The Fall

Posted on Sun Aug 3rd, 2025 @ 11:24pm by Lieutenant Daegan Baas & Petty Officer 1st Class Jaclyn Masterson [Baas]

1,388 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: A Silence of Friends
Location: Bajor

Jaclyn sat in a small restaurant drinking the last of the spring wine the proprietor had insisted her drink with her order. He had claimed it was the only thing that would do the meal justice but she had a feeling it was just to increase the amount on her check.

So far her inquiries had been one failure after another. Those that had had been eventual no shows or had sent her on wild goose chases. Requests to meet with members of the security forces had been rebuffed, inquiries to the provisional government had her spinning in a bureaucratic maze, even trying to talk to people on the street had been met with one denial after another.

Her lack of success using her cover story had led her to try other means and she had been frequenting several dives to brood over her drink listening to those around her. Getting a job waiting tables at on particularly promising bar she began to earn the clienteles respect by standing up for herself when pawed and firing back at lewd comments with a sharp retort when needed. She would hear bit of information hear and there but nothing substantial. There was still an active hatred of Cardassians but there was also a growing anti-Federation/xenophobic sentiment growing.

Hearing the various views of Federation and the reasons behind them was eye opening and beginning to tarnish her polished views. She had been raised in a near utopian environment on Earth and was being to see that maybe the Federation was the great savior she had always thought it was. Her cover story had been her wanting to expose the sugar coated version of the Bajoran Occupation buy she was beginning to think there was more truth to it than she had originally thought.

Late one night she was cleaning up as here employer sat with several others as the talked quietly at a back table. The small group would glance her way once in a while as she went about her tasks.

After she went into the back room the group waited another few seconds before the continued in hushed voices, "You hired a human?"

"She's a good kid."

"What do you know about her?"

"She said she was a student on Alpha Cent.."

Centari! That's in the core of the Federation...she's probably Federation spy."

"You're being paranoid!"

"Maybe, but the Circle is growing and now you have a human working for you..."

Another put a hand out to quiet them as Jaclyn returned to the main room. "I will find out what she's up to but you are either with us or not. Bajor for Bajorans."

The others replied, almost, together "Bajor for Bajorans."

Watching the pair leave, Feran left a short time later and waited.

An hour later Jaclyn was walking to the small apartment but she never made it there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As she woke she looked around but could see nothing. She wasn't restrained but as she sat up a voice came out of the shadows. "Please stay seated. We don't want to harm you Petty Officer Masterson."

"Who are you."

"Someone that knows who you are and why you are here. In time you may learn more but that depends on you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You have been asking a lot of questions trying to get information about the occupation. Then when that didn't work you got a job were you could eves drop on conversations hoping to pick up any leads. What have you learned?"

"Like I'm gonna tell you anything", she replied angrily.

"Ahhh... Now what harm would that do? I already told you I know who you are and what your orders are. Obviously my access exceeds yours. It even exceeds your Chief of Security on the Thunderbird."

The mentioning Deagan caused her heart rate to increase, were they able to hurt him? "What do you want from me?"

"That will depend. Now answer my question. What have you learned?"

She hesitated for a moment. "That there...there are a lot of people that think the Federation should have done a lot more, a lot sooner. That there are some that still think the Federation shouldn't even be here. That if it hadn't been for the Kai declaring Commander Sisko the emissary there probably would have been a civil war, and that there is a growing xenophobic group called 'The Circle'."

"Right on all counts. There were even members of the circle that were waiting to ambush you on your way home. ...You're welcome by the way."

Staying silent for several moments, she had heard about The Circle attacking non-Bajorans and marking or even branding them with the groups emblem. "Thank you... What do you want from me?"

"That depends...was your little speech on DS9 how you feel of just part of your cover?"

After being on Bajor she had to admit that she was beginning to see that many in the Federation had blinders on, that the lofty ideals while fine for Earth, just didn't work out here.

Hidden by the shadows he grinned, taking her silence as confirmation she was coming around to their way of thinking. "It hasn't been announced yet but the treaty negotiations are done. But as a part of the settlement there are several Federation worlds with established colonies that are going to be given to the Cardassians."

Looking towards the voice. "And why should I believe that?"

"Because it's the truth. You'll see so enough. And what do you think the Federation is going to do when those colonists refuse to leave what will now belong to Cardassia?"

Sitting there she thought, ~If they refuse to hand everything they've built, leave their homes...~. "They can't..."

He had her... "They will. The Federations respect for individual rights will compel the to honor the colonists decisions and when the Cardassians come to take over and those colonies resist....the Federation will cut them loose in order to preserve the treaty.

"If we are right. For now all we will want is information. Your ship is assigned to the area so it will be perfectly placed to monitor the border, ship movements...both Federation and Cardassian, if anything is going to happen there is a good chance the Thunderbird will be a part of it or at least be in informed of it.

"If we're wrong, and we honestly hope we are, then nothing will be needed. But if we are right, thousands of live hang in the balance." Stepping from the dark he hand her a piece of paper. "Memorize this then destroy it."

Something clicked for her, having almost missed it. "If your clearance exceed mine. Why do you need me to channel information to you? You would know it before we would."

He smiled. "I was wondering if you were going to catch that? If I'm right my relationship with the Starfleet, as well as, others will most likely come to an end."

Reaching out she hesitated, but took the paper. "What if I just report all of this once I get back to the Thunderbird?"

"Nothing. You will wake up in your apartment. But really, what do you have to look for, I can disappear easy enough and that frequency will never be used by us again. All we're asking for, for now, is information. If needed."

She rubbed the paper between her fingers. "How do I know if it's needed?"

"Oh you'll know."

She looked at him questioningly, "That's it?"

"For now. In the mean time I would return to the station and return to your ship. I'm sure your leadership will be glad to have you back safe and sound."


[USS Thunderbird]

Daegan had just come off duty. Things being what they were, the Captain still down, the team still on the surface, and that AI forbidding him from going down he had little to do but make sure things kept running smoothly until the XO returned. Having changed and replicated a some wine for the evening he stopped at Jules door, giving the door a rhythmic knock, flicking a stray bit of fuzz off his shirt as he waited.

As the door opened he walked in with a smile.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PO1 Jaclyn Masterson
Security

Lt. Daegan Baas
Chief Security Officer

 

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