“Greetings, Captain Svain.”

[Cptn Swain 0]

Asher Swain sat drinking tea in his ready room, joined again by Captain Tylen Gail as they looked over the latest data burst from the Courageous confirming a pirate base had been on Ezteii Minor but like the others, had been abandoned. The Wasp and Courageous were now en route to the molecular cloud a few light-years outside of Eok where Excalibur, Montreal, Aida, and Albion had just been joined by the Beacon Hill, whose commanding officer, Erik Thomas had joined them in the ready room.

 

“Still no contact from my away team,” Asher said, a tinge of anxiety to his voice. “They’re not due back till this evening, but I would have expected something. No signs of them having left yet.”

 

Both Tylen and Erik knew the tone and nodded. Neither knew Swain particularly well, but as Captains, they couldn’t help but relate. “I am sure they’re fine.” Tylen said reassuringly.

 

Swain nodded and looked to his tea cup. He hoped they were right. “Well if we do have to move against the pirates,” he said finally. “We’ve got the bulk of our forces here. The Olympia got underway an hour or so ago.”

 

Tylen nodded. He had still hoped to avoid a military conflict. “And if your people find nothing?” His tone was respectful, but pointed. Erik looked over as well. Tall, dark haired with a streak of white at the temples, he stood out from the other two men for sure. He, too, was curious what Swain would say.

 

“Then we head home and see what command wants to do,” Asher said, putting the cup down. “From what I’ve heard from Camelot, there haven’t been any new attacks since the fleet was dispatched.”

 

Both of the other Captain’s nodded. “Maybe we scared them,” Erik said, though he didn’t sound particularly confident. “I mean that’s what we were sent out here to do, wasn’t it?”

 

Asher nodded. Revenge still weighed on his mind, but he knew Erik was right. “Yes, though my gut tells me we’re not lucky.”

 

“If we were,” Tylen added, “we wouldn’t be in the GQ.”

 

The three of them laughed darkly and after a few moments the room lapsed into an eerie silence until, Chirp. “Captain,” came the voice of the beta-shift communications officer.

 

They looked to each other before Asher answered through a smirk. “Go ahead,” he said.

 

“Sorry to interrupt, but I have an incoming communication from the planet.”

 

He lifted a brow. “The away...”

 

“No, sir. A Counselor Vey’Hek. He claims to be in charge of planetary security, sir.”

 

“This should be good,” Erik said lowly to Tylen.

 

Swain frowned deeply, the pit in his stomach deepening. “Did he say what he wanted?”

 

“Not directly,” the communications officer said, “but he asked for you -- by name.”

 

Asher hated surprises. “Put him through.” The other two Captain’s began to stand, but Swain waved them off before activating the terminal on his desk. The spinning, golden parabola flashed for a few moments before being replaced by the masked face of Counselor Vey’Hek.

 

“Greetings, Captain Svain,” Vey’Hek said in a peculiar accent as the universal translator took just a hair longer than Swain would have imagined. “It is an honor to speak with you. I am Counselor Vey’Hek, chief of planetary security here on Eok.”

 

“And with you, Counselor. As it appears you already know my name,” he left unsaid how unsettled he was over that, “I’ll skip the more formal introductions. How can I be of... assistance?”

 

Vey’Hek shifted subtly on screen before smiling, revealing a row of pointed white teeth. “I wish that our meeting were under better pretexts, as I have been looking forward to formal contact with you outsiders.”

 

Asher didn’t like where this was going. “However, I must regret to inform you that I have been forced to take the members of your crew on a questionably illegal surveillance mission into protective custody after the assaulted a citizen...”

 

“Excuse me?” Asher said, his voice rising. “Protective custody?”

 

Unabated, Vey’Hek nodded. “They are being held in a facility,” he held up a hand, “you have nothing to worry about, Captain. I assure you, they are being well treated.”

 

Asher glowered. “On what charges are you holding them?”

 

“As I said,” Vey’Hek said, waving his hand. “They were caught having assaulted and kidnapped a citizen of Eok. We believe that they were carrying out a surveillance mission. Am I correct?”

 

A flush of annoyance came over Asher. “Counselor,” he said firmly. “I am not going to discuss ongoing Starfleet operations. As I understand it, Eok is a free port. What my crew were doing on the planet, seems of little importance. If they were involved in an altercation with one of your citizens I can assure you that there were almost certainly mitigating circumstances...”

 

“Captan, I already explained to you. They were involved in an altercation. We are currently investigating that. I called you to determine their intent. I am not sure what this free port thin you speak of is, but on Eok, visitors are required to register at customs. Your people did not appear to do so. In fact, it appears that they bribed a dockmaster to assure that they could contravene our laws.”

 

Swain’s expression darkened. He could also see the look on both Erik and Tylen’s faces growing equally dark. None of them liked where this was headed.

 

“Our apologies, Counselor. According to the reports from our vessel which visited your planet a few months ago, there weren’t any such registration requirements. “

 

Vey’Hek grinned widely. “A misunderstanding I am sure, as they were official guests of the ruling council. Your crew however were not and as such should have registered with a customs official.”

 

“What do you want from me then?”

 

Erik and Tylen’s eyes flashed widely. Asher’s directness caught both of them off-guard, but they both knew well enough to keep their mouths shut. Vey’Hek only smirked. “Captain, I think we can both agree that neither of our people profit from an antagonist relationship. Let us be honest with one another. You and your fleet are here and elsewhere investigating the... what is your word.. pirate organization which you believe to be based on this planet.”

 

“And if we are?” Asher made a note to look into just how they’d managed to figure all of that out so easily, later.

 

Vey’Hek’s grinned, somehow even wider. “See that wasn’t so hard was it. I find honesty to make these situations exceedingly easier, don’t you?”