<USS Avalon> "What Happens in the Shadows?"

 ?What Happens in the Shadows??
by Lieutenant Commander Javan Sierra

The promenade was bustling with people. Vendors were shouting out things to
attract the traveling tourist off their route to an untimely death of buying
poor quality items or ill begotten goods. It was all a scam, Javan thought,
the marketing business was. Endless amount of time and effort put into
pulling in helpless souls with nothing more to look forward than buying a
pair of warp conduits, a Vulcan sehlat, or another item of useless value. 

Shore leave in and of itself was overrated. Time being spent away from the
ship and away from the duty that everyone had signed up for was
irresponsibleeven if the Captain himself issued the order. Starfleet
officersweren?t out to scour shops and food courts; they were assigned at
their posts to uphold Starfleet principles and Federation ideals ? a job
thatis overlooked more and more common nowadays.

The light began to dim and the vendors began to thin out. Crowds dwindled in
numbers and the flooring began to clear up as the trash and the garbage had
been left to the throngs of people sauntering behind. His pace quickened and
his stroll became much more purposeful and fulfilling.

An alley loomed ahead, the darkness that shrouded it pulled in all light,
butstill lay within the safety of secrecy. Ducking into the hallway, Javan?s
head whipped back to the way he?d come. No one was following him, which he
figured was good indeed.

?It?s about time, Lieutenant Commander.? A snarl came hissing out from the
darkness. ?I was beginning to think you?d gone soft on me and decided that
showing up would be an embarrassment.?

Javan smiled knowing full well the mysterious figure out of view could see
him no better than Javan could see the shadow, ?I take my job serious,
Raven,take note of that before calling me a chicken.?

?I see. Congratulations on your new promotion, by the way. Try not to lose
itlike you did the first time you were promoted to Senior Lieutenant.?
Sarcasm dripped from every word as the figure moved into what little light
there still was. The scar was apparent and highly nostalgic; Javan
rememberedthe day he instilled it on his sparring partner.

?Do you want my report or not, Raven??

He nodded slowly, ?Proceed.?

?Recruitment isn?t faring as well as expected or hoped. I?ve run into a lot
of dead ends and even lost a couple of people in the process. People are
changing too quickly, I can?t get to know them at all.? He ran a hand
throughhis black hair.

Raven looked down both corridors, and then sunk back into the murky
blackness. He nodded and tapped a PADD that he drew from his cloak?s pocket.
?Don?t worry, you?re not the only one to experience trouble. Most of the
Starfleet Intelligence vessels are experiencing a complete turnover of
security personnel, and other departments for that matter.?

He shook his head, saddened by the whole situation, ?No one new??

?We?ve got a superb engineer we recruited from the USS Brandenberg. I mean
this guy redefines the term engineer.? He handed a PADD to Javan, ?He
disarmed three Romulan cloak torpedoes and integrate a Romulan cloaking
device to a Sovereign-class vessel in under an hour.? 

?Wow,? Javan said as his eyes lit up; that guy was some catch. ?Any word
fromthe Allegiance??

?Cassandra hasn?t found anyone of substantial skill, but she also reported
that a mysterious being had come on aboard. Apparently they?re under siege.?
He shook his head, ?We can?t afford to lose another agent.?

Tilting his head, Javan met the man?s piercing gaze, ?She?s still alive,
isn?t she??

He nodded, ?Yes.?

?The Allegiance is captained by none other than Keith Ketchum?s old
executiveofficer. If I?ve interpreted his command file right, which I like
tothink that I?m a good enough operative to do that, Keith will be the first
one to go in to help them.? Javan folded his arms, checking wearily over his
shoulder once again.

?I agree.? The man hesitated, his gaze faltered, and fell to the floor.
?Command has ordered her research sealed and destroyed. She told me off
completely in our last communiqué and refused to implement the protocol. If
someone finds her work we could be exposed.? 

?Do you want me to proceed with security measure thirty-one alpha?? Javan
said instinctively. The protocol was simple ? death. He would find her and
kill her and dispose of the body by whatever means necessary. He?d expect
someone to do the same to him if he was jeopardizing a mission or the
sectionitself.

He nodded, ?Unfortunately, yes.?

?Consider it done.?

?OK, so, whom?ve you staked out??

?I?ve done in depth research on Commander Skyler and all my assistants in
security.? 

The man tapped his PADD monotonously, ?Winters, Orton, Hollander, White
Feather, Henderson?? 

Javan wasn?t about to let him continue. ?Winters is too brash. He?d find
himself knocked off by a fellow operative. Hollander is too young an
immature, but I think that in a year or two he?ll be just fine if he
progresses the way he is doing now.?

The man waited for the new Lieutenant Commander to continue, ?And what about
Orton??

?He?s shy, but that is always a useful too. Loud and obnoxious is not always
a good trait to have.? Javan said unsteadily. He didn?t want Orton involved
with this group ? he could already see the contamination of everything good
within the young officer. ?Give him a year.?

?A year? We don?t have that.?

Holding up a hand of silence, Javan continued. ?He?s too immature and not
ready to handle a big change like that, Raven, I won?t let what happened to
Eli happen to Orton, I just won?t.?

?OK.? The man nodded in defeat. ?What about Skyler??

?Too emotionally unstable.? Javan?s mind recounted the pulling of Skyler
intohis tangled mess of emotions and how the near death experience had only
allowed the transition for her to be easier. When he?d written the letter
ending their ?relationship? he had felt some pang of remorse and guilt, but
it all vanished. ?She?d go insane with all of the things we do.?

The man sighed, ?Like almost every other candidate.?

?At this point I don?t see anyone who would be a good choice. We?ve got a
newcounselor, but I think I?ll stay away from her. Rumor is she?s shy and
completely anti-social. Then again, I haven?t met her yet.? Javan almost
stepped back into the light, but a hand caught his arm.

?Javan, keep an eye out for a Senior Lieutenant Brad Ruder on the
Allegiance.He?s been marked as a spy trying to learn secrets about Section
31and other Starfleet Intelligence vessels and procedures. We think he?s
selling information to the Romulan Senate.? His eyes seemed to move
sporadically and without purpose ? as if an array of warning was lurking
within the iris. 

Javan nodded, ?I?m always careful.? With that Javan disappeared back towards
the Avalon and into the heat of the crowds moving frantically from one shop
to the other.

The man watched as Javan vanished and opened up a communication device.
?Brad, it?s Raven, Javan is aware that you?re a trader. The trap is set and
Cassandra will be dead. Just make sure that Javan has a death suiting to his
character.?

There was a long pause.

"Shoot him in the back.?

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