[Bridge] Captain Oddas Aria: Intelligence to Spare

[Nicholas St Gabriel]

((Bridge, Deck 1, USS Grace Hopper))

Oddas: Right through the shields?

Melchor just nodded and Captain Oddas looked to G’var - that was an important clue: pirates shouldn't be able to just beam through the shields of a Starfleet vessel.

G'var nodded disappeared off to work on attenuating several systems while  Aria worked with the Commander and Lieutenant.

Oddas: Good, how are the sensors coming?

Dekas: The, ah, good news is that there are basic warp-impulse trails. ::looking back toward everyone:: The bad news is the trail degradation is more progressed due to the size of the vessels, and potentially the parts they’re using. With timing that close, there is any number of locations, or theoretical anomalies they’re familiar with that they could use to mask themselves ahead of time. The Juneau could probably follow them for speed. But since we don’t know how they’re getting through the shields at will, that would obviously be a big risk of crew and ship and I wouldn’t recommend that before we know more.

The Captain grimly nodded - it wouldn't do to put several more ships and lives at risk to go after an unknown.  Prophets knew she would, and had in the past, but it would not be her first choice.  The newly minted Lieutenant had a point, and she would try to understand what she was taking the ship into at least.

Oddas: There are a couple of options I can think of - the first is some sort of new Technological advantage, the other would require subterfuge ....

Aria let the statement trail off, the implication of the statement was self-evident, and too terrible to imagine.  Internal security would have a field day if that were the case.  Still, she could help to rule out some possibilities. She nodded toward her friend, who seemed to be understanding her dread.

Melchor: I can do a sensor analysis to see track down that possibility.

He turned to a station just off the command chair, and began calling up the relevant logs.

Dekas: ::he hummed thoughtfully:: Is there an option to see if there have been any recent reports, or less recent, of similar experiences with people getting through shields to steal something? And if so, were they in or around the Wilds when it happened? It would help to see if we can get a gauge on if this is just a random place they’re traveling through to get what they want or if they’re based out of the Wilds specifically, no? See if there are patterns?

It wasn't wide knowledge, but just over the past month Starfleet had installed an intelligence officer among the support personnel at the Annex on the Spike.  If anyone knew the answer to the Engineer's question, it would be them.

Oddas: I don't know, but I can get the answer to that - if I may? 

She gestured toward the comm station, and the commander looked up just enough to wave acquiescence.  The rest of the bridge crew being busy Aria opened a secure channel to the Annex, specifically to the Intel personnel - which at the moment consisted of one person, a Commander Vala Donica. It took only a moment for the woman, blond, mostly human, uniformed in black, to answer the call and fill the screen.

Donica: =/\= Commander Donica here, ahh Captain Oddas - a pleasure to see you! =/\=

Aria had never communicated with the woman before, but the commander was smiling as if they were old friends and Aria was not sure how to take it.

Oddas: Commander, I wish it was under better circumstances.  The Grace Hopper has taken damage, from a small band of pirates that were able to beam through their shields, take what they wanted, and beam away.

Donica: =/\=That is concerning. =/\=

Dekas: Response

From behind Aria Melchor exclaimed and smacked the side of the console.

Melchor: Our shields were up the entire time, It's as if they never went down.

Donica: =/\= That is an issue, control codes?  =/\= 

Dekas: Response

Donica: =/\= Unfortunately, I don't have any leads on anyone brokering that kind of information in the Wilds.  What I do have are some scattering reports of increased ::clearing her throat:: privateering in the area.  I can forward you a list of those attacks. =/\=

Oddas: That would be helpful, maybe we can combine it with our latest information to track a destination? 

She looked towards Dekas to confirm they were receiving data and to begin the analysis. 

Donica: =/\= I'm short on operatives at the moment, but if you need an extra investigator on the ground, let me know - I can spare me. =/\=

Oddas: I'll keep that in mind.

Dekas: Response

Aria crossed her arms and wished she didn't know what the woman staring at her was about to say.

Donica: =/\= You might just have an inside man to find. =/\=

Oddas: Thank you.

The channel closed and Aria shook her head. 

Oddas: Let's see if we can extrapolate where we need to go, perhaps 'where' will point to 'who'.

Dekas: Response

TAG, TBC

Captain Oddas Aria
Commanding Officer
USS Juneau, NX-99801
E239305OA0

Sense is never common. -Robert Heinlein

Wiki: https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php/Oddas_Aria