Reap the Whirlwind

Normally, a harsh white overhead light shone down upon her chair and desk, but for the past several days she had found its glare too oppressive to tolerate. Instead she had chosen to work in the shadows, keenly aware of the irony that doing so served as a metaphor for her career as an intelligence officer.

In contrast to the dim red spills of light on the walls, her monitor bathed her in a pale greenish glow as it displayed the latest bad news. The Klingon battle cruiser Zin’za had shipped out of port nearly three hours earlier, just after 1300 hours station time. She made some rough calculations and was concerned to note that the Klingons would likely reach Jinoteur at approximately the same time as Qui

Another matter that was complicating her work was M’Benga’s and Fisher’s pointed inquiries about her medical history. She had tried to placate the two physicians with the release of generalized reports, but they had continued to harass Starfleet for more information. Logs of M’Benga’s communications made it clear to T’Pry

Terminating the investigation into her medical records would not be difficult, but the physicians’ aggressive methods demanded less than subtle responses. If this matter is to be contained, she decided, it must be done in a ma

That was a matter for another time, however. More pressing was how to further delay the Zin’za from reaching Jinoteur. Even an hour’s time would be enough to give Qui

She began formulating a plan that would entail tricking the Klingon battle cruiser’s commander into believing that his fellow captains had launched a major attack against a Tholian fleet nearby and that he was being summoned to the fray. It was a thin ruse; T’Pry

As she weighed the relative merits of several variations on the deception, her door signal buzzed. A glance at the security image on her monitor showed A

Sandesjo had left several messages accusing T’Pry

Sandesjo’s furious knocking on the door made it clear she did not feel the same way.

T’Pry

Sandesjo stopped a few meters from T’Pry

“Your timing leaves much to be desired,” T’Pry

Flustered, Sandesjo replied, “My motives are professional.”

“Continue,” T’Pry

Sandesjo paced in front of T’Pry

“Your role as Jetanien’s senior attaché must give you access to all ma

Shaking her head, Sandesjo replied, “Imperial Intelligence doesn’t care about diplomatic secrets. They already assume that your politicians and envoys lie as a matter of policy.”

“A reasonable presumption,” T’Pry

“I need something solid,” Sandesjo said. “If I can’t give them details, they’ll assume I’ve been exposed. If that happens, their next move would be to get rid of me—permanently.”

T’Pry

“What is it?”

“Everything you will need to prevent the I.K.S. Zin’za from being destroyed when it reaches the Jinoteur system.”

Sandesjo accepted the data card and looked askance at it before putting it in her jacket pocket. “Destroyed by whom?”

“The Zin’za is heading into a trap,” T’Pry

Sandesjo reacted with a dubious stare. “An ambush? That doesn’t sound like the Starfleet I know.”

“The attack will be made to appear as if it was committed by the Tholians, sparking conflict between your peoples. The Federation’s intention is to weaken both your nations, while fortifying its own position in the Taurus Reach.”

Stepping forward, Sandesjo encroached deliberately on T’Pry

“Because your cover—your life—is in peril,” T’Pry

Sandesjo’s voice was a husky whisper, her words a warm breath of desire upon T’Pry