<USS Avalon> "Plan of Attack"

Plan of Attack
By Lieutenant Second Class Bryce Quinn
and Lieuenant First Class Jayden Cross
 
 
Bryce Quinn was a thorough man.  He knew all the ins and the outs of the job 
and an official investigation under his leadership would be done to the tee.  
However, one monkey wrench in his plans was his assistant and cohort, Jayden 
Cross.  She was definitely good at her job, he was sure that the Judge Advocate 
wouldn't have assigned her alongside him for no apparent reason, but she was 
going to be difficult to handle.
 
Picking up a PADD off his desk and activating his newly-installed wall-sized 
display monitor, Bryce decided it was time to get to work, "Quinn to Cross, 
would you join me in my office, Lieutenant?"  Tapping the data device, the 
screen shifted from the Federation insignia to a list - with pictures - of all 
those that Bryce wished to question.  
 
Oh-five-hundred hours.  Wiping the three hours of sleep from her eyes, Jayden 
sat up.  "Damn you, don't show up at all when I'm working half the night, but 
you'll sure call me first thing in the morning," she muttered.  But tapping her 
combadge, she replied sweetly, "I'll be there in thirty minutes, sir."
 
It was closer to forty-five by the time she had her make-up on and hair 
properly pulled back, when she reached what she still considered to be her 
office.  The door opened and she immediately sat down in the chair across from 
him.  
 
"I hope you slept well, Lieutenant?"  He said, not looking up, but offering her 
a sincere smile.  
 
"Very well for the whole three hours," she replied.  "I assume you got the list 
I left for you this morning?" 
 
"I did, and I'm impressed at your thoroughness."  Bryce motioned to the large 
display which had everyone that Jayden had added to her list.  "I am confused, 
however, at the presence of nearly all the members of the covert ops team.  As 
I understand it, their mission was a success with only one fatality.  Is that 
correct?"  
 
"Correct.  I'm covering all possible avenues.  It ties in, could possibly be a 
loophole.  That was my orders.  Make sure there was absolutely no malpractice.  
I assumed that included that Marksbury woman's actions over on the Marauder 
too.  Just being thorough," she smiled, trying not to let the sarcasm fall into 
it.  
 
"I guess it can't do any harm," Bryce handed her a PADD.  "Manson was on the 
bridge, Monroe was at tactical, Shimbrodus was at helm.  I think that we should 
start by questioning them to see what happened.  Other than the bridge crew and 
the covert operations team, we'll have to talk to the Captain.  Am I missing 
anyone?"  
 
"Well, there's the Counselor... I'm looking at questioning the Captain's frame 
of mind up until the event.  Wouldn't hurt to ask Commander Skyler her opinion, 
either."  
 
"Commander Skyler is not an option, I'm afraid.  Her psychological state has 
not been any better than anyone else's.  Questioning her would not do anything 
for our case or report.  If we took this to court-martial the testimony would 
be overruled on the grounds of emotional instability," Bryce looked at her, 
finally revealing his true motives for being onboard.  "Commander Sierra would 
be a better person to ask about the Captain's state of mind."  
 
"He's on the list... But point taken, grudgingly, about Skyler.  I hadn't had a 
chance to completely comb her profile yet.  I was trying to get them all into 
the database."
 
Sliding a PADD over to her, Bryce tapped the top of the device, "John Forester, 
what do you know about him?"  
 
"'Fleet brat, parents serve..." She paused as a large yawn overtook her.  "Aw, 
hell, it's in here somewhere.  Stayed enlisted though he was offered 
sponsorship to the Academy, haven't dug around enough to find out who sponsored 
him.  That's about all so far.  Why?" 
 
He looked at her, tilting his head, "He's dead..."  
 
She looked at him like he just fell off a salvage scow.  Brows raised, she 
said, "Yeah... common knowledge... Your point?"  
 
"One of our objectives is to determine what type of loss losing this person 
was," Bryce nodded, "I want to know everywhere he's been, everything he was 
qualified in, and everything that he did while assigned to this crew.  Crew 
evaluations and peer assessments would be appreciated."  
 
"I'll put Alexander on it today." 
 
"I want you to question the Covert Ops team, I'll take bridge personnel."  
 
"Just one interview?  I thought we would both hit them at different times just 
to match the stories."  
 
Bryce nodded absently, "Yeah, I meant you do Covert Ops first, and then I'll do 
it and we switch.  Standard procedure, Ms. Cross."  He smiled internally as he 
tapped the PADD.  "The Captain may be a harder man to pin down."  
 
"I'm sure you did," she rolled her eyes since he wasn't looking at her.  "I 
think I can be persuasive enough to talk with the Captain.  I do have such a 
charming personality, after all." 
 
"No, I can handle it," Bryce said simply.  
 
"No, we both can." 
 
"Agreed."  
 
"Anything else for the moment?  Or can you tell me over breakfast and coffee?"  
She made eye contact with him across the desk and offered him a hint of 
pleasant smile. 
 
"Would you care to join me for breakfast, Lieutenant?"  A genuine smile 
spreading across his face, "I know that I got you up rather early.  We can go 
over questioning technique if you'd like.  I have a report about one of your 
thrilling and masterful questionings of a Tellarite Captain.  It was borderline 
entrapment, but magnificently done."  
 
"Mm... now you're talking my language.  Food and compliments."  Jayden stood 
and smoothed her uniform delicately.  This may not be so bad, after all. 



                
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