The Red Starfleet dress uniform was out of place in the dark, dingy bar. The man in the uniform had found himself at a small cracked and stain table in the corner of the room and was steadily working his way through a bottle of whiskey.

Focused on the bottle, he didn't notice that the bar had gotten quieter than it was, nor the two men now standing in front of his table. He did notice when one of those men reach and snatch the bottle that he had been reaching for.

Frowning for a long second, the man swishes his hand through space the bottle had been, then something dawn in his eyes, and he finally looked up at the men standing at his table. "What?"

"That is 'What Captain Larabee to you."

Looking over at the Security Chief, the man snorted, and sneered out, "What Captain Larabee? Haven't had all your fun yet? Or was throwing me off the ship not enough for you?"

Chris glare at the drunken man in front of him. "I wasn't the one who caused this. You did that all yourself. If you had kept your mouth shut and follow the orders that were given..."

"What orders? You just think that I'm supposed to bend over for you and not say anything when your actions are wrong. The mighty Captain not wanting to be shown he is wrong in front of his crew?"

Shaking his head, Chris growl to the drunken man. "You are an idiot. You don't care about anyone but whatever the next tail you can get. Moreover, when it doesn't work out, you act out like a five-year-old. Well, it's caught up to you, Commander Wilmington"

Slowly struggling to his feet, when the drunken man finally manages to get to his feet he wavier back and forth, and finally grabbed the table to keep him from falling, glared at Chris, he hissed out, "You know that isn't true. I did nothing but my job. I thought you actually cared."

"Your job? You haven't done your job in months; Ezra has been covering for you. Doing his job and yours while you go and try to get your next conquest. You're lucky I just didn't throw you out of Starfleet."

Blinking at the Captain, Buck was speechless for a second, then shook his head and spat out. "Throw me out for what? You liar. I did my job, and everything else you wanted, and now that you need a scapegoat, you threw me to the wolves. Sending me back to Starfleet as an 'award'. You just want me gone so you can get someone else, someone younger who you can bend to your will, and who won't talk back to you."

Reaching over the table, Chris grabbed the collar of Buck's uniform. Drawing Buck close to him, Chris hissed out in a low whisper, "You're delusional and drunk; you can't see that you've to ride my career for years, and I'm tired of cleaning up your mess. You're lucky I didn't leave you on that planet."

Buck's eyes widen at the menace and hatred he heard in the voice and before he could say anything. Chris let go of Buck's collar, pushing the man back into the chair. He had been sitting in.

As Buck, gather himself, Chris growl out to the man. "When you sober up, you can pick up your stuff from Lieutenant Tanner, if he hasn't sold it yet, and that is if you can figure out how to do that on your own."

Before Buck could formulate a reply, Chris, and Ezra left, leaving Buck alone in the bar with his bottle of whiskey tipped over and pooling into a puddle on the table. For a long moment, Buck didn't do anything and just stare at the door that his former friends had walked through and remember when this all started a week ago.

77777

A week earlier...

Putting aside his last report that he had been working on, Chris couldn't help but smile slightly. The last few weeks in the Maverick's sector of space hadn't been quiet. It seemed like every time they had finished with one crisis another had popped up. Finally, it seemed that the last few days had been quiet, and Chris for once could catch up on things.

As he started to get up from his desk, his comm unit chirped. Plopping back down on the seat. Hitting the response button, Chris bite back the sigh, "what Ezra?"

"Sorry to bother Captain, but Admiral Travis is on the line; he needs to talk to you."

"Put him through."

Without another word, Ezra put through Travis.

777

Staring at Admiral Travis, Chris wish that the image on his view screen showed more of the room that Travis was in, then just Travis. He really wanted to know if there was anyone else in the room. "Sir, what do I owe the pleasure of your call?"

Travis eyed the Captain of the Maverick. "Chris, have you been reading the latest news about the Federation and Starfleet?

Casting his mind over the last few weeks, Chris shook his head. "Sorry, but we've been playing catch up with various reports and crew reviews, we haven't had time to catch the news lately."

"Good, because, we need your crew's help and I know you aren't going to like what we need you to do."

Leaning back against his chair, the Captain of the Maverick stare at Travis for a second before he started to speak. "I know I'm not going to like this but what has been going on?"

Travis sighed, "There have been breaks in protocols. Some highly classified information has been appearing on the black market recently. We've been lucky in getting this information back, but while getting it back, we were unable to find out exactly who sold the information, but we know who had access to it. We think this group has their fingers in various parts of Starfleet headquarters."

"I'm still not quite seeing what any of this has to do with us. I know my crew and none of them would be part of this."

Travis sighed, "I know that, and honestly if it wasn't for the fact that your ship has the least amount of contact with Starfleet, I wouldn't bother you. However, you are the only ship that we know for sure; no one in your crew is involved in this. Which is why we need to use your crew."

Glaring at Travis, Chris didn't like the sound of where this was going. "What do you mean use my crew?"

Taking a deep breath, Travis, spoke, "We need to split up your crew. I need at least three of them here at Starfleet headquarters, and I want to replace them with three of the men we think are part of the conspiracy."

"No."

Travis grin slightly at the possessive tone of the voice, "You don't have much of a choice. I know you don't like this, and I rather think that Internal Affairs doesn't like going outside of their group, but they don't have a choice, we don't know how widespread it is.

Growling softly, Chris seemed to speak through his clench teeth, "Who?"

"I want to replace your First Officer, an Operations officers, and Counselor. The three that will replace them we think are involved and are key people in the group."

Biting back his disagreement with this, Chris growl out. "And what are Buck, Vin, and Josiah be doing? Now that, you have replaced them."

"Those three will be taking positions at Starfleet headquarters. Vin will be teaching a couple of retraining survival courses as well as some advanced training. Josiah will be a special adviser working with the Starfleet physiological department. "

"All right, but what is Buck going be doing?"

Travis sigh, "He will be working at the headquarters, in Mission Operations, that department is where we've been able to narrow most of the information coming from. Unfortunately, we know the information is coming from there, but we can't get anyone to get information out of there and what we do have isn't pointing to just one person."

"No, no way, no how. They're going in without backup, into a situation that you barely know anything about, and you want them to bust this thing wide open. "

Travis frown. "I don't like this either Chris, but there isn't any choice. We need to figure out why and who is selling the information before what gets leaked out, gets someone hurt."

For a long moment, Chris just glared at Travis. Finally, with a deep sigh, Chris nodded. "Fine, but I don't like it, and if something happens..."

Travis nodded, "Nothing will happen, the three will each have teams keeping an eye on them. The first sign of trouble, we'll pull them."

With a nod, Captain Larabee nodded. "All right, send the information. It's going to take a couple of days to set this up and get the three to Starfleet."

Travis nodded, "Just keep me informed when everyone is ready to move." After a slight pause, Travis added. "They'll be fine Chris."

A soft snort, Chris shook his head. "I hope you're right, but that just doesn't seem to be all luck, when we split up."

7777777777

The conference room was pack with the senior crew. None of them were happy with this improv meeting, nor the information that had been given to them. As the crew threw their protest of what was being asked of them.

Chris sighed and waited for the complaints and protests to die down. As each member, slowly shut up and the room became quiet. The Captain spoke. "I don't like it any better than you, but Travis doesn't have anyone else he can use. We're the only ship that can do it and is close enough. No one but us in this room will know what is going on or why some of you are transferring to Starfleet headquarters."

Ezra shook his head. "This sounds like a foolhardy plan. Separating our crew never works out well for us. There is no way anyone would even think that those three would be reassigned, or even if they were they would go."

Chris sigh, he knew that the next part no one would like. "The idea isn't for them to be temporarily reassigned. Only we and Travis will know that everyone else, has to think that I requested them off the ship for good."

Vin chuckle at that. "Anyone who knows you won't believe that you request us to leave. Not at this point."

As the rest of the room chuckle, JD frown when he saw Buck not joining in. "Buck, no one would believe Chris would want you guys to leave.

The Risen shook his head, "Vin and Josiah can be temporary reassign, It wouldn't seem odd for them to take different positions to advance themselves. They could spin it as you are punishing them for something. It could be work to be believable."

Vin nodded as he understood what Buck was getting out. "That would work, it isn't out of the ordinary for officers to go on a temporary assignment to gain new skills, it would be easy enough to work in that on paper it looks like we were sent to help our careers but in reality, it is a punishment of some kind." Frowning he turn and stare at Buck. "That's not going to work for you is it?"

Fiddling with his padd for a second, the First Officer shook his head. "Nah.. not many people think to go from a first officer to office minion a good career move." Looking up at the group, Buck grin, "Besides, Chris needs someone to bellow at once and while."

Nathan frown, "How come I think there is more to him than just bellowing at you. No one on this ship would believe for a second that Chris would cut you out like that. They would know he would just toss you out an airlock."

Chris glare at the CMO. "Really? I threaten once; I didn't even go through with it. Besides, we know that the people on the ship won't believe it. It isn't for them that we need to do it for."

JD frown, "If it isn't the crew you have to do for then who?"

Eying the men in the room, Ezra broke the silence that fell. "It will be for the men that we are trying to catch, and I have a feeling that we aren't going to like how it needs to be done."

Sighing. Chris look at each member of his senior crew. "No, I don't think anyone is going to like how this is going to have to happen. However, we don't have much of a choice. Now, that we have an idea, let's get down to what needs to be done. I don't want the idiots who will be coming on board to wreak the ship."

7777777777

The others had left, none of them fully happy with the plan. Ezra still thinking of ways to implant tracking devices on all three men that were leaving the ship. When the door finally shut. Chris finish writing a few notes on his padd and then looked up frowning when he saw Buck was still there."

"Shouldn't you be getting some sleep or finishing up some reports that you wouldn't want Ezra to do. I believe the last time Ezra had to write the reports; you complained that he wrote them wrong."

Grinning slightly, Buck shrugs his shoulders. "He decided to write them all using big words. And no, I don't have any reports, I actually got all of mine done."

Having a feeling that he knew why Buck was still here, Chris sigh, he didn't want to have this conversation. "What do you want me to say? I don't like this. Leaving you three on your own. No backup, no matter what Travis says. "

Snorting, Buck shook his head, "That isn't what is bothering you. You don't want to do the little scene in public. You don't like that you need to make the fight really. You don't like that you are going to have cut me loose, make it clear that I don't have anyone to watch my back."

"Vin and Josiah will be there, they'll be able to keep you out of trouble."

"No, for this to work, for them to believe that I'm not threatening, that I'm worthless and not a threat to whatever they are planning, you need to make sure they know I'd screw up and can't find my ass with a map and a hand on it. Vin and Josiah might have stood up for me. However, they can't be seen hanging with me. You know the minute Travis said where I'm going to have to be, that this was the only way. Admiral Michael Belton hates me. He thinks I'm a loser, who has been riding your coattails to where I am. He won't be threatened by me and I'll have free range to look into what we need looking into."

"He almost got you killed last time. How he got out of the mess with his rank and still Starfleet I'll never know. "

Buck looked down at the table for a moment, as the memory of that mission flooded back for a second, shaking his shoulder and back like he was trying to dislodge that memory. Looking up at Chris, Buck shrugs his shoulders. "It didn't kill me. And besides, I'm not that same Lieutenant."

Chris was silence for a long second, he remembered at the mission and how close that came to Starfleet losing a ship and crew over Belton's plan". If it hadn't been for some luck and some quick thinking by that Captain."

Buck grin, "Well, there was some threatening by you I believe to get your Captain to help out. Besides, that is all history. Belton won't be able to get me killed, I'm too useless for that. Why kill something that shouldn't be in Starfleet in the first place."

Growling Chris opened his mouth to say something when Buck in his hand in surrender. "Don't waste your breath; I know what you are going to say. It'll be fine. I won't be on some strange planet, and if I need to, I'm sure Josiah and Vin will figure out a way to back me up."

Taking a long look at his First Officer, the Captain sigh. "Whatever Belton says to you, is a lie. Whatever he calls you, tells you about what and why this happened is a lie. You do not let him get to you."

Grinning slightly, Buck shook his head. "I won't let it get to me."

Shaking his head, Chris let out a puff of air. He knew that no matter what Buck promised Belton and his gang would get to him. Dropping it for the moment, Chris made a mental note to let Josiah and Vin keep an eye out for and on Buck. Switching subjects Chris spoke. "So, how do you want to do this public fight?"

Buck grinned, and silently thank whomever that Chris had dropped the conversation about Belton. "Well, I think it should start with me and a bottle of whiskey..."

7777777777

Shaking his head, and bringing himself back to the present, the former First Officer for the Maverick for the moment, took a deep breath and let it go and then slowly looked around the bar. Eyeing the rest of the patrons of the place to make sure, that they had turned back to their own drinks. He did notice one of the patrons that had been in the bar had left.

Turning back to his table, Buck looks mournfully at the empty whiskey bottle and the overturned glass. For a long second, he thought about ordering another bottle and then shook his head. As tempting as it sounded, he needed to have a clear head for tomorrow.

Using the table to help him stand up, he pauses for a second to get his bearings. Then he let go of the table and slowly making sure he weaved and bobbed slightly he walks out of the bar and into the fresh air of the cool San Francisco night.

Taking a few steps away from the door of the bar, he turned his head up and looked at the night sky. For a long moment, he stared at the stars and lights in the sky. Picking out various items in the night sky. Then with a half nod to the night sky, he turned his head back down to earth. He headed to the rundown apartment that he would be using for the next few weeks while making sure he looks half-drunk and all the while wondering if Chris was serious that he had to go and find Vin to get his stuff.