ACT II
Morias Four
The dinner was plentiful. Chicken al-freido with chicken marsala on the side, and a huge salad. Plus, plenty of seconds, and white wine, vintage that was imported from Italy some 50 years or so ago. As Bethany was cleaning up the table, and Maria scampered off to her room, McGawan, Marcus, and Jennifer found themselves talking amongst themselves. Jennifer, also, found herself moving closer and closer, ever so slowly, to McGawan... and yes, McGawan noticed it too.
"I know nuttin' about dees 'Negaroni' or whoeva they are," Giavani said. "My world isn't on the trade route, so I don't really give a damn about 'dem etha'."
"What they did to Prime Minister Soliel's son was downright disgusting," Jennifer said. "It's a shame that the Elani pulled out of the Federation because of it."
"I have only myself to blame," McGawan said.
"Bullshi'chya do," Giavani said. "If I were you, I'd take all ships into dat damned Pastaroni space and make meatballs outta dem. And then BAM! You got dinna for two!"
"Daddy, do you think of anything else besides food?" Jennifer wondered. And with good reason, too, as the potbelly was sticking out pretty well from the old man.
"Honey, one of da things you gunna learn about bein' Italian is that ey, food and sex – you can't get a betta life dan dis!"
"I think Maria disagrees with you," Jennifer said. "You do realize what test she's taking, right?"
"I was da one who insisted that Maria go into Starfleet," Giavani said. "Don't argue with me, young lady."
McGawan yawned, loudly, to interupt everything. "Well, I think I'd better be heading back to the station, now. Thank you for your hospitality—"
"Nu-uh, where daya think yer goin?" Giavani stopped. "It's almost time for dessert! Bethany makes a wonderful chocolate cream pie."
"I have a better idea," Jennifer said, standing up. "Why don't we host the Captain for the night. Besides, it's late already. The trains to New Hope have stopped running." Clearly lying. "I can set up the guest room for the Captain."
Giavani smiled broadly. "That's a wonderful idea! And you can have breakfast with us in da mornin! Wadda ya say, eh?"
McGawan nodded. "Thank you, Governor."
"Marcus! I told you to call me Marcus. We're friends, rememba?"
McGawan smiled and nodded a little. "Yeah... okay, Marcus. Whatever you say. Thank you."
"No problem!"
A few hours later, as the night continued on, McGawan set up a comm system next to his bed, just in case. And right now, he was checking in with Nakajima on the station. "How's the repairs coming?"
Nakajima shrugged. "So so I guess. Commander Kim and his team are still busy trying to track down and beam out all of the cockroaches."
"Who, in their right mind, would bring South African Cockroaches onto a Starfleet outpost like this? It's suicide!"
"I think it was Lieutenant Anderson," Nakajima said. "He served aboard the station before you came. He was killed by a swarm of killer bees on Castella Six, during shoreleave. He was a damned good exobiologist though."
"Yeah, so sad," pure sarcasm. "So, what's the scoop? Anything?"
"Nothing," Nakajima said. "The Negarani haven't pulled any more tricks, kidnapings, or anything to indicate that they are unhappy again. So far, it's been pretty quiet from them."
"Nevertheless, keep an eye out on them. I have a feeling this peace won't last for long," McGawan surmised.
Nakajima nodded. "I agree. Have a good night, Captain."
"The funny thing is, I'm wide awake. What's the station time, anyway?"
"Lunch."
"Figures. If the trains were running, I'd go get my runabout and come back."
"So you found out about the early shut down times too?"
"It sucks." There was a knock at the door. "I'll contact you later."
"Good night, Captain."
McGawan shut the computer down, and openned the door. Jennifer, who had changed into a pink, thin, silk robe, smiled as he openned the door. "Is this a bad time?"
McGawan just shook his head as he invited Jennifer in. Naturally, he closed the door. Jennifer, surprisingly, locked it behind herself. "So," McGawan said, "I take it this isn't a normal house call."
Jennifer shook her head. "Not at all. Why are you still in your uniform?"
"I just woke up six hours ago. It's lunch time for me right now."
"Hungry?"
"Yes," McGawan said, staring down the slender body of his beautiful guest. "But not for food."
"Oh? What would you like then?" Jennifer touched her own breasts with her fingertips.
"Sugar."
"I got plenty of that," Jennifer said, disrobing herself.
The rest became history.
A few hours later, McGawan openned his eyes, as he woke up to Jennifer caressing his muscular bare chest. She was wide awake, too. "Good morning."
The sun was shining through the windows.
McGawan rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"
"0745," Jennifer said. "Did you sleep well?"
McGawan yawned. "I didn't think I was so tired."
"After an hour and a half worth of working out like that, I was tired too," Jennifer said, kissing McGawan. She caressed his entire topside, including the toolbox. "Still got some energy left?"
"Always do," McGawan said. Just as he caressed her topside in response, a comm signal sounded. However, it wasn't a Starfleet comm signal. It was a standard personal communicator for civilians.
Interupted, and frustrated by such, Jennifer turned over, and picked up her communicator. "Yes?... Oh?... You're kidding me?...Damn you! I'll be right in."
"Problem?"
Jennifer closed the communicator. "There's been a slight security breach at Daddy's office. Care to join me?"
"Why not?"
The governing office was infested with police guards, and Starfleet Security. When Jennifer came in, the police checked for ID and let her through. When McGawan came in, a small platoon of five Starfleet Security guards offered him, and Jennifer, an escort through the building.
When they got to Giavani's office, the office was trashed. Everything, the papers, the files, was all over the floor. If the situation were different, Jennifer would have thought Giavani had a temper tantrum. However, Giavani wasn't too far from it. "I can't believe this shit!"
"What happened?" McGawan wondered.
"Someone broke into my files! They broke in and took the updated security protocol files!" Giavani was furious.
A Starfleet officer came rushing in, delivering a padd to McGawan. "Sir, we performed a data trace on the Governor's computer. The hackers were using an old style of Starfleet protocol. They also used a Protocol C dispersal pattern to cover their tracks."
"Great, just great," McGawan said. "Now we'll never figure out who did it. Transmit your findings to the base. And, along with that, have Lieutenant Commander Kim see if he can pull something out of his hindeside and come up with something brilliant... like a real trace."
"Aye, Captain."
"You!" McGawan called to another security guard. "Who's in charge of your detatchement?"
"Lieutenant Wilcox, Sir," the guard said.
"Have Wilcox post a guard on the building," McGawan said. "No non- authorized people come in or out."
"Aye, Sir."
"Do you think that'll be enough?" Jennifer wondered.
"Of course not. But it will detur whoever is screwing with us," McGawan said. "At least, that's what I hope."
"Anything?"
Kim shook his head. "I got nothing. Even if they weren't using Starfleet protocols, a Pattern C dispersal is really hard to crack. I remember using Pattern B on Voyager and Enterprise, because C is too complicated. I know Lieutenant Commander Data used to use B also. I've never seen anything like this." Suddenly, a light came on in Kim's head. "Commander, request permission to make a long distance call."
"Got an idea?" Nakajima wondered.
Kim nodded. "I think so."
"Make some magic happen, Commander."
"Aye, Sir."
"You must master the Dragon."
A bald, younger Tao Xan Nu Wing sat in his temple, cross-legged, staring into the eyes of Master Wu, who was on the other side of the temple training room. The words from Master Wu were very contradictory to what he was taught since childhood. "Master... The way to total inner control is the tapping the flow of Chi. How should I abandon my ways?"
"There is a saying," Master Wu said. "'When two rivers flow into one, it creates one stronger river.' The words of a Vulcan Master from a thousand years ago."
Wing had a problem. Why, he thought was I seeing an image of this? "What reason do I have to do something like that, Master?"
"Prepare," Wu said. "Prepare yourself for what is to come. It is not a time of good fortune. You must be ready..."
"Nakajima to Wing. Report to the Command Center, Immediately."
Wing's eyes flew open with a vengence. So much so that they hurt when they finally fully openned. With a quickness, Wing hit his communicator, which sat on his table. "On my way, Commander."
McGawan and Jennifer came back to the city hall, after a long lunch together. Jennifer found herself holding McGawan's hand, as they entered into the lobby. They found a quiet nook, and kissed eachother passionately. As much as he hated to be all mushy, this woman was freakin HOT! He reached up her shirt, just as she reached down to grab his junk.
McGawan pushed Jennifer into a utility closet, and closed the door. Just as he was about to outright rip Jennifer's shirt off, there was an unfortunate knock at the door. It was ignored. However, when the caller knocked again, it was louder. And it did manage to interupt them.
Frustrated, Jennifer secured her shirt, and licked the sudden wetness from her fingertips. McGawan fastened his uniform pants, and straightened his uniform tunic. Within that moment, he openned the door.
A pretty, young secretary, looking all shy, kept her eyes down as she addressed McGwan. "I-I-I'm sorry t-t-to interupt-t-t you," she said, very uncomfortable. "Th-th-th-the G-g-g-governor is-is-is ask-k-king for the C- c-c-captain."
McGawan patted the short girl on the head, as Jennifer followed him out. Together, they hit the elevator, and went into the cooridor.
When McGawan and Jennifer got into the office, Giavani smiled broadly. "Ey! Buddy! How ya doin? Enjoyin yerself?"
McGawan nodded.
"Honey, can ya leave me and da Captain alone for a minute?"
"Sure, Daddy," Jennifer said. "I'll be right outside." As Jennifer smiled to McGawan, she left the office. After she closed the door, three Starfleet guards came to the office, and addressed Jennifer. "Yes?"
"Is Captain McGawan busy?" one of the guards asked.
Jennifer nodded. "He is. He's in a conference with the Governor."
"I'm sorry, Madam Secretary," said the same guard, addressing the fact that Jennifer is the colony's Security Secretary. "We have an urgent message for the Captain."
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The sound was strong. And quickly, Jennifer, along with the guards, ran into the office. There, on the floor by the desk, McGawan was holding the lump, dead body for Marcus Giavani.
Immediately, Jennifer fell to the floor, in tears, crying "DADDY!!!"
After a stunned moment of silence, McGawan turned to the guards. "Don't just stand there you idiots! Get the medics here! This man is dying!"
At that moment, two medics came rushing in, one with a medkit, the other with a tricorder. They scanned the body, clearly confirming that which everyone already knew. He was dead. And there was a phaser mark on his chest.
The medic scanned the phaser burn, and the tricorder, like a trained dog, lead the medic to the Captain's pocket. The medic signaled the security guard to come over, who had a hand on his phaser. "Sir," the guard addressed. "Please empty your pocket."
McGawan looked at the guard, extreemely funny-like. "What the hell are you talking about? I didn't bring anything. Security cleared me before, and I brought nothing. It's on the logs."
"I'm sorry, Sir," the guard said, with a firm grip on his phaser. "I must insist you empty your pocket."
Slowly, Jennifer stood, and turned to McGawan. "What's going on, Bruce?"
"I don't know," McGawan said, clearly confused. "I didn't bring anything! Can you understand that?"
The guard finally drew his phaser. "Captain, I will not ask you again. Please empty the contents of your pockets, or we will search you ourselves."
Clearly dumbfounded, McGawan reached into his pocket. Suddenly, he realized, there was something in his pocket. But... it's impossible... he didn't bring anything, not even his Starfleet ID clearlance cards. Slowly, he drew out what was in his pocket...
...a small palm-sized phaser.
The guard openned his palm, and McGawan clearly gave it to him. "I swear I have no idea how this got here."
The medic showed McGawan the med scans. The medic pointed to some particles around the snapshot the tricorder took of Giavani's wound. "These particles are adeon particles. Their signatures match the phaser emitter on your weapon."
"THAT is NOT MY weapon," McGawan said, pointing to the weapon.
"Captain Bruce McGawan," the guard officially announced. "I'm sorry to do this, Sir. However, under Article 184 of Starfleet Interstellar Law, you are hereby requested, and required, to surrender yourself for arrest. I am compelled to take you into custody on the charge of assassinating an individual in a ruling position." From then on, the guard read McGawan his rights.
Jennifer was equally confused. After the guard put the cuffs on McGawan, she went to the guard. "Tell me one thing. How can the logs show that the captain brought in NOTHING, and how can you charge him with this murder? He's been with ME the WHOLE time!"
Another guard handed Jennifer the security logs. "I'm sorry, Madam Secretary. The security logs registered an authorized phaser being brought into the premesis. The phaser is registered to Captain McGawan."
"Impossible! I was right next to him when he emptied his pockets!" Jennifer defended.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am," the guard said. "The computers don't lie. If you wish, you may testify that fact on his behalf when he goes before the magistrates for formal court martial proceidings."
"Bullshit!"
"Jenny!" McGawan interupted. "Don'r worry about it. Call Commander Nakajima on the Starbase. Tell her to bring Wing and Kim over here and start an investigation."
Jennifer nodded. "You got it, Baby."
"Also," McGawan said to the guard. "I also request a full medical examination to be done on myself, as part of my due process rights given to me under Starfleet Prisoner Code Twelve, section Forty-eight."
The guard nodded. "I will process your request. In the meantime, you know what must happen next."
McGawan nodded. "I know."
"And, before I begin the process," the guard said, "you do understand that the findings of the requested medical examination, if found to not be in your favor, can and will be used against you in a formal hearing and trail."
"I wouldn't have requested it otherwise," McGawan said.
The guard nodded. "I will process your request with the head of security. This way, Sir."
Having no choice, McGawan and Jennifer went their separate ways. Jennifer rushed back to her office, as quickly as she could, so she could comply with McGawan's request. Also, with their help, they can help get to the bottom of what really happened in the office.
END OF ACT II