Medical personnel had beamed over to the disabled Naussicaan transport to assist with the newly-freed slaves as Johnny questioned the one adult amongst the ship's captives.
"I know you've been through a lot, sir," Johnny said. "But it's important that we know exactly under what circumstances you were captured by the pirates. This is important if we're to understand how they operate. Try to recall as much as possible." Johnny was doing his best to use Security officer tact rather than his old Marine instincts which were telling him to bounce this joker's head off the bulkhead. His story just wasn't holding up.
"My shuttle was destroyed, Commander, just as I told you. The Naussicaans beamed me out just in time. I thought they were rescuing me but it turned out they had other plans in mind," Jonas Mallory explained. "When your ship attacked I was looking for a place to hide. The agony booth was available. I didn't know what it was at the time, though."
Johnny knew then and there that Jonas was lying--nobody had told him he was in a Klingon agony booth when they found him, or after that. "Okay, let me check out a few things. I may have some questions for you later." He left the small wardroom where he'd been questioning Jonas.
"Computer, run security check on Jonah Mackenzie."
<Jonah Mackenzie is one of five known aliases of Jonas Mallory, declared deceased after shuttle accident at Starbase 352 four years ago. DNA genotyping and phenotype consistent with Jonas Mallory.>
Jonah, eh? More like Lazarus... "Computer, list all known wants and warrants for Jonas Mallory at the time of his presumptive death.""
<Violation of domestic restraining order issued by civil authority at Starbase 352. Dereliction of duty as outlined under Starfleet Code of Military Justice. Under investigation for espionage by Starfleet Intelligence and the Klingon Civil Security Directorate.>
"What is the probability that this man is not Jonas Mallory?"
<Negligible within 99.9% confidence interval. Jonas Mallory had no twin siblings. No indication of cloning or other genetic manipulation.>
"Well, well..." Johnny walked back into the wardroom. "Well, I've got some good news, Mr. Mallory," he said. Jonas' head snapped around. "We're finally able to take a case off the books. You're under arrest."
"Understood," Captain Mallory said. "I'll send a vessel to retrieve Mr. Mallory and the freed captives at once."
Suddenly her blood turned ice-cold. After all these years, Jonas was alive--and had been within hailing range of her station! What do I do now? she thought, pushing aside all thoughts of what she'd like to do.
"Command deck to Colonel Tarik--come in please."
[Tarik here.]
"Take a personnel transport and rendezvous with the Hornet. They've got displaced persons and one prisoner to ferry back to the station. The prisoner should be considered dangerous."
[Knowing Commander Chee the prisoner should count himself lucky he's not considered a paraphelegic. Request Lieutenants Deveraux and Kassia for the mission. They've both had experience with these situations.]
"Granted."
Meanwhile, in the VIP quarters, Sapek and Tasia were busy explaining the Commune's dimensional transport technology to Jovan.
"Fascinating. You can use the fluctuations inherent in the warp core to open an interdimensional wormhole!" Jovan exclaimed.
"The technique is very risky, partly because we don't know a lot about how the various universes are connected," Tasia explained. "The Commune provided us comprehensive data but it will take months to sort through."
"Or do we? We've got our own data from the Albuquerque. And we've got Jovan's data from the Seth. Three more data sets and we could reduce the margin of error by as much as five orders of magnitude!" Sapek exclaimed.
"But where do we get these data sets?" Tasia asked.
"Lieutenant Deveraux mentioned something about there having been an interdimensional transport at this station a few weeks ago. His data could provide one. And if we can get the data from the Naussicaan pirate vessel that would be another." Sapek said.
"And the data from the Virgo's trip would be still another!" Jovan said excitedly. "That makes three!"
Tasia and Sapek embraced in excitement. Jovan raised an eyebrow at the exchange. "You two are... close, I take it?"
"We've been for some time. Eighteen years, only the one vessel, you know how it gets," Tasia said.
"She has been indispensable to me, in many ways," Sapek added.
"Well..." Jovan said, for a moment experiencing discomfiture as he reflected upon his own relationship with Katianna--his motivation for this whole mission. "Let's get to work, shall we?"
"Commodore, we've some interesting information on two of the displaced children on the Naussicaan vessel," a medical technician reported.
"What do you have, Yeoman?"
The technician handed Wallace a PADD. "Two of the children appear to be the children of Mr. Mallory."
"What kind of sadistic bastard would place his own children in a slaver hold?" Wallace asked rhetorically. "Do we have any word on their mother?"
"Uhh, yes, sir..." the technician said, almost afraid to spit out the words.
"Well, go ahead man!"
"The children's mother is Captain Kitara Mallory. Jonas Mallory is her ex-husband."
Wallace turned utterly white. "Wallace to Chee--add kidnapping, piracy, and slave trafficking to the list of charges and specifications on Jonas Mallory."
[Acknowledged, sir. I'll inform SB901. The transport just left with the kids and with Mallory.] Johnny replied.
[Here's the data you requested. Very interesting, these modifications the Naussicaans made to their engines,] Jonathan Lataro reported to Sapek.
"Thank you, Captain Lataro. This information should prove most enlightening," Sapek said as he downloaded the navigation data from the Naussicaan vessel to a PADD. Sapek had thrown his rank around just a little to get to SB901's command deck to perform this research.
"Captain Mallory, the transport has just returned from the Hornet. They're in Bay 12," a yeoman at Operations reported.
"Thank you, Hernandez. Captain Sapek, I would appreciate your presence," Kitty asked.
"May I ask why? From what I gather, this seems fairly routine," Sapek asked. He'd only heard bits and pieces of what had happened with the Naussicaan vessel.
"Trust me, Captain. It's best that another command-grade officer be present. Given the nature of the charges it's best that someone from Intelligence be there as well. Yeoman, inform Mr. Kalimar that his presence is requested in Bay 12."
The two took the turbolift down to Bay 12; Kitty briefed Sapek on the way down. Kassia was escorting the children off the transport while Tarik and Deveraux escorted Jonas Mallory. Heavy-duty restraints confined his arms.
"You bitch! I knew you had to be responsible for all this!" Jonas snarled.
"Oh, don't I wish," Kitty said. "Don't I wish that were true! Unfortunately I can't take credit for this one." Zachary and Arianna saw Kitty and immediately rushed to her. "Mommy!!!!" they cried. Kitty knelt down and took them in a warm embrace.
"Enjoy it while you can," Jonas said. "I'll make sure Starfleet finds out how you've exceeded your authority here! Then we'll see who's in trouble!"
"Sir, if I may," Sapek interrupted. "It was not Captain Mallory but Commodore Richard Wallace--a flag officer of unimpeachable integrity--and officers under his command who apprehended you. They gathered the evidence and discovered your outstanding warrants. Nor will Captain Mallory preside over your trial."
"It takes three command-grade officers to convene a court-martial!" Jonas sneered. "You can't do it without sending me back to another base! She still loses!"
"I am a command grade officer," Sapek said.
"And I am another command grade officer," Tarik added.
"You can't do it--you're under her command!" Jonas yelled at Tarik.
"Not really. The Marines operate under a separate command authority. In fact, technically due to time-in-grade requirements I actually outrank Captain Mallory, if only by a few days," Tarik said. Normally it was a technicality he would never have brought up with regard to Mallory or anyone else. But something about Jonas brought out the nasty streak in him.
"Fine. Where's your third?"
"Right here," Jovan Kalimar said, having just arrived "Due to the nature of the charges against you Starfleet Intelligence is entitled to representation on the panel. In fact, you're lucky we don't turn you over to the Klingons. I'm sure you'll greatly prefer the Starbase 207 detention facility to Rura Penthe!"
"Okay, you've got your kangaroo court. Have at it!" Jonas sneered.
"Get this piece of trash to the brig!" Kitty said, resisting the urge to tell them to throw Jonas out the nearest airlock.
Jonas' trial was set for the next week. Good--that's all the time I need, Jovan thought as he completed modifications to the runabout Danube. Captain Sapek had willingly consented to the use of his ship's one remaining runabout once he'd heard Jovan's proposal.
Jovan received takeoff clearance from SB901's command deck and piloted the runabout to the location of the spatial rift generated by the alternate Vince Kelly some weeks ago. "Computer, engage interdimensional transport for preset coordinates," he ordered.
<Acknowledged. Interdimensional transport engaging.>
The Danube winked out of existence...
March 16, 2384
Earth Orbit
Alternate Universe "Beta"
A high Earth orbit (and Jovan's Section 31 credentials) allowed Jovan and the modified runabout Danube to reappear in his home space without comment from traffic control. Jovan entered the communications code for Katianna's old apartment in San Francisco.
Kara Lac answered. [Nadira residence, how may I help--oh, Mr. Kalimar! I didn't expect to see you so soon!] the nanny said.
"I didn't expect to be gone quite so long, actually. I have some good news for you. I've come to take Laurissa back to her mother. Katianna missed her much too badly. You're welcome to come along as well, if you desire."
The nanny looked surprised. [You mean that? I'll have us packed before you can land! Laurissa's missed her mother so much!]
Jovan smiled. Another mission accomplished successfully. And this time nobody had to get killed! he thought.
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