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Charlotte Matsumura

Dangerous Games

Dangerous Games

CDR Malcolm Alexander

LTJG Katharine ("Kate") McKnight

LTJG Ivan Kaufmann

ENS T'Kiri Ataahua

 

 

Note: Takes place parallel to the events of the past couple of sims.

***

 

A shadow stretched across the dispatch she was reading and LTJG Katharine McKnight looked up. Ivan Kaufmann, a fellow JG, hovered before her, a broad grin across freckled features. His colleague in signals, ENS T’Kiri Ataahua, stood to his right. Even she looked excited – for a Vulcan, McKnight thought. She knew what he would say before he spoke.

 

“We need to see the chief,” Ivan said.

 

Kate shook her head. “No can do, Ivan. He’s finally sitting down to do his sitrep, and if I interrupt him, it’ll never get done.”

 

“He’s going to want to see us, Kate – really.” The ginger junior grade leaned forward, eyes sparkling. “We cracked it.”

 

McKnight blinked. Once Chief Alexander and LCDR Lorraine had reviewed the encrypted signals intercepted by Excalibur, the data had been handed over to Ivan and T’Kiri. Judging from the stubble across his jawline and T’Kiri’s matted hair, Kate guessed they had done little else since assignment. That had been days ago…and now it seemed their efforts had paid off.

 

She hesitated only a second longer before sounding the interoffice comms. “Chief? Ivan and T’Kiri are here. I think they have something for you…”

 

***

Malcolm Alexander regarded the eager junior grade and his calmer colleague across his desk. It sounded so simple – using daily status reports as a crib to break encrypted data – and yet he knew it was a complex operation. More surprising, however, was the fact that it hadn’t been Hakarian reports that ended up being key. It had instead been a stack of Kalith reports on a nearby ion field that provided the way in.

 

“So the stored data is Kalith?” he voiced aloud.

 

T’Kiri nodded. “Indeed, sir. Once we realized it was a ten-channel cipher instead of a five-channel, it became clear that the syntax could only be Kalith.”

The station chief looked to the PADD in his hands, scrolling through the plaintext. “But the names here are Hakarian.”

 

“Masovian, actually,” Kaufmann replied. “They’re a Hakarian ethnic group, one of many that composed the Hakar Empire. The Federation granted them asylum and safe passage about six months ago.”

 

“I was just reading about that,” Alexander replied. “With the Dominion falling back even farther, the Hakarians are ceding territory to the Kalith on a daily basis; the Masovians will be just the start.”

 

He frowned. “So if the data Excal downloaded from a Hakarian pod is actually Kalith, then odds are, we’ve stumbled across some form of espionage.”

 

“We are not analysts, Commander,” the Vulcan began slowly, “but the conclusion seems logical.”

 

His lips thinned as he considered the new facts. After a long moment he placed the PADD aside. “Your work on this is appreciated,” he said. “How long have you two been at it?”

 

Ivan shifted in his seat. “Since Commander Lorraine delivered the data, sir.”

 

“Then you’re both about four days overdue for some rest,” the chief replied. “Hit the showers, get some sleep, and next shift, take some time in the holosuites – just have them charge my account.”

 

“Sir, we really couldn’t –“

 

Mal raised his hands to silence any further objections from Kaufmann. “You’ve both earned it.” He leveled a gaze at T’Kiri. “And even Vulcans need some down time.”

 

The junior officer inclined her head. “Thank you, sir.”

 

“More than welcome,” Alexander said. A grin broke across his features. “Now get the hell out of here so I can make sense of this!”

 

“Yes, sir!”

 

***

 

Mal watched with amusement as Ivan and T’Kiri filed out of his office. The smile was short-lived, however, as he regarded the information the two cryptanalysts provided: The names of Hakarian spies collected by a Kalith agent, unwittingly retrieved by a Starfleet Intelligence operative. It was enough to be a comedy of errors – or a very dangerous game. The Federation would have to tread carefully.

 

Powering up his LCARS terminal, the commander selected the summary dossier on Kalith. Slowly but surely, the Kalith were making a name for themselves in the Gamma Quadrant, expanding into the vacuum left behind by the withdrawal of the main Dominion powers. His mind sought a familiar parallel, finding one in Earth history: The expansion of communism into the “Eastern bloc” countries following World War II. The major difference was that this was not a careful balance between two powerful nations. It was a diverse, chaotic region of space where intelligence was then and the actors were less than predictable.

 

“Never a dull moment,” he sighed. Turning, he began prepping his report to headquarters – and his favorite field agent.

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