First Briefings

Posted on Tue Sep 22nd, 2009 @ 3:54pm by Captain Vorn Krace & Commander Jordan Gunning

Mission: Into a Devil's Heart
Location: USS Iapetus - Observation Lounge
Timeline: MD04 1342hrs

Vorn stood waiting at the large windows inside the Iapetus' observation lounge as he waited for the two officers he'd sent a comm to meet him here. It would probably take a little longer than usual for them to pass through airlock security, since it was their first time onboard, but he didn't expect them to be too late.

Gunning was furious. He had spent the last five minutes trying to explain to Ronin security officers that he was in fact the man responsible for the security of this Starship and was not just an officer looking for a jaunt to another star-system. He had shown them his orders and his security pass given the important nature of the current mission and the speed with which he would need to be acting.

He had stood at the airlock being quizzed by angry officers who clearly thought that his El-Aurian blood that instantly meant he was trying to pull off a con. It wasn't the first time it had happened but he had largely expected to be let through to meet the Captain in person. He eventually reached the Iapetus' bridge. He nodded to a couple of people as he shuffled towards the door, it was impressive architecturally but he had no time to be thinking about that as he stepped up to the doors of the Observation Lounge as they hissed apart revealing the Captain. A middle-aged man of impressive stature and almost statesmanlike aura.

"Captain," Gunning said with a nod, "Lieutenant Jordan Gunning, reporting for duty."

"Good to meet you in person at last, Lieutenant." Vorn said as he turned and reached out a hand in greeting.

Jordan took the man's hand and shook it enthusiastically. He'd never had the opportunity to be personally greeted by his commanding officer before. Under the circumstances he shouldn't have been pleased but there was a slight excitement that was betrayed by his smile.

"You too, sir." He said, handing over a PADD. "My report, Captain."

"Ah, thank you," Vorn said, taking the PADD from the young man, encouraged by the enthusiasm of the man's greeting. "Talk me through it, then. What have you been able to find?"

"Well, Captain. Aside from finding a great number of personnel who all knew very little, I was able to find a number of track-backs and lock-outs that Commander Brown must have used to cover his tracks. I'm amazed at the brazen nature of the theft though, sir. Quite frankly I'd never realised that Starfleet officers could be made to keep their mouths shut so easily."

Jordan had a feeling that the Captain's relationship with a man who was for all intents and purposes, a traitor, probably ran far deeper than he was letting on and Jordan decided that perhaps he was going about his report incorrectly.

"Captain; in all honesty I've got very little of any substance to offer you. Finding failsafes and lock-outs is all well and good but it's like finding out the secret to an illusion after the magician's disappeared. There are a lot of junior officers who were waiting to come aboard the Iapetus who were convinced they were helping Starfleet Command with an essential mission."

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the young Lieutenant found himself thinking that The Devil's greatest trick was convincing the world he didn't exist. Maybe Brown's was convincing Ronin that he wasn't the threat.

Vorn nodded in understanding. "Commander Brown has had significant training in the art of infiltration, since one of his past postings was as an intelligence operative. I was hoping that he may have slipped up and left us some sort of trail in the system, but I'm not too surprised he didn't." He then moved back to look out of the windows, as if by looking for long enough, he'd be able to see where his XO had taken his old ship. "The computers should recognise your command codes now," he told the security officer, "and they'll give you full access to our database, including what we know of Peter's actions since he left. I didn't want to transfer the data over subspace, since I knew Ronin's CIO was listening in. I'd rather not have to try and contend with other officers trying to search for him at the same time and getting in our way."

"I quite understand that, sir." Jordan replied before lowering his voice slightly, "I've had my share of run-ins with Intelligence officers and I'd rather not get involved in their little games of cat and mouse if I can avoid it. Is there anything you know that might be able to help me?"

"All that we know so far is in the Iapetus databanks," Vorn replied. "But work together with Lieutenant Commander Walex, our own intel chief. There's none I know better in that field of work than he, and he's also our acting first officer. Hopefully together you'll be able to come up with something more than we already have - something that could point us in the right direction."

"I shall do my very best sir." Jordan replied, hoping to reassure his commanding officer.

"That's what I expect," Vorn replied, smiling at the officer. "Oh, and try to find out where Lieutenant Li is. He was supposed to be joining us for this briefing. Dismissed."

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Captain Vorn Krace
Commanding Officer
USS Iapetus

&

Lieutenant Jordan Gunning
Chief Tactical/Security Officer
USS Iapetus