The Heart of the Matter

Posted on Tue Jul 31st, 2018 @ 4:53am by Commodore Samantha York & Commander Hans Munich & Lieutenant T'Pral & Ensign Tallas Shirol & Ensign Kela Sirel

1,280 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Pulling Together
Location: Vulcan

ON

Samantha York was still in Gink's office, talking with Admiral Burke and Captain Bourne about the investigation when she got the message about T'Pral. "I'm heading to the hospital. You're welcome to come along or stay here and see what else you can find out."

Tallas stood by the Captain and looked nervously over to Kela. She wasn't sure what to do, but she didn't want to let anyone down. "You shouldn't go alone, Ma'am." She said with a hint of nervousness to her voice. "It might not be safe."

Kela shook her head walking over to the two as she place her arms behind her back. "Captain, I know nothing is going to stop you from going if you want to go, but the Ensign is right. You shouldn't go alone."

"I feel I must also be along with you as there are suspicions to be confirmed, I will need the facts for my conclusions of course." Gink said as he took his Phaser. "I am also one of the few of us allowed to carry a phaser on Vulcan with exception of flag or Command Grade Officers." Gink pointed out. "My assignment for Security is on Vulcan."

Sam nodded. "You can all come with me." Although she raised an eyebrow at Gink. "I doubt that will be necessary, but go ahead if you feel safer."

"I'll go back to my ship," Burke said. "I'll raise too many questions if I stay any longer. Please let me know what you find out." Although she had her suspicions about the Exeter.

She tapped her combadge. "Burke to Shakespeare. One to beam up." A moment later, she dematerialized.

Sam looked around. "Okay. Let's go."

[Hospital]

The group walked into T'Pral's room, careful to keep out of the way of the nurse. "Hello, lieutenant," Sam said.

"Commodore," T'Pral nodded in greeting from her recovery bed. She was more or less lounging, reading a PADD, with her injured leg lifted onto a brace. It was wrapped in white plastic with an orange glowing readout. Her pant leg was bunched at the knee where the device ended. The Vulcan put down her PADD and turned her full attention to York.

Tallas looked over to Kela. "What do we do now, Kela?"

Kela rolled her eyes slightly and let out a bit of a sigh. "I know what I am doing, Blue Girl. I'm gonna step outside?"

"Why?" Tallas said nervously. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No." Kela said softly, shaking her head a bit. "One of us needs to step outside and guard the door. Since I am more the security person, it should be me."

"Right... Right." Tallas said as she nodded her head, smiling. "That's a smart idea. Very Tactical." She paused slightly before raising a brow, her antennae moved around slightly. "What... uh... what should I do?"

Kela placed her hand on her shoulder and replied. "Stay here."

Tallas chuckled nervously and nodded. "Right... right. Of course."

"You have no idea why, do you?" Kela said quickly, smirking a bit.

"Of course I do." Tallas nodded for a moment before it turned quickly into a shake. "No... Not at all."

Kela smiled, a bit amused by Tallas and her ability to be naive and honest. "Stay here and pay attention. Keep your eyes and ears opened. Not for danger, that's my job. Pay attention to information we can use if it comes up. That's what your best suited for."

"But... I'm the computer girl." Tallas replied. "Give me a console and a Caf-Pow and I can crack it in my sleep, but I have no console... or Caf-Pow."

"Caf-what?" Kela said with a confused look before shaking her head. "Never mind." She took a calming breath before continuing. "Your Intel, Tallas. Gather information. Add input if something comes up. Use that computer girl brain of yours to pick up information and decide what will be useful and what is useless. You got this." She tapped her on the shoulder and smiled. "I got confidence in you."

"That makes one of us." Tallas replied nervously before nodding. "Okay. Got it."

Kela let out a short laugh before looking to York and nodding her head. She walked out the door and took a position in the corridor. She was confident that Tallas was going to do a good job. She had to be confident she would. After all, Kela couldn't do everything for her.

Sam tried to not pay too much attention to Kela and Tallas. She looked carefully at T'Pral, noticing the changes since they last spoke. "What happened?"

T'Pral's eyes flicked between the others as they determined their roles before settling back on York when she asked her question. She then glanced down at her leg, her face impassive. She extended a hand over a pair of PADDs on her end table, "I have been recording depositions for Vulcan Security and Starfleet JAG." She paused a moment, deciding to give York a shorter version of events. She would get a full copy herself, in time. A third PADD, the one she was reviewing when the others arrived, sat upon her lap.

"I went to my husband to see what he might have found out about the Exeter's activities. He revealed to me that he was a member of the Guardians himself, and I suspect the architect of the attack. He attempted to recruit me. I resisted, and he attempted to silence me with violence. I then escaped and was brought here."

Gink stood near the rear of the gathering.

"That explains why Burke is here," Sam said. "Do you have proof? It's not that I don't believe you, it's that we need proof to take official action." Although now that they knew who was behind the attack, it would be easier to find the link. "We have Gink and Tallas, if you need any help."

T'Pral thought a moment, her eyes defocusing. She considered what they knew, and what she could prove. It was precious little. "S'Tras would have scrubbed any logs that revealed our meeting. But he will also flee. Once my depositions reach the authorities, they will want to detain him, and the Guardians, for questioning.

"We will have to prove a link through the replicator signature. It will take extensive analysis to extract it from the remains of the device." She pursed her lips very briefly, "It appears S'Tras will escape for now."

"It's possible the Horus could find information in the transporter and replicator signatures," Sam said.

She tapped her combadge. "York to Horus."

"I have a sensory program scanning the parts of the explosive remains and the analysis of the recovered explosive devices," Gink interjected. "The units that were in tact will have a much easier time tracing the production and assembly process; we should be able to cut some of the time since we have the full unit to break down trace elements."

"T'Pral wants to look for a transporter signature. I'm sure they were careful enough to make sure it looks Romulan, but they may have been careless in where it was transported from," Sam said.

She turned to T'Pral. "It will take a few days, but I believe we'll find the proof needed. With your testimony, we have enough to hold the Exeter and her crew for questioning. That may give us the time we need."

____
OFF

Commodore Samantha York
Commanding Officer

Ensign Tallas Shirol
Assistant Chief Security Officer
USS Calypso

Ensign Kela Shirol
Tactical Officer
USS Calypso

Gink
Criminalist

Admiral Kathryn Burke
Commander
Theta Fleet

Lieutenant T'Pral
Chief Engineer
USS Calypso

 

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