S1E2 - Love Thy Neighbor

[J.B Dersch]

[{NPC} Lieutenant Savar | Medical Lab | Sickbay | Deck Fourteen | Outpost Solaere]

Savar watched as the bacterium was combined with her blood sample. Hearing Fawkes' analogy, the famous phrase to go with it, he said, "I can see what you mean. Here in this case, as much as it looks like a Cholera bacteria, it doesn't look and behave the way it does. I can see here that it doesn't react to human blood the way it does Vulcan blood. I concur we have to conduct more tests, but we can see the first sign as to how this strain is designed in a way to specifically affect Vulcans, and as such, potentially, Romulans."

"I don't know," the EMH retorted. "We'd have to send somebody down to the water sources in Oaish'le where people are being afflicted with Cholera so that we'll know, but I don't know what medical officer we can spare..."
[Cloten's Office | The Jackal | Deck Ten | Outpost Solaere]

The memo came in to the computer in Cloten's Office. It was still accessible; Cloten had always kept it free to use, unlocked and free to use. He had trusted on his thugs' fear of his wrath that ensured his confidence nobody would get it open.

Unfortunately, not all of his security features were up, which meant anybody who could sneak in could notice what was going on on his computer. And there was more than one way past Cloten's thugs guarding his office.

[{NPC} "Captain Hagon Ral" | Freighter Dock Three | Deck Eleven | Outpost Solaere]

"Hagon" acknowledged. She had to step out of their base ship and access a computer console.

"Computer, locate the Dersch family."

The computer gave her the information. The Dersch family was gone. They were really one step ahead, weren't they? Or was it Dersch himself? She returned to the base ship and did a scan...saw three Federation starships in the system...two top of the line vessels, registered as the Endurant and the Megistus...and an older Yeager class, registering as the Washington...

"Hagon" recognized the name. Jimmy served on the Washington...and "Hagon" put two and two together.

"Jimmy," she called in Hagon's voice, "Dersch's family are gone. However, your old ship is in the system. Is it entirely possible your old friend got them out?"

[Jimmy Koto | Clotens Office]

He noticed there was a bet about two star fleet ships....Taking on the Washington...Furry Bastreds is always looking for money Then "Hagon' contacted him.

"Jimmy," she called in Hagon's voice, "Dersch's family are gone. However, your old ship is in the system. Is it entirely possible your old friend got them out?"

"Damn it! Yea, He did.....I am going dark for a bit, Comms Off" He then sent a trap for Cloten when he was to enter and left. He now needed to steal a shuttle and board the washington.

[Stryker]

|lt. Sven Aune| Suvik's residence.

As soon as Sven finished his exposition on just how powerful the power of the Bureaucracy was with Dersch, and shining a light on how little power the wayward ex-security turned rent-a-cop really had, a welcome surprise showed up in the form of a holographic raptor.

Sven gave Steve a sad, melancholy kind of smile. He hated having to do this. But Dersch had pushed the command staff into a corner. The circumstantial evidence didn't look good for Dersch, and everything that just happened to be there for him, from the ship, to the marines was just to convenient. Unfortunately Sven was the one that had to deal with the fall out.

Sven placed a hand on Steve's head, and ran it along the grain with the feathers. "It's a really sad day today, Steve. A lot of people died, an' someone I trusted turned out t'be livin' a double life and lyin' t'everyone." he said to the raptor.

[J.B Dersch]

Lieutenant Danjar-Torra Addams
[Outpost Solaere - Deck One - Operations Center] (5:50 pm)

Torra gave a slight nod to Commander Garrison in answer and while the higher ups continued to discuss the situation, the Grazerite sent out an aid request to the two nearby Starfleet vessels.

Aune's request to beam Dersch and his crew to the Brig, came in while Torra was waiting for a response from the Megistus and the Endurant.

"Acknowledged.

The Grazerite began her transporter scan to determine the number of individuals.  She frowned.  With the numbers she was seeing, she would need to do multiple beam outs and make use of the empty quarters once more to hold them all.

Then unexpected her scan was scrambled and the ship vanished from her scans.  Torra gaped at the realization of what that meant.  The mercenary vessel had access to cloaking technology!

"Addams to Aune.  The Washington has somehow cloaked.  I can't read her at all.  I'll beam you and Dersch to the Brig though."

No sooner had  she relayed this information to Aune than Nira had another task for her.

Torra frowned slightly.  The comm line to Starfleet Medical had been over a half hour ago.

"I'll open a new channel to them afterwards, ma'am."

But Murphy's Law wasn't finished with Torra, because Aune called again.  Oh she missed having both her and Nelois working the same shift!

"Yes, Lieutenant, I'll have that done.  Please stand by for transport."

It was at this moment that she received responses from the Megistus and Endurant.  They would assist but were several hours out.. as Fleet Command hadn't authorized use of the slipstream drive since Frontier Day as it was based off Borg technology and it hadn't been vetted as safe yet.  This was unfortunate news for the station - being as remote as they are.  No wonder the colony and refugee camp relied so heavily on private freighters to ship in goods.

"Acknowledged.  Thank you for your assistance.  Please keep us updated with your progress hourly,  Solaere Ops out."

The Grazerite then returned her attention to the transporter controls on her console.

"Ops to Aune. Energizing."   Aune and Dersch would find themselves in the Brig processing area, outside of the holding cells.

Torra then contacted the Judge Advocate to request a seizure warrant for the USS Washington and arrest warrants for her crew.  After that was sent off, Torra, put in a comm to Starfleet Medical and requested a direct line to the doctor who had signed off on Administrator Sot's medical.

Torra paused then, mentally going over all the various tasks she'd been assigned in the past ten minutes and tried to confirm that all were accomplished.  Presently, she was just waiting on the two warrants before posting them to the ICN as asked.

Torra sat back in her seat and noted the Antican on his PADD.  Torra frowned.  She doubted whatever he was doing was good or legal because he seemed to be smiling.  She reached out to grab for the PADD.

"What are you doing? While you are in this place, you are banned from using your electronic devicees.  I don't trust you." she stated.  This was a bold statement for the Grazerite, who normally was tolerant and accepting of all sorts.

Sven made a dismissive noise, bordering on the side of mockery. "Huh. Just add, failure t'comply with enforcement, and failure t' relinquish evidence critical for a criminal investigation. Ya got some sort of criminal infraction bingo card that yer tryin' t'fill out?"
He shrugged. "I guess it can't be helped then."

He tapped his communicator

"lt. Aune to lt. Addams. Sorry t'keep bein' a thorn in yer side. But could ya reley an warrent for asset seizure for the Washington when ya get a hold of the Judge Advocate? Our esteemed guest seems t'think that rent-a-cops are above the law, and have it posted on the Integrated Criminal Network? I want to make sure that when that ship decloaks anywhere in the Federation our member states know that it's to be apprehended immediately. Thank you."

He turned back to Dersch.  "Ya know, for a person that spends an inordinate amount of time in the holodeck reenactin' late 20 century police shoot-outs an' crime scenes yer rather obtuse when it comes t'criminal law. But fret not. Yer gunna get a crash course in it soon enough.

You may have some uber starship, Dersch, some war vessel tha' can obliterate an entire planet when ya turn on the high beams. Ya may have a legion of juiced up genetically augmented supersoldiers at yer beck n' call. But I have somethin' that is much more powerful than those two things combined. Somethin' so powerful ya can't even fathom it depths. An infinite void that will suck everything you have. It'll suck yer out yer soul an' very will t'live. It's the power of the Bureaucracy.

Tha's right Dersch. I'm gunna wrap yer ship up in so much red tape, that yer great grand children will long be dust in the ground before it's relinquished back t'ya.

I'm curious Dersch. Ya got only 14 marines protectin' yer family. How do you afford them? I mean they gotta eat. Gotta pay wages and I doubt your salary as a junior grade lieutenant was enough t'keep them on yer payroll. An' I doubt they would sit around in a cloaked ship twiddling their thumbs waitin' fer ya maybe give an order, when ya have free time workin' full time for the Federation?

You know what, don' answer that. I don't what t'know. But I do think it was awful convenient that yer ship jus' happen t'be there when ya called for it. Convenient that it has a cloaking device. Convenient that you have an extensive crew that somehow magically gets compensated for sittin' around on their thumbs waitin' fer ya t'tell them what to do in yer free time. And that's why I think you've been runnin' a side gig smuggling weapons to Oashl'ie t'pay for it all.

That means, I'm gunna have t'get an investigation ordered fer yer ship once we seize it. Do you know how much paperwork that takes? First well have to prescreening done t'ensure safe occupancy of the ship for the workers. A project plan will have t'be drawn up and approved by the bass. An' because the Romulans are involved the plan will have t'be sent t'them. They'll have 300 days t'respond with any revisions, or changes. That'll get sent back t'the Federation and they will have 300 days to approve the changes an' the revisions. An' as you know, stuff crops up and stuff slips through the cracks an' they typically get around t'it a few weeks before it's due. Those revisions will be sent back t'Romulans who will then have 300 days t'respond. It takes frikken forever and once that's done the document heads off t'clerical for final formatting and dependin' on how busy they are... An don' forget, the Federation loves t'change procedures every couple of years so we'll have to stop and revise the document and start that whole process over just t'keep it updated. An' that's for the safe occupancy sweep just t'let Federation personnel on board t'even start investigating it for smugglin. I won't even bother tellin' what's involved t'get that actual project plan approved t'do the actual investigation of the ship.

Ya diggin' what I'm sayin' here? It's gunna take us years just to get this done. Not to mention any other kind of investigation that could be warrented which will just extend the time it spends in the impound."

He gave Dersch a decisive look. "An' don't worry. I'm not wastin' any time on you. Unlike you, I trust my people t'do their job. They are capable, trained, and qualified, so I'm sure this Koto character won't be a problem much longer. But right now, yer my main issue."

Sven thought for a moment. "First rule of mercenary work. Don't trust yer employer. An' certainly don't expect any kind of loyalty. Their loyalty goes as far as their Latium. We won't be requirin' yer services anymore."

[JB Dersch | Brig | Outpost Solaere]

Dersch didn't fight back when he was pretty much thrown into the brig, but now he could help keep watch over his family. "Aune, if my family gets hurt because you've locked me up in here when I could be tracking Koto, so help me God. If my family gets hurt due to locking me up, Starfleet's gonna have hell to pay."

Dersch retraced his steps back to the cell, feeling the weight of exhaustion with every movement. He lowered himself onto the hard surface, leaning heavily against the cold, unforgiving wall. Finally, he closed his eyes, seeking respite from the harsh reality surrounding him.

[Stryker]

[JB Dersch | Brig | Outpost Solaere]

Dersch didn't fight back when he was pretty much thrown into the brig, but now he could help keep watch over his family. "Aune, if my family gets hurt because you've locked me up in here when I could be tracking Koto, so help me God. If my family gets hurt due to locking me up, Starfleet's gonna have hell to pay."

Dersch retraced his steps back to the cell, feeling the weight of exhaustion with every movement. He lowered himself onto the hard surface, leaning heavily against the cold, unforgiving wall. Finally, he closed his eyes, seeking respite from the harsh reality surrounding him.

|lt. Sven Aune| Brig|

Materialization occurred and Dersch was passed through the security scanner. His prosthetic weapons were removed.

Dersch spoke, and Sven cocked his head then rolled his eyes.

"Ya, okay. Yer the only person in this entire universe that can hunt down Koto... No one else can do it. Just you. Bit of a god complex ya got goin' on there don't ya think? Anyway, ya should have thought about yer family before engagin' in criminal activity. Ya should 'ave thought about them when ya decided to join the down n' dirty profession of mercenary work. Ya should 'ave thought about that before runnin' off. So ya did leave them to the Wolves. You are your family's shepard, an' instead of staying with your flock to protect them, you made the choice t'run off. You made the series of piss poor choices that left them vulnerable t'the wolves, an' now, unfortunately they may have t'pay the price for. Grow up and take responsibility for yerself. You made a commitment t'yer wife when ya said I do. Ya made a commitment t'yer children when ya threw yer box of rubbers in the trash. An' you decided to toss all that in the dumpster.

I don't like logical fallacies, Dersch, an' I can't stand the appeal t'emotion. You have no one t'blame but yerself for your, an' their predicament.

Besides Dersch, Ain't they on your uber ship with a security detail of 14 marines guarding them? Or was that a bluff?"

He tapped his badge.

"Aune, to Addams. Sorry, but it seems Dersch was sherkin his responsibilities as a husband and father when he decided to Bat-man. According to him, they are on board the Washington. Once we have the ship in custody, please request a security detail to protect them on whatever ship apprehends the Washington."

He looked back to Dersch, "Ya know, if ya just asked us, and partnered with us, you could have avoided a lot of this mess. But this is what happens to vigilantes with a god complex, an' access t'questionable resources"

[J.B Dersch]

|lt. Sven Aune| Brig|

Materialization occurred and Dersch was passed through the security scanner. His prosthetic weapons were removed.

Dersch spoke, and Sven cocked his head.

"Ya should have thought about that before engagin' in criminal activity. Ya should 'ave thought about them when ya decided to join the down n' dirty profession of mercenary work. Ya should 'ave thought about that before runnin' off. So ya did leave them to the Wolves. You are your family's shepard, an' instead of staying with your flock to protect them, you made the choice t'run off. You made the series of piss poor choices that unfortunately now they may have t'pay the price for. Grow up and take responsibility for yerself. You made a commitment t'yer wife when ya said I do. Ya made a commitment t'yer children when ya threw yer box of rubbers in the trash. An' you decided to toss all that in the dumpster.

I don't like logical fallacies, Dersch, an' I can't stand the appeal t'emotion. You have no one t'blame but yerself for your, an' their predicament.

Besides Dersch, Ain't they on your uber ship with a security detail of 14 marines guarding them? Or was that a bluff?"

He tapped his badge.

"Aune, to Addams. Sorry, but it seems Dersch was sherkin his responsibilities as a husband and father when he decided to Bat-man. According to him, they are on board the Washington. Once we have the ship in custody, please request a security detail to protect them on whatever ship apprehends the Washington."

He looked back to Dersch, "Ya know, if ya just asked us, and partnered with us, you could have avoided a lot of this mess. But this is what happens to vigilantes with a god complex."

[JB Dersch | Brig | Outpost Solaere]

Dersch shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't make them understand the gravity of the situation. "Aune, you don't seem to comprehend the danger we are in. Everyone here is like a second family to me, and I don't want anyone to get hurt, especially my own family and even you. Koto won't hesitate to harm everyone on this station or planet if he has to."

JB's restless energy propelled him to his feet, and he began to pace the confines of the brig cell. His thoughts were consumed with the elusive Koto and the possibility of capturing him. Despite the uncertainty, JB held onto the hope that the Washington would eventually succeed in apprehending their target.

[Charlotte Fawkes]

[{NPC} Lieutenant Savar | Medical Lab | Sickbay | Deck Fourteen | Outpost Solaere]

Savar watched as the bacterium was combined with her blood sample. Hearing Fawkes' analogy, the famous phrase to go with it, he said, "I can see what you mean. Here in this case, as much as it looks like a Cholera bacteria, it doesn't look and behave the way it does. I can see here that it doesn't react to human blood the way it does Vulcan blood. I concur we have to conduct more tests, but we can see the first sign as to how this strain is designed in a way to specifically affect Vulcans, and as such, potentially, Romulans."

"I don't know," the EMH retorted. "We'd have to send somebody down to the water sources in Oaish'le where people are being afflicted with Cholera so that we'll know, but I don't know what medical officer we can spare..."

| Ensign Fawkes | Science Officer | Deck 14, Sickbay| Outpost Solaere |

Charlotte had no doubt Savar would understand her duck reference and nodded along as he agreed that more tests were needed. "Agreed. It may slow us down a bit, but it's preferable to be thorough in the long run. If this is a genetically altered bacterium, we must dot every i and cross every t." The woman shrugged, distressed at the thought of such a bio-attack. If it was an attack, the ramifications of pointing to the wrong suspect could be catastrophic.

"No one?" Fawkes asked when the EMH suggested they had no medical staff to spare for a mission to Oaish'le. "I would be happy to collect specimens from the aquafers, but if people require medical attention, I would be ill-equipped to lend assistance beyond the most rudimentary first aid." 

[Stryker]

[JB Dersch | Brig | Outpost Solaere]

Dersch shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't make them understand the gravity of the situation. "Aune, you don't seem to comprehend the danger we are in. Everyone here is like a second family to me, and I don't want anyone to get hurt, especially my own family and even you. Koto won't hesitate to harm everyone on this station or planet if he has to."

JB's restless energy propelled him to his feet, and he began to pace the confines of the brig cell. His thoughts were consumed with the elusive Koto and the possibility of capturing him. Despite the uncertainty, JB held onto the hope that the Washington would eventually succeed in apprehending their target.

[lt. Sven Aune| Brig| Outpost Solare]

"Is that so? We're family eh? An' this is how ya treat family? By running off, and leavin' us to the wolves while you chase ghosts? No. We're not family. You simply have delusions of grandeur. You've built this Koto character up in your mind as some sort of grand nemesis, that only you can handle. It's how you justify this... neurotic fantasy of yours. Sure he may be dangerous. But no more dangerous than anyone else I've or Starfleet has dealt with. You're not some sort of savior. Best ya learn that now."

[Danjar-Torra Addams]

Lieutenant Danjar-Torra Addams
[Outpost Solaere - Deck One - Operations Center] (5:50 pm)

|lt. Sven Aune| Brig|

He tapped his badge.

"Aune, to Addams. Sorry, but it seems Dersch was sherkin' his responsibilities as a husband and father when he decided to Bat-man. According to him, they are on board the Washington. Once we have the ship in custody, please request a security detail to protect them on whatever ship apprehends the Washington."

He looked back to Dersch, "Ya know, if ya just asked us, and partnered with us, you could have avoided a lot of this mess. But this is what happens to vigilantes with a god complex, an' access t'questionable resources"

Torra took note of Aune's statement.  Oh dear... had Dersch really transported his family to the Washington when he gave up his commission.  It seemed a rather reckless thing to do, especially if he knew they might be targeted - the Washington was the most logical place to send... therefor the least safe; at least Torra thought so.  The Grazerite  tapped her comm badge to respond back to Aune.

"Acknowledged Lieutenant.  I'll pass on the request."

She however was going to go through the transporter logs to confirm if they even left the ship.  She had been notified when Dersch left, but not his family. That is something the transporter ops should have notified her of.  Torra had a sneaking suspicion that they were still on the station - hidden - but where?  If the suspicion that this 'Koto' was on the station looking for them was true then Torra had to make sure Liv and Katie were safe- whereever they were. 

[Nira Said]

Lieutenant Danjar-Torra Addams
[Outpost Solaere - Deck One - Operations Center] (5:50 pm)

Torra gave a slight nod to Commander Garrison in answer and while the higher ups continued to discuss the situation, the Grazerite sent out an aid request to the two nearby Starfleet vessels.

Aune's request to beam Dersch and his crew to the Brig, came in while Torra was waiting for a response from the Megistus and the Endurant.

"Acknowledged.

The Grazerite began her transporter scan to determine the number of individuals.  She frowned.  With the numbers she was seeing, she would need to do multiple beam outs and make use of the empty quarters once more to hold them all.

Then unexpected her scan was scrambled and the ship vanished from her scans.  Torra gaped at the realization of what that meant.  The mercenary vessel had access to cloaking technology!

"Addams to Aune.  The Washington has somehow cloaked.  I can't read her at all.  I'll beam you and Dersch to the Brig though."

No sooner had  she relayed this information to Aune than Nira had another task for her.

Torra frowned slightly.  The comm line to Starfleet Medical had been over a half hour ago.

"I'll open a new channel to them afterwards, ma'am."

But Murphy's Law wasn't finished with Torra, because Aune called again.  Oh she missed having both her and Nelois working the same shift!

"Yes, Lieutenant, I'll have that done.  Please stand by for transport."

It was at this moment that she received responses from the Megistus and Endurant.  They would assist but were several hours out.. as Fleet Command hadn't authorized use of the slipstream drive since Frontier Day as it was based off Borg technology and it hadn't been vetted as safe yet.  This was unfortunate news for the station - being as remote as they are.  No wonder the colony and refugee camp relied so heavily on private freighters to ship in goods.

"Acknowledged.  Thank you for your assistance.  Please keep us updated with your progress hourly,  Solaere Ops out."

The Grazerite then returned her attention to the transporter controls on her console.

"Ops to Aune. Energizing."   Aune and Dersch would find themselves in the Brig processing area, outside of the holding cells.

Torra then contacted the Judge Advocate to request a seizure warrant for the USS Washington and arrest warrants for her crew.  After that was sent off, Torra, put in a comm to Starfleet Medical and requested a direct line to the doctor who had signed off on Administrator Sot's medical.

Torra paused then, mentally going over all the various tasks she'd been assigned in the past ten minutes and tried to confirm that all were accomplished.  Presently, she was just waiting on the two warrants before posting them to the ICN as asked.

Torra sat back in her seat and noted the Antican on his PADD.  Torra frowned.  She doubted whatever he was doing was good or legal because he seemed to be smiling.  She reached out to grab for the PADD.

"What are you doing? While you are in this place, you are banned from using your electronic devicees.  I don't trust you." she stated.  This was a bold statement for the Grazerite, who normally was tolerant and accepting of all sorts.

|lt. Sven Aune| Brig|

Materialization occurred and Dersch was passed through the security scanner. His prosthetic weapons were removed.

Dersch spoke, and Sven cocked his head then rolled his eyes.

"Ya, okay. Yer the only person in this entire universe that can hunt down Koto... No one else can do it. Just you. Bit of a god complex ya got goin' on there don't ya think? Anyway, ya should have thought about yer family before engagin' in criminal activity. Ya should 'ave thought about them when ya decided to join the down n' dirty profession of mercenary work. Ya should 'ave thought about that before runnin' off. So ya did leave them to the Wolves. You are your family's shepard, an' instead of staying with your flock to protect them, you made the choice t'run off. You made the series of piss poor choices that left them vulnerable t'the wolves, an' now, unfortunately they may have t'pay the price for. Grow up and take responsibility for yerself. You made a commitment t'yer wife when ya said I do. Ya made a commitment t'yer children when ya threw yer box of rubbers in the trash. An' you decided to toss all that in the dumpster.

I don't like logical fallacies, Dersch, an' I can't stand the appeal t'emotion. You have no one t'blame but yerself for your, an' their predicament.

Besides Dersch, Ain't they on your uber ship with a security detail of 14 marines guarding them? Or was that a bluff?"

He tapped his badge.

"Aune, to Addams. Sorry, but it seems Dersch was sherkin his responsibilities as a husband and father when he decided to Bat-man. According to him, they are on board the Washington. Once we have the ship in custody, please request a security detail to protect them on whatever ship apprehends the Washington."

Lieutenant Danjar-Torra Addams
[Outpost Solaere - Deck One - Operations Center] (5:50 pm)

Torra took note of Aune's statement.  Oh dear... had Dersch really transported his family to the Washington when he gave up his commission.  It seemed a rather reckless thing to do, especially if he knew they might be targeted - the Washington was the most logical place to send... therefor the least safe; at least Torra thought so.  The Grazerite  tapped her comm badge to respond back to Aune.

"Acknowledged Lieutenant.  I'll pass on the request."

She however was going to go through the transporter logs to confirm if they even left the ship.  She had been notified when Dersch left, but not his family. That is something the transporter ops should have notified her of.  Torra had a sneaking suspicion that they were still on the station - hidden - but where?  If the suspicion that this 'Koto' was on the station looking for them was true then Torra had to make sure Liv and Katie were safe- whereever they were.

[Commander Nira Said | Operations Center | Deck One | Outpost Solaere]

Nira whirled up and looked at the console after Torra's direction of gaze when she mentioned the Washington cloaked. The Washington was indeed gone.

"Allah's sake," Nira hissed. "What else the hell does that ship, let alone a ship that old, have? Quantum slipstream drive, cloaking device...I suppose that ship's also armed with weaponry of the like to single-handedly take on a ship even the size of the Borg cube hidden in Jupiter's Great Red Spot!"

Nira then looked up again when she heard Torra give some stern words, and was in time to see Cloten shrinking before her...a PADD in her hand. He squeaked in terror and tried to make like he was a furry turtle, trying to stuff his head into his shirt.

"Oh...really? I wasn't aware..."

"I think we've detained you from your business long enough, Mister Cloten," Nira said. "You will leave Ops now. And in the future, don't bring any devices of any kind with you."

Cloten looked back and forth between Nira and Cloten, and decided leaving might be the best course of action. He was gone, but not before it looked to Nira he was scrambling away.

The comm from old Stryker mentioning Dersch's family was on the Washington made Nira watch on as Torra pulled up the transporter logs.

"No sign of them on there?" Nira said. "Computer, what was the last known position of the Dersch family?"

"The last known location of Liv and Katherine Dersch is Runabout Pad A."

Seeing for sure that they weren't on the transporter logs, Nira then looked over to Lieutenant Sehila, the Chief Flight Officer, who alone had been silent so far. Nira had to admire Sehila's focus on work when so much was going to hell around her; Sehila can almost be a Vulcan when she wants to. Then again, as Flight Officer on a station, it was her duty to monitor inbound ships, not just to fly them.

"Lieutenant Sehila, did Ensign Ch'ishrelnin pick up any passengers before he took the Escalante to Ciden II?"

"The Ensign did report he picked up a small family, led by a mother," Sehila said. "His course took him off his usual path...of course, it took him toward the Washington, that's what he reported, and the warp signature of the Escalante confirms it. He also said she indicated she was in a hurry."

"I can see why," snapped Nira. "If it's all right, Kinley," she said, looking at Kinley, "we need to conduct a tachyon scan. Surely a ship as old as the Washington will likely. And Ensign Ch'ishrelnin won't be back for a while, not from picking up the shipment sent from Ciden II's mines."

Nira went over at Tactical. She felt discouraged that the two incoming ships will take time to get to, and then she remembered the notification that all starships with quantum slipstream drives are not to be used until it's guaranteed safe to use, in light of Frontier Day almost a year ago. Even after a year, Nira thought before looking down at the Tactical console and did a double take. "Torra? Are you seeing what I'm seeing on the sensors? Something's going on with the Washington."

[Nira Said]

| Ensign Fawkes | Science Officer | Deck 14, Sickbay| Outpost Solaere |

Charlotte had no doubt Savar would understand her duck reference and nodded along as he agreed that more tests were needed. "Agreed. It may slow us down a bit, but it's preferable to be thorough in the long run. If this is a genetically altered bacterium, we must dot every i and cross every t." The woman shrugged, distressed at the thought of such a bio-attack. If it was an attack, the ramifications of pointing to the wrong suspect could be catastrophic.

"No one?" Fawkes asked when the EMH suggested they had no medical staff to spare for a mission to Oaish'le. "I would be happy to collect specimens from the aquafers, but if people require medical attention, I would be ill-equipped to lend assistance beyond the most rudimentary first aid." 

[{NPC} EMH Mark XII | Medical Lab | Sickbay | Deck Fourteen | Outpost Solaere]

"Well, we know about the bacterium affecting Vulcans," the EMH said. "I'll have my counterpart Mark I work on a treatment for this. We can work on the one that afflicts Romulans when we can get samples. I'll need to come down with you, once I get my mobile emitter prepared."

He then stepped out of the lab and explained what's going on to Counselor Drylo, and seeing the Mark I wasn't activated, he got it on, explained, instructed him on work on the treatment for the cholera bacteria, and went to look for his mobile emitter.

[Jimmy Koto | Clotens Office]

He noticed there was a bet about two star fleet ships....Taking on the Washington...Furry Bastreds is always looking for money Then "Hagon' contacted him.

"Jimmy," she called in Hagon's voice, "Dersch's family are gone. However, your old ship is in the system. Is it entirely possible your old friend got them out?"

"Damn it! Yea, He did.....I am going dark for a bit, Comms Off" He then sent a trap for Cloten when he was to enter and left. He now needed to steal a shuttle and board the washington.

[{NPC} "Captain Hagon Ral" | Freighter Dock Three | Deck Eleven | Outpost Solaere]

"Computer, what is the last known location of the Dersch family?"

"The last known location of Liv and Katherine Dersch is Runabout Pad A."

"Hagon" nodded in understanding. This will mean a shuttle will be called for. Fortunately, there were two shuttles at the ready in the shuttle docking pad of Docking Ring A. She was already on her way down to go find Koto.

[{NPC} Deej Cloten | The Jackal | Deck Ten | Promenade | Outpost Solaere]

Cloten was more relieved to get away from the ram giantess than he was currently with business. Still, he was feeling better to be out, and he was ready to roll business.

"Hey! Rosso!" He called to one of his Antican lackeys. "Get my betting board, we have a new bet in the offing. You'll find more information in my computer in my office."

Rosso nodded; he was well enough in Cloten's inner circle to be trusted with access to Cloten's office without needing admittance, and thus can be trusted with access to his computer. Rosso was already gone to the office.

A moment later, there came a bang and a scream from the direction of Cloten's office. People scrambled over, Cloten in particular, and he was shocked at the sight. Rosso had tripped a trap upon entering, and Cloten knew that style well.

"He was in my office!" Cloten said in shock. "Koto was in my office! How....?"

"We saw nobody come in, boss!" said one of his bodyguards in surprise. This time, Cloten believed him.

"He must've been beaming around!" Cloten added in horror.

[Stryker]

|lt. Sven Aune| Brig | Outpost Solare |

Sven watched Dersch for a moment. The man was acting irrational. Going on and on and making a big fuss about protecting family. How he's the only one who could do it. He considered this irrational savior complex, and his face fell.

He picked up PADD, and sent a highly encrypted message to Addams, and Baker (his point for strike force alpha), highest priority.

Be advised, Dersch may be planning to use his family as bait to lure in koto. It is possible that he is lying about their location on the Washington and may have them hidden in order to use them later as bait. Addams, please set up the Dersch residence with continuous scanning It's the most logical place for Koto to go first. Baker, take Martinez and go undercover. You two are to act as Dersch's wife and daughter and set up a sting operation inside the Dersch residence. Other members of the strike team, don civvies, be on the look out.

He sent the message off.

He scowled at Dersch. If the man really was going to use his family as bait, just so he could jump in and satisfy his savior complex... he couldn't even fathom the disgust he would hold for for the man.

[J.B Dersch]

[lt. Sven Aune| Brig| Outpost Solare]
"Is that so? We're family eh? An' this is how ya treat family? By running off, and leavin' us to the wolves while you chase ghosts? No. We're not family. You simply have delusions of grandeur. You've built this Koto character up in your mind as some sort of grand nemesis, that only you can handle. It's how you justify this... neurotic fantasy of yours. Sure he may be dangerous. But no more dangerous than anyone else I've or Starfleet has dealt with. You're not some sort of savior. Best ya learn that now."

[JB Dersch | Brig | Outpost Solaere]

Dersch just shook his head. Dersch wanted to keep them safe, And Right now He wanted to be on the Washington staying with his family, And He didn't want Nira or Kinley getting hurt. Mostly Nira, She had been a Mentor to Dersch, They kinda had a Brotherly-Sister vibe. And Right now Dersch wanted to protect and serve. Dersch was worried. koto had already tried to hurt Olivia once before, But Dersch put him straight or so he thought. But now,  His Daugthers are involved. He needed to get out of this cell. Wait! Ensign White!.

[Jimmy Koto | Civilain Shuttle Bay]

Jimmy made the choice to steal one of the Civilain shuttles. It took some time cause he had to hide the now sleeping and was hidden in a storage closet. He then quickly sent the proper creds to Flight Control who gave them the go ahead.

[Flight Control Officer | Civilain Shuttle Bay](First and Last Time FCO will be seen)

There was something off about that shuttle, It was leaving weeks early! He quickly sent a  message to Ops. We  just had
a possible theft of a shuttle, ID number 4847FJFK, It seems to be heading into the middle of nowhere He then quickly hit send and began to check all incoming flights.

[ NPC Olivia, Katie, Kate Dersch | USS Washington | Location Unknown - Close to Ciden and Outpost Solaere ]

Olivia was currently waiting  for Katie and Kate to wake up from their nap. It was the one time she gets some rest. She knew JB had been arrested. But...It would seem Nira didn't want JB helping. Which was odd. Whatever. She heard the sound of a Transporter in the kitchen. Maybe Nira allowed him to leave. Olivia rose and started to call out as she enter the kitchen area. "JB that you Honey?"

[Danjar-Torra Addams]

Lieutenant Danjar-Torra Addams
[Outpost Solaere - Deck One - Operations Center] (5:50 pm)

[Commander Nira Said | Operations Center | Deck One | Outpost Solaere]

"Oh...really? I wasn't aware..."

"I think we've detained you from your business long enough, Mister Cloten," Nira said. "You will leave Ops now. And in the future, don't bring any devices of any kind with you."

Cloten looked back and forth between Nira and Torra, and decided leaving might be the best course of action. He was gone, but not before it looked to Nira he was scrambling away.

Torra let out another snort before continuing her work.  Cloten PADD was set to the side to be dealt with later.  She had more important things to do - like find Dersh's family.
.

The comm from old Stryker mentioning Dersch's family was on the Washington made Nira watch on as Torra pulled up the transporter logs.

"No sign of them on there?"

"Apparently not, Commander." Torra responded, pondering how best to track their location, but it seemed Nira's love of investigation took over.
.

Nira said. "Computer, what was the last known position of the Dersch family?"

"The last known location of Liv and Katherine Dersch is Runabout Pad A."

Seeing for sure that they weren't on the transporter logs, Nira then looked over to Lieutenant Sehila, the Chief Flight Officer, who alone had been silent so far. Nira had to admire Sehila's focus on work when so much was going to hell around her; Sehila can almost be a Vulcan when she wants to. Then again, as Flight Officer on a station, it was her duty to monitor inbound ships, not just to fly them.

"Lieutenant Sehila, did Ensign Ch'ishrelnin pick up any passengers before he took the Escalante to Ciden II?"

"The Ensign did report he picked up a small family, led by a mother," Sehila said. "His course took him off his usual path...of course, it took him toward the Washington, that's what he reported, and the warp signature of the Escalante confirms it. He also said she indicated she was in a hurry."

"I can see why," snapped Nira.

In less that an minute Nira had confirmed that the family wasn't on the station but in fact had taken a shuttle to the Washington.  Oh well,  Torra suppose that meant the family was safe, right? Since Koto was believed to be on the station.
.

"If it's all right, Kinley," she said, looking at Kinley, "we need to conduct a tachyon scan. Surely a ship as old as the Washington will likely. And Ensign Ch'ishrelnin won't be back for a while, not from picking up the shipment sent from Ciden II's mines."

Nira went over at Tactical. She felt discouraged that the two incoming ships will take time to get to, and then she remembered the notification that all starships with quantum slipstream drives are not to be used until it's guaranteed safe to use, in light of Frontier Day almost a year ago. Even after a year, Nira thought before looking down at the Tactical console and did a double take. "Torra? Are you seeing what I'm seeing on the sensors? Something's going on with the Washington."

At the suggestion that she needed to do a tachyon scan, Torra immediately set about doing so.  The results came back almost immediately, yet before she could begin reviewing it to summarize to the Commanders, Nira was already looking over the scan data herself from the Tactical console

It was moments like this that made Torra feel like her assessment wasn't trusted.  But no that wasn't fair.  Nira was just a very hands on leader - the Grazerite knew that the Betazoid wasn't trying to take over.  This was further emphasized when Nira called Torra to confirm something on the sensors.

Torra turned her attention back to the readings.  "It appears that the ship is definitely leaking tachyons."  While most cloaked vessels did give off the occasional tachyon - thus the almost standard scan when dealing with cloaked ships, the amount being leaked presently was at least double the highest concentration Torra had ever encountered.  'Was it a false lead?' she wondered.

The Ops officer adjusted the scan parameters directing the sensors to the area ahead of the trail and voilà - "There she is, Commanders.  She's not far.  They might be keeping close in hopes of trying to break Dersch out." Torra commented, then noted something odd... the readings spiked then diminished once more.

"Commanders, sensors are picking up what appear to be power fluctuations."
.

|lt. Sven Aune| Brig | Outpost Solare |

Sven watched Dersch for a moment. The man was acting irrational. Going on and on and making a big fuss about protecting family. How he's the only one who could do it. He considered this irrational savior complex, and his face fell.

He picked up PADD, and sent a highly encrypted message to Addams, and Baker (his point for strike force alpha), highest priority.

Be advised, Dersch may be planning to use his family as bait to lure in koto. It is possible that he is lying about their location on the Washington and may have them hidden in order to use them later as bait. Addams, please set up the Dersch residence with continuous scanning It's the most logical place for Koto to go first. Baker, take Martinez and go undercover. You two are to act as Dersch's wife and daughter and set up a sting operation inside the Dersch residence. Other members of the strike team, don civvies, be on the look out.

He sent the message off.

He scowled at Dersch. If the man really was going to use his family as bait, just so he could jump in and satisfy his savior complex... he couldn't even fathom the disgust he would hold for the man.

An encrypted message pinged to her console and Torra took a moment to run the decryption program.

Torra smiled slightly.  It was a bit amusing to realize that she and Lieutenant Aune, whom she had difficulty relating to, had many of the same thought processes.

She responded back using the same encryption.

Lt Aune,

The Commander has verified with Flight Control that the family boarded a runabout and were transported over to the Washington.  I'll inform the Commanders of your sting operation however.

As she sent off the message, Torra turned to the Commanders to update them.  "Commanders, Lieutenant Aune has reported in that he will be setting up a sting operation at the Dersch residence in anticipation of Koro attempting to go for the family."

She thought for a moment.  "If I recalibrate the two security comm badges to appear to the station computers as Dersch and his wife that might help lure in Koto.  Permission to do so, Commander?" Torra addressed Nira following Chain of Command.
.

[Jimmy Koto | Civilain Shuttle Bay]

Jimmy made the choice to steal one of the civilian shuttles. It took some time cause he had to hide the now sleeping (pilot?) and was hidden in a storage closet. He then quickly sent the proper creds to Flight Control who gave them the go ahead.

[Flight Control Officer | Civilian Shuttle Bay](First and Last Time FCO will be seen)

There was something off about that shuttle. It was leaving weeks early! He quickly sent a  message to Ops. We just had a possible theft of a shuttle, ID number 4847FJFK. It seems to be heading into the middle of nowhere He then quickly hit send and began to check all incoming flights.

While the Commander's considered her idea another message came in from the FCO in charge of the civilian shuttle bay.  A possible theft of a shuttle?  Torra didn't like the timing of that.

"We may have a problem Commander." she announced as she called up the ID number and had the it location displayed.  Oh dear!  "I think Koto is on that shuttle.  The FCO believes it was stolen."

[Kinley Garrison]

[Main Ops]

That wasn't good at all. 'Dersch's Wife and kids are missing too?! " This had gone too far. "We need to ensure their  safety, especially considering the current situation. So They are on the Washington?" she asked. "If so, we need to prepare a rescue team as soon as possible. " she said, steeling herself for the worst. "This may be a full-blown hostage scenario, if worst comes to worst. I want us to be prepared in that situation.  Prepare for yellow alert. "

She looked at the  screen at the Washington. "It does look like there's something weird with it trailing behind it. Can we figure out what it is? It may be leaking something, a trail perhaps?."

She nodded to Torra. A stolen shuttle? That wasn't good. 'Well then, we need to create an opportunity to get him. Permission granted to get him.  What would the chances of beaming Koto out of there once he's in position?"

[As Steve]

Steve trilled in sympathy, gladly accepting the pets from the Big Hooman in yellow. It looked like he needed some support. And he was here to support.  So, he followed his way to the Brig. Steve was kind of surprised when he saw who was in there. It was the hooman with the Doggo. He squeaked to Sven, as if asking if he needed backup.

[Planetside]

[As Talinn]

Walking around, Talinn seemed to begin feeling lightheaded himself. Turning to the miner, he shook his head.  Was he feeling ill as well? He couldn't remember when he had drunk water last,  Was this a side effect of that? "Pardon me, but I may have to stop for a bit on our tour. I don't know If I am feeling well. "

[Nira Said]

[Flight Control Officer | Civilain Shuttle Bay](First and Last Time FCO will be seen)

There was something off about that shuttle, It was leaving weeks early! He quickly sent a  message to Ops. We  just had
a possible theft of a shuttle, ID number 4847FJFK, It seems to be heading into the middle of nowhere He then quickly hit send and began to check all incoming flights.

Lieutenant Danjar-Torra Addams
[Outpost Solaere - Deck One - Operations Center] (5:50 pm)

Torra let out another snort before continuing her work.  Cloten PADD was set to the side to be dealt with later.  She had more important things to do - like find Dersh's family.
.

"Apparently not, Commander." Torra responded, pondering how best to track their location, but it seemed Nira's love of investigation took over.
.
In less that an minute Nira had confirmed that the family wasn't on the station but in fact had taken a shuttle to the Washington.  Oh well,  Torra suppose that meant the family was safe, right? Since Koto was believed to be on the station.
.
At the suggestion that she needed to do a tachyon scan, Torra immediately set about doing so.  The results came back almost immediately, yet before she could begin reviewing it to summarize to the Commanders, Nira was already looking over the scan data herself from the Tactical console

It was moments like this that made Torra feel like her assessment wasn't trusted.  But no that wasn't fair.  Nira was just a very hands on leader - the Grazerite knew that the Betazoid wasn't trying to take over.  This was further emphasized when Nira called Torra to confirm something on the sensors.

Torra turned her attention back to the readings.  "It appears that the ship is definitely leaking tachyons."  While most cloaked vessels did give off the occasional tachyon - thus the almost standard scan when dealing with cloaked ships, the amount being leaked presently was at least double the highest concentration Torra had ever encountered.  'Was it a false lead?' she wondered.

The Ops officer adjusted the scan parameters directing the sensors to the area ahead of the trail and voilà - "There she is, Commanders.  She's not far.  They might be keeping close in hopes of trying to break Dersch out." Torra commented, then noted something odd... the readings spiked then diminished once more.

"Commanders, sensors are picking up what appear to be power fluctuations."
.

An encrypted message pinged to her console and Torra took a moment to run the decryption program.

Torra smiled slightly.  It was a bit amusing to realize that she and Lieutenant Aune, whom she had difficulty relating to, had many of the same thought processes.

She responded back using the same encryption.

Lt Aune,

The Commander has verified with Flight Control that the family boarded a runabout and were transported over to the Washington.  I'll inform the Commanders of your sting operation however.

As she sent off the message, Torra turned to the Commanders to update them.  "Commanders, Lieutenant Aune has reported in that he will be setting up a sting operation at the Dersch residence in anticipation of Koro attempting to go for the family."

She thought for a moment.  "If I recalibrate the two security comm badges to appear to the station computers as Dersch and his wife that might help lure in Koto.  Permission to do so, Commander?" Torra addressed Nira following Chain of Command.
.

While the Commander's considered her idea another message came in from the FCO in charge of the civilian shuttle bay.  A possible theft of a shuttle?  Torra didn't like the timing of that.

"We may have a problem Commander." she announced as she called up the ID number and had the it location displayed.  Oh dear!  "I think Koto is on that shuttle.  The FCO believes it was stolen."

[Main Ops]

That wasn't good at all. 'Dersch's Wife and kids are missing too?! " This had gone too far. "We need to ensure their  safety, especially considering the current situation. Are we absolutely sure they are not on the station?" she asked. "If so, we need to prepare a search team as soon as possible. " she said, steeling herself for the worst. "This may be a full-blown hostage scenario, if worst comes to worst. I want us to be prepared in that situation.  Prepare for yellow alert. "

She looked at the  screen at the Washington. "It does look like there's something weird with it trailing behind it. Can we figure out what it is? It may be leaking something, a trail perhaps?."

She nodded to Torra. A stolen shuttle? That wasn't good. 'Well then, we need to create an opportunity to get him. Permission granted to get him.  What would the chances of beaming Koto out of there once he's in position?"

[Commander Nira Said | Operations Center | Deck One | Outpost Solaere]

The stakeout idea was a sound one to Nira...until the news came of a civilian shuttle heading off. Headed over to Sehila and saw the console. Sure enough, there it was: One of the three civilian shuttles, a Class C-12, commonly used as a taxi shuttlecraft, but was, in general, for civilian use.

"Well, we know where he is, now," Nira said. "I'm taking a security away team to deal with him..."

She had just risen and passed Tactical and saw the power fluctuations worsening.

"Oh, no," Nira said. "I don't think that ship will take any more...old as it is, our Starfleet based slipstream drive is just too new for that ship to handle..."

Nira turned to Torra and said, "I feel I'm going to need to bring one of your officers along, Torra, if you can handle things with one less officer for the time being. Also, hold the comm to Starfleet Medical for the time being."

Then she got her comm badge. "Said to Ensign Fawkes, Petty Officers Ramirez and Jerin and Crewman Harris, grab your equipment and report to the Transporter Room One."

She looked between Kinley and Torra and said, "In all respects, and as you know protocol for first officers and away missions, the team I'm bringing will serve a dual purpose: Confront and capture Koto, and help stabilize the systems on the Washington. I'm not going to be surprised if it's going to get burned out by the time we get there, it'll be their commuppance for trying to use slipstream, let alone too much, on an incompatible ship.

"Torra, keep an eye on the stolen shuttle. We'll transport to it first to see if we can apprehend Koto that way, and then we'll help the Washington."

And Nira was headed off. At least Nira announced her intentions, and per chain of command, Kinley was in charge of the station, so it meant away mission responsibility was still with Nira.

[Jimmy Koto | Civilain Shuttle Bay]
Jimmy made the choice to steal one of the Civilain shuttles. It took some time cause he had to hide the now sleeping and was hidden in a storage closet. He then quickly sent the proper creds to Flight Control who gave them the go ahead.

[{NPC} "Captain Hagon Ral" | Kaplan K12 Freighter "Wraith" >- Stolen Civilian Shuttle | Freighter Dock Three >- Proximity to USS Washington | Outpost Solaere >- Ciden IV Orbit]

At the last minute, "Hagon" changed her mind. Instead, she returned to the "Wraith," generously loaned from Ciden IV, and kept track of vessels coming and going. Sure enough, there was the shuttle Koto took. Immediately, she armed herself with her favorite Reman knives and set the transporter to lock into the cockpit.

A moment later, she was in the rear of the shuttle. She smiled as she approached Koto.

"Don't worry, Koto," she said with a purr as she made her adjustment. "You'll have either the Washington crew or even the Starfleet officers to deal with. You're not alone, after all. We're in this job together. I'll be at your side, and I can help give you the edge you need."

Her voice shifted as the disguise shifted and the half-Reman woman revealed her true self in the shadows. All the while, she unhitched her belt pouch and examined one potential poison to use...she had so many, she was enthusiastic to use them if she needed to...decisions, decisions.

[Commander Nira Said | Stolen Civilian Shuttle | Proximity to USS Washington | Ciden IV Orbit]

Nira and her team beamed aboard the shuttle, only to find it empty; crowded as it well near had become, there was no sign of Koto. Nira cursed and said, "We're too late. Fawkes, Harris, check the transporter log, see where Koto got off to. Did he head for Ciden IV somewhere or..."

She looked out and could see the Washington nearby, half its lights out, its nacelles extinguished, and its cloak fluttering until it disappeared completely. Given it was his old ship, the possibility he came over to that ship was most likely. The rest of the team she had briefed in regards to Koto before beaming aboard.

[ NPC Olivia, Katie, Kate Dersch | USS Washington | Location Unknown - Close to Ciden and Outpost Solaere ]
Olivia was currently waiting  for Katie and Kate to wake up from their nap. It was the one time she gets some rest. She knew JB had been arrested. But...It would seem Nira didn't want JB helping. Which was odd. Whatever. She heard the sound of a Transporter in the kitchen. Maybe Nira allowed him to leave. Olivia rose and started to call out as she enter the kitchen area. "JB that you Honey?"

[Dersch Family Temporary Quarters | USS Washington]

The voice that responded wasn't Jayden Dersch. "Not at all, my sweets," the woman said with a spine-tingling hiss in the shadows. "But I believe you know James...?"