SS Rebecca Incident

PERSONAL LOG

QALATAQA AHOTE

STARDATE 3603.27

On Stardate 3603.25, I was traveling on the free trader Rebecca, returning to Earth from a vacation on Hawito with two fellow officers whom I had recently met at Starfleet Academy: Ensign Atomsk, a medical officer from Alpha Centauri, and Ensign Ginger, a communications officer from Earth.

At approximately 2200 hrs, Ensign Atomsk and Ensign Ginger contacted me in my quarters on the Rebecca. A Star Marshal who had been traveling incognito aboard the Rebecca, was found unconscious near the cargo bay, the result of a phaser stun. Ensign Atomsk had revived the Marshal by the time I arrived on scene. The cargo bay doors were not operating properly and appeared to have been sealed from inside. Ensign Ginger accompanied the Captain to the bridge to check the shipping manifests and attempt to open the cargo bay doors from bridge control. They were however unable to open the doors via standard procedures. Finding no local manual override I was forced to cut into the wall for access and hotwire the doors open. Ensign Atomsk and I entered and began searching the cargo bay. Near the storage lockers adjacent to the cargo master’s office, I received one blast of phaser fire but was unharmed. I identified myself as a Starfleet officer and ordered the aggressor to throw out their weapon and surrender. The individual was crewman Bill Angelo, who told us a gang of armed individuals had entered and chased everyone out. Suspicious of this story, I took Angelo’s phaser (type-1). The cargo master checked the shipping manifest against the stored cargo, particulary attending a shipment of transtators. None of the cargo appeared to be disturbed.

Atomsk and I scanned the area and located several individuals in the adjacent shuttle bay. Scans suggested nearly a dozen individuals, with three possibly Vulcan life signs. Our scans were inadequate due to the composition of the bulkhead and shuttle bay doors. The cargo master and star marshal took weapons from the ship’s armoury to assist us in the event of hostilities. As Atomsk and I scanned the shuttle bay more closely, Crewman Angelo attempted to leave the area. I ordered him to stop, but he refused. I warned him that I would stun him if necessary, and he attempted to flee. I stunned the crewman (using setting 1) and he was rendered unconscious.

Finding the shuttle bay doors sealed, I removed an access panel and rewired the doors to open. The door had cleared less than one meter when we began receiving heavy phaser fire from multiple aggressors. We returned fire as best we could, but visibility was limited. Atomsk contacted Ginger on the bridge but was then stunned. From Atomsk’s open communicator I heard Ginger call for us to pull back or the brigands would harm the hostages. There was still no visibility through the opening door, which was now clear over one meter. The star marshal was hit by a phaser bolt and stunned. I rewired the door to close. As soon as the door began to lower I quickly entered the shuttle bay, firing a suppressing fire at the closest hostiles. My plan was to get inside, allow myself to be taken hostage in order to assess the capabilities of the hostiles and better protect the welfare of the hostages. I was stunned lightly and then surrendered my weapon. The aggressor did not search my person so I was able to retain the phaser I had seized from Crewman Angelo. As he marched me at phaser point through the shuttle bay, I was able to assess the arms and disposition of the aggressors. There were at least 6 men, apparently human, armed with phasers type-2. As we passed shuttle bay ops I noticed the control panel appeared to have been damaged by heavy phaser fire.

The aggressor took me to a man he referred to as “Boss.” Another man, who was wearing body armor and armed with a phaser rifle, guarded “Boss.” There were three Vulcans (two female, one male) who were bound to chairs. The youngest of the hostages appeared to have been beaten and bruised. “Boss” contacted Ginger and informed her he was holding me hostage. He also activated the security cameras, allowing Ginger to verify this visually. I was ordered to sit. Finding the bodyguard and “Boss” to be rather casual and lacking military posture, I decided to attempt to gain control of the situation. I quickly drew my phaser (the one I had taken from Crewman Angelo) and attacked “Boss” with a karate punch to his solar plexus. The blow knocked him off balance but did not disable him. As I turned to fire on the bodyguard the young Vulcan lunged and knocked him off-balance. I returned my attention to “Boss” but he had drawn a phaser-2 which had he apparently concealed on his person. “Boss” fired and stunned me unconscious.

When I regained consciousness, I had been bound to a chair and placed with the Vulcan hostages. Ginger was engaged in negotiations with “Boss.” She ably convinced him that his situation was hopeless and his best bet was to depart the ship. I concurred with Ginger’s assessment and told “Boss” the same. I suggested that we divert the Rebecca to an off-world colony where law enforcement was likely minimal. This would allow “Boss” and his men escape. As “Boss” conferred with his bodyguard, I spoke in Vulcan to the male hostage. He identified himself as Doctor S’Kel, a geneticist bound for Earth. His companions were his assistant and protégé, Sh’Sing, and the Doctor’s daughter, Hil’ta. I respectfully asked the doctor and his companions to remain calm lest they be seriously harmed. The bodyguard with the rifle approached us and demanded we be silent. He struck Dr S’Kel on the cranium with the butt of his rifle, rendering the doctor unconscious.

“Boss” agreed to Ginger’s offer, stating he would not harm the hostages or myself if there were “no more funny stuff.” He however insisted that we divert to two colonies, where a division of his men would disembark at each locale. We diverted to the Astoria Mining colony, which I had suggested due to the known lawlessness and corruption of the local government. Once we landed, “Boss” and his bodyguard, with at least one other aggressor, used the cargo elevators to disembark. As the Rebecca took flight, I quickly spoke to the remaining aggressors. I managed to convince them that “Boss” had likely left them “holding the bag,” that we were already 18 hours late and in no time there would be Federation vessels searching for us, and that they would “take the heat” once we were found. I suggested we put down at another spaceport and they could disembark and eventually join their companions. The aggressors agreed, and the Rebecca put down at a nearby port, where all aggressors disembarked. Before doing so, they attempted to stun me. The attempt failed but I feigned unconsciousness. I heard three phaser shots and then waited for the sound of the cargo elevator.

Once I was certain the aggressors had left the ship, I began to attempt to free myself. The knots were too secure, but soon Atomsk and the Marshal arrived to free me. I quickly contacted the Captain and asked him to enter orbit. Atomsk revived the Vulcans and began treating them for their injuries. I requested the Star Marshal contact the colony governor and ask for a 24-hour hold on all outbound vessels. The governor was reluctant to cooperate and the Marshal asserted that he had little authority to quarantine shipments. I contacted Commodore Sennit at Starfleet security and advised him of the situation. With his approval I placed the Vulcans under my protective custody, boarding them in my stateroom until Commodore Sennit was able to get a Starfleet vessel to the area.

Meanwhile I pointed out to the Captain of the Rebecca that if he were able to use his sensors to monitor the two spaceports where we had deposited the aggressors, we would have a chance of catching these men. The Captain readily complied and we began watching the ports. Within three hours a Federation patrol ship was in orbit with us. Atomsk, Ginger and I transferred to the frigate, along with the three Vulcans, who were placed in secure quarters. Six hours later we were joined in our search by a Starfleet frigate, the USS Tucker. Using a combination of sensor sweeps and permitted boardings, we were able to apprehend two of the aggressors, both of whom turned out to have been crewmen on the Rebecca (one the aforementioned Bill Angelo).

Placing them in interrogation rooms on the frigate, I requested that Federation law enforcement allow Ginger and I to interrogate the captives. Ginger was able to extract a full and honest confession from Crewman Lewis Saunders, who told us that Angelo had come on board one year earlier at the initiation of the Rebecca’s route. Saunders stated that Angelo had lured him into the criminal enterprise with the promise of money (50,000 credits). Ginger and I attempted to extract a confession from Angelo, but he proved to be stubborn. I was finally able to extract a promise of cooperation from him, in exchange for a “few kind words” to “my friends in Federation law.” Angelo did not however identify his companions. We then turned the two prisoners over to Federation security.

See Also

Qalataqa Ahote