Refractions: Strong Suspicions
Posted on 07 Jun 2024 @ 10:30pm by Commander Calliope Zahn & Senior Deputy Marshal: Sven-Erik Lofthammer - FMS
Edited on on 07 Jun 2024 @ 10:32pm
Mission:
M4 - Falling Out
Location: Pathfinder - en route to the station
Timeline: MD25
1421 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure
It was a short corridor that funneled back to the interview room. Commander Zahn trailed the parade while one junior officer on guard, leading the procession, had unlocked the door and stood to one side. Lofthammer directed the Andorian to go ahead inside and have a seat. He hung back just outside the door waiting for the Commander to catch up.
“What was that?” Calliope asked, under her breath.
“Number seven hauled off and hit the Ensign when we were moving prisoners. They all seemed primed for their chance. Don’t think it was planned, just watched for.” Of course, he’d been watching for it, too.
“You shot them all?”
“Three of ‘em, I shot three.” Sven replayed the order in his head as it had unfolded. Point blank on the Nausicaan as he spun around on him, then prisoner number seven in the back just as he was wresting the phaser from the ensign he’d hit with the halfway applied mag cuffs, then as the Orion had been diving for him, he’d swiveled his gun arm back and pegged him dead center in the chest. All in the space of a breath. “Crewman Alzond clipped the Bajoran.” The Orion, the Bajoran, and the Nausicaan had all honed in on Lofthammer, he knew, because in their thinking, if they could take the biggest man in the room, they’d gain the upperhand, and the junior officers would have been hostages. It was dumb on all of their parts. But they were desperate and attempts like that were to be expected.
“You sure you don’t want to just watch this interview from the feed in the office?” He asked, his voice low.
“No, especially not this one.”
Calliope saw the hint of agreement in Sven’s eyes and she suspected, since he’d seen the same file, that he already knew her reasons. When they had gotten back a match on the Andorian’s biometrics, Oremmu Sh’azikress was a name Calliope had seen before, even though she’d seemed to go by Jamie among her newest ‘friends’. Sh’azi’s hadn’t been the only familiar name among them either…
The Andorian had a relaxed edge to her, sitting still but looking both loose and spring loaded all at once. Calliope noticed the cat-like way her feet rested on the toes of her boots… even though the body language in her shoulders had a languid nature to them, somehow in spite of her arms pinned behind her.
As Lofthammer and Zahn sat down, the junior security officer also stepped inside, latching the door and standing ready.
“Your Starfleet better is checking your work today?”
“This is Commander Zahn. The Service assigned me to assist operations of Obsidian Command, to which this patrol ship is attached.” Lofthammer said by way of clarification, as if it was a perfectly boring subject. “But you already know all about Obsidian Command, don’t you, Ms. Sh’azikress?”
She pursed her lips, restrained and still projecting cool indifference. Still, it made her eyes flick upwards in recognition.
“The place should be familiar enough when you’re processed,” he continued. “You’ve stayed in security accommodations there before. Some two and a half years ago.”
“Arrested, *not* convicted,” she clarified behind the curl of her upper lip.
“Arrested, along with your friend there, Allers Tergosa. You two were awaiting transfer for arraignment in criminal court on Bolius on charges of forgery, smuggling, aiding fugitives, perpetrating a remote attack of a secure comm station, and murder in the second degree.”
“Alleged.” The fringe of her white hair fell over one eye as she leaned forward. “I never had my day in court.”
“That’s right. When Obsidian Command was under evacuation, there was a breakout in the Brig. Dozens of prisoners– including yourself and Allers Tergosa– went unaccounted for. Until now. I don’t suppose you want to own up to the theft of the SS Chaulux.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The stolen vessel, the one under impound? Which was re-stolen and never heard from again?”
“Sorry. Doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Huh. Maybe catch us up then. How was it that you and Tergosa made it off of the station and ended up picking up your old tricks in the sector?”
“How did we make it off the station? The station which was actively being sucked into a vortex of void space?” She leaned back in her chair sandwiching her hands behind her. “All I can say is that the force fields went off and it was bedlam. I just followed others through the chaos. The rest is a blur.”
“You failed to present yourself for your court date.”
“You know, it was difficult to recall the time and place.”
“We’ll issue you a new one, and amend it with the latest charges of attempted piracy, hacking, hostage taking, and murder. Oh, and escaping custody. It’s a pretty tall stack. I’d consider negotiating if I were you.”
“You would,” she echoed. She, however, wasn’t the kind to cooperate with Feds.
“A few of your cohorts are considering my offer. You might want to get your side of the story in as well. You’ve been around the block with Tergosa. Maybe start there. Did he recruit you? Or did you recruit him?”
“‘Recruit.’” She laughed. “That’s rich.”
“Your record together goes back to Aaamazzara in ‘87. You were a minor at the time you were discovered breaking into a government lab.”
She shrugged. “My father worked there. It was a misunderstanding.”
“Did Tergosa’s dad work there too?”
“The charges were dropped.”
“They’re not going to be dropped this time. Ms. Sh’azikress, you’ve had a long history of hacking and busting into… and should we include out of… secure facilities.” Lofthammer and Zahn, who had been otherwise silently observing, caught a sidelong knowing glance with one another. “Someone’s been building a composite casefile on you over the past year. A casefile that may very well lead to Terrorism charges. I think you may want to start being more forthcoming in helping to fill in some blanks for her.”
Entering a file number, Zahn flicked a holographic display alive. Layers and layers of key images began to cycle forming an extensive index including entries of evidence, images of suspects, weapons traces, forged identities, dates and locations of various star systems, sensor footage, missing vessel registrations, forged security system login dates and signal imprints. Though many of the portions of the visualized file were blinking with blank or grayed out theorized linking points full of question marks, all of the index images networked with one another and orbited one central image being played in a slow loop of a sensor recording: the Stardock class station being swallowed whole by the black.
“Is this your work?” The Commander leaned her arms on the table and rested her chin in her hand. “Because I’m your biggest fan.”
Sh’azikress stiffened in her seat, nodding upward in the direction of the hologram display. “That’s a lot of bullshit. I want a lawyer.”
“We’ll have one appointed by the time you get back to the station,” Lofthammer promised. “But I imagine he’s going to tell you you aren’t going to get a better deal than a plea bargain with an agreement to testify against the people you’ve been working for.”
“None of that will stick. You’re both hacks.”
Sh’azi and Zahn traded long stares over another replay of the collapsing Void.
With a wave of her hand, the display folded into the center as well, and Zahn was left with her closed fist in the air. “Whether or not you testify, we’re going to root them out eventually. There’s no sense taking all the heat.”
“I want my lawyer.”
Seeing as the conversation was finished, the Marshal and the Commander stood. Lofthammer motioned for Sh’azikress to come to her feet as well and guided her from behind as the junior guard unlocked the door.
“Who’s next? Tergosa?” Zahn asked.
She saw the Andorian flinch. There was doubt there. Would her longtime partner in crime prove as tight lipped?
“Maybe,” said Lofthammer. The door closed behind them as they filed into the hall. “If he shakes off his nap before we make it back to the station.”