Beacon Counter-Mischief

Posted on Sat Oct 24th, 2015 @ 9:28pm by Gavich [P: Steiner] & Micheletto Corella

Mission: By Dawn's Early Light
Location: Hither, Thither & Yon
Timeline: Deep of the night, of course.

[ON]

As the mercs set about an encircling surveillance of the shady starbase visitors, Gavich quietly spoke over their newly encrypted channel, "No way they could sneak bombs in here, so they're settling for targeting signals."

Micheletto listened quietly to the channel as Gavich and the rest of his team discussed the technology. It had been a long, long time since he had been on such an operation and it actually made for a pleasant change of pace. "At least the beacons won't be as messy." He chimed in quietly.

The Starfleet ops agent accompanying Gavich studied his tactical display, "Okay. I'm tapped into starbase security cameras. I've mapped enemy movements since they set foot on base. It looks like they're paying visits to decks adjacent to main reactors lines."

"Just the lines? Not the reactors?"

"Affirm."

Gavich gave a nod, "Looks like the Sojourners plan to capture and not destroy."

That would certainly follow the logic that Micheletto had done on them. "In that case they'll probably have pattern enhancers dotted around somewhere to allow them to make a quicker ingress. Any ideas on likely spots?"

"You mean something to make transporter locks easier?" He scratched the side of his face in thought, "I suppose they could dance their way in like that." Gavich shook his head, "Not my style, really. There's a lot of boom-goody that you can't put through a transporter beam."

The fleet ops agent busily typed at his PDA. "I'm going to see if we can't piggyback our passive scanners on the base monitors."

Gavich shook his head, "Whatever the Sojourners plan on dropping, you can bet it will be hard to pick up on security scanners. We need something better. Wait, I have an idea. Are there any Ferengi on this base?"

"Checking... The COO has done a pretty good job of evicting them, but there are a couple left. Proprietors... Wait, here's one!"

Minutes later, the Ferengi junior associate named Zoop was scooped aside on the promenade. He was about to yell for help. He would have, if they had been Klingon. Surely, it would be an airlock party. But these were hoomon.

Gavich lifted him up and sat him on a table for more eye-level conversation, "Got a deal for you. Help us sniff out Sojourner sabotage devices being planted on this starbase, and you'll have a better chance to survive when the big attack hits."

Zoop was a fast thinker and the decision was easy. Survival is profitable. "Do I get to keep the sabotage devices?"

"We get the first one of each type as a sample. The rest are yours."

"Deal!"

The Fleet Ops agent wasn't thrilled with the idea of exposing merc presence to Ferengi. That would be only slightly less disastrous than approaching a news reporter. However, he couldn't deny it. Ferengi are masters of industrial sabotage. They're quick to react to opportunities, and like Earth Boy Scouts, they are usually prepared.

Zoop hastily fetched a couple of mildly illegal scanners and proceeded to follow the map. He stopped and pointed, "Subspace transponder inside that ventilation grating." He dialed settings and then shrugged with raised brows, "Not bad! Passive surveillance monitor and two minute comm jammer nodule."

Corella crouched next to the Ferengi and made a noise which implied he was impressed. "Now we just need to get it out. Stand back." He turned slowly when he realised that Zoop was still standing in place. He gave him a gentle shove. "Stand. Back."

Removing the ventilation grate, Corella slowly prodded the device and re-routed its self-preservation circuits. "Right, that should be it now."

Gavich gave a nod, "I'm glad you have skills for it. I don't have the patience for much beyond killing and destruction." He examined the espionage device for a moment. A twinkle gleamed in his eyes, "Whataya say we put these down in the brig?"

"Now that's a good idea."

Along with the transporter enhancers, there were also long range targeting markers. "Where should we put these?"

"They'll need to remain somewhere on the station - if they're moved off then you can assume that they'll send someone else into place more and we might not have the jump on them that time." Corella thought for a moment, pacing back and forth across the corridor. "What about the plasma vents and exhausts? If they send fighters in and they manage to blast the vents, they'll get consumed by the build up." A look of puzzlement briefly crossed his face. "Well, it's worth a try anyway."

Gavich nodded, "Simplifies disposal, but that could get a little messy. Don't wanna upset local engineering. I kind of like the old 'weightless inside a containment field'." He sighed, "I suppose we're gonna have to tell base security about all this."

Zoop got wide eyed, "Noooo! They'll confiscate what's rightfully mine!"

"No they won't, not if you've got it hidden before they get wind of it." Corella told the sniveling little Ferengi - he never had a lot of time for them - Gavich and I will handle the security staff.

[OFF]

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Micheletto Corella [P: Gunning]
Gavich [P: Steiner]
Zoop (Sniveler, 1st Class)

Starbase 332
Pegasus Fleet