(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

Comments

[vicioussweetie]

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

[vicioussweetie]

Ali considers explaining, but decides it's too complicated and would take the conversation off-course.

"There are ways of making sure they can't talk." If it's going to be a suicide mission, Ali sees no reason why the criminals can't be executed when they're no longer useful. It's vicious, but efficient. "Probably even ways that won't also take out the Pirates, if we prefer it that way."

[onemorebounty]

Wouldn't the Pirates notice something is wrong?

That presumes the Pirates would pause in securing the ship to entertain communication. They don't talk, they take, and they won't care who they're killing.

You're suggesting we impugn the honor and discipline of the Fleet for the sake of this ruse.

[vicioussweetie]

"Not at all. The actions of criminals would hardly reflect on the Fleet, and the execution of criminals convicted thereto is nothing unusual. We're only finding more creative methods."

[onemorebounty]

*At last, one of the admirals speaks.*

What you propose is interesting, but where exactly do you propose to find the funding for these operations? You're talking about much more than fleet maneuvers and training exercises.

[vicioussweetie]

"I'm sorry, sir; is there some priority for the Fleet other than protecting the Federation? I must have missed that memo."

[onemorebounty]

Save the sarcasm for your subordinates, Trainer.

Our priority is unchanged, but you are not the one who will need to justify this to a roomful of civilian bureaucrats before all is said and done. So I ask again if you've considered the funding.

[vicioussweetie]

Ali doesn't acknowledge the first comment. It's better that way.

"We do have training missions from time to time, do we not? We do have criminals who would otherwise be sitting in prisons, awaiting their fates? I don't see how rearranging a few things would cost so terribly much."

[onemorebounty]

But we don't have an abundance of spare ships and cargo that we can afford to just give to the Pirates, tainted goods or no.

[vicioussweetie]

"It'll cost less this way then to spend Fleet personnel," she points out, "and we can use ships that will be sent to scrap soon anyway. That covers at least half the problem. Small amounts of cargo will simply have to be explained as a necessary expense. One cannot fish without bait."

[onemorebounty]

*The admirals glance among themselves, and find themselves obliged to concede the point. At a nod, they begin calling up star charts, personnel rosters, and the like, and discussing the specifics of "training exercises" and "supply convoys" in the suspected area, and what information they'll feed to the known spy and any others that turn up.*

[vicioussweetie]

Ali leans back then, darting a brief glance to Samus that speaks of her immense relief. That went more easily than she'd expected. From time to time she makes suggestions, but for now at least, she'll leave the planning to the other strategists. It's only fair she let them feel useful too.

[onemorebounty]

*In the end, after hours of discussion, a preliminary outline is hammered out and placed under deep secrecy; no detail of the mission is to be discussed over any comm, however encrypted; orders, briefs, reports, and updates are to be sent by Fleet courier to reduce the chance of interception. The system Precious was aiming for will be one of a half-dozen to be the site of training exercises and wargames, while the information the suspected spy handles in the next few days will include description of a low-security supply run through what the report will describe as a low-risk area (meaning few patrols are needed).*