Collaboration by Order of the Queen

Posted on Sat May 16th, 2020 @ 9:44am by Lieutenant JG Gallia Norris & Captain Gary Taylor
Edited on on Sat May 16th, 2020 @ 11:57am

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Subspace
Timeline: before entering the void
2127 words - 4.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Sitting in a police station on a former Cardassian Colony world now on the Federation side of the DMZ, Marshall Marisol Lopez, rolled her eyes in disgust as she realized she had, once again, been sent several days out of her way on a wild goose chase that had brought her no closer to the capture of Aubrey Tate, the galaxy's most reviled serial killer. Opening her PADD she made a connection to Ambassador Zhukov's office on Vulcan, watching it ring as she wanted for the Ambassador to answer.

After about five rings The Ambassador appeared on the small screen, "Lopez, about time." She began, she was not a patient woman at all, and had been waiting five days to hear from her intrepid manhunter, "Got anything?"

"Yes, ma'am." Marisol nodded, "Another wild goose chase."

"Wild goose chase?" Zhukov replied in disbelief, "They've got fourteen bodies and a suspect who walked through a hail of phaser fire, how can this be a wild goose chase?"

"Because the suspect who walked through the hail of phaser fire is name Bobby Bouchard, not Aubrey Tate." She explained, having expected the Ambassador to be cranky after this long of a wait for nothing, "But, we do have fourteen bodies and a suspect who took a beating that would've killed any normal man, who is currently standing up and walking around his cell here in this cracker box jail, that he could no doubt walk out of any time he so desired."

"You're not pleased with the security setup, Marshall?" Zhukov asked, though it was mainly rhetorical.

"What security set up?" Marisol laughed, "I'd prefer Barney Fife and his single bullet to this joke. They don't have detention deputies here, they use Cadets from the local Junior ROTC. I was taken to see this killer by a fifteen year old girl with a compression rifle."

"Sounds like we need to take some steps with Mr. Bouchard then." Zhukov nodded, "Maybe see if Rura Penthe will take him off our hands, seemed to work so well last time."

"I'm open to suggestions, Madam Ambassador." Marisol asked, she'd never asked for help from anyone with a case before, especially someone with no investigative experience, but this time she knew she was in over her head and playing from far behind.

"I'm sending you a link frequency, child." Zhukov replied, not looking at her as she entered the code, "Use it. The man on the other side of that comm will assist you in this hunt going forward, he's the best I've ever commanded, he'll help you bring Aubrey Tate in."

"And Bobby Bouchard?" Marisol asked, the hulking psycho in the cell remained a concern for her as well.

"Well, I obviously won't waste someone of this man's considerable talents on a bird already in a cage, but we've clearly got to have more professional hands handling him than Cadet Becky." Zhukov laughed, "I'll send Marines to pick him up and transfer him to a maximum security stockade until his trial."

"Thank you, Madame Ambassador." Lopez nodded, "Lopez out."

"Good luck and good hunting, Marshall." Zhukov replied as the younger woman faded from her screen, turning to Rebecca Stafford, "Well, Lieutenant, now your concerns about Aubrey Tate are about to be resolved."

"Ho so, Madame Ambassador?" Stafford asked, "Lopez is in the wrong place and even further behind now."

"Oh, forget Lopez." Zhukov sighed, "I've just done what I should've done from the beginning, I've put this nightmare into the hands of the Grey Wolf."

Marisol had no idea who would answer this frequency, at this point she didn't care, she needed help and somehow she knew Ambassador Zhukov would have the firepower to resolve this situation, "She's got plenty of horses and plenty of guns." Marisol reminded herself as she dialed the frequency into her padd, hoping whoever it was on the other side was a total badass.

==USS Elysium==

In his ready room Gary Taylor, XO of the USS Elysium, sat going over some PaDDs when the secure com line rang. It was only known to Admiral Zhukov and other members of the Wolf Pack. A most select group. Opening the link, he was surprised to see a woman on the other end. Not Admiral Zhukov but Marshall Marisol Lopez. His greeting was short and to the point. "How'd you get this link Lopez?"

She was tempted to reply to his nasty greeting in the same manner, but knew he was probably reacting to something unexpected, so she'd forgive it, this time, but hoped he didn't decide to make talking to her that way a habit, "Ambassador Zhukov gave it to me, basically ordered me to call you to assist in the takedown of Aubrey Tate." Lopez replied, nowhere near as tersely as Taylor had to her though, "Like I need you for that. I already took him down once, on my own, but she believes in your methods, whatever they are."

"Evidently you to as you haven't caught him yet or have I missed the capture and the subsequent interviews where you recount your daring exploits and then go off to write a book about it?" Gary challenged. "If you don't want my help. That's fine. I'll end the call now and you can explain to the Admiral what went wrong."

"Can I ask what your problem is, Commander?" Marisol replied, she was sick of this guy, he was a great reminder of why she didn't like men in general, "Or do you always treat law enforcement professionals like the bus boys at Waffle House?"

"I have a great respect for those in law enforcement. However I don't have a great respect for you. In my opinion your nothing but a glory hound. Real law enforcement personnel don't do go around writing books and as far as the Waffle House I prefer Dennys."

"People wanted to know, I felt compelled to give them the information they sought." Marisol replied, she'd grown tired of defending herself and her books, "And wouldn't you rather have people get real information from someone who was actually there then have some tabloid turd just make some shit up?"

Gary laughed at her comment. "Compelled? How many zeros in compelled Marshall? As for real information, if you say so Marshall after all you caught Aubrey Tate or so the story goes. I wonder how many books this chase and capture are going to comprise."

"To be honest, I hope none." Marisol replied bluntly, "Because I am sick to death of being demonized by petty, jealous, narrow minded troglodytes who think that I'm somehow an accomplice to Aubrey Tate's crimes because I wrote a book that many people love. Now, Ambassador Zhukov seems to think you're the man for the job when it comes time for the actual moment of truth. So it seems I'll inherit the toil while you score the glory, which will no doubt become great political points for your Ambassador. Am I following it so far?"

"Marshall, I don't think you an accomplice to Aubrey Tate. Not at all. I just don't like your methods. As for scoring glory for the Admiral. You must not know her very well. If that was the case, she'd be President for life." His eyes narrowed as he peered into her soul across the miles that separated them. "You following?"

"Yes, and I think you're delusional." Marisol fired back, "Because if we don't find Aubrey Tate and put him back in his cage she's never going to be President. Then we've got that douche Grogan for at least four years. Can you imagine the damage a man who combines an ego that big with a brain that small can do?"

"Really? Why don't you ask the Admiral if I'm delusional. However you do have a point. I don't want to see Grogan as President. He's a spineless weasel of a man." He looked at Marisol. "Have you considered why you aren't any closer to catching Aubrey Tate?" he asked.

"Of course I have." She sighed, "I'm not delusional, either. I know someone with power, maybe even Grogan, is sending me in the wrong direction to keep him out there as long as possible because it's politically advantageous to them and a millstone around your Admiral's political neck."

Gary shook his head, "No, those are the obvious reasons. Think Marshall. They are tracking YOU. By keeping tabs on you they don't have to be worried about moving Tate. You need to get off the grid. Contact with no one but me and the Admiral. Use the skills you have, your instinct and you'll close the gap between you and Tate."

"You do know that will result in me losing my job, right, Commander?" Marisol replied, she had already decided she was going to go off the grid like he'd suggested, but wanted him to consider the consequences she was going to face, "And I'll be out there with no backup at all."

"No you won't or at least not for long. Once word gets out how you stopped Aubrey Tate, every security firm both private and public will be after your services. As for no backup I thought you wanted to stop Aubrey Tate."

"I do." Marisol replied with a nod, "He's my white whale."

Well Ahab, you need to fine tune you focus and get rid of the weights that have been placed on you and then you just might have a chance of closing the distance on Aubrey."

"I got him before." Marisol replied, "Just had to run him down until he got tired was all it took. He's getting tired now, he's been running for months, he'll be running out of gas soon." She said this with conviction because, with the exception of his sister, Kerri, she knew Aubrey Tate better than anyone.

"Well that is good and bad. Good your after him, bad because he knows it's you. Make no mistake. He's been told your on his trail. When you get close, call me. I'll take care of the rest. His running days will be over." Gary said matter of fact.

"Really?" Marisol raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow, "So you're some kind of assassin or something? Never worked with one of you guys before. Whatever, long as you can end this I don't care if you bombard him from orbit."

"Or something." Gary deadpanned back at her. "I'll end it and he'll know it was me." Gary assured her.

"When you're done, vaporize the body." Marisol said, "There's nothing to be gained from keeping him alive or allowing his grave to become a mecca for a bunch of nuts who will no doubt worship him. So reduce him to molecules of dust. Don't half ass it, either."

"Half ass it? I don't do anything ass as Marshall." he fired back.

"Good." Marisol nodded and smiled, "It'll be good to see the end of this. Be good for Kerri, too. She'll benefit from not having that monkey on her back as well."

"On that we agree. It will be good for her. She never deserved this." Gary answered.

"If he was dead, or some other unfortunate woman's brother, she'd be at least a two star General by now." Marisol lamented, she and Kerri had become very close since their families merged at Juan and Amanda's wedding, she hated the price Kerri paid, and was still paying, for her brother's sins.

"Very shortly, Kerri won't have to worry about her brother and she'll get the recognition she deserves." Gary promised.

"I'll find him, you finish him." Marisol replied, her expression very serious, she was ready for Aubrey Tate to be a part of her past and out of her present and future.

"A plan I can work and deal with." Gary assured her. "From this day forward Aubrey Tate's days are numbered.

"Let's make it a low number then." Marisol smiled, seeing some light at the end of this tunnel. The last decade of her life had had Aubrey Tate as the overcast on it, she was ready for it to be over now.

"Consider it done." Gary replied. Aubrey Tate would soon be a memory and Kerri, Marisol and the galaxy could breathe easier with him gone.

"Okay, so I'm going to vanish for a few days like you suggested, I'll make contact with you in 72 hours or if anything comes up." Marisol promised, "Lopez out."

Gary gave a curt nod as Marisol closed the connection. That done he sat back in his chair for a moment before reaching a hand out and keying in a new code by memory. One that would put him in contact with the legendary Wolf Queen.