Commander Raelin sat in the center chair of the Relentless, leaning forward. Her focused eyes reflected the deep blue lights that shone over the bridge and the rest of the ship. An hour ago, the Relentless had secured to silent running. She watched the viewscreen, feeling the pressure inching up her back to her shoulders. Tougun was out there somewhere, directing his network. “Estrada?”
Beatrice Estrada checked the passive sensors with another pass across the sector while glancing at the active sensor feed coming from the Perseverance. She winced at the challenge of the two active screens. “Three signals are resolving. Two ships and one small station. No sign they’ve seen us.” She adjusted the screens as the feed updated. “The two ships are transports with phasers. Station is hardier with phasers and one torpedo launcher.” There was a ripple of annoyance across the bridge. This wasn’t the base of operations for Tougun.
Raelin shrugged. “Tang, get us out and onto the next. Notify Perseverance we’re onto the next.”
“Re-task sensors. Helm, move to the next intercept point.” Captain Park stood in the center of the command platform of the Perseverance, PADD in hand. Commander Rowan Hale was in the vestibule, overseeing the science teams. The Pathfinder-class ship was technically on a routine survey mission. The routine survey mission was their cover story while they backed up Relentless and worked to locate Tougun and his network. Hale left Lieutenant Wallaker, the science chief, in charge as he returned to where Park stood.
He asked, “You think we’re going to find him?” Hale’s face betrayed nothing; his guard was up.
Park kept her eyes on the PADD. “I think Tougun’s desperate if this is his play. He knows his limitations. He has to. Commodore Fontana has little patience for this kind of thing, and neither does our task force, never mind Fourth Fleet.” She glanced up. “There has to be something else at play.”
Rowan cocked his head slightly, his imagination working. “What if Tougun’s not in control anymore?” Park glanced up at his suggestion, narrowing her eyes. He thought it through. “We know he’s tactical. We know he’s a borderline genius intellectually. Tougun doesn’t blunder in and out of things like a drunken Klingon bent on revenge.”
Park mused, “Sounds like you’ve had experience.” She could imagine Hale’s patience being tested with an inebriated Klingon. It amused her for a moment.
He grumbled, “Several. Not looking to repeat.” He grimaced at the memories and returned his focus to the present. “We know Tougun’s measure. Whatever this is, it’s not his style. What we need is a way to get an idea of what’s going on inside the network.”
“Captain, Commander?” A science officer spoke up from the science vestibule. Both Park and Hale walked back to her. The science office nodded at the screen above her console. “We’ve got a look at the deeper sector that Relentless is moving to next. The station is a larger class, and there are some ships with teeth hanging around.”
Park nodded slowly. “Well, now it’s time for part two of this plan. Signal Commander Raelin.”
“It’s a good thing they never corrected the records,” mused Lieutenant Commander Beatrice Estrada. The Type-10 shuttle, Unstoppable, lay before her. Lieutenant Charlotte Pelletier stood at her side, her face resting in its usual annoyed at the galaxy look.
She rolled her eyes, grousing, “A stolen Type-10 isn’t worth much on the market.” Charlotte shrugged at Estrada’s frown in reply. “Being out here in the rimward, you must stay abreast of these things if you are to play in this deep end of the sandbox.”
Estrada scoffed, “It’s the deep end of the pool, Charlotte. Deep end of the pool.”
“Whatever. You say it your way, and I say it mine.” She gave her civilian garb a once-over. “I do wish we could be more fashionable than this. Brown and grey are not what I like to be seen in outside of my uniform. These boots have seen better days.”
Beatrice handed the Frenchwoman the PADD, pressing it into her hands. “Keep up the complaining. Our cover of unhappy partners won’t disappoint. Let’s get underway.” She stalked up the stairs and into the cramped shuttle.
Charlotte clicked her tongue. “One day I shall teach her the ways of fashion. One day.”
“I heard that! Get up here!” was Estrada’s snappy reply.
