Steiner: Like a rolling stone
Posted on 12 Feb 2022 @ 11:14pm by Chief Deputy Marshal: Ridge Steiner - FMS
Mission:
M2 - Sanctuary
Location: Obsidian Command
Timeline: Present and Four weeks ago
1429 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure
[FMSC Van Buren Hendrix]
=A= Van Buren Hendrix; this is Approach Control; Proceed to docking at Hanger Twelve.=A=
=A= Copy that Control =A= Steiner tapped his control panel, initiated auto-docking and sat back to enjoy the ride as the Runabout followed the pre-set course towards its berth.
The station lay ahead, the dark hull backlit by the hazy light of the Obsidian system star, it was an inspiring image but at the same time cold and almost somehow unwelcoming…
There was the soft hiss of a door opening and closing.
“We have arrived” Said a female voice behind him, a simple, emotionless statement.
“Yes, want to come admire the view T’Sai?” Steiner asked.
“That will not be necessary Sir. I reviewed several files on the area before our journey. I have checked the lower module and the ship is secure for docking. Or do you require assistance to complete the pre-docking checklist Sir?” A female Vulcan leaned forward in inquiry.
She was Deputy Marshal T’Sai, young, willowy, smart, keen and just five weeks out of training.
"No, I want you to sit down, relax and take in our new home” Steiner replied.
There was a slight pause. “Very well Sir”. She sat in one the crew seats.
Steiner glanced over his shoulder, damn if she wasn’t sitting at attention. “I said relax, this isn’t an Academy Observation Class, there won’t be a test! Just admire the view, it’s spectacular”
“Yes, Sir” Did he detect a note of disappointment in the lack of a test?
”And stop calling me Sir. Chief is fine”
“Yes… Chief”
There was another hiss from the door.
“We here?” Came another voice. Male, deep, bassy and sleepy.
The owner of the voice stepped past T’Sai and slumped down into the co-pilot’s chair. Senior Deputy Marshal Sven-Erik Lofthammer, six foot four, two hundred and sixty-two pounds of solid Norwegian brawn.
Lofthammer was fresh off two years on a diplomatic protection team and was Steiner’s unofficial bodyguard.
[ Federation Marshall’s Service Sector Office, Conference Room Two: Four weeks earlier…]
“So that’s it, transfer to Starfleet under the Officer exchange program” Senior Marshal Shex zh'Raazne finished her private briefing. “And assist Starfleet as an the embedded Assistant Chief of Security aboard the starbase Obsidan Command under Captain…” She consulted her PaDD again. “Corvus DeHavilland”
There were just the two of them in the conference room. “What do you think Ridge, you up for this?” She asked.
“I rather be back on Durham surveilling the Belax compound” He groused, then held up a hand when she opened her mouth to object.
“But… you’ve made it clear I’m off that case. So, yes. I’m up for this” Truthfully it did sound like an interesting operation and as much as he’d like to be banging on the Belax Corporate office front door he had reluctantly accepted that Shex was not going to budge on that.
“Good” She smiled “It also keeps makes it a little more difficult for anyone to get at you on board a Starfleet Starbase. Which brings me to the other part of what you’re going to be doing…”
She paused, picking her words carefully. “This is off the record, but I want you to keep your eyes and ears open when you’re on the Starbase.
Anything that seems a little… unusual, anything that’s not quite right… I want you to observe, record and let me know.”
“I’m spying on Starfleet?!” Steiner was surprised and wary. “What is this? These guys up to something out there?”
“It’s nothing like that Ridge, but this place just up and vanished into some weird other dimension for eighteen months. Something or somebody caused that!
Just note anything that seems a bit off and let me know, privately. I’m doing somebody a favor, that’s all I can say…” Zh'Raazne shrugged
“Anything in particular I’m supposed to watch for?” He asked
“No not really, just anything that seems out of the normal routine. You’ve experience enough to know. Like I said, keep your eyes and ears open, low key, nothing official, that’s all” She replied. “Ok?”
“Alright, if they are not all good little boy and girl scouts, I’ll let you know” He nodded, a little bewildered by the request, but he’s do it because she asked and they both knew that he’d do it, because she asked.
“And just in case you get lonely, I’ve got you some help.” She slid two personnel PaDDs across the desk to him. “One of them you already know, Senior Deputy Marshal Lofthammer”
“Sven-Erik?” Steiner grinned. “Yeah, I know him, damn big Viking!” he’d worked with Lofthammer on a Fugitive Apprehension Team a few years ago. Lofthammer was big, strong, fast. hard as nails and practically fearless. He’d taken down more than few a Klingon villains in his time.
“He’s been on Diplomatic Protection, he’s going to be watching your back whenever you’re not on Starfleet duties” zh'Raazne explained,
“Hold on, I don’t need a Nanny” Steiner objected
“I know Ridge, but with that contract on you, I want him there. Like I said, just somebody to cover your six when you not working with Starfleet, alright?”
‘I s’pose so” Steiner conceded “Who’s the other one?” He picked up the PaDD to read the file.
“Deputy Marshal T’’Sai” Zh'Raazne said. “Vulcan, just graduated last week –“
“- A Rookie?!”
“This is not just any Rookie.” She pointed at the PaDD in his hand.
“Read her file, she’s smart, very smart; technical, great analytical skills; fast learner; dedicated; never lower that the top three in any class, great reports from her instructors.
Her Father’s a Senior Federation Judge, Mother’s a Vulcan legal scholar. I gather they expected she would become a lawyer. She chose law enforcement instead!
And not just brains, she scored in the top three in all the practical courses too. Marksmanship; self-defense, arrest techniques…. In fact, she beat both our scores from when we were trainees!”
“Ok, so she’s clever rookie” Steiner complained “But I’m not going to have time to babysit her if I’m busy with Starfleet. This kind of assignment we people who can hit the ground running.”
“She’ll keep up, trust me” Zh'Raazne insisted. “Lofthammer will be there on the station, based on the Promenade, They have a huge civilian population, he’ll show her the ropes. Just give her a chance. In three months, she doesn’t work out I’ll get you somebody else”
“Alright” Steiner agreed “Three months…”
Zh'Raazne slid him an isolinear chip-key over the desk.
“That’s your new ride. Atlantic Class Cutter, Van Buren Hendricks End of watch February Twelfth, Eighteen Seventy-Seven, South Carolina, Earth.”
Most Marshal Service craft were named for personnel fallen in the line of duty. It was an in-joke that you hoped never to receive the honor of a ship named after you.
“Latest version, equipped with a four prisoner brig, forensic lab and full weapons suite. She’s fresh off the line, so don’t scratch the paint.” She grinned.
Steiner had accidently left a long gouge in the paint of the Academy Dean’s personnel shuttle as a trainee and spent the next fifteen weekends on campus guard patrol as punishment.
“Would you let that go already! It’s been like eighteen years!” Steiner groused, pocketing the chip set.
They finalized a few more details and concluded the meeting. “Lofthammer and T’Sai will be here tomorrow morning, you’re cleared to leave at fourteen hundred hours” Zh'Raazne concluded
“Go check the ship out and then I’ll buy you dinner on the promenade tonight. I’ll see you in Murphy’s Pub at eight for a drink first”
“Alright but we’re not going to that Andorian restaurant again, the place is freezing cold and so’s the food!” Steiner said, getting up.
“Tuber-Root soup is meant to be served cold!”
“Yeah, but not with ice cubes!”
“Alright we’ll try the Klingon place then.”
“Oh great.. Gagh!”
“Eight O’Clock! Don’t be late! Go!” She waved him out of the room
“I’m going!”
To be continued…
CDM RK Steiner
FMS
