Not much to go on

Posted on Fri Jun 4th, 2021 @ 2:37am by Lieutenant Hamlyn Ambrose & Jennifer Daxer

1,010 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Allegations
Location: Starfleet HQ - Security Office
Timeline: During trial day 2, before Daxer testifies

While the trial was taking place in the court room, Daxer was in the Starfleet security office. She had told them to contact her, if they had any information about the attempt on her life. She'd only been sitting there for 10 minutes, but it already seemed like too long. She was about to say something, when someone approached her.

"Lieutenant Commander Daxer?" The young woman with Ensign pips asked.

"Yes." Daxer replied simply.

"The Admiral will see you now." She said, then gestured through the door to the back. "Just go right through that door."

"Thank you." Jen said. She moved to the indicated door, which opened immediately. As she stepped in, she entered in far enough for the door to close, then stood at attention. LIeutenant Commander Jennifer Daxer, reporting as ordered."

'You may sit, Commander Daxer,' replied Admiral Rinix perfunctorily in his deep gravelly voice. The Denobulan waved a hand at the comfy chair in front of his desk. He believed that his interviewees should at least be seated comfortably, regardless of how uncomfortable the topic.

"I'm assuming you called me here to talk about the investigation into my attempted murder." Jen said simply, as she moved to sit down.

'That's quite right,' Rinix stated as he rubbed one of his dermal ridges. 'Starfleet Security's CSI teams have been working over your home with a fine tooth-comb, if I do say so myself. We take attempts on serving personnel's lives seriously. So, if you have the time, we can work through what we have so far.'

"I'm scheduled to testify at Captain Aisaka's trial, but I have a little time." Jen replied simply. She raised an eyebrow as she asked her next question. "What did your officers find?"

Rinix regarded the Vulcan for a moment, then turned to his notes. 'Based on the gear we found on the body, the descriptions provided of the attack style, and, lastly the suicide method - cyanide, old-fashioned but effective. We're working on the theory that this man was a professional. The timing suggests that it was to prevent or to discourage you from testifying today.'

"This guy got into my parents house, unseen..." Daxer said. As the words came from her lips, they sounded more Human than Vulcan, as she gave the Admiral a dead serious look. "Where are my parents?"

'Your parents have been placed under Starfleet Security's protection, for obvious reasons,' Rinix read from a PADD in front of him. 'They're currently being looked after in a safehouse, at an undisclosed location. You can be assured we've assigned our best protection officers to this matter.'

"If he was a professional, I doubt you will learn much more, if anything else at, at all." Daxer replied. As an after thought, she looked up and added. "No offense."

Rinix quirked an eyebrow, 'considering the attacker had no ID on him, fingerprints removed, and facial recognition and DNA tests have turned up nothing, you may be correct. This man is what you would call a ghost, or as damned near as I've seen in a long time.'

"He wasn't well trained." Jen pointed out. It wasn't entirely a lie. The assassin would've given most Security officers a good fight, probably winning said fight, but overall, his skills had been poor. "Had he been, I might not be sitting here right now."

'An odd thing that they would send a poorly-trained assassin to take care of you,' replied Rinix thoughtfully, regarding the Tokyo's Acting Captain. 'In light of the attempt on tour life, I am required to offer you a protection detail, either Marine Corps or Security itself. Your choice. Vetted to the highest level, of course.'

"Sometimes, all it takes is one mistake." Jen replied, casually pulling her tunic aside to show the bruises still on her neck, and shoulder. "I'll pass on the offer. I doubt they will really be necessary." She told him, leaving out the fact that she just didn't want Security, or the Marines following her every move, risking her cover being blown.

Smiling wryly, Rinix inclined his head. 'I can count the number of times people have accepted that offer on one hand.' He shrugged, 'it's your choice. If you change your mind, the offer will be there, of course. We won't leave you high and dry.'

"The offer is appreciated, but I'm a hard woman to kill, Admiral." Jen replied, giving him a smirk that looked foreign on the face of a Vulcan. "If they want to try again, they're certainly welcome to."

'Well, the offer is there, as I said,' Rinix replied, more curtly than he intended. 'You'll use it or not at your discretion. I believe, then, we are done here? Your parents are safe, there is little evidence about your killer, and you've refused a protective detail. That seems to sum it up, no?'

"I'd say so." Jen said, standing up from the chair. She stood looking at the Denobulan, as if studying him for a moment, before seemingly returning to the present, her emotional state now appearing fully Human. "Admiral, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask a favor of you."

'If it's within my gift to do so I will.'

"I'd like you give my parents a message." She told him. Though it would seem perfectly natural under the circumstances, her message was actually a code phrase, meant to tell them she was involved in keeping them safe. She took a deep breath before speaking again. "Please tell them that I love them."

Rinix shrugged and smiled. 'I'll pass the message along, Commander,' he reassured her in his low, gravelly voice.

"Thank you Admiral." Daxer said standing up. "I'll leave you to your work now."

With that, Daxer took her leave. She needed to eat, before she returned to the area where the trial was being held.

Lieutenant Commander Jennifer Daxer
Acting Captain
USS Tokyo

Admiral Rinix
Starfleet Security
Starfleet Headquarters
[NPC Hammlyn 'Hobb' Andrews]

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