Aftermath

Captain's Log, Stardate 40372.7

The Code Red 1A

In a highly insubordinate, illegal, and risky operation, Lieutenant Commander Hazor, Lieutenant Commander Akoval, Lieutenant Junior Grade Maniersi, Captain Christine Reardon, a small complement of the USS Strider's crew, and I managed to retrieve the Strider's ejected log buoy. Its contents, I hope, will clear Captain Reardon of charges related to sending a task force into destruction within Klingon space due to receiving a code red 1A message that was later claimed to have never been sent. After docking, we immediately held a meeting with Captain Carl Curtis and a few officers from Starbase 27 to review the contents of the log.

After viewing what happened, it was revealed that Rear Admiral, Lower Half Bram Harmonson was the one who was actually behind the chaos and had used Curtis' access codes to frame him for the crimes. The motive was a mystery and the perpetrator still at large. We were all a little stunned from the turn of events. Curtis instructed us to keep all information about Harmonson to those in this room and suggests that we share knowledge about what may have been compromised due to him. Security from the starbase tried to secure Harmonson, but he had left with the Klingon ambassadors.

A Klingon In Human Clothing

Captain Tasin of the IKV Bloodsteel radioed in stating he had searched the area, but was not able to locate the Vorcha, the ship Admiral Kai and Ambassador Kor arrived in, and was now thought to also be carrying Harmonson as a fugitive. He stated that he would return to act as the Klingon ambassador in place of Kor for the negotiations over Tasor. Curtis stated that Tasin can be privy to the information at our discretion regarding our investigation, but only when he was alone and only to gain information from him.

While we still had some time before he arrived, we went to the quarters Harmonson used to look for clues on his motives and how much information was compromised. Inside, things were very tidy, but it felt a little strange in an inexplicable way. There was a PADD on his desk that we were able to get access into, but aside from being written in Klingon, it was mundane information like his daily schedule and notes for the upcoming meeting on Tasor. His communicator was left on his bedside table. Akoval found a locked box with 8 more communicator badges inside on a shelf in the closet. Things were definitely odd, but nothing lead to any conclusions on the case.

The most troubling thing about the incident was that Harmonson had been working for Starfleet Intelligence for the last 18 years. In medical records, it was determined that he was at least half Klingon. If this was true, however, it could be inferred that they had genetic capabilities beyond the Federation for he appeared as human in every instance of scanning. This also meant that he may have been genetically manipulated while still in the womb. His father was deceased, but his mother was now in custody.

War Stories

When Tasin beamed aboard he wanted to see the room where negotiations are to take place. Because Rear Admiral Sextus Slate, who would be involved in the Tasor negotiations, would not arrive until the following day, I was asked to delay the meeting if at all possible. On our way to the meeting room, I mentioned to Tasin that though I knew he was anxious to get underway with negotiations, we needed to have a memorial service for our fallen, emphasizing that they were brave and honorable fallen warriors to appeal to them. They stopped in their tracks, gave us a hard look, and asked if the bar here served synthehol. When confirmed, he invited us to the Bloodsteel to swap stories of our battles (with real alcohol).

Though it was intended to be a maneuver to save face for delaying the meeting once again, it seemed like a good time was had on both sides. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with our new Klingon friends and they seemed to like our stories of battle as well. The wake combined with the memorial took about 10 hours. By the end, everyone was all talked out so we retired to quarters with the intent to begin negotiations in the morning.