“You hear the Olympic has a new CO?” Tonia DeLuca asked as she sat across from her editor in chief, Dr. Persefoni Hargraves. They were preparing for the staff meeting later in the afternoon for The Rimward Journal.

Hargraves didn’t look up from the large tablet that had her attention. “I had heard that.” She worked for a few more minutes before she looked up at her news editor. “I understand they also finally threw the idiot out.” The editor in chief, who had taken over the Olympic Journal, had been an abject fool in her eyes.

DeLuca chuckled. “The last few issues were the talk of the community. Not a lot of academic value there.”

Persefoni scoffed, “The last few issues? The flirting with conspiracy theories in the first issues they put out? The outright ignorance of scientific study that followed?” She stared at DeLuca, “The damage that fool did to the Journal is heresy of the highest scientific order.”

DeLuca mused, “You used to describe it using four-letter words, so that’s progress.”

Persefoni let out a long sigh, “I took my time to grieve the loss of the institution. If I ever see them face to face, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to control my hands.” She sorted the items on her tablet, ruminating, “We’re going to need to decide on the closure stories for the Vaadwaur event.” The invasion and crippling ofthe Federation had been one thing. The near-complete demolition of the rest of the galaxy had shaken her more than any event in her lifetime.

Toni asked, “There’s a note here about a Tholian insider?”

Hargraves scrolled over to the news tip. “It’s light – a shortwave communication was received through the central desk. I’ve got Isidor chasing it down.”

“You said you had information.” Isidor Sokolov sat across from a sniveling Ferengi. Isidor’s height and broad-shouldered frame helped him when it came to tracking down and investigating leads on stories. He’d served in his share of conflict zones.

The Ferengi was short and portly. His eyes had gone wide on entering the corner bar in the bowels of Montana Station and had remained so as he’d evaluated the tall shape sitting across from him. “We had discussed payment.”

Isidor cocked his head to the side, slowly. He bore his eyes into the flustered Ferengi. “Payment was dependent on information, as discussed.” He leaned over the table, his tone a level below a snarl. “I don’t take kindly to shakedowns, Berek.”

Berek’s eyes widened further, and sweat flitted across his brow, “Shakedown? Me? I would never.” He shrank back in his seat as Isidor’s stare intensified. “I wouldn’t wish to attempt to push you.” The Ferengi slipped a PADD out of his pocket and slid it across the table.

Isidor picked it up and glanced through the information before tossing it back. “That’s one hell of a claim.” He watched Berek nod, an unusual confidence in his eyes.

“I don’t lie about the truth.”

Isidor tossed a bag onto the table. “You’ve earned it today, Berek. Keep to the shadows.”