Post 497: To Mention the Unmentionable

Stardate: 71015.1500
Title: To Mention the Unmentionable
Authors: TC Blane and Zanh Liis
Scene: Bridge/Ready Room USS Independence
Time: Following "Two Outs. . ." and "Tending the Garden"
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"Thomas," Zanh lowered her voice, leaning closer to Blane as she caught the look in his eye and could see the gears turning in his head. "I know you're thinking something. So, tell me. Weighing what we know now against your considerable job experience. . ." she paused, and he knew exactly what she meant.

She was referring to his past with special ops.

"What is your suggestion?"

TC nodded to a quieter corner of the bridge and made his way there with the captain in tow. He glanced around to make sure there was no one listening.

“Captain, the suggestion that I have is one that I can not suggest because it would be a direct violation of the Prime Directive.” He paused. He knew that both Captain Zanh and himself had experienced the Prime Directive being “tweaked” to meet the needs of Starfleet before and they also both knew full well the consequences of doing so. What he was not expecting was Zanh's next, cavalier remark.

"At this point, I care about that why, exactly?"

He wondered if she were serious, but for the sake of argument assumed that she was.

"Article two, chapter seven," Blane recited. "Nothing within these articles of Federation shall authorize the Federation to intervene in matters which are essentially the domestic jurisdiction of any planetary social system, or shall require the members to submit such matters to settlement under these articles of Federation; but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter VII."

Zanh's eyes gestured toward the ready room, and he followed her in. "If you have any more regulations to recite to me, Lieutenant you'd better do it right quick because I'm running short on time and self-restraint." Zanh paced like a trapped animal. "And pity poor Salvek. He is the one who usually gets to try to talk me down in these situations."

TC could tell from the tone accompanying the words just how badly Zanh missed the Vulcan's calm, logical counsel right now. He opened his mouth to speak but she kept right on ranting before he could get a word in edgewise.

"With TI, as I'm sure is true with special ops, the Prime Directive is often considered an afterthought at best when it comes time to take definitive action. Regardless, I honestly don't see how it still applies in this case when the Yensuli are the ones who brought us here, asking to join the Federation. An organization with long standing, clearly defined gender equality standards. Rules that they clearly must know they're breaking already."

He took a deep breath. "Long story short: we cannot directly meddle in the affairs of these people. Interfering is a direct-"

Zanh Liis slammed her hand against her desk and swore, loudly. "We would not be 'interfering' if they hadn't told us to come here and look around. They petitioned for admission into the Federation. They called us. Starfleet told me to evaluate their fitness for membership. So I'm evaluating it. Then we find out they are sneaking around and apparently hiding something very sinister beneath their pure and polished exterior. "

Liis paused. "There is more than enough damning evidence already for me to deny their application outright, right now. But unfortunately that won't help either the Alchemy's crew or Yensul's missing female population, if they're still alive."

"Think about this carefully, Captain," TC warned. "The Federation council, if they think you've hastily denied the Yensuli's petition,"

"Article four of the Federation, paragraphs one and two:" Zanh quoted back to him from memory. "One; Membership in the United Federation is open to any other peaceful planetary social systems which accept the obligations contained in these articles of Federation and, in the judgment of the Federation, are capable and willing to carry out these obligations. Two: the admission of any such planetary social system to membership in the United Federation of Planets is contingent upon the decision of the supreme assembly upon recommendation of the Federation council."

She locked eyes on his "Who makes the recommendation to the council? I do. And hasty or not, you can bet that I'm going to recommend that they make Yensul clean up their fetid, rotting social system before they let it anywhere near the Federation!"

She leaned against the desk, palms flat against the surface as she stared at an image on the computer screen of the moon with the mysterious gravitational pull that troubled her so.

"So the only question in my mind remains, do we demand they let us search that moon under the heading of full disclosure on their application or do we take an alternate tack?"

TC saw that he was quickly becoming a diplomatic councilor, something that he felt he was far from qualified to do. “I don’t like this any more then you do, Captain, but if we demand to search that moon they will simply get up and walk out ending any possibility of us getting a legal look.” He stated bluntly. “I would suggest an indirect approach.”

Zanh nodded, stopping to consider his words fully. “Continue.”

“Let me pay an unannounced visit to the fifth moon,” He was working to contain his frustration but an ultra cool and professional demeanor stayed on the surface. “If I was to hide something in this system that is where it is going to be.”

“I’m pretty sure I can get to the surface undetected, let's see what I can find," he continued. "I’ve gotten into, and out of, tighter and more secure spots before. We can say I was looking for the Alchemy if I happen to get caught or I actually find something.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Or someone. But you,"

His eyes pierced her now with their intensity. "You need to get a grip.” He was blunt, he was direct, and he lacked any of the smooth calming logic that Salvek would have presented to the captain.

"I beg your pardon?" Zanh's first reaction was to lash out at him, but she stopped herself. She realized that, one; she had asked for his honest opinion and he was giving it, so she had no right to whine about it, and two; what's more he was right.

Her rising panic over not knowing what had become of Salvek and the rest was taking over her better judgment, and she had to keep it together.

"What I meant was," She drew a deep breath, "please go on, Mr. Blane."TC's eyes had narrowed to slits, his own patience waning.

“You can not lose control of the diplomatic front here.” He leaned forward calmly placing his own palms flat onto the desk in front of Zanh's.

“Think of it as slight of hand, keep them looking at the right hand so they do not see what the left is doing. Beat them at their own game. Besides, I may need you to get me back. It would be hard for you to do that if you are not in command anymore.”

"Yeah, well I know this may come as a big shock to you, Lieutenant," her voice dripped with sarcasm. "but I have never excelled at diplomacy. Unless you consider the 'bull in the china shop' approach a viable diplomatic strategy."

She finally seemed as if she'd composed herself once again. "But I know you're right, and if Salvek has to take over for me when he gets back because my own ass is in the brig next to Corbinsky's, he's never going to let me forget it either. So," her thoughts turned to the logistics of his mission. "Will you need a team or will you go alone? I dislike the idea of you being all by yourself, but if you think it best, I'll defer to your judgment."

TC thought about it for a moment, there were very few people on board that were qualified for something like this and some of them might have an issue with it on principle. After a moment he shook his head. “Just me. There is no reason for more then one career to be ruined if things go sour.” His face turned grim. “Considering the situation this would be best. I would suggest that you have N’Dura put together a retrieval team, just in case.”

"We will put together the retrieval team, but I want you to know one thing for certain before you go, Thomas," Zanh insisted, putting her hand on his shoulder. "If anyone's career is going to tank over this, it'll be mine, not yours, I promise you that. I would never let one of my officers take the fall for a decision I'm making. And I'm the one making the decision to send you."

"But I volunteered. Suggested, even,"

"I" Zanh repeated evenly, "made the decision."

He nodded, realizing that she may be exacting, stubborn, and short-tempered, but she certainly had no problems with her priorities when it came to protecting her crew. She was looking out for him, and he trusted that her word was good.

With nothing left unsaid, they returned to the bridge just in time to see N'Dura following Corbinsky out of the lift.

"So, you are ready to listen to reason, Zanh Liis?" Corbinsky inquired, adjusting the collar of his freshly provided, crisp linen shirt and standing tall.

"That remains to be seen, doctor." Zanh replied. She motioned for Corbinsky to join her and Blane at the science station, where Micah Samson sat before the latest scans of the fifth moon. "I may have taken complete leave of my senses at this point, but before we go rushing in where angels fear to tread, I would like you to take a look at these sensor sweeps and tell me what you think of them."

Corbinsky's complexion took on a deeper pallor as he realized the implications of what he was reading. "I don't believe it. It can't be."

"What can't be?" she demanded.

"This. . .this is my technology. Well, it's my theory, put into practice. I didn't think it would work at this stage of development on something as large as a whole moon, but here it is. How did they get their hands on this? No one is supposed to know about this."

"Maybe someone broke into your lab while you were on one of your little visits to us." Liis replied. She looked up as she heard the lift doors open again, and she saw Vedek Jariel approaching. He was about to suggest to her that consulting with Corbinsky might not be a bad idea, after his talk with Margolis.
But he saw that she'd apparently already come to that conclusion on her own, and breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't been looking forward to that conversation at all.

"I want to know why the gravity is increased around that moon, and why a ship just flew near it and disappeared as if cloaked by space itself." Zanh said, reaching over Samson's shoulder and bringing up the sensor images of the Yensuli military ship disappearing before their eyes.

"It's because nothing is as it appears here, Zanh Liis." Corbinsky replied. "May I?" he slid into Samson's seat as the lieutenant vacated it, and as the gathered officers watched, Corbinsky adjusted the sensor grids again, and suddenly, the image of the moon changed.

"That's not a moon," he replied, "It's an L class planet.""Is the Alchemy down there?" Zanh exchanged a glance with Blane as she asked."Interference is too great, I can't compensate enough to get a clear scan of the surface." he replied. "I can keep working on it, if you would like," he paused, grinning at the fact that things finally seemed as if they were going in the direction he'd hoped between himself and Zanh. She was going to be forced to trust him, she had no alternative. "You have but to ask."

"Please, Doctor Corbinsky," Z anh said, through gritted teeth. "I'm asking you, " she paused, "and I'm only asking once," she whispered to him under her breath, and Xander laughed softly. His pride was clearly satisfied by making her ask for his assistance in front of her bridge crew, "to keep working on the sensors and tell me if you find any sign of the Alchemy or her crew."

TC had stood back and listened and watched the doctor work in silence until now. “So Doc, if I was to try and put a shuttle down on this planet, what would be the best way to do it?” He clapped Corbinsky on the shoulder and smiled broadly. Then he glanced up and Corbinsky’s head. “By the way, how’s the noggin?”

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Lt. TC Blane
Chief of Operations
USS Independence NCC-90791

and

=/\= Zanh Liis
Acting CO
USS Independence NCC-90791