
Star Trek Hunter
Episode 26: Rain Over Rising Sun
Scene 7: Oversight
26.7
Oversight
Oversight
In addition to the Hunter’s Ground Operations Director, Lt. T’Lon, and Engineering Director, Lt. Moon Sun Salek, Lt. Cmdr. Gamor brought the other officer that answered directly to her, Lt. Grorher, the Hunter’s new (and rather seriously furry) Director of Flight Operations, into the executive conference room.
In addition to the department directors and the investigations team, 2nd Lt. Tolon Reeves had brought his four tall, blonde betazoid tactical specialists – often referred to as the ‘Grace Team’ after Chief Tactical Specialist Rumi Grace, who had recruited the other three young women.
“Okay Ike,” said Gamor, “this is your meeting.”
Ensign Eykirros Jones walked to the end of the antique teak table. “Hunter, please display our prisoners.”
Images of six floating heads appeared at the end of the table near the ensign.
“The two andorians, Bohr Ch’okianon and Thor Sha’al, are both current employees of the Avradega Satellite Defense Research Institute. Our four humans were identified as Jim Sellers, James White, Robert McAllister and Conrad Fir, all high end members in the Earth First movement on Rising Sun. However, it turns out that James White is actually a klingon who has been surgically…”
Gaia Gamor immediately stood up. “Captain, can you come to the executive conference room, please?”
Lt. T’Lon took a deep breath. Lt. Grorher leaned back in his chair with a grunt.
Lt. Moon dropped her hands onto the table with a thump. “I think you buried the lead, Ensign.”
A moment later, Captain Kenneth Dolphin strode into the room. His senior staff shifted chairs to make room for him at the head of the table.
“Captain, it appears we have a klingon spy aboard,” Gamor reported.
“Sam told me a few minutes ago. Over lunch,” Dolphin answered evenly. He turned and looked at T’Lon. “I assume you just learned about this?”
“Yes sir,” T’Lon replied.
Dolphin sighed and turned toward his second officer. “Put yourself on report, Lieutenant Commander and pass it down to the appropriate personnel. Formal language – serious breach of protocol, etc. I want a training and improvement plan for all of your departments – security protocols, interdepartmental communication. It should not have taken an hour and 27 minutes for this information to come to me through proper channels. I’ve already called Napoleon on the carpet for it as well – Sam’s a senior officer. He should have made sure that Ensign Jones handled this information properly. And Sam had no business telling me - Napoleon should not be learning about ship security issues from me.” Dolphin pointed at his 2nd officer, Lt. Cmdr. Gaia Gamor. His voice and expression were calm, but stern. “He should have learned it first from his direct reports - you and Sam.”
The captain took a breath. “I have already put myself on report for this and will be filing that report with Rear Admiral Sally Zimmerman Eaves before the end of the day. She will report the breach of protocol to Admiral Urban Yasutake and he will put himself on report with Star Fleet Chief of Staff Jamaal El Fadl. You can bet the Commandant will hear about this.”
The captain tapped the table with a finger pointed toward his Engineering Director. “You too, Lieutenant Moon. Your new transporter engineer informed Dr. Jazz – who was the first person that should be notified since he was receiving the prisoner. But did Dragomut tell you?”
Moon lowered her eyes, then looked back up at her captain. “No sir, I just now found out about it as well.”
Captain Dolphin had a grim expression. “People, we are twelve light-years from the border of klingon space and now I have to put three of my departments on report for failure to properly notify the chain of command about the presence of a klingon spy on my ship. I know we just came off nearly four weeks’ shore leave following the Trillian Insurgence, but there is no excuse for failing our security protocols so egregiously. This is the kind of mistake that gets people killed. Take a moment, clean the egg off your faces, get your training plans in place and handle this situation. I want a full report in one hour and then and not before then, I want you to wake that klingon up and bring him to my office. I already have Sam reversing the cosmetic surgery – he will be questioned as a klingon, not as a human. I will do the questioning. Gaia, I want you, T’Lon and Jones present when I do. And then we will return him to his people, as required by the Khitomer Accords. Do not allow any harm to come to him. Am I understood?”
“Yes sir!” responded Gamor. She and the others stood up as the captain got up and walked toward the door.
Dolphin stopped at the door and turned and looked at Investigator Buttans. “Ngumbo, you with me.” The veteran investigator followed the captain from the conference room into the deck 8 hallway, then into the currently vacant Ground Operations Center at the back of the deck.
As soon as the door into ground ops closed behind them, Captain Dolphin turned to Buttans, put his hand on the investigator’s shoulder and said, quietly, “Ngumbo, how could you let your boss screw up so badly? Lenny Shran would never have let Tauk or T’Lon down like that. What were you thinking?”
Buttans took a deep breath, sighed. “I wasn’t.”
“I reviewed your mission down there,” Dolphin said. He stepped back and leaned against a work station. “You’re a total badass when it comes to tracking down bad guys. Look, I know you’re not Star Fleet, but I expect as much from the civilians under my command as I do from my crew…”
Buttans didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say.
“Okay, lecture over,” said Dolphin with a sigh. “Get back to your meeting.” He looked into Buttans’ eyes. “Do better.” The captain waited a few moments before following the investigator out of ground ops.
26.7 (of 22)
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