ST:UNI207 | "To Catch a Thief"

Stardate 100563

While the second year cadets prepare to embark on some extended shore leave ahead of their big end of year excursion, the first years are left with an unexpected mystery to solve. Cadets Ailmna and T'Mer must once again join forces when a string of thefts leads them to the newly arrived Romulan flag ship.

---

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Another day of classes draws to a close for the cadets of the Heart, with everyone gathered in their home rooms

Prof. Matthews: "Alright everyone, settle down. So who feels like summarizing today's lectures for us today?"

Prof. Matthews looks around for todays victim in this daily ritual he has established with his group

Prof. Matthews scans the room before settling on Mari, "Cadet Tanglao, I think you've evaded this for long enough now. Why don't you take it today"

The usual sighs of relief from around the rest of the room can just about be heard

Mariel clears her throat a little, "We were going over a number of reports from complicated missions. And the gist of it all is not to jump to assumptions, things are often more complicated than they look, so always take the time to investigate and have as much of the picture as possible before acting."

Prof. Matthews nods, "An invaluable lesson in any profession. Or to summarise in an old saying 'to assume makes an /ass/ out of /u/ and /me/" he chuckles to himself

Kayleigh 's brow furrows, silently mouthing "ass out of you and me...?" she obviously doesn't get it again

Prof. Matthews, "Now then, as some of you will no doubt already be aware; we are fast approaching the maiden voyage for some of you. The first training cruise for the second years will be shipping out in a few weeks now. Since this will overlap your usual holiday period, the Commodore has decided to bring your breaks forward to afford you all some downtime which you may use to prepare for the outing as you see fit. Upon your return in two weeks time, you will be given your shipboard assignments for the cruise. Does anybody have any questions on this?"

Shavi: "Oooh so we're getting our off time earlier this year?"

Prof. Matthews, "Correct. Or at least a head start on it, since we can't be certain how much the cruise will eat into your usual time. So you may consider this complete downtime from duty to use as you see fit"

Kayleigh raises her hand, "Does that mean we can continue attending classes?"

Prof. Matthews eyerolls, "Any way but that"

Kayleigh pouts

Mariel chuckles, "Take some time off once in a while Kay! It's good for you!"

Prof. Matthews: "That said, it is your free time to use you see fit. So whilst active duty is not on the roster, anything else is. This is also intended to encourage you all to reflect on the impact of deep space assignments, even if this is only a brief training cruise, it will still take you away from your families and your familiar areas of operation. So my personal recommendation would be to spend time with your loved ones. But if you so choose, many officers prefer to use such time to engage in extracurricular activities and pet projects"

Kayleigh hrms, muttering, "Pet projects..." deep in thought

Mariel looks over curiously at Kayleigh, "Sounds like someone's got an idea..."

Shavi snorts at Kay, "Probably the wrong one knowing her! He doesn't mean projects about your pet!"

Kayleigh looks to Shavi briefly before pouting again, "This is getting very complicated..."

Prof. Matthews chuckles, "Alright, anything else before we wrap up?" he looks around

Miklos shakes his head, "I think we all know what's going on with this early time off. Even if we don't all know what to do with it," he grins at Kayleigh

Prof. Matthews: "Very well then. For those of you not starting your leave periods, I will see you in the morning then. As for the rest of you; enjoy your breaks and I'll see you in two weeks. Class dismissed"

Everyone stands and starts packing their things up, slowly filing out amidst heightened chatter about making plans

Mariel looks to Kayleigh as she packs up, "So, what's this pet project you're thinking about?"

Kayleigh packs her things up, "Well since the Professor mentioned it, I thought that might involve teaching Kit some new interactions. But then I considered that most of the class do not yet have such a companion, and so a 'pet project' must involve the acquisition of a companion. I just wish I had known of this project sooner then I could have accommodated it's criteria during my adoption of Kit. I am still uncertain though if it would be wise to take a second pet project so soon though, I may have to meditate on this more"

Mariel giggles, "A pet project just means a project that's like a pet to you! Like...how do I explain it. It's a figure of speech, for a little project on the side rather than something that's your primary focus!"

Kayleigh:"So... an extracurricular activity then? Why not simply call it that then..." she frowns

Mariel:"It's a more general term I guess. Extracurricular would imply a curriculum, but full officers can have their own pet projects too, not necessarily something for cadets! It's also less formal and faster to say, so there's that too."

Kayleigh:"Curious. I will have to research the topic further if I am to make the most of this time then" she starts walking out with Mari, "Might I enquire what you intend to do?"

Mariel:"I'm probably going to do something similar to what the Professor suggests. Take a trip home, visit family back on Earth and all. But your family are all here, so..."

Kayleigh nods, "Indeed, it would appear my options are somewhat more limited" she continues down the hall, naturally making their way to the mess hall

Mariel:"You could always just focus on your studies on the temple, but that's not much fun...and you do that while you're here anyways. Oooh, you could go with someone else leaving the Sphere. Like a vacation! Maybe Shavi will go to some Orion world and you can tag along?"

Kayleigh:"Whilst that does hold a certain appeal, I would assume that my presence would only intrude on a personal outing such as that"

Mariel:"Well, you could always come with me! Although you've been to Earth before..."

Kayleigh:"That is a gracious offer, and I appreciate it. But I believe the same hindrance factor would persist" she makes for the replicators as they enter the mess hall

Many of the other cadets are here as normal, all chattering about plans still

Mariel:"Not at all! My family are very social, and people from my part of Earth in general usually like having visitors! It's actually one of the popular places for a vacation. Even nowadays with Risa and all, people still go there to relax when they don't want to take a trip offworld for that."

Leandra joins the pair at the replicators, "Ooh are you heading back to Earth to visit your family? I can't believe your shipping out already!"

Kayleigh:"It is just a training cruise, it is not like we are being drafted into service"

Mariel nods, "And we're just talking about plans! Haven't figured out what to do just yet! Especially Kayleigh..."

Leandra giggles, "That much was obvious in class!" she looks to Kay, "So... what sort of things do you normally like to do?"

Kayleigh:"I study and I meditate"

Ailmna steps into line behind them, "What about the shopping district?"

Kayleigh:"Are you suggesting I spend two weeks shore leave there? I could spend two weeks shore leave there..."

Leandra: "AH! Don't give her ideas like that!"

Ailmna chuckles, "Sorry. Couldn't resist!"

Kayleigh turns with a confused frown, "Is the purpose of shore leave not to - how did you put it - do things you like to do? Why then is that not permitted?"

Leandra fumbles, "I, uh... well, you see... um... somebody help me out here!"

Mariel:"I...guess you're not supposed to /over/indulge in something you want to do. It's more like a time to catch up on off-duty things you still need to do, rather than just...enjoy yourself too much, if that makes sense! Of course, plenty of people do use it to overindulge too I'm sure..."

Kayleigh hrms

Leandra: "Yeah, that's it! It's like... a window of opportunity to do things you don't normally get the chance to. But you get the chance to go to the shopping district like /all/ the time, so while there's nothing wrong with it exactly, it just wouldn't be fruitful!"

Kayleigh hrms again, "I believe I am beginning to understand, though I am no yet closer to determining what to do with this time" she sits at her usual spot with the others around the table

Mariel follows along, "Something more like going on vacation, or visiting a family back on Earth, that's something we can't usually do because we have classes to attend here in the Heart, and it'll take too long to do it in between regular classes."

Ailmna: "You're visiting family back on Earth?"

Mariel:"Well, thinking about it anyways, Haven't made any plans just yet since we just got the news of the early break!"

T'Pia joins them, "Did someone mention Earth? That's where I'm going for sure!"

Kayleigh looks up, "You are uncharacteristically decisive on this"

T'Pia smiles, "Hey, /you're/ the indecisive one! But yes, I don't often get to go and visit my father and his family so I'll be doing that!"

Mariel:"I'll probably be heading there to visit my family too! Offered for Kayleigh to tag along as a vacation, but she didn't want to."

Ailmna: "Why not? Is that because you are familiar with the planet already?"

Kayleigh:"I did not say that exactly. I simply do not wish to intrude on another's family time. I may still take the vacation option there and pursue other activities whilst planetside"

Ailmna: "I'd probably have taken that offer, or maybe just travel to Earth with them but do my own thing so I don't intrude on their families. Always wanted to see the place myself. But I'm not on that training cruise as a first year, so I don't get any early vacation time."

Kayleigh:"Exactly why it is still a consideration to accept the offer, for that very purpose. Though you raise an interesting point in that you have always wanted to see it, whereas I grew up in that region so harbor no specific desire for vacation there. Although Vulcan is not far, so perhaps some time meditating at one of the temples..."

Ailmna: "Vulcan could be a good place to go. Not been there myself either, but I do hear they've been getting more Romulan visitors than ever lately. Probably will stop by when I do get around to visiting Earth, but Earth always held a little more appeal for me."

Kayleigh:"What about you Leandra, where would you go given the opportunity?"

Leandra thinks about it, "Um... I don't really know, but I think I'd like to go somewhere new and exciting!"

Mariel:"That covers a lot of places for you. You've just been to Mars and the Heart so far, haven't you?"

Leandra smiles, "Pretty much, yeah!"

Ailmna: "I can see why you're spoiled for choice..."

Kayleigh:"At least that alleviates my burden of indecisiveness as I was starting to get the impression that it was unique to me"

Shavi steps up to the table, "Hey! Are you all doing vacation plans, now?"

Kayleigh:"My vacation plans, to be precise" she sighs

Shavi: "Still haven't figured out where to go yet?"

Kayleigh shakes her head, "I thought I had determined an optimal solution in the promenade here at the Heart, but apparently that is not permitted. Mariel has gratiously invited me to join her on a trip to Earth, which currently seems the most optimal even if just shared transport for the journey. The destination itself is questionable at fitting the criteria for a vacation"

Shavi: "Looking for a good vacation spot? You could always tag along with me to Narris."

Kayleigh:"You are going to the new Orion homeworld? We had considered that option early on, but I was reluctant to intrude on a classmates vacation"

Shavi: "Oh you won't be intruding, it'll be fun to have another classmate along to show around! Miklos is off to visit his family, so I could use some company!"

Kayleigh:"I see. I must admit, there was an assumption that the two of you would be going somewhere together"

Shavi: "We were thinking about it, but we decided this was a good chance to visit our families instead. We can have plenty of time together here on the Heart, after all!"

Kayleigh:"And it is not appealing to use this opportunity to meet each others' family? Is that not customary?"

Shavi: "Yes, but we don't have time in two weeks to travel to /both/ worlds, so."

Kayleigh:"So instead of doing one, you do neither?" she perks a brow, questioning the logic

Shavi: "Well like the Professor said, this is just a slightly early start on vacation because we don't know exactly how long the training cruise might take. We could get more time after!"

Kayleigh:"I see, so you are weighing the decision based on having more time for a shared family visitation afterwards, interesting. Well then, I must say your offer does hold a certain appeal since I have yet to see any Orion world - old or new - and the rapid evolution of Narris does hold a certain degree of interest"

Mariel smiles, "I thought you'd like that, Kay. So, going with Shavi then?"

Kayleigh:"I will have to consider things further and consult with my mother before finalizing any arrangements, but I think that is the most appealing option, yes"

Shavi smiles as well, "Sounds like we've got a potential vacation plan for you too, then!"

—

Ailmna steps into the Annex's transporter area, where some of the second year cadets are gathered to head off on various vacations and family visits. Kayleigh, Shavi, Mariel and T'Pia are already inside, along with T'Mer and a few other cadets seeing them off

Ailmna looks over to Kayleigh, "So, you're taking up Shavi's offer after all, huh?"

Kayleigh nods, "Yes, whilst Mariel's invitation to Earth was tempting I would be remiss not to take the opportunity to visit Narris"

Mari chuckles, "I had a feeling you'd want to take Shavi up on that!"

Ailmna:"Nice dress, too. Trying to look the part?"

Kayleigh looks herself over, "It would not be fitting to travel in uniform"

Ailmna grins, "Always a logical reason. If you had a greener tint like most of us Romulans, you'd almost pass for an Orion! Maybe a little taller, too..."

Kayleigh looks between Ailmna and Shavi, notably craning her neck to do so, "You are both unnaturally tall"

Kayleigh 's gaze drifts over to T'Mer behind the console, "That is saying nothing for her"

Mari: "She's just naturally tall!"

Kayleigh:"I am going to stick with unnaturally so"

Kayleigh refuses to simply acknowledge herself as short. It's obviously more logical to label everyone else as too tall

Shavi: "Okay, looks like our ship is here!" She makes her way over to the transporter pad

Kayleigh looks to the others, "Enjoy your trip to Earth, and your continued studies" addressing the first years who aren't leaving as she joins Shavi on the pad

Mari waves, "Enjoy your trip to Narris and getting surrounded by Orion culture for two weeks!"

T'Mer raises a hand, "Enjoy surrounding yourself with Orions little Kayleigh"

Kayleigh opens her mouth to protest the 'little' remark, just as the transporter energizes and beams them away

Mari laughs and looks to T'Pia, "Not sure if surrounding herself with Orions for two weeks is actually less indulgent than going on vacation to the shopping district for two weeks, now that I think about it..."

T'Pia giggles, "I think that depends on your definition of surrounding yourself with Orions. In Kayleigh's view, probably not. But in the typical Orion view... very much so!"

Mari: "Good point! We should head to the Ferry, since our ride isn't coming to us." She looks over to T'Mer, "You going to be alright for the next two weeks without us around?"

T'Mer nods, "I survived long enough before meeting you, I will survive while you are on vacation"

Ailmna:"I'll make sure she doesn't get up to any trouble, but I'm sure she'll be fine. She's got some field experience before joining the Academy, like me."

Mari smiles, "Thanks. And a 'little' experience might be an understatement in your case..."

Ailmna:"Well, patrolling the Neutral Zone isn't quite like maintaining security on a Starfleet ship."

T'Mer: "Neither is monitoring the promenade. Unless it is..."

Ailmna:"I think that might be a /little/ closer..."

T'Mer: "That is fortunate" she looks to Mari, "Then worry not Cadet Mariel, I shall endeavour to make sure Cadet Ailmna does not get up to any trouble in your absence"

Mari chuckles, "You two take care, then!" She waves as she heads out with T'Pia

—

Later on the day of the 2nd year departures, T'Mer is relaxing as it is a day off for her as well. She is interrupted when her combadge chirps

T'Mer taps, "T'Mer"

<C - H'Raarin> "This is Professor H'Raarin. Your schedule should be clear today, if I'm not mistaken."

T'Mer, "Correct Professor, I have no prior commitments. Is there something you need of me?"

<C - H'Raarin> "I have a special assignment for you, Cadet. Report to Deck 11."

T'Mer, "Understood Professor. I will depart immediately and make my way there. Is there anywhere in particular on deck 11 I should go?"

<C - H'Raarin> "Dorm area. You'll know it when you're there."

T'Mer, "This should go well then. I am not even there yet and I already know the dorm area. I will be there momentarily Professor, T'Mer out" she says, heading out of the door already

Making her way into the dorms, she finds one door wide open, with the distinct Caitian silhouette of Professor H'Raarin standing within

T'Mer steps inside, looking around, "Reporting as ordered Professor"

As she enters, she notices the slightly shorter Ailmna in the room as well. Both turn to her as she arrives

H'Raarin: "Excellent. Cadet Johnson, why don't you fill her in on what's happened."

T'Mer turns to Ailmna

Ailmna:"Not sure if you've been here before. This is my room. Someone broke in here earlier when most of us were away sending the second years off. Didn't touch a thing except for that," she gestures to an empty wall mount

T'Mer looks over, "I assume it wasn't the wall mount that they took, because if so they would seem to have also returned it"

Ailmna chuckles, "Yeah, obviously not. But what they did take is equally as weird. That's where I put my sword, mostly as an ornamental piece since, you know, we cadets aren't really supposed to carry these things around."

H'Raarin: "I thought it might be a security risk at first, but sneaking all the way here, breaking in just to steal a sword? If they wanted a weapon, there's much easier ways to get one. This was a targeted theft for that item specifically, which makes me think it's unlikely the thief is planning to commit another crime with it."

T'Mer, "Unless they are and they intend to frame Cadet Johnson for it"

H'Raarin: "Not completely impossible, but unlikely. Cadet Johnson reported the sword stolen and the door panel registered the exact time of an unauthorized bypass. From everything else we know about the case, the thief knows what they're doing, which means they're aware the access has been logged, and anything done with the sword after that point wouldn't be on Cadet Johnson here."

Ailmna nods, "Much easier to find some stray hair and manufacture some fingerprints. Usually that's how organized crime groups like to do framing, at least. DNA's more conclusive than a specific weapon, and most of the time you don't even have to break in anywhere. Just pull it from a bar they visited or something."

T'Mer, "Very true. What about all the security and access logs here, surely that tells us who it was"

H'Raarin: "That's one of the first thing we did. There was an unregistered access on the door panel, but nothing anywhere else. No lifesigns from internal sensor readings, so the thief must've been using some lifesign masking technology. No unauthorized access anywhere else either. That's why I think the thief was a professional."

Ailmna nods, "But even then they leave behind some trace of hacking into doors. Mine is the only one that was hacked into though, which means they came here specifically for the sword."

T'Mer, "It would seem so. They must have possessed a certain level of security override as well in order to unlock the door panel"

H'Raarin: "No, I had our security experts go over the unauthorized access. It wasn't an inside job. Whoever did it just knew their way around technology, /really/ knew their way around technology. A professional."

T'Mer thinks, "This seems like quite the predicament"

H'Raarin: "Normally, we can narrow down how the thief potentially got onto the Annex, back-trace flights to and from here. But with the number of ships and ferries coming and going today, that's not going to be a good option. Way too many places to check. I've stepped up security on the Annex, just in the off-chance the thief /does/ plan to commit a crime with the sword, but I don't believe it's worth disrupting everything with a lockdown. The chances of that being the goal isn't very high, and even if they did plan to use it as a weapon, it's just as likely to happen somewhere off Annex grounds. If they got here without detection, they could be anywhere else in the Heart."

T'Mer nods and looks to Ailmna, "You said before that it was more of a personal effect - ceremonial, was it? What exactly is the nature of this meaning?"

Ailmna:"It was a gift from a Romulan merchant my biological father saved. Our family was never prominent enough to have heirlooms and the like, which is why we took on the human House name of my adoptive father. But my mother gave me this, so I guess it's kind of like an heirloom now. She taught me how to use it but I'm not Qowat Milat or anything. I carried it around with me in my Ranger ship, never know when you might get into a tussle with a bat'leth wielding Klingon in some parts of the galaxy, but for the most part it's more of a keepsake."

T'Mer, "Perhaps. Perhaps it is more significant than you realise if it originated from outside of your heritage line. If so, it may be of monetary value to someone else. Or it could even have once belonged to someone else's heritage line and they sought to regain it"

Ailmna nods, "I believe the merchant he saved was part of a pretty prominent House-Clan, but I can't remember exactly which one off the top of my head. It was given away freely as a gift, but I suppose it's possible some distant relative wants it for themselves now. And a Romulan would have the know-how to break in here and steal it."

T'Mer, "Yes. As I recall you first arrived here with several of your kin. They would be the most likely suspects to begin interrogating, both for means and motive. If we can ascertain more of this particular item's heritage that may help us track it down further

Ailmna:"Well, most of my fellow Rangers are out and about now. There's the ones training in the Chlasi Temple we might be able to ask, though."

H'Raarin: "Sounds like a good place to start. I wanted you two to check this out yourselves, get some hands-on experience with a real investigation. Not much we can do from here in the Academy except bolster security for the time being, and like I said, the thief could be long gone by now."

T'Mer, "Then we should start with them" she looks to the Professor again, "I still struggle to tell many Children species apart. Are there others like Cadet Johnsson at the Heart?"

H'Raarin: "No, she's the only Romulan cadet here in the Annex, but there are official Romulan forces in the Sphere."

T'Mer hrms, "That may be problematic, but it could be worth starting a shortlist of any who may have connections to the annex or Cadet Johnson specifically which could afford them knowledge of sword's presence"

Ailmna nods, "Good call. Let's check with the Rangers in the Temple first, I don't really know anyone from the Romulan detachments. And even if they weren't involved, one of them might know something about the House that gave my father the sword, and with a name we might be able to learn more from the Romulan officials who'd have records on prominent House-Clans."

T'Mer, "Then let us begin"

—

Ailmna and T'Mer arrive at the Chlasi Temple by one of the Ferries, where they are greeted by an attendant as usual

Ailmna "We're looking for Therric."

Attendant: "Come with me."

The Attendant turns and begins leading the way

T'Mer looks to Ailmna as they walk, "Who exactly is this Therric?"

Ailmna:"Therric's one of the Rangers who's studying here after developing psionic abilities. He was a sensor officer on my mother's Corsair. Always been one of the most academically minded Rangers I knew, plus he's the one I know best out of all of them training here. So I thought I'd ask him first."

T'Mer nods, "Excellent thinking. His connection to your family could make him a prime suspect"

Ailmna:"Even if he's not involved, he might know more about the sword's history and who could want it."

The Attendant leads them through the main lobby of the Temple down a side corridor, where she pauses outside a doorway, "The one you are looking for should be meditating outside. Please wait here a moment while I inform him that you are here to see him, without disrupting the others."

Ailmna waits outside as the Attendant heads in

Ailmna looks to T'Mer, "Wonder why the Professor called you into this, out of all the other Security cadets. Not like he was forcing us to resolve our issues from when I first got here...."

T'Mer, "Presumably because of my time served as an investigator with Coaltion security here at the Heart"

Ailmna nods, "That's probably why. We couldn't find much in the Academy itself, and H'Raarin expected this'll take us to other parts of the Sphere like the Temple."

T'Mer, "That said, you are familiar with this individual and the missing item so it would be prudent for you to lead where appropriate in the questioning here"

Ailmna:"That makes sense. And here he comes now."

The door slides open and the Attendant steps out with an older Romulan male

Therric: "Ailmna! To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Ailmna:"Just something I wanted to talk to you about. You know that sword I have, the one my biological father had that my mother gave to me?"

Therric nods, "I've seen it a couple of times. It's a good sword."

Ailmna:"Do you remember which House-Clan it was from again?"

Therric: "The specific name I can't recall from the top of my head, but I do recall it was from a House with a prominent mercantile empire. It was a merchant your father saved from a local warlord who gave it to him. Why do you ask? The blade is yours now, it has been freely given and passed along to your hands."

Ailmna:"Would someone from the House come along and try to reclaim it for some reason?"

Therric: "No, of course not. It's not the Sword of S'task or something like that. It's a good sword, but it holds no actual power, nothing symbolic, at least. Its only power is in the sharpness of its edge. Has someone come asking for it or something?"

T'Mer, "What about this warlord you mentioned?"

Therric chuckles, "Not much left of him after Ailmna's father blasted him with a disruptor, from what I heard."

T'Mer, "Not the warlord himself perhaps, but perhaps his associates. We are trying to determine who would have a vested interest in this sword"

Therric: "Why all this interest in the sword? Did something happen to it?"

T'Mer looks to Ailmna, letting her determine how much is said

Ailmna:"It's...gone missing."

Therric: "Really? Now that is quite interesting..."

T'Mer, "How so?"

Therric: "About two weeks ago, several personal weapons went missing from here in the Temple. A Vulcan lirpa. A pair of Orion knives. One of those ice giants' family blades. All traditional close quarters weapons, just vanished from the apprentices' rooms."

T'Mer, "Really now? That certainly is an interesting development. I find it unlikely to think these are isolated incidents. It would seem the cause of missing personal weapons here has spread to the annex at least"

Ailmna:"Maybe we've been looking at it the wrong way. It's not the Romulan history of the weapon that was of interest, but the fact that it's a traditional close quarters weapon..."

Therric: "Yes, I believe that may be more likely than someone with history connected to the weapon tracking it down all the way here."

T'Mer, "But whoever is responsible must still have a way of learning about all of these desirables. Just here at the temple it could be put down to idle chatter and eavesdropping. But to have learned about yours out at the annex, and with the wherewithal to track down your quarters suggests a stronger connection still"

Therric: "Well, the arrival of Ailmna as the first Romulan cadet here, not just that, but also a Ranger joining Starfleet, I imagine plenty of people may have gotten wind of that. But you are right, they most likely have access to a good source of information to find her quarters."

Ailmna looks to T'Mer, "The Coalition Security you worked with before, do they keep some catalogue of crimes in the entire Heart? Or just ones they handle themselves?"

T'Mer, "It would just be those they handle directly. But different regions would collaborate and at senior levels can share database access"

Ailmna:"We have no idea where to start with finding their source. But if we can track all the thefts of similar weapons across the Sphere...that might be something."

T'Mer nods; "There is already evidence that this is more widespread which justifies widening the investigation area. I do not have sufficient clearance now as a cadet, but if we return to the Professor I believe he can liaise with the relevant parties through Starfleet security"

Ailmna:"Let's report back to him, then."

—

After learning about similar thefts that occured with non-Romulan melee weapons at the Temple, Ailmna and T'Mer return to the Annex, where they proceed to Professor H'Raarin's office

Ailmna rings the doorbell and the Professor's voice sounds a moment later, "Come in."

Ailmna steps into the office, where the Professor is working behind his desk

H'Raarin: "Have a seat, you two. I assume you've found something of interest?"

T'Mer follows

Ailmna nods, "Looks like the thief was here for the sword specifically, but I don't think he has any personal connection to the sword."

H'Raarin: "And what brings you to that conclusion?"

Ailmna:"There's been other thefts in the Temple. Very similar to this one, rooms broken into, only thing missing was some traditional close-quarters weaponry."

H'Raarin: "So someone's stealing weapons with cultural significance across the Sphere..."

T'Mer: "Not specifically Romulan, but from many Children species. We require your assistance to coordinate data gathering across the different security divisions around the Heart"

—

After learning about similar thefts that occured with non-Romulan melee weapons at the Temple, Ailmna and T'Mer return to the Annex, where they proceed to Professor H'Raarin's office

Ailmna rings the doorbell and the Professor's voice sounds a moment later, "Come in."

Ailmna steps into the office, where the Professor is working behind his desk

H'Raarin: "Have a seat, you two. I assume you've found something of interest?"

T'Mer follows

Ailmna nods, "Looks like the thief was here for the sword specifically, but I don't think he has any personal connection to the sword."

H'Raarin: "And what brings you to that conclusion?"

Ailmna:"There's been other thefts in the Temple. Very similar to this one, rooms broken into, only thing missing was some traditional close-quarters weaponry."

H'Raarin: "So someone's stealing weapons with cultural significance across the Sphere..."

T'Mer: "Not specifically Romulan, but from many Children species. We require your assistance to coordinate data gathering across the different security divisions around the Heart"

H'Raarin: "Interesting." He stands, "Let's go to the Security Monitoring Room. Follow me."

T'Mer stands and turns to follow the Professor back out

Ailmna stands and follows along as well

H'Raarin: "You said they're after close-quarters weapons specifically?"

Ailmna:"The ones taken from the Temple were a Vulcan lirpa, a pair of Orion knives and a...Lodzki sword, I think it was? So it would seem like it."

T'Mer, "That is all that was reported from the temple. We do not yet know if more variety has been taken elsewhere"

H'Raarin: "Well it looks less likely that they're taking these weapons to attack people with, which is a good thing. But it does seem like this is bigger than what I thought it would be."

T'Mer nods, "That is what we have to determine"

H'Raarin: "One of the things we always have to keep an eye out for. Sometimes a case can be exactly what it looks like. But we always have to keep an open mind, because other times a case could end up being totally different than what we think."

T'Mer, "Just like the one that led to my first meeting your cadets"

H'Raarin: "Exactly. That said, it's always good to have a working theory as you investigate. Just make sure not to get locked into preconceptions, but making hypothesis can give you good insight on where to look next. Like your current suggestion to check similar crimes across the Sphere."

T'Mer: "In Coalition Security, it was protocol whenever an investigation crossed into the jurisdiction of another security force"

H'Raarin nods, "Yes, you have to deal with other jurisdictions more than usual here, I imagine. It's certainly a unique experience you're bringing that a lot of people in Starfleet Security don't have. Even when Security officers handle cases that go into other jurisdictions, it's more often than not a Federation civilian jurisdiction, which is easier to deal with since we're all part of the Federation at the end of the day. Dealing with the security departments of completely different factions can lead to its own unique set of problems."

T'Mer, "Indeed it can" she considers H'Raarin briefly, "Is this why you requested my involvement in your investigation here?"

H'Raarin: "Part of the reason. I had a feeling the thief was no longer on the Annex and we might end up having to look across the Heart for them."

T'Mer, "And the other part?"

H'Raarin: "Despite your initial differences, I think you'd work well with Cadet Johnson here. She's got a lot of experience keeping order in a place with no or minimal official laws and regulations, and you've got experience with Security in a place where a large number of different laws and jurisdictions often cross over."

T'Mer thinks and nods, "I believe you are correct. Our contrasted backgrounds culminate into an advantageous wealth of knowledge"

H'Raarin: "Exactly. And so far I think it's working out well. You've done good work finding these other thefts and a potential pattern to investigate."

T'Mer, "Hopefully it will continue to serve us well from here"

—

Entering the main Security Monitoring Station of the Annex, Professor H'Raarin turns to the pair, "While I liaise with the other security departments, why don't you two take a look in Starfleet records here. See if there's any other instances of similar thefts happening in our own jurisdiction."

T'Mer, "Understood, we will do so Professor"

Ailmna moves over to a console and begins tapping away, "Let's see what we have..."

T'Mer, "Are all Starfleet records connected across different facilities and vessels here?"

Ailmna:"Not directly, which I think is one of the reasons he brought us here. From his office he can probably only access local records, but here in the security centre we can browse all Starfleet Security records."

H'Raarin glances over from his console, "Partly correct, Cadet. All reports on major events are distributed to all facilities and vessels, so I can access records on any serious crimes across the whole Heart and DSEC ships on deployment in the region from my console directly. Smaller reports on things like petty theft, minor disturbances, that tends to be catalogued locally only; someone on the Enterprise for example isn't going to need the record about an Ensign posted to Coalition Command who got too drunk in the shopping district. Since we're looking into minor crimes, we have to use an official security station like this one where we can link in to the records of any other Starfleet ship or facility in range."

T'Mer, "Alright, let us link into these records then and see what else has been occurring"

Ailmna taps on the console, "And speaking of petty theft, looks like I can put in a filter for only theft cases. Let's see...stolen PADD, stolen clothes, missing cargo suspected stolen...there!"

T'Mer, "Missing cargo?"

Ailmna chuckles, "No, not the missing cargo, the next one." She pulls up a record, "Stolen weapon, close-quarters, traditional Earth design. Something called a katana belonging to an Ensign Sulu on the USS Yorktown. Wait, is this one of /the/ Sulus?"

T'Mer, "Are they another distinguished House-Clan like the originator of your weapon?"

Ailmna:"Yeah, just a distinguished human House from Earth. Different culture, but same idea, they just don't call it a House-Clan. Looks like the theft happened two days ago and the investigation still is ongoing. Let me keep looking, see if there's older reports."

T'Mer, "Where did that theft occur, was it on the Yorktown?"

Ailmna takes a closer look at the report, "It was on the Yorktown, but...wait, the theft didn't happen two days ago. It was discovered two days ago when Ensign Sulu returned to her quarters after some repairs were complete. The theft itself seems to have occured another day before that. They found a suspicious access on the door, this time it was an authorized access and not a bypass. It was suspicious cause there was no scheduled work in the area, but somebody used a valid maintenance access code on the panel."

T'Mer, "So our assailant is indeed familiar with secure details, not just skilled at working around them. Have there been any other instances?"

Ailmna continues scrolling, "Here's another. One Lieutenant Th'izyn posted to Security at Coalition HQ, reported his Ushaan-tor stolen. Same case as mine this time, unauthorized bypass but no lifesigns detected. This time the accompanying guantlet was also taken, and there was unauthorized access to the Lieutenant's personal computer. But the thief wiped clean any record of what specifically they accessed from the computer."

T'Mer, "A curious deviation from the established pattern. Unless it simply has not been noticed or reported in other instances" she comments, working to collate all of the reports into a timeline that she overlays on a map of the Heart to track movement

T'Mer isn't able to find enough of a movement pattern from the Starfleet reports alone. What she does notice however is that the thefts tend to happen with a fair bit of time in between. The oldest theft on a local Starfleet ship dates back three months, and the closest time between thefts has been three days, like the one between Ailmna and Ensign Sulu's. The thief is working slowly and carefully, never stealing more than once from a single location, which is probably why all the thefts have been considered isolated incidents and no one connected them all yet

T'Mer records her observations while Ailmna pulls additional data

Ailmna:"No, most thefts don't have the computers accessed. There is another case of multiple items stolen, but this officer had a bit of a collection of traditional close-quarters weapons, and the thief took them all. Didn't touch the computer though."

T'Mer, "Interesting, perhaps they are gathering leads from computers only when they run out of current leads. And still all close quarters weapons, most curious"

Ailmna:"There's a case of a stolen phaser here, but it happened on a ship outside the Heart, and the culprit was caught so it's definitely not related."

T'Mer, "There is still no discernible pattern beyond frequency, but that may change once we obtain data from non-Starfleet forces"

H'Raarin turns to them again, "I'm getting reports coming in from other groups. The Klingons have a few cases, Coalition Security has a few. Doesn't look like the Romulans, Cardassians or Orions have any similar cases at all, though."

T'Mer, "That may help us narrow things down. Allow me a moment to plot all of these additional reports"

T'Mer still sees no more than a single theft per day, often with durations longer than that between thefts. There's no obvious pattern in movement, the thief seems to be going all over the place. What she does notice is that there's never two of the same weapons stolen, even when it would be convenient to do so. The thief acquired a D'k tagh and a bat'leth from the first theft on a Klingon ship, and on the subsequent visits to Klingon ships, these weapons were left alone, even when they were sitting beside different weapons the thief did steal. Weapons that the thief hadn't yet acquired by that point

T'Mer, "Almost like they are trying to complete a collection"

H'Raarin: "Now that's an interesting hypothesis..."

T'Mer, "There is no basis for it yet, but it would seem to fit what we know so far"

H'Raarin: "That it does. Now the question is now we're going to catch this thief..."

T'Mer, "Baiting a trap might be frugal"

H'Raarin: "Let's compile a list of what weapons they've already stolen, then. Determine what they might still be after, so we can set something up for them to try and steal."

T'Mer nods, "That should be simple to achieve now that Cadet Ailmna has reconciled all of the reports"

Ailmna:"The problem is though, with a place as diverse as this Sphere, we've got no idea what weapon they'll go after next, especially with the patience this thief clearly has. We could set up a bait and the trap might not be sprung for weeks. Or they might go for someone else who's got the same weapon. And if we hide all weapons except one to lure them in, they'll get suspicious and know we're onto them. Whoever this thief is, like the Professor said, it's clearly no amateur."

T'Mer nods, "In order to avoid that long ploy, we would need something irrestistable to them. Something that could be flaunted in the public eye with a fixed time frame to encourage them to act. If we could determine a suitable bait, perhaps it could be announced over the news network that it is due to arrive on a scheduled vessel"

Ailmna:"There might be something, now that you mention it..."

T'Mer looks to Ailmna

Ailmna:"The new Empress of the Star Empire. She's gonna be visiting in a few days, isn't she?"

H'Raarin nods, "I've seen some reports from the security at Coalition HQ about that."

T'Mer, "But our thief already has a Romulan piece for their collection?"

Ailmna:"Yeah, a regular Romulan House sword. If the propaganda's to be believed, this Empress has the Sword of S'task, the very same one Therric mentioned back in the Temple, if you remember. I'm no history expert, but even I've heard stories of that thing, forged back on Vulcan before the exodus by the most legendary smith in both Vulcan and Romulan history. That sword's probably one of the most priceless relics you can get this side of the galaxy."

H'Raarin: "What if that's too high profile for our thief? If an artifact like that gets missing, he might end up with the whole Star Empire on his tail. And even a professional thief knows not to mess with Tal Shiar."

T'Mer, "That is true. Even I heard of their infamy. This prize might be tempting, but too high profile and that does not seem to align with our suspects work to date"

Ailmna:"There's still something else on the Empress' ship that the thief'll want. Word has it the Empress has a personal Qowat Milat bodyguard. And their order use distinct blades for their style of swordplay. They're not one of a kind, but I'm pretty sure there's none in the Heart right now. The Empress'll be bringing the only one with her, and it's only going to be here for as long as she is. Tan qalanq are valuable collectibles because they're rarely found outside the hands of Qowat Milat, but they're not inherently valuable. They're hand-crafted but relatively simple to make and replaceable for a member of the order."

T'Mer, "That does sound like something quite fitting. And if it is public knowledge that this Empress and her bodyguard are coming here then our thief may likely already be targeting them"

H'Raarin nods, "I'll get in contact with those organizing security for the Empress' visit then. See if we can arrange something to lure in the thief."

T'Mer, "Is there anything else we can do to assist?"

H'Raarin: "Not right now, but I'll likely contact you two again once I have things set up with the Romulans. Having a Romulan security cadet along could make things easier, as well as your experience with Coalition security. Excellent work here, Cadets. I'll let you know when I need you again."

T'Mer, "Understood Professor, I will stand ready for any further summons"

Ailmna nods, "Me too."

H'Raarin: "Until then, you two are dismissed. Enjoy your off time, and hopefully we'll get your sword back once we have the thief, Cadet Johnson."

—

On the day of the Empress' arrival, T'Mer is called down to H'Raarin's office. As she makes her way there, she runs into Ailmna in the halls not far from her destination

Ailmna:"Hey T'Mer. Guess the Professor's got something for us with the case again."

T'Mer, "I take it you have been summoned also. Then that would be the most likely"

Ailmna:"Today is the day of the Empress' visit, so I guess we're going ahead with the bait idea."

T'Mer, "If our thief is as knowledgeable as they seem, I suspect they will be targeting this sword regardless of our preparations"

Ailmna:"But with preparation, we might be able to catch them before they get away with it."

T'Mer, "That would be better than after they get away with it"

Ailmna chuckles, "That it would." She pauses as they reach the door and rings the professor's doorbell

H'Raarin: "Come in."

T'Mer steps in with Ailmna

H'Raarin taps his console, finishing whatever he was working on as he looks to the two cadets entering, "I take it you already have a good guess on what this is about."

T'Mer, "We noted this coincides with the arrival of the Romulan Empress"

H'Raarin nods, "That's right. I got in contact with the Imperial Romulan representatives that were already here. With the information you helped compile, it wasn't hard to show them that the thief'll likely go after one of their swords. They've agreed to work together with us to catch this thief."

T'Mer, "What is our strategy to be?"

H'Raarin: "That's yet to be determined. The Imperials here didn't think it was enough of a security threat to warn the Empress' flagship beforehand. They said doing that would just complicate things for the visit, and it's unlikely the thief will strike immediately upon arrival anyways, They're going to inform the ship once it arrives. But first, since this is our case, they're asking us to take point on it. They'll just be passing along the warning to the flagship, and if the Empress' people agree to setting up the bait, Starfleet will be the ones going on board to flesh out the plan. Since you were on this case from the beginning and there's likely little in the way of physical danger with the Imperial flagship's security working with you, I was thinking you could continue your role as investigators."

T'Mer, "I have no objection"

Ailmna nods, "Sounds good to me too. Are you coming with us too, or?"

H'Raarin: "I think you can handle it. You can contact me if you need anything, but I think between you and the Imperial flagship's security, I'm confident you'll come up with a good plan. I asked you two to look into this as a field exercise anyways. You're not always going to have a superior and more experienced officer on hand when you leave the Academy."

T'Mer, "I am accustomed to working alone. I believe Cadet Johnson is as well, so foresee no difficulty with this arrangement"

H'Raarin: "Excellent. I'll comm you when the Romulans are ready. They're due to come through the gateway in an hour."

T'Mer looks to Ailmna, "We could use that time to begin strategizing if you wish"

Ailmna nods, "Good thinking. We should probably have a plan to present when we meet the Imperials."

H'Raarin: "I'll leave you two to it then. Dismissed."

T'Mer stands and heads out with Ailmna

Ailmna heads out as well, "So, we've got the sword coming to us. Two swords in fact, just one that they're more likely to steal. But in order to lure the thief in, we probably wanna create an opening. If security's too tight, they'll realize they have no chance and give up. We have to get them a chance, maybe get them in the room with the sword before we spring the trap on them."

T'Mer, "Almost all of the thefts so far were from personal quarters, yes?"

Ailmna:"Yeah. One of the Klingon ones was from a ready room, but all the others were exclusively quarters if I remember right."

T'Mer, "So they will most likely target this sword in a similar setting"

Ailmna nods, "Might be a good idea to leave both the Qowat Milat's sword and the Sword of S'task in quarters that wouldn't be too suspicious. Like the Qowat Milat's own room and the Empress'. More likely they'll go for the Tan Qalanq, but better to have both just in case they prefer one over the other."

T'Mer nods, "Agreed. What about the arrangement for us to work with these Romulan forces? I have no experience with your empire so do not know if there is any protocl to be observed"

Ailmna:"Well, I haven't exactly worked with the Star Empire before. The places we Rangers patrol are the places where the Empire has no authority, so I don't know anything about their protocols. I can tell you Romulans in general are a private, secretive people, though. Secrets and learning secrets is a central part of our culture, like logic is to the Vulcans or fighting is to the Klingons."

T'Mer, "I see. So it would be best then not to share our plans, understood"

Ailmna laughs, "If we were the thieves, maybe they'd appreciate that. But since we're working with them, we're going to have to let them know what we're planning so they can accomodate. It's their ship, after all. And besides, just because we like secrets doesn't mean we keep absolutely /everything/ secret. Just like how the Klingons don't try to attack absolutely everyone they see. Still got to have communication for things to run."

T'Mer hrms, "Children species can be quite the enigma"

Ailmna chuckles, "Most cultures can be, if you aren't familiar with them. Even we Children species don't always understand each other easily."

T'Mer, "I can see how. Is there anything else I should take into account ahead of our rendezvous?"

Ailmna:"Well, Romulan space was one of the hardest hit in the Iconian War. But since they're coming here, they're probably well-aware that Iconians are present. And I'll be along too, plus the Starfleet uniform, so that might help things out. You might get a few cautious looks from some crewmen or something, but I don't expect anything too bad. They've probably all been briefed on the friendly Iconians here."

T'Mer, "I have grown accustomed to the wariness of others, but it is useful to know that it may be more distinct with these Romulans"

Ailmna:"If we're lucky, most of the crew might not even recognize you as an Iconian though. They're not exactly used to seeing flesh and blood ones like you."

T'Mer, "Ah yes, this war was with the evolved"

Ailmna:"Yeah, and even then most who fought in it never saw an Iconian, just constructs and heralds. There's a bit of resemblence with the heralds, but I'm not sure if everyone'll connect the dots."

T'Mer, "If they wish to do so, I believe a Trill would make a more worthy subject of interest. They are covered in dots to connect. Iconians have very few"

Ailmna:"A Tr- oh," she laughs. "It's a...figure of speech. Not literal dots, like...putting the pieces together to figure out you're Iconian."

T'Mer, "Oh, so like conducting an investigation?"

Ailmna:"Yeah, like that! I just mean most crew of the flagship might not even be able to figure out that you're Iconian."

T'Mer, "I will keep that in mind as well then"

—

On the Imperial Romulan flagship Kaishaasi...

The turbolift doors slide open and Empress Nikki steps onto the bridge as they arrive at the Jouret Gateway

Nikki strolls over, looking out at the view, "I trust everything is in hand"

Admiral Imaella stands from the command chair, "Everything's proceeding as expected, Empress. The Republic personnel here are just activating the gateway to our destination Sphere."

Nikki waves a hand, "Please, you don't need to stand on my account. I won't have the luxury of staying seated for long anyhow" she smiles.

Imaella chuckles, "True, you'll probably be expected to get on with your diplomatic duties once you arrive. Well, if you insist I have the chair, but you probably want to be on the bridge for the arrival. And speaking of which..."

Imaella turns to the viewscreen as the gateway on it springs to life

Nikki nods, "That's why I am here" joining Imaella to watch

Imaella takes a seat back in the command chair, "Helm, take us in."

The ship begins to move in towards the open gateway, with the Spherescape visible on the other side. Before long, they pass through and the viewscreen shows the Spherescape in full clarity, without the shimmering filter of the gateway

Imaella leans forward, "Looks even more impressive in person..."

Nikki smiles, "Puts it in perspective doesn't it"

Imaella: "That it does. I've read much about these Spheres, but I've not had the chance to visit one in person until now."

Nikki:"Don't be too disappointed when you see the others then" she chuckles

Imaella: "This is the largest one, isn't it? I guess the others aren't as impressive?"

Nikki:"Don't get me wrong, they're no shrinking violets. But this one is rather special among the spheres"

Imaella: "You were here when it was discovered, if I'm not mistaken. I imagine you know it better than most."

Nikki:"Better than most on this ship perhaps, but compared to the rest of the Starfleet crew I was accompanying at the time I may as well be a complete outsider now"

The security officer steps over to Imaella with a PADD, "Admiral. I've received an interesting report from our attaches here."

Imaella takes the PADD, "A security threat?"

Security Officer: "Wouldn't exactly call it a threat, but..."

Imaella scrolls through the PADD, "Well, interesting's certainly the word to describe it."

Nikki peers over, "Sounds intriguing. Anything of note?"

Imaella nods, "Looks like the Sphere's been having a bit of a thief problem lately. One who exclusively targets melee weapons from various cultures. They suspect this thief might come after one of our blades. Either the Sword of S'task, or Serenity's tan qalanq."

Nikki:"Really? Are you sure this isn't a prank, I can't believe anyone would be so foolish as to attempt such a thing on this ship of all places"

Imaella: "If it is, it's a very thorough one. They've attached multiple security reports from various different factions who've been stolen from. All of which detail a very skilled thief, a professional with lifesign concealers and enough knowledge to bypass most security systems."

Nikki:"Well, this is certainly unexpected. I would have liked to at least got to say hello before we found trouble"

Imaella: "Looks like there's a local investigation going on into it, headed by Starfleet. They think this is their best chance to catch the thief and want to work with us."

Nikki:"It's been a while, but working with others is why we are here after all"

Imaella nods to the security officer, "Approve their request, Centurion." She looks back to Nikki, "Apparently they believe your bodyguard's sword is the more likely target. The Sword of -

S'task might be too high profile. It might be a good idea to have her working with them if it's her weapon they're after."

Nikki nods, "It will do her good to participate. She needs to learn how to engage with outsiders more than most"

Imaella: "My thoughts exactly. I'll let her know to meet with the Starfleet team when they arrive, then."

—

Down in one of the Kaishaasi's hangars, Serenity awaits the Starfleet personnel coming to work with the Imperial Romulans on the thief problem

A Starfleet sub-light shuttlepod enters the hangar bay, coming to a landing. As the doors open up, Ailmna and T'Mer step out, looking around

Serenity eyes the pair, muttering to herself, "A Romulan and an Iconian? But my Empress said Starfleet cadets were coming? What to do, what to do..."

Ailmna spots Serenity before long and begins approaching, "It's been a while since I've seen one of you, but I'm pretty sure those are Qowat Milat robes."

Serenity tilts her head, "Do you not look in mirrors at all?"

Ailmna gives Serenity a confused look, "What? Last I checked I'm not wearing Qowat Milat robes..."

Serenity:"Oh you meant the robes!" muttering, "It did seem strange that she hadn't seen another Romulan for so long..."

Ailmna chuckles, "So that's what you meant by looking into a mirror. I've definitely seen other Romulans, yes. But I haven't seen one of your order for a while, now."

Serenity:"Then you are familiar with us. So... who are you anyway? I was expecting to meet some Starfleet cadets here"

Ailmna:"That's us. I'm Cadet Ailmna ir-Fenris t'Johnson, and this here's Cadet T'Mer."

Serenity looks her up and down, then looks T'Mer up and down

T'Mer nods her assurance that this is the truth

Serenity:"That does explain why you are wearing the same uniforms..."

Ailmna:"I don't blame you for being suspicious. We did warn you about a thief trying to sneak aboard, after all. Though while I might be a thief, T'Mer's not likely to. An Iconian in a Starfleet uniform's not exactly subtle. An /Iconian/ isn't exactly subtle, even minus that last part."

Serenity eyes T'Mer again, "An Iconian you say? Well he-... she-... it is definitely not subtle"

Ailmna chuckles, "They usually go by she. But yeah, we're the ones looking into these thefts. Got caught up in it after the thief broke into my dorm and stole my sword, which is why we think they're probably going to come for yours."

Serenity places a hand on the hilt of the blade at her hip, "You possess one too? Or, you did? So that is what you meant by not seeing one of the order again for so long"

Ailmna:"No, no, not a Qowat Milat sword. Mine was a regular House sword, passed down from my father who was given it by someone he rescued years back. That's why we think the thief's after yours. They seem like they're trying to fill some kind of collection of close-quarters weapons from different cultures. They steal more than one from a single culture, but never more than one of a single weapon design- they took several Klingon weapons, but only one bat'leth."

Serenity:"I see. This is most troubling indeed. We need to make sure they know not to do this, because it will cost them their life if they remove my blade from my side"

Ailmna:"Well, we can't find them because they've been very elusive so far. We were hoping to use your blade, or your Empress', to lure the thief in. If you keep it at your side all the time though, it could be difficult to steal, and the thief might not even try..."

Serenity tightens her grasp on the hilt of her blade, "I... yes, that does make sense I suppose. But what is this about the Empress' blade?"

Ailmna:"It's another potential target. We think it's more likely for the thief to go after yours rather than the Empress', since the Sword of S'task might be a bit /too/ significant to steal. But it's still an option, so we might want to be ready for that."

Serenity:"Is there a plan in place for this matter?"

Ailmna nods, "The thief's targeted quarters so far, so we're thinking to leave your sword in your room and the Empress' in hers. Set up some force fields or something to trap them as soon as they take the weapon, and we can wait and hide nearby just in case they mess with sensors or anything. The specifics of where to hide and have force fields, that we'll have to figure out with you since it's your ship."

Serenity:"I don’t know of these things. We will have to seek guidance from someone else"

Ailmna:"We can talk to your security and engineering people, then. You'll be okay with leaving your sword in your room for a bit to lure the thief in, right? And if they don't take it from your side...you wouldn't have to kill them?"

Serenity:"If your thief is as knowledgeable as you imply, then they should know that it never leaves my side. Even when I sleep it remains within reach"

Ailmna looks to T'Mer, "Well, that could be a problem. If we just leave it lying around, the thief's definitely going to be suspicious."

Serenity nods, "Indeed. Maybe the Admiral or my Empress will have some ideas"

Ailmna:"You think they'll talk to us about this minor thief problem?"

Serenity:"Well my Empress is very busy, but I should not leave her side anyway. I have however grown accustomed to her wilfulness of not abiding by this at least when on the ship so we could also speak with Admiral since any and all shipboard business is of her concern, and a suspected trespasser infiltrating the flagship of the Star Empire is no trivial matter I think"

Ailmna nods, looking to T'Mer, "Who do you think we should talk with about finalizing our plans to lure in the thief?"

T'Mer thinks, "Either sounds like a wise course, but perhaps given the need to liase with shipboard personnel more then the Admiral would be most prudent?"

Ailmna:"Let's go get an audience with the admiral, then."

—

Serenity and the cadets make their way into Admiral Imaella's ready room, where the Admiral is seated behind her desk

Imaella: "So you're the Starfleet investigators. Cadets, if I'm not mistaken?"

Serenity:"Actually no, I'm the Empresses bodyguard - Serenity. They are cadets though"

Ailmna glances to Serenity, "I...think she knows who you are."

Imaella chuckles, "Yes, that I do. Come, have a seat."

Serenity:"I would certainly hope so by now" she looks, mentally counting the two seats and the three guests before assuming a more natural hover behind the cadets as they sit

Ailmna takes a seat with T'Mer

Imaella: "So, Starfleet has you two on a training run, then? Or is it because you're Romulan that you got assigned to us?"

Ailmna:"A bit of both, I think."

T'Mer: "Cadet Johnson was one of the victims to have a weapon stolen, and so picked up the investigation from there. I was drafted in to assist from there owing to my history with Citadel Security. Since we progressed the investigation and Cadet Johnson's knowledge led us to this point I believe we were permitted to maintain our position as leads"

Imaella nods, "That makes sense. And you have reason to believe the thief's coming after either Serenity's sword or the Empress'."

T'Mer nods, "That is our suspicion, yes"

Serenity:"The cadets wish to set a trap to catch the thief, believing that mine is the more the likely target. But we have reservations that if this thief is knowledgeable enough to know of my sword and it's arrival here on this ship then they must also know that it never leaves my side so to find it laying around unattended would be suspicious"

Imaella: "You think the thief will go for the Empress' sword instead?"

Serenity:"Foolish as that would be, it is more likely to be unattended. However I do not wish to put either at risk. Since this hangs on the premise of someone being able to sneak aboard this ship and circumvent security here, I hoped that you might have some thoughts on how best to go about this"

Imaella considers, "When would be the best time for someone to steal your sword, Serenity?"

Serenity:"I don't find any time particularly convenient for such a thing"

T'Mer: "I think she means when it is most vulnerable to being taken"

Serenity:"Oh. I knew that..." muttering into her sleeve, "I did not know that"

Serenity ahems, "Well then, it would be when I am asleep"

Imaella: "If this thief's as good as you say, they might just try something while you're asleep. I agree, it's best to have both swords watched. There's only one way in and out of quarters, and from what I can tell from the reports of previous thefts, the thief likes to bypass the lock and go in through the door rather than transporting directly to the target."

Serenity:"Then that is when they will strike assuming they are able to get on board"

Imaella: "We could use the old fake holographic wall trick."

Serenity:"And hide the real weapons behind those while luring the thief with replicas? Brilliant! However that won't be necesary for mine, I will simply sleep with it at my side"

Imaella: "No, I mean hide someone behind a holographic wall to observe the entrance to both quarters. A replica's not a bad suggestion for the Sword of S'task though, just in the off-chance the thief /does/ slip by, we don't want to risk them making off with the real blade."

Serenity:"Just the Sword of S'task, not mine?"

T'Mer looks to Ailmna, "We did not consider replicas"

Ailmna nods, "It's a good safety measure. If we can't catch the thief, we don't want to lose the real things, either."

Imaella: "Hopefully between whoever keeps watch outside and you sleeping within, there won't be much risk of the thief getting away with your, Serenity. But I can replicate a convincing enough copy if you want to play it safe."

Serenity nods, "It would be prudent to leave nothing to chance. Also that way, I can keep the real blade at my side as I sleep and will be better suited to act on any disturbance"

T'Mer, "And your Empresses sword, or S'task's whoever that is, will be kept safe somewhere else then?"

Imaella: "I'll have it moved to the intelligence room. Not only does it have the best monitoring on the ship, but it's always guarded. It's designed to defend against spies on the Tal Shiar's level. As good as this thief is, I doubt they'll be getting in there."

Serenity:"As for apprehending the thief, the cadets mentioned something about forcefields"

Imaella: "If we install temporary forcefields into the doors to trap them in the quarters, it might tip them off. But we have plenty of emergency forcefield emitters build into the hallways near both your quarters and the Empress'. If they try to get away, we could activate those to trap them."

T'Mer, "Do you have remote monitoring of door activity on board?" she asks not realizing where she is

Imaella chuckles, "Of course we do. As soon as we register unauthorized activity, we'll lock the area down with force fields. Between the monitoring and placing someone to watch the area behind a holographic wall, we should be able to catch this thief as they strike."

T'Mer: "It does seem like this will be more than adequate" she looks to Ailmna to be sure

Ailmna nods, "As long as the thief shows up and tries to take either sword, this sounds like it should be enough to finally catch them in the act."

Imaella: "I assume you two will want to see this through to the end?"

T'Mer, "That is why we were sent here, but we understand that your local forces hold jurisdiction. We are here to assist however we can until the thief is caught"

Imaella: "Well, you could help take shifts and stand guard behind the force fields. Our security's fairly busy with making sure everything is safe for the Empress' visit."

T'Mer, "I have no objection"

Imaella: "I'll let them know to slot you in for some shifts, then, and I'll give you a temporary room on board to rest when you're off-shift. Report to the armoury when it's time for you to stand guard. We'll equip you with a lifesign concealer like what this thief is using, just to make sure you won't be detected behind the holographic wall. And a disruptor of course, unless you brought your own phasers?"

T'Mer looks to Ailmna again, "We did not consider that either"

Ailmna:"We'd rather not kill the guy, but a disruptor'll do just in case we need to defend ourselves. Hopefully between the force fields and the threat of a disruptor, the thief'll give up."

Imaella: "We'll give you one with the lifesign concealer just in case."

Serenity:"It seems then that everything is set, thank you for the guidance Admiral"

Imaella: "Thank you for coming here to stop this thief before they took something from us. Good luck with your case, and I hope you can secure the thief alive and find what was stolen from you."

—

The night after the cadets' arrival, the trap is set. The hallway outside Serenity's quarters are silent as she sleeps within...

In the empty hall, we see a brief flicker as something clearly using stealth tech moves through

The camera turns to the door, where the flicker can be seen again. The panel beside the door begins to change as someone is clearly accessing it

The door slides open a few seconds later. We see another view of the hall as green force fields snap into place, then Ailmna steps out from behind the false holographic projection of a wall, disruptor in hand. There is another flicker by the now open door and Ailmna points her disruptor at it

Ailmna:"Gotcha. Now deactivate your stealth mechanism, come with us quietly, return everything you stole and we can work-"

There is another flicker and a wave of energy suddenly erupts outward, overheating Ailmna's disruptor and forcing her to drop it. The wave also seems to disable the stealth tech the thief is using, revealing...

FX | https://image.lexica.art/full_jpg/763a218f-5974-4c01-b84b-b0814ca4a549

Ailmna:"Okay, if that's the way you want to play it..."

Ailmna assumes a ready stance. The thief rushes at her and she swings an arm to knock him down. However, the thief is unphased by the hit, grabbing the arm and pushing his weight forward to knock Ailmna down instead

Ailmna loses her footing and falls back, but she immediately hooks her legs around the thief and pulls him down as well. Taking advantage of the surprise caused by the move, she rolls around and on top of the thief to pin him down. The thief is too quick and agile though, his wrists evading her attempts to grab them. He pushes one of her arms aside and lands a quick jab on her stomach with other hand

Taking advantage of her being winded, the thief immediately flips Ailmna over. She too lands a punch right to his face, but it doesn't seem to do much except turn his head slightly to the side

Ailmna throws a second punch, but the thief catches the fist. Ailmna continues striking with the other fist to little avail as the thief just seems to take the hits. As he does, a wire emerges from inside his other hand, which he promptly begins to wrap around the wrist of the arm he caught

Serenity slips out during the commotion, after contacting the bridge, and reveals herself behind the thief with the tip of her real sword brought to bare towards his neck, "Choose to live"

The thief sighs midway through tying up Ailmna, "I should've kept one of those blades for myself..."

Serenity:"It would not have helped you. Now release her"

He unwraps the wire from Ailmna's wrist and it seems to retract back into his arm as he slowly raises his hands, "I surrender. Not gonna die over this job, and from what I read up on you people, you won't kill me if I choose to live."

Serenity holds her blade true, not letting her guard down still, "That is why you are given the choice. And if you know this much, you know it is a one time option" she observes Ailmna recover herself, "Are you alright?"

Ailmna nods as she climbs out from under the thief, "He's a lot stronger than his build suggests, but I've been hit by worse."

The thief remains on his knees, arms raised

Serenity:"The Admiral is already aware and additional security is on it's way to detain him"

Ailmna:"What do you mean, not gonna die over this job? Did someone hire you for this?"

Thief: "They sure did. It was good pay, but not worth dying over. Can't spend it if I'm dead."

Ailmna:"Does that mean you're giving everything you stole over to whoever hired you?"

Thief: "That's the intention. You think I went through all that effort just to collect some swords and knives?"

Ailmna:"Someone's willing to pay you to."

Serenity:"You said you wished you had kept one before, does that mean everything that was stolen has now been moved on to your employer?"

Thief: "Not yet. My employer's not here in the Heart. I have it all stashed away ready to transport to them. And yes, I'll tell you where they are. Not like I'm completing this job anyways."

Serenity:"That is most wise"

The force field shuts down as a group of four Romulan security officers rush in with pistols in hand

Security Officer: "So, this is the thief we're after?"

Serenity lets them do their thing and get him properly restrained before lowering her blade, "Well, he's a thief. I assume he is the one we wanted to catch"

Ailmna:"He did admit to stealing blades. Be careful, he's stronger than he looks."

The security officers nod, moving to restrain him in cuffs. The one who spoke before looks to Serenity as the others restrain him, "Half expected him to be all cut up, going up against you."

Serenity:"He chose to live"

Security Officer: "Smart decision."

Ailmna:"Should one of us accompany them to the brig, just in case? He's got quite a few tricks up his sleeve."

Serenity:"I will do so as a matter of course. You came here to investigate this matter and that must continue so it may be prudent for you to join as well"

Ailmna nods, "Let's go, then. I'll let T'Mer know we caught the thief as well."

Serenity nods and follows the security group

—

A short while later, T'Mer arrives at the brig, where Ailmna and Serenity are already waiting, having accompanied the prisoner here. The thief is held in a cell with his hood now lowered, revealing a clearly cybernetically augmented face

FX | https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/600ec972feca0ada4f0ddd38/0x0.jpg?format=jpg&width=1200

T'Mer looks around, settling a curious gaze on the thief, "He is Human" and looks to Ailmna, "He is Human, right?"

Ailmna:"No, he's just one of those species that looks human. His species wasn't in the ship's database, but comparing it to Coalition file, apparently he's a Hyrokee."

T'Mer leans in, many eyes blinking as she takes in his features, "Interesting. So this is what these Children look like" she stands back up, looking to the others, "But why would a Hyrokee steal from the Coalition when there is flourishing trade between the two?"

Ailmna:"Good question. Let's ask him."

Ailmna steps up to the cell, tapping the panel to allow dialogue

T'Mer turns to the thief and repeats, "Why would a Hyrokee steal from the Coalition when there is flourishing trade between the two?"

Serenity stays out of the way for now, letting the investigators investigate

The thief looks up from his bed, "You speak like every single member of my species is part of one big Corporation or something. Surely you know that's not always the case. Sometimes, yes, but you're standing on a ship belonging to a species split among many factions."

T'Mer turns to Ailmna, "I am? I was under the impression that was resolved now and this was the reason for this ship being here"

Ailmna:"Yes and no. The Star Empire and Romulan Republic aren't at war with each other any more, but it's still two separate governments right now. Not to mention all the independent colonies out there, and ones that joined the Federation."

T'Mer, "Children cultures are very messy. It would be much easier if you all just aligned under the Iconian Empire again, that was far more efficient and easy to understand"

Ailmna blinks, "You...might not wanna say that to most of the Romulan crew here, remember."

T'Mer pauses and nods, "Of course, the war with the evolved. Duly noted"

Ailmna looks back to the thief, "So, you belong to a faction of your people that isn't friendly with the Coalition?"

Thief: "No, I'm a freelancer. I belong to no one."

T'Mer, "I understand that you were hired to steal these items for a third party. Please tell us of them"

Thief: "Her name was Asteriarch Syrene. Pretty sure the first part was the title and not the name. She wanted a collection of close quarters weapons from as many Coalition species as I could get. Didn't ask why, that's her business. The pay was good, and I was given a third up front. Not all of it needed to be stolen. A couple of them were acquired through purchase, and I was promised compensation for anything I spent so I still get the full pay in the end."

T'Mer, "So you were working to a predetermined list of items to acquire?"

Thief: "No, no list. Just as many as I could get, and I get a bonus the more I bring her."

Ailmna:"Why not just buy them all?"

Thief: "Because she specified they have to be genuine weapons with cultural value. Not reproductions or replicated weapons for practical use. And most people aren't willing to sell their family sword. She also requested that I keep a low profile. Besides, breaking and entering is my specialty, not haggling."

Ailmna:"That we noticed."

T'Mer, "An open ended commission then. And where are the stolen weapons now?"

Thief: "A storeroom in the Colonial Province. It was empty due to some crossed wires between the shopping district and a shipping company. I kept it that way, added my own lock and security. I'll give you what you need to bypass it."

T'Mer: "That is very considerate of you, it will undoubtedly make it easier to recover everything"

Thief: "I don't exactly like being locked up. Figure the easier I make it for you, the lighter you'll probably be with your judgement."

T'Mer: "I will be certain to note every detail in my report. But that decision belongs to more senior officers than either of us. And because your indiscretions crossed so many jurisdictions at the Heart, I can not imagine all of them coming to a consensus quickly"

The thief sighs, "I had a bad feeling about this job from the start. But the pay was just too good to pass up. Or maybe those stories about Syrene's people were true..."

T'Mer, "Stories?"

Thief: "Spacer's tales about her species. About how they have some unnatural psychic influence and can seduce almost anyone. Thought they were just exaggerations and fanciful retellings, especially since I didn't go falling madly in love with Syrene or anything. But now I'm wondering if they used some of that influence on me to talk me into this job."

T'Mer looks to Ailmna, "The infiltrators?"

Ailmna:"It sounds like it. This Syrene, was she a shapeshifter?"

Thief: "I never saw her do any shapeshifting, but the stories do claim her people do that. She does look like she's had some reconstructive beauty surgery though. Or a perfect appearance from being able to shapeshift."

T'Mer, "It is certainly a possibility that we can not ignore. What else can tell us of your employer, how do you contact her to arrange delivery?"

Thief: "I was supposed to meet her at a trade station called Sanctuary."

T'Mer: "Presumably at a predetermined time?"

Thief: "No, actually. I was supposed to go there and reach out. Can give you the details of how to arrange the meeting."

T'Mer, "That would be most welcome"

Serenity chimes in, "Why not let him complete the delivery?"

Ailmna:"And track it to the source. That could work. I'll just have to wait longer to get the sword back, but it's not like I need it for anything."

Serenity hrms, "Maybe. I don't know if there is a way to work it or not, but from spending so like at my Empresses side now I know this is the kind of plot that she would devise. Maybe the weapons can be kept safe and he can simply arrange the meeting in order to lure this buyer out or something? Either way, it is sounding much more significant than theft of personal arms now so we should bring this to the Empress. Or the Admiral. Or... whoever you actually report to I guess"

Ailmna nods, "Yeah, the infiltrators are a local probably. We probably don't want to get your Empress involved."

Ailmna looks to T'Mer, "Let's report back to Professor H'Raarin. Let Starfleet and the Coalition figure out what to do with the thief from here."

T'Mer nods, "That would be prudent"

Serenity steps up to the cell as they finish, looking at the thief and bows her head, "You have shown yourself to be wise and honest to yourself. For that you have my respect, and my voice" and heads out

—

Two days after apprehending the thief, Ailmna and T'Mer are called to Professor H'Raarin's office again. Stepping inside, they find the professor awaiting them behind his desk

H'Raarin: "Have a seat, Cadets."

Ailmna steps over and sits down, "I'm guessing this is a followup to the thief business?"

T'Mer sits

H'Raarin: "That's right. First off, we located the thief's stash. An inventory confirmed all the weapons stolen from the Sphere are accounted for," he nods to Ailmna. "Including your sword."

Ailmna:"Glad to hear it, Professor."

H'Raarin: "But I didn't call you both here just to tell you that," he looks to T'Mer. "As you suspected when you reported to me, there's too many jurisdictions involved to make sentencing the thief a simple matter. Fortunately, because all the stolen weapons were returned, everyone's been convinced to hand the case over to Coalition authority after some deliberation. The Klingons were the hardest to talk around, expectedly, they wanted to honour duel the thief."

T'Mer nods. "Given the founding values of the Coalition it makes the most sense that a case such as this is handled by Coalition authority directly. The thief may not realize it, but he may well have helped a key system develop in Coalition relations. What is his fate to be now, was there any consideration of the Romulan's recommendation?"

H'Raarin: "There was. It turns out the one who hired him is known to Starfleet. He's temporarily being taken into Starfleet custody to help set up that meeting. Once that's done, he'll serve out the remainder of his sentence with the Coalition."

T'Mer nods, "From my observations, that sounds an amenable arrangement that should satisfy all. He was strangely cooperative for a thief after all"

H'Raarin: "Not all thieves are malicious. Some are just self-interested, and as soon as he was caught, he probably realized it was in his interest to cooperate. Not everyone who turns to crime is the same, or even likes doing what they do. Outside the Heart, the galaxy's a rough place. And sometimes people have to do unsavoury things to survive."

T'Mer, "Yes I have observed this about Children. Though I have been advised against stating the logical solution in the company of Romulans"

H'Raarin: "The...logical solution?"

T'Mer nods, stating matter of factly, "Yes, that it would be simplest for them to restore the Iconian Empire as a singlular galactic entity. All of the confusing inter-relations of the Children would then no long exist"

H'Raarin chuckles, "Yes, you definitely shouldn't tell that to the Romulans. If everything goes well though, the Coalition will end up being something similar, just less of an empire and more of, well, a Coalition. There'll still be politics involved, but it's going to make cooperation between Children species a lot simpler, too."

T'Mer, "That would be an optimal outcome. I hope to see it come to fruition"

H'Raarin: "You and me both. Now, Coalition Security wants to see you, Cadet Johnson, to ID your sword and have it returned. You're welcome to tag along too, Cadet T'Mer. They'll probably want to thank you for both your parts in apprehending the thief, and you might want to meet some of your old colleagues."

T'Mer bows her head, "I will accompany Cadet Johnson"

—

A short while later, Ailmna and T'Mer arrive at the storage area by Ferry. They make their way through the facility to the storage room, which is now guarded by a pair of Iconian heralds on the door. The heralds bow their heads and step aside at their approach, with one of them tapping the door panel to unseal it and allow them in

T'Mer bows her head in kind as they pass

Entering the room, they find themselves in a fairly ordinary looking storage warehouse, set aside largely just by the Iconian architecture of the building around it. Multiple shelves line the area, all of them of non-Iconian make. Many of the shelves are empty, but various melee weapons can be seen lying around here and there, likely yet to be claimed or delivered to their owners

A female Lupan whom T'Mer would recognize as Investigator Ayka of Coalition Security is scanning one of the weapons when the two arrive. The investigator turns to them as she hears the sound of door opening

Ayka: "T'Mer. I heard you were caught up in this."

T'Mer, "Hello Ayka, it is welcoming to see that this warehouse remains under your watchful guard"

Ayka: "Mostly just cataloguing. Your people's heralds have the guarding in hand. Looks like you're not chasing after shadows for once, hm? Good catch, this one."

T'Mer, "I was associated with the investigation, but not directly involved in the thiefs capture. Cadet Johnson here was the one who apprehended him"

Ayka nods, "Right. And you have something you want to claim from here, don't you?"

Ailmna:"Yes, he took my sword as well. That's how I got involved."

Ayka: "Well, looking around. Once you find your weapon, just check it through with me, I'll mark it on my catalogue and you should be good to go."

Ailmna nods and begins looking around the shelves

T'Mer looks around more absently, "How many weapons were recovered in all? Do you have to wait for them all to be reclaimed now?"

Ayka: "This thief's been busy. There's forty-nine in total." She checks her PADD. "Thirty's already been reclaimed now, we're just waiting for a few additional people to come by and identify it's theirs."

T'Mer, "It should be most rewarding to see all stolen items returned to their owners"

Ayka: "And the owners certainly are pleased to have them back, too. Most of these have cultural or personal significance to them."

T'Mer nods, "That was what made them targets in this case"

Ailmna heads over to an area where the shelves still have quite a few weapons on them, "Looks like people haven't claimed much from this section. This all belong to one person who hasn't come to reclaim it yet?"

Ayka turns and strides over, "Actually, these are the ones that the thief purchased."

Ailmna:"Right, he mentioned something about that."

Ayka looks to T'Mer, "I counted those among the forty-nine acquisitions too, so he didn't steal /all/ of them."

Ailmna steps over to examine the bought weapons in the meantime

T'Mer, "Correct, he purchased items where appropriate as well. Does this mean they are his property to reclaim?"

Ayka: "They were just debating that the other day, in fact. While he did purchase the items legally, he used currency given to him for the thefts. It was deemed appropriate to confiscate these weapons as part of his punishment. We gave one to one of the Klingons for the inconvenience of not being able to duel the thief. The rest we'll probably just sell along with other confiscated but non-contraband goods."

T'Mer, "It may be prudent to retain those for now. He is going to be working with the Coalition to apprehend his employer so having some of the promised delivery available may be beneficial"

Ayka: "A good suggestion. I'll recommend transporting them to the ship that will be bringing him to the meeting with his employer."

Ailmna turns from examining the weapons, "Most of these are human, aren't they?"

Ayka: "Yes, they are. Ironically, they themselves were confiscated from those alternate universe ships that attacked and sold off by the groups that boarded and repurposed them."

Ailmna picks one up that looks like an old medieval longsword, "I heard about these from stories my father used to tell. Not as heavy as I thought they'd be."

T'Mer studies the set in question, "So that is where it came from. Interesting"

Ailmna gives the longsword a test swing, "Very good balance, too. I can see why they say ancient humans were quite a warrior culture sometimes. And how modern humans can be tough when they need to."

Ayka: "You can take it, if you like. I've been given permission to distribute this as compensation, and you did catch the thief after all."

Ailmna:"Shouldn't you keep it for the meeting with his employer?"

Ayka: "We've still got over ten weapons here that belongs to Coalition Security now, plus they could always replicate more to keep the ruse. No one's going to miss the one."

Ailmna:"If you're sure. I'll return it if you decide you need it after all."

Ailmna looks around, "And there's the one I came here for..."

Ailmna steps over to her Romulan sword

Ayka taps on her PADD, "I'll register that one as being claimed, and the human one as well. There. You are good to take both."

Ailmna:"Thank you."

Ayka: "It is you we have to thank for recovering all this in the first place," she inclines her head to T'Mer, "Both of you."

T'Mer bows her head in kind, "It has been a most welcome experience to see you again Ayka"

Ayka: "It's good to see you again too, T'Mer. It looks like you're doing well for yourself in Starfleet, so keep it up."

T'Mer, "I shall endeavour to do so"