Turning in her seat, Moyer said, “A simple ‘yes’ would’ve sufficed. So, we believe Ganz or Neera ordered this Lekkar killed. Do we know why?”
“No,” Nogura said, “nor do I particularly care. What I do care about is whether Ganz, or Neera, or whoever, might decide that a better long-term alternative to killing their own people is simply getting rid of Reyes. We need to get him out of there.”
“So that we can arrest him again?” Moyer asked.
Nogura eyed her with annoyance. “That’s what is usually done with those who’ve divulged Starfleet secrets, and consorted with the enemy to place Starfleet or Federation personnel and property at risk.”
“With all due respect, Admiral,” Moyer countered, “we don’t know the whole story. Diego Reyes is a lot of things, but a traitor? I find that hard to believe.”
Holding up a hand, Nogura shook his head. “I’d like nothing more than to share your doubts, Commander, but at the very least, there are questions to be answered. If nothing else, Reyes is still a convicted criminal, with a prison sentence waiting in the wings if and when all of this insanity finally shakes out. Even if it’s decided that he still has to be sent to that penal colony on Earth, it’s a better fate than anything Ganz has planned for him.”
“That goes without saying,” Jackson said.
T’Prynn said, “I also do not believe Mister Reyes to be acting in a treasonous manner. I spoke with Tim Pennington following his excursion aboard the Omari-Ekon,during which he met with Reyes. Mister Pennington told me that Reyes’s actions, particularly his dealings with the Klingons, were guided by the desire to minimize any unnecessary casualties to station personnel.”
“He requested sanctuary aboard that Orion ship,” Nogura countered. “He gave the Klingons everything they needed to launch a mission of espionage and sabotage against us.”
Nodding, the Vulcan replied, “Indeed he did, sir, but as he told Mister Pennington, the Klingons were going to conduct such an operation with or without his assistance. According to him, Reyes only provided information essential to allowing the Klingon-contracted operative the access he needed to carry out his mission with a minimum of collateral damage.”
Though he started to retort, Nogura stopped himself and instead considered what he had just heard. Was it possible that Diego Reyes, faced with the possibility of watching helplessly as any number of the personnel he once commanded suffered injury or death at Klingon hands, had chosen the lesser evil, sacrificing any hope for his own freedom and perhaps even his life? Of course, the admiral conceded, but Starfleet and he were a long way from making such a determination. Doing so would require access to Reyes himself.
As though reading Nogura’s mind, Jackson asked, “Does this mean we can think about staging an operation to go in and get him?”
Ch’Nayla turned to regard the security chief, his antennae shifting atop his head. “That would not be prudent.”
“It also wouldn’t be legal,” Moyer added. “Admiral, we’ve been over this. Any attempt to extradite Diego by force would be tantamount to an act of war against the Orions.”
Nogura could not help a snort of derision. “Given everything I know about the Orions, they’ll bend over backwards to avoid an all-out confrontation with the Federation. They’re just as liable to view any ‘disagreements’ we have with Neera and Ganz as the cost of doing business, and cut their losses.” In his experience, such decisions were the norm more often than not for the Orion central government, such as it was. The small, independent state relied heavily on trade with Federation as well as nonaligned worlds, and to a lesser degree with the Klingons, the Tholians, and other upstart adversaries of the major interstellar powers. Nogura was confident that any incident involving a lowly merchant gaming ship—which may or may not be involved in any manner of illicit activities—would suffer only brief, superficial scrutiny before being forgotten in the interests of preserving the façade of peaceful relations with the Federation.
“That may be true, sir,” Moyer replied, nodding, “but you’d still be taking a big risk. Going by the book, a court-martial wouldn’t be out of the question.”
Releasing a small chuckle, Nogura said, “Commander, you don’t get to my position and standing in Starfleet without ruffling several sets of feathers along the way. I’ve been threatened with court-martial no less than a dozen times during my career. So far, there have been no takers.” Of course, the duties with which he currently was charged, and the secrets he was responsible for keeping, far outweighed anything he had overseen during his years of service. “Still, your advice and warnings are sound. We will continue to tread carefully.” For how long, Nogura was not certain.
“Admiral,” ch’Nayla said, “there may be another avenue available to us.” He then turned and gestured toward T’Prynn.
The Vulcan stepped closer. “While Mister Pennington’s original intentions for visiting the Omari-Ekonwere legitimate, in that he hoped to meet with Mister Reyes, I co-opted his excursion to the vessel for another purpose. I asked him to relay a specific phrase that was agreed upon by Mister Reyes and myself as a means of determining whether he was agreeable to undertake certain actions on our behalf. Based on his response, he has indicated his willingness to do so.”
“You mean spy?” Moyer said, making no effort to hide her disbelief. “For you?”
Nodding, ch’Nayla said, “T’Prynn enlisted Mister Penning-ton’s assistance with my authorization, Commander. It seemed an idea worth exploring, and Mister Reyes’s consent does afford us a singular opportunity.”
“How in the hell did you get a message to him in the first place?” Jackson asked. “I mean, before his meeting with Pennington.”
T’Prynn said, “I exploited a vulnerability in their subspace communications system in order to contact Reyes via the communications panel in his quarters aboard the Omari-Ekon.”
“They let him have access to the comm system?” Nogura asked.
“It was deactivated and a lockout had been placed on it,” T’Prynn replied. “However, that is not an obstacle to someone trained in the circumventing of such measures. I was able to forge an access code long enough for me to have a brief conversation with Mister Reyes. We used this opportunity to set up a means of initiating covert information exchange through the use of gobetweens to be identified at a later time. Our entire conversation lasted less than two minutes.”
Nogura pondered what he was hearing, before allowing himself a small smile. “There seems to be no end to your talents, Lieutenant.” He had at first been reluctant to grant Commander ch’Nayla’s request to retain T’Prynn’s services and give her an active role in the Andorian officer’s ongoing intelligence efforts. Despite his initial misgivings, there was no discounting T’Prynn’s skills, and her knowledge of the key players not only on the station but also on vessels like the Omari-Ekonmade her a valuable asset. Regulations had required Nogura to mete out punishment and demote her for her disobedience and flouting of Starfleet regulations and protocols. He naturally wondered—if only for a moment—if T’Prynn might cast aside the logic and maturity expected from a Vulcan of her years and seek retribution for her conviction, either against him directly or against the station and its crew. Her own actions, even while acting as a fugitive from Starfleet authority, along with his own instincts, told the admiral that her engaging in any sort of traitorous behavior was an unlikely scenario. By all accounts, official and otherwise, Lieutenant T’Prynn had presented herself as someone for whom the past had been put to rest, and that she was ready to get on with whatever duties she might be assigned. For now, and while operating under ch’Nayla’s watchful eye, Nogura was willing to let things play out. “I’m sensing this contact method of yours was of the single-use variety?” he asked.