S02 E01: Chronicles of T'Avaya: The First Line

 

Mission log. Stardate 45127.8. Agent T'Avaya reporting. Starfleet Intelligence has learned that a dissident has planned the assassination of a Cardassian Gul who has been sent to the Federation planet Saladran to negotiate a trade agreement. Even though the Federation is now allied with the Cardassian Union, many Federation members are still suspect of Cardassians’ intentions after their involvement in the Dominion War and their hostilities with the Federation prior to that. I have been sent on a covert mission to Saladran to stop the assassination.

 

               T'Avaya entered the café. She observed the Saladran natives with mild amusement. They were a humanoid race with gray fur, a tail, and large ears. Their rodent-like appearance may have looked humorous to some, but they were a very intelligent race. They had been members of the United Federation of planets for only a little over a year. They were about to enter a trade agreement with the Cardassians--a race the Saladrans had no personal history with, but had heard enough about their treachery and violence to be more than a bit concerned. Since the end of the Dominion War two years ago, the Federation had been working to help rebuild Cardassia Prime. To that end, Starfleet had recommended the Cardassian/Saladran trade agreement to benefit both sides.

T'Avaya noticed all around the café, each Saladran sat one to a table. Some appeared to be nibbling at food, while others seemed to be reading a personal data padd.

               She went over to the far wall and pushed a button. A computerized voice asked to take her order. She said she would like to speak to the owner. The voice kindly told her to go to the back room and someone would speak with her.

               She entered the room and saw a Saladran raise her four-fingered furry paw and gesture for her to sit down. T'Avaya sat at a table while the female Saladran remained standing.

               “Greetings. I am T’Lara,” T'Avaya used her undercover name. She was also wearing a holographic mask to disguise her real face, lest she be identified as a known Starfleet Intelligence operative.

               “I am Casomia,” the Saladran café owner and informant for Starfleet Intelligence told her. Casomia told T'Avaya what she knew. There was a Bajoran who had just come to Saladran that was planning to assassinate Gul Vokum, the Cardassian envoy sent to arrange their new trade agreement. Casomia was sure the attempt would be made the next day, when Vokum would be giving a public speech announcing the finalization of the trade agreement.

***

               Starfleet Admiral Taylor Buchmann was going over his itinerary. He was scheduled for a meeting with Gul Vokum and Governor Raposli—the Saladran leader--later that day. Raposli had called it “a challenge we can handle.” Buchmann was glad to see at least one person was glad to deal with the Cardassians. Vokum and Raposli had both seemed intent on finishing the deal. Gul Vokum was, like many Cardassian Guls, a former military leader who found himself now with no army to lead and still being patriotic enough to become a diplomat for his people, however “weak” that might seem to him.

               The admiral’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. “Come,” he said. A Vulcan woman entered. She looked perhaps thirty-five in human years, though one could never tell with Vulcans. “Ah,” he said, “You must be T'Avaya. Or should I say T’Lara.” The admiral had been expecting the Vulcan Starfleet Intelligence agent in the guise of his new cultural expert from Starfleet. The two of them discussed their next moves to prevent the attempted assassination of Gul Vokum.

***

               Governor Raposli was a bit skeptical about the trade agreement, but tried not to let it show. He had tried to give an outward appearance to Admiral Buchmann of being very excited to make the trade agreement with Vokum. But he also had another matter of concern. Governor Raposli looked at his computer screen. It was full of numbers and mathematical symbols. “What could it mean?” he thought. The governor had never been one for math. He could only hope that the greatest minds of his people could solve this puzzle. “There’s a certain beauty in numbers, wouldn’t you say?” That was Velazan, Raposli’s chief advisor. “There’s beauty in solving this thing,” Raposli answered. This mathematical puzzle had been the grand computer’s latest challenge. The previous puzzle, one hundred years ago, had been a musical challenge. If only I had been around back then, Raposli thought. The puzzle challenge was one of two of the Saladran’s current one hundred-year challenges. The other was the cultural challenge, which they had just met by making the new trade agreement with Gul Vokum. “The ankagon should work very well as a new power source, don’t you think?”  Velazan said. Ankagon was a low-energy power source that some Cardassians used in their homes. It had shown to be a good fit for the Saladrans. The governor said, “Yes. I just hope the Cardassians are more trustworthy than their reputations.” “Yes, sir. You certainly chose a doozy of a challenge with this one.”

***

               The Cardassian Molred told Gul Vokum what he had just heard from Admiral Buchmann. “Cardassian intelligence reports that there will be an attempt on your life.”

               “Really? You mean among this rodent race there is actually someone with a spine?” Gul Vokum replied back.

               “Actually, it is a Bajoran by the name of Jelek Tamag.”

               “Jelek? He’s here?” Jelek Tamag was a Bajoran former Maquis who was opposed to the Federation helping in the rebuilding of Cardassia. Thinking the ways of the Cardassians would never change, Jelek had been to earth, Cardassia Prime, and anywhere he heard Cardassians were, to protest any kind of truce with his former—or rather present—enemies. He felt he was representing many more Bajorans in warning everyone that trying to make peace with the Cardassians would only lead to more bloodshed.

               “Word is he arrived yesterday,” said Molred, Gul Vokum’s Cardassian aide. “He has already met with Admiral Buchmann and Governor Raposli. They brushed aside his musings, of course, but we should still be cautious in case he decides to take violent actions against you.”

               “What can he do?” Vokum said. “The trade agreement has just been completed. And it will happen whether I am dead or alive. Is he really that foolish?”

               “He can cast doubt on all of Cardassia; make the Saladran believe we aren’t worth the trouble.”

               “Rubbish!”

***

               The Saladran citizens watched as Gul Vokum took to the podium. The sky was gray behind him, just as it always was on this gray planet. The air was dry, as it was on most days. There were about fifty Saladran who had come in person to hear the Cardassian’s speech. It was their first trade agreement with a “hostile” race. This was their challenge. They had been ordained by their forbears to face such a challenge every one hundred years. They would surely pass, as they always had.

Just then, there was a loud “BANG!!”

               Everyone looked around. They did not see the source of the sound. But they saw its effect. Gul Vokum had been shot through the chest. He fell to the ground.

***

               T'Avaya saw Gul Vokum open his eyes. “I’m alive,” he said. The Vulcan replied, “Yes. You were hit with a Bajoran pistol. Saladran surgeons were able to treat the wound, though it will take some time to completely heal.” The Cardassian aide Molred spoke up. “The Bajoran scum who did this was arrested by Saladran security.” T'Avaya said, “They arrested Jelek Tamag under suspicion of attempted murder, but the investigation is still ongoing. There were no eye witnesses. And the weapon has not been recovered. We only know that it was a Bajoran weapon, not who fired it.”

               “Who else could it have been?” Molred spat. “Jelek is a known Cardassian hater who has been active in trying to prevent all of our negotiations. Just like all Bajorans, he is the lowest form of life.”

               Vokum agreed. “There is no one else on this planet who has reason to kill me. The Saladran should never have let the Bajoran come here. I noticed him in the crowd when I started to speak. He was there.”

               T'Avaya knew the Cardassians wouldn’t change their minds without proof. And certainly Jelek WAS a logical suspect, but she wasn’t totally convinced. She told them, “I spoke with Jelek after his arrest. He said he did not come here to assassinate you. He claimed that he is not a murderer like Cardassians. Indeed, he has no record of any type of violence.”

               Molred spat again. “And surely you take him at his word. Because Bajorans have never been terrorists or murderers of any kind.” T'Avaya took his sarcasm at face value. “I am not saying he couldn’t have done it. But there is no logical reason not to believe him.” Both Cardassians harrumphed.

***

Admiral Buchmann took another sip of his grasst. “If this is what passes for coffee on this planet, I never want to come back.” T’Avaya said, “You should try the olaap vin. It is quite good; much like Vulcan mint tea.” The admiral wasn’t much of a tea drinker, but he made a mental note to try it some time. Anything would be an improvement over the drivel before him. He looked around the Saladran café. “Interesting how these people don’t socialize much in public. They go to a public place to sit alone.”

The café’s owner, Casomia, walked up to their table. “How are you two today?” she asked them. The furry alien smiled, showing her large canines. The informant, like everyone else on Saladran, had heard about the shooting. Buchmann told her they were working with local authorities to investigate the attempted murder. Casomia nodded and left. It was her way of letting them know she had no new information at this time.

  Buchmann and T’Avaya left the establishment. They found a private area outside the building, and Admiral Buchmann then proceeded to quietly tell T’Avaya he had just gotten a new message from Starfleet Intelligence. They had just found out that Gul Vokum had given weapons to the Maquis during the Dominion War. The Gul, when questioned about the incident, said he had had reason to believe the Maquis would use the weapons to destroy a Federation target, but they used them to destroy a Cardassian Galor-class ship instead. The incident made some Cardassians think he was a collaborator, but he was able to stay in power because he had high-ranking friends. The incident may or may not have anything to do with the current situation. But it was an interesting and relevant incident that the Cardassians had buried.

***

               Gul Vokum had left the hospital a few hours ago. Cardassian Guls were always sturdy, and they would be damned if they let something like a projectile through the chest keep them down for long. He entered his makeshift “office” in the Saladran building. Governor Raposli had given him this room so he could have private meetings and an open comm channel to the governor’s office. Just as he was about to call Molred, he heard a knock on the door. It was Admiral Buchmann and his cultural aide, T’Lara.

               “Well, this is a surprise,” Vokum said. “Disappointed that I’m not dead?”

               “Not at all,” said the admiral. “I actually wanted to see how you were doing. And to see if you’re up to discussing more about the trade agreement.”

               They all sat down and started a friendly conversation for a few minutes. As Vokum activated his computer terminal to recall details about the agreement, he heard a ticking sound. The three of them started looking around for the source of the sound. Buchmann saw a yellow glow coming from an air vent on the wall behind the Cardassian. “Get down!!” he yelled. Then, as quickly as he had yelled, Buchmann transformed into an orange-ish blob that stretched toward the glowing vent. The blob transformed into a solid metal square over the vent as Vokum and T’Lara dove to the floor. There was a loud BOOM!! as the vent exploded and the entire wall crumbled. A second later, after the debris had fallen, the metal square transformed back into Admiral Buchmann. Gul Vokum and T’Lara rose from the floor.

               “What the .  . .?” Vokum exclaimed, looking at Buchmann. “You’re a Changeling!”

               Buchmann said, “I feared there might be another attempt on your life after the first one failed. It looks like someone hid a bomb in your air vent.”

               “Who sent you?”

               Buchmann explained that he worked for Starfleet Intelligence. Of course, Vokum asked how a Changeling could be working for Starfleet. Buchmann explained that he had been one of the “hundred”--Changelings that had been sent years ago from the Founders’ homeworld. He had been raised by a friendly human family and had never been a part of the Dominion. Vokum had heard of the “hundred”. The Changeling called Odo had been one of them.

               “So Starfleet sent you here to protect ME?”

               Buchmann—or rather, the Changeling—explained that Starfleet was interested in protecting Cardassians, now that they were allies and Starfleet was helping Cardassia rebuild itself. T’Lara gave Buchmann a look of…astonishment. (T'Avaya's holographic mask was capable of showing her exact facial expressions.) It was hard, even for a Vulcan, not to be surprised at the revelation of Buchmann’s disguise.

               Just then, the ground shook beneath them. Part of the ceiling collapsed. They headed for the doorway out of the small room. The ground shook again and a hole opened up in the floor. T'Avaya/T'Lara, fell into the hole, but with her quick Vulcan reflexes, was able to grab onto the edge. Buchmann and Vokum tried to pull her out. "This is a very elaborate assassination attempt!" yelled Vokum. Each of them pulled one of T'Lara's arms and lifted her up. They all ran out of the room and out of the building. The shaking stopped. T'Lara said, "That was an earthquake. I don't think it was an assassination attempt. It affected everyone in this area."

               Buchmann said, "But earthquakes aren't common on this planet." He tapped his communicator to speak to someone with Saladran security. He was told it was an unusual natural phenomenon and that their officials would investigate. The looked back at the building and saw some people running out, while others were trying to help people who were trapped under the rubble. They went back to the building to assist in the rescue.

***

               “Starfleet Intelligence did not tell me you were a Changeling,” T’Avaya told Buchmann. “They only told you what you needed to know.” T’Avaya raised an eyebrow.

               “SI sent me here as their human agent,” said Buchmann. “As a Changeling, I was sent here by Section 31. I’m sure you’ve heard of them.” T’Avaya nodded. “And you are here to protect Vokum?”

               “Yes. We have reason to believe that Molred was sent by the Cardassian Intelligence Bureau to kill Vokum.” T'Avaya knew that the Cardassian Intelligence Bureau had been dissolved—just like its predecessor the Obsidian Order--during the Dominion War, but had now been secretly brought back on Cardassia Prime.

               “Why would the Cardassian Intelligence Bureau want to kill a Cardassian?”

               “Because he gave weapons to the Maquis. They consider him a threat. They believe he may still have ties to Bajorans.”

               “And does he?”

               “We don’t think so. We believe he is loyal to Cardassia. But there is no proof one way or the other.” Fascinating, thought T'Avaya. Section 31 thinks Molred is the one who tried to assassinate Vokum, instead of Jelek.

***

               "The earthquakes will get worse until we solve the puzzle," Velezan told Governor Raposli. The governor responded with, "And how close are we to solving the puzzle?" Velezan told him the greatest minds on the planet were working on it. Parts of the code had been solved. The planetary computer had started rerouting the planet’s electromagnetic system, causing the random earthquakes. Raposli ordered disaster relief teams to the affected areas.

***

               T'Avaya went back to examine the debris in Gul Vokum's makeshift office in the Saladran building. From the outside, parts the building were still standing, though she could see deep cracks in the walls. She made her way through a hallway, stepping over pieces of debris that had not yet been cleaned up. The clean up crew was busily working. The damage did not look that bad, and there had been no serious injuries. She made it to the office. She used her tricorder to locate the explosive. It was still buried under the debris from the collapsed wall. She found a piece of burned metal. Her tricorder detected traces of diorune--a common explosive powder that could be obtained on many Federation and non-Federation worlds. She suddenly heard something from behind her. She turned around to face the doorway. She caught a glimpse of someone leaving the room, though she could not tell who it was. She walked out of the room with her tricorder still turned on. The tricorder picked up a Cardassian nearby. She looked around. She did not see a Cardassian. He must have been hiding.

               One hour later, T'Avaya was telling Gul Vokum what she had found. "A common explosive?" said Vokum. "So then you have no new information."

               "The more important thing I came to tell you," the Vulcan said, "is that my tricorder picked up readings of a Cardassian in the building while I was there. I believe it was Molred. He had followed me there to see if I would find any evidence leading back to him."

               Just as she spoke his name, Molred walked in with a Cardassian pistol aimed at Vokum. "What is the meaning of this?" Vokum queried, standing confidently and without fear. Molred's eyes shot darts at Vokum as he yelled, "You traitor! Giving arms to Bajorans."

               "So it's true you're with the Cardassian Intelligence Bureau?" Vokum said.

               "Yes. The Cardassian Intelligence Bureau will take back Cardassia." He looked over at T'Avaya and waved the pistol at her, motioning her to move closer to Vokum. As she walked over, she said to Molred, "Killing Vokum is illogical. He gave arms to one Maquis cell and has had no other contact with Bajorans."

               The two Cardassians started spewing insults at each other. Their argument was loud enough that it attracted one Saladran on the cleaning crew. The Saladran came through the door, his large round ears unfolded in curiosity. As Molred turned to look at the Saladran, T'Avaya and Vokum both seized the opportunity. Vokum kicked the pistol out of Molred's hand. The pistol fell to the floor, and T'Avaya picked it up. Molred lunged toward Vokum. Vokum pushed Molred into one of the room's remaining walls. Molred's head hit the wall and he fell to the floor, unconscious.

***

               Velazan input the last piece of code into the computer. Their mathematicians, scientists, and engineers had finally figured out the puzzle. The earthquakes would now stop. T'Avaya said to Velazan, "So this puzzle your people have to solve every one hundred years--it always causes these earthquakes?"

               "Yes," Velazan answered. "They are usually not harmful. The people are mentally prepared and can keep going about their business."

               "And the trade negotiations with the Cardassians," said Admiral Buchmann, "is also part of a puzzle your people must solve every one hundred years?"

               Governor Raposli answered, "It is a challenge that we must overcome every hundred years, yes. We must take on some type of cultural challenge. When the Federation offered the trade negotiation, I thought it would be the perfect challenge for us. Our forebears set orders that we do the puzzle and challenge every century to keep us from becoming complacent. To keep our minds and our awareness sharp. The grand computer is programmed to give us some type of puzzle, which we cannot ask for outside help to solve. The leader, in this case me, must choose the cultural challenge when the time comes."

               "And if you fail the puzzle and/or the challenge?" T'Avaya said.

               Raposli said softly, "Then we must pay the price. Our computers and power sources will fail for a hundred years. We would be without any working technology."

               "That's a stiff price to pay," Buchmann said.

               Velazan said, "The price is, well, actually a legend. Since we've never actually failed, we don't really know what will happen."

               Raposli said, "It is by the courage of our people that we have never failed." T'Avaya wondered about that. If these people had always succeeded, perhaps the puzzles and challenges were designed so that they would always succeed.

               Raposli said to Buchmann, "Molred is being sent back to his planet?" Buchmann told him there was a Cardassian ship coming to pick up Molred so that he could stand trial on Cardassia. He also said the new Cardassian government was doing what they could to squash the Cardassian Intelligence Bureau, though how much progress they would ever make was anyone's guess. Raposli also mentioned that the Bajoran, Jelek, had been let out of the Saladran prison and was told to leave the planet. They wanted nothing of him, as they would continue their trade agreement with Cardassia. Gul Vokum was content to stay on Saladran for a few more weeks to administrate the trade agreement.

***

               "Where is the real Admiral Buchmann?" The Changeling, still in the form of Admiral Buchmann, looked at T'Avaya with perfect human eyes. "At Starfleet Command," he said. "He knows I am here. He approved my mission."

               "He approved your mission for Starfleet Intelligence or your mission for Section 31?"

               The Buchmann Changeling smiled. "Both. He has been known to work with Section 31 on occasion." T'Avaya understood that. She had also worked for Section 31. For covert ops, she much preferred the morals, goals, and methods of Starfleet Intelligence.

               The Changeling suddenly morphed into a human female. T'Avaya stared at the Changeling. "This," said the Changeling, "is my adopted standard form. I was raised by a human family on the colony planet Dilia 4. The family had a daughter who was five years old when I was found. After I learned to shapeshift, I became friends with the daughter. We were much like sisters. I took this form, which is similar to hers--but with a few changes to differentiate--to live among the other human colonists. They named me Neta Valerine."

               "So," T'Avaya continued, "How did you come to work for SI?"

               "My identity as a Changeling was kept secret for many years. Only the family that raised me knew. I was discovered by SI when an operative was on Dilia to investigate a possible traitor in the government. I expressed interest in joining the organization. I knew my natural talents would be beneficial. That was twenty-six years ago. No one, not even I, had heard of Changelings, Founders, or the Dominion at that time. With a human family to vouch for me, I was able to enlist without difficulty."

               T'Avaya sensed the Changeling's sincerity. After all, Neta had saved Gul Vokum's life.

               "And you, Vulcan, you are new to SI?"

               "Yes. I have been an agent for ten months."

               "And Section 31?"

               "I have been on some missions for them over the years. But I have no allegiance to them. How did you, Neta, become involved in Section 31?"

               "I was discovered by one of their agents after the existence of the Dominion became known. It has been difficult, but I know I have earned their trust."

               T'Avaya understood. Section 31 had probably been anxious to use Neta's talents during the Dominion War. A Changeling who was loyal to Starfleet must have proven invaluable.

 

               Mission Log. Supplemental. Agent T'Avaya reporting. My mission to Saladran was successful. Gul Vokum is still on the planet and his life is no longer in danger. Knowing that it was another Cardassian who tried to kill him is a reminder that the Cardassians can still be dangerous. The truce with the Federation is tenuous at best. And yet, knowing that the Bajoran dissident had NOT tried to kill the Gul also shows how minds can be changed. Add to the mix a Changeling who is actually a Starfleet Intelligence agent; again, someone whose allegiance is unexpected. Intelligence work can uncover many surprises. As I was told in my intelligence training, Starfleet Intelligence is the first line of defense against threats to Federation peace that remain in the shadows. Those threats can come in many forms and may not always be obvious. Situations and beings are not always as they seem.

 

 -by the Honorable Kavura

 

Thank you for reading my Star Trek Adventures: Captain’s Log mission report. Captain’s Log is a solo role-playing game by Modiphius Entertainment. Acknowledgments to Last Unicorn games mission briefing "Assassins Among Us" and any other miscellaneous sources I may have used.