Chapter Two
Dramatis Personae
Special Agent Shipboard Paula Cassidy of the Starfleet Criminal Investigative Service couldn't have shocked Jean-Luc Picard more had she leaned across his desk and slapped him.
"Explain."
"Sir, as I'm sure you can appreciate I don't as yet have all the details. Chief Investigator Gibbs and his team have them and I'll be in touch with him immediately after this–" She halts at Picard's upraised hand.
A brief communication with the bridge results in Lieutenant Worf transmitting a call to the distant Service Ship Bonaventure and Commander William Riker on his way into the Ready room. It takes Picard less than a minute to bring his First Officer up to date with such as he has, then he directs Cassidy to continue.
"Gentlemen, less than two hours after Enterprise departed Risa, one of its citizens was found dead. The location of the victim was such that it couldn't be easily determined who had killed her, but as you recall Enterprise was the only ship using facilities in that area at that time. There were two other ships in orbit, but the facilities those crews used were thousands of miles distant. All three ships had maintained a roughly 120 degree range from one another."
"Yes," Riker says, "a Belorian freighter and a Ktarian Scout Ship." He can't help but recall the last time, years ago, when he'd dealt with a Ktarian on Risa, the duplicitous Etana Jol and her nefarious 'game'. The less remembered about that debacle the better.
"Yes, sir. Both kept their distances and never did enter an orbital position where a transporter lock could be established to the site where the victim was found. The Risians are satisfied the murderer came from Enterprise."
"I'm not," Picard declares. It's too long a stretch to conclude that the supposed murderer could come solely from his crew. In addition to those potential suspects already on the planet, he's known uses of the transporter that required barely line-of-sight beaming. He himself had once beamed a person aboard the Stargazer who was only marginally accessible on the planet's horizon.
x
"I've been given no information on how the victim was killed, which is quite unusual for the ship's SAS."
"Why have you been left out?" Riker, seated beside her, asks. He suspects he knows the answer and Cassidy confirms that belief.
"Because I'm assigned to Enterprise, I'm not excluded as a suspect. I'm human, from Earth. I was on the planet for the duration and I provided a Threat Assessment to the Captain before the first crew members beamed down. But this is Risa we're talking about; I didn't find much for the crew to be threatened by. It's not as though the Romulans or Orions have a foothold there, nor were there any notable dangers.
"Normally, when determining Threats, I have tangible things I can compile to present to the Captain; areas the crew should avoid or which should be off-limits, a list of known taboos, that sort of thing. Risa, as usual, presented visitors no restrictions provided they remain in the populated Tropical and Temperate Zones above and below the equator. They were typically easy to evaluate as not being a threat. Now they say we were the threat to them and they're mad as hell about it."
/Bridge to Captain Picard,/ Worf's voice calls from the desktop.
"Go ahead, Commander."
/I have Chief Investigator Gibbs of SCIS Team H-Alpha 7 aboard the Service Ship Bonaventure./
"On screen here, Lieutenant."
x
The monitor is still raised from its compartment on the gray bordered red desktop and the man whose face appears there, visible only to the Captain, is about Picard's age with close-cropped gray hair and the look of eagles in his blue eyes. His square face shows the aspect of someone ready to batter through all obstacles to uncover the hard answers. His blue uniform is distinguished from Cassidy's solely by the gold five pointed star rather than Starfleet's rank pips on his high collar's right side.
/Captain Picard? Leroy Jethro Gibbs./
"Chief, what can you tell me about this situation on Risa?"
/Not a lot, and not because I don't want to. Information is filtering out of Risa like coffee wet by an eyedropper. I can tell you that the deceased is the granddaughter of Third Planetary Councilor Makyao Kelbron. Have you ever met him?/
"No, I haven't."
/He's always favored maintaining the status quo with the Federation, a much different position from the Second Counselor Hamaryu Pragakar, who wants Risa to have a much stronger presence on the Federation Council. He's considered a moderate in the Planetary Council, a triumvirate of elected Officers who serve for life./
"What's the political situation?"
/So far as I understand it Kelbron's moderation as far as the UFP is concerned might normally have put him on our side, while Pragakar can be considered more of a challenge because he's the one pushing for secession, and the First Counselor Varekh Sumnar is not only the deciding vote but doesn't seem to be taking a side in this issue./
"What support does Pragakar have toward secession?"
/That's unclear, even though we have more information on the politics than we do on the murder. Pragakar favors Risa having more influence in the Federation, hard to do when you're a neutral Associate world without a formal Representative on the Council, and that's further complicated by the fact that they're not native to their planet. They never applied for formal Membership and it's looking like they may withdraw from Associate status, or just close their borders to some or all of us./
This is even more outrageous but the question it hinges on is "What about the murder?"
x
/Told you we don't have much, Skipper. Edaniya Kelbron's body was found in her home less than two hours after Enterprise left orbit. Now the Risian level of Forensic Science isn't up to par with their coffee making, but after getting nowhere themselves they've finally agreed to hold execution of the decision on severing ties until my team identifies the killer./
"And when you do?" Picard doesn't really need an answer to this; he's known it throughout his career, but it does serve to confirm that he and SCIS are on the same page.
/You know how it'll play, Skipper. He might be a Federation citizen subject to Federation law, but the crime took place on their soil, so if they want to try your crew member that's their call and we have to go along with it. Then again, I don't know their laws; I don't even know if they have laws covering murder. I have a Specialist in Exo-Jurisprudence but I don't envy her working in a vacuum without blowing her lungs out. I can't predict she can get the suspect tried in a Federation Court, but good as she is I'd say don't get your hopes up./
"Have you any insights?"
/Last time I was there was two years ago and I left my badge in the hotel. The Federation doesn't exercise jurisdiction over the planet; Risa is completely neutral and anyone who comes is welcomed as a guest. Now they consider one of your crew to have abused the privilege. It took days to get permission to send a non-Starfleet team. We'll be subject to their laws, which my XJ is still compiling, and to one very angry Planetary Councilor, the guy who'd normally be on our side./
To this there are no more answers and Picard won't waste time with empty questions. "We'll rendezvous 1930 and then I want to accelerate, have us there by planetary dawn over the city." At Warp 9, they can make the 6 day trip back within that limit.
Gibbs shakes his head. /Too soon. I want to meet with your people and particularly anyone who was with the woman during your stay. We'll be a day from Risa when we rendezvous. I know you're anxious to exonerate your crew, but I have no intention of rushing./
Picard doesn't like this at all, particularly not when his commands are overridden in front of witnesses, but SCIS' authority comes from the Federation Council, so overridden they are. "Very well."
/We'll see you in a few hours. There are eight of us./
x
When the channel is closed, Gibbs' face being replaced by the ubiquitous Federation logo, Cassidy looks quite uncomfortable. She and Riker hadn't seen the man, but they'd heard the grim news. Picard presses the button to lower the screen into the desktop and looks to Cassidy, expecting she has good reason for her discomfort.
"Captain, to pursue my Investigation I'll need access not only to the Official Logs of the crew and passengers, but their Personal Logs as well."
Picard doesn't need to ask his First Officer's opinion on this; it's as plain as his beard and reflects his own. "I'm not happy about giving you access to Personal Logs."
"Believe me, Captain, under other circumstances I wouldn't ask."
"No," Riker says, "you'd go in and access them anyway."
"No, Commander, I wouldn't," she says, hiding none of her offense at the barb. "The law is very specific: I need authorization to do this, and while the simplest way is to obtain the Captain's permission, there are several ways of going over his head. I prefer not to. Of course, once he's aboard, Chief Gibbs is going to want those Logs and–" She halts again at Picard's upraised hand.
"Computer, access is granted to Special Agent Shipboard Cassidy to all Personal Logs relating to the planet Risa and to actions related thereto, authorization Picard-One-Alpha-Seven-Blue."
"Thank you, Captain."
"Perhaps you'd best get on that. More than a thousand people went to Risa."
She knows a curt dismissal when she hears it. "Yes, sir."
x
After Cassidy leaves, Riker is still unhappy. "I don't think I'd have given in so readily."
"I don't want to get an order from the Federation Council to open those records plus who knows what else in addition." He opens the intercom again. "Mister Data?"
/Yes, Captain?/ the android replies immediately.
"Reverse course, take us back to Risa, warp seven. Coordinate with the Bonaventure for the new Rendezvous. After we take on passengers, I want to enter orbit over Cintara at 0800."
/Yes, sir./
"Compile information on SCIS Investigative team H-Alpha 7 and brief me when ready. I want to know who we're dealing with. Also, compile all Risian laws that apply to violence conducted by aliens upon Risian citizens, with particular interest in the discretionary powers of Planetary Councilors."
/Yes, sir./
Picard is confident, in handing over this formidable list of duties, that they will be accomplished expertly and with dispatch. He need not concern himself with the ship's course or speed until he sees the Enterprise assume standard orbit around Risa at 0800 tomorrow. By then, he'll know all he needs to know about the men and women who'll take over this mission.
He sees his own duties over the next few days as being diplomatic, not that he'd ever expected a diplomatic mission to the primary rest stop in the Federation.
"Shall I brief the Command Staff?" Riker brings him out of his brief reverie.
"No. Conference with SCIS as soon as we rendezvous. After Data's report have Worf start an Investigation into the actions of our crew during their Shore Leave. I'll damned if I'll have a group of outsiders investigate my people and accuse one of them of murder."
xx
Two minutes later Commander Data, who had needed only forty seven seconds to compile the requested information and the rest to fulfill his other orders, requests permission to enter. After taking the proffered seat, the android begins a succinct summary for his Captain and Commander.
"Chief Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs of Earth heads SCIS Team H-Alpha 7, the H designating human or humanoid members. He began his military career as a MACO, rising to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant until a Medical Discharge as a result of wounds received in action at the Battle of Calais II nineteen years ago. He applied to SCIS following his recovery. His Service Record since then is most impressive. On Stardate 40119–"
"Never mind. Go on." The android could, and would if not halted, relate the man's entire history.
"His second in command is Deputy Chief Anthony DiNozzo of Alpha Centauri. He transferred to SCIS from the AlphaCent Civilian Protective Forces after nine years of service. He is considered an especially skilled Investigator, particularly in human / non-human interaction.
"Doctor Timothy McGee of Earth has specialized in Computer Forensics and Information Technology Security. A Fellow of the Daystrom Institute, he rose to the rank of Doctor of Computer Sciences before resigning his post because he 'wanted to see the universe'.
"Ziva David of Proxima Vega has, since the age of nineteen, served as a Guardian of the Prefect and the Royal Family. She has a record of 284 confirmed kills."
"Kills?"
"Apparently she is a most proficient Guardian, sir."
"Indeed. And now she's a Special Agent?"
"In addition to being an Investigator, she has made a specialty of Protection. Her record shows she heads Protective Details and under her direction no guarded person has been lost."
"So she gave up the Royal Family for Commoners?" Riker teases, wondering if Data will rise to the bait.
"She is still a Guardian of the Royal Family, sir, but her ascension through their hierarchy was so prodigious that it was decided she needed broader skills, so she was attached to the SCIS as they are outside the Starfleet military chain of command."
Neither man needs this translated. She became so good at her job, and got so close to the Royal Family, that someone decided to have her do her job from a distance.
x
"Michelle Lee Palmer hails from Beta Aquilae II's New Chin colony established by the Chinese Nation in 2169. She is a specialist in Exo-Jurisprudence and taught at Starfleet Academy for 4 years. She is married to the H-Alpha 7's Deputy Medical Examiner Doctor James Palmer of Earth who, together with Medical Examiner Doctor Donald Mallard, also of Earth, will conduct the autopsy.
"They will have to work within the confines of Risian custom, observances and procedure, in which Doctor Mallard is versed."
"I've never been comfortable," Riker says, "with introducing religious observances into things like autopsies. It could taint the results."
"Yes, Commander. But while little is known of Risian Spiritual beliefs, considering the current political and social climate it might be prudent–"
"Yes," Riker says shortly.
x
Data returns to the report as though the interruption had never happened. To the android, whose emotion chip is turned off, there's no content at all. "The final member of the Team is Doctor Abigail Sciuto of Epsilon Hydra VII, also a former member of the Daystrom Institute. She holds five somewhat disparate Doctorates and is reportedly studying toward a Doctorate in Omniology."
Picard has heard of only two Holders of this distinction. "The study of Everything?" He looks forward to hearing if she can attain that so-rare rating.
"Yes, sir. She too has established an impressive Academic background, is a Recipient of the Zee-Magnees Prize, and has a Hoffman-Prinegold Intelligence scale rating of 397."
"Impressive indeed."
"Yes, sir. Your own rating is on–"
"That will be all, Mr. Data." He doesn't care for Riker's incipient smile.
"Yes, sir."