Star Trek RPG - Mission #3: "Some Other Side of Paradise"

Rangin makes his way to the CP, keeping to covered areas as best he can but getting a little wet when he has to cross an open plaza. The rain begins falling more heavily, and thunder rolls across the sky again.

Just as Graham and Kylah are heading for the door, Graham's communicator beeps. He flips it open; it is Delaney, who says excitedly, "We cracked those two encrypted files, Mr. Graham. This is huge. Both are collections of correspondence and financial records going back years. 'Co Bd' is about the WR&R corporate Board of Directors; it appears to show bribes paid by Wilson to key board members; looks like he hoped to join the board himself. The other is even better. It turns out 'H S misc' refers to 'Hardin Starfleet miscellaneous.' Wilson was bribing the Comptroller General, first to secure the franchise here and then to get it renewed. Looks like they had a falling-out, though."

"Secure those files, Mr. Delaney," Graham says, at the same time he's drawing his phaser and turning around to face the Admiral. "Please keep your hands in the open and refrain from any sudden moves, sir."

Hardin's hands are already in the pockets of his battered old cardigan. He smiles a little ruefully, and...

...the world goes black for Graham and Kylah.







Eventually both regain consciousness, sprawled on the floor where they stood. Hardin is not there.

"FUCK," Graham says with conviction, reaching to find his communicator before wasting time standing up.

"Graham to Yorktown and personnel on OC3, Admiral Hardin is dirty, armed and dangerous, and a flight risk. Stand by for details."

"Landing party sound off with status and location," he says, switching channels.

While he waits for a response he turns to look for Kylah, starts to get up and asks "Are you OK?"

Rangin holds slightly by the entrance as he gets in, looking back at the rain and shaking himself off, not wanting to traipse water across the floor.

He looks outside ruefully, thinking that any chance to get some final readings from the murder site are probably gone now.

As his communicator goes, Rangin can hear the urgency in Graham's voice and he answers it quickly. "Rangin here; Status fine; Location, I'm at the entrance to the resort across the plaza from the transporter."

"Yes," Kylah says, and stands up.

Graham nods, relieved--and also feeling awkward about not being in a position to help her up.

"Secure that transporter room, Mr. Rangin," Graham snaps. "It sounds like you're closest." He pauses. He acknowledges that he doesn't know Rangin well, but he feels at least some cause to be concerned about giving him this order and putting him in an untenable situation.

He slows his voice down and softens his tone. "Look, I don't know if you have any compunctions about using your weapon, Mr. Rangin--Hardin hit us with some sort of stun field out of the blue. Light stun shouldn't do any permanent harm to him--just, ah, err on the side of caution, OK? I'll send Security to relieve you as soon as I can."

Graham checks the suite's living room chrono and sees that he and Kylah have been unconscious for almost ten minutes.

Capt. Singh calls down from the ship, and asks, "What's happening, Mr. Graham?"

The other Yorktown personnel on the surface check in. Delaney and Lt. Garcia are still in Wilson's office. The two guards are still outside the door to Hardin's suite; two others are still with Lt. Cmdr. Ebling. Dobson and three others are in various places around the resort, trying to keep out of the rain.

Kylah stands there and waits. "Why not just have the Yorktown transport security to the resort transporter? Or have them lock on Hardin and beam him up to the ship?"

"Son of a bitch," Graham swears, clenching a fist in frustration and forgetting to close the channel to the Captain when he hears two guards are still outside. He realizes he's still on the line. "Uhhh--standby please Captain, one moment..."

He shakes his head in frustration and glances at Kylah. "He's got control of a transporter we don't have a handle on..."

Quickly to the four Security personnel, he directs two the station Security office and two to the transporter.

To those with Ebling: "The Lieutenant Commander may be somewhere between in danger as a potential witness to a potential suspect. Get someplace secure. And..." He grimaces, remembering what just happened with Hardin. "Keep it polite but scan for weapons. I take full responsibility."

He sighs and is about to get back to the Captain when frowns. "Dr. T'Var, report please," he says on what should be a direct line.

Rangin is still for a moment, closes his eyes to refocus and then responds. "On my way."

Putting the communicator away, he swears under his breath as he stands in the doorway facing the rain. "Oh crap," muttered more out of disgust than anything. Taking a deep breath, he runs across the plaza, grimacing at the pounding rain now soaking him to the skin.

Once under cover again, Rangin pulls out his tricorder and sets it to scan for the Vice Admiral. There are only so many humans of that age running around. All the while, Rangin continues to move quickly to the transporter room.

The four Security guards acknowledge Graham's orders and are on the move.

"Standing by," the Captain says calmly. "Report when you're able."

Security Ens. Josiah F. Russell, one of the two guarding Ebling, also acknowledges. "I've confirmed she's unarmed, sir, and we're moving her to a secure location. Probably best I not say where, in case... the suspect is listening in."

Dr. T'Var checks in. "Please forgive my tardy response, Mr. Graham. I was speaking with Dr. Villa."

Rangin's tricorder does not immediately locate the Vice Admiral, or anyone else beyond a dozen meters or so. There is severe electromagnetic interference in the atmosphere from what appears to be a combination of the storm and the Berthold rays.

Kylah stares in horror at Graham. He has sent Velir off alone in a storm, literally and figuratively, and ignored her suggestions that might protect their fellow teammate. Does Graham value no lives but humans?

In her mind's eye she can see Velir under attack by a slime devil; she can see a flash of him in between a vicious swarm of altered Sakathians, his face contorted in pain as they tear ravenously into his flesh; she can see his feverish, unconscious form lying nearby in the tiny shuttle. Somehow, she also sees her parents' corpses, clad in exquisite royal garments that cannot hide the scars and melted flesh from the accident that killed them.

No.

While Graham is listening to Russell and T'Var, Kylah rushes from the Vice Admiral's room and simultaneously whips out her communicator. "Kylah to Lt. JG Ferguson," she snaps, remembering he is on duty and beyond caring about his inexplicable hatred of her. "Beam me directly to either the resort's transporter room or to Ensign Rangin's position, whichever you can locate faster!"

Having made it across, Rangin stands in the transporter room, sodden and generally pissed off. It appeared that someone high up in the Federation was corrupt, so what was unusual about that, it happened everywhere. Running a hand across his forehead and back through his hair, Rangin flicks off several droplets of water that had been threatening to run into his eyes.

Moves quickly across to the main console, Rangin leaves the tricorder quietly beeping away on top, showing no-one in the area. Rubbing his hands together, trying to warm them up slightly and not shake when he holds the phaser, Rangin wonders how long it would be before anyone turns up, and who that person would be.

After checking the phaser is set to a low level stun, Rangin begins to access the transporter console to make sure it hasn't been used recently and wonders what is the best way to disable it, short of destroying it.

Rangin unfortunately finds that the transporter room is locked; he can't get in. Seconds later, Security Crewmen Alexandra Harper and Ari Friedman round the corner of the corridor at a run, phaser-1s in hand. They are in plainclothes and dryer than Rangin, whom they recognize as they screech to a halt. Harper, slightly out of breath, asks, "Are you all right, sir? What's going on?"

"Acknowledged, Mr. Kylah," comes Ferguson's reply from the Yorktown to Kylah's call. "There is considerable atmospheric interference, but I think... yes. All right. Stand by for transport."

Rangin had just come from this very room. The only reason to no longer have access was someone wanted it for themselves. Given the security breaches, no one would be opening the door normally.

He steps back from the door hearing the two crewmen running up as he scans beyond the door with his tricorder for a lifesign.

"Vice Admiral Hardin has gone rogue and that door is locked."

Rangin gestures with his phaser. "Open it."

Graham sets his tricorder to scan for any hidden exits from the room while he turns his attention back to the captain.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Captain. We discovered..." As soon as he says this, he looks around and sees that Kylah's left the room.

Damn, he thinks. Now that I've honed in on trying to build her confidence and self-esteem and given that she did as much--or more--than anyone to puzzle things out, this would have been a perfect time to give her the chance to jointly brief the captain. He frowns and debates calling her back but decides the captain has waited long enough--besides, at least I don't have anything to worry about, there are two guards outside, she's probably just diving back into the computer to trace some lead...

"Ah, we discovered that Wilson had been embezzling funds for quite some time, and sending kickbacks to the WR&R board. More to the point at the moment, he's been bribing Hardin for the past several years too. Unfortunately we got the news within his earshot, and he was ready with some sort of local-area stun device."

He draws a breath and looks around the room again, searching for any clues and also wondering where the hell Kylah did in fact go.

"I haven't been fully briefed yet, but apparently Hardin and Wilson had a falling out. And unless I find a trap door in this room, he apparently has access to a transporter, that's consistent with the multiple signatures we found from the night of the murder. We don't know Ebling's role, if any yet, but two officers have her secured. For the moment, I've sent people to secure the resort's security office and transporter room."

"Standing by," Kylah says more weakly than intended.

Her eyes close briefly. Concern for Velir, fear of what she might find wherever she materializes, unease at putting her life in Ferguson's hands, bitterness at Delaney's stupidity in broadcasting such a message, anger at Graham for not listening, and contempt for the corruption apparently reaching near the height of the hierarchy of the much-idealized Starfleet... All flood within her to create a tide of nausea that rises and swells within her.

In preparation she reaches to grab a weapon--but her trembling fingers grasp hold of her knife, rather than her phaser. She knows she is far less skilled with the latter than the former.

Rangin detects no lifesigns within the transporter room.

Crewman Harper crisply says, "Aye, sir," and quickly opens the door controls' maintenance port.

The Captain says to Graham, "Thank you, Mr. Graham. Carry on. Let me know if you need additional personnel, or anything else. I've ordered an Intruder Alert, just in case the Vice Admiral has somehow gotten back on board, and have posted guards in all transporter rooms. We'll also try to use the ship's sensors to locate him down there, although... it looks like it might be difficult. Singh out."

Graham, who is beginning to feel a strong headache come on, realizes that Hardin's suite has a similar configuration to Wilson's. He goes down the short hall and finds a service-access door in the second bedroom, just as Wilson's suite had. Although the door is shut and locked, tricorder readings indicate it has been very recently opened.

His communicator beeps again, and now it is Mr. Hsu. His voice is a little higher than usual. He says, "Dr. T'Var told me what happened. I've locked down all sensitive areas of the resort and passed the word for the staff to keep an eye out for Hardin. Is there anything else we can do for you?"

The two plainclothes guards in the corridor outside Hardin's suite's main entry barely have a chance to say anything before Kylah feels the transporter effect take her. Her vision clears after beaming is complete to show Rangin and two other people - she presumes additional Yorktown Security officers, although she doesn't know them - in the corridor outside the resort's transporter room. She, too, is uncomfortably aware of a growing pressure behind her eyes.

A long, steady rumble of thunder sounds throughout the resort.

Rangin fidgets nervously as Crewman Harper starts to open the doors. "Take your time, get it right, there's no-one inside there yet. Friedman, keep watch that way." Rangin gestures down the hall and he turns to half cover the other direction.

As the transport beam kicks in, Rangin swivels round covering it with his phaser until the outline of Ensign Kylah materialises. Highly relieved, he breathes a small sign of relief and greets her with a nod and a wry smile. "Good to see you and please excuse this..." he gestures to the sopping clothes, "...it's a little damp outside."

Rangin relaxes slightly, as he remembers that from past experience, if there was a fight, he knew could count on Kylah to stand with him.

"Any news from the others?", he asks when she is ready.

Graham lets loose a string of curses worthy of any old-Earth ocean-going sailor.

The fact that pursuits been delayed by as much as fifteen minutes, that he's been unceremoniously abandoned by his partner, and the impending headache are all icing on the cake: what's really torquing me off is the fact we didn't search for and secure this earlier, he thinks. I've had guards standing around like assholes out front while half the frigging Orion Syndicate could have waltzed in here while the Admiral was sleeping.

He briefly considers calling in the guards out front to join him, then decides against it. He transmits to the Yorktown personnel on planet and includes the ship on the channel as well: "Looks like Hardin left this location on foot - sometime between 10 and 15 minutes ago. I'll pursue from here." He directs the Security officers out front and those in the security office to follow a suitable physical or camera-based search pattern.

Then he asks the Yorktown to brief the Federation research station on the situation if that hasn't been done already.

He replies to Hsu with the location information and asks his people to cooperate. "And you can tell--what's with this weather? Typical? Anything we should be worried about besides getting wet?"

Once Hsu has answered, he uses whatever level of force is necessary to open the door (preferably bashing the hell out of it, he thinks as he tests its solidity, WR&R's board can send me a freaking bill), and transmits to Kylah: "What is your location, Mr. Kylah?"

Kylah totters forward to Velir, so relieved to see him she wants to cry. She whispers his name and barely refrains from grabbing him when her consciousness reminds her of the presence of others. Not that propriety matters in the end; if there were no other consideration she would do as she pleased. But there is still the matter of danger involved. Someone who attacked them with... something... is on the loose. And her head hurts. A result of being knocked out? She cannot tell. It does not seem like a phaser stun.

Her communicator reminds her that Graham exists. She flips it open. "I am outside the transporter room, which is locked. I had myself beamed over. I was afraid for Ensign Rangin, I thought he might be alone and in danger...but he is safe." Those words are spoken to Velir more than Graham, her eyes staring at him in an echo of the anxiety she felt before.

She raises a hand to her temple and massages it. "I will do whatever you wish me. Mr. Graham, do you feel..." Her hand moves to her eyes, because she realizes that is where the problem really is. "Do you feel all right?"

"You WHAT?" Graham replies, what would otherwise simply be anger (a lot of it)--the response he'd have to anyone going lone wolf during a tactical operation mixed with heavy doses of worry about Kylah's safety specifically (and relief that she's OK) combined with his sense of culpability that he's failed to do his job to help her along (...and keep her safe...) as a commanding offer.

"You--" Shouting has made the pain in his head all the worse. He lowers the volume of his voice, and the tone of her own registers--she sounds like I feel, he thinks. "Ah...no," he says, quite softly now. "Headache--do you have one as well?" He clears his throat. "I'm glad everybody's safe. If Security has reached the transporter room, rendezvous with Dr. T'Var, have her check you out, I think she's still at the resort med facility." He rubs his eyes. "Mr. Rangin can escort you."

Kylah winces at the shout and pulls the device away from her ear. When he speaks again she tentatively returns to listening. "Yes, there is a great deal of pressure behind my eyes... in my eyes..."

She is distraught when Graham suggests she and Rangin trot over to the infirmary and play no role in helping to find Hardin. She skips over his order and focuses on trying to say something, anything, useful. "Mr. Graham, it occurs t me that there is nowhere he can go unless he can beam himself out. Should you have the Yorktown contact the Chariot to warn them? And... was there not another yacht in orbit too? The Tri... Trimalchio, or something?

"And also..." Kylah does her best to concentrate, which is difficult to do with her mind swimming and the heightened alertness of the others, radiating toward her. "There is also the research lab. They have a transporter too. Should they be notified?"

Graham takes a deep breath. He says as softly and supportively as he can manage under the circumstances. "Station notified, I'll make sure Yorktown attends to the other ships." He pauses. "Your attention to detail is commendable, Mr. Kylah."

He makes sure his communicator is transmitting to Rangin and T'Var as well. "Mr. Rangin, please see to it that Ens. Kylah sees Dr. T'Var promptly and safely."

"Yes, Mr. Graham," Kylah says tightly. "I assume you will be joining us as well, since you have the same problem? There are numerous security people in your area. You are likely not fit for duty yourself." She broadcasts to Dr. T'Var. "Doctor. Ensign Graham and I have both been knocked unconscious for ten minutes. I recommend you consider ordering Graham in to be tested. You outrank him, and regardless of his status as mission commander, as a doctor you have the power to do so."

Two can play at this game, she thinks as she snaps her communicator shut.

Kylah realizes she did not respond to Velir's question about what happened. "I am sorry, I... Mr. Graham and I were talking to Hardin. He seemed to have lied about not having seen Mr. Wilson the night he died, but before we could confirm this, Del--Lt. Delaney contacted Graham and blurted out that Lt. Garcia had opened the files and discovered Hardin had been taking bribes from WR&R. In front of Hardin." She would roll her eyes if they did not hurt so much. "The next thing I knew, Graham pulled a weapon on Hardin, and without even lifting a finger, Hardin suddenly..."

She shakes her head. Yes, that hurts too. A bad idea. "I do not know what he did, but when I opened my eyes, Graham and I were on the floor and ten minutes had passed. And of course Hardin was gone. The plainclothes guards were still in front of the room, and Graham assumed Hardin had beamed away somehow, and ordered you out alone."

Kylah puts a hand out to Rangin and lowers her voice so only he can hear her. "I suggested that he have security beam over instead, it would be faster, but he did not listen. He put you in direct danger. So... I went instead. I am sorry he has now forced you into escort duty. He puts you in danger one minute and treats me like a porcelain doll. It is not right."

Dr. T'Var says via communicator on the general frequency, "I am on my way to the transporter room now. I will examine Ensigns Kylah and Rangin when I arrive." She then says on a closed channel to Kylah, "I will bear your recommendation as to Mr. Graham in mind, Mr. Kylah, thank you."

Hsu says, "We'll check the surveillance tapes and interview anyone outside or their rooms as to who might've seen Hardin. I have my entire security staff out in the resort, looking now."

Capt. Singh answers, "I've advised the captains of both Fastolfe's Chariot and the Trimalchio what has happened, without too many details, and encouraged them to shut down their transporters. I have also ordered them not to leave orbit without permission."

Lt. Christopher Palver, commander of the Starfleet research station, says, "Our doors are locked, our transporter room is secured, and our Security people are on the lookout. No sign of Vice Adm. Hardin here."

Graham feels the onset of just about the worst migraine he's ever had, and Kylah feels only a little better than he does.

Thunder and lightning continue outside, and the rain keeps pouring down.

Kylah's teeth clench. "Thank you. I know you think I am merely being obstreperous, doctor. But we were both stunned or... or maybe even poisoned, gassed, I do not know... until we lost consciousness. We might even have concuss--" She breaks off when a vise of pain clamps down on her temples with enough force to make her drop the communicator.

The hand still on Rangin's wrist tightens, needing to support herself, as she shuts her eyes with a tiny moan. Kylah is used to headaches, especially when she was younger and utterly unable to avoid the bombardment of other people's emotions, but this... this is not usual.

A deep breath in, then a long exhale through her mouth: it has always worked before to relax her. She feels a little better but does not dare bend down to pick up the communicator. "I do not understand," she says softly in a near whimper. "He had no phaser, he did not move, how could he do this to us?"

While the conversations are going on, Rangin decides to put his training to good use. It's amazing the number of people who forget that xenobiology actually includes biology. He may not be as good as Dr T'Var or be able to describe all the solutions to every day ills but he can certainly tell if something is medically wrong. He gets his tricorder out and starts to scan Kylah, it won't give the full diagnostic a medical tricorder would, but at least he can check vital signs and give T'Var a rundown when she gets here, or if it is too bad, suggest she find Graham first and that they drag the pair of them to the infirmary.

Rangin's thoughts on Lt Garcia and Lt Delaney are not pleasant. Just think if they had contacted Rangin first, as he had requested, none of this would have happened and Hardin would probably be in a cell by now. But no, they obviously knew better. Idiots was the kindest thing he could think to call them.

As Kylah drops her communicator, Rangin stops it skittering away with his foot and continues to support her. "Kylah, apologise when this is all over and not before. I've no idea what Hardin has done to you, but we will find out. You were there for me once, so I'm not going anywhere."

Ow, Graham thinks, grudgingly conceding Kylah may have a point as he can barely keep his eyes open and focused against the pain.

Well T'Var will figure out if there's anything she can do for us--besides a quick stun from a phaser, which is starting to seem positively appealing--by checking out Kylah.

A little unsteadily, Graham tries to stay focused and scan for any signs of the admiral's trail beyond the service door, noting which houses or other buildings are nearby.

After a few steps he pauses to perform breathing techniques he's been trained on designed to ward off shock after a physical wound. Oh good, pain's enough I should start puking any minute now...

Look on the bright side, Booker, Graham thinks. Maybe all this pain is a clue.

He closes his eyes for a moment and holds his communicator against his mouth so he can whisper. It's still a laborious and trying process to get the words out. "Graham to Yorktown. Please search Federation Security and Intelligence records for a match on a local area incapacitation weapon, hand-held or at least hand activated, instantaneous, duration around ten minutes, no visual cues, after effect extreme headache. Reported incidents, tech, association with any particular species..."

Rangin's tricorder scan of Kylah shows that her hypothalamus is unusually stimulated, her brainwaves indicate major but not debilitating pain, and her pulse and respiration rates are higher than normal for an Elasian of her age and gender. She does not, however, appear to be in any danger of death.

Graham's breathing exercises help a little. Science Officer Roble says, "Checking - stand by." After a few moments, he says, "Hmm. There are several neural paralyzer weapons or tools that fit that description, some of which are available commercially. They are controlled under Federation law, and sales are banned on many worlds. Starfleet Intelligence uses a gadget like that in some covert operations." He adds, "You don't sound well, Mr. Graham. Do you need medical assistance?"

Dr. T'Var arrives outside of the transporter room just as Crewman Harper opens the door.

Checking the results of the scan, Rangin wonders if this could be something that could remove the effects of the spores from someone. He would have to confirm with T'Var when she turned up, but a device of some kind that could do this would be more likely than someone using ephrinephrine which was not missing from anywhere.

Rangin lets herself hold steady on his arm "Ok, Kylah. Your head is going to be sore for a while but it will pass. Dr T'var may have something that can stop the pain when she arrives."

With Kylah balanced carefully, Rangin drops the tricorder back on its strap before unholstering the phaser again and preparing himself for whatever may come next.

Kylah doesn't want to nod but she does give a fleeting, wan smile of thanks to Velir for his reassurance. She focuses on the door and has a sudden fear that--even without any lifesigns--there might still be someone in there. He wouldn't escape just to commit suicide, would he? Or another murder? Even thinking hurts her. She suddenly tries to exercise her empathic sense on the room, just to see if she still has the capability. As much as it has caused problems for her, being without it is a frightening prospect.

Noticing Velir's efforts to get his weapon, Kylah loosens her grip on his wrist, not wanting to hinder him in any way. With difficulty she pulls out her knife. In her state, a phaser would be useless. She's a bad enough shot as it is.

With T'Var's arrival Kylah is both grateful and more concerned. All of us here. Almost. Where is Delaney? Is anyone with Graham at all?

"Nothing a fifth of single malt couldn't cure," Graham rasps. I hope, he adds mentally. "Please transmit what you've found to Dr. T'Var."

He tries to sound appreciative rather than pissed off, no mean feat at this point. Ironically, at least Kylah's unauthorized transport has given him one less thing to worry about: at the end of the day Rangin was both smart and cautious, and Kylah seemed to listen to T'Var more so than others.

"And...what can you science guys tell us about this storm, are we going to get zapped by Bethold ray lightning or anything, running around like idiots in the middle of this thing?"

He checks his tricorder for any signs of Hardin's trail. If this trail is cold maybe I should rendezvous with the others anyway, to regroup, he concedes grudgingly.

Dr. T'Var scans Kylah and asks if she'd like to sit down. She takes a hypospray from her medikit and gives the Communications officer a dose of painkiller that almost immediately gives her some relief. She is not all better, but it's definitely an improvement.

Crewmen Harper and Friedman look into the transporter room, phaser-1s in hand. Friedman also scans it with his tricorder. "There's no one in here, sir," he says to Rangin as he steps inside.

Roble tells Graham, "It looks like quite a storm from up here. There is a risk of electrocution on open or high ground in case of lightning strike, the same as on Earth. Probably no better, but no worse."

Graham's scan does not reveal any sign of Hardin. He realizes, through his migraine, that someone is ringing the suite's door chime. Then his communicator beeps. It is Security Ens. Jeanne St. Croix, one of the two guards still outside. "Are you all right, sir? Can you open the door?" she asks.

Graham momentarily debates blasting out the side wall of the house with his phaser on overload, simply out of frustration, but then, rubbing his head, turns to go open the door. "I'm OK," he whispers into the communicator in reply.

When he opens the door he makes a point of saying--well, whispering--"good work, St. Croix."

He returns to his communicator, vision blurry, stomach churning. "Yorktown, are we clear to transport despite the storm? If so, I'd like the landing party to rendezvous in the CP."

The sudden relief from the worst of the pressure and pain is almost dizzying, and Kylah takes another deep breath before she lifts a hand. "Thank you, Dr. T'Var. That is much better." She makes sure to keep her tone light and adds a small smile, although her head still hurts and she feels as weak as water. The last thing she wants is for T'Var to force her off-duty. If Velir is on this planet facing danger, she must remain. Her helpless fear for his welfare in those few seconds before transporting... She cannot feel that again.

When the transporter room proves empty, she blinks in confusion. Her thoughts continue to be hazy as she murmurs, "I do not understand. He could not have left from the door to the hallway. Was there another part of the suite we did not see? Perhaps with its own door to the corridor? I do not remember if the suites are interconnected..." She falters to a stop. The only room in this hotel she knows was Jan's, and she was hardly paying attention to the architecture at the time.

Her bleary mind remembers the mission commander. They must report to him--but it would be best for Velir to do it. At this point she is uncertain if Graham wants to hear anything from her but "yes sir, I will return to the ship and play with dolls."

Turning to Velir, Kylah hesitates. He is the most sensible person on the team--T'Var included, Vulcan logic be damned to Elas's Southern continent--but she cannot help herself from making a suggestion. "I am sure you know this," she says in as soft a voice as possible, "but when you contact Graham, please do not mention Hardin's name. He might not have done all this if not for Del--if greater discretion had been used," she amends quickly.

As the door is opened and the room shown to be empty, Rangin orders Crewmen Harper and Friedman to go forward and check the console carefully, see if it has been used in the last fifteen to twenty minutes since Rangin himself was last here.

To Dr T'Var, once she has finished treating Kylah, "Ma'am, you might want to look at these readings," Rangin tells her as he hands across the tricorder, "whatever it was that was used, stimulated the hypothalamus, and I would be highly surprised if it didn't kick off wave of natural adrenaline and ephinephrine. I think we just found our spore-remover, if it was used on a less painful setting so to speak."

Turning back to Kylah, while noticing she still has not let go of the arm for balance. "Understood, I'll be discreet."

With no sign of anyone in the transporter room, Rangin re-attaches the phaser to his belt, and opens his communicator knowing that Graham is likely to be feeling just as bad as Kylah was a few moments ago. It would be amusing to bellow down the channel, hear Graham wince at the far end, but with Hardin on the loose, this was no time for games.

"Rangin to Graham," he says in a quiet, but audible voice, "Transporter room has been secured. Currently here with Dr T'Var and Ensign Kylah. Will confirm state of transporter and respond with current state. Awaiting other orders if required. Rangin out." Rangin decides not to mention the two other Crewman from Security. If Hardin was listening in, Rangin wanted a little backup as a surprise.

Ferguson, in the Yorktown's Transporter Room 1, says, "I think we probably ought to keep our transporter use through this storm to a minimum, Mr. Graham, but yes, I can beam you anywhere you wish on the surface."

St. Croix comes in with Spec/2 Geilil, a Canopian, each with phasers in hand. St. Croix looks at Graham with concern. "Sir, I think you should probably sit down. If I may say, you don't look too good."

Mr. Hsu calls Graham next. "Surveillance cams show Hardin leaving from the service entrance behind his suite, going downstairs, going down corridors H4 and N4, and then heading out into the storm, towards the Sandoval Colony's buildings. He has not reentered the resort, as far as we can tell, since we locked all doors connecting to the outdoors."

Harper and Friedman check the transporter console; it has not been used all day.

Dr. T'Var says, "Thank you, Mr. Rangin. That is an interesting theory; I will have to look into it further."

Canopian: http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Nara

Graham can't believe it's Rangin's voice coming over the wire. In a haze of pain and near-delirium, he expects his every-so-civilized and rational voice to explain: "Mr. Graham, I've decided this is the right time for the crew to bond around a drum circle, and the Captain concurs." Graham can hear drums of every shape and size tapping out some sort of Coridanite jig...


Oh, that's my pulse, Graham realizes.

"Hell, I haven't looked good in a decade," Graham says, trying to smile and pointing at the scar down his face--except that one eye is screwed shut and the other is open a tiny slit, and even that is agonizing, and his grin, he realizes, probably looks like a death rictus. "But I'll take a hand," he rasps, gesturing for the two security officers to flank him and hold him up.

Leaning--correction, sagging--against St. Croix he answers Hsu: "Appreciated, stand by."

His head feels like it is wobbling and about fall off. He wishes it would. "Rangin, we'll come to you," he responds,, then switches channels and says "Ferguson, put us with the folks at the station transporter room."

There's usually a moment of blackness during transport: this time it gets blacker when he actually materializes. At the mercy of his two Security compatriots for support, he dry heaves on arrival and says , "See, Doc, Mr. Kylah's concerns were totally overblown, I'm right as rain..."

Reaching for something on which to support himself he adds, "Actually if you could give me something for this, that would be pretty goddamn great...Doc..."

The room spins.

Kylah hears someone beaming in and has one last instant of calm before a violent sensation of pain echoes throughout her whole being. With a sob at having to feel this agony again--only worse, so much worse--she staggers until she falls against Velir's body, blessedly solid and near enough to grab onto. Almost blinded, she turns and wonders if Hardin has attacked them again. And then she sees Graham and understands.

"Oh--oh, you must help him," she begs T'Var, trying as best she can to protect her mind against the onslaught of Graham's horrible suffering, but it is too much and she is already too weak. She cannot help herself and buries her head against Velir's chest, her fingers clutching at his uniform as she groans the muffled entreaty: "Please help him!"

The sob almost makes him jump.

Damn, I forgot to shut the door, he thinks. He’s just finished shaving and hasn’t pulled his shirt on yet. Lizzy is standing in the doorway—in her “starship” pyjamas, with feet, her favorites—staring wide-eyed as the ugly, barely healed gash running across his ribcage. Tears are starting to run down her cheeks,

“Someone hurt daddy?” she says. It’s partly a question partly an exclamation. He and Jane figured that by the time she was five or six, they would have to have a talk about his job sometimes being dangerous. But we weren’t planning on that yet…

He rushes over to her. “Sh, sh, it’s OK, Daddy’s ok,” he says, rushing over to her and crouching down so their eyes are level. He touches his injury. “Big bo-boo, huh?”

Lizzy nods, wide-eyed but not crying now. “Big boo boo,” she almost whispers.

“You can touch it if you want to, it's OK” Graham says, trying to read her expression. She appears to think about it, then shakes her head.

He tousles her hair playfully. “OK, just remember it’s getting better. Daddy can still do this…!” He picks her up, swinging her out and away so her feet fly up in the air behind her, playing “starship liftoff.”

Holy Christ, Graham thinks as searing pain shoots across his ribcage. This wasn’t such a great idea. But he hides every trace of discomfort as he swooshes her again and she starts to smile. It's worth every ounce of pain a thousand times over.

Only…

Wait, it’s not my ribs hurting, it’s my head…

And…where is she, I hear her.

Where is she…

My little girl...

My baby...

"Graham's coming across shortly," says Rangin to the rest as he closes the communicator, "sounds like he needs a painkiller shot, Ma'am." After making sure Kylah is holding up, Rangin acknowledges the two Crewman diligently working through in the transporter room.

On hearing the sound of the transporter, Rangin also looks round to see Graham appearing this time being supported. But as Graham fully materialises he can feel Kylah's grasp slipping loosely from his arm and Rangin wonders if she is still ok, turning to see if she is ok, only to see her stagger towards him and grabs onto the collar of his uniform.

"Kylah," he voice raised slightly in concern, as he hear the sound of Graham's reaction to being transported. "Oh grief, here you go Kylah," he moves to support her as Kylah first turns to see Graham and then buries her face in his uniform. He can feel her shaking from something as he wraps an arm around her shoulders to hold her still and give some comfort.

"Ma'am." he urgently nods in Graham's direction to Dr T'Var gesturing that she should deal with him first. "Hold on tight, Kylah, we'll get you seen to."

St. Croix and Geilil, Graham's two supporters, gently lay him down on the transporter room floor. Dr. T'Var rushes over to Graham, scans him, adjusts her hypospray, and gives him a shot, too. He feels better within a minute or so, but still has a headache and is a little weak.

It seems to take longer for the pain to go away this time--Graham's relief has to radiate to Kylah, which creates a lag in the ever-incomprehensible, inchoate link that exists whenever her mind and body are suddenly affixed to someone else's. When she at last feels the wave of relaxation in her muscles and churning thoughts, she exhales raggedly and gets control of herself.

At once she realizes what she is doing--whom she is clinging to like a desperate lifeline--and every inch of exposed skin from her face to her chest flushes in embarrassment. She releases Velir and stumbles backward, her gaze mutely apologizing for being so needy and above all, indiscreet. Velir does not seem the demonstrative type even in private, she cannot image how absurd and possibly even distasteful her behavior must appear.

"I--thank you," she says shakily. "I did not mean to... it just came over me..." She looks down, still dizzy. For the life of her she cannot think of a plausible explanation for what happened. T'Var will understand, of course, but what can she say?

All Kylah does is hug herself and back away again further from Velir and especially Graham. She considers the security officer with some dread. Why was his pain so much worse than her own? He is so strong and she a physical weakling, why would the... whatever kind of weapon or generated field was used... have a greater effect on him?

Rangin can feel Kylah slowly begin to release her grip from the front of the uniform and can hear her breathing slowly calm to a more measured state. As she stumbles backwards, Rangin carefully releases his grip and guides her backwards keeping her steady. He can see the slow flush across her face and he wonders what must be running through her mind. Surely, Kylah had not thought she had done something wrong.

Rangin can still feel the impression of Kylah where she had been close, through his sodden uniform where her body had warmed it. He could see the damp that had now stuck to Kylah, though she was paying no attention and stammering out an excuse and it looked like Kylah had been crying. Rangin hopes its not the case, but he still wants to reach out to comfort her, even though she is slowly backing away.

"No, its fine, don't worry about it, I'm sorry for getting you damp at the same time," Rangin tries to reassure Kylah, "I'm guessing that whatever caused it has affected you perhaps more than we expected. Possibly a secondary impact due to biological makeup or type of weapon. Dr T'Var can take another look and make sure that nothing further is wrong."

"Mr. Kylah, sit down, please," Dr. T'Var says sternly, after scanning her again. "You and Mr. Graham must both rest at least a little."

Kylah's back is up against the wall--literally and figuratively--and, listening to T'Var, she slowly slides down to sit, knees up against her chest and arms wrapped around them. She feels cold now and realizes the front of her uniform is slightly wet from having been up against Velir. Her face is damp too and she automatically wipes the tears away.

Then she gasps in alarm. Did she--did she cry while so close to Velir? Did she get any of her tears on him? He did not touch her face, she is certain of that, but his uniform... did she weep against his neck? She hates bringing this up in front of so many strangers but has no choice. "Velir," she says in a voice weak with self-recrimination. "Do not touch your clothes. I might have... my tears might be on it..." she finishes inarticulately.

Kylah feels like some toxic poison. Just as she cannot seem to protect herself from others, she cannot even protect Velir from herself.

Graham feels blessed relief as the pain recedes, but also a pang of sadness as he becomes more lucid. He'd take the pain back for his brief hallucination to have been real.

He realizes it must have been Kylah who gasped, then... Oh what the hell, he thinks. The hits just keep on coming.

Kylah seems to have been plastered to Rangin, and now seems to be shaken and upset...

He's not sure what to make of that... At least, well, maybe I can ask Rangin what that was all about, when we have a chance to speak privately. Whatever he thinks of me I'm sure he'd want to figure out what's...troubling...Kylah.

He struggles to sit up. "So what the hell was that headache all about, Doc?" he asks T'Var. "And--is Delaney here? He ought to brief us on those files..."

Rangin's blue uniform shirt and skin show no sign of Kylah's tears.

Thunder again booms outside.

Dr. T'Var looks again at her medical tricorder, then shuts its display lid. She tells Graham and Kylah, "You are both exhibiting similar signs of exposure to a class-4 stun field of some kind. Perhaps because of differences between the Human and Elasian brain, either physiological or neurochemical, you have been more harshly affected, Mr. Graham, but I am confident that the effects on both of you will be momentary and not harmful. Are you feeling better now?" In fact, both are by the minute.

Crewman Harper says to Graham, "Mr. Delaney is still in Wilson's office with Lt. Garcia, I believe, sir. Shall I ask him to come here?"

Ens. St. Croix asks, "Uh, first, shouldn't we be going after Hardin?"

"Well, the good news is no tears, the bad news is, I'm still soaked," quips Rangin quietly trying to ease the tension that he can see written across Kylah's face. "Also, the good news is you're going to be fine, the bad news is you're still going to have to put up with me for a while longer."

Rangin hears St. Croix and can't believe his ears. He looks across at the various security members now dotted around, all looking like they are itching for action, except perhaps, Graham, but that would be understandable.

"You know, running around in the middle of a raging thunderstorm, going who knows where, against adversaries unknown, wielding technology unknown doesn't sound like my idea of fun. We could just leave him where ever his is, wait until the storm ends and when it all clears have the USS Yorktown beam him directly into the brig. Where is he going to go, what's he going to do other than have to sit and wait this out like everyone else."

Rangin frowns for a moment. "Only thing we might want to do is check where Lt. Cmdr. Ebling has been taken for safe keeping. That would just be the cherry on top for today, if they wind up in the same place."

"You're damn right we ought to get after Hardin," Graham says, grunting as he stands up slowly. "We've given him too much breathing room already." He shakes his head, frustrated--although the positives of clearing the cobwebs are balanced by the negatives of a residual ache.

"Thanks Doc," he says, putting a hand briefly on T'Var's shoulder. "I owe you one."

He clears his throat. "Mr. Rangin your concerns are reasonable but one, a core principle in combat is to always force the enemy to react to you, don't wait around for them to force you to react. And two, given what's happened so far I think it's a safe empirical assumption Hardin's not sitting idle wringing his hands with no back up plan to avoid getting plucked like a ripe apple when this thing blows over."

"On the other hand it was Hsu who fed us the intel on his location and we've got Ebling in custody, we'd feel pretty stupid if the tapes clearly incriminated either of them and we rushed off into the rain half-cocked." He gestures acknowledgment to Harper. "Yes ask them to rendezvous here please."

He's been studiously ignoring Kylah because he's not sure what to do or say: his natural instinct is to offer her a hand up... Except...Fuck. You can't second guess everything, Booker.

He extends hand toward Kylah. "Are you OK?" he asks, shaking his head. "I'm sorry about what happened, if I'd been more on the ball he might not have zapped us."

Kylah thanks T'Var and smiles wanly at Velir's words--especially the still going to have to put up with me for a while longer. She listens carefully to everything but feels as if she has missed some important detail. Graham said 'it was Hsu who fed us the intel on his location,' but she does not remember being told where that location is. Has he told them and she was too dazed to hear?

Then Graham's hand is outstretched to her. She is afraid to touch him after what she--they--both experienced; as unfair as it is, and even though she knows it is her own freakish biology that caused it, she resents Graham for the pain that radiated to her.

Unthinkingly casting a helpless look at Velir for support, she then aims her gaze downwards. There does not seem to be a way around it. Clamping her jaw tightly shut in an effort to block any empathic connection, she extends the tips of her fingers to Graham's hand and gets back to her feet. As soon as she is upright, she releases him.

"I am better, thank you. And you are not to blame," she murmurs. "Whatever Hardin used, he did not even move a muscle to do it. An attack like that could not have been anticipated. I have never heard of such technology, not in Starfleet. But sir, may I ask--where did Hardin go? And how did he leave the room? I am sorry but I do not remember your telling us."



Seriously, where/when did we (i.e. those of us in the transporter room) get briefed on what Graham heard from Hsu? I can't seem to figure out how we know where Hardin went.

Patience is a virtue Mr Graham, the thought runs through Rangin's mind, something you just don't seem to want to understand.

But he's not about to call Graham out on it, given there are four other Security people around and all of them are going to be needed to find and stop Hardin. Let Graham play as leader, the crewman will follow him blindly and he was supposed to be the experienced one. Rangin just hoped it didn't get them all killed in the process.

It wasn't that he had never done this before, its just that Rangin was a little out of practice. But sneaking up on an Orion mine unannounced was a little bit different to finding someone who knew they were coming and was probably better trained than everyone else here.

Rangin shakes his head and narrows his gaze on Graham. "So, Vice Adm. Hardin's going somewhere, out in the rain...well that narrows down the options doesn't it," he says dryly. "So, about this not going off half-cocked, what did you have in mind..."

Graham and Rangin tell everyone else what they already know. Graham and Kylah feel better with each passing minute.

Delaney and Garcia soon arrive from Wilson's office; Mr. Hsu is with them. Delaney looks uneasy, as if he knows that he screwed up.

Graham nods at the two officers. "Good work cracking those files, gentlemen."

He steps up to Delaney and shakes his head but smiles. "We're going to have to start calling you 'Lucky' for your impeccable sense of timing." He puts a hand on Delaney's shoulder, his expression back to serious. "Don't beat yourself up about Hardin getting the drop on us. There's a dozen things everybody here could have done just a little differently and we might have him in the bag already."

He steps back. "Now, two points--one, do those files implicate anyone else or give us any more insight into what happened. And then--what's the lay of the land in the old colony and Hardin's likely location." He gestures for Delaney and Garcia to respond.

Kylah's mouth parts and she immediately turns to avoid showing her reaction. She is torn between wanting Lieutenant JG Delaney to knock Ensign Graham's hand off his shoulder, and wishing she could smack both humans in the head.

So when she spends time interviewing Lord Fastolfe and his security guard, Graham berates her for taking risks and accuses her of trying to seduce her way throughout the suspect list. But when Delaney blurts out sensitive information exposing a man as a criminal while two fellow officers are standing right in front of this suspect, and gets both of them stunned and nearly debilitated? Well, of course, that rates merely a grin and a chuck on the shoulder. 'Better luck next time, fellow human, could happen to anyone. Perhaps next time you will be able to get the pesky alien slut at my side killed.'

Of course, no one is bringing up the fact that Graham was the one to idiotically accept the communicator hail while still in Hardin's office. Graham is nearly as responsible and Delaney--possibly more. Kylah has no idea why he did not leave the suite before taking Delaney's call, but he did, and as a result of that and Delaney's own stupidity, they were attacked and the Vice Admiral disappeared. Well done, the pair of them.

'A dozen things everybody here could have done just a little differently...' Yes, such as doing precisely what Kylah did? Determining that the man had a discrepancy in his alibi, and then recommending that they leave and confirm the witnesses' accounts? Indeed, she has been saying all along--since the first day of the mission--that it was odd that Hardin chose to vacation on OC3 during a contract renewal, and repeatedly brought up the curiosity of OC3 receiving exclusive access to the spores. Will she get any credit for this? Will she get credit for suggesting that Thalen bring down an expert in cryptography, since it was undoubtedly Garcia rather than Delaney who unlocked the files? Will Booker Graham remember a thing she did that had nothing to do with his fixed belief in her as either a vulnerable innocent or a mindless tramp?

Before she can censor herself, she hears herself saying: "Perhaps you may prefer to hear second-hand interpretations of the files' contents, Ensign Graham. You have men of action to supervise, and I suppose reading is too much the purview of--what did you call those of us in Communications earlier? The 'egghead' types? Well, I would like to read them for myself, if I may be allowed to do so."

Delaney smiles hesitantly at Graham's comments, then glances at Kylah when she speaks up. "Uh... would you still like me to report, Mr. Graham?"

Mr. Hsu seems amused by Kylah's remarks.

Graham blinks. What was that all about? he wonders at Kylah's outburst. He's relishing having a conversation about how he would have sent anyone else back to the ship twice over given her actions today even less than he was before. Wait...'men' of action? Is that it?

Anyway we don't have time for this now, he resolves.

"Hey, some of my best friends are eggheads," he says gamely, more to the group than Kylah specifically, trying to defuse any tension. Then he adds to her "Of course you are allowed, Mr. Kylah, but I'd suggest reading quickly unless Lt. Delaney intends to be overly verbose." He turns to Delaney and nods. "Fire away."

Lt. JG Delaney says, "The files contain information which looks pretty incriminating to me as to other WR&R staff - none of them here on OC3, and there's nothing as to anyone else in Starfleet other than Vice Adm. Hardin. No mention of Lt. Cmdr. Ebling. It looks like Wilson bribed Hardin to pull some strings to ensure that WR&R would get the franchise here in the first place, so that would help Wilson in his climb up the corporate ladder. Then recently, Hardin wanted more money to make sure that WR&R got its franchise renewed, but Wilson was hesitant, or reluctant. It doesn't say why, though. Wilson got his money from some kind of embezzlement scheme within the company, skimming corporate funds somehow."

Hsu looks troubled by this report, but says, "As to the Sandoval Colony buildings, you've seen them already. They're old-fashioned wooden frame buildings, a couple of dozen of them, and they've been kept in good repair. If he's hiding there, he's got quite a few options."

"Not in this party," mutters Rangin under his breath loudly only enough for Kylah and T'Var to hear in response to Graham's comment about eggheads being his friend.

Rangin talks quietly to Kylah, while the pair of them listen to the reports. "I hate to say this, but now is not the time. Please wait until Hardin has been apprehended, if only for my sake. At some point, Lucky over there will have to explain why he didn't contact me instead of Graham and Graham will have to explain why he decided to take the call in Hardin's room. Also, all those Crewmen are looking to Graham for leadership. Yes, I know what kind of idiot he is, but he is also their best chance of getting through this in one piece, much as I hate to say it."

Rangin peers over Kylah's shoulder looking at the details, "However, afterwards, afterwards is a different matter entirely."

Speaking up after Delaney has finished. "Mr Young is currently revisiting the WR&R Finance records to determine the state of the embezzlement. I would suggest leaving him to it for the moment."

Waiting to see how Graham is going to plan this, Rangin considers a few ideas about what they should be doing already.

(Duplicate post from setup thread; deleted at poster's request).

Kylah's heart pounds at Velir's nearness as well as his words. She understands what he is saying, but she cannot believe he does not see what danger they are all being placed in now, this very moment.

In a low hiss, Kylah says, "Yes, I see what you are saying. And you know I value your opinion, Velir. But you did not suffer what I just did due to their ineptitude. And we might be five minutes from another such result thanks to both of them. You might find experiencing the stun field worthwhile as a scientist, but twice is enough for me." Her arms criss-cross over her chest, hugging herself, and she walks over to Graham. "Excuse me, Mr. Graham," she says, feeling as brittle as a sheet of ice, and very wary of the audience around them. "May I please have a moment of your time. In private. It cannot wait."

Graham starts to answer, going so far as to open and then shut his mouth with something along the lines of "we don't have time for this right now" left unsaid.

Big boo boo.

The phrase springs back into his mind.

Taking in Kylah's tone, posture, and demeanor looking up at him, Graham thinks: something bad has happened to her. Almost certainly not the kind of thing that I'm worth a damn at helping with, but still...she's not standing in front of and talking to anyone else at the moment, is she?

He regroups and says clearly and with conviction as much--or more--for the crowd as for her. "Of course, Mr. Kylah, anytime."

He gestures toward the door and intends to follow her out.

He pauses first. "Mr. Hsu, in the meantime, if you could sketch out with the team as best you can the layout of the buildings, any surprises like the damned hidden access panels in the main facility houses, and the extent of camera coverage I'd appreciate it. I'd like that information at hand on everyone's tricorder."

Kylah is even more alarmed by Graham's last order just as she is walking out the door. For a few seconds her eyes close in disbelief before she turns to face Graham when he joins her.

"First, I am glad you are feeling better, Mr. Graham. But I cannot believe you are in full possession of your faculties right now." She points back toward the transporter room. "Not ten minutes ago we were incapacitated because you allowed Delaney to share incriminating evidence in front of a possible suspect. And now you are doing it again." Her voice lowers to a whisper. "As we know WR&R is rife with corruption, why are you sharing all our intelligence with a highly placed member of its staff?"

She looks out of the window at the storm, shaking her head. "Yes, according to this file, Wilson names no in-house OC3 staff. But he might not have known everything Hardin was up to. Hardin was apparently aware that Wilson was a weak link. If so, why would he not find an alternate contact here?" Kylah returns to Graham. "Mr. Hsu--the man you have placed in our confidence and whom you are trusting with our lives--is not only technically adept at every single system that was compromised in order to ensure Wilson's murder, but is also the husband of someone who may become Mr. Wilson's successor--in more ways than one. Perhaps this is some investigative finesse or scheme you are preparing that is beyond the comprehension of someone of such little experience as I, but... but I am afraid.

"Make no mistake, sir. I want Hardin captured. To be quite honest, the Elasian in me wants revenge, has a base desire to hunt him down myself so I may embed my knife into his throat for what he did to us--not that I would act on it. I am sure you want the same justice. Yet--with respect--you are acting as Lt. Collins did--making decisions without consulting your team, the only people we know we can trust. You are reacting and making quick choices. And those choices are what led to... well... you know what we both just went through. You suffered worse than I. And it was partly because of acting too quickly, of doing without thinking, of wanting everything done now. Of trusting in people we do not know such as Hardin. And now, Hsu."

Her eyes blink as she gazes up at him, not crying but still raw and burning. "I know you think I am reckless and unstable, and inexperienced, and even unfit for this mission. Everything you believe might be true. But I can be of use. I can often take a good measure of people--I can. I suspected Hardin of unethical behavior from the first, and I also knew that he was lying regarding his alibi, and I--I wanted us to leave and discuss such things in private. If I had a chance to do so, we would not have suffered as we did." Kylah's ability to meet Graham's stare falters and she aims her final words at his insignia. "I have been attacked and assaulted in almost every way I can be on this mission, emotionally and psychically and physically. Despite this I have continued to work and pursue our goals. So I hope you do not think me a coward when I beg you to please, please use caution."

Hsu brings up a chart of the Sandoval Colony's buildings on the transporter console's display screen, and downloads copies to the tricorders of all of the Yorktown personnel there. He says, "The barns, houses, storage sheds and the sole community hall are still pretty much the same as the colonists left them. There are no hidden access panels; there are all low-tech buildings. There are just four security cams among the buildings - not full coverage of the entire area, because people so rarely go there. It, uh, wasn't a priority for the company. There's been no interruption in coverage since Hardin fled, but my people haven't spotted him in any of them. If he's the one who hacked the resort's security system, it would be easy for him to find out the fields of coverage, and avoid them."

A particularly loud rumble of thunder sounds outside for several seconds.

Rangin watches as Kylah slowly walks up to Graham and requests a moment of his time. She had already mentioned how stupid both Graham and Delaney had been and Rangin had seen her reaction to Graham's casual brushing over of it.

The last thing he wanted was for Graham to lead all of them into tragedy, but it was a given that those security Crewmen were not going to listen to either Kylah or himself when it came to this. The team had been lucky so far, Hardin had only stunned two of them and not killed, but Rangin was damned if he was going to let the same thing happen again to Kylah. He'd lost too many friends close to him, too many he had cared about, he wasn't losing another.

And if Graham did decide to go off half-cocked and as empty-brained as usual, Rangin had a few little suggestions that would be helpful...like standing Graham at the forefront as a target.

"I am afraid."

Graham listens silently to Kylah.

Does it mean you're a bad leader that she's afraid.

Or not so bad because she's willing and able to come clean to you about it.

Or what does it mean if she's afraid because of you...


Thunder cracks, adding some urgency to the moment...

So what'll it be, Booker?

"Elas," Graham says, after a brief pause when Kylah finishes speaking. He clears his throat and checks his volume realizing he may have blurted out his first word a little loudly. "It, ah, sounds a lot different from the Federation. Has it been...hard for you to adjust, to the Academy, and the ship?" he asks gently.

Whatever response Kylah was expecting--defensiveness or hostility, as she would have received from Collins, or a dismissive 'I know best but thank you for your input' virtual pat on the head, as Graham has usually given her--she was certainly not ready for a non-responsive, apparently unrelated question such as this. She stares blankly up at him, her mouth parted in surprise. To ask about her personal difficulties now... he must think her utterly unstable. A madwoman. Or a child. Which would not be out of keeping considering the paternalistic and often far too familiar way he has dealt with her--or, for that matter, the fleeting emotions and images she felt earlier when they were both in such pain.

Is it possible the stun affected his mind?

"Mr. Graham," she says, genuinely alarmed. "Did you not understand my use of your language? I am trying to express what I believe are legitimate worries about your decision to invite a suspect into our confidential plans, and the earlier similar lapse in discretion with Hardin. I cannot comprehend what my background has to do with this. Are you... are you implying that my concern is unfounded, or somehow my fault, an inability to understand how Starfleet works?"

"If I thought you were unfit for this mission, I would not have hesitated to send you--or anybody else--back to the ship," Graham answers with calm conviction.

He wants to take put his hands on her shoulders, or take her hands and clasp them in his his between them, but realizes that probably won't go well at this point. Instead he clasps his own together in front of himself, just below his ribcage. "I'm trying to say that I'm consulting with a member of my team right now, aren't I? Someone I can trust, I hope--" he pauses and spreads his hands apart briefly. "But who's acted--sometimes--quickly, as if she needed to do things now--and alone--" he emphasizes the last word and places a hand on his chest. "Without--without trusting me, and I'm trying to understand why."

He has multiple conflicting instincts: to get the hell after Hardin, to give up on this approach because you're too much of a lumbering idiot for this go well, to handle this in a much more generic way as a mission commander without getting into the uncomfortable details and emotional dimensions of whatever's going on...

To run away from this because this is feeling like the kind of conversation you should have had with Lizzy that you've been avoiding for what, years?

To run away.

Well that's it, then, that's your goddamn job: even if you are going to fuck this up a hundred ways from Sunday, you are not. going. to run. away.

Graham's communicator beeps; it's the Captain. "Report, please, Mr. Graham."

Rangin glances nervously at the door wondering what is taking Graham and Kylah so long. He can see the others around trying their best to look over the details presented.

"Mr Hsu, thank you for the schematics, can you widen it include the area around, the local hills and so on. Also, what power is there over in the colony buildings and is there any power being drawn from the resort across to them or have they just been left as they were?"

Hsu nods and widens the diagram. There are low hills, scrub brush, some trees and rolling countryside in every direction. He says, "The colony buildings draw on our power grid. There are some lights and power sockets, installed when the resort was built. Usually there's very little need for them, though."

Rangin starts looking over the map trying to work out what purpose anyone would run there for.

"There are no notifications of any spores in this area are there, Mr Hsu and perhaps more importantly, there are no guests currently staying in the colony houses are there? It was mentioned some of them liked to try it out. Actually, is it likely there are any guests over there sheltering from the rain?"

Graham nods just slightly to excuse himself from Kylah and takes a half-step backwards.

"Captain, we've found no hard evidence incriminating anyone else: Hardin's our only confirmed suspect. Although I--we--are concerned he may have had help. Based on resort Security's surveillance, we believe he is in the old Sandoval colony buildings. Unfortunately cameras are few and far between there."

"Our happiest option is that Yorktown's sensors can find him and beam him into the brig, ma'am. Failing that, we cordon the area and sweep with tricorders until we can isolate him. If that's not possible, physical search."

"Despite the poor weather, given Hardin's canniness so far, I'm inclined to believe he ha a back-up plan and we should actively pursue him now rather than waiting for this to blow over. "

Hsu says, "I don't know of any guests there now, either visiting or staying overnight. We could do a head count of all staff and guests to be sure, if you like."

The Captain replies, "Understood, Mr. Graham, and agreed. Thank you. Carry on. Singh out."

"That is probably well worth doing, especially given the thunderstorm currently raging outside. Wouldn't want anyone caught out in this weather." Rangin smiles at the slight subterfuge. "We can confirm that with Mr Graham when he gets back in, if its an action he would like to take."

Once the Captain seems to sign off, Kylah waits for Graham to lower his communicator before speaking. "If you are in a hurry to find Hardin, as we all are, then perhaps you might properly consult with your team. The only reason you are talking to me is because I asked to speak with you--and when I focus on the mission to advise caution in revealing so much to Hsu, you completely ignore it to question my ability to get used to Starfleet. And yet you wish credit for consulting!"

She turns to look into the room--by now Hsu could have stunned everyone in there and fled. But she cannot see anything from here. Kylah snaps around to Graham. "You wonder why I do not trust you? How can I, when I never know which Booker Graham will confront me next? Will it be the one who treats me like a fragile doll with no experience dealing with evil? Or the one who manhandles me and makes base insinuations about my sexual behavior?"

Her back is stiff and straight as she looks up at him. "There. Now that I have answered your question, may I please make sure that Velir--that Velir and Delaney and everyone are safe from a suspect who might have the same weaponry as Hardin? Or do you prefer to spend time delving into my psyche? Is there some other intrusive question you wish to ask while Hsu learns more and more about our plans?"

Graham purses his lips slightly. Well, there you have it, bang up job, Booker, that went great, he thinks. And you don't have any more time to burn...

"Before we go back in," he asks quietly. "If you were in command--which wold you do: do you keep Mr. Hsu close knowing he'll be privy to our plans but we can keep him under constant direct observation, or send him away, so he's out of our insiders' circle but will have freedom of movement and action out of our sight?"

Kylah bites her tongue. He cannot admit he is wrong and acts as if this was strategy instead of negligence. The prerogative of dictators everywhere.

"With respect," she says with deliberate slowness, "you present me with a false binary choice. I would take a third option: Give him a useful but not mission-critical task accompanied by two of our trusted security team--to watch the cameras, perhaps, under the not-entirely-false premise that someone has manipulated those videos in the past, and may likely do so again. I would give private instructions to the team to keep a close eye on him both as a valuable asset and a potential suspect.

"Further, I would scan him and everyone in the room--yes, including the Yorktown crew--for unknown devices. And once the team and Hsu arrive at the camera room I would have them do the same there."

She pauses and crosses her arms tightly over her chest like a shield. "If I may be allowed to add another observation. Once the Yorktown team is alone, I would speak to everyone, including Dr. T'Var and Lt. Delaney, about revealing sensitive information to potential suspects. Delaney's mistake could have killed us. And because T'Var revealed what happened to us to Hsu, presumably before you had a chance to order her to, we now have no idea whether he was truly ignorant or not, whether he acted with good or ill intentions. Once he saw that Hardin had left the resort, what was the purpose of locking things down? All that did was delay us from opening the transporter room, with no apparent purpose.

"Frankly I have viewed Hsu with a jaundiced eye ever since his crew somehow managed to watch a looped video for multiple hours without noticing, then took several more to get the cameras back online. I would not trust him whether guilty or not--as I have said before, the man is a fool or a knave."

Kylah's breathing has increased and she wills herself to calm down. "Those are my thoughts, Mr. Graham." For whatever they are worth coming from a non-Security officer only two months out of the Academy--one who is merely a naïve, sheltered young Elasian woman, at that. I do not know which he esteems less.

Graham smiles ear-to-ear. Even if things are 99% fucked up, 1% of the time there's a glimmer of hope. Not that she sees this as a glimmer of hope, but it's some basis for...something. Common ground. Team work.

"I was going to send him to 'lead' watching the cameras, as I want to have a couple of our folks there anyway," he says nodding approvingly while he taps his tricorder.

He nods toward the door. "We can go back in, although if you're worried Hsu's standing there while all of our people are unconscious it wouldn't hurt to scan the room first." He then shakes his head and stops smiling.

"Your point is taken, Mr. Kylah, I'm not dismissing it, although at the moment I don't think it's necessary," he says quietly and seriously. "For what it's worth," and now he sighs just ever so slightly. "Thank you for your thoughts." He gestures for her to precede him, being sure to keep his distance.

Hsu and the others are waiting for Graham and Kylah. When they walk back into the resort's transporter room, Hsu shows them the downloaded charts of the Sandoval Colony's buildings, and offers to order a headcount of all staff and guests, as he discussed with Rangin. "Come to think of it," he says, as if struck by an idea, "we could have everyone report in by thumbprint over the resort's comm system. That would be a lot quicker than sending out my officers to actually eyeball everyone. But we could do it whichever way you want."

Kylah has no idea if Graham was seriously planning on sending Hsu off on the security camera mission before she mentioned the possibility--it sounds like mere face-saving to her, as the assignment fits neither of his two proclaimed available options. Nor is she certain if he is mocking her by implying she is paranoid in wishing to scan the room. And she is too angry and dejected to waste time reading him.

Instead, with a grimly masochistic thought--It would serve him right if we end up walking into another stun attack--she just stalks back into the transporter room, still holding herself together with her arms. Her relief at seeing Velir and the others safe allows her to relax a bit, but she quickly recalibrates her gaze to 'emotionless' while aiming it at Hsu.

For some reason the first image that springs to mind upon Hsu's suggestion is of someone holding a dead person's thumb up to a comm panel. It strikes her as fanciful but at this point Kylah cannot guess what bizarre behavior is beyond this criminal--or, more likely, criminals.

She says nothing. What would be the point? She is tired, so very tired, of being told her advice is valuable while simultaneously informed that it also will not be followed.

Rangin looks across as Graham and Kylah enter and he wonders what they have been speaking about. Both of them are looking as impassive as they left so whether anything is resolved is anyone's guess.

"Well, Mr Graham, how do we handle this?" Rangin asks clamly.

Graham claps a fist into the other hand, trying to inject some sense of momentum and team spirit into the mix. "Well, first things first," he says. "We've learned the hard way that Hardin has accessed to some unusual tech. Mr. Delaney, would you do the honors of scanning this room--and everybody in it--for listening devices and any kind of non-standard weapon or gadget, anything at all that you think deserves a second look?"

He glances at Kylah and surreptitiously gives her a little "thumbs up" to acknowledge her idea. "Let's make sure we have a clean room before we proceed further."

Rangin looks around the room at Graham's request to Delaney looking to see if anyone reacts badly to the suggestion. It had to have been aimed at Mr Hsu as the only non Starfleet person there, but it would be curious if any of the other crewman were not as happy about the suggestion.

Actually, Rangin had just gone over this room completely only 20 minutes ago, so there would be nothing in the walls, no, it could only be aimed at the people there. Perhaps Graham was even less trusting as things got worse.

The other Starfleet personnel have expressions ranging from calm to slightly puzzled, but none protest the order; a Starfleet flag officer has been very recently exposed as a possible murderer, after all. Hsu's expression is neutral.

If Kylah was numb before, the instant Graham issues his order to Delaney, all that changes. She lifts her head in stricken shock and takes an automatic step backwards. Is he mad? Why would he announce this? How can he not remember what that man did to us, and how...

She certainly cannot forget how curiously calm and still Hardin seemed, his utter lack of suspicious movements, just before the world suddenly went black. Whatever that stun field device is, it obviously takes a mere instant to trigger, and almost no preparation to do so. Even someone as experienced with weapons as Graham, his phaser already aimed at Hardin, wasn't fast enough to prevent the attack.

She swallows, her mouth dry. It is only a dim likelihood that Hsu or any of the hotel staff security are similarly armed. But if they are, by announcing his intent to the entire room, Graham has made them all sitting ducks. Why would he not simply play along and then scan everyone secretly? Or at least separate Hsu and do the scan in private, albeit somewhere visible--find a room with a window, step just outside the doorway, anything--so that if there is some device he's hiding, Graham would be the only one affected. Right now the entire landing party is in jeopardy.

Her breath catches in her throat as she picks out Hsu, trying to read his emotions. Is he alarmed? Suspicious? Confused? Angry? She widens her focus to look desperately around the room. Is anyone giving off any unusual emotions? In a hopeless attempt to forestall someone from reacting, she weakly stammers out: "Mr. Graham, perhaps--perhaps now is not the right time or place..."

"I think I can save us the trouble, "says Rangin brusquely, "I scanned this room completely about twenty minutes ago. It's clean. The only annoyance was the door locking in that time for no reason. Probably to stop us using it. That might be something to consider. The transporter has been checked, its not been used." Rangin nods at Harper and Friedman.

"As for scanning everyone, if you don't trust me, or anyone else here, Mr Graham, perhaps you would prefer it if we reported back to the ship and stayed there..."

Rangin looks around the associated people working out who feels the same way. Graham may be an old dog in Security, but he was brand new to the USS Yorktown.

"...but I will point something out. If Hardin is running for the old Sandoval Colony, in the pouring rain, its going to take him 20-30 minutes. He will be arriving there right about now. We have a transporter right here, which will put us right on top of him....if we decide to trust each other and if you can decide what we should be doing in the next two minutes."

Kylah looks at Velir, for a fleeting instant seeing him as almost the same exaggerated, idealistic caricature that Graham sees. Her heart feels as if it has dropped into her stomach. Why would he say something so petulant? How can he not understand why an abundance of caution is required?

Perhaps because he did not stand in front of the presumably trustworthy Comptroller of all of Starfleet and get stunned unconscious for ten minutes. Ten helpless minutes, during which time anything could have happened to them. Kylah shudders from the thought of having been so vulnerable, so unable to defend herself.

And the agonizing pain afterwards. Velir did not experience that, either.

"If you wish to aim your contempt at anyone, Mr. Rangin, you may focus it on me," Kylah says tightly as she walks closer to him--and Mr. Hsu. "I was the one to advise scanning personnel. Anyone with whom we come in contact, regardless whether they wear a Starfleet uniform. It was no less than a Starfleet Vice Admiral who attacked us.

"And, with the great respect you know I have for you, unless that scan you took twenty minutes ago managed to create a time portal and thereby examined everyone who has since entered the room, I see little reason to be pacified by it. Forgive me," she adds in a quieter but still brittle voice, "but I just awoke to find myself sprawled on the floor like garbage, or--or a corpse. I do not wish a repeat of that incident, nor do I wish to be in that position permanently, simply because we chose not to hurt some feelings."

She is now behind Mr. Hsu and Velir, facing Graham. "But by now someone in possession of that weapon could have blasted us ten times over. Scanning will do no good when performed in public having been announced in advance. If you are still accepting my suggestions, Mr. Graham, I agree that we should ask for a head count, as Mr. Hsu proposes--followed by an attempt to transport to the Colony.

"I also recommend that you send some of our security team to view the surveillance camera set-up themselves. Someone with a lot of technical knowledge got into that system before; since we still have no idea how that was accomplished, much less by whom, I think we should place a high priority on ensuring that this does not occur again."

She continues to measure Hsu's responses, if at all possible. He has not proven to be as difficult to read as Hardin was.

Rangin waits for Kylah to finish as she runs through. When Kylah mentions that she and Graham had spent ten minutes unconscious, Rangin mentally kicks himself. Kylah had said earlier she had lost ten minutes, but Rangin had glossed over it more concerned with making sure she was alright instead. She had obviously been hurt than he had thought.

But to consider scanning everyone, such a knee-jerk reaction, trusting no-one, well Hardin may have given her a solid reason as to why. It was still wrong though, an impetuous action, and to say that it anyone who disagreed has hurt feelings, well that was a dangerous path to walk down. So many freedoms removed just from the precedent of just this once. In what was this this better than Graham spying on everyone with the resort's security. Rangin is genuinely quite angry with Kylah's proposal, especially from her, the sodden clothes doing nothing to cool his temper.

When she finishes, Rangin answers Kylah as she stands behind him, while staring ahead. "No contempt, just a general disagreement in principle on the matter of trust. Now isn't the time for that particular discussion though," he says coldly.

He looks across at Graham, not caring about scanning anymore, "Suggestions? Head count is a given, let's find out who else, if anyone, is missing. I'd also recommend cutting any power to that area. Any energy signatures will then be Hardin's. If he knows to avoid the cameras, there is no point having them on. You could also stick a couple of spotters on the hill over here," Rangin gestures on the map, "and watch to see if he sticks his head out."

Rangin calmed himself with thoughts of the animals he knew, let Hardin be the prey, why search by sight alone. "Also, if no-one else is there, the only person around will be Hardin. He'll be the only body heat and animal signature for a mile or so around. This is OC3 after all. He will stand out like a sore thumb leaving heat traces everywhere even in this rain."

There was another grim smile, "and that little modification to my tricorder from Lt. Delaney will come up a treat. A scent trail over open fresh grass and ground. Those don't vanish in the rain, unless he does."

Rangin's anger at Kylah turns into a slow burn against Hardin as well. A traitorous flag officer, no longer standing for what the Federation meant, destroying trust in friends and corrupting others. Rangin was now itching to get his hands on him.

Her gaze shifting to take in the rigidness of Rangin's stance, Kylah knows he is disappointed in her; she can feel the warmth of his anger. She crams down the pain of having elicited such a reaction--she earned it when she claimed responsibility for the scanning idea.

Of course, the only person she actually begged Graham to check was Hsu. But now that Graham has broadcast the plan to everyone, of course he had to pretend the entire group was under suspicion--and she followed his lead, taking the virtual phaser fire in Graham's stead. Why not, if it will defuse the situation and throw Hsu off the scent. Her teammates might be annoyed with her seeming paranoia, but it will not be the first time, nor likely the last, where she has been despised by her colleagues.

Velir being one of them, however... that hurts more than she would have thought possible.

She hopes she can explain things to him later. If there is a later.

Graham reminds himself to ask Mahmoud if there's something in the water on the Yorktown that gives people distemper...

"Let's stay focused on the fugitive people," he says, shaking his head. "No disrespect Mr. Rangin, but you're a biologist, not an engineer. Whatever Hardin had was unfamiliar tech to all of us--if you'd just tuned up an alien warp core 20 minutes ago I'd still like Delaney to look at that too." He nods at Delaney. "Please conduct that scan, sir...and check the transporter while you're at it, so we don't conveniently beam ourselves into space thanks to a booby trap Hardin left behind."

He looks around the room and adds--with a little bit of old Earth John Wayne--"Anyone thinks I'm being an asshole they can get in line, I'm sure they'll have plenty of company." He points over one shoulder with his thumb as if that's where the queue should form. This has the added benefit of aggressively flexing his deltoids and bicep as he does it.

Now there's a little bit of command theatre, he thinks, amused. Rangin will probably need a sedative--at least the Doc's right here. He has to resist shaking his head. Maybe it'll help convince the Security folks someone's actually in charge of this chicken outfit...

"As I've already discussed with the Captain," he says calmly but with some emphasis, "our first best option is detecting Hardin with the ship's sensors, hopefully well enough to get a lock on him. It cascades down from there to house to house if necessary. So your points are well taken, Mr. Kylah, Mr. Rangin. We'll get to it in just a minute."

This time he does shake his head. "Speaking of being an asshole--thumbprint check-in would be efficient--and keep your officers out of the rain, Mr. Hsu," he says, with some sincere regret for making fellow group-pounders' job that much more unpleasant. "But I have to conclude that since we still haven't figured out how core systems were hacked we ought to do an in-person count of guests. Maybe I can get them a round of nice warmed brandy when this is over."

"Now, finally, I've got a couple officers of our own in the Security office--but they won't know squat compared to you about operate cameras and power systems...as Mr. Rangin points out, being able to manage those systems strategically could be an extra edge ...I'd appreciate if man that station personally, Mr. Hsu."

Kylah senses that Hsu is a little excited by the situation, and puzzled by the discussion among Graham and the others, but doesn't seem to be deceptive or striving to hide something. He says, "The Sandoval Colony isn't that far away. Hardin could have made it there by now, especially if he was running."

Delaney unlimbers his tricorder and scans both the people and the room. "Nothing out of the ordinary here, Mr. Graham," he says. He adjusts the controls. "Now comparing my readings to Rangin's from earlier... and they appear to match." He then checks the transporter, running a full diagnostic, and finds no booby traps or dangerous settings.

Hsu says, "OK, I'll go to the Security Office now, and start the headcount of staff and guests. It could take awhile, but we'll begin right away." He leaves.

There is a long, louder rumble of thunder outside, and the lights dim for a moment before coming back up.

As soon as Hsu leaves, Graham hails the Yorktown Security officers at the Security Office and asks them if he can speak to them privately.

If they say yes,he gives them a quick rundown: Hsu is not a suspect at this time and has been cooperative, but that we can't rule him out, so stay alert and keep an eye on him and let Graham know of anything weird.

Kylah looks at the floor for some time, takes a deep breath, and then walks up to the mission commander. When he is through speaking to the security team, she speaks quietly, the words aimed at his chest.

"Mr. Graham. I believe both you and I--and likely everyone on this team--know that I will be of little further use in the effort to capture Vice Admiral Hardin. I have no technical, strategic or fighting skills. I am more a liability than a help, just one more body you will have to worry about. If I brought anything of value to this mission thus far, which is debatable, it was in performing interviews. Should you find Hardin, I highly doubt you will be in need of that service."

She swallows and shakes her head. "On the other hand, perhaps looking at past evidence might be helpful. At least, it is one thing I can reasonably expect to accomplish. Even I cannot fail at reading." Finally she lifts her gaze to meet his, briefly, before looking past his shoulder. "With that in mind, I request permission to return to the CP."

Achoo. The sound of Rangin's sneeze echoes through the transporter room.

"Oh that's just great isn't it." sarcasm dripping from every word. The last thing Rangin wanted was to have to stop now, but he'd been left soaked and standing up for the last five or ten minutes. The rooms may have been warm, but standing around in wet clothes was never good for anyone, well apart from a couple of mer-species on some planets where it was necessary.

He was not surprised Graham hadn't noticed. In between his posturing, his ego and general lack of respect for anyone not in Security, Graham would have happily let anyone stand there like that all day.

Rangin glances across at where Kylah and Graham are standing, not wanting to say anything until, at least, they have resolved what Kylah was going to do.

Kylah's words are punctuated by a loud sneeze from Rangin, and Graham can feel his chest tighten. If it's not one thing it's another for God's sake...

He starts opening his mouth to reply and then what she's said starts sink in.

Wait--just out of the Academy. On top of everything else, she's probably never been stunned before...All this shit's happening on your watch, you owe it to her to help navigate that path between being sensibly afraid, and letting fear dictate your actions. Between realizing you screwed up and deciding you're good for nothing... Everyone has to learn to do that as an officer...

The realization hits him with a hell of a lot more force than Hardin's stun device: Just the way you've handed it as a father, eh Booker?

What have I done...?

He feels like he's staring at the side of the young woman's head for a hundred years. The echo of his sins of the past ten years over and above his mistakes of the past few says are like the thunder outside wrapping around the sound of a single drop of rain hitting the ground....

What

have

I

done

to

her?

It takes him closing his mouth and swallowing a couple times to reply at barely more than a whisper.

"You've earned the right to be a part of this mission in any way you want. If you hadn't you wouldn't be here now."

He clears his throat. "Still a lot of loose ends. If anybody can make progress on them, it's you and Garcia in the CP if you want that assignment."

Kylah waits for what seems like hours before Graham responds; she hears a sneeze--she could swear it sounds like Velir--and the everyday nature of such a normal act strikes her as somewhere between bleak and humorous. Finally he does. His first words, gently spoken, make her close her eyes.

"Surely, surely you must have realized," she says, just as quietly as he--no one else could possibly hear her. "I am only aboard the Yorktown due to special treatment. Not for merit. For politics. If you were not aware before, my performance must have enlightened you. And as far as what I have earned..." Her voice chokes. "I believe I earned each and every thing that has happened to me on this mission."

Her head is lowered and, with hair falling into her eyes, she wearily brushes it behind her ear. "I will go to the CP, and I thank you. It is not that I am afraid of Hardin. I am more afraid of somehow being... being unable to do what is necessary. No one should be a burden on the team. At least if I go to the CP and sift through evidence, I might find unanswered questions, and possibly... just possibly get some answers, perhaps from Mrs. Hsu if she is reachable through the comm system. Or Lt. Cmdr. Ebling, as long as she is in custody and also is reachable that way."

Kylah feels wretched but she blinks up at Graham. "But... if you do need some negotiation or... or any insight to his thoughts... will you contact me? I am good at judging nuances, though you may not believe it. I knew he was lying all through our interview, I just... I could not do anything about it before he--" She shudders slightly and changes the subject. "Thank you and I am sorry I could not be of more use. Whatever happens I hope you will be safe. All of you," she adds with a regretful glance back at Velir, whose discomfort seems obvious to her.

She hesitates, and then murmurs, "Sir... Ensign Rangin has been soaked through for some time. Can you not... can you let him get dry, at least while you wait? Is there something the transporter can do to remove the water from his clothing?"

Graham's pulse is pounding in his ears and he feels like he's moving underwater. Talking to Ebling is of course a good idea, but he simply nodes to Kylah.

"Garcia, you're with Mr. Kylah, she knows what to do."

He pulls out his communicator and requests any Security personnel on premise and not otherwise assigned rendezvous at his location.

He then hails Yorktown. "Given that we have an armed suspect I'd like to request phaser II's for the assault--ah, the pursuit party." He pauses and looks at Rangin. "You're at liberty to request dry clothes, Mr. Rangin."

Kylah steps back, dismissed without even a word. Graham clearly now realizes just how extraneous she is, and seems to have decided he need not spare her a further thought. His priorities are correct; he has to focus on the mission at hand.

Grateful that at least he has given consideration to Velir's welfare, she turns around and moves to T'Var and wishes the doctor good luck. With a little less affection but no less sincerity, she does the same to Delaney and the people near him.

Finally, her gaze is drawn to Velir. She is terrified by the prospect of leaving him, especially in light of the anger she felt from him earlier. They must not part badly, not now. Does he think she is abandoning him? Does he think her an utter coward, first seemingly mistrusting the entire crew by wanting all of them scanned, and now failing to stand by his side at a time of danger? Oh, please do not let him think that, Kylah prays. He cannot think that... we have fought twice before.

She waits for him to look at her. If he avoids her, she will know his feelings as clearly as if she pushed her mind toward his own. If his stare meets hers, if there is any warmth there, she will... she will try to draw him aside. They must talk before she leaves, before he goes. She must make him understand.

Rangin looks across, wondering what Kylah said to get Graham to actually notice. Besides, Rangin thinks to himself, is he really going to be any use on what is likely to be a house to house Security raid.

"Lets see how good the transporter works between here and the Yorktown in this storm", says Rangin as he opens his communicator and requests a dry uniform. "Better to have problems with that than with a Phaser II."

Having made the request, Rangin wanders up to Graham and quietly asks, "Quick question, do you still want me along, I am just a biologist after all?"

and then Rangin walks across to Kylah, his voice quieter and conciliatory, not wanting to part on bad terms. "Good luck, I hope you find something useful. Oh and I'm sorry I know it may bring back some bad memories but I'd suggest someone checking out Hardin's suite as well. See if he left anything behind, you never know. And..." he says quietly just for her, "...please be there after this is over."

Surprised and relieved when Velir moves to talk to her, she looks at him as if memorizing his features. His words are not effusive--but then, he rarely is. Still, she feels more distance than she is comfortable with standing between them. "I will search wherever I can," she says in response to his suggestion about Hardin's office. "But you--you are the one who must come back. I am..."

Kylah darts a look around and then, if there is no interruption, will tilt her head toward the doorway and murmur: "Velir, I have more to say than I would like to among others. Please, if you have a moment and would not mind listening... might you allow me some words in private?"

Graham blinks as Rangin asks him whether he wants him along and then makes a beeline to talk to Kylah.

This team really has the eye of the tiger, he muses. Then he takes a deep breath. Take a step back, Booker...

"Uh," he clears his throat, knowing he's interrupting whatever Rangin and Kylah are talking about quietly. "Mr. Rangin--as, ah, some people have pointed out, asking for recommendations from the team is a good idea. Mr. Kylah has on that score made the point that she might be best deployed at this time interviewing Lt. Cmdr. Ebling." He nods. "I think she's right. So I'll put the question to you: out of the tasks at hand, what do you recommend as your best opportunity to move the mission forward?"

He tries some breathing exercises to center himself. Obviously a search by a hand-picked Security team would be to some extent more convenient for me, he thinks, but other talents and perspectives matter. And unless I have too I wouldn't boot someone off a team when they've been pulling their weight... But there are more than one necessary tasks, he reminds himself.

Thunder sounds again, and the lights dim once more, a little longer than last time.

Lt. JG Haakon Kjaerstad, in the resort's Security Office, acknowledges Rangin's warning about Hsu. "Thanks. We'll keep an eye on him."

Garcia says to Kylah, "I'm ready to leave for the CP when you are, Ensign." All of the Yorktown Security officers on OC3, except the two with Ebling and another two in the Security Office, are already in the transporter room.

Ferguson, on the Yorktown, says, "Ionic interference in the lower atmosphere is worsening, Mr. Graham. It's pretty ugly. I recommend against any transporter use for the duration of the storm; meteorological analysis indicates it could last several hours."

"Oh great," says Rangin dryly, "looks like I'm not going to get that dry set of clothes after all." before looking across at Graham.

Keeping his voice low and calm, inaudible to most above the storm around. "What do I think, that depends on if you are still hellbent on trying to get all these people across to the Sandoval colony in the middle of this thunderstorm. I see two options. One, I get dried off, go and tear apart Hardin's suite to see if there is anything of use and then work with Ensign Kylah on interviewing Ebling. Two, I stay soaked and help you track down Hardin in this storm, because you're not going to be able to transport across to the Colony now. Door-to-door, I'm not trained for. Chasing down wild animals in crappy conditions, that I have done. I will just say one thing. You take the direct route to the Colony over the top of the hill in this weather, carrying phasers and tricorders, then expect to lose people; that's your back-up medic talking. Think about it, decide, let me know."

Rangin is not sure what Graham is going to decide, after all, he switched from being gung-ho one minute to oh no lets wait for the Yorktown the next. Rangin didn't really care that much, he just wanted Graham to lead in a professional manner, something which always appeared to escape him.

Rangin turns back to Kylah, "I believe we have a couple of moments while Mr Graham is considering his options." before turning back to Mr Graham, "Would you excuse us for a moment?" and Rangin gestures towards the door to Kylah for them to get some privacy.

Kylah quickly thanks Garcia and asks for his patience for just a moment longer, listening to Velir's voice all the while as he speaks with Graham.

He might not go, she thinks with a rising sense of hope once she hears Velir making his suggestions. The same hope flickers and falls when he adds the truth--that with his knowledge of biology and skills with a tricorder, not to mention the adaptation to the device Delaney made for scent trails, Ensign Velir Rangin is well-suited to discover a living creature in otherwise barren or dangerous surroundings.

Just as unlikely as his discovering something of worth in Kylah.

Kylah sees him approach her again and she heads to the corridor. She turns around once they are alone and gently clasps his hands. The fact that they are damp and cold give her a good excuse to hold on to him. "You are freezing," she murmurs anxiously as she rubs and massages his chilled fingers to convey warmth from her skin to his. "If the transporter can erase all the blood and DNA from a murder scene, it should be able to make your clothes free of water."

Her words soften as she speaks. It is not like her to be this forward, but with the possibility of Velir leaving with Graham, she must be bold because there is so little time.

"Velir," she adds, looking up from beneath her lowered lashes. "I know you are disappointed with me. Angry about my suggestion to Graham. I do not want you leaving on such terms. If anything should happen..." The thought is too frightening and she hurries on. "Will you let me explain?"

Rangin is surprised when Kylah hold his hands and tried to warm them, but he cannot think of a reason why he should remove them. "Yes, I am cold, thank you." Rangin sighs thinking back to the device next door, "I don't think I would trust the transporter at the moment. It could probably remove all the water and then start on the fabric."

Looking down at Kylah, his face saddens slightly, as he thinks of what she proposed only a few moments ago. "I am unhappy about the suggestion. Just because Hardin did what he did, does not mean we should play by the same rules. It doesn't matter though, I don't want to leave on an argument either. Talk to me, explain quickly. I may disagree, but I will try to understand."

Rangin squeezes Kylah's hand gently, aware of how cold his own are, but appreciative of the warmth her's provide.

Kylah nods, grateful that at least she has this chance. "Velir, I did not mean for Graham to scan the whole team. Only Hsu. The man came along from nowhere, he has the technical skills to have assisted Hardin--or to have acted on his own, really. I did not trust him. I thought Graham could scan Hsu privately. But then Graham suddenly announced his intent to the whole room, and I had to do something. I thought if I seemed to be the cause of it, if I acted paranoid about everyone, it might lessen Hsu's suspicion that he was the target. Because if he knew, if he had any time, even an instant..."

She looks down, her mouth tightening for a moment before she goes on. "You cannot know how quickly Hardin acted. One moment he was confronted by a phaser held by an expert, someone who would surely never hesitate to shoot. But Hardin was able to act in only a second. He did not even move before suddenly everything went dark. I woke up in a daze, sprawled out on the floor like a... like a mere object. Like garbage one has discarded.

"I know how you value privacy. Even scanning Hsu without permission is likely something you would balk at. I would too, normally, but..." She shakes her head. "That weapon was so powerful, something small enough to hold in a pocket. It terrifies me that something Hardin used without any warning left Graham and me unconscious for ten minutes. He could have done anything to us and we would have been helpless. Helpless," she echoes, haunted, and looks off in the distance beyond Velir. "I have often had few choices in my life--or few palatable ones at any rate. But before I left Elas, I had never known physical danger. And even then, until two days ago, the danger had never come from someone I trusted."

She blinks, her eyes stinging but she will not let herself cry again. "No less than three times on this mission, I placed my trust in the wrong man, and earned my punishment for that error. All were respectable. A Vice Admiral at the top of Starfleet. A superior officer who has repeatedly claimed he wants only to protect me. And a gentleman who seemed so gallant, so thoughtful. But each of them wrested control from me and left me powerless to protect myself."

Her own hands are now trembling and they feel as cold as his. "I think that is why I have felt more defenseless on this planet than we were back at the Sakath station. Those creatures acted on instinct without malice, and we all knew they were dangerous, knew we must fight to survive. Here... these men were people who seemed trustworthy. I thought I was in safe hands. Instead those hands were used to stun me, to grab and shove me against a wall, to touch and violate me and do things I..." Her throat constricts and she cannot continue, flushing. Now is not the time for such talk.

"The point is that I am sorry for reacting as I did. And I do not mean to excuse it, I just want to explain it. I could not let you leave thinking I wished to ignore everyone's rights, even Hsu's, without any reason. There were reasons, even if a better person would have risen above them. I was weak. I was afraid. The thought of being stunned again, of feeling that awful pain afterwards, and of everyone, including you, feeling the same way... I could not bear it."

She steps tentatively closer to him. "When you go, if you go... promise me you will be as vigilant and safe as possible." Unable to stop herself, she rests her head on his shoulder and whispers: "This mission has beaten me, Velir. It has conquered me. Do not let it do the same to you."

Rangin listens to Kylah,trying to hear every word and feeling her tremble through her hands. Not from cold, but from what she has faced so far on this mission, short though it has been.

It's when she describes how three men she has trusted have betrayed that Rangin's heart sinks, thinking he might have been one of them. After all he did betray her trust when he got involved between her and Jan, but none of them match with actions he has taken. Confused, Rangin continues listening until the end.

As she lays her head on his shoulder, Rangin gently puts an arm around her.

"I understand. I have felt the same myself before and it is one of the worst things that can happen to anyone." He stops wondering what words might help to alleviate the pain she must be feeling, but cannot think of anything specific and so just keeps talking. "I can understand why you would react like that, and it is so very, very hard not to respond in kind. Being weak and afraid is part of life. What makes us stronger is accepting we were and dealing with it. Being beaten is when you let it deal with you."

"I will do whatever I can to come back safe and sound, assuming Graham wants me to tag along. I will endeavour not to end up as I did last time, and when I come back...we will talk. You are an exceptional lady, Kylah of the Silver Tree, you're not beaten yet."

Rangin gently kisses her on the side of the head.

"Come on, time to see if Graham can make a decision which doesn't involve counting to five on one hand."

Kylah sighs and nods against his shoulder, closing her eyes at the light, too-fleeting pressure of his brief kiss. Even the use of her name--well, misuse, but she has no call to correct him given her own nearly disastrous use of "Jeril"--helps her somewhat.

She backs away before anyone sees them in this stance and takes one last grasp of his arm. "Velir, there is one more thing. About Graham. I know we see things very differently from him, and his decisions and words sometimes seem astonishingly ill-chosen. I do not pretend he does not frighten me. As I just said, he... he has hurt me, although I do not think he meant to. I do not think he means many of the things he says or does in anger or jest." Kylah glances inside the transporter room. "With all that, there is something in him. He does want to keep people safe. He goes about it in a way we sometimes find abhorrent, but he--he tries."

Her eyes narrow. "I can sense... that is, I believe he feels a tremendous amount of pressure, both external and internal. Perhaps that which he puts on himself is the greatest burden, and he sabotages his own goals." She glances inside the transporter room. "I recognize that, to be honest. Maybe that is why he and I miscommunicate and argue so often. We are more alike than I would wish on either me or him."

She turns back to Velir and smiles weakly. "Despite this similarity, do not worry--I do not ask you to feel toward him as you do me. I do not ask you to like him, or respect him other than as you would any person. But I hope you and he... if you do work as a team... will help one another. He could learn so much from you. And perhaps he could teach us things, if he would only..." Kylah shrugs, not knowing how to finish the sentence. But she squares her shoulders and holds Velir's gaze. "I will say this. If you go with him, and if his leadership helps bring in Hardin, and returns all of the team to the best of his ability... Velir, if he brings you back to me... I will be forever in his debt."

She tries to strengthen her smile before squeezing Velir's arm one last time. At last she walks with him back into the room.

'Why thank you, General Rangin' is the first thought that comes to Graham's mind after the xenobiologist's tirade. He feels as if he nearly bursts a blood vessel resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

Part of me wants to assign him to anything but the pursuit party just to get him off my case, Graham thinks. But at least his point about pursuing animals is valid and relevant.

He's had a few moments to look at the map while Rangin and Kylah...did what? Well at least I can't imagine Rangin be a threat to anyone, he thinks. Well, except maybe me...

"All right people," he says as soon as the pair re-enter the room. "Here's the game plan. Until this storm clears, no transporter. Lt. Garcia, since returning to the ship is not an option I'd appreciate it if you teamed up with Mr. Kylah here in the resot. Obviously, there may be more files to decrypt, but, as well, she's a good interviewer and you can watch her six during interactions with any interviewees."

"We'll get what support we can from Yorktown's sensors, but I'm guessing it won't be great given the weather conditions. Rangin and Delaney, you're our best bets to work magic with tricorders, that'll be your mission on the pursuit team, finding a trail or getting a fix on Hardin."

"Kjaerstaad and Hsu will recommend an angle of approach to the Sandoval Colony based on the coverage from the cameras--whatever gets us closest to a confirmed clear area. We'll move in two groups: advance group is me and two Security Officers. Our objective is to secure the nearest building as a base of operations."

He looks at the Security team. "This will be a hard, fast entry, shoot first, medium stun, ask questions later. We know he has an instantaneous short-range stun device and is willing to use it."

He takes in the others and settles on T'Var. "The others will follow. Now, the fact is that if he has heavy weapons our phaser I's don't have the range to do jack. Doctor T'Var, if we're incapacitated on our way in, take command, what I'd like you to do is pull back and wait for support from Yorktown. "

He shrugs and glances briefly at the map. "Even with the resort's lax screening procedures, I'm willing to play the odds he doesn't have a mortar, and if we move quickly in conditions like these it would take a hell of a sniper to splash all three of us."

He says this with confidence and again makes sure to make eye contact with the Security Team. This is what we're for, folks, let's do our job.

"Once we're in, T'Var's with me. Rangin and Delaney operate scans from the base and follow as we secure locations. Two teams of two Security Officers. One team always in reserve at long range for an effective phaser I shot, hopefully out the range of whatever the hell Hardin's device can reach."

After all that's happened this is a relief: to a have a purpose. And to be focused on something I don't suck at. Have done a hundred times...

Of course it didn't always go well: every time things went badly was painful (sometimes, literally and personally). But this time we're going to bag the sonofabitch and bring everybody home safe.

"Everybody stays focused, nobody gets hurt," he says firmly. "Any questions, comments?" he says to the group. "If not let's go collect ourselves a dirty admiral.

One goddamned part of my life where I've done more good than harm...

Kylah fills guilty and sickened as she looks over the crew members, all of whom are going out in this dangerous weather to face some even more dangerous unknown.

She looks at Graham and says softly, "If I may comment, sir. I cannot believe someone of his intelligence, power and influence fled the resort without a plan for escaping this planet. The colony may seem barren, but there may be an ally, or allies, somewhere. Possibly even cloaked. So please, just..." Her concerned gaze roams the crew to find Velir before returning to Graham. "Just do not assume he is alone." She clears her dry throat. "If I learn anything that can help I will contact you, or find you, as soon as I can. Good luck," Kylah says in a near whisper.

Did you ever tell Lizzy 'don't be afraid,' he wonders, looking down at the young woman. No, you never did, he realizes. Rightly, he thinks.

"I hear you," Graham says softly in response to Kylah. "We'll be careful."

He starts to raise his arm to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and then simply stops and punctuates his words with little pump of his arm and a nod.

Realizing others may be taking a moment to process what he said, he quickly turns and moves to address the Security officers. He also wants to give them a chance to ask questions directly to him, given the burden he's going to put on them. "All right, you know I'm new to the bird, a couple questions: one, who's got the fastest 40 meter dash among this little group? Two, who's got the best marksman scores? And--last one--is anybody carrying a back up weapon?"

Rangin hears Graham's speech and is finally relieved that he is actually doing...something. "About damn time too," he mutters under his breath.

Rangin heads quickly to Lt Delaney. "Sir, as I suggested earlier. We need to focus on the things that Hardin can't avoid leaving behind. Heat signatures and so on. Can you also think of something to provide a little protection from lightning strikes, even if it is forcing it to earth somewhere else and not through the people in this room."

Then Rangin heads back to Graham. "Apologies for the interruption, but if I want to make best use of the modifications Lt Delaney made, I have to go and find something to start tracking with. So I need to go ransack Hardin's room to find some DNA and a scent to follow to make it easier. I'll be back in five to ten. Don't start the show without me."

Finally stopping by Kylah on the way to the door Rangin looks at her, smiles, "Stay safe," he whispers and then starts to jog quickly through the door and starts running back to the main resort. Water be damned, he was soaked already, but this time he didn't feel it as he headed across the plaza.

Kylah forces herself not to watch Velir leave. Instead she gives a respectful nod to the rest of the team before looking toward Garcia. "If you please, sir, I think we should find Lt. Cmdr. Ebling. If she has anything useful to tell us about Hardin, we will want to inform Mr. Graham as soon as possible." She casts a final glance at T'Var, then Graham, before swiftly heading out the door. She is embarrassed not to be accompanying the others and does not wish to lag behind as they head out into the miserable weather and an uncertain future

Once they are in the corridor, she lifts her communicator. "Kylah to Russell," she says quietly. "Are you clear to speak?" If he confirms that it is safe, she will add, "I will be questioning the person you took into your charge. Can you give me the location? If you believe someone might be listening, send it via text."

Russell replies to Kylah, "Uh... I think I should only tell you that with Mr. Graham's authorization, or that of someone further up the chain of command. Sorry, Ensign."

Delaney listens to Rangin and scratches his head. "I don't know of anything to divert lightning strikes other than, what is it called? Um... a lightning rod? Maybe we could make some part of the resort more, uh, attractive to a lightning strike? Hmm. But we'll be leaving that behind as we leave the grounds and cross the hill. Could we carry something with us? Hmmmmmm. Let me look into that." He goes to the transporter console and accesses the Yorktown's Library Computer via subspace link there.

Dr. T'Var and the others nod upon hearing Graham's orders. St. Croix takes it upon herself to call Kjaerstad and Hsu in the resort's Security Office to let them know what Graham intends.

Kylah feels like flinging her communicator at the wall, but instead turns around. "Your conscientiousness is duly noted but your timing could not be worse, Ensign. But I will interrupt him just before he leaves on his dangerous mission so that you may be assured I am neither a security risk nor a child playing with her father's communicator." She snaps the device shut and walks back into the transporter room, her face red at having to bother Graham in this manner.

Once he has a moment free, she says in an undertone, "I am very sorry, Mr. Graham. For security reasons, Ensign Russell will not give me Ebling's location without your permission, as I am not sufficiently high on the chain of command. I wonder if you could make some blanket announcement to... well, any Yorktown crew remaining behind who might have information to which I need access? I dare not risk having to contact you when stealth is vital. We have seen all too well the risk of someone barking into a communicator at just the wrong time."

Tick, tock, there's a rhythm going in Graham's head as he works through partly a conscious thought process, partly an autonomic process based on training and dozens of previous operations. This is the thing. We train for this, we study it, we live it.

It's why when shit starts to happen and other people start to shake and freeze, for us things start to move in slow motion and get clearer and sharper That's the difference that gives us an edge. That keeps us alive.

The flow is disrupted by Kylah, in essence, tugging at his sleeve. It only takes him a second to get back into the slipstream.

His breathing has changed: slow and steady, extra deep in and out. He's started to lean forward on the balls of his feet, knees slightly inward in order to be better able to pivot in any direction. His shoulders are forward, not tight but collecting potential energy.

I...wouldn't want...Lizzy to see me like this. The point is that I'm getting ready to be able to kill someone...or struggle like hell not to die myself.

Not Kylah either, I think...

He's not annoyed...in the back of his mind he's...embarrassed...

What would Bennett think? intrudes at the back of his mind.

Heartbeat. Heartbeat. Sounds at the periphery. She's obviously upset about this.

"It's ok," he says, looking at her with something between normal vision and the transition to the "thousand yard stare" that's been associated with combat for centuries now.

He reaches for his communicator. It's getting to feel like slo-mo. He's grateful she's not a mind-reader, as coiled potential for violence is starting to infuse every movement.

Who are you trying to go home too, Booker? For the first time in years there's a mission after the mission. You can't make things right if you're dead.

"Graham to Yorktown personnel on station. Mr. Kylah is leading the interrogation of persons of interest. On that score treat any request or direction from her is one from me."

He nods, his jaw involuntarily clenching. St. Croix's been on the horn of her own accord: that's good, he notes it for future reference, turning back to the Security team.

Kylah regrets having returned to the transporter room the instant she stops speaking and notices what seems to be going on within Graham.

For the second time during this mission, she remembers the time years ago when she stood too near a boiling hot pool of water, swelling and ebbing with growing pressure. Only her uncle's dragging her away protected her from the inevitable explosion of what turned out to be a geyser.

Graham is radiating this same energy. Barely controlled mayhem. Kylah knows it is not directed at her--although for one unthinking instant, immediately after he faced her, she stepped backward, her mind fresh with the memory of just having told Velir about Graham's lunging attack yesterday.

But that instinctive self-protection died quickly. She now recognizes Graham's emotions for what they are. She has seen enough Klingon guards who exuded this same aura when arriving on Elas for a meeting with Aldaan. They were prepared for battle--Klingons are always prepared for battle, with those who protect dignitaries more so than most.

She supposes a soldier--and that is what Booker Graham is, at heart--requires this mindset. Heightened awareness. Readiness to attack. Single-mindedness of purpose. Ability to unleash violence at any moment. It all serves him and the others under his command, she guesses. But it frightens her nonetheless, it makes him seem less... civilized. No, not civilized; evolved. As if he was reverting to a creature before his time, before speech or diplomacy existed and there was only kill or be killed.

Kylah cannot imagine Velir having such a mindset. Will that be a weakness? Can he survive this situation without it? She knows he has had experiences with violence, he told her of--or at least implied--some of his reckless, even foolhardy adventures. But surely he was still... not like this.

She waits for Graham to end the announcement, still feeling as if she is standing next to an explosive with a short, burning fuse, and then hastens to leave once more. She does not stop to thank Graham--nor does she think he would hear it even if she did.

With a nod at Garcia she walks very quickly, as close to a jog as she can get with her still iffy knee, down the corridor to put more space between her and that room full of geysers all waiting to burst into deadly action.

"Kylah to Russell," she snaps into her communicator. "Now will you please tell me where I may find our witness?"

Rangin crosses the plaza quickly and heads for the elevators. He nods and smiles at the guests as he jogs passed leaving a slippery trail across the floor. The smile was as plastered across his face as he was soaked to the skin. There was no point frightening or worrying them, nothing to see here, just a Federation ensign who got a little bit soaked. "Sorry about this, its bit wet outside, don't mind me."

He reaches the elevators going up and looks at the other guests waiting alongside. He runs both hands across his head and they come away covered in droplets. Rangin wonders where he can wipe them off, but being soaked all over leaves him holding his hands in mid air wondering what to do with them. One of the other guests waves a tissue under his nose and Rangin accepts it "Thank you", says Rangin remembering his manners, "though I fear I might need something bigger." He wipes the worst of the excess off, leaving him with a small soggy piece of paper clutched in one had.

As the elevator door opens, Rangin realises everyone has take a slight step back as he steps on, moving away from the puddle forming where his feet had been moments previously. "I'll try not to get the elevator too wet", he comments as the door closes leaving him alone.

From all the treachery and trouble that had occurred over the last couple of days, a simple act of kindness reminds Rangin of just what he is here to do, help people as he had just been helped.

He contacts Kjaerstaad in the security office requesting thumb print access to Hardin's quarters if he doesn't already have it.

Once he is there Rangin intends to find a few DNA traces and possible scents from Hardin's abandoned clothes. He already had a thumbprint from the records provided by the resort, all the guests had provided one, so finding the traces to go with it, hair samples, used clothes, even the bed sheets if they hadn't been changed, shouldn't be a problem. One quick sweep of the suite and he was set to go and track Hardin down.

Even better, Hardin's suite had a passage like Wilson's, so Rangin could confirm the trail as he had done the day before.

Rangin grinned in anticipation, that meant given the time scale, Rangin could follow him straight from the apartment. Wilson's trail had been cold, Hardin's was only half an hour old.

It would be there.



Let me know how far I get EH

It's funny the things that pop into your head at times like these, Graham muses at a random moment: If I'm KIA Faisal will think it's really weird there's a bottle of rose-scented perfume in my stuff.

Russell replies to Kylah, "Sure. Lt. Cmdr. Ebling, Ens. Barbour and I are in Room 316, in Hotel Tower 2. We'll be expecting you."

Rangin, as a member of the investigative team, already has access to Hardin's suite, and the door opens with his thumbprint. Using his tricorder, he is able to find DNA traces on the sheets, in the bathroom and among the clothes still hanging in the closet. (The sonic shower has no such evidence, and Rangin realizes that he can set the shower to dry his uniform even while he's in it - an old Academy trick. He does so and soon feels much better in dry clothes). Cross-referencing to Starfleet's personnel database, he confirms that it is Hardin's DNA he's found. There are very faint scents remaining but, he thinks, probably little if anything that will be useful out in the thunderstorm. From the footprints in the dust on the floor of the maintenance passageway, it does appear that the Vice Admiral passed through there.

Faint traces of scent, dust, DNA and/or shoe leather suggest, with some skillful tricorder work, that Hardin went directly from there, down to the ground floor and out an emergency exit towards the grounds. His direction of travel, if he kept going straight, would take him towards the Sandoval Colony, as Hsu reported. Rangin can find no trace of Hardin's passage more than a few meters away from the emergency exit. The trail ends.

Thanking the other ensign, Kylah shuts her communicator and repeats the information to Lt. Garcia out of courtesy--not to mention the fact that, despite her taking the lead in the interview, he is a superior officer. Besides, considering what an excellent job he did with decrypting the files, he is more than worthy of her respect whatever his rank.

Kylah walks quickly through the resort toward the hotel tower. Her mind is trying to corral multiple thoughts and worries at once, and her head starts to ache a little bit--it must be the tension, for it's nothing like the vise-like grip she experienced before. Velir, T'Var, Graham... all her colleagues heading out to find Hardin. She is afraid for all of them. And here she is in the dry comfort of the resort. She reminds herself weakly that she would be of little help in a hunt; not even her empathic abilities would be useful. Hardin proved extremely adept at controlling his feelings. In fact, she has never encountered such restraint among humans.

He is either a sociopath or somehow aware of her skills--and since the latter is an impossibility, Kylah bets on the former.

When she reaches the hotel tower, she presses the elevator button. A sudden sense of unease--nothing empathic, just nerves, probably--snakes down her spine, and she looks behind her. It is silly; why would anyone follow them? Just in case, when she and Garcia enter the elevator, she lets the door close behind them without allowing anyone else inside. There, she presses the fourth floor. "I know it is paranoid," she says quietly to Garcia. "I just... I would just prefer to make certain our destination is less obvious. We can walk down to the third floor. I suppose this seems silly..."

Assuming nothing unusual occurs, she finds the fire stairwell and hurries down the flight to their ultimate destination.

Rangin stops and bangs the side of the tricorder a couple of times wondering if the water has got into the workings as the trail has ended.

Wishing he had a couple of English Bloodhounds or Bolian landsharks, as if there was any trail they could have followed it, even through this rain, but alas, modern technology just wasn't up to it.

Rangin shrugged he had the DNA he wanted and started jogging back to the transporter area, checking the readings as to whether it had been a complete stop or if it had faded away from the rain.


EH - was it a hard vanish of the trail or would it have faded out quickly from the heavy rain

Rangin sees that the trail seems to just fade off a few meters away from the door. The rain has indeed been heavy, and he suspects that the Berthold rays might also have contributed to the degradation of any scannable trace evidence.

Graham had asked, "All right, you know I'm new to the bird, a couple questions: one, who's got the fastest 40 meter dash among this little group? Two, who's got the best marksman scores? And--last one--is anybody carrying a back up weapon?"

St. Croix and the others look at each other, and she says, "I'm probably the fastest here, Mr. Graham. Specialist Geilil here is probably the best shot of us all, wouldn't you say?" The Canopian nods modestly. None has a backup weapon; each has a single phaser-1.

Graham nods. "All right then, you can probably guess what's coming S-C: congratulations, you're point man." He draws with his finger on one upturned hand. "Three of us will make the approach: St. Croix, up front. I'm five meters on your right and five back. Geilil, you're five meters to her left and ten behind me. Our objective is to secure the nearest building. We move in turns, and pay attention to timing: a lightning flash is a good time to be flat on the ground rather than up and moving. S-C, you're sprinting the last dash to the closest building on our approach vector. Geilil, at that point your primary mission is covering fire for S-C's run. I'll be doing my best to be a big ugly alternative target."

"When we reach the target, I'll scan the building right quick and lead entry, S-C you're on my back, Geilil, you hang back in case we're charging right into that damned stun field or whatever it was Hardin had. We clear the building, then cover the approach for the others and it's high fives all around."

He looks around at the group. "Any questions? If not we'll get going as soon as Mr. Rangin gets back."

Kylah and Garcia stand in front of Room 316. Depending on whether any officers are outside the room or not, Kylah will announce/identify herself either directly or via the door chime.

There is a low whistle from Rangin as he jogs along having seen the results of the trace. If the DNA and scent trace is breaking down that fast in the storm even accounting for the huge amount of rain currently bucketing down, it appears the lightning is having an ionising effect compounded with the Berthold Radiation and causing an even faster break down of animal matter in the area of effect. But they Yorktown team should be fine, as they have been given their anti-radiation shots, although he had better get Graham to check all the Security members had. After all, it might be slightly more hazardous to go outside given the conditions.

Rangin screeches to a halt as the train of thought reaches the other conclusion. Hardin has no protection against the Berthold Rays. No shots and no spores. Normally it would take a week for him to perish on OC3, but the effect of the storm had some unusual and possible unique impacts, which could hasten the demise of any unprotected animal life. Including Hardin. Worst case, Hardin was already suffering its effects.

Rangin starts running back to the transporter room. He needed to check if T'Var had some of the shots.

As he reaches the transporter room, he stops outside and takes some deep breaths to calm himself and get some air back into his lungs. While breathing hard, he considers one other thing to do. Hardin was as untrustworthy as they came and there was no reason for him not to double back and cause problems. Just before he heads in, he sends Kylah details of Hardin's DNA sample and instructions on setting up her tricorder to automatically check for it in the local area and alert her should it turn up. Thought this might help, just in case Hardin comes back.

After a moment or two, Rangin heads in, he walks up to Graham, "Thank you for waiting I have what I needed. I just need to check something with Dr T'var."

"Dr T'var, just in case, do you have any of the anti-radiation shots, in case Hardin needs one. I don't think he is currently protected against the Berthold Rays."

Graham's still going over things with the Security team when Rangin comes back and interrupts him, but any feeling of irritation quickly vanishes when Rangin says Hardin might not be protected against the Berthold Rays.

Graham laughs. "Ha, well, whaddya know? Couldn't have happened to a nicer criminal fugitive." Remembering the aftereffects of the stun weapon he points to his temple. "Poetic justice if they give him a hell of a headache."

There is no one outside Room 316; Russell admits Kylah and Garcia once he's confirmed their identity through a tricorder scan. He and Security Ens. David Nelson are in the outer suite, phaser-1s at the ready; Lt. Cmdr. Ebling is in the bedroom. She looks bored and a little irritable - more so even than for a typical Tellarite.

Dr. T'Var says, "Yes, the Vice Admiral and Lt. Cmdr. Ebling both got anti-radiation booster shots the night before we all beamed down. It was a precaution Dr. Villa thought best, in case there were any difficulties with the spores."

Security personnel St. Croix, Geilil, Harper and Friedman all understand their orders from Graham and are ready to go.

Kylah thanks the security officers and, while entering the bedroom, remains near the door. She greets Ebling politely and introduces both herself and Lt. Garcia. "I am not certain how much you know about what has happened to precipitate your current circumstances. I hope you understand you are here due to a need for safety." She does not elaborate whose safety is being considered. "May I ask what exactly you have been told?"

Graham listens to T'Var explain that Hardin's off the hook for Berthold ray exposure. "Bummer," he says.

Then he briefly closes his eyes and runs through names: St. Croix, Geilil, Harper, Friedman.

Your people, Booker. Their lives, your hands.

There's a moment of acknowledgement, of grimness, and then resolution, and then adrenaline kicks in.

He gestures for people to move out. Flipping open his tricorder, he asks "Lt. Kjaerstad, my friend, we're moving, please transmit our best vector of approach."

Having finished with Dr T'Var, Rangin passes across the scanning details for Hardin's DNA and scent to Delaney. Then adds the configuration in for heat sensing, something that will probably come in more use while they hunt for Hardin.

"Anything you need an hand with, Sir? Any luck with the lightning rod?"

Rangin waits quietly for Graham to dictate the orders. Rangin hated these moments, he had always wished that these could have been solved by other means, but sometimes there was no other choice, and you just had to get on with it, but it still left Rangin feeling slightly queasy. He always hated thinking about all the things in advance, he had never been good at clearing his head until things started to happen. Once that happened, only then could Rangin really just ignore everything else and concentrate on the problem in front of him.

With a deep breath and a worried look on his voice, he heads out with the others. Shaking slightly, Rangin tried to convince himself it was just an after effect of being soaked, but he knew otherwise. It would only be a few minutes until they were in the rain and the hunt was on, but for now, he would rather have been anywhere else than here.

Still in Sickbay, Collins distractedly reads Rosemary Calvin's latest novel, Sarah's Three Daughters, on the screen next to her bed. She retains little of the plot because her mind is consumed with the prospect of having to go through withdrawal. She has gone months without a fix, believing she could leave it behind, but always giving in when the pull of the addiction got too strong. She is not happy.

The recovery room doors whisk open, and Cmdr. Pablo Vargas, the First Officer and her boss as Chief of Security, enters. "Hello, Mr. Collins," he says. "Dr. Villa said you could have visitors, so I thought I'd drop by. I was sorry to hear about your... medical problem. How are you feeling now?"

"A little better, thank you, sir," Collins responds, managing a weak smile. "I'm looking forward to be approved for duty again. Lying in a bed is not my idea of fun."

Vargas pulls up a chair. "I couldn't agree more. I was quarantined for two weeks after exposure to a virus on Pardell VII. I felt fine and just wanted to get back to work, but the CMO insisted I stay put. I did a lot of reading and caught up on my correspondence. Do you have enough to do, here in bed?"

"I have a couple of novels in queue," Collins tells her boss, "and I've started a private journal." Should I have admitted that? Her tone changes to a more serious one. "Sir? Permission to speak frankly?"

He smiles wryly. "I have never yet heard anything welcome after someone asks me that, but yes, permission granted."

"I'm at a loss to understand," Collins speaks slowly, making sure to choose her words carefully, "why I was chosen to lead this mission. I've yet to show any propensity for command, and my performance this mission hasn't done anything to change that. Yes, I would like to advance to command, but I know I still have a great deal to learn." Her speech starts to speed up as she talks. "I really don't get why the Captain picked me. Surely Delaney, or even Rangin, would have been a better choice." Her voice starts to crack a little; Collins is moments away from a full sob.

"The Captain makes assignments as she sees fit, based on the mission and her assessment of a crewmember's abilities and potential. I think you're being too hard on yourself, Mr. Collins."

"I feel as though I've let her, and you, down." Why am I so emotional? Why haven't my hormones evened out by now? Collins continues, "I apologize, sir, this" - she looks at, and touches, her abdomen - "seems to have affected me much more than I thought." She closes her eyes to hold back the tears. "Please forgive my ramblings."

"There's nothing to forgive. You've been through a lot." He pauses. "But perhaps I should be going...?"

"I guess," Collins says. She needs a hug now, but Cmdr. Vargas isn't the right choice for the job. "Thank you, sir, for visiting, and thank you for listening. Hopefully, I'll be back on duty soon and be able to put this behind me."

To her surprise, he leans over and squeezes her hand. "I hope so, too, Mr. Collins. Please let me know if you need anything in the meantime. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sir.' Collins watches Vargas as he leaves; her hand is still warm from his grasp. It wasn't a hug, but it was genuine, and it helped.




Starring anyrose as Collins and Elendil's Heir as Cmdr. Vargas

Ebling says to Kylah, "Just that there was some Security problem and that I might be at risk, Ensign. Nothing more than that. What's going on?"

Kjaerstad replies, "Head directly towards the Sandoval Colony buildings, Mr. Graham. I'm afraid I can't be much more specific than that, knowing what we do."

Delaney shares Rangin's data with the members of Graham's Security detail. He tells Rangin with thinly-veiled frustration, "If I had another hour or two and access to a machine shop on the ship, I might be able to make some kind of portable lightning-deflecting shield generator, or a grounded lightning rod that could be safely carried by a member of the landing party. But it looks like we've got neither the time nor the access."

No lightning deflector...head straight to the colony...over the hill in a major thunderstorm...oh grief, it was about to get worse.

Rangin shuddered further, not from nerves but the sheer stupidity of what they were about to do. Did Security officers consider themselves invulnerable to everything or did Kjaerstad really hate someone in the group. Rangin had a feeling he was going to be administering CPR within the next hour. At least as the smallest, he was less likely to be hit than the others around.

Rangin turns quickly to Lt Delaney, "Sir, you may not be able to stop it, but perhaps a strike warning might be easier to do. Lightning is just a build up and transfer of electrons and protons, ground to cloud. If you could monitor that build up in the area, you might be able to tell when a strike will occur. Give us enough advance warning and we may be able to hit the deck before one of us gets hit."

Rangin waits to see if Graham is going to lead his cavalry over the hill, or if he is actually going to show a modicum of sense for the first time on this planet and listen to something he has been told, not a few minutes earlier. This would be the worst time to interrupt him as he led people out, they were all trusting him to lead them and showing him up as an unconcerned idiot now would be damaging, but would he really be insane enough to lead them over a hill to the Colony buildings. Surely, he wasn't that stupid...

...and Rangin was considering following Graham out into a thunderstorm, Rangin really, really should know better. And now, Rangin was beginning to wonder if Graham was a city boy who, when it came to natural dangers like this, consider it a fun thing to run around in, instead of respecting it for the danger it is.

"I am certainly going to regret this," Rangin mutters under his breath.

Kylah blinks, not having expected to be the one to tell the lieutenant commander of Hardin's actions and alleged crimes--but then again, she is not sure why she is surprised. The guards would not have revealed anything.

She is granted a moment to let this sink in when she hears the alert on her communicator, and excuses herself to step out of the room again before opening the device. Velir has sent her information about using her tricorder and Hardin's DNA to track the fugitive. Surely he would not come back here, Kylah thinks distractedly, though very grateful for Velir's message. If she later has to leave the building to catch up with the others, the ability to recognize Hardin's proximity will be invaluable.

Kylah returns to Ebling. "Before I answer your questions, sir, I must ask for your patience while I seek some answers myself. The situation has turned critical, and if you have information that could save lives, I dare not delay it." She takes a deep breath.

- "When did you last speak or see Vice Admiral Hardin?"

- "What do you know of his movements today?"

- "You arrived with the Comptroller and presumably spent most of the time until the introduction with him. Can you tell me what each of you did following your exposure to the spores until you woke up the next morning? I understand you may have been separated at certain times, but can you at least tell me how you believe the Vice Admiral spent his time during that period?"

- "The day after the murder--yesterday--can you tell me if you noticed anything unusual in the Vice Admiral's demeanor or behavior? Did he express anything to you regarding the death of someone with whom he had worked for a relatively long period of time?"

- "This may seem a strange question, but I beg your indulgence. What can you tell me about the Vice Admiral's skills with technology? Does he seem highly competent in that regard? For example, if you and he were ever in some emergency and it were necessary for him to, say, operate a transporter with any degree of accuracy, would you believe him capable of it? Have you ever noticed him in possession of any unusual technological devices--some people have hobbies in collecting such things, I know."

- A search warrant or subpoena will take care of this, but I might as well ask for permission, just on the off-chance... "Does he have any appointment diary or journal to which you would permit me access? I understand this is an unusual request and of course will not push the issue."

Kylah hesitates and gathers her thoughts before asking the next question, considering how vital it is. "During your interview with Ensign Graham, he noted some apparent discomfort or awkwardness when you were asked about the Vice Admiral's working relationship with Mr. Wilson, specifically regarding whether he or you were doing any work with Wilson regarding the WR&R contract. You responded simply that Vice Admiral Hardin had no 'direct role' in the contract. But to be frank, that was not quite answering Mr. Graham's question." And why he did not follow up on it, I cannot begin to guess, Kylah thinks irritably before continuing.

- "So to restate the question, can you please--and I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to be candid--explain precisely to what degree either you or the Comptroller worked or saw Mr. Wilson during this trip, or any past interactions? And what exactly you know about any dealings Mr. Wilson and Vice Admiral Hardin had?"

During each question, Kylah sends every ounce of mental energy toward the other woman.

Delaney brightens. "Yeah, I should be able to set up a lightning detector in the tricorders. Should give us maybe a few seconds' warning before there's a lightning strike. Hmm. Good idea!" He opens his hip toolkit and gets to work.

The Tellarite officer sits on the bed and answers Kylah's questions. She is hard to read, as all Tellarites are to the young Communications officer, but seems on edge and somewhat impatient.

- "When did you last speak or see Vice Admiral Hardin?" - "A few hours ago, by communicator. We made plans to meet for dinner."

- "What do you know of his movements today?" - "Nothing. We haven't discussed that."

- "You arrived with the Comptroller and presumably spent most of the time until the introduction with him. Can you tell me what each of you did following your exposure to the spores until you woke up the next morning? I understand you may have been separated at certain times, but can you at least tell me how you believe the Vice Admiral spent his time during that period?" - "I went to my suite and relaxed. I saw very little of him - his title is Comptroller General, by the way - after our spore introduction. We were both on leave and I understood that he would need me very little, if at all, as his flag aide while we were here on Omicron Ceti III. I presume he spent his time reading and relaxing, as I know he prefers to do while off-duty."

- "The day after the murder--yesterday--can you tell me if you noticed anything unusual in the Vice Admiral's demeanor or behavior? Did he express anything to you regarding the death of someone with whom he had worked for a relatively long period of time?" - "We discussed Wilson's murder briefly when we saw each other in the spa. He seemed concerned and a little upset."

- "This may seem a strange question, but I beg your indulgence. What can you tell me about the Vice Admiral's skills with technology? Does he seem highly competent in that regard? For example, if you and he were ever in some emergency and it were necessary for him to, say, operate a transporter with any degree of accuracy, would you believe him capable of it? Have you ever noticed him in possession of any unusual technological devices--some people have hobbies in collecting such things, I know." - She nods. "The Vice Admiral is very technologically skilled. He holds an A5 computer qualification - you remember the story he told at dinner aboard the Yorktown, about programming funny responses into the ship's computer early in his career? - and certainly knows how to operate a transporter." She thinks a moment. "I haven't noticed him with any unusual technological devices, but it wouldn't surprise me."

Cmdr. Spock, as noted in ST:TOS "Court Martial," held an A7 computer qualification.

- A search warrant or subpoena will take care of this, but I might as well ask for permission, just on the off-chance... "Does he have any appointment diary or journal to which you would permit me access? I understand this is an unusual request and of course will not push the issue." - "He does have a daybook but I haven't made any entries in it since we boarded the Yorktown - oh, other than for that dinner. We're both on leave, as I said. You're welcome to see it; it's not classified."

Kylah hesitates and gathers her thoughts before asking the next question, considering how vital it is. "During your interview with Ensign Graham, he noted some apparent discomfort or awkwardness when you were asked about the Vice Admiral's working relationship with Mr. Wilson, specifically regarding whether he or you were doing any work with Wilson regarding the WR&R contract. You responded simply that Vice Admiral Hardin had no 'direct role' in the contract. But to be frank, that was not quite answering Mr. Graham's question." And why he did not follow up on it, I cannot begin to guess, Kylah thinks irritably before continuing. "So to restate the question, can you please--and I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to be candid--explain precisely to what degree either you or the Comptroller [General] worked or saw Mr. Wilson during this trip, or any past interactions? And what exactly you know about any dealings Mr. Wilson and Vice Admiral Hardin had?" - Ebling appears to be choosing her words carefully. "As I think I said before, I know that they had some dealings with one another. They were not especially close, as far as I know, and I was not present for every meeting they might have had. Even in my regular duties working for the Vice Admiral in San Francisco as his flag aide, I am not at his elbow day and night."

She takes a deep breath. "There are things I'd like to tell you that I can't, at the moment, Ensign. I just... can't." She thinks and then seems to reach a decision. "I would now like to communicate directly with Starfleet Command as soon as possible, and then, hopefully, I can be more helpful to you."

Graham scowls but quickly erases it. He'd hoped Kjaerstad (and Hsu) might come up with a clear vector of approach well-covered by cameras, but still feels the plan is viable. "All right, let's get into position. Shortest distance straight across. Check weapons."

He gestures for folks to follow and heads outside toward the jumping off point. He also takes out his communicator and hails Yorktown. "Graham to Yorktown. What can you do for us with ship's sensors? Ah, not to beat around the bush, ideally, a read on the old Sandoval's colony building that includes threat detection and pinpointing Hardin's location."

Kylah listens carefully and when Ebling requests to speak to Starfleet Command, she cannot help gnawing nervously at her lower lip. She is so out of her depth here. An Ensign at her level, interrogating someone who can just contact Starfleet Command, like this? This cannot be right. Captain Singh should be involved, not someone fresh out of the Academy.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Commander. I... of course you may contact Starfleet Command, I have no power to stop you. I would just wish to impress upon you that the time delay for any such conversation may create problems. Right now, our crew are in jeopardy as they hunt for a murderer and a violent man who has assaulted two officers--this may or may not be the same individual. Information that only you can provide might save lives." She swallows. "I must consult with my superiors. Please excuse me?"

Backing out of the room and murmuring a request for Russell to take her place in the doorway, Kylah heads to the corridor to be ensured of privacy. She then takes out her communicator. Graham is not an option--she must not break his concentration--and the same goes for Velir, whom she is even more anxious to consult. No, Kylah must go further up the chain of command.

"Ensign Kylah to Commander Vargas," she says, trying to keep her voice clear. If he accepts her hail: "Sir, this conversation may be more appropriate for the Captain herself, but I would not presume to contact her. As it is I regret having to disturb you when I am sure you are monitoring what is happening with Mr. Graham. However, I am faced with an... an unorthodox and sensitive situation that in all frankness I do not believe I am equipped to handle. May I explain?"

Assuming Vargas gives her the go-ahead, she will quickly run down what Ebling has said as well as the flag aide's request. She finishes with: "My inclination, from listening to her and--and assessing her demeanor--is that she wishes to be helpful, and has information that is both classified and of vital use to us. But time is of the essence, and if she does know something that could assist our crew in apprehending Hardin, I fear that waiting for subspace communication to take place will delay things and possibly endanger our crew further."

Kylah twists a strand of her hair with her free hand, yanking it painfully as she considers the magnitude of what she has undertaken. "The truth is, Commander, that I am at a loss. Please, what would you have me do, sir? And given how highly placed she is, not to mention the Comptroller General himself, and how... how insignificant I am... do you not think that the Captain or someone of your standing would be a better person to talk to her?"

Rangin's jaw drops. Straight across...over a hill in a thunderstorm. Now he knew that Graham either didn't have a clue about what he was talking about or he just didn't care.

While everyone else checks their weapons, Rangin moves into Graham's eyeline and gestures that he wants a word when he has finished with the Yorktown. He can see that look in Graham's eyes, that absence of something distinct and of complete focus. Rangin had seen it in several people, but had never managed that state himself...never wanted to be in that state.

When he's finished, Rangin will quietly say to Graham over the sound of the rain. "Graham, what I said earlier about heading out and over that hill is true. I know you don't like me, and I don't care, but your team needs you to get them there safely. I know you want to get Hardin as badly as anything, but not at the possible cost of some of your team. Up and over is the wrong choice."

Rangin's comments join alongside Graham's active considerations as one parallel, but not primary, stream. Very far at the back of his mind--much too far to intrude on his other concerns--Graham thinks "no, no, you don't like me."

He autonomically gestures slightly with his head for Rangin to follow as he continues to walk outside. Almost as autonomically he replies "Alternatives, Mr. Rangin?"

He's neither dismissive nor expecting to change his course of action: his reply is of the same nature as checking his weapon and making sure his tricorder is charged. If the latter wasn't, he'd grab a new one, but it's highly unlikely a modern tricorder would have lost its juice. If Rangin has some miraculous idea, Graham's paying enough attention for that to register, but he considers it highly unlikely.

Rangin blinks, as he is expecting more of a response. The fact that Graham seems totally focused on the mission ahead, just unnerves Rangin even more.

Closing his eyes, and picturing the scale map that Mr Hsu had just shown to them, Rangin recites what he had been looking at earlier, another way there instead of over the top.

"Three options. One: skirt the top of hill, come down through the open countryside alongside. Fastest route, chance of being spotted high, chance of lightning strike high. Two: skirt further round the base of the hill until you get to the gently wooded area. Come in through the open trees. Some cover from the Colony, more protection from the lightning. Three: Follow the hill the other way, some distance around, it turns into a shallow canyon heading towards the Colony. best protection from the lightning, possible dangers flooding and bottleneck from the colony buildings. Recommended option, round and through the open trees, Chief."

Rangin knows where that last part came from. He hadn't meant to call Graham Chief, but it was automatic from the few other times he had done this. A friend, a colleague back on Coridan, someone Rangin would likely never meet again, the one who led him and his friends in times past.

Rangin opens his eyes, readjusting to the current gloom and waits for Graham's response.

EH, apologies for taking liberties with the area topology and feel free to adjust any of the directions as you see fit, but you get the general idea.

That's OK. We'll just go with that as to the terrain.

Science Officer Roble, on the Yorktown, says with obvious frustration, "The storm is severely degrading sensor effectiveness. I cannot get any good readings on the resort itself, large as it is, let alone a single individual on open ground or among the buildings of the colony. I'm sorry, Mr. Graham. Our latest meteorological projection is for the storm to clear in about three hours."

Cmdr. Vargas says, "You were right to call me, Mr. Kylah; thank you for your report. Go ahead and permit her to contact Starfleet Command. If she wants to speak to the Captain or me, let us know."

"Thank you, sir," Kylah says, although she feels frustrated that she is getting so little support aside from a verbal pat on the head.

Why are the ship's top officers so uninvolved in this investigation? Leaving a murder investigation to junior officers has seemed strange enough to Kylah; now there is a potentially explosive scandal involving corruption near the very highest level of the entire Federation, and they are content to leave it in the hands of an utterly untried ensign?

Sometimes Kylah wonders if the Klingon Empire would have been a better choice for Elas. They might be venal but at least they are well organized in their venality.

"I will let you know if there are any further developments," she adds before signing off. She closes the communicator and, taking a deep breath, re-enters Room 316.

As she walks through the outer room, she finds herself suddenly wondering three things: first, whether Ebling will need access to a terminal; second, whether there is any risk that Ebling will not be contacting Starfleet Command but rather Hardin; and third, why Ebling already knows she must speak to Starfleet despite not having asked Kylah to clarify what is going on. Indeed, why has she not demanded clarification about Kylah's questions? That would be the most natural thing for anyone to do.

The thought strikes her: Is it possible... does Starfleet already know about Hardin's activities? Or at least, suspect him? Is that why Ebling is really here--to watch out for Hardin?

Her head whirls with these possibilities, trying to alight on which one seems most likely. If Ebling has been keeping track of Hardin for Starfleet, she has been doing a rather poor job of it--but it does mean she might be a great source of knowledge. On the other hand, the idea that Ebling might communicate with Hardin is a true danger and makes Kylah worry about leaving her alone. But... well, what could Ebling possibly say that would abet him? Kylah has not told her anything that could be of use to the Comptroller.

Comptroller General, she corrects herself somewhat dryly as she nods to Russell and enters the bedroom. Soon, she hopes the only word to describe Hardin will be prisoner.

"Thank you for your patience, Lieutenant Commander," she says. "Please do contact Starfleet Command if you need to, we will be glad of any assistance you can provide, and hopefully there will be as little delay as possible."

Kylah tries again to get some reading, anything, on Ebling's emotions. She hates being so inept and uncertain.

Graham rounds on Rangin. Graham isn't especially tall, but forward slightly on the ball of his feet and with his shoulders bunched he's looming slightly over his shorter colleague. He's surely moved more quickly and too close for polite company, but Rangin has broken through to seize his full attention.

Surprising, registers in Graham's mind. I was expecting straight-up protest against doing anything, not potentially viable solutions...


He's pulling out his tricorder to call up the map even as he turns toward Rangin. He points a finger along the routes, for his own benefit and to indicate Rangin should look as well.

Graham shakes his head, glancing up fro the map to Rangin briefly. "Three is out," he says, grimacing. "We stay he hell out of a canyon or draw--without reliable transporters a flash flood could kill us all, and Yorktown isn't even in a position to give us warning."

He nods as he traces the other two routes. "Number one has virtue of speed...but if were up against any serious weaponry we'll lack range." He glances at Rangin again and shrugs. "If return fire's ineffective, it's a hell of a lot better to have some cover among the trees if we need hightail it out of there..." He pauses and frowns. For a moment he feels the full weight of the risk at hand. "Or drag someone back," he says softly.

He nods and puts a hand on Rangin's shoulder briefly, without thinking--if he had he might not have done it. "Good thinking, Mr. Rangin, I appreciate it." He smiles slightly. "Must be all that animal tracking."

He doesn't rush those words but he turns instantly as soon as he finishes, back in the zone. He acknowledges Yorktown and informs the others Rangin's identified a better approach.

What's with 'Chief?' tugs at the back of his mind, but he's too pre-occupied to ask now.

The last thing Rangin expects as he reopens his eyes is for Graham to be right there and he freezes as the Security Officer looms over him. A sudden thought of Kylah's words and Rangin wonders, perhaps just for a moment, if this is how she feels when Graham is around.

Keeping his nerve is difficult, but Graham is not concentrating on him, but on the ideas instead. Even so, Rangin doesn't move recognising the proximity of what is a very lethal animal and the last thing Rangin wants to do is upset or draw attention to himself any further. Keep him focused elsewhere, don't be a target, stay quiet, just nod and don't react.

He follows Graham's lead in looking over the tricorder, staying still and keeping his movements to a minimum, brief nods in agreement with each of the points raised. As Graham puts his hand on his shoulder, Rangin feels every muscle in his body tighten and he barely hears Graham's acknowledgement.

Then Graham is gone, back talking to the I]Yorktown[/I] and the rest of the group and Rangin lets out a slow shallow breath suddenly realising that his lungs were burning as he drags in more cold wet air. Slumping slightly behind Graham, Rangin then raises his face to the sky and whispers a silent prayer of thanks to gods long forgotten.

Just for once, Graham had listened.

Ebling says, "Thank you, Ensign." Her mood seems unchanged from before - on edge and somewhat impatient. She goes out into the outer sitting room, where there is a computer terminal and comm access to the Yorktown and to the resort's subspace transmitter. "May I have some privacy, please?" The two Security guards there look at Kylah, apparently for orders.

"So it's option one, sir, for our approach to the colony buildings?" St. Croix, who had overheard Rangin's discussion with Graham, asks the older officer.

Thunder rolls loudly outside. Delaney is still working on a tricorder.

Kylah hesitates and, after a few hurried seconds of consideration, turns to the security officers, speaking calmly while directing her words to both them and Ebling.

"I am sure you have all taken the usual necessary precautions when securing the room. However, less than an hour ago I was attacked by someone in possession of an extremely unusual weapon--it was not visible to either of us who were its target, including a highly experienced security officer. It must have been either hidden somewhere in the room or was small enough to keep stashed within a pocket. My worry is that the perpetrator might have had access to Lt. Cmdr. Ebling at some point and she is unwittingly in danger of setting it off.

"For this reason I am inclined toward an abundance of caution. Before leaving anyone alone, I would request a thorough scan of everything and--and with permission, everyone. Once we are assured all is clear, then the lieutenant commander will be safe and free to her privacy. Lt. Garcia and I will stay in the bedroom, if that is all right with him," she adds with a deferential glance, "while Ensigns Russell and Nelson will wait just outside the suite. Will that be acceptable, Lieutenant Commander?"

Kylah suddenly takes another look more closely around the room, remembering the apparent plethora of secret doors in this hotel. If there are any other ways to access the room--or to escape--she will revise her assignments accordingly. Otherwise, assuming Ebling agrees and the scans are made without problem, Kylah will make sure everyone takes their assigned positions while Ebling sends her message.

Ebling and the others agree. Russell scans everyone and the room with his tricorder and finds nothing of interest, as Kylah confirms when she checks his readings. This particular hotel room is not a suite, unlike Wilson's and Hardin's living quarters. It does not have a maintenance access door; there is only one door in or out, the one Kylah and Garcia came through.

Kylah and the others leave the Tellarite officer alone as she sits down at the computer terminal. After two minutes she emerges and says, "I've sent the message I needed to. Hopefully we'll have an answer soon."

Graham shakes his head. "Option two--through the trees. A little longer in raw distance but we'll have some cover.". He glances around, noting that it looks like everyone with the possible exception of Delaney is ready. "Everybody ready to go?" he asks.

Running around in a thunderstorm, not done this for a while, thinks Rangin

"As I'll ever be," he calls back to Graham

St. Croix says, "We're all ready, sir."

Delaney looks like he's about to say something, then shakes his head a little and keeps working.

Kylah thanks Ebling, thinking furiously what she should do. "Do you not feel able to answer any further questions, Lieutenant Commander? It will be hours until you receive a reply, and... as I said, this is an urgent matter."

Her words are distracted as her mind wanders, imagining her crewmates as they were when she left them in the transporter room. Have they left yet? The storm raging outside is only part of the danger--and as unpredictable as lightning is, it is still more of a known factor than whatever Hardin is up to.

A thrill of fear runs down her spine--and guilt gnaws at her stomach. She is torn between feeling miserable that she has abandoned Velir, and hoping that she can uncover some information, answer some nagging question, that will be of more use to Velir and the others than she would at their side as a small weakling who can barely hit a target with a phaser and whose knee is still dodgy.

Kylah shakes her head almost imperceptibly, forcing her attention back to the woman in front of her. "However, if you do feel you need to wait, then I will leave to continue the investigation elsewhere in the meantime. The security guards will remain here with you; please inform them as soon as you hear back and they will let me know. Oh--and if you are still willing to grant me access to that appointment journal, I would greatly appreciate it."

Ebling says, "I think I've said all I can for now as to your earlier questions, pending a reply from Starfleet Command. If you have any other questions, though, I will do my best to answer them, Ensign." She accesses the Vice Admiral's daybook via subspace link with the Yorktown, and shows it to Kylah. As she said, it is blank for the days since the ship's arrival here, when he began his shore leave.

"Ok, lieutenant," Graham says. "I don't dispute your ability to conjure up something awesome given enough time, but we hump off in five, adjust accordingly."

Rangin goes across to see if there is anything he can to help Delaney for those five minutes. It was his idea after all.

Kylah will skim through all of the journal, not just the days during the trip, to see if there are any other recognizable names that might be pertinent to the investigation.

She is hard-pressed to think of questions for the flag aide that would not run into an obstacle. She decides to give one last try by focusing on non-Starfleet-related questions. "Can you tell me something about the Vice Admiral's personal life? Does he have family? Any expensive tastes or hobbies? How would you describe his personality when he is not in public? And what would you say had made him so ill prior to coming down here to the planet?" Kylah adds one more risky question. "To a different subject... Is there anything you know, and can tell me, about any negotiations or dealings between the Hwuen and either the Vice Admiral or Starfleet in general?"

Delaney nods and keeps working. He asks Rangin to collect the Security officers' tricorders so that he can make the same modifications to them.

Hardin's daybook goes back years. Kylah looks back a few months, just to start, and sees a number of recognizable names, many top Starfleet brass and even some Federation politicians. The datebook includes official meetings, trips and conferences, as well as social affairs such as dinners, parties and weekend visits. As Comptroller General, Hardin sits on the Board of Admiralty, and has been known to rub elbows with a lot of VIPs.

Ebling says, choosing her words carefully, "The Vice Admiral is a widower and has two grown children. He has a taste for the finer things in life, I would have to say, including food, drink and entertainment. His personality when not in public is really no different from when he is; he is quiet, considerate, experienced and hard-working. I have not spoken to his doctor, but it seemed to me that he was simply exhausted and, well, feeling his age when we arrived here. I know of no particular dealings between the Hwuen and either the Vice Admiral or Starfleet that would have any bearing on OC3."

Frustrated and impatient, Kylah decides there is little to be gained by talking to Ebling at this point; the aide will not divulge anything useful until permitted to by Starfleet. And she has only known him for eight months, Kylah remembers. I cannot expect her to know much about his history with Wilson or WR&R unless it is something that is likely classified.

Before she leaves, she does ask one further question. "And what about his relationships, Lt. Cmdr. Ebling? Romantic or otherwise? Who are his closest connections?"

Ebling hesitates before saying, "There was a woman he often saw in San Francisco, Elisa Hill. She was divorced a few years ago and they seemed to enjoy each others' company - dinner, plays, vids, occasional weekend trips. He has several close friends, inside Starfleet and out, perhaps a half-dozen people or so. He knows many more, hundreds if not thousands of others, from his work, of course."

Rangin nods and gathers all the tricorders to make the necessary adjustments, all the while roughly counting down the time in his head as to how long they have left before they move out.

Kylah bites down on her tongue, staring keenly at the other woman. The hesitations, the awkwardness, the careful parsing of responses... they are adding up to something, but Kylah cannot fathom what it might be. She is more and more concerned that either Hardin's misdeeds indicate corruption woven into the very fabric of Starfleet, or that Starfleet has suspected Hardin was crooked for some time, but did not bother to let anyone in the Yorktown know, willfully leaving the team on the planet with a criminal apparently capable of violence.

Neither reflects well on Starfleet. And neither would be a surprise to Kylah. Just as this line of questioning seems to be no surprise to Ebling, who remains extraordinarily incurious as to why Kylah is probing into her boss's background.

"I see," Kylah says coolly. "I thank you for your cooperation, Lt. Cmdr. Ebling, as far as you have been able to cooperate, at any rate," she says, and then glances at Garcia. "Unless my colleague has some questions, I must leave to attend to other business while you wait for a response from Starfleet."

She will wait to see if Garcia has anything to add; if not, or when he's through, Kylah thanks the security officers and asks them to keep in touch if anything unusual occurs. But before she leaves, she turns around. "Oh... I beg your pardon, Lt. Cmdr. Ebling, I just wondered... you are fairly new to working for Vice Admiral Hardin. Who was his previous aide, why did he or she leave? For that matter, where did you work before, and what led you to work for him?"

Ebling says, "Before my assignment to the Vice Admiral's staff, I served aboard the USS Minsk, a light cruiser often on convoy duty along the Orion frontier. Hardin's previous flag aide was Cmdr. Frederick Boulton, who was then assigned to the Cavour as First Officer. I had asked for a posting to Starfleet Command some time ago, and this was what they gave me. But can you tell me now, Ensign, why you've been asking all these questions?"

Garcia has no questions for her.

Kylah is extraordinarily tempted to say, I am sorry, I will need permission from my superior officer before I can tell you anything further. But pettiness will get her nowhere.

Besides, in the unlikely chance that Ebling is a co-conspirator with Hardin, nothing Kylah reveals will be a surprise. Once he set off that stun field, Hardin had at least ten minutes free in which he could have consulted with Ebling before Graham awoke and ordered the crew to bring the flag aide into a secure room.

"Yes, Lieutenant Commander." Kylah keeps her tone neutral. "Our team has uncovered evidence accusing Vice Admiral Hardin of accepting under-the-table funds from Mr. Wilson--quite possibly extorting them, in fact--in order to obtain and maintain the WR&R license on OC3. Unfortunately, due to a very poor sense of timing on one of our officers' part, Ensign Graham and I were told of this evidence while in the middle of interviewing the Vice Admiral; he heard it just as we did. Before we could even question him, Hardin used some powerful form of technology to stun both Mr. Graham and me, leaving us unconscious for ten minutes. And he has fled the resort."

As ever, Kylah tries to gauge Ebling's emotional reactions, for all the good it will do her. She waits a moment for the woman to digest this information before adding: "Our crew is trying to locate him now, out there in the storm. We have no idea what tech or weapons he possesses. We have no idea what his options are as far as escape. We do not even know if the accusations about corruption are true.

"But he did attack me and Mr. Graham, with vicious aftereffects far worse than any stun I have ever heard about. Whether he is corrupt or not, much less Mr. Wilson's murderer, he has proven to be dangerous. And I repeat: our crew have been forced to follow him."

Kylah takes a step closer to Ebling, not aggressively but rather entreatingly. "If you know anything, if you can share any information that might protect others from getting hurt--including the Vice Admiral--I beg you to let me know."

Having delivered the tricorders Rangin waits to see if there is anything else he can do to help or if its just a few adjustments from Delaney that are erquired, in which case he wil stay out of the way.

What time of Day is it, I appear to have lost track from fun and games. It was 1203 at #2979, does that make it about 1pm-ish now?

Ebling appears genuinely shocked and upset by what Kylah tells her. "That's... that's terrible. I had no idea! I can't think of anything else that might protect others from him, or necessarily lead to his capture, but I have experience in Security. May I help your crew find him?"

Delaney distractedly nods his thanks to Rangin and keeps working.

It is now 1307 hours.

"Your offer is appreciated, sir," Kylah says, a trifle hesitantly. "But I think it would be best for you to remain here for now, especially if you possess information that may be of use once he is successfully taken into custody. We have multiple security officers already searching the grounds, as well as engineering and science officers with expertise in tracking..."

Her stomach tightens at the thought of Velir out there. "I--I do not think putting you at risk would be the wisest course of action. You have said Starfleet Command's permission is required in order for you to speak more freely, which makes me believe you know something that might help me with putting together the pieces of this investigation. Once that permission is granted, I must hear whatever details you have as soon as possible. Besides, you might be a valuable witness in a trial. All the more reason you must remain safe and protected from him--and from anyone else involved, if he is not acting on his own." Kylah rubs her cold hands together, even more anxious when considering the possibility of some as-yet-unknown threat. "I hope you understand, sir."

Graham mentally runs through the plan. Given that he feels pursuing Hardin is necessary, he’s eager to jump off: but he forces himself to be patient. Rangin’s contributed constructive ideas, Delaney’s got strong technical skills, and assuming the train isn’t going off the rails somehow with Ensign Kylah she’s most likely to get something out of further interviews. A minute or two to enable the whole team to contribute—or even just feel as if they are contributing, all things considered—seems, on balance, worth it.

Plus I volunteered to be first in the door, he thinks, imagining it would be par for the course on this mission to barge in on a waiting Hardin with his finger on the headache-making device….

Barring any further protests by Ebling--and even if there are, Kylah will remain staunch in her decision--Kylah moves toward the door, where she very quietly asks Nelson and Russell to make certain the flag aide remains in place, and to take note... unobtrusively... of any communications she makes. With a final expression of gratitude toward everyone she is leaving behind, Kylah leaves Room 316, waiting for Garcia to accompany her.

As they head toward the elevator, she picks up her communicator to contact Mr. Hsu (going through the receptionist, if that is necessary). While she waits to connect, she glances up at her fellow Communications officer, wondering what he is thinking. He is a colleague, and a skilled one to boot. I should have asked his advice earlier, she thinks regretfully. I am as bad as Collins and Graham.

"Do you... do you think I was right, sir? In turning down Ebling's offer? I am fairly confident she meant it sincerely, but both for her own safety and that of our crew, I did not think another body running around in the storm would be helpful. Especially since she seems to hold important information. And there is still a small chance she is not all she claims to be..."

Once Hsu responds to her call, Kylah will ask him whether he has any updates on the headcount--his plan to ask guests and staff to check in using their thumbprint IDs. She wants very much to know whether anyone is unaccounted for.

Ebling nods reluctantly. "I suppose that makes sense. All right, I will remain here. Thank you, Ensign, and good luck."

Russell and Nelson acknowledge Kylah's request and will comply. Garcia says, outside of their and Ebling's hearing, "I think that was the right call, Mr. Kylah. Probably best that she not be out in harm's way, hunting her former boss, you know?"

Delaney keeps working hard on the tricorders. He is done with the first and working on a second.

Hsu replies to Kylah: "We've worked our way through most of the guests and all of the staff. So far, everyone's present and accounted for. Should have a final answer in the next 20 minutes or so, if all goes well."

Kylah nods as she enters the elevator. "Thank you, Mr. Hsu. However, if you please, rather than wait until you are through, I would like to be informed as soon as possible if someone has not checked in. That may be twenty minutes, or it may be five. The faster information is passed along, the better, I am sure you will agree." She pauses, remembering the flickering lights. "What is the status of the resort's power, Mr. Hsu? The storm seems to be affecting the lights. Is there a danger of losing power altogether? Is there a backup plan?"

When the elevator reaches the ground floor Kylah quickens her pace toward the CP. Distracted, it takes Kylah a few moments to realize belatedly that Garcia has responded to her. She gives him a fleeting grateful smile, relieved that she might have done the right thing. She looks around the corridors as she walks, curious to see whether the guests have all been herded into their rooms or if they are still walking around.

Rangin watches what Delaney is doing and decides that given the time and complexity of what Lt Delaney is doing that staying quiet and helping out where he can is the better option. If Lt Delaney, he would surely ask.

There are still quite a few people in the hallways and public areas of the resort, Kylah notices. Hsu says, "So far, we can't be sure if a guest is just somewhere unexpected or unplanned. We haven't ordered everyone to return to their rooms, but we could, if Starfleet asks. The resort is powered by a fusion reactor. Its operation is unaffected by the storm, but the transmission grid is definitely under some strain. It's been this bad before, but not often."

Rangin can see that what Delaney is doing is pretty complex and beyond his own technical skills.

Looking up reflexively at any light fixtures as she continues walking, Kylah offers a silent prayer that things do not go from bad to worse. "I will check with our Security to see what they recommend as far as keeping people in one place. Should the power go out, having anxious people roaming around in the dark--aside from what little natural light we are getting from outside--could add one more unnecessary element of chaos we do not need. What is your instinct on this matter, Mr. Hsu?"

A thought strikes her. "I do not know if you have received instructions from Ensign Graham, and if you have then they will supersede my own. But I wonder if you think it a good idea to station security guards at entrances to the resort? At least, any place that might be a likely spot for Hardin to enter, should he double back here. I understand your team's resources may already be stretched to capacity, and this may not be possible."

Once she reaches the CP, she presses her thumb on the pad to access the room.

Hsu says, somewhat reluctantly, "I'm willing to order everyone to their rooms if Starfleet requests it, as I said, but I'm afraid it might do more harm than good. We definitely want to avoid a panic. Let me check with Mrs. Hsu. My staff is also definitely stretched to the limit - I only have eight people, and they're all out counting heads right now."

Garcia and Kylah reach the CP and the door opens at her thumbprint. No one is in there.

There is a long roll of thunder from outside, and the lights dim briefly.

The brief taste of darkness quickens Kylah's breathing. Distracted, she nods at Hsu's words, then realizes there's no point in nodding to herself. "Of course, Mr. Hsu, I know your security team is minimal. Perhaps staff members from elsewhere in the resort could assist in the head count, allowing your guards to do what they are best suited for--protecting your guests? Something to consider, at any rate. I will let you get back to your work now. Thank you." She shuts her communicator and looks around the CP.

The room looks bleak, the empty chairs a kind of rebuke: while the others are in danger, Kylah has hidden herself here, where the only danger is likely eye strain.

With a sigh, she sits down at the terminal she has arbitrarily considered 'hers' since the CP was set up. The magnitude of her self-imposed task seems overwhelming. To re-examine all the notes and data from the past two days...

Kylah shifts her gaze to her colleague. "Sir, I wonder, if you would not mind... Could you contact Lieutenant Thalen for me? He had assigned some officers the job of looking through guest correspondence and financial data, and they might have nearly finished by now. The guest correspondence is likely a dead end, given what we now know about Hardin, but nevertheless, we should not make any assumptions. We may have proof of his corruption, but for murder... I find it hard to believe he acted alone. So if Lt. Thalen and the others have found anything, perhaps you could--"

She cuts herself off and flushes. "I am sorry, it is not for me to give you orders, Lieutenant. I will be re-reading all our notes. All the data has been shared, so if you wish to look at it as well, I would be extremely grateful for your expertise and fresh viewpoint. I know there are angles we did not pursue, questions we did not ask. We must find them, and get the answers."

Kylah's fingers tap the computer even as she speaks. Her mind is going back to the start of the mission, the Yorktown's initial approach to OC3 and the other ships in orbit. For some reason she flashes on Delaney dropping his datapad at the mere sight of the Chariot. If they had known what Fastolfe's presence on the planet would mean...

And then the first unanswered question pops into existence. She opens up a new file and jots it down. For that, I will have to ask Mrs. Hsu, she considers. There will probably be several questions to ask Mattie Hsu, and there is no point in contacting her for each one individually. Kylah purses her lips and then starts scrolling through the numerous notes and evidence collected since they arrived.

Rangin looks up from where Lt Delaney is working into the outside storm and shudders.

Rangin can remember the last time he did something this foolish, feel the rain on him again, hear the Chief's voice again...

Hsu says, "I actually do have some non-Security folks who I know are especially trustworthy already helping with the headcount. Hope to have a final answer for you soon."

Garcia smiles and says, "You've been at this investigation longer than I have, Mr. Kylah, so I'm glad to follow your lead. Don't worry about rank; I know I don't. I'll contact Lt. Thalen to see what's up." Thalen soon reports that their review of guest correspondence and financial data has not revealed anything confirming any improper dealings by either Wilson or Hardin.

Kylah nods her thanks to Garcia, both before and after he contacts Thalen for her. She is not surprised by the results of the correspondence/data search, but disappointed and a bit embarrassed to have wasted her colleagues' time.

After a little while of refreshing her memory by reading through some of the material, including the depositions from the nightclub witnesses, Kylah gathers a list of questions that are primarily appropriate for the Hsus--particularly Mrs. Hsu, but not solely.

Kylah leans on her elbow and absently gnaws at a thumbnail in thought. She would really rather speak to the woman in person, since her ability to assess emotions is greatly hampered by mere voice communications. Not that her empathic abilities have been of great use at all in this mission--if anything, they have been a detriment. Still, it is her only real advantage, considering her lack of experience or technical knowledge, not to mention her poor track record with interviews here at the resort.

She hesitates, then contacts Mr. Hsu again. "I am sorry to bother you, Mr. Hsu. But I have a few questions after looking over the findings you and Lt. Delaney made regarding the transporter logs and power surges. There seem to be some anomalies on which I would appreciate your opinion.

"You reported yesterday afternoon that the transporter logs had been erased as late as 0500 that morning--in other words, only four and a half hours after the murder--but also going back as far as forty-eight hours earlier." Kylah lifts a finger and touches the screen as she reads the notes. "It was as if the transporter didn't exist for the past two days. What I do not understand is why this would be necessary. What could have happened two days--no, now it is three days ago--that someone would have wanted to hide? None of the people whom we have been focusing on, including Admiral Hardin, were even here back then."

She skips ahead in her notes. "Further, this actually ties together with the findings of the Yorktown engineers who examined the transporter traces in Lord Fastolfe's house this morning. One engineer dated the signals as having originated from three to six days prior to the scan--or, when consulting with a transporter specialist, the date was narrowed to perhaps two to four days. While they said themselves it is not an exact science, that is still a rather large discrepancy, when if we are to understand things, the knives were actually taken fewer than thirty-six hours before the signals were scanned--and Fastolfe was not even on the planet at the earliest time frame they gave me."

Kylah shakes her head and looks at Garcia, wondering if he finds this as odd as she does. "What do you make of this, Mr. Hsu? Should we be looking more closely at people who were here at the very least two days ago? Would Mrs. Hsu be the correct person to ask about the manifests regarding who arrived at that time?"

Graham notices the lights flicker. He’s mostly agnostic as to whether the resort’s power stays on or not: the cameras are marginally useful at best in the Sandoval colony, and, in fact, given the illicit and unauthorized use of the resort’s transporters he’d just as well they be offline for the time being. He continues to give Delaney time to work above and beyond an arbitrary 5 minute deadline.

For a moment, he closes his eyes and his mind wanders. Isn’t it ironic to be at resort and thinking ‘I need a vacation,’ he thinks. Then ‘I wonder where Bennett likes to vacation.’


He remembers the perfume and charging into the face of the unknown in the Sandoval colony buildings abruptly feels much easier than giving her the gift back on the ship

Hsu says, "I wondered about that myself. I suspect that Hardin - if it was him, as certainly seems likely now - wanted to muddy the waters a bit, and not make it obvious that whoever was tampering with the records and other systems had arrived with the Yorktown or one of the other ships that same day. It would force us to cast our net a bit more broadly, if all the problems or suspicious activity didn't start right then. You're welcome to contact my wife, but I'd be glad to access the guest and staff lists for you as to whoever arrived in that timeframe, or have one of our people in Guest Services do so."

Delaney finishes with the second tricorder and picks up a third.

Kylah scowls at the terminal. "Yes, I thought that might have been the case with the data logs--it would have obscured our hunt somewhat." If we had ever noticed the discrepancy, she thinks, wondering that Delaney did not spot it. "But the transporter signals themselves... I cannot see how they could have been faked, can you?" Her eyes scan down the notes on the screen. "And the transporter power surges are also odd. The murder occurred at approximately 00.30. The power surges began after that, a full hour later. That makes no sense, given the knives were supposedly part of that activity. And besides, why such a long delay before the body was moved?"

She sighs. "I know it is not fair to ask so many questions, Mr. Hsu, but none of the other investigators on my team are available. I am just wondering if it is possible there is more to this than one seventy-year-old man performing all these activities. The whole plan seems to vacillate between premeditation--Hardin having brought some sort of technology that would get rid of the spore effects--and pure serendipity, such as Fastolfe's attack on Wilson and having brought along multiple knives. And why did Hardin steal so many of the knives when only one was needed? There is just... too much that makes no sense. It seems too convoluted for one person to have accomplished, does it not?"

Kylah pushes her chair back and ponders how to best phrase the issue about Mrs. Hsu. "I would like to speak to your wife personally, if that is all right. It has been a while and I think, as the only representative left from the team, I should make the effort to see how she is doing," she improvises.

Hsu shrugs. "A person doesn't become the top finance guy for Starfleet without having something on the ball, I suppose. I haven't seen anything yet to suggest that anyone other than Hardin is responsible for the murder and coverup... attempted coverup. He planned some things, but others may have been useful happenstance. But by all means, contact Mrs. Hsu."

Kylah's frown deepens, but she just thanks Hsu and shuts her communicator before looking at Garcia. "Sometimes I wonder about security officers' brains. Hsu says there is nothing to suggest anyone other than Hardin is guilty of the murder. I have not seen anything to suggest that Hardin himself is guilty of the murder. Corruption, yes. Wishing to flee a charge that would lead to an arrest, certainly. But we still have seen no actual reason for him to kill Wilson. A vague motive and technical knowledge are not exclusive to the Vice Admiral. Meanwhile, Hsu also considers it happenstance that on the very day Hardin allegedly planned to murder Wilson, he is suddenly presented with the gift of Fastolfe--someone with a motive, a large set of knives, and a very public argument--all on a silver platter ready to frame. Happenstance," Kylah repeats dryly. "I do not think Rosemary Calvin would dare write something so coincidental in one of her mysteries. And he says nothing about the transporter signals that could not have been faked."

Standing up, she moves to the door. "I must speak with Mrs. Hsu face to face, and it... it may need to be private, at least partially. Perhaps you should stay here and look through the data to familiarize yourself with the case?"

Garcia nods. "All right... unless you think you might be in any danger, going off by yourself?"

Kylah raises an eyebrow. "I have been told Hardin is the tactical genius and astonishingly fit physical specimen who planned and executed this by himself. So whom should I fear?" she asks dryly.

But she turns sober, taking Garcia's concern more to heart. "In all likelihood the danger lurks outside, not here in the hotel. I do believe there must have been someone assisting Hardin, but... if so, he--or she--is probably the very person Hardin went to meet when he fled to the Sandoval Colony. I would not be surprised if there were a cloaked ship somewhere. How else could he hope to escape?"

Pausing, Kylah looks at the door for a moment. "If I were to suspect anyone in particular, it would be the Hwuen, Prolun Jaxo. He lied multiple times during our interview--I know he was not upfront about whether he was still affected by the spores. Most of all, he and Hardin seemed to be in collusion about something, and at this point there is no reason to believe anything Hardin told us about his dealings with the Hwuen. My point is, the Jaxo and his cohorts are either already with Hardin, in which case our colleagues must face them..." Her throat tightens at the frightening thought, and she clears it before continuing. "Or more likely still in their private residence. Not in the resort itself. In any event, I am just going up to the administrative offices. I am sure Mr. Hsu has those areas well protected."

She turns back to Garcia. "But thank you, I do appreciate your concern. While you are reading, if I may suggest one area in particular to focus on, it would be the witness statements. There are many of them, and while I have found two curiosities there--one of which seems to have been proven correct, as it involved Hardin--I may have missed still more. If you find anything unusual or illuminating, please let me know."

Giving him a small smile, she heads out to the corridor. Although Kylah expects no trouble, she is not completely foolhardy: one hand is firmly grasping her phaser.

Rangin notices Lt Delaney and thinks to himself, he's going to try and convert them all. There is doing a full job and then there is doing work so as not to get wet.

Rangin crouches down by the Engineering Lt and asks, "Sir, if we have two devices which can give us a fair chance of a warning, perhaps if we carried them, we could at least give a warning to the others when the tricorders alert. Is it really necessary to convert all of them while Hardin is still out there preparing?"

Garcia nods and turns to his computer terminal.

Delaney looks up distractedly and says, "I thought he'd want them all, so I'm converting them all. The Security detail might not remain in just two groups. It's his call, though."

Graham can't fully overhear what Rangin and Delaney are talking about, but after noticing his own mind wander he worries the Security team in particular will lose focus if they delay further. "Lt. Delaney--have you gotten the minimum necessary... uh, stuff... in place? If so, let's move out."

Delaney turns from Rangin and says, "I've modified two tricorders to serve as lightning-strike alarms, and was going to do the rest, if you want, Mr. Graham."

Kylah heads to the administrative offices but her thoughts remain with her colleagues. They must have left by now. Already soaked by the rain, probably cold, almost certainly alert and on edge. Is she a coward for deserting them? Her lungs feel tight as she contemplates the harsh truth. I was afraid and useless. No, not was, I still am. What good am I here?

She cannot tell if she is imagining the sound of rain and thunder from the storm, or if she can actually hear it from these corridors. Her mind might be playing guilty tricks on her. She closes her eyes for a few seconds and stands still, trying to picture Velir, to feel his warm presence as if she can really reach out to him at such a distance, which she believes is impossible--at least, she has never been able to connect emotionally with someone so far away before.

Nevertheless she tries to reassure herself by invoking the memory of what it is like to stand beside this calm, composed, rational being. He will not take pointless risks. He will look out for the others and himself. Velir is no coward, unlike Kylah, but he will do his best to ensure that Graham and the other security crew members do not behave like wild, impetuous beasts.

What would he expect of her? He would want her to do her best. To find the truth. More than Hsu or possibly even Graham, Velir cares about the entire process, that things follow a logical progression. No matter what Hsu says, there must be more than a mere assumption that Hardin is responsible for Wilson's death--there must be proof. And if there is not, perhaps someone else is to blame. Hsu is willing to believe the extraordinary coincidence of Hardin wanting Wilson dead and Fastolfe conveniently providing him the means that very day; why not then believe in the possible coincidence of Hardin being guilty of corruption, but someone else guilty of murder?

No matter what, some evidence must exist somewhere, and since Kylah has taken herself out of the most dangerous part of the mission, she must back her team up by assisting them in this way: to make sure that if--when--they capture Hardin, there will be something substantial to prove him guilty.

Oh please, Kylah prays as she nears Mrs. Hsu's office, Please let me accomplish at least that much!

"Let's go with what we have in hand, lieutenant," Graham replies. "One for each group."

Mrs. Hsu is in her office and invites Kylah in. She looks worried. "Any news, Ensign?" she asks.

"All right, sir," Delaney says, holding out the two modified tricorders to Graham.

Rangin waits to see who Graham passes the tricorders out to, and the nerves begin to start again as the time to move out gets that little bit closer.

"All right, S-C, you're all about speed, Gelili you're about marksmanship, so tricorder one is with me. Rangin, you probably actually know what rondo with this thing so number two is with you. Let's get this show on the road."

Kylah greets Mrs. Hsu. "I do have some questions for you, but I understand that you need to be made aware of the situation. Of course, I do not know much Mr. Hsu has told you," she says carefully. "So before I begin, perhaps you can tell me what you know thus far, so I need not repeat things unnecessarily."