"How is he Doctor?"
"He is not our Captain other than that he's in perfect health"
"Security to Sickbay" (turns to Portland) "Sentinel I have some very strict orders for you as I am now in charge of this ship until our true Captain returns. First you are to get yourself into uniform like I know you've been wanting to do since you arrive, then you are to go to the bridge and take the Conn until I finish in the ready room, when you get to the bridge you are to order the helmsman to return to our last mission location, once I am done in the ready room I need you by my side like Councilor Troi is for Picard now go"
"Yes sir"
Ashland quickly returns to her quarters and with a few modifications she was in her proper uniform and then headed to the bridge
"Lt. per the Commander's orders I have the Conn, helmsman we're returning to where your last mission was immediately"
"And just who are you to give us orders?"
"First Junior Sentinel Portland and I'm relaying the orders of the Commander"
"What about the Captain?"
(Snorts) "I wouldn't listen to that impostor if he was the last person on this ship"
Hearing the word impostor made everyone on the bridge react in anger as they realized they had been obeying orders that were most likely not legit unless they also came from the Commander
"Returning to our previous location aye"
"Sentinel I know you have been given your orders by the Commander but I am wondering if you would let me share command until the Commander is available, it's not that I don't trust you but you are still adapting to both the ship and the crew while I know everyone by name and rank and I also know their abilities should things turn sour"
"I understand and accept your help because you're right, I don't know how far I can push this ship and if something happens I don't know everyone's strength and weakness and that's not a good thing"
"Okay then you give the orders and I will back you up if need be"
"Well hopefully that won't be needed but just in case I am very glad you are here to help me out"
"By the way maybe at some point you can give us examples of your own abilities in a safe environment because I have heard you have special programs that have layered protections"
"Indeed I can...helmsman hard to port, tactical ready torpedoes"
Orders are quickly followed by the Lt. giving an order of their own
"Anderson to Engineering divert power from non critical systems to weapons and be prepared for core fluctuations until further notice"
He then turned to Portland to explain his supplemental orders
"If you do more than one task at a time the engine can get a little finicky if you don't siphon power from other areas, we think it's a design problem but that has never been proven so all we can do is make sure that we don't over do things and that we keep an eye on the engine and warp core"
"That ways if they say something's wrong you instantly know and can either compensate or take measures to prevent a core breach"
"You're learning, though it's also common sense"
"Indeed, by the way my sudden instructions are part of my abilities, we were about to be attacked and we still might especially once we drop out of warp as it is I have no clue as to our potential enemies strengths and weaknesses and quite frankly I should have asked for a report earlier"
"I'll get one for you immediately because you're right you do need to know the creeps that took our Captain away from us without even really noticing"
"Oh they will pay for that trust me but I also think..."
She suddenly grabbed her head in pain and then very quickly and suddenly put on a unique bracelet where she sighed in a mixture of frustration and relief
"And we now have an additional complication"
Just then the Commander finally came out of the ready room and heard her last comment
"What complication is that Sentinel Portland?"
"Sith artifacts, I am now much more vulnerable than before without the Force inhibitor so I am now not as effective as you would want me to be"
"Not good because I just finished my conversation with Starfleet Command and unfortunately we're on our own with this, not because they won't back us up but because they simply don't have the manpower to spare right now"
"What about Klingon, Cardassians or Romulans?"
"No good Portland things are too complicated in all those areas right now, they can't do anything to help us"
"Fine I'll keep the inhibitor on for now as I was saying though I also think that the Captain will not be fit for duty immediately because we don't know what he's been through during his captivity"
"You're right and we'll be ready for that, I still want you by my side though because even though you won't have access to the Force you are still very perceptive"
Ashland simply shows her wrist to alert the Commander to the fact that she was already wearing the inhibitor and then switches seats
"Commander is our prisoner secure?"
"Yes he is Sentinel and Starfleet commends you for obeying orders and being careful about what you did if you resisted orders"
"No problem I'm just glad that we found out and are going to get the real Captain, but what I wonder is why they have Sith artifacts because all of those should be in Republic space"
"Who knows but I highly doubt they know you're on this ship"
"You're right it's simply coincidence"
They eventually reach the planet they had unknowingly left their Captain on and as soon as communications were opened Ashland actually got some answers as to how the crew was tricked into believing the impostor until they had left the system
"Lockland, I should have known a Force user had a hand in this"
"Portland I'm surprised that you're part of this crew but sadly this isn't what you think it is"
"Oh really? I'm surprised you survived our last encounter considering where I left you, then again I barely survived that encounter myself so you must have gotten lucky"
*Portland this is a code Queen Amidala I repeat this is a code Queen Amidala, call the Council and they will explain more fully, and tell you're crew as well so that they understand why I did what I did*
*Anything else I should know?*
*Yes, the Federation is in danger from this group they are planning an attack but I don't know when, oh and tell the Council and Starfleet that the slavers are operating in Federation space and are spread all over the quadrants and are thus a lot harder to keep track of now, oh and tell the Senate that they have conspirators for slave trading*
*I understand Lockland, are you secure for now?*
*Yes I am no one knows the truth, and since we're the only ones who know this language I am still secure unless these creeps take the time to learn Huttese*
*Let's hope that never happens, at least now I know why you did what you did when we last met, but don't you think this assignment has gone a bit long without anyone knowing the truth unless absolutely necessary? I would think you could go home now*
*Sorry but it's a bit more complicated than that*
*Got it, by the way how have you been handling Sith artifacts?*
*Starfleet Force inhibitors via injections, yes I initially stole a sample and have been making it on my own ever since*
*You do what you have to do I think we should start talking in basic again*
*Good point*
"You won't survive our next encounter, now then we already know that you have our real Captain so I suggest you release him"
"Not happening Portland, besides I almost killed you last time this time I will finish the job if you try and free him"
"Except she's not alone, I am telling you the Federation's demands to free our Captain or we will make your lives miserable"
"Except as far as we know you're the only ship that can fight such a fight"
"That may or may not be true but either way we will be getting our Captain back"
"We will see Commander we will see"
Communications are then cut and the Commander called for a crew meeting with the command crew and Portland because he had a feeling that the private conversation was vital
Soon after they started the meeting they had a mostly developed plan and then the Commander spoke up again asking a vital question
"Portland anything else we should know?"
"Yes you are not to attack Lockland no matter what you may have heard or hear while down there"
"Why not I thought the two of you were enemies?"
"For a long while so did I but he called in a code Queen Amidala, which is a universal Jedi code meaning they are working undercover, it was named for Padme Amidala who at age fourteen was a Queen of Naboo when the Trade Federation used a blockade and she escaped by pretending to be one of her handmaidens and remained in that cover until she revealed herself to the Gungans"
"So the angry tone was just a cover after you switched back to English?"
"We call it basic but yes that's exactly what I'm telling you"
"Do we have to do anything special to keep his cover?"
"I actually don't know, but I think it's crucial he remain at his post, besides I have a few calls to make in regards to him and you should also know he's the reason you left the Captain behind"
"Jedi mind trick?"
"Exactly, but he most likely had his reasons and considering who he is he also most likely did his best to protect the Captain while doing whatever he had to to keep his cover"
"Understood, anything else you need to do before we raid the planet to free the Captain"
"Yes I need to speak with Starfleet Command immediately about a warning"
Command is quickly contacted
"What's going on Commander?"
"Actually it's Portland who needs to speak with you"
"Sirs we have an insider who told me to tell you that these aliens are planning an attack though we don't know when, oh and one more thing there are slavers operating all over the galaxy in the different quadrants let the Council know and tell the Senate that they have conspirators working with the slavers which in the Republic is quite illegal"
"Understood Sentinel I hope we meet this inside person some day"
"Same here though unless they know the truth people will consider him a traitor"
"Why's that?"
"He's deep undercover and has been for several years now"
"That would do it"
"Indeed I even fought him and thought him a traitor until today when he gave me a code that revealed the truth to me"
"Wait you have a code to reveal undercover agents?"
"Yes we have to do that because otherwise we might endanger their mission which is dangerous"
"How dangerous can it be?"
"Let's just say that I wasn't aware one time when I was newly knighted and blew a major operation and almost killed a fellow knight because I was unaware of them being undercover, as it is she was mad at me for a solid month and it took another two years for her to work with me willingly, the problem at that time was while we had a code I was never really in any position to receive it or if she had given it to me I never noticed"
"That's pretty dangerous, well in the meantime we'll pass on the message you need to pass on while you guys rescue your Captain"
"Copy that sir"
So they get an away team ready and debriefed
"No matter what happens you are not to endanger the cover of the one called Lockland, if you do have to deal with him make sure it's in a way to either deepen his cover or simply help maintain his cover but don't blow it, we don't know what these people will do to him if he falls under suspicion"
"Portland will he be going for the kill?"
"He'll make it seem like it but most likely he won't, so if you have to injure him make sure it's non lethal or at least isn't immediately lethal and he has a chance at making it to medical care"
"Understood, we'll help him because if he's a fellow Jedi undercover for as long as you've said he is it must be an important mission"
"It is, I may not know the mission but for him to fight and stay as long as he has than it is, oh and one more thing and my word is law on this, if you do anything to endanger him and I find out I will figure out a suitable punishment and you will have to serve it no matter what it is, the only limitation is that you will not be kicked out of Starfleet unless the Captain decides it's necessary"
"You can't do that you don't have that power"
"Oh but she does, originally it was only with weapons and later their special simulations were added but if you don't recall while Ashland was thought dead there were two Sentinel's serving on the same ship because of the special skills one of them had and a Lt. endangered one of the Sentinel's lives. After they were successfully rescued Starfleet added that if we endanger a Jedi's life, Sentinel or not then the Sentinel on board the ship that endangered said Jedi can punish the offender as they see fit up to but not including expulsion from Starfleet"
"Seems unfair that Sentinel's are getting more and more powers over us regular soldiers every year"
"Okay most of our authority was actually put in place while I was a cadet, I just couldn't act on that authority because I was not authorized to reveal myself at that time, the rest of the rules were established on an as needed basis and the only things added are the special Jedi simulations and the rules regarding endangering fellow Jedi as far as I know"
"Those are indeed the only recent additions as far as I know as well Sentinel Portland"
"Wait how did you manage to get your authority inserted so early if you couldn't use any of that authority in the first place?"
"Simple because once I explained the situation to Command they helped lay down the rules, including the mandatory meditation period, and that rule was because of a mental breakdown I had after the full situation had built up to a breaking point. Now then are we going to rescue our Captain or not?"