Hints of the Breen, Freecloud is Getting More Crowded, Part 3
Posted on Fri Mar 7th, 2025 @ 1:57pm by Captain Remy Johansen & Commander Maxun Spello & Lieutenant Commander Razka Kas & Lieutenant Commander Nash Winters & Major Clay McEntyre III & Lieutenant Chrysanthe Capulet & Lieutenant JG Xalanth
1,439 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Gone, Without Ever Knowing the Way
Location: Bridge USS Astrea
Timeline: MD 1, 1000 Hours
continued from: Situation Report: Freecloud is Getting more Crowded, Part 2
"Yridian and Boslic. Commander Spello, any insight? I can't say I'm overly familiar with either people," the Captain inquired of her first officer.
Maxun glanced from the main viewer, back to Remy, as he responded. "Both are from non-aligned worlds, small defensive forces for their homeworlds." He shrugged slightly as he made his way up to the Engineering station at the aft of the bridge and continued. "I suppose they could helping each other, our here among the bigger fish, so to speak."
When he reached Nash's position, he leaned, unobtrusively, over the other man's right shoulder. "Pull up the frequency of their comm chatter please, Mister Nash?"
“It’s just…Nash, Commander. Commander Winters in a pinch. Anyway, here it comes. I’ll run it through the translation matrix simultaneously.” Nash piped in the comm channel and waited for the audio to start.
As the audio played, it sounded like a normal conversation between two freighter captains. It seemed a bit bland actually. The Yiridian asked about the Boslic's latest cold storage temps, as they were apparently hauling similar cargo.
While they listened, Maxun saw the communication channel's frequency wave pulse as the discussions continued. After a couple seconds, his brows furrowed slightly. "Hmm..." he mumbled softly, as he straightened up, apparently in deep thought about something.
“Max… Awidat… are you seeing what I see? There’s another carrier wave piggybacking on the same frequency. What the hell are these guys up to?” Nash asked.
"Interesting.", she said, raising an eyebrow. "Freighters don't often carry temperature sensitive cargo. Though I'd refrain from speculation, this might be indicative of biochemical hazards as it is the required temperature range for storage."
The Captain's head turned sharply at the young ensign's response. "Biochemical storage. Like the weapon that Jeda Nor told us about."
“We know little about the Breen, but we DO know they like things on the colder side. I’m not saying the bioweapon is not there, but could it be possible, they’re carrying extra cold storage to use themselves?” queried Nash.
=^= The Boslic have a trading agreement with the Breen many of their wares would need cold storage.=^=
Kas explained through the COMM.
=^= My people have acquired components for our defensive systems from the Boslic that my have come from the Breen. =^=
"Well, I think we need to consider that we have information that there may be a purchase of a bioweapon here on this planet, and that these ships are equipped to transport it," the captain pointed out.
As Awidat replied to Nash's question, Maxun had moved to another station and pulled up the frequency wavelength readout. Once it was on the screen in front of him, he started typing numerous commands into the interface, concentration clear on his features.
Nash watched intently as Spello went to work. “Talk to me, Commander. What do you have? Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Maxun frowned slightly, as he continued to work the problem. "There's something familiar about that frequency modulation, but I can't seem to remember......" he trailed off for a few beats, then tilted his head slightly. "Holy shit," he swore under his breath. "Breen." He said aloud. "The frequency modulation is an old Breen code. They haven't used it for....nearly a century now." He glanced back at Remy. "You see the peaks and valleys, here and here? The older Breen ships used to have to modify their communication gear, just to get signals out of their home system. It has to do with their sun, and the atmosphere of both their planet and on their ships." He sat back and shook his head.
"The only reason that I can think of, for them to use a code this old," Spello continued, "Is to both keep their true intentions hidden, and hope that there's no one listening, who can recognize it."
“That’s something to go on. If there was a way to determine if these signals are being used as a deception,” Nash said.
“Captain, if we do a passive scan of the ships, we might be able to tell where they came from. At least recently. From there, figure out the comm signals’ point of origin. More pieces of the puzzle,” Nash proposed.
"As soon as we enter Freecloud's space, everyone knows that Starfleet is there, and they abort the weapons deal, and we can probably forget about overhearing anyone talking about the parts of the USS Dalton that are up for sale," Remy warned them. "We need to be more creative than that. Even if we send the Holana over too close, we risk spooking them. If this is the Breen, they'd need to make a trip back before I'd authorize it. They have a child on board."
Remy looked up as if she were speaking into the air, "Commander Razka, Lieutenant Xalanth, I assume you are still there. Hold steady for now, but we may be sending your over to run these scans."
=^=Rodger captain. Should we prepare for a hostile retrieval?=^= The red lizard asked from the shuttle's cockpit.
"Anything is possible, Mr. Xalanth. We're juggling a lot of balls in the air right now, and it's tough to say which one will drop first. But one is bound to fall eventually," the Captain replied.
=^=We are ready to do what is needed,=^= Kas said. =^=My vessel is battle ready and we have a well stocked armory.=^=
"Commander Spello, do you know enough about these Breen codes that we can figure out what they are saying?" Remy asked.
Maxun considered the question for a couple beats, then nodded as he looked over at Remy. "I believe so, Captain. Though, to be fair, it's been about a hundred years since I read Breen in its original format."
"Okay, well lets give it a try. It's not like we have anything to lose at this point," Remy stated looking at Spello. "McEntyre, go brief your team, and prepare for departure."
"Yes Ma'am. I'm Gone," Clay said, putting his sunglasses back onto his face as he turned on his heels and headed back to the turbolift and back to the shuttlebay to brief the Marines.
"I need to talk to Samuel about picking up Keena before I ask the Holana to engage with the Breen. I don't want a Starfleet vessel that close to the planet yet. Good work everyone."
Maxun nodded, then turned back to the console, and got to work, translating first the code, then, the message itself. It was going to take him a bit, though he was starting to remember bits and pieces as he worked.
When Remy returned from the Ready Room she went over and stood next to Lieutenant Capulet's station. "Lieutenant, if we find anything from these Breen codes that we need to send out to McEntyre's team, they are going to be on the other side of Freecloud's information network. What is going to be the best way to get this to them undetected?"
Chrys considered it. "Pulse beam or tight beam communications piggy backing on the network." She said softly.
The Captain nodded. "When Spello gets something have it ready."
Kas sighed off and walked back to the living quarters, "Little star, grab your things, a shuttle is coming to get you Mrs. Winters is going to take care of you.:"
"I'm part of your crew, Papa. I can't leave." Keena said with a frown.
"Yes and we are part of Captain Johansen's crew these are her orders child," Kas said in a firm but tender tone.
"Is there a danger, Papa?" The child's expression darkened with fear.
"Danger is always with us 'My Little Star.' We are the light in the void, we dance the dance of life's miracles. We have the safety of our crew and kin."
Keena threw her arms around her father clinging with her all strength. "Why can't you come with me?"
"I am following my orders. I'll have Bella make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast when I return."
"Will you eat one too?"
"Yes," Kas sighed.
The hybrid walked his child to the transporter pad and moved to the console as Keena stood on the buffer. She blew her father a kiss as she materialized. Kas smiled at the gesture she'd learned from their Federation friends. Kas made a silent petition to the Cosmos to protect his child.
~tbc~
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