Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco, Earth
"So when is this meeting?" Bob asked.
"15:00 today," said Tom, "so we've got some time. I'm going to see if Azalea's gotten in yet. You can do whatever you want, just make sure not to be late to the meeting."
"Of course. Well, see ya at the meeting."
"Right, see ya then," said Tom. Bob walked away. Tom went to the shipping office.
"Has the Venture gotten in yet?" he asked.
"Yes, got in a few minutes ago," the man at the office told him.
"Has the crew beamed down yet?"
"I believe so. You can check transporter room 5."
"Okay, thanks." Tom headed over to transporter room 5, but Azalea found him before he got there.
"There you are," he said, hugging her. "How've you been?"
"Great," she said. "Are you here for the meeting at 15:00?"
"Yeah, but how'd you know about that?"
"I got a transmission from Starfleet saying that I will be given command of a starship and that I should attend the meeting for the details."
"Really? That's great, Azalea," Tom said. "Wait a minute. Do they want you to command the experimental ship?"
"What experimental ship?" she asked. Tom then realized that he should not have said anything.
"Hell," he said to himself. "Um, never mind Azalea."
"What?" she persisted.
"If it's important, you'll find out at the meeting," he told her. Azalea had a feeling of being left out of something, but she knew that if Tom wouldn't keep anything from her if he had a choice.
Tokyo
Natakas and Young met with the ranking security officer in the city and asked for information about the assassination of the scientist.
"Yeah," said Captain Keplin. "I handled that case personally, or tried to anyway. What do you want to know?"
"We would like any information you may have on the assassin," said Young.
"Well, we know that he was a Romulan," she said. Natakas and Young looked at each other. "Investigators found evidence that the weapon used was a Romulan disruptor rifle, and we found Romulan DNA at the scene of the crime when there wasn't supposed to be any Romulans at the event. There was a record of everyone invited, no Romulans on it. Why do wanna know?"
"Do you know why the scientist was killed?" Scott asked.
"For something he was working on, wasn't it?"
"Yes. A Starfleet vessel was sent to retrieve his work and was attacked by a Romulan warbird just as it was about to return with the experiment."
"Very interesting," she said.
"It escaped destruction by the timely arrival of a Klingon Vor'cha-class cruiser which engaged the warbird. The warbird warped out. Captain Natakas, by the way, was in command of the ship that was attacked."
"Oh, my. Was your ship alright?"
"Yes," said Natakas. "No one was killed and the ship is being repaired."
"Glad to hear it," said Keplin. "So you think that who ever killed the scientist is still after his work?"
"That's it exactly," said Young. "You're welcome to join our investigation if you like."
"Sure, I'd love to."
"Cool."
"You know, it seems to me," said Natakas, "that this Romulan assassin would have been working for someone, maybe even the Romulan government. What do you think, Captain Keplin?"
"You guys can call me Sara," she said. "We were almost certain that he was a Romulan spy."
"Starfleet is sure to contact the Romulan Star Empire about the incident," Scott pointed out. "Let's see what happens then."
"Good idea," Sara said.
Starfleet Headquarters
"Captain Bezron, is the Upsilon Device ready?" asked one of the Starfleet admirals at the meeting.
"Yes, sir," Tom said.
"Very good. We have a ship for you to install it on, the U.S.S. Saturn. In light of recent events, we have decided to use a ship that can defend itself. The Saturn is the newest Sovereign-class ship in Starfleet, and we have asked Commander Sanchet to assume command of it, if she will accept the position." The admiral looked at Azalea.
"Sure, that'd be great. Thank you, sir."
"We selected Commander Sanchet because of her outstanding record as First Officer of the Venture. Believe me, Captain Sanchet, you are helping us out greatly by accepting this position. Your first orders as captain of the Saturn are to proceed to Starbase 1033 where the Upsilon Device will be installed on board. Captain Bezron, you will explain the Upsilon Device to Captain Sanchet en route."
"Understood, sir," said Tom.
"If there are no questions, then you are all dismissed."
"So when is this meeting?" Bob asked.
"15:00 today," said Tom, "so we've got some time. I'm going to see if Azalea's gotten in yet. You can do whatever you want, just make sure not to be late to the meeting."
"Of course. Well, see ya at the meeting."
"Right, see ya then," said Tom. Bob walked away. Tom went to the shipping office.
"Has the Venture gotten in yet?" he asked.
"Yes, got in a few minutes ago," the man at the office told him.
"Has the crew beamed down yet?"
"I believe so. You can check transporter room 5."
"Okay, thanks." Tom headed over to transporter room 5, but Azalea found him before he got there.
"There you are," he said, hugging her. "How've you been?"
"Great," she said. "Are you here for the meeting at 15:00?"
"Yeah, but how'd you know about that?"
"I got a transmission from Starfleet saying that I will be given command of a starship and that I should attend the meeting for the details."
"Really? That's great, Azalea," Tom said. "Wait a minute. Do they want you to command the experimental ship?"
"What experimental ship?" she asked. Tom then realized that he should not have said anything.
"Hell," he said to himself. "Um, never mind Azalea."
"What?" she persisted.
"If it's important, you'll find out at the meeting," he told her. Azalea had a feeling of being left out of something, but she knew that if Tom wouldn't keep anything from her if he had a choice.
Tokyo
Natakas and Young met with the ranking security officer in the city and asked for information about the assassination of the scientist.
"Yeah," said Captain Keplin. "I handled that case personally, or tried to anyway. What do you want to know?"
"We would like any information you may have on the assassin," said Young.
"Well, we know that he was a Romulan," she said. Natakas and Young looked at each other. "Investigators found evidence that the weapon used was a Romulan disruptor rifle, and we found Romulan DNA at the scene of the crime when there wasn't supposed to be any Romulans at the event. There was a record of everyone invited, no Romulans on it. Why do wanna know?"
"Do you know why the scientist was killed?" Scott asked.
"For something he was working on, wasn't it?"
"Yes. A Starfleet vessel was sent to retrieve his work and was attacked by a Romulan warbird just as it was about to return with the experiment."
"Very interesting," she said.
"It escaped destruction by the timely arrival of a Klingon Vor'cha-class cruiser which engaged the warbird. The warbird warped out. Captain Natakas, by the way, was in command of the ship that was attacked."
"Oh, my. Was your ship alright?"
"Yes," said Natakas. "No one was killed and the ship is being repaired."
"Glad to hear it," said Keplin. "So you think that who ever killed the scientist is still after his work?"
"That's it exactly," said Young. "You're welcome to join our investigation if you like."
"Sure, I'd love to."
"Cool."
"You know, it seems to me," said Natakas, "that this Romulan assassin would have been working for someone, maybe even the Romulan government. What do you think, Captain Keplin?"
"You guys can call me Sara," she said. "We were almost certain that he was a Romulan spy."
"Starfleet is sure to contact the Romulan Star Empire about the incident," Scott pointed out. "Let's see what happens then."
"Good idea," Sara said.
Starfleet Headquarters
"Captain Bezron, is the Upsilon Device ready?" asked one of the Starfleet admirals at the meeting.
"Yes, sir," Tom said.
"Very good. We have a ship for you to install it on, the U.S.S. Saturn. In light of recent events, we have decided to use a ship that can defend itself. The Saturn is the newest Sovereign-class ship in Starfleet, and we have asked Commander Sanchet to assume command of it, if she will accept the position." The admiral looked at Azalea.
"Sure, that'd be great. Thank you, sir."
"We selected Commander Sanchet because of her outstanding record as First Officer of the Venture. Believe me, Captain Sanchet, you are helping us out greatly by accepting this position. Your first orders as captain of the Saturn are to proceed to Starbase 1033 where the Upsilon Device will be installed on board. Captain Bezron, you will explain the Upsilon Device to Captain Sanchet en route."
"Understood, sir," said Tom.
"If there are no questions, then you are all dismissed."
