The Device

Freelancer walked down the corridors of the station looking like any other person on the station. They were heading for the hanger bays and one vessel in particular. The vessel was owned by a Vulcan businessman, who no-one appeared to have ever seen. Some people, including the authorities believed that this individual was involved in organised crime within the Federation, but no-one had ever been able to prove that.

Freelancer had learnt that this Vulcan was in possession of an alien device, a device that someone had killed many to get. Now this Vulcan was willing to sell on this device to the highest bidder. Freelancer had been one of those the Vulcan had approached, indirectly through one of their contacts within the seedier side of Freelancer’s operations.

From the limited description given to their associate, Freelancer recognised the device and was now undertaking an operation to retrieve the device before it fell into the wrong hands. If anyone managed to get their hands on the device and work out what its true function was, then everything would be changed.

Freelancer soon found the large shuttle in its bay and easily avoided all the security measures that had been put in place. Finally they managed to get onto the vessel itself and crept through the Jefferies tubes until they found the room where the device was now sitting.

As Freelancer hit the floor from above, they looked around to room. It was small and dark, a little over three metres square. There was a bed against one wall and a replicator on the opposite wall. In the middle stood on a large table was the device. Freelancer quickly pulled out a pair of small devices and attached them to either side of the device.

Just as Freelancer was about to transport off the vessel with the device, they heard the door open behind them and the sound of a phaser powering up.

“Turn around..” The Vulcan said. “…. slowly.”

Freelancer turned to face the Vulcan.

“You….” The Vulcan remarked with surprise.

Using the Vulcan’s moment of weakness, Freelancer jumped forward, knocking the Vulcan to the ground and sending the phaser flying across the room. Freelancer knocked the Vulcan out, rose to their feet and finally retrieved the phaser. Setting the phaser to overload, Freelancer tapped a device on their chest and disappeared, along with the device.

Moments later, the phaser reached critical and caused an explosion onboard the vessel, killing the Vulcan and causing extensive damage to the vessel. Like the Vulcan, Freelancer could not afford to have their identity known to an enemy, elimination was the only way to ensure that never happened.