FourteenStardate 59436.3, System RSS-2398, USS Aegis shuttle Trident
"Approaching the coordinates." Mok said.
"Acknowledged, stand-by for new heading." Contreras said without looking up from his console.
A few minutes ago, the two had launched from Aegis toward the second planet in the system. Contreras was relieved that his ship had decided to no longer carry the older type 18 shuttle pods, and had opted to upgrade to fewer; although much more versatile type 10 personnel shuttles. They were larger, had better weapons, and could sustain high warp flight. They also didn't require their operation packages to be swapped out as they held an advanced science suite, cutting edge deflector array, and multi-purpose consoles as a standard.
"Come to 778.2 mark 5" He said.
"Got it." She said as she maneuvered the shuttle into position. "This is the spot alright, activating forward illumination."
The outside lights of the shuttle flashed and focused on a crater on the side of the rock face. There were dark scorch marks outward of an explosion, and the blast pattern left indications of a tightly controlled sphere of destruction.
"Bringing thermal interferometry scanner online, beginning sweep." Contreras said.
"Thrusters at station keeping." Mok said. "Just look at it Sergio." She said in a tone full of awe.
"I know he said." Taking in the sight as he came to stand behind her flight control chair.
While the planet had indeed been 'cracked' open, it wasn't falling apart. Huge swaths, hundreds of kilometers wide allowed for the shuttle to fly down into the deepest recesses of the celestial body. Tectonic activity was still tearing much of the surface apart, but the most violent of it had already come and gone. As it was now, the planet was on a slow march to being torn apart by the sun's gravity and becoming an asteroid belt.
"I bet that mountain range we flew past while coming down into this crevasse was beautiful at one point. Especially the one that made Olympus Mons look like Everest." Mok said.
Contreras gave a light smile and remained quiet.
"What?" She asked.
"Huh…oh nothing ma'am." He said.
Mok gave a wry smile and turned to face him before saying, "Stop with the ma'am stuff, I'm not that much older than you and we graduated the Academy at the same time. There are privileges that come with being a junior grade lieutenant, but not many."
He took a seat beside her. "Lt…Yeo-jin, I'm just trying to follow protocol. Between you and the captain, I'm not trying to mess up by being too familiar."
She rubbed his shoulder with a free hand and gave a genuine smile. "You're doing fine. Better than fine, actually. Don't worry so much, I promise it will get easier."
"Thanks."
"Oh no you don't mister, you're still going to tell me what that look was about when I brought up the mountain."
Contreras gave a light sigh, "The mountain range is beautiful, but you more than likely would've never know about it. I'm sure the passive scans will confirm it, but my observation of the sedimentary layers suggests this was an underwater range. We flew through a dry ocean bed."
Mok didn't look upset, more confused.
"Why didn't you just say that?" She asked.
After a slight shrug he said, "Force of habit I guess. It's a learned response, I picked it up from my time as a cadet studying with Theus…er, uh the captain."
A blip on her console and beeping alarm required Mok to make some minor helm adjustments. They were surrounded by high walls of rock, crystalline formations, and geodes of all shapes and colors, but the gravity fluctuations as the mass of the planet changed required attention that auto-pilot couldn't handle all the time.
"Sorry about that." She said. "But I don't understand, the captain taught you not give accurate reports?"
"No." He said with a light laugh. "It's different for you command types, especially you as a pilot. Since the early days of human flight, you guys have been bred to be cocky."
"I can't help being amazing." She said teasingly.
"That's what I mean. It's normal and expected of you all. Scientists have to be careful with how much we show people we know."
Her brow creased. "Sergio, no one thinks like that in this day and age. Intelligence isn't something we politicize or berate because we've evolved to value it's contributions. Besides scientist can be just as cocky."
"You say we're evolved and live in advanced times, but remind me again of how long Ferengi woman have been able to wear clothing in their homes or pursue their own capital ventures?"
"Not the best example." She said.
"I disagree." He said. "Evolution has nothing to do with advancement or technology. Evolution is change. And while we have changed many of our antiquated and ridiculous ideas, one that remains is that people who are smarter and correct others are not cocky, they're arrogant. You saw Commander zhNon's reaction to the captain requesting to join the crew on Bozeman."
Mok nodded her head in agreement and said, "I will give you that, but I don't think you're arrogant. Your talents are a defining quality of what make you who you are; a brilliant young man who can one day be amongst the best scientist in the Federation. You shouldn't hide it because you feel others won't like you."
Contreras blinked a few times in confusion before asking, "You mean it?"
"I most certainly do. The universe is too large and life too short to spend it worrying about the concerns of other. So many people like you, I'm one of them. Once you show more people what you can do, including the captain, then even if you aren't their favorite person, they can't deny you. Humans don't use currency like some species, but can you think of anything that would make you richer than being known as one of the best officers in the Fleet?"
Contreras wasn't looking for a pep talk, but had received one anyway. He and Mok had always had a comfortable, cordial relationship from their Academy days, but he had never heard her speak so highly of him. Perhaps it was because she was his superior officer, but he liked to think it was also because she was his friend.
"Thanks, Yeo-jin. I-"
His console began to beep and he ran over to check the status of his scan.
"Scan complete. I've detected traces of inorganic explosive materials here at the flashpoint." He said. "This makes no sense."
"Now I know I just said that no one berates intelligence, but when you guys intentionally leave out the important details just to make people ask why, that is annoying." Mok said.
"Yeah, sorry." Contreras said. "I've detected traces of inorganic explosive material and that's strange. On our way in, I didn't pick up any indication of an anti-matter detonation; neutrinos or subspace fluctuations and the like. For an explosion to be of the yield we detected, one would normally expect that to be the primary fuel source."
"I understand." She said, now comprehending his confusion. "Is there anything else that could produce such an explosion?"
"Many things." He said. "But I'm not detecting traces of those either…wait a minute!"
Contreras began to frantically type on his console.
"What is it?" Mok asked and Contreras held up his hand.
"Oh no."
"Sergio!" Mok shouted.
"This planet, it's not a mining project. It's a proving ground." He said lowly.
"Meaning?"
"I didn't understand why I was detecting the multiple inorganic materials, until I expanded the search criteria for high yield explosives and cross referenced it with the tactical database. This blast site has signs of acid titration."
"I remember enough from chemistry to know that's a component of bomb making." She said.
"It's worse." He said and swallowed hard. "We need to get back to the Aegis. The computers there will help me analyze faster, but the molecular structures don't lie."
He typed in some commands and a holographic mineral structure was displayed in front of the science console.
"Sodatium-chlorinite has multiple allotropes." Contreras said.
"Like carbon in the form of coal, graphite, or diamonds?" Mok asked.
"Exactly. The Bolians are so protective of their super salt because not only is it a rare mineral, but their deposits are around 71%-86% pure." He typed more. "And here is the sample the Doctor took from the autopsy and V'Riss."
Two more mineral structures were displayed.
"They're both over 98% pure!" Mok said in astonishment. "Without any refinement?"
"Only nature is powerful enough to create something this amazing." Contreras said. "But it get's worse. This is a fragment from the explosion, take a look at grid 16-theta."
Mok, being familiar with the isotope as it was a necessary component to the ship she flew, recognized it instantly.
"Is that…is that crystalized deuterium?" She asked.
"I believe so. This planet wasn't destroyed naturally or by the Romulans attempting to extract resources. Utilizing Lleiset's naturally high deuterium content, and in conjunction with the abundance of pure super salt available, they've created a new weapon of mass destruction. One they destroyed an entire planet for in order to test." Contreras said somberly.
"You're right," she said, "we need to get back to the ship." She plotted the course and they began to climb.
"I can't believe this." He said. "All the destruction, all the death they've faced, and yet they're still focused on a militaristic posture." Contreras said from his console.
"You have no idea how right you are." Mok said.
"I wish I was-"
"Ensign!" Mok shouted.
Contreras looked up. They had cleared the fissure and were about to breach the thin atmosphere into open space. But above them, loomed two Mogai-class warbirds.
"Their weapons are charged," she said, "man tactical."
Romulan Moon Lleiset, location unknown
"Speak you Federation targ!" The interrogated demanded.
When Keln didn't say anything he jabbed a prod into the blades of his back, once again causing him to spasm and convulse with pain. It was blindingly hot and excruciating as his pain receptors all fired at once.
Y'Borom walked over and knelt in front of Keln. He grabbed a fistful of his hair and violently yanked Keln's head up to look at him through eyes bruised so badly, they had swollen shut.
"You can end this at any time, just tell us your mission." Y'Borom said in a cold, whisper.
"I-I" Keln began and started to cough. Y'Borom was still holding his head up from his hair, and the position made it all but impossible for him to swallow. "I am a loyal Centurion of the Empire." He said again to them.
Y'Borom dropped him. Green blood ran down Keln's battered face and all over his body from cuts and bruises that had been inflicted. They hadn't severed any appendages, but he could tell their patience was wearing thin. Once again, he felt the prod in his back, and felt nothing but pain.
"We've analyzed your DNA." Y'Borom began. "These are some sophisticated genetic modifications. Molecular Cosmetic Surgery?" He asked.
Keln was silent and shocked again.
"You certainly gave us a challenge." He said. "Blood samples were almost impossible to discriminate, I mean there are generations worth of subtle genetic markers that indicate you are Romulan. The impurities in Romulus' atmosphere…well those that were there, affected certain children in a region to give them slight mutations. That, you couldn't fake."
Another shock. Keln folded in on himself, burning from within about to burst, but still he didn't scream.
"C-Centurion of the Empire…" He said in a coarse gravel.
"And there it is!" Y'Borom shouted. "You can study as many dossiers as you want. Infiltrate our worlds, live among our people. But your tongue can't lie forever."
The interrogator was about to shock him but Y'Borom held up a hand. Instead, he walked up to Keln and kicked him hard. So hard, he rolled over and Y'Borom placed a heavy boot on his chest.
"There are three major dialects of my people. You speak it well, but your accent is off. To proper, to crisp. No matter how much intelligence you gathered, you could never understand the subtle nuances of the differences of the classes in our society."
"Cen…centu…"
"Yes a Centurion." He said. "One from the lowest of houses, the lowest of provinces. There is no way one of your station and upbringing would be allowed to represent the Empire. They are too pure, resolved in their desire to maintain the monarchy. The Empire would have sent an officer who is a politician in the making. You, you are a warrior. One who has withstood hours of torture without making a sound."
"I-I am…"
"It is okay, Keln the Centurion. You have earned a modicum of respect from me. But alas, you, like all Federation insects, are nothing more than lower creatures to be crushed beneath my heel!"
Keln felt the pressure on his chest. Even with his strength and size, a fully committed Romulan male could kill him with their bare hands, or in this case foot, if they desire. His breathing became constricted, until he could barely take in air. And then a klaxon when off.
"Incoming Starfleet personnel. Prepare for battle!" A voice said through a speaker.
Y'Borom look up and around him as his followers began to take their posts.
"It seems I will be able to swat all of you at once."