All the Presidents men...or are they? Pt5

Posted on Mon Dec 16th, 2024 @ 3:19pm by Commodore Finchley Kerr & Lieutenant Commander Kevin Kilbane & Lieutenant Commander Isabelle Savette & Commander Alec Hunter & Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T'ghann-Dex. Doctor

3,256 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: The 'Eagle continues.
Location: Romulus, Federation Presidential quarters
Timeline: Current.

"I can take you Doctor, to get the supplies you need. That won't be a problem. But what are we going to do with this guy? " He said pointing at the traitorous guard commander. can we just stun him into unconsciousness?"

"Well I am just a lowly physician, either hand him over to the Romulan Guard or take him up with us. it's probably a question to ask Commodore Finchley?" But I do know for the sake of the President we must go soon."

"Leave him here with Captain Kilbane and then when Captain Kerr finishes his questioning of Ms. Turpin, he can decide what to do with him. However, as you said time is of the essence so we should leave." Alec replied.

"Well" Shon whispered, "it's probably better that you ask him, he would probably take my head off."

Alec smiled at Shon's comment. "Captain Kilbane? Can you watch this slimeball? While I escort the doctor to the Blackeagle to get the medical supplies she needs to treat the President?"

Kilbane looked murderously at Shon then back at Alec. "I can do that but if he runs off I might have to kill him."

Shon was getting mad, "Look Captain Kilbane, the Commodore would like to question this man and he cannot do that if he is dead!" she exclaimed.

"How long will you be?" growled Kilbane.

"As long as it takes me to get together my medical equipment if it is all in the same place."

Kilbane took the Federation guard by then scruff of the neck, "Come to the Captain my lad, sit down and shut up!" he nodded at Alec.

"How are we going to get up there Alec?" Shon said.

"Hurry Doctor" groaned Hallmyre.

"Take too long to walk there and back so....." Alec tapped his comm badge. "Hunter to Blackeagle, Beam myself and Dr. Dex directly to Sickbay. This is a medical emergency involving the President." He looked at Shon, "Get ready."

Shon smiled and felt the familiar tingle of the Blackeagle's transporter. I'm home, she thought as they stepped off the transporter. She was suddenly filled with memories of the good times with Finchley. Shaking the thoughts away they headed to Sickbay. "Who is the CMO now?" Shon asked Alec.

"Don't have one as far as I know Shon." Alec replied honestly.

"Oh, okay, I just didn't want to tread on anyone's toes." They burst into sickbay, it looked deserted. "Right." like a whirlwind she gathered a plasma infuser, some more sedation and a stimulant. "I think I have all I need Alec, lets go."

Alec nodded, "Hunter to transporter room. Transport myself and Dr. Dex back to our previous location." An instant later the pair dematerialized and reappeared back in the President suite where the President and Kilbane waited.

"Thanks Alec" she said as she returned to the presidents side. "Sir I am going to give you some light sedation to help you relax." she depressed the hypo to his neck and he visibly relaxed. Setting up the plasma exchange she inserted the vial of antibodies that would lessen the effect of the Shoengrens. After a few minutes his colour began to return. Turning his head to her as he monitored his condition he said. "Thank you so. much Doctor, I am feeling much better now." He patted her hand. "If you ever ned anything i can help with Doctor, please seek. me out." he lay back and relaxed.

"My only concern is your health and wellbeing Mr President." Shon said. She sat back still feeling the affects of her blow to the head. Shon turned to Alec, the President will be fine for a while. Excuse me if I go and sit down."

Alec nodded, "Of course Shon. You need to keep your strength up as well."

She smiled thankfully at him. She sat drinking a glass of water as she looked towards the president who seemed to have fallen asleep. “What are we going to do about Ms Turpin’s schedule, we still need it to check over his schedule and make the changes we need to do in order to protect him?”

"We'll wait for Captain Kerr to finish his questioning of her and get the schedule from him. Then it can be checked over and see where changes can be made to ensure the President's safety." Alec replied without hesitation. "However, in the meantime we need more help." He tapped his comm badge, "Hunter to Commander Savette, can you come to the Presidential suite on the double please?"

“On my way” Isabelle had gotten herself side tracked, but now she was back on track she made for the Presidential Suite. On arrival she soon joined Alec. “Apologies I was side tracked.”

Alec smiled at Isabelle. "No apology needed Commander. We know who the spies are. Ms. Turpin and that gentleman next to Captain Kilbane." He gestured toward the guard commander. "Captain Kerr is questioning Ms. Turpin to find out who she works for and what information she passed on."

At that moment, the door to the Presidents office opened and Martha walked in followed by Finchley, both looking a little dishevelled, "Apologies for the slight delay in getting here, the questioning of Ms Turpin was rather...intense, it took quite some negotiating to get all the information I was looking for."

"I'll say..." Kilbane said quietly to himself, hiding a smile behind a cough.

Alec just looked at Kerr and Martha and otherwise kept quiet. Though he was curious about any information the captain may have obtained.

"So, would someone like to catch me up on what's happening here before I say anything about what I found out from Ms Turpin" Finchley said, looking around.

Shon didn’t say anything, she had thought she had gotten over Finchley but to see him again made her heart jump. She shied out of the way and went back to check on the President not wanting to catch his attention.

Alec looked between Isabelle and Shon, noticing Shon was notably keeping silent. and Isabelle wasn't rushing to say anything either. He decided that the best and most prudent course of action was to stay silent.

Seconds ticked by and when neither Isabelle or Shon said anything Alec decided he better tell the captain Something. "Captain Kilbane found that the guard commander is a spy after using a ruse to draw him out. The Doctor and I went to get medical supplies from the Blackeagle so she could treat him here, sir." Alec finished giving a condensed version of what had happened.

“The President is not well” Shon said walking up to Finchley. I am doing my best to stabilize him but he needs rest, may I have a word…Privately.” She drew him away from the others although Kilbane kept pace with them. Shon looked at Kilbane daring him to say anything. “I was trying to get away, you see I have my own mission to complete, I kind of…dropped you in the shit with the Romulan guards. I took a chance that they might rescue me so I told them that you had been…making unwanted overtures to me. Anyway they tried to kidnap me, knocked me out and Alec had to rescue me. I just thought I would tell you before Kilbane embellished it. He seems to think I was selling you down the river, I’m sorry, this was not the way I wanted our first meeting to go. Perhaps we can talk when you have time?”

Kilbane pushed passed Shon giving her an evil look and whispered into Finchley’s ear. Finchley turned on his heel and the two of them quickly left the hall. Shon shrugged. It had been so good to see him, to be near him once again. Returning to the President’s side she was glad to see there was more colour in his face and his breathing was returning to normal. She sat waiting for him to awaken.

Shon noticed Martha Turpin flanked by security. The woman was certainly not the person Shon had met before. She walked over. Ms Turpin, are you all right?” The woman nodded but Shon noted a slight tremor in the woman’s hands. Ms Turpin I am sorry this happened to you but that is one of the dangers we face in this business. I need to ask you for the President’s current schedule?”

"Why would you need to know that, you're the Presidents physician, only the President, myself and the Guard Commander need to know that kind of information" Martha replied, now curious about Shon asking her.

“Madam you are hardly in the place where you can refuse, you are no longer in charge of the President’s schedule.

[Anti-room, Federation Presidential quarters]

Finchley turned to Kilbane in annoyance, "What's so damned important that you need to drag me out here to tell me?" he asked.

"What Doctor T'ghann-Dex told you in there about speaking to the Romulans isn't entirely the full story" Kilbane started, "She said to you she took a chance that they might rescue her so she told them that you had been making unwanted overtures to her...in actual fact, the whole truth of it is that she told Commander Hunter 'it was a shock to see him again, him being you by the way. I can speak Romulan and I told them I needed to get away as he was....planning to abduct me for his own pleasure. I HAD to say something and that is what I came up with. Stupid I know. I thought they would give me a chance to disappear, to regroup my thoughts'. Basically, she just insinuated you're a kidnapper and a...a..."

"A WHAT?" Finchley shouted, now getting very angry.

"A PHILANDERER!....SHE WAS INSINUATING YOU'RE A PHILANDERER, COMMODRE..." Kilbane shouted back, then forced himself to calm down, "She can't get away with that."

"That's not what you mean Kilbane, I've known you long enough to know when you're covering over what you really mean" Finchley said.

Kilbane looked Finchley square in the eyes, "Then if that's the case, I don't have to say anything more!" and with that he about turned and entered the Presidents office again, leaving the door open.

Finchley looked after him, a dawning of just what had been said between them. He didn't have time for this, there was to much at stake. He walked back into the Presidential office himself and closed the door behind him. Walking back to the group, he looked at the Guard Commander, "What are the alternative routes for the President if the primary one is no longer a viable alternative?"

"The main back up route is through the lift outside the anti-room, it takes you up to the roof where a shuttle is constantly manned by four of the Presidential Security Team" he answered.

"After that, there's a stairwell leading down to the reception area, once there, there's a service entrance behind the desk that goes to a generator room. That room has an access panel that leads to a crawl space going to the courtyard. All three of those access spaces are guarded by Romulan soldiers, part of the Praetor's guard" he added.

"Great, so it's either your men all of whom are the same as you. or, the Praetors guards who would likely arrest us for going that way" Finchley said, realising this was all just catch twenty two situations.

Then the answer struck him, "If we can't get the President to the Praetor, we'll just have to bring him here instead."

"Excuse me?" Kilbane asked out loud, "You want the leader of Romulus to come cap in hand here?"

"Yes, and the Doctor here is going to find compelling evidence to make sure it's convincing" Finchley replied.

"But you can't possibly tell him I have Shoengrens disease!" Hallmyre said, horrified, "I can't have the Romulan Praetor thinking I'm weak."

"No, that's very true" Finchley replied, "But Doctor T'ghann-Dex is very resourceful, she'll think of something, after all, she's very good at telling lies to the Romulans to get her way."

As Captain Kerr talked of options and then getting the Praetor to come here to see the President. Alec spoke. "Sir, there may be no need to get the Praetor to come here. I can fly the shuttle. We don't need the President's security detail. We are the security detail."

"It's a good idea Commander, however, you have to bare in mind that the shuttle is from an SFI ship so will probably throw up all kinds of red flags to the Preators guard" Finchley said, "However..." and he pulled Alec aside away from everyone else. "What if we were to have a Romulan shuttle? Have a scout around, see if one's available anywhere nearby, and what security is surrounding it, perhaps we can steal it and use that. It's good original thinking though, well done."

Alec nodded at Kerr's suggestion of stealing a Romulan shuttle. "Yes sir, I'll have a look around and see what I can turn up and thank you sir." He said as he slipped away from the group.

Shon tended to the President as her mind was running over scenarios. For a moment she wondered why Kilbane hated her so much, hated her enough to try to kill her, she doubted that but the look in his eyes. She shivered. “Mr President, how would you like to break something?”

Hallmyre gathered himself up protectively in his chair, "I'd rather not if it's all the same to you Doctor!" he replied.

Meanwhile Alec after slipping away from the rest of the group took on the role of curious tourist and he leisurely strolled around. His eyes however were alert for anything they could use, in this case a Romulan shuttle. He didn't go to the roof as the president's shuttle was there. He thought for a moment. If he was a Romulan, where would he put a shuttle? After a moment he smiled. "Sneaky bastards" he mumbled and headed for the service elevator. Several seconds later her was at the service entrance, more specifically the service roof and he was staring at a Romulan shuttle just sitting in plain sight and two guards. He waited several minutes to observe their schedule and see if any other guards were around.

Satisfied it was only two guards he left and made his way back to Captain Kerr and the others.

Shon was about to return to the Presidents side when a Romulan she had not met approached him. For a moment she was set to interrupt in case the President needed it. Then she stopped, they seemed to be talking in hushed tones. She watched for a minute then when the Romulan had left she walked over to scan Hallmyre. “I was worried there for a minute sir” Shon said.

“He was just asking how I was Doctor.” She finished her scan. “Rest Sir” She said and walked over to Finchley “Commodore May I have a private word with you?”

Kilbane heard the request from where he was standing and was about to protest when Finchley held his hand up to stop him.

Looking at Shon, he silently took a moment to decide on the request, then gestured for them to walk away from the main throng but still be within visual range. He didn't say anything when they stopped, he waited on the Doctor to begin.

Shon tried to put him, the man, out of her head. "Sir I don't know if you saw a Romulan talking to the President just now. When I went back over there President Hallmyre told me he was just asking how he was. I don't think that was true. Although I could not hear I can lip read. The President said "is it ready" and the Romulan replied "yes". Now why would he lie?"

"I have no idea Doctor" Finchley replied, "but there's seems to be a lot if this lying going around...don't you think?", and he turned and walked away, motioning to Kilbane to join him.

"Find out who the Romulan was who was just speaking to the President, I don't care how you get the information?" he told him.

"I have a free hand?" Kilbane asked.

"I just said I don't care how you get the information, didn't I?" Finchley replied.

Kilbane nodded, and started to turn away, but before he got to walking away, Finchley caught his arm. "Do some digging on Dex, it's to convenient she's here on the President's staff as his personal physician, given her past and what she did to me...to us as a crew, and given what lies she's just told the Romulans about me. Something doesn't sit right, she's here as more than just his physician, she's not telling us and I want to know why."

"And do I have a free hand in that as well?" Kilbane asked.

Finchley looked over at Shon, "Oh Yes Commander, you absolutely have a free hand in that as well" Finchley replied.

Shon stormed back over to the President. Well, if he would not believe her then she damn well would investigate herself. After making sure Hallmyre was comfortable with another, stronger sedative she picked up he medical pouch, slung it over her shoulder, slipped out and headed down the corridor silently. He would not be going anywhere for a while.

Arriving back where the others were Alec moved to Captain Kerr and motioned for Isabelle to join them. "Thought you needed to hear this as well Commander. Keep you in the loop." He said before addressing Kerr. "I found a Romulan shuttle sir, It is on the service roof which is two floors below us but can be accessed by the service entrance. There are only two guards providing security for it." He finished.

"Perfect" Finchley said, then that's our plan, "we use that to get the President and the Doctor..." he looked round to point to Shon, but she wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Kilbane!" he called, and Kilbane came over to him, "The Doctor's not here, find her and find out what she's up to."

"With pleasure Sir...with pleasure" Kilbane replied, leaving the office.

Turning back to Alec he said, "According to Ms Turpin, the President is due to meet the Praetor in the next half hour, get him to the shuttle please Commander."

Shon picked the small palm phaser from the stitching on the inner thigh of her uniform, slipped the panel hatch from the wall and climbed in. Replacing the panel she looked up. It seemed an impossibly long way up. She opened her medical pouch and chose a hypo of stimulant and injected herself. Then she began to climb hand over hand not looking down.

"Yes sir. May I take Commander Savette with me to help with the President? Do you want us to load the President onto the shuttle or wait for you and Commander Kilbane and the Doctor?

"No, Commander Savette will take Ms Turpin back to the Blackeagle and question her over who set her up with her placement as the Presidents Personal Secretary" Finchley replied, and turning to Isabelle said, "Take her away now Commander Savette, I don't want her anywhere near the President. For now, make sure to get the President to the shuttle, I'll let you know shortly who'll be joining you both."

 

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