<USS Avalon> "Role Reversal"

“Role Reversal”
by Commander Javan Sierra



The communications panel sparked to life as Javan entered his special codes. The relays wouldn’t know whether or not the relay was firing and that would lead to mass confusion in which he’d find time to call his contact. It was nice to have a ‘master key’, so to speak, to every system within the ship that nobody knew of. However, when someone else uses a ‘master key’ Javan becomes suspicious.

Elements surrounding Captain Flubb’s death had him troubled. Not troubled emotionally because of the death of the distinguished Captain, but more for the events surrounding his death and the things found in the Forensic Department’s subsequent investigations. Needless to say, Javan found the specifics quite familiar to crimes he’d committed in the past under the cloak of deception. Something told him that there was someone else on board that was with the Section.

The problem now for Javan was whether or not to search the person out - even that was assuming that the person was still aboard and not light-years away doing more dastardly deeds. It wasn’t even the presence that Javan worried about, but more of the principle of the operative - and he was borderline positive that an operative had come on board - and that of the section. He was assigned to the Avalon: what would make the Section call in a third party?

The screen lit up and another man stared him in the face. “This had better be good, Javan, I’m risking a lot to talk to you. Blowing my cover and everything in between. What the hell do you want?”

“Did you come to the Avalon?”

“What are you talking about? Can this wait until I’m done, uh, ‘entertaining’ my guest?” He motioned over his shoulder to a woman laying face down on the bed. Her legs moved erotically and Javan could tell that she had been drugged or worse. “I’m nearing the completion of my mission. Once I fulfill the requirements I can contact you to talk more in depth.”

Javan didn’t care about his mission, “Shut up, Rod, and listen to me. Do you know about any other operatives in this area or working with ships that were in contact with the Avalon?”

“Javan, you know how we operate,” Rod said as he shifted the screen to look more in the darkness of the room. The beautiful lady disappeared from sight, but Javan didn’t care. “Why do you think that someone is? You know that, for the most part, one operative per ship unless the mission calls for a team.”

Nodding, Javan continued, “I’m aware, but I think that another operative has infiltrated the ship and killed the Antican Captain. Thus drawing Ketchum back onboard. Why they didn’t have me do it, I don’t know, Captain Ketchum isn’t vital to my mission here.”

“Intriguing.”

“You want to know the even better part?”

“I wasn’t there, remember?” Rod said with a smile.

“I think that it was someone from Avalon.”

“What the fuck?”

Javan rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair - he was tired. “Yeah, it was too imperfect to be a job from one of us to do. I mean Junior Lieutenant Redgrave, our Forensics Officer onboard, knows what type of shoe, shoe size, and what hand the person writes with. If it was one of us then she wouldn’t have a speck of knowledge.”

“I agree,” Rod said nodding and taking a brief moment to survey his mission. Realizing that he had time, he brought his attention back to Javan, “but the real question you should be asking rather than who it was is why’d the Section do it?”

Javan understood it and was thinking the same thing, “How would the Section manipulate someone onboard though? I mean they could do a million things to get someone to do it. And, if Section 31 was being their usual self, they’d give who was doing the mission the exact supplies to do it.”

Rod tilted his head, “sounds like you’ve done this before.”

“Ah, your innocence is astounding. I’ve done so many things with the Section it’s borderline appalling. This is what, your fourth mission?”

“Shut it, all right?” Rod smirked a bit. “My advice to you would be look for who it is based on what type of equipment that they were available to use. So, that would probably entail looking at the reports. And, look on the bright side, you only have to sift through about two hundred people.”

Javan smiled, “it gets better. I think that there may be two people from Avalon.”

“Javan, stop screwin’ with my head.”

“I’m being completely honest, Rod. I think that they were either working together or they were working independently of each other - ”

“Those are your only two choices,” Rod cut in.

“My thoughts is that the Section got to one of them and instigated them into doing the deed. However, I think that someone had already planned to do it in the first place and somehow they both ended up in the ready room within minutes of each other,” his mind was racing and suddenly, without warning, all of the nameless and blameless faces of the crew became accessories to murder. “It doesn’t add up.”

Rod nodded again, “yes, you’re right. So, why don’t you contact your superior and find out what the hell happened? I mean, if there was another operative on board, I think that you being assigned there as apart of an official mission would give you worthiness of an explanation.”

“Things don’t work like that. When the Avalon’s mission initially got messed up by Flubb’s death my orders were rescinded. Though I’m continuing research and observations of my mission, I am not officially attached to it. They said for me to wait it out because of official investigations and the possibility of my identity being uncovered.”

“That’s bull shit.”

Javan shrugged, “What this means to me is that they brought someone else onboard to either take my place or get rid of me. If it’s the latter of the two than I want to know why. I’ve not done anything except follow orders here and butt heads with a couple of people.”

“Skyler?”

“Yes, how’d you know?”

Rod smiled, “you’re an attache to me and I’m an attache to you. I’m privvy to all the information collected and sent from the Avalon. I know that you had her removed from the bridge at one point. And, while I’m sure she deserved it, you just seem to rub her the wrong way.”

“She’s power hungry.”

“So are you.”

“That’s besides the point,” Javan smiled as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes again, “I’m going to find out what the hell is going on and this thing with Flubb will be cleared up soon. I may be in danger from the Section. If I am, then I’m screwed. Rod, I don’t want you to get wrapped up in this. You were one of my best recruits and I’m not jeopardizing your career over something that I may have done.”

Rod shook his head in contradiction, “no, Javan, if you have problems come to me. I’ll help you out and I’ve got loyalty to me as well. I’m sure we could hide you and get you somewhere safe where they can’t find you. Maybe, if you’re lucky, you could start a new life for yourself.”

“Rod,” Javan started, a sense of desperation and depression coming into his eyes, “you know that once you join the Section that the chance of leading a normal life afterwards are slim to none.”

“Hell,” Rod interjected, “you’re lucky to be alive after leaving the Section.”

They both nodded.

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