(Untitled)

[onemorebounty]

*Samus stood, arms folded as she stared through the containment field at their prisoner. She had to fight not to smile. He believed he had nearly escaped, believed he had called in reinforcements using one of the Pirates' encryptions. Instead, the plan had worked, and he had given them much of the information they wanted without ever realizing he

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[vicioussweetie]

"All the better for our side," she murmurs, giving Samus' hand a squeeze before they're forced to separate.

The greetings and introductions are all by the book, with almost everyone being given exactly the deference due. Samus is given a good bit more, but she's Samus. There isn't a book big enough to beat regulations into her yet. Each group is shepherded into the ready room before the next has boarded, which gives the first Admiral to arrive the benefit of more time with the appetizers. Being punctual has its benefits.

Ali enters a few minutes after the last of the visiting admiralty (some prearranged delay allows everyone more time to relax before the meeting begins), which signals to her stewards to put out dinner before withdrawing. Soon there is nobody in the room except those with the proper clearance. With any luck, the food and drink have begun to work their magics.

"If everyone would take their seats, I hope I might be forgiven my indulgence in an old Earth custom." Ali speaks after the music, carefully chosen to be soothing to as many present as possible, as dimmed to a soft background hum. "I've arranged a small supper, which will hopefully make this business more easily attended."

[onemorebounty]

*Some of the officers seem distinctly off-balance, as this isn't the sort of meeting they were expecting at all. Seats are taken, with some approaching the prospect of the food with more enthusiasm than others--those latter showing caution, either reluctant to break from standard procedures or mindful of their superiors' stances.*

*For her part, Samus looks to Ali for some clue of how far to let the meal go before starting the briefing. At least holograms will save them the trouble of shuffling papers among their food.*

[vicioussweetie]

Ali observes the gathered officers as they sit, weighing their postures and expressions. Though not everyone seems as relaxed as she had hoped, she knows that more delays are likely to only put their backs up even more. With that in mind, she waits only until everyone shows approval at their meal and any last-minute changes necessary are made before she speaks.

"We all know why we're here. Hunter Aran, would you be so kind as to regale our guests with the story of Precious' big adventure this morning?"

[onemorebounty]

*Samus' smile grows at this, turning almost fierce as she rises. Several of the strategists and at least one admiral flinch--perhaps suddenly aware that nothing stands between them and that dangerous woman but a table, and the room's only guards are on the outside.*

*With a gesture, she begins, describing Precious' engineered escape attempt, the encryptions he used and the course he set; that the encryption has already been used to decipher one transmission that would otherwise have been mistaken for background static, and which has implicated a Pirate spy within the Federation. The evidence blossoms in holos before each dignitary, and Samus isn't entirely successful at keeping from sounding smug by the end.*

The only question that remains is how we will act on what we've gained.

[vicioussweetie]

Ali has been eating at a relaxed pace while Samus explains. She was there for the show, after all, and she wants to model for her fellow officers that there's nothing to fear from Samus (for now).

"Indeed," she comments, giving Samus a brief smile and a nod, with a leading glance at Samus' neglected meal. It's time for Samus to sit and eat, in Ali's opinion. "There is much to consider, and many courses we could set. But let us be mindful of how what we decide here today will set the course for the Federation for years to come."

[onemorebounty]

*Samus sits, eating during the initial flurry--rank and protocol are almost forgotten as some voices call for an immediate strike or a spy-hunt, while others urge a strictly observational position, learning as much as possible to avoid revealing the fact that the codes have been broken. From time to time she rolls her eyes, or glances to Ali with a hint of amusement.*

[vicioussweetie]

Ali continues to eat with her calm assurance, listening carefully but avoiding signs of favoring one idea or disapproving of another; at least, she avoids these signs with people who don't know her as intimately as Samus does. She does nothing to try and stop the conversation, however, though when she's done with her meal she does go around the table to refill and top off everyone's drinks while removing empty dishes to a sideboard.

A simple dessert course is set out as the arguments die down, and when there's again a chance to be heard universally Ali retakes her seat. "Perhaps we should let the expert state her opinion before becoming too enamored of any favored actions?"

[onemorebounty]

*Ali receives several confused or curious glances at that. These people regard themselves the experts on strategy, and wonder on which of them she calls. Samus speaks up, before anyone else has time for taking that initiative themselves.*

While we certainly don't want to reveal that we've gained this advantage, it won't do us any good if we never act on it. As offensive as the idea of their spies may be, simply rooting them out will only mean they'll be replaced with new agents and new encryptions. The agents we know are a resource: let us use them to feed misinformation to the enemy. Let us offer bait too tempting to ignore--some of which will be a trap, some of which will appear legitimate, and some of which will expose them to us even more. And as their facilities are revealed, I will deal with them personally.

*Her gaze circles the table, briefly meeting the eyes of each person there, challenging them to argue, defying them to find fault with her plan.*

[vicioussweetie]

The challenge comes from a (probably) surprising quarter: Ali.

"You'll deal with them with appropriate backup," she counters, "the nature of which will be determined as each mission becomes clear. Meanwhile, we'll arrange to conduct more training exercises and scouting missions in those areas we know are near Pirate facilities, to give a veneer of credible excuse as to how we've found them. The longer we can keep the Pirates convinced we're having a string of exceptionally good luck, the better."

[onemorebounty]

*That is, certainly, an unexpected quarter, but Samus can't fault Ali for most of it. And she can still make the case in private that "appropriate backup" means "no one likely to die or give away my presence." After a moment spent covering her surprise, she gives a tight nod.*

Of course. The finer details of exactly what to move where, and when, I leave to you. And we should also run patrols and exercises in areas we believe are empty, to keep our "luck" from seeming suspiciously frequent.

*There is some discussion of this--certainly, the plan is strategically sound, and aside from the prospect of using Federation personnel and resources as bait it's a good one. That is the chief stumbling block, though, and the bone of contention for those who want to have their cake and eat it too.*

[vicioussweetie]

Ali lets the initial burst of reaction wear itself out before she speaks again.

"If it is the decision of Fleet Command to avoid putting any troops in danger ever," she remarks with a quiet amusement, "we had best shut the entire operation down now so nobody mistakes us for a military."

[onemorebounty]

*Samus is quick to follow up on Ali's quip with her own remarks.*

I don't suggest sacrificing lives for this--the personnel on bait missions should be volunteers or criminals, under orders to make a fighting retreat while leaving their cargo for the Pirates. Nor do I suggest simply throwing valuable materiel to the Pirates--poisoned bait, so to speak, will act against them wherever they may be hiding; ships with hidden faults, virus-riddled software, unreliable munitions and hardware, and encrypted tracking beacons.

*She takes a moment to let that idea sink in.*

[vicioussweetie]

"If we use criminals," Ali points out, "at best it's a self-cleaning operation and at worst we put them back in prison."

[onemorebounty]

Assuming they don't find some way to communicate with the Pirates. We'd lose all our advantage and give the Pirates fresh personnel!

*That objection comes, not from an admiral, but from one of the strategists.*

[vicioussweetie]

Ali turns her gaze to the strategist. "We would of course make sure their communications arrays wouldn't allow such acts of treason. So how would you suggest they'd manage it, semaphore?"

[onemorebounty]

*Ali's riposte gets a puzzled look for a moment before the strategist presses on.*

They could still establish communication once the Pirates board.