"Confirmed sir. The attaché transport has crashed." The communication technician's fingers flew over her console. "It's about six hundred parsecs away, on the desert planet New Texas."
"Do we have a presence there?" Lawrence Hale, director of the Interplanetary Intelligence Agency, leaned over the technician's shoulder to read the display.
"No sir," the technician replied. "It's just a mining outpost. They have a planetary marshal to protect the Kerium operations, but that's all."
Hale stared at the display for several moments, tapping steepled fingers against his mouth. Then he turned to face the staff clustered behind him.
"I don't have to tell you what a blow it would be to the Organization if we retrieved that transport before they could reach it. It would give us a window into mob dealings with at least twelve star systems. What do you think, people? Can we do it?"
"It's remote," an aide replied, tapping her palm interface. "But that could work in our favor. It's unlikely the Organization has a presence nearer the system than we do."
"What about the transport's defense protocols?" a second aide questioned. "Do we have any intelligence on what our agent would need to bypass?"
The original technician shook her head. "The latest confirmed data we have on Organization security are over two Earth years old. It could be life-threatening for any of our agents."
"Except possibly one," Hale said.
"I must protest, sir," said a sour-faced alien with pendulous green jowls. "Agent Cellani is young and inexperienced. She defected less than three Earth months ago. We cannot be sure where her loyalties lie."
"I share your concerns, Hrothgarr," Hale said, "but she knows the Organization's codes and protocols. We'd hoped to have finished processing the intel she provided us before we needed it. Unfortunately, opportunity waits for no one, and she's our best candidate."
"She was branded a traitor in the Organization," Hrothgarr argued. "Many agentis know her by sight. Her very presence would endanger the mission."
"It's safe to say any agent we send will be in danger." Hale folded his arms. "She'll be able to recognize and avoid many agentis as well, and she has the best chance of bypassing the transport's defenses. I say it's a chance worth taking."
He held up a hand to forestall further protests and continued. "Worst case scenario? She retrieves the data for the Organization. They have their attaché, but we uncover a double-agent. Best case, we verify her allegiance and retrieve valuable intelligence. Any other reservations?"
Heads shook among the staff members, Hrothgarr grudgingly joining in.
"Good," Hale said with a decisive nod. "Relay my decision to Central Command. Agent Cellani is to embark for New Texas without delay."