A Different Kind of Skullduggery - Part 5

Posted on Sat Mar 22nd, 2025 @ 1:34am by Lieutenant Commander Rebecca Bluegarden & Gert'Rudd Barkh & Lieutenant Freya Michaud & Tekina
Edited on on Sat Mar 22nd, 2025 @ 1:35am

1,435 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Season 1, Episode 2: War, Peace, And All That Jazz
Location: Deck 18
Timeline: immediately following Part 4

Previously, on Star Trek: Deep Space K-9:

Stepping up to a door that looked like it was made from wood, Michaud waited patiently for it to telescope open and admit them entry to the main audience chamber. She leaned in to Bluegarden, 'a bit different, huh?'

"I'd say so..." Rebecca whispered back, deciding to leave her opinions on the Eifie thus far at that.

And now, the conclusion:

As the door irised open, Michaud stepped through to the airy, light-filled reception room for ambassadorial recipients. She looked at Bluegarden again and nodded towards the center of the space, 'they'll ask us to drag some chairs to the center in a minute. I'd suggest we not bother, the audience shouldn't be as long this time.'

A door at the side of the chamber opened and out stepped Ambassador Tekina, who at a considerably late point in her gestation was now being assisted by two of her personal aides.

"Greetings, Lieutenant Michaud," she nodded to Freya before shifting her attention over to Rebecca. "And I take it that you are the new First Officer of this station that my guards speak of?"

"Word travels fast, Ambassador." Rebecca said, her eyes naturally lowering to Tekina's abdomen. "My, oh my, you are very pregnant."

"Indeed I am," the Ambassador smiled as she was helped into her chair. "The child of whom I bear within me is our gift from the greater Eifie peoples- a gesture of unity between ourselves, the Federation, and the Reich."

"Well, Ambassador, the Reich would certainly beg to differ right now..." Rebecca responded, deciding to cut through the formalities and get to the point.

Tekina blinked in surprise. "Are you insinuating the possibility that the Reich is considering withdrawing from the summit?" she asked with a look of concern.

"Oh, dear;" Rebecca muttered under her breath. "Ambassador, have you spoken to your Rheuysian counterpart? Like, at all? Because they're leveling some pretty serious accusations against y'all."

Tekina's expression visibly paled. "Whatever for?" she asked, evidently confirming to Rebecca that this was news to her.

Michaud threw a side-long glance at her Commander, then back to the Ambassador. It was a little incredulous to her that the Eifie were wholly unaware of the accusations against them. 'Madame Ambassador you can't seriously be telling us that you're entirely unaware that the Rheuysian regime is holding your government responsible for the assassination of their Kaiser?' What kind of hippy-dip organisation do they have running things? she thought to herself angrily. How have I gotten dragged in to some diplomatic nonsense between space queens and hippies? Just give me some science!

"Assassination?!" Tekina gasped. "Commander, surely there must be a mistake; we are peaceful people, and have been for three hundred years now! We wouldn't have the audacity to assassinate the political figurehead of society whom we've known for barely a decade!"

"Well, if this is all just a big misunderstanding, perhaps you can clear the air on what your Rheuysian counterpart just showed us:" Rebecca said. "Closed circuit security video of a man she described as being biologically Eifie exiting from a maintenance level after committing the crime. Claims that this man was hereby tracked to Umbra- an Eifie world, where the trail went cold."

Tekina seemed mortified at the allegations. "There must be some mistake, Commander; we are very protective of our male population, and would never allow them to commit such an unspeakable atrocity-!"

"Yet, you allowed at least one to work maintenance on a space station for a people that would later join the Reich?" Rebecca countered. "Apologies if I don't take your words at face value here, but it seems awfully suspicious that if y'all are highly protective of your male population, y'all wouldn't allow them to go and find work."

Tekina shook her head. "In so far as I understand our breeding policies, Commander, we do not allow our males outside of Republic domain, for fear of contamination; it seems highly impractical to me that a male could somehow receive government sponsorship to work outside of our borders."

Michaud wished she had a tricorder and the ability to scan the Eifie. The scientist strongly felt that both sides were playing a game here. It was obvious that neither side was telling the truth, but diplomatic niceties meant they had to dance around it, rather than get to the heart of the issue.

Meanwhile, the security and law enforcement-trained Rebecca was effectively turning this 'meeting' into a police interrogation. One plus one wasn't equaling two, and Rebecca needed to know why if she was going to do her job effectively.

"So, exactly what I thought you'd say." Rebecca confirmed, before picking up on a key word that the ambassador had used. "Except, you used impractical, but not impossible. Which leaves open the possibility of something like this happening."

Tekina bowed her head. "While a part of me would like to believe that's not true," she sighed, "in the interests of maintaining my integrity as an ambassador, I must be open to the possibility that one of our own may harbor ill will towards the Reich. But that does not mitigate the fact that what the accused has done is inexcusable, and a detriment to our socioeconomic relations with the Reich."

She glanced up. "Provided it is within your power to do so, Commander, I wish to review any evidence that the Rheuysians have brought forward. If we are accountable for this atrocity, then it falls on us to owe up to our shortcomings and bring this criminal to justice."

"Well, Ambassador:" Rebecca responded. "That may have to wait until your Rheuysian counterpart has calmed down. Ambassador Barkh kicked us out of the Rheuysian embassy, and I doubt I'll be able to smooth things over before the talks begin. So, this might have to wait unless you wish to speak directly with Barkh."

Tekina's eyes widened with horror. "She kicked you out?!"

'They're a very forthright people,' Michaud said neutrally, 'and they did not appreciate my tone.' She chewed her lip for a moment then looked to Bluegarden, then Tekina and asked the Ambassador. 'Is there a possibility that some of your people do not think that it's of benefit to treat with the Rheuysians as your are? And that they've withheld that information from you?'

"There are a few naysayers as to our alliance with the Reich- mainly due to their... questionable ethics- but we have carefully deliberated on this matter and determined this alliance to be of utmost necessity," Tekina insisted. "The Klingon Empire is on our front doorstep, Lieutenant; Neither Eifie nor Rheuysian could even remotely hope to hold our own against them."

"Well, Ambassador; your government definitely has the right mindset." Rebecca said. "My previous assignment got into some entanglements with the Klingons, and for what it's worth, the benefits of being a part of an organization that has known the Empire for far longer than y'all have been capable of warp flight far outweigh the costs."

Michaud nodded, 'it would seem that the Eifie are particularly suited to Federation membership, and the benefits that come with it.'

"While inevitable that a few compromises will have to be made in the name of diplomacy, considering that the alternative is complete subjugation and revocation of our basic liberties, it's a small price for our people to pay," Tekina nodded in agreement. "And if it necessitates the apprehension of the accused, then I shall do whatever is in my given duty to do so."

"I'm sure your full cooperation will put the Reich at ease." Rebecca nodded. "Well, thank you for your time, Ambassador: I'll see what I can do to talk the Rheuysians into sharing the evidence they have compiled."

"The pleasure is all mine, Commander," Tekina replied. "And thank you for bringing this matter to my attention; it would seem I have a few matters to address before the talks can begin."

Rebecca gave Michaud a glance as she mentioned the Rheuysians. No disrespect, but it might be better if Rebecca revisited Barkh alone.

'Oh you have no objections from me,' Michaud barked a laugh. 'I'm hoping to steer clear of them for a few hours at least.'

A mission post by

Lieutenant Commander Rebecca Bluegarden
First Officer
Chief Security Officer

Lieutenant Freya Michaud
Chief Science Officer

Gert'Rudd Barkh
Rheuysian Ambassador

Tekina
Eifie Ambassador

 

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