“This is a rather impressive list of accusations.”

Selu Levne’s summary of Starfleet Operations and Intelligence’s reporting on the activity of the most recent Last Pirate King was technically correct, if underselling it considerably. Gone was the low-level harassment, occasional larceny, protection rackets and rare spot of up-front piracy and in its place was straight-up piracy with all of its violence and a few incidents which looked a lot like terrorism. All of it looked, from Operations side at least, unconnected. But the addition of ‘recently acquired intelligence’ that the men and women of Kyban’s Rookery hadn’t yet vetted helped to draw a lot of lines between the sporadic episodes.

“Oh, I think we’re past accusations,” Sidda said as she lazily spun around in the chair at the head of the conference table.

The staff conference room made a decent working space when bringing together a few people to help. And it was more spacious than Sidda’s own personal office, which she’d come to despise and rarely use, save when handling personnel issues that needed privacy. And the view was better as well, as Republic and Hohenzollern had been moved into a similar orbit, the Hysperian starcastle hanging aft of the Starfleet ship by only a few dozen kilometers, visible as a bright spot in the near-distance.

“Oh boss, you’re not going to like this.” Jenu Trid’s tone hinted at the trouble on the padd she slid across the table.

Sidda didn’t stop her spin, collecting the padd and reading it as she went around. “Nausicaan pirates claiming for the Last Pirate King hit Ayer’s Rock, stealing three hundred head of cattle, destroying Landing’s water tower and subspace transceiver. Ten dead, thirty-eight injured.”

“Ayer’s Rock?” Selu asked from her seat opposite Trid, back to the windows. “I’m unfamiliar with that planet.”

“It’s an easy-to-forget little dustball that just wants to stay out of the way of things and go about their lives,” Trid answered. “Ranchers, farmers and folks that just want to disappear from the galaxy at large. They mostly eschew modern technology, but not out of fear or hate, more they just don’t see a need for it.”

“Simple living,” Selu summarised.

“It didn’t stop them from getting hurt,” Sidda said. She’d stopped her spin and pulled up to the conference table. “Looks like someone has already seen to helping them fix their transceiver and water situation. I need to talk to Naroq about getting TLSO to swing by and lend a hand.”

“Naroq?” Selu’s question was again directed to Trid.

“TLSO’s day-to-day Ferengi in charge. You’d like her.” Trid then looked at Sidda, working to get the XO’s attention. “That report already says TLSO has visited if you keep reading. I’m sure Naroq is on the case already. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rose was sitting overhead waiting for a repeat visit.”

That brought a smile to Sidda’s face before she looked properly at Trid, then shrugged her shoulders. “You’re right, Naroq, Orelia and Gaeda can handle things just fine without me. And Naroq isn’t going to let some pirates hurt her bottom line.”

“Ferengi are not the most confrontational, physically at least, in my experience,” Selu said.

“No, they’d hire mercenaries and send them to do the skull-cracking. Save Naroq doesn’t need to hire mercenaries and Orelia and Gaeda aren’t averse to cracking raider skulls with abandon.” Sidda’s smile was predatory as she finished speaking.

“Then I wish your people well.” Selu didn’t sound entirely convinced in Sidda’s confidence in the crew of the Vondem Rose. “As long as they don’t break any Federation laws in defending Ayer’s Rock.”

“Well, none that anyone will report anyway,” Trid said. “They’re good folk. Well, most of them are good folk. Okay, fine, they’re okay folk. But they mean well. Mostly.”

“I see,” Selu said before returning to her own reading.

“All this data, all these raids and piracy acts, and not one damn clue as to where they might be basing themselves out of out here.” Sidda’s anger and disappointment at the intelligence before them was clear. “I hate clever pirates.”

“Nausicaans, a couple of Klingon ships, a Pakled raider, and reports of a handful of Orion raiders as well. These aren’t clever folks, boss. These are a pack of wolves that someone is keeping a close eye on.” Trid shuffled through the padds spread out before them. “Honestly, this feels more like the first Last Pirate King but hyper-aggressive, then say the second with the willy-nilly raiding.”

“Explain.”

“Right, well, there was the recent hit on the Avalon Prince. The Pakleds hit them, took nearly their entire cargo. Then left at high warp before dropping to a lower warp speed, so the Avalon Prince lost track of them. By the time a Starfleet ship responded, the lower warp speed trail had already dissipated.” Trid produced the padd she’d been looking for and offered it, surrendering it to Selu when the security officer reached for it and Sidda didn’t. “Honestly, anyone ever known Pakleds to do something so…simple?”

“We can’t rule out the Pakleds may have stumbled onto this tactic, but I have doubts.” Selu’s brow pulled together before she too was searching for a padd and produced it, handing it to Trid. “Look familiar?”

“Nausicaan pirates practising hit and fade tactics, slowing speed to disappear from freighter sensors and occasionally dipping into the Archanis Nebula to throw off pursuit.” The Bajoran woman huffed once. “Same tricks on multiple occasions. But…” She scrambled for another padd. “One of the Orion raiders also went for the nebula after their attack.”

“So the Archanis Nebula,” Sidda declared.

“Not necessarily,” Selu said. “There are multiple shipping lanes that run along the nebula. It makes for a convenient place to hide momentarily after an attack. But with recent tensions with the Klingons and some of the border houses being a bit more adventurous, the nebula would make a poor base of operations. After all, it wouldn’t do to have a Klingon raiding party find you hiding in there.”

“Ugh, fine.” Sidda sat back for a second, then immediately shot forward in her seat, a sharkish grin curling her lips.

“Oh no,” Trid said, looking to Selu. “She has an idea.”

“Are we going to like it?” the Orion-Vulcan asked.

“Depends on how much we’re going to get shot at I guess,” Trid answered. “Alright boss, what’s the plan?”