Beg, Steal or Borrow – A New Start
by Lieutenant Vincent Tan
Post Details
Admiral Xelec Uhlan, newly appointed commanding officer of the experimental Thor-A sank into his chair, a glass of whiskey in one hand and a data PADD in the other. His workload was starting to pick up. Not only was his baby, the Tesla anti-matter containment field, about to be tested for the first time in the field, Starfleet Admiralty had left him a rather delicate assignment. But Xelec was a patient and resourceful man and he had sent for one of his most trusted officers. The door chimed to announce his man's arrival. "Enter," Xelec said, sipping his whiskey.
"You asked for me, sir?" Dr. Vincent Tan asked, much like a schoolboy would when called to the headmaster's office. He had been doing a decent job, he thought, on the USS Lively as her Executive Officer and his being recalled by Admiral Uhlan had come as quite as surprise.
"Please sit, Commander Tan," Xelec gestured to an empty chair. "How was the trip home?"
With a grateful nod, Vincent took his seat. "It was rather nice, thank you," he replied, summing up his recent shoreleave on Earth. "The children are growing up, especially Sophie..."
"Ah," Xelec nodded, recognising the name of Vincent's firstborn. "She'll be in high school now?"
"Yes, sir," Vincent replied, guardedly. What was this old Andorian getting at? Ordering Vincent to come all this way to inquire about the family?
"Red suits you," Admiral Uhlan said, gesturing towards Vincent's collar. "And the pips are well deserved, commander."
"Thank you, sir," Vincent said. "It would not have been possible without your assistance."
"Nonsense! You were bound to get there someday, you just needed a reminder, that's all!" Xelec said, raising his glass. "And besides, I wouldn't even have this life if it was not for you and your surgical skills!"
Vincent modestly bowed his head. "I'm sure you did not ask me all this way to talk about the surgery you had twenty years ago."
"Always could read my mind, couldn't you, Vincent?" Xelec sighed. "I need you to do a job for me. A rather delicate job, mind you. You can't tell your family. No one can know who you really are or what you've really done. I need you to gather some information for me. I need you to be my spy."
Vincent was silent as these words sunk in. He knew he could not refuse. After all the two of them had been through, he knew that Admiral Uhlan would only ask him to take such a risk on a matter of great importance. "What sort of information, Xelec?"
Xelec nodded and handed Vincent the data PADD. "I need you to go to Deep Space 5. It's a small station near the Romulan border. Starfleet believes that a member or several members of the senior staff there may be compromised. Funds have gone missing and, more importantly, information about shipping movements has found its way into the hands of pirates operating in the area. I need you to be my eyes and ears in DS5 and ascertain the veracity of these allegations. I don't need to tell you how important this is to the Federation, Commander."
"Why me, Admiral? I'm just a doctor who just passed command school. Surely someone from Starfleet Intelligence or..."
Xelec cut him off. "I believe - and Starfleet Command and Admiralty agrees - that this should be kept as inhouse as possible. I trust you, Vincent. You saved my life, remember?" Xelec sighed, saddened that in his entire life he had so few people he could completely trust in such a manner. "Besides, I was given free reign over who I selected to crew the Thor. I can provide an acceptable excuse to your family and friends for your absence."
Again, Vincent bowed his head. "When do I start?"
"You will travel with us to Deep Space 5. For conventience, you'll keep your name but be disguised as a junior Lieutenant specialising in Strategic Operations. No one on the base should know your true identity, or your true mission. Blend in and keep an ear out."
"A forty-six year old junior Lieutenant who used to be a doctor? Even I find that had to believe!" Vincent said.
"It's as high as we could go without drawing undue attention," Xelec explained. Pointing to the PADD, he added, "We've got a whole fake service history for you as well. I suggest you use the next few days to acqauint yourself with, well, yourself."
Xelec leaned back, sipping his whiskey, as he observed his protege process the information. He could sense that next few weeks were going to be interesting.
by Lieutenant Vincent Tan
Post Details
| Title | A New Start | |
| Mission | Beg, Steal or Borrow | |
| Author(s) | Lieutenant Vincent Tan | |
| Posted | Wed Apr 15, 2009 @ 12:10pm | |
| Location | Ready Room, USS Thor-A | |
| Timeline | A few days ago |
"You asked for me, sir?" Dr. Vincent Tan asked, much like a schoolboy would when called to the headmaster's office. He had been doing a decent job, he thought, on the USS Lively as her Executive Officer and his being recalled by Admiral Uhlan had come as quite as surprise.
"Please sit, Commander Tan," Xelec gestured to an empty chair. "How was the trip home?"
With a grateful nod, Vincent took his seat. "It was rather nice, thank you," he replied, summing up his recent shoreleave on Earth. "The children are growing up, especially Sophie..."
"Ah," Xelec nodded, recognising the name of Vincent's firstborn. "She'll be in high school now?"
"Yes, sir," Vincent replied, guardedly. What was this old Andorian getting at? Ordering Vincent to come all this way to inquire about the family?
"Red suits you," Admiral Uhlan said, gesturing towards Vincent's collar. "And the pips are well deserved, commander."
"Thank you, sir," Vincent said. "It would not have been possible without your assistance."
"Nonsense! You were bound to get there someday, you just needed a reminder, that's all!" Xelec said, raising his glass. "And besides, I wouldn't even have this life if it was not for you and your surgical skills!"
Vincent modestly bowed his head. "I'm sure you did not ask me all this way to talk about the surgery you had twenty years ago."
"Always could read my mind, couldn't you, Vincent?" Xelec sighed. "I need you to do a job for me. A rather delicate job, mind you. You can't tell your family. No one can know who you really are or what you've really done. I need you to gather some information for me. I need you to be my spy."
Vincent was silent as these words sunk in. He knew he could not refuse. After all the two of them had been through, he knew that Admiral Uhlan would only ask him to take such a risk on a matter of great importance. "What sort of information, Xelec?"
Xelec nodded and handed Vincent the data PADD. "I need you to go to Deep Space 5. It's a small station near the Romulan border. Starfleet believes that a member or several members of the senior staff there may be compromised. Funds have gone missing and, more importantly, information about shipping movements has found its way into the hands of pirates operating in the area. I need you to be my eyes and ears in DS5 and ascertain the veracity of these allegations. I don't need to tell you how important this is to the Federation, Commander."
"Why me, Admiral? I'm just a doctor who just passed command school. Surely someone from Starfleet Intelligence or..."
Xelec cut him off. "I believe - and Starfleet Command and Admiralty agrees - that this should be kept as inhouse as possible. I trust you, Vincent. You saved my life, remember?" Xelec sighed, saddened that in his entire life he had so few people he could completely trust in such a manner. "Besides, I was given free reign over who I selected to crew the Thor. I can provide an acceptable excuse to your family and friends for your absence."
Again, Vincent bowed his head. "When do I start?"
"You will travel with us to Deep Space 5. For conventience, you'll keep your name but be disguised as a junior Lieutenant specialising in Strategic Operations. No one on the base should know your true identity, or your true mission. Blend in and keep an ear out."
"A forty-six year old junior Lieutenant who used to be a doctor? Even I find that had to believe!" Vincent said.
"It's as high as we could go without drawing undue attention," Xelec explained. Pointing to the PADD, he added, "We've got a whole fake service history for you as well. I suggest you use the next few days to acqauint yourself with, well, yourself."
Xelec leaned back, sipping his whiskey, as he observed his protege process the information. He could sense that next few weeks were going to be interesting.