The Two Reports

Rashad sat at her desk inside her quarters. She was finally released from the Sickbay. The agoniser was easily removed by the EMH and the holographic lady also gave the Intel Officer something for the pain and ran something to restore the minor muscular damage. However, to Rashad's annoyance, the "lady" kept her in Sickbay for observation for another 36 hours. In vain did the Romulan-Bajoran try to deactivate the EMH after SHE felt well enough to leave.

Now she was finally "home", in her quarters, and there was a report for the Captain she had to prepare about the shadow Section 31 operative she had managed to defeat only two days before. By now Lieutenant Commander Toran had discovered all "Anderson"'s equipment and had managed to find out the late operative's mission. It has only been a couple of hours that she was back in her quarters and Toran had already visited her trying to "interrogate" her as to her knowledge of the identity of Officer 001... Rashad had to tread extremely carefully lest the Captain or anyone else of the crew were to find out she was working for Section 31 as well as for Starfleet Intel...

*Ah well.* She thought, slightly raising an eyebrow. *I guess danger is the price one has to pay for job satisfaction...*

Yet, there was anothert report to be made before she could make her report to the Captain of the Leviathan.

*Damn you, Admiral ! Why did you send an assassin to kill Captain Devore ? So far there is no evidence that Devore presents any threat to the Federation...*

"Computer." She ordered in a businesslike voice. "Initiate secondary communication lockdown of these quarters. Authorisation T`Kul beta 4-6-2."

<Authorization accepted. Complying... The quarters are now on complete secondary communication lockdown.>

She logged into her PADD and selected the usual classified database.

<Database classified. Authorisation required.>

"T`Kul beta 4-6-2."

<Authorization accepted. Proceed.>

"Open secure channel to Officer 001. Officer identification number 25007."

<Officer ID accepted. Complying...>

The Starfleet Intel logo disappeared giving way to the almost subliminal Section 31 logo image and then the Admiral's figure.

[Rashad ?] The Admiral's face could hardly conceal his surprise at seeing her and yet managed to give the Romulan-Bajoran an evil grin. [You look quite pale... Why have not you reported to me for the past 72 hours ? Any news ?]

"Admiral, in the past few days most of the ship's systems have been malfunctioning and the crew..."

[See ? I TOLD you they were inefficient !] Interrupted Admiral Beard almost jubilantly. [So, go on, what happened ?]

*Is he insane ?* The Romulan-Bajoran thought, almost rebelliously.

"Sir !" Both of Rashad's eybrows rose. "Those malfunctions were caused by a saboteur aboard this ship. It was by a pure accident that I came to suspect something and after an investigation, I concluded that the operative was after the Captain. There upon, I put Captain Devore's quarters under 24-hour electronic surveillance to ensure his safety. Then, two days ago I was abducted off the Bridge by supposedly our new Engineering Officer calling himself Lieutenant Anderson... As he was going to kill me for jeopardising his mission, he felt no need to disguise the identity of his "employer". Admiral," this time she almost frowned. "He named Section 31 and that he was following orders !"

Now it was the Admiral's face that went pale. [Section 31 or I personally have no knowledge of the operative you are referring to, Lieutenant ! Now, what do the rest of the crew know ? Were you able to secure and destroy his personal possessions ?]

"No, Admiral." The Intel Officer shook her head. "You see, I was tortured by that operative, so after somehow managing to kill him, I was taken to Sickbay and was in no condition to prevent the ship's Chief Security Officer from going into "Anderson"'s quarters and finding his PADDs and other Section 31 equipment... Sooner or later the senior officers will manage to break the encryption of the communications he had had with Section 31. Security already know most of the superficial information about the late assassin's mission. They know that he had been in communication with the yet unknown to them Officer 001... My own cover may be soon compromised... Admiral, WHY did you send him here ? So far I can find no evidence of Devore's danger to the Federation."

[I deny any involvement, Lieutenant !] He was now almost enraged. [And you'd better stall the Security investigation, otherwise YOU could be the one to take the fall for this fiasco... Do you WANT to spend the rest of your life on Thexis Alpha II for your subversive data hacking activities ? I can arrange that !]

"With all due respect, sir !" Her eyebrows rose again. "It will most probably be impossible for me to stall Commander. Toran's investigation... Now, you can do whatever you like to me, I cannot stop you, however I must caution you that you are in breach of Article 279 of the Interstellar Criminal Code by having ordered a "sanction" on a Starfleet Officer without any reasonable evidence of his danger or disloyalty to the Federation. I will, of course, keep reporting anything significant to you, Admiral, but I cannot do miracles to cover up the operation subject to the current Security investigation on the Leviathan. As in, I believe, an old Terran expression, the "cat" has been let out of the bag. There is nothing I can do about it.."

[Oh, 25007 !] This time Officer 001 could not hold an evil laughter. [A criminal, yet still a lawyer ! All right, try to maintain your cover. I see Devore promoted you. Congratulations! Well, I am confirming this promotion, and you are to continue reporting to me daily. And, you are to deny any knowledge of my involvement in this fiasco when you are asked about Officer 001. That's an ORDER, Lieutenant !]

"Aye, sir." Nodded Rashad as the screen returned to the SI logo.

*By the prophets !* She thought. *He IS insane ! And now, most probably this whole ship will be in danger... Damn! Harris was right about him ! WHAT am I going to do ?*

"For every problem there, logically, exists a solution..." She mumbled a Vulcan proverb under her breath, as she logged out of the classified database.

"Computer, unlock these quarters. T`Kul beta 4-6-2."

<Authorization accepted. Complying... The secondary communication lockdown is disabled.>

*All right... Now I should find something to say about all this to the Captain without blowing my cover...*

With that the Romulan-Bajoran spy sat down in front of the console and started dictating the "official" report of the incident for Captain Devore.

"In conclusion, Captain, I should note that the incident may not be an isolated one and may unfortunately repeat itself... Next time, however, I will be on the alert and expecting it and I am sure Commander Toran here will be too..." Rashad concluded at the briefing in the Captain's ready room.

"Indeed I will, Lieutenant !" The El Aurian Lieutenant Commander. Toran stared Rashad up and down as if suspecting her of something.

"Any insights as to who was behind this, Lieutenant ?" Asked Captain Devore. "Particularly, what about the aspect of Sectiont 31 involvement that Commander Toran's report is evident ?"

"Sorry, Captain. I cannot comment on this, since my mission is to identify actual and possible threats to the Federation and to keep them classified..." Rashad gave an evasive answer that any lawyer could easily give.

"Very well, Lieutenant That will be all," nodded the Captain giving her a stern look. "Dismissed."

"I will crack those codes and get to the bottom of this, Captain." Said the Security Chief as Rashad was exiting the Ready Room.

*I am sure you will, Commander.* She thought to herself. *It appears that Lieutenant Shaka was already onto him and had managed to hack into some of his logs before I even realised the operative was here... And, if a hacker can do it, so could an old Security Chief...*