[ROLL CALL] Down the Rabbit Hole-Part Four

Posted on Sun Jan 5th, 2025 @ 8:59am by Consul Andrinn Orin

Mission: WHAT IF?
Location: Starfleet HQ/SS Venturer
Timeline: 2355
681 words - 1.4 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

Andrinn paced outside the Council chambers, his mind racing through a storm of possibilities. Louvois leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her expression a mix of skepticism and concern.

“Well?” she asked, breaking the silence. “What’s this big, crazy plan of yours?”

Andrinn stopped pacing and turned to face her. “We’ll need a ship. Not just any ship—something off the record. A civilian vessel or maybe an older starship still under Federation control but not in active service. Something that won’t attract attention.”

Louvois frowned. “Even if you find one, how do you plan to take on a Cardassian ship without sparking a full-scale war? Or getting us killed?”

“That’s the key,” Andrinn replied, his voice steady with determination. “We don’t engage them directly. We track them, infiltrate, and extract Crusher and Picard. Covert ops. Minimal noise.”

Louvois raised an eyebrow. “And you think they’ll just let us waltz in, grab two high-value prisoners, and waltz back out? You’re talking about sneaking into a Cardassian ship and potentially Empok Nor. That’s suicide.”

“I didn’t say it would be easy,” Andrinn countered, his gaze firm. “But we have to try. If we do nothing, it sets a dangerous precedent. The Federation can’t be seen as weak or indifferent to its officers being taken hostage.”

Louvois sighed, her skepticism wavering under his resolve. “All right. Say we find a ship. Who’s going to crew it? The Federation isn’t going to sanction this mission. We’ll be on our own.”

Andrinn smirked. “I might know a few people who owe me favors.”

---SS Venturer---

Andrinn and Louvois stood in the dimly lit transporter room of the Venturer, an old, decommissioned Miranda-class starship quietly requisitioned under the guise of a research mission. The captain, an Andorian named Thraz Shoran, greeted them with a curt nod.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Orin,” Thraz said, his antennae twitching. “If we get caught, the Federation will deny everything.”

“That’s the idea,” Andrinn replied, stepping onto the transporter pad. “Are the engines ready?”

Thraz nodded. “Barely, but she’ll hold together. You’ve got a skeleton crew of volunteers—mostly people with more guts than sense.”

Louvois muttered, “Perfect.”

As the ship powered up, Andrinn and Louvois joined the bridge crew. The atmosphere was tense but determined. The Venturer’s sensors locked onto the Cardassian vessel’s warp trail, leading toward the disputed borders of Federation and Cardassian space.

“Plot an intercept course,” Andrinn ordered, his voice calm but firm. “Maintain long-range sensors. I want to know if they change speed or direction.”

The Venturer slid into warp, the hum of the aging engines filling the bridge. Andrinn took a seat, glancing at Louvois.

“You still think this is a bad idea?” he asked.

“Oh, it’s a terrible idea,” she replied, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “But I’ll give you this—you’re consistent.”

---Near the Cardassian Border---

Hours later, the Venturer dropped out of warp, its sensors zeroing in on the Cardassian vessel. It was holding position near an asteroid field, likely awaiting reinforcements or a secure route back to Cardassian space.

“They’ve got shields up and weapons powered,” Thraz reported from the tactical console. “No sign they’ve spotted us yet.”

Andrinn leaned forward in his chair. “Good. We’ll use the asteroid field as cover to get closer. Once we’re within range, we’ll send an infiltration team aboard.”

Louvois frowned. “Do we even have a plan for that?”

Andrinn tapped a console, bringing up a schematic of the Cardassian ship. “We’ll beam onto an unguarded section of the lower decks. I’ve studied enough Cardassian ship designs to know their security protocols. If we can disable their internal sensors and transport inhibitors, we’ll have a window to find Crusher and Picard.”

“And if they catch us?” Louvois asked.

“We improvise,” Andrinn said, rising from his chair. “Get your gear. We’re going in.”

[OFF:]

Andrinn Orin
Junior Diplomat-Starfleet Command