttlecraft shell, stripped down to the barebones, any identifiable markings removed like someone had taken a dreadnought file blade to the hull. 

 

Inhaling, the air felt cooler rushing into her lungs, and she felt the whip of the conditioned wind on her exposed forearms. The senior crew had arrived already, likely discussing the operation they were about to undertake, and what it could mean for them. 

 

Grasping onto the rail of the stripped-down shuttle, Jo stood up on the small raised platform, and placing her finger and thumb curled together beneath her tongue, she whistled loud above the chatter, hearing the echo bounce around the large space. 

 

Marshall: We’ve just heard from the Search and Rescue teams on the Xanth. They’ve concluded the Azetbur is missing… and Rear Admiral Reynolds' whereabouts are currently unknown. ::She paused for a second, took a breath, then continued.:: Command has ordered the Gorkon to resume routine patrol along the Man No Umi border while Search and Rescue conduct their investigation. And that’s what the Gorkon will do. We, however, won't be. 

 

Touching the PADD in her hand, a small drone flew into the middle of their small group and a holographic legume-shaped asteroid appeared, greyer than the standard corridor metal of starships rolling out of Utopia Planitia. 

 

Marshall: As some of you will remember, this sexy looking holiday hotspot is Nassau. A rogue asteroid, not only for the colourful inhabitants, it roams Ma No Umi on a haphazard trajectory, and not one we can accurately predict. The Orion Syndicate claimed this asteroid and this region of space some time ago, and we’re about as welcome as a practical orifice exam from a Klingon with a grudge.   

 

Once starships entered the region, sensors became baffled by a barrage of abnormalities and malformations, like detecting one colour and seeing another. Ore on the surface of the roaming asteroid protected the interior from the constant barrage of storms and danger, and made it a nightmare to find. 

 

Marshall: Recent activity in the area the Azetbur disappeared has led us to an arm of the Orion Syndicate operating out of Ma No Umi, infamous for a shuttlecraft theft and underground racing operation. Thanks to intelligence we’ve pieced together, ::she gave a slight nod to Lena Josett, their resident intelligence officer and former pirate,:: the yacht is mentioned as “being on order”, fuelling speculation they’re involved and someone higher up is calling the shots. 

 

Another press of the PADD controls saw the holographic asteroid highlight a neon lit casino built deep into the rock of the asteroid, signs blaring above, looking as gaudy and blinding as was probably intended. 

 

Marshall: Commander Thornton, Lieutenants Stoyer and Loxley, and Ensign Tan will infiltrate the Mares de Oro; a newly built casino and entertainment establishment in the Leisure District. Unlike other bars in the area, our intelligence shows this is a high-class establishment catering to the wealthy end of the Orion Syndicate.

 

Thornton/Stoyer/Loxley/Tan: Response

 

Marshall: Luckily for you, we’ve secured you membership and a bankroll. You’ll be heading into the casino, finding out who the new Syndicate whip is, and uncovering what you can. Come up with alternate identities, and a reason you’re there as a group. Be convincing; they can spot Starfleet like we give off a smell. 

 

Thornton/Stoyer/Loxley/Tan: Response

 

Jo slipped a hand into her pocket and pressed the PADD again, the next display showing a much seedier part of the asteroid with an eternal fire burning from a deep-rooted seam, locally known as “Burning Hole”. A junkyard and breakers famed throughout Ma No Umi for doing exactly that, and as quickly as possible. 

 

Marshall: Commanders Neathler and Sevo, Lieutenants ch'Ranni and sh’Qynallahr, this is your delightful destination. The Andorian arm of the Syndicate, the Volna Viria, have racers competing on the underground with a stolen personal shuttlecraft, and keep their cards close to their chest, so we need to infiltrate with our own racers. The area is named for this, ::a holographic hole showed, fire spurting out of it,:: a seam of fire burning for as long as the asteroid has roamed. It acts as a forge for the mechanics, and they redirect some heat through to the poorer parts of the asteroid. “They who control the heat control the people.”

 

Neathler/ch'Ranni/sh’Qynallahr/Sevo: Response

 

Marshall: You’ll be putting the finishing touches on — and flying — this shuttlecraft, ::she patted the Class-C she stood on,:: in the races. It needs to be fast, and it needs to be durable enough to withstand some unsavoury tactics from the other teams. We can’t use replicated parts, so find your own parts from the breakers yards down there. Beg, borrow, steal, buy. Whatever you need to do. 

 

Neathler/ch'Ranni/sh’Qynallahr/Sevo: Response

 

A final press on the PADD highlighted another location on the holographic asteroid, only this time it looked like a port harbour, shuttlecraft all over the place, bars and all kinds of stores in the near distance. Neon lights were still the aesthetic of the day, and everything looked grungy under the haze of dark lights. 

 

Marshall: Lieutenants Josett, Fortune and Ensign Phillips will join me. We’re going to take Thornton’s team down onto the surface in a good shuttle, ::she glanced to her hybrid sister-in-law, which was a strange thought,:: which Lena’s already sorted out for us. We’ll be the “service” backup for them, so our movements will be confined to the places the wealthy won’t dare to tread. 

 

Josett/Fortune/Phillips: Response

 

Marshall: If stolen shuttlecraft aren’t being broken down and scrapped, they’re being sold off, and we need to find out where. With any luck, we’ll get eyes on the Azetbur before anything happens. Again, we can’t go as ourselves, so pirate personas will be out in full force. Luckily, we have a former one to mimic.

 

Josett/Fortune/Phillips: Response

 

Jo felt her heart thud in her chest, the intake of breath a little strained as she looked around the shuttlebay at friends and colleagues' faces. 

 

Marshall: The Gorkon is making tracks for Ma No Umi already, and once we’re within range, we’ll head down in the two shuttlecraft for the surface. I won’t split hairs; it’s risky. Our backup is exceedingly limited, and any slip could mean losing the Azetbur and her cargo. ::She couldn’t quite bring herself to say Quinn, too.:: I know this is difficult for everyone, so let me be clear here; everything we do within the next twenty-four hours has the potential to help the investigation. Or get us court-martialled. 

 

A bridge to jump off when they arrived at it. 

 

Marshall: So, ::her eyebrow arched,:: questions?

 

Any: Response

 

 

--

Lt. Commander Jo Marshall

First Officer

USS Gorkon, NCC-82293

G239304JM0