##########
"Only Fools are Fearless"
Previous post "Finding the Flagitious Foes"
##########

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
- Bene Gesserit Litany

=====
Setting: MASQUERADE DREAMS, Room 24-112 (Erik)
Stardate: 30153.0450

The Native American listened carefully as his Executive Officer reported on her most recent and troubling discovery.  She now knew beyond any doubts the identity of the mastermind behind the earlier bombing attempt of the MASQUERADE DREAMS. If that had not been enough though, Commander Shar'El had also discovered that the same man had been responsible for the bombing of a medical facility many years ago. That bombing had proven to be a dramatic turning point in a single man's life as it claimed the lives of a woman and her unborn child.

Based on that information alone, it had been well within Captan Morningstar's jurisdiction to pull Ensign Stark off their current mission due to the expectation of extreme emotional and personal bias.  Erik could easily imagine Jayson wanting to seek revenge, camouflaged under the cloak of justice, should he come to learn the identity of that man, but the situation had been made that much more complex with the unexplained silence of both the Operations Officer and Chief Medical Officer.

"So we are faced with two scenarios, either one of which I am overly fond of," the Native American offered with a sigh of displeasure.  "Either Ensign Stark has somehow learned about what have just informed me of and knocked Doctor Doyanne out of his way so that he could act unhindered; or this terrorist as well as any accomplices of his have captured them both and are likely being held as pawns for some dark purpose."

"Even if Jayson had somehow learned about what I discovered leading him to become rage stricken I doubt very much that he would have injured Doctor Doyanne in any way, even if she had tried to stop him.  Furthermore it is very unlikely that he would have disabled both hers and his own subdermal communicator to cover his tracks," the Executive Officer offered in the man's defence. "Based on what I know of Jayson, the worst he would have done would have been to take his own communicator out so that we would not be able to easily track him. It is not in his character to hurt a woman in any way and I am sure that he would have never wanted to leave us unable to come to Lillie's aid should something happen."

"It does fit into his psychological profile," the Native American agreed somewhat reluctantly. "This of course takes us from two possibilities down to a single one," the Captain added through clenched teeth.  "ANI, override all privacy modes and patch me through ship-wide."

"Captain," Shar'El jumped in with right away, not wanting Erik to say something more before she could voice one last concern to her Commanding Officer.  "The fact that the communicators were disabled and / or removed could indicate that our frequencies are no longer secured."

=/\= Ready Captain, =/\= the Avatar confirmed having easily complied with the orders she had so far received.

"ANI, initiate 'shadow protocol', on my authorization," the Native American said, nodding his thanks to his quick thinking Executive Officer.

=/\= Shadow Protocol has been initiated. All privacy modes have been cancelled and internal transmissions now on a rotating encoded frequency. The ANUBIS is now at Red Alert and is jamming all general communications to and from the MASQUERADE DREAMS. =/\=

"Attention all personnel. It seems that we are now faced with a hostage situation involving our own people. Doctor Lillie Doyanne and Ensign Jayson Stark have fallen into hostile hands, their subdermal communicators have somehow been disabled. Shadow protocol has been initiated and the ANUBIS is now at full combat readiness. I am ordering everyone to drop everything. Locating our missing officers and bringing them back safe and sound is as of right now our one and only priority.  Last known location of Doctor Doyanne and Ensign Stark was on Deck 20 of the MASQUERADE DREAMS.  No one is to go anywhere or do anything alone, members of the away team will be paired as follows.  Lieutenant Paquette and Ensign Ya'Han, head to deck 20 and see what you can find."

=/\= Understood Captain, =/\= the Chief of Security acknowledged.

=/\= On our way Boss. Will keep you and 'spy girl' informed if we find anything.  Off to do some super sleuthing, catch you later. Roger and out, =/\= the Chief Engineer added, showing that despite the demands and stress of the situation she had still been more than capable of staying calm and collect.

"What do you need me to do?" the Executive Officer inquired, ready to do whatever had been required to see their people be returned safely and as quickly as possible.

"You and Maya will work together, if there is a way to locate either one of them without using their communicators, she will be the one to figure it out. Use whatever you need.  I am hoping that you can find something in the memories you intercepted to help you figure out what this terrorist is up to. As for me, I will be with Eve to see if we can come up with a psychological profile on our bomber that will give us a clue as to what kind of man we are dealing with.  If you think or remember anything that might prove significant, let everyone know.  Right now the slightest possible advantage we can manage could mean the difference between getting our people back or arriving too late." 

=/\= I will be waiting for you Captain, =/\= the Counselor announced over the more secured frequency now in effect.  =/\= It might be an idea to get Uxtar up to speed on what has happened, for all we know he could offer a kind of help that we would not otherwise be able to get easily. =/\=

=/\= His assistance could prove indispensable, =/\= the Chief Science Officer added.  =/\= As a Hirogen his tracking skills could prove very effective in locating our missing officers, and as a member of the maintenance staff, he would know of good locations to keep our people hidden and be able to go places without raising to much suspicions from others including our terrorist. =/\=

"Very well, as I said use whatever means necessary to locate Doctor Doyanne and Ensign Stark, and if that includes Uxtar, then so be it," the Native American stated as he motioned for his Executive Officer to leave his room so that she could join with Commander Maya and tackle the task that had been given to them.  "If there are no questions, good luck to us all."

--==(/\)==--

Francois Charette

Captain Erik Morningstar
Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA