Cam’s footsteps echoed through the bustling corridors of Starbase Bravo, a labyrinthine structure filled with secrets waiting to be uncovered. Once more, Cam found himself summoned to the security office in Sector I-Navy. As he continued to reside within the colossal space edifice, each passing day brought him closer to uncovering the station’s enigmatic secrets. While the massive construction itself remained unaltered, Cam’s perception of the Starbase seemed to be evolving. What was once an imposing behemoth now felt like a gradually diminishing entity. What had recently felt like an arduous trek now resembled a brisk stroll through its corridors.

Some time ago, his relentless pursuit of potential changeling infiltrators had led him to an unexpected discovery: a covert Ferengi smuggling ring thriving within the heart of the Starbase. Driven to halt the unlawful operation, Cam had relayed his discoveries to Director Peri. Now it had come to his attention that Director Peri had subsequently entrusted the oversight of the investigation to the recently appointed Ensign. This Ensign, Shepard, was no ordinary newcomer; besides his advanced age for his rank, rumors of his impressive reputation had circulated throughout the Starbase.

Arriving at the security office situated along the bustling Promenade, Cam’s keen eyes locked onto a figure that bore the aura of Ensign Shepard. Determined not to waste a moment, he maneuvered past the unsuspecting office clerk he remembered from his previous visit. 

Cam approached Shepard with a confident stride, extending his hand in a gesture of camaraderie, his expression a mix of curiosity and readiness. “You must be Ensign Shepard! I heard you requested my assistance,” he declared. “I’m Ensign Cam Solari, here to assist in any way I can.”

Cole had completed his patrol duty from the night before and had retired for the night. When he awoke the next morning, there was a message on his PADD to report to the Security Office for the beginning of his shift. He had plenty of time, so he showered and got some chow before going in. He spent the whole time wondering what was important enough to get his detail schedule changed.

He arrived at the office and found another message that outlined the details of his next assignment. An Ensign in the Flight Department had stumbled across a Ferengi smuggling ring and had helped in taking it down. This led to another investigation, and it was handed over to Cole to follow up on.

Cole had read over Ensign Solari’s reports and had to admit that he was impressed with the Flight Officer’s intuition and persistence. Cole decided to bring the young man in own his investigation as well and had sent the request out right away. It didn’t take long for the officer to show up. Cole stood and took the proffered hand. 

“Nice to meet you, Ensign. Please have a seat.” Cole offered. 

The two men sat down, and Cole got right to business. “I’ve been tasked with following up on the smuggling ring you busted up a few weeks back. It led to a full-blown inventory, and it was discovered that there was quite a bit of equipment missing from several departments. Whoever is taking it is being very smart about it. They’re only taking a small quantity so that the missing items aren’t easily noticed. With your insights into the previous issue, I’ve asked the higher ups if you could come on board and assist. What do you say? Can a couple of Ensigns see what kind of trouble they can cause while busting more smugglers?”

Cam’s eyes widened with surprise, and his voice wavered as he began, “Well, I, uh, sort of stumbled upon it during my research.” He fidgeted with his PADD nervously before quickly adding, “Although, if you ask me, those crooks might be underestimating what Starfleet Ensigns like us can do.”

A spark of excitement lit up in Cam’s eyes as if a puzzle piece had fallen into place.”So,” Cam said, leaning in closer, “where do you think we should start piecing this together?”

Cole liked Cam’s enthusiasm. “I was wondering how the Ferengis got their hands on the items. And then the other smugglers as well. None of them are Starfleet so someone has to be getting it for them. I went back six weeks, before your adventure, and pulled all the logs from the twelve departments that reported missing equipment. We need to read through them and see if we can come across a link. Maybe something like the same person, someone that doesn’t belong, entering each department.”

Cam briefly considered Cole’s working theory and couldn’t resist voicing his thoughts. “Pardon me, Security may not be my expertise but isn’t that a bit too obvious?” he mused aloud. “I mean, they would have been apprehended by now…”

Cam paused, rephrasing his question. “Perhaps it involves multiple individuals, or maybe they’ve managed to enlist some members of the crew or employ a more clandestine approach?” he pondered further. “Do we have a record of the specific items that have gone missing?”

“I understand the obvious part, and yes, according to the reports, everyone was investigated. However,” Cole continued as he leaned forward and placed his arms on the desk. “no one was arrested from any of the departments. But that was another officer. I feel I wouldn’t be doing everything I can if I didn’t just start my own investigation, from the beginning.”

Cam narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. “That’s a valid point, I think you’re right to start over.”

“I have a hunch someone from the Flight Office might be involved as well,” he remarked, his words carrying a hint of suspicion. “How else could they manage to transport such a significant quantity of items off the station without raising suspicion?”

“That’s very possible.” said Cole. He had actually had the same thought himself along with a couple of others. “I think we need to start with the Space Traffic Control and Hanger Ops. They’re the ones that bring in and load the ships. But I don’t want to just focus on them. I want to check all rosters from all departments for that time frame.”

Cam admired Cole’s tenacity, and as they delved deeper into their conversation, a spark of realization ignited within him. He swiftly plunged into his PADD, fingers dancing across the interface as he meticulously sifted through a maze of files. Each tap and swipe felt like a secret code only he could decipher. Classified project data was not meant to be tampered with, but because it would save them so much time, Cam couldn’t resist.

His eyes darted across the screen, scrutinizing the information he had subtly tweaked to leave out the subject of the secret project. It was as if he were an artist, carefully perfecting his masterpiece. His pulse quickened with each clandestine edit.

Cole sat by and watched silently with the occasional eyebrow arch as Cam’s fingers danced across his PADD.

At the end of this covert operation, a distinct chime echoed from Cole’s PADD. Cam looked up from his own device, a conspiratorial glint in his eye as he remarked, “Ah, there you have it. I just remembered I’ve already delved into that data for, well, let’s just call it ‘another project.’ It should save you quite a bit of time when it comes to compiling the information yourself.” Cam’s voice held a hint of mystery, as though he were sharing a secret code only the two of them could understand.

Finally, Cole’s own PADD chimed and he picked it up as Cam spoke. 

“This is great.” remarked Cole. It will definitely saved a hell of a lot of time.” He read over the information for another brief moment before looking at the young man across from him. “”Another project”. huh? Listen. I don’t care how you got the information. Thank you. This will help a lot.”

Cam leaned in closer, his eyes locked with Cole’s, and his lips curved into a sly, conspiratorial grin. He lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper, “Let’s keep this between us, no need to mention this to Director Peri.”

Rising from his chair, Cam extended his hand toward Cole with a confident yet amiable demeanor. As they shook hands, a genuine sparkle of excitement glinted in Cam’s eyes. “I’m genuinely looking forward to our collaboration,” he said, the words laced with anticipation. “Now, I’ll head back to Flight Ops and see if I can unearth a few more breadcrumbs.”

With an air of secrecy and excitement, Cam left the security office, leaving behind the promise of an intriguing investigation yet to unfold.