Answers to Questions Asked

Posted on Fri Jul 31st, 2020 @ 11:41pm by Admiral Gordon Francis & Commander Owen Nash & Mauricio Arnaldo

Mission: The Evils Within
Location: Delavi System
Timeline: Current

ON

Once they had cleared the resort, the three of them made their way towards the docking ring where Mauricio's ship was waiting.



Once they were on board, Owen held back to allow Thew and Mauricio on board before securing the hatch. Walking over to his kit and picking up a tricorder which he then his in a pocket, Owen stood next to Thew.

"So, Thew, before we go anywhere...What's your business in the Hesiod System? Why do you need to go there?" he asked, watching as Mauricio secured the ship and made sure that they weren't being listened to.



The man they knew as Thew sighed and sank into a chair. "First of all, my name isn't actually Thew. It's taken from my middle name, Matthew. I am Admiral Gordon Matthew Francis, and six months ago I was assigned to command the Pithos Outpost in the Hesiod system. On the way, someone marooned me here and I've been trying to get out of this cesspool ever since!"



Mauricio stammered as he looked between Commander Nash and the man. Not knowing what else to say, he couldn't help but loudly exclaim, "Admiral Francis?! But... but... aren't you on Pithos right now?"



Thew's eyebrow raised slightly, a gesture not unlike that of a Vulcan. "I don't believe so."



Arnaldo shook his head as a deep thud dropped in the pit of his stomach. "Well someone else sure the hell is, and he's using your name!"



Owen pulled out the tricorder and ran a scan over the now so-called Admiral. Once he had gathered the biometric data he required, Owen moved to a secure station and ran some checks via a secure line to the Pandora's database. The results were soon returned and that settled if for him.



"Ok, so your story checks out, Admiral. You are indeed Admiral Gordon Matthew Francis. Now, what we need to do is get you to the Hesiod System and expose the person who is imitating you," Owen explained.



"My Commanding Officer and I have had suspicions that there are some unsavoury reasons as to why the PAndora was sent to the Hesiod system and that there is someone there potentially acting as if they are you. Fortunately for him, I was on leave and have been able to conduct an investigation on this, on the quiet with my colleague Mauricio here," Owen finished up as he allowed Francis to take this all in. 



Francis gave a nod. "Well I'm glad you found me. Clearly there's something shady about all of this, and it looks like I'm the one who will take the fall for it. I think we should get to the Hesiod system as soon as possible."



He looked over at Mauricio who seemed to be recovering from the revelation that someone else was on Pithos.



"How soon can we get out of here?" Owen asked Mauricio. "We need to get to the Hesiod System as soon as we can, without causing any undue notice." 


Mauricio sat down at the console of his ship, the mishmash of technologies from the vessel not always worked together in friendly unison. After a few attempts and some Spanish curses, he was finally able to read a sensor log.

"The area looks clear still, nothing unusual." He replied, "I don't think we were followed." The young man's brow furrowed. "Which begs the question - why would they leave an Admiral out here without someone guarding him?"

Admiral Francis chuckled. "I don't think they intended for me to make it out of here alive," he said. "If it weren't for Qaraq, our friendly neighbourhood bartender, I wouldn't have lasted as long as I did."

Mauricio nodded but there was still doubt in his mind. It was seeming a little too easy for them to just find this guy and rescue him without resistance. Whoever planned this take-over of Pithos had left a sizeable hole in their plan - now Nash, Mauricio, and Francis were going to blow it open. Mauricio just hoped there wasn't something they were overlooking too.

"So you have no idea who marooned you in Delavi?" He asked after taking a moment.

"I may have gotten on the wrong side of some of the shadier ends of Starfleet," said Francis. "Qaraq found me on my second day here. Apparently there was a bounty on me. Qaraq knew I would be far more valuable to him alive, and he managed to cancel the bounty and keep me in hiding. I'm sure you finding me was his doing in some way or another."

Owen sat forward from his seat. "Well, I for one am happy that Qaraq was kind enough to keep an eye on you and make sure that you were in one piece for when we arrived," he admitted. "However, we do need to get to the bottom of this situation and fast. I have a feeling that Captain Temple will need this information as soon as possible."

Again, Owen hated the fact that he'd been on shore leave for so long and had bee away from the Pandora for so long as well. He missed his home, despite having had the time to be way and collect his thoughts and make sure that he had found a way to get past Janet.

"Mauricio, all speed where possible, but make sure we're not noticeable, if that's possible too," Owen requested. Despite the help his colleague had given, Owen also knew that he wasn't in a position to give any orders, so asking was a better option.

"Aye, aye," Mauricio nodded firmly. "I'll look for any opening - and wait!" The former marine suddenly hit the engines, sending the vessel bursting off the launch pads and away from the station. "Sorry mis amigos, I saw an opening." He said with a sheepish grin, as he continued to push the small craft forwards, hoping not to jostle his passengers too much.

Owen held onto the bulkhead as Mauricio used a quick take-off to take the chance to get out of the resort as soon as they could and try to make a quiet exit out of the area and towards the Hesiod system. He looked around as the ship righted itself under his control.

The ship soon fell into formation with a band of other civilian craft, being led by a couple of independent fighters up ahead. "I saw an opportunity to join this group." Mauricio explained.

"I'm good with that, they last thing we need to attract is a firefight here before we've left the system and started towards the Hesiod System and the Pandora," Owen said as he took the co-pilots seat. He checked the readouts as they followed the group of civilian craft out of the system.

"Good move, this should give us some cover, once we're clear, we can peel off and make out way to the Hesiod system," Owen said. "We've got some answers to questions we didn't have before and I intend to get us and the Admiral here to safer ground, onboard the Pandora where possible. If we can't do that, I have another idea."

"Sure thing," Mauricio replied with a nod, focusing ahead at the task at hand.

"Admiral, we'll have you out of here soon and then we'll be on our way to the Pandora," Owen said.

The little ship joined the convoy for a while, no one really taking any notice of them. The small alien craft seemed to fit right in with the other civilian vessels and it seemed the Delavi System were getting used to grouping together for survival in the Expanse. For everyone else, the ship was just another traveller or trader looking to make some money to live in an increasingly harsh and dangerous region. Mauricio immediately felt that kinship while on Paradise; a sense of purpose he had lost while on the Pandora. The thought of returning to the Starfleet ship that he had turned his back on, was starting to give him pangs of guilt.

"Sir?" Arnaldo turned to look at Nash, "If I may, I want to discuss something with you before we have to leave the pack."

Owen looked over at Mauricio. "I'm all ears, what do you want to talk about?" he asked, wondering what his colleague wanted to discuss now that they were leaving the system.

Mauricio gave a hesitant glance to the Admiral and back to Nash, then lowered his tone. "Sir, I'm feeling uneasy about returning to the Pandora. After all, I did abandon my ship and service." He bit his lip, wondering how much Francis was hearing about this. The Admiral had total rank over them both and even if they did just rescue him from a Delavi sex-hotel, Mauricio didn't know how Francis would react to learning that he was a deserter. He also didn't want to jeopardise Nash's mission, but the former Marine had to speak his mind before they got too close to Hesiod and the Pandora.

Owen raised his hand, already understanding where his friend was headed with this line of conversation and his hesitancy about going back to the Pandora. "I've already thought about this. If you can get us both back to where we left my Runabout, I'll take that to go and meet the Pandora in the Hesiod system," Owen explained.

Owen paused for a moment. "I know that you don't want to go back to the Pandora and I am grateful for all the help and backup you have provided in locating and rescuing the Admiral on this mission...But I also don't want to put you in a difficult position and if you're willing, I'd ask that you return to Paradise Station where its safer."

Owen was fully aware of Mauricio having left the Pandora and staying aboard Paradise Station and felt that after the time they had spent together, the last thing he wanted was for him to be put in a difficult situation.

"Thank you, Commander." Mauricio smiled softly. He bowed his head for a moment, before looking between Nash and Francis. "I still believe in what Starfleet has taught me, sirs. I do. I don't want anyone to think I have turned my back on the values and lessons that I was lucky to receive. But I joined to make a difference, and after what we have been through in the Expanse, I feel like I can make more of a difference off the ship. I wanted to stay on Paradise to continue what the Pandora started, all the while still carrying on the Federation's goals. Thank you for understanding that."

Having heard the exchange, Admiral Francis said, "I just want to thank the two of you for saving my hide. If there's anything I can help you with in return, just ask."

Owen smiled as he returned back to where the Admiral was sat, near the controls. "Thank you sir, we're just glad to have found you in one piece," Owen said. Thinking for a moment, Owen continued. "I'm not sure what needed yet, however, I feel it only fair to warn you that we may need some assistance once you and I get to the Hesiod System," he explained.

The Admiral grinned. "I think that goes without saying, Commander. I have a hunch my situation here on Delavi is just the tip of the iceberg. Something tells me this is only going to get more interesting." He chuckled. "This may sound crazy, but this whole thing makes me feel young again! When I was promoted to Admiral I figured I was done with 'interesting.'"

Owen smiled as he saw the energy in the Admiral and was glad of this. It meant that instead of having a broken man alongside him once they rendezvous with the Runabout, he had another fellow Starfleet colleague he couldn't on and one with some clout, should it be needed. He was hoping now that the Pandora was still in the system and that nothing had happened to her or the crew under the "Fake" Francis.

"Thats good to know, sir, I'll need some help on the Runabout once we get to Hesiod," he warned. "We'll need every trick we can use incase we should come up against any surprises"

Mauricio nodded and went back to piloting the ship. It wasn't long before they had found Nash's Runabout and the Commander and Admiral were decanting to their vessel. Mauricio stood back at the gangway connecting the ships, watching the two leave with a quiet pause. He had no idea what they were going to discover back in Hesiod, what the imposter Francis had been doing on Pithos, or who was really behind these events. In truth, he was concerned about the shadowy side of Starfleet coming to the surface, and what else they could find lurking underneath, but he had hope that as long as there were good officers, like Nash, in the service - the Pandora would overcome it.

"It was quite an adventure, Mr. Kolani." Mauricio said, grinning a little at the use of their undercover names. "It got a little hairy for a moment, and there are some things we're best not to mention ever again. And I mean ever again. But you kept your cool and got us through. For what it's worth, I think you'll make a fine Captain one day."

"Thank you for all your help, Mr. Morano, it was a pleasure to serve with you once more and I couldn't have done this without your help. Stay safe out there and send Katya my best when you see her," Owen said, playing along with Mauricio.

Mauricio held out his hand and shook with Nash, then when Admiral Francis. "Good luck to you both. Know that Paradise is here to support the Pandora, whatever you need just give us a call."

With that, the airlock door closed and Mauricio returned to his cockpit. The ships disengaged and after a brief moment of pause, Arnaldo hit the engines and his vessel zoomed off back to his new home.

Once on board the Runabout, Owen took the pilot controls and set a course for the Hesiod system. As soon as the Admiral was ready, Owen hit the engage command and the Danube class Runabout entered warp and accelerated to its maximum speed.

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