Chapter Title: Spy Versus Spy
Chapter Synapses: In an attempt to interfere with a Section 31 operation, Starwind recruits others who have been contacted by the Section. His plan will ultimately test VonBach's loyalties.
Written by: Seraph Koji
Previously…"We have operatives within the heart of Romulus and the Klingon Empire, the Cardassian Union (rather what's left of it), even the Breen Confederacy. We have had men in the cabinet of the past five Federation Presidents. Admirals, doctors, we have a lot of influence, Captain. And we are expanding." Operative Newberry explained.
Starwind stared at his comm. badge before picking it up. He showed it to Admiral Ross, shooting him a cold glare, "This still stands for something, Admiral."
"These guys think I'm their ace in the hole for the Hyperion." Starwind explained to a fellow Captain, "But I refuse to serve them."
"I know who contacted us." Winters told Starwind the moment the Ready Room door closed, "Section 31 approached me."
"You'll never find all the crew I've turned." Newberry laughed, "And I still have you."
And now, the continuation…"You're sure?" Starwind said to an ensign standing in hs ready room.
"Yes, sir." The ensign reported, "I was contacted via secure commlink a few hours ago."
Starwind nodded, "You're dismissed." He turned to his computer terminal, "Computer, open a commlink to Deep Space Nine's infirmary, and encrypt the signal." He waited a moment for Bashir, "Julian. I've got information for you. Take some of your leave, and rendezvous with us at Qualor V."
"Captain's Log, stardate 57748.5. Ensign Lynch has reported contact from Section 31. The Spectre is going to be at Qualor V in one week, meaning we have that long to prepare counter-espionage measures. I have contacted seventeen other officers once been drafted by Section 31 that feel as I do, and they will rendezvous with Hyperion in a few days."
"What is the mission?" Starwind asked the ensign. They sat in a larger variation of the conference room, with a number of other officers. Hyperion's Sarah Winters sat to Starwind's left, to his right was Deep Space Nine's Julian Bashir. Also in attendance was Penelope Harper from the Nixon. Of course, the ensign was also in attendance.
"The target is Alpha Eridani I. A planet that until the last border redraw was the Federation 'grave planet'. Now it's in the middle of the Neutral Zone. And we have special arrangements in regards to the planet. Stationed on the planet is a Federation Honor Guard, and to honor the world's neutrality, a Romulan Honor Guard. Well, we have learned that a member of the Romulan Honor Guard is in fact a Tal'Shiar operative. This operative just received orders overtake the Alpha Eridani Sentry station."
"So?" Bashir asked, "That hardly warrant's Section 31 involvement."
"The sentry station still carries a full compliment of Federation weapons." The ensign reported, "31 attributes value to these weapons, but must silence all possible witnesses to their violation of the Neutral Zone and destruction of a Federation outpost."
"Alpha Eridani is only a day away from here." Harper pointed out, "We should set course now."
"No." Starwind dismissed the idea, "We're going to fight as covert as them. If we take Hyperion into the neutral zone, they won't risk their plan. Our goal is to arrest Section 31."
"Sounds good. What's the plan?" Harper asked.
"There are sixteen of us, and fifteen members of the Honor Guard. Ensign Lynch, you'll pilot a shuttle in, where the rest of us will pose as the Honor Guard replacements. I'm leaving Sarah Winters in command of the night shift the night 31 is supposed to make their move on the Alpha Eridani station." Starwind explained, "We catch 31 in the act, call in Hyperion, arrest them, and submit a full report to the Romulans and to Starfleet Command."
"They'll die before being arrested." Bashir warned.
Starwind paused, "Then, Doctor, we'll kill them."
"Winters to Starwind, VonBach disembarked." Starwinds badge chirped, "Understood. Prepare our transport shuttle."
"One more thing. He left you a message, sir. 'Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges'." Winters read from her data pad.
Harper looked around, "What's that mean."
Bashir spoke almost instantly in reply, "In times of war, the law falls silent."
"Let's make the law ring loud and clear." Starwind said, "I'll see you all at 1400 hours. Dismissed."
Starwind glared out a lounge window, wondering if Newberry was already there.
"Taking a trip?" Collins walked over to him, "That D.S. Two runabout, Liberty, has logged a flight plan to Alpha Eridani to restaff the Honor Guard."
"And?"
"Hyperion doesn't carry Honor Guard." Collins replied, "I'd feel better if you took Major Keriasso and a few marines." She paused, "I'm not ready to be a Captain." She further hesitated before saying, "I'm not ready to lose you."
Starwind said nothing, just stared out the window.
"Runabout Liberty to Hyperion, we're away." Lynch reported.
"We're setting course to rendezvous with you on our side of the border at low warp." Collins' voice came over subspace, "We'll leave the light on for you. Hyperion out."
"Ensign Lynch, set course for Alpha Eridani, maximum speed." Starwind ordered.
On Alpha Eridani, Starwind, in the uniform of an Honor Guardsman, approached a member of the Honor Guard, "You and your men are relieved, I have a pilot ready to take you to a nearby vessel."
"That was a short stay." The guardsman observed, "I stand relieved."
After the guardsman was out of earshot, Starwind tapped his comm. badge, "Starwind to Bashir, they're leaving."
"So they are." Newberry laughed, sitting on the bridge of his cloaked Defiant-class vessel, "Joseph, it seems your commanding officer is in our way again."
"Suggestions?" VonBach asked.
"We complete our mission. Exterminate the Honor Guard, Commander." Newberry ordered, "Kaled, take us toward the sentry station."
"There!" Bashir ran over to a Romulan guard, "Bashir to Starwind, my team has found a member of the Romulan squad. He's dead."
"No doubt that means their men are on Eridani. Fall back to the rendezvous point." Starwind ordered.
"Harper to Starwind, taking fire near the Battle of Betazed monument."
Starwind broke into a run, hitting his comm. badge, "Starwind to all combat units, converge on Ensign Harper's position."
Bashir gripped his phaser rifle tightly. Where were they? Someone killed that Romulan, and the wound wasn't that old. So where was the killer?
"Jules, the Captain ordered us to Harper's position." A member of their operation said.
"Yes." Bashi nodded.
"Eek!" Harper screamed in a very high pitch as the rock that she sought cover behind exploded. She rolled across to the monument, firing at the three men wearing gray uniforms. On was hit, and fell to the ground. The man at point pulled out a gun Harper hadn't seen before. It was similar in design to an archaic Terran weapon, an MP-5. He shot a number of brief and quick bursts of energy at Harper, who made it to cover.
"Where is Starwind?" The gruff man with the strange weapon demanded. It was, naturally, VonBach.
Harper prepared to shoot again, raising her phaser setting to kill, "I'd sooner die than tell you!"
"That can be arranged." VonBach aimed the weapon again, "You know, Miss Harper, this is what happens when spies don't need to be covert. When those we keep our secrets from all die. Fun, isn't it?"
"Not the word I would use for it." Bashir stood atop a hill overlooking the monument, "Attack!" Seven men followed him, guns ablaze. Bashir himself ran to Harper, "Are you injured?"
"I'm fine, Julian." Harper replied, "Where's Victor?"
"Being a spy." Bashir explained.
A third solder ran up and stood next to VonBach.
"Reinforcements? Fire at those Honor Guardsmen on the hill." HonBach ordered, not looking at the solder.
The solder knelt next to the fallen solder and took a device off his arm.
"What are you…?" VonBach looked over at the solder. "Captain?"
"Hello, Joseph." Starwind slapped the device on his arm, "See you in the black." He activated the device and dematerialized.
VonBach grew annoyed, "Fall back!" he ordered to the other living man, "I'll handle him." VonBach, too, dematerialized.
"Where did they go?" Harper asked Bashir, who was scanning her.
Bashir looked past the monument. "Up." He said candidly, and continued scanning Harper.
Harper push his tricorder away, "We have to arrest them, Jules." She picked up her phaser, "That last one ran off toward the Honor Guard barracks, we should attack."
Starwind materialized onboard the Spectre, instantly shooting the transporter chief. Alarms started beeping, so he removed his comm. badge from his sleeve and left it, face down, on the transporter pad. He ran out of the room as VonBach materialized. The badge latched onto VonBach's boot as he ran out of the transporter room.
"Lock on to the Federation comm. badge! Beam Starwind here." Newberry stood on the bridge, drawing a phaser.
As VonBach spotted Starwind dashing through the corridors, he dissolved into light. Starwind snickered, and continued heading for Engineering.
"Ready?" Harper yelled to the nine others on their side surrounding the position held by 31, "Fire!" Ten bursts of phaser energy crashed into the building, "Section 31 operatives, you are under arrest for high treason."
Starwind stopped running through the corridors. He stopped at an access panel. By now had been discovered that VonBach had Starwind's comm. badge. They knew he was still at large. His plan to take over Main Engineering would be foolish. Sensitive areas would be heavily guarded. And important systems would be encrypted. But, what if Starwind took advantage of several unimportant systems?
"Sir." A bridge officer reported, "Environmental control is being rerouted through a panel. Deck five, section 27."
"It's probably just to free up space at a more critical area, Operative." Newberry said passively, "I highly doubt Starwind plans to humidify us to death."
"You want me to check it out?" VonBach aske,d pulling the comm. badge off his boot.
"Just don't shoot unless it's Starwind." Newberry ordered.
Starwind's hands flew across the controls. His time was running out and he knew it. "Computer, reroute the following subsystems to this station."
"Sir, epidemic control, the medical database access protocols, and force field control for that deck have been routed to the same workstation as environmental control."
"More useless systems? Seems to confirm my theory." Newberry walked over to that display, "Not like it was an attempt at life support or transporter control."
Starwind heard footsteps. He'd have to work quickly. "Computer erect a level five force field around this work station." He worked at the panel. Epidemic control could spread some compounds through he air, but he needed an anesthetic. So he accessed the medical files. "Let's see… add hydrogen to derestazine and you get the anesthetic cordrazine."
A pulse of energy crashed against the force field, disabling it.
"Computer, initiate epidemic protocols for Barclay's Protomorphisis Syndrome." Starwind ordered.
"Releasing derestazine." The computer chirped.
Before giving the next order, Starwind heard a weapon powering up.
"Step away from the panel." VonBach said.
Starwind just looked at VonBach, "Joseph, you wouldn't shoot me."
"Wouldn't I?" He lowered his gun, "Captain, I'll kill a man in a fair fight. Or if he might start a fair fight. Or if there's a woman involved, or a bribe. Usually if there's a bribe. But I'm not about to shoot my commanding officer."
"Good. I can spread this though all the ship besides the bridge." Starwind pressed the control to raise force fields again, then rose the humidity to every other area of the ship.
"Relax, sir, I'll handle the bridge." VonBach smiled, pressing a control on his weapon. "Right now, every bit of the bridge has an electric current flowing through it."
"Joseph?"
"Newberry was gonna start a fair fight." VonBach rationalized it. He did a bit of work on the panel, "Spectre to Hyperion, ready for pick up."
"Were you planning on this?" Starwind asked.
VonBach, "Nah. I actually was coming down here to kill you."
