Cover Stories - Arm Candy Not As Standard

Posted on Wed Mar 9th, 2011 @ 12:45am by Commander Jordan Gunning & Lieutenant Commander Sara Archer & Lieutenant Commander Zim Drex

Mission: Shadows Fall
Location: Shuttlecraft & Starbase 102 "Pirates Haven"
Timeline: MM3 MD2 1509hrs

Gunning's movement around the tiny cockpit was that of a dog, trapped in a cage and prodded with hot pokers. The clothing didn't help. It felt like he had been dressed in a sack. The fabric was itchy and bulky, a necessity brought about by the need to conceal weaponry and communications equipment amongst the folds.

"I'd suggest that we barter for a scanner once we're in there. The minute we whip out Starfleet tricorders, that'll be it for us." The Tactical officer said, once again taking his seat and deactivating the tiny vessel's autopilot.

Sara didn't look up from her controls. Her own clothing was similarly bulky, though contained fewer folds. She was, however, dressed in layers. Her customary procedure for undercover missions was to wear a black bodysuit under her other clothes, in case stealth became a priority. Hiding in plane sight was always preferred, but hiding out of sight was sometimes necessary if her cover had been compromised. "You need to learn to be more subtle, Commander. The easy solution to your problem is to not get out your tricorder in front of others. If you are still worried about it, I requisitioned some gold-pressed latinum to cover a number of purchases."

"That's exactly what I'm trying to say," Gunning responded, "we can't afford to blow our cover by taking them out in public. From what I've read of this place, we won't have a lot of time to ourselves- it seems like there's going to be people all over the place. Even if there isn't then there's likely to be some form of internal monitoring even if they're just visual systems."

Sara nodded. For someone who has been deep undercover behind enemy lines, it's easy to forget that others don't have her experience or expertise when it comes to being subtle. "Of course, Commander. We can make obtaining new scanners a priority once we arrive."

Drex opened the small kit of knicknacks he'd had the Assistant Chief work on while he was working on the shuttle. The case itself was brown and unmarked, save for a series of six bronze squares to break up its outwardly dull appearance. When T'Lara had questioned whether aesthetics were necessary, he'd told her that logically, they would need to tell it apart from other cases. He was dressed similarly to the others, and was feeling the effects of the itchy fabric as well.

He moved forward in the cockpit to rest an arm on the headrest of one of the chairs. "Scanning equipment was a little too overt," he said, scratching one of his shoulders. "but Ensign Johanson was able to dumb down some of the other equipment from the standard away team field kit." He pulls out three metal pins with fairly discreet triangular charms on them and offers them to the other two. "I suggest wearing them inside the collars of your jackets. Inside is a communicator circuit and a pattern enhancer. The comm line will be constantly open, and the microtransmitter will be sending the signal right to our universal translators, so that no one will be able to hear it." He pins his inside the collar of his jacket, and adjusts his scarf so that it's not noticeable. "Press and hold it for five seconds to initiate emergency beamout on all three signatures. The shuttle's transporter system has been programmed to automatically listen for the signal."

He pulls three weapons out of the kit as well. "These are modified plasma fusers. They're a kind of disruptor. They give off Breen or Klingon signatures when fired. I programmed them to be random so that they'd be difficult to localize. Since they're jury-rigged, they don't have a redundant power supply like the hand phasers. Once they're spent, they're spent. Probably five shots at best." He passes those out as well.

The intelligence officer continued. "Do you both have your cover stories ready?"

"I've gone for a classic. I'm Newton Ryant an arms dealer, specialising in high-force disruptor weaponry and 'specialised' tech." Jordan replied, holding up a small paper card. It was a tattered old business card emblazoned with the name and the contact details of this Ryant character. He added with a smile, "He's old fashioned. No PADD downloads."

Drex looked on, thoroughly impressed. "Sweet." And then he said. "I'm just a fix-it man. I don't talk much, but rumor has it I used to work for the Orion Syndicate. My cover name is Garvin, but I answer to 'hey you'. As well. I'm underappreciated, kinda like my first year at Starfleet Academy." He went on to say. "I also have modified some engineering tools to look worn and weathered, but I'll have all the things I need to open a locked door, or repair a damaged power conduit, or modify a piece of equipment."

Looking at the plethora of equipment the Chief Engineer was offering them, Gunning let out a chuckle. "What would we do without you, Chief?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but I'm not sure you want me to theorize on that one. Let's just say, it would be at least slightly worse than this." Drex grinned.

"What about you Sara? Who are you this time?"

"I've found that some people tend to disregard women when they appear to be little more than arm candy. For that reason, I will be Marissa Devron, consort to Mr. Ryant." Sara handed Gunning the latinum. "You will appear to be more in control if you control the money."

"All right, guys. We're within transporter range of the station." Jordan said, pulling his controls back to bring the shuttle to a halt. He wasn't sure exactly what the dockmasters of the station would make of a shuttle refusing to come into one of the docking bays on the station. However, looking out the forward viewing port at the myriad vessels both tiny and otherwise just hanging in space around the base, he imagined that they'd be the least of their worries.

"I suggest that until we return to the ship, we should only use our cover names, even in secure communications or in private. If someone is able to listen in our our conversations, we can't risk implicating Starfleet, or the Iapetus."

Drex snapped his kit closed as the menacing Starbase came into view through the front viewport. He leaned over to the control panel near the rear hatch and scanned the interior for a good beam-in spot. "I've found a couple out of the way spots. Do you want me to put us in a corridor near the hostel complex, or in a maintenance closet near the Assay office?"

"I would suggest we split up. Mr. Ryant and myself can beam down in the corridor, while Garvin takes the maintenance closet. We can keep an open channel, and you can stay hidden until we arrive to make sure it is safe to come out." Sara looked over at Gunning. "However, I am open to other suggestions."

"Makes sense to me." Gunning noted, making the adjustments to the shuttle's hover pattern. He stood from his console and winked at the Intelligence Chief. "Ready when you are Miss. Devron."

Sara stood up as well. "I'm ready. The station schematics have been uploaded to our tricorders if needed. Garvin, commence your scanning as soon as you arrive on the station. We will meet you shortly." She hooked her arm around Gunning's. "Let's go."

Drex inputted the last of the beam-in coordinates. He then ran two blue fingers along the console activating the energizing coils. A curtain of azure and silver encompassed the pair, transporting them safely into the empty corridor. He then murmured under his breath, half-jokingly. "How come the engineer never gets the arm-candy?"

He stood in the middle of the compartment. "Computer" It chimed its response. "Energize." As his body began to demolecularize, he realized that the comm circuits probably sent that comment to the two on the station. He was still grinning when he rematerialized inside the maintenance closet, surrounded by circuits and musty pirate crawlspace funk.

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Lieutenant Commander Jordan Gunning
Chief Tactical & Security Officer

Lieutenant Commander Sara Archer
Chief Intelligence Officer

&

Lieutenant Zim Drex
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Iapetus