"The Portanus system offers us some very distinct advantages," Lieutenant Alysa Sinclair informed her superior. "The subspace geometry in the system is highly unusual. While warp drives are unstable near the system's primary, energy transmissions can travel much more quickly. A standard subspace transmission from Portanus to Earth would take only seconds rather than years; even ordinary radio transmissions could make the round-trip in a few weeks! As a communications nexus, Portanus could prove essential to securing a beachhead against the T'rais sector command in the area.
"In addition, the population there is very low-tech, at best equivalent to 17th-century Earth, and relatively small. Securing Federation control of the planet should be relatively simple and require only one operative."
"Intriguing. Who do you have in mind for this job?" Luther Sloan asked.
Alysa tapped a key on her console, which transmitted the entire contents of a personnel file to Sloan.
"Are you insane?! Johnny Chee's been a loose cannon since his enlisted days! Are you sure you can control him?"
"He's really the only choice. My first choice would have been Richard Wallace, but he's already left the ship. The mission will require a senior officer with extensive ground combat experience, which leaves only Lataro, Benton, and Chee, and Lataro's too high-profile and probably even more unpredictable if pushed. And given the situation with the Kelvans, Benton is too unreliable. Even if that weren't the case, removing Benton would put Chee at least temporarily in command of Security, and we don't want him having that much power. That leaves Johnny, who doesn't have a problem with working in low-tech environments. Consider what he did on Xenon III and his escape from the Cardassians in the Taos system during the Dominion War. Anyone who can take on members of the Obsidian Order with a stone knife is someone we want working for us!
"Besides, he's not part of the original crew, which means he's less likely to be loyal to the captain, who, of course, has no idea what's going on. And consider this: having him on our side, or at least under our control, means one less member of the command staff to deal with in exerting control over the Virgo."
Two, actually, because I can put leverage on that bitch Jenara and her illegitimate brat as well. If anything will make him cooperate, that will, Sinclair thought to herself.
"And with Wallace, Loran, and Valdago already out of the picture, that means at least half of the chain of command out of our way. If you can bring him on board," Sloan replied. "If not, are you prepared to do what's necessary?"
"Quite prepared. There's something about that man that's been on my nerves since we rescued him. Entirely too nosy for his own good," Sinclair answered. Since the Kirk salvage mission she'd been much more careful to eliminate or falsify sensor readings lest a certain Marine decide to look beyond appearances.
"Very good. I will inform our associates. Sloan out." The com panel clicked off.
"And I'll make sure you're kept apprised every step of the way, love," Sinclair said to a non-present Kosst.
Johnny approached the door to Alysa's office with curiosity more than anything else. Generally most of his interaction with the Virgo's Intelligence Officer was either through memos or staff meetings. There always seemed to be something about her he didn't quite trust, but most of that, he figured, was the typical grunt's distrust of intelligence types.
The door opened before he could chime for entry, which made Johnny wonder just what was going on. If anyone would want to restrict access to her office, Sinclair would be the most likely candidate.
"You asked to see me, Ms. Sinclair?" he asked.
"Have a seat, Major. I have a proposition for you." she responded. The door closed behind him. Sinclair's office was almost as barren as Johnny's had been before he and Jenara got married. After the wedding some of the more out-of-place items (like his sketch of the ancient actor John Wayne) had migrated to his office.
Johnny, biting back a joke about refusing because he was now married, sat down. Alysa handed him a PADD.
"Please keep in mind that this conversation is classified at Level Five and therefore must not leave this office. On this PADD you will find comprehensive data regarding the Portanus system, which the Virgo is currently about 72 hours away from at its present heading and velocity," she explained, carefully not mentioning how the data were obtained. Ostensibly we are headed there to survey a subspace anomaly of unusual character, but the Federation wishes to establish formal contact with the inhabitants of Portanus V."
Johnny scrolled through the display. "I see that these people are a pre-warp civilization. Agrarian economy, no mass manufacturing, only a very rudimentary understanding of Newtonian physics. Why is the Federation interested in making contact with a society so primitive and so far removed from its sphere of influence?" More to the point, Ms. Sinclair, what do you have in mind with this little act of legerdemain?
"Scroll down to the physical data for this system. You'll find that the entire system doesn't have enough dilithium to run the Virgo's warp drive, much less something on the order of Zefram Cochrane's first vessel, which was an order of magnitude less efficient. The locals may develop warp theory in principle within the next 300 years but they may never build a working model. The material just doesn't exist in their system. Even with antimatter the nearest star system with dilithium is 50 light years away, which means over 500 years aboard a sleeper ship. That's assuming they even explore in that direction or know what they've got when they find it. Under current interpretations of the Prime Directive, that means the Federation can have no formal contact with them," Alyssa explained.
"I take it, then, that the Prime Directive is about to be reinterpreted?" Johnny asked.
She smiled. "You could say that. Occasionally, the Federation must break its own rules in order to serve the greater good. Our early pioneers like Kirk and Sulu understood this well, but later generations have become somewhat squeamish on this point."
Johnny nodded. He had had his differences with the Prime Directive, but it was the first standing order of the Federation, and had to be upheld even to the disadvantage of the Federation. If it meant losing trade privileges, that was something the Federation could survive. If it meant thousands of people getting slaughtered, then Johnny felt higher principles still were involved and the Prime Directive could go straight out the airlock. Kirk and Sulu had believed that, and Johnny was certain that Captain Maruu believed that. Johnny knew he did. The question was whether or not Alysa believed that.
"And how is the greater good served here?" he asked.
"Again referring to the physical data, you'll see that the Portanus system lies in the heart of a unique anomaly which allows data to be transmitted at much higher than normal rates. Control of this system gives the Federation an unparalleled advantage in this quadrant. If we don't control this system, then the T'rais will move in and exploit both the anomaly and these people," she explained.
So that's what this is all about! Johnny remembered the absurdly high security clearance on the sensor readings from his mission to the wreck of the USS Kirk the year before. The Federation appeared to be deliberately trying to pick a fight with the T'rais over a few more empty parsecs of space. At that point his mind was made up. But still he continued.
"Okay, I see your point. What's the operation plan?"
"This is why I sought you out, Major. Among the crew, you are the best-qualified for this mission. In fact, you just might be what we're looking for to handle more than a few things," Alysa said, her voice becoming a little uncertain toward the end.
Who's we? Johnny thought. Is there a mouse in the room? How many other people are in on this.
"As you are no doubt aware, Federation intelligence activities go a bit beyond what an outsider might expect. In addition to providing information on potential opponents and helping to secure a strategic edge, there are certain components that also try to be pro-active in asserting Federation objectives. Based upon your service record and your training, we've decided that you would be ideal to help us, and the Federation, reach our goals."
Congratulations, Johnny! You've just been recruited into a black op! "Again, what's the plan?"
"We want you to make contact with the locals and secure the rights to a starbase, and all necessary support facilities, in this system."
Okay so far. "I'm no ambassador; suppose they decline? What support do I have, and what are our alternatives?"
Alysa smiled, but not in a friendly manner. "It is your job, Major, to ensure that they do not decline our invitation."
At this point Johnny could no longer contain himself.` "So that's why you want me for this job! Someone to kick down the door if they don't decide to open it of their own accord. Madam, you can count me out of this one! I will not be a party to this or any similar action, and, furthermore, I am obliged to report this discussion to the Captain under the Starfleet Code of Military Justice." He got up to leave.
"Sit down, Major!" Alysa snapped, ignoring the technicality that Johnny outranked her. "You will do exactly what we want, and I'll tell you why. Your quarters and the berthing area of your Marines have been discreetly mined. As long as I give my authorization code at a predetermined interval, the mines will not go off. If you do not go on this mission, or if you attempt to report this discussion to anyone I have not specifically cleared you to speak to, the mines will go off, killing everyone in those compartments and probably anyone else in the vicinity as well. If the mines are tampered with, or if my life signs dip below nominal for any reason, the mines go off immediately. So don't even try anything funny!"
A horrid image of Jenara and the baby being vaporized by a mine, the resultant gas dispersing into space, passed through Johnny's mind. You'll pay for this, you bitch! he thought.
"Now that you put it that way, where do I sign up?"