[V-B] Lieutenant Lael Rosek: Slow On the Uptake
Lieutenant Lael Rosek
::They'd been strategizing how to figure out where Jilor had gotten the tricobalt device as well as trying to figure out how many more he had in his possession. Lael shuddered. Just the thought of this murder with even one more of these deadly explosives and the havoc it would wreak if he decided to unleash it on the innocent civilians of Antor II yet again...Too many people had been killed already. They had to put a stop to this before there was nothing left to protect.::
Delano: Maybe instead of focusing on the buyer, we can think about the source. Whether he got it from a black market, or he managed to salvage it himself, it must have come from one of the starships Starfleet’s lost out here. The only other option would be that a Starfleet officer helped someone steal such a device, and I'm not willing to accept that suggestion just yet.
// Starfleet Vessels Lost in the Shoals, SD 237001.01 - Present
USS ATLANTIC - NCC 34723 - AKIRA CLASS STARSHIP - LOST SD 238904.15
USS DENALI - NCC 76434 - INTREPID CLASS STARSHIP - LOST SD 237412.02
USS LOBO - NCC 75226 - VENTURE CLASS SCOUT SHIP - LOST SD 238709.23
USS MCKINLEY - NCC 74352 - DANUBE CLASS RUNABOUT - LOST SD 237104.23
USS S’VAL - NCC 35344 - OBERTH CLASS STARSHIP - LOST SD 237003.04
USS WARREGO - NCC 72347 - DANUBE RUNABOUT - LOST 237802.27 //
:: After a few entered commands, the map adjusted to show the last known locations of the listed ships.::
Delano: Some of these look promising. :: He pointed to the closest red dot on the map :: Three of those ships were lost in the Shadows, where we know Jilor spends most of his time.
:: The map focused on the Shadows, marking the Shadow’s Edge colony to the “south” as well as the last known locations of the wreckage of the Denali, Atlantic, and S’Val. ::
Sepek: He must of had a few ships come out and surprise them.
Delano: Well, starfleet tricobolt devices have individualized characteristics that are meant to help track them. I suggest using the information we have to see if it correlates to one of these three ships. If the device came from a ship with more than one tricobolt device, we might then be able to scan for those unique properties.
Rosek: ::studies the map:: I agree that this would certainly get us to the root of things more quickly. But if this indeed where Jilor spends most of his time, won't we also be risking a battle on his turf? He'd have the home field advantage, wouldn't he?
Sepek: We should be able to hold of a few ships, but 5 or more would certainly pose a bigger risk.
Rosek: Don't get me wrong. It's a good option. We'd just need to know enough about that particular region, Jilor's ships, and his tactics to even stand a chance.
Delano: I can't pull rank on you, Lieutenant, but I don't think I would if I had that option. Your idea's perfectly valid. Maybe we can find a way to pursue both angles.
::Lael bit back a grimace. Twice in one day? Really? And this time she hadn't even truly argued her point. She'd acknowledged the validity of Delano's idea while offering additional considerations. She was beginning to think that Dassa was right and that she really had gotten more socially awkward than even she knew after all that time in Hell.::
Delano: What about you Mr. Sepek? Is there a third option we haven't considered?
Sepek: Well not really. We can either check out the wreaks, or look for buyers. An extreme method is send someone undercover to try and aquire tricolbalt then question the seller, but thats too much work.
Rosek: ::pauses:: Honestly? ::to Delano:: While I agree that your option is going to get us the quickest, most accurate results, it's also going to require a lot of upfront digging and planning.
Delano: We don’t need to warp directly into the Shadows. It would take us weeks to get there, and Jilor’s fleet would be the least of our concerns while trying to navigate all those tachyon fields.
Delano: I’m talking about a simple search through our library database to see if we can match the tricobolt from the casino explosion to one of these ships. I don’t think it will take as long as you say, and this is important. :: beat :: We know the device was of Starfleet origin. If it didn’t come from a lost ship, then we’ll have a much bigger problem than a exiled Klingon with delusions of grandeur - we’ll be dealing with an extremist group with a possible direct line to Starfleet’s arsenal.
Sepek: An inside agent would not be good for starfleet. It is likely if that's the case, he wouldn't be the only one.
Rosek: ::nods:: I'm game. If you can get me what you have about Jilor's ships, I can find a weakness. Then we just need as much information as we can get on the region and Jilor's tactics.
Delano: Let’s hold off on the tactical analysis for now. We don’t have much to analyze, anyway. I’ll dig my report on the CCF Falcon if you like. We also captured a prisoner several months ago who gave us information to help track the Kos’karii ships, but the latest information from the Colonial Marshal’s says they’ve adapted their cloaking technology to correct for that flaw.
Sepek: Great pirates with cloak.
Delano: The problem is that we’ve never faced Jilor or his followers directly. So far, all we’ve been able to do is clean up the messes he leaves behind. In any case, we’re still straying off topic. :: beat :: Lieutenant, Ensign, since the captain put me in command of our little group, let’s move forward with the research on these six ships and the tricoblolt devices they were carrying - start with the three lost in the Shadows. The two of you can coordinate your efforts from engineering and science perspectives. I’ll start configuring the sensors to scan for specific tricobolt signatures, then update the captain on our progress. Let me know as soon as you have something.
::Lael nodded. She could see now that she'd misunderstood Delano's intentions before. It didn't help that part of her was ready for a fight. Cloak and dagger wasn't her thing. She was used to and preferred to face her enemies hand to hand. It was starting to look like she'd need to adapt to a subtler way of doing things.::
Rosek: Yes, sir.
Sepek: Yes sir.
::She studied Delano for a few moments. She'd read a bit of his background and he seemed to slip so easily into the framework of the Veritas crew. A conversation with him following the mission might give her some ideas on how she could go about finding her place with this new type of crew. Unlike her previous assignments, she was going to need more diplomacy and tact. Time to polish up those old skills.::
::Just as Sepek moved to his station, presumably to reconstruct the sample, he was called into the Captain's Ready Room.::