<div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">Mission: The Tholian Brief</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">Day:1</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">Stardate: 2446.09.10</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">(Starbase Freedom - Level 23 - Guest Quarters - SFI - Lt. Michael Weston - 1351)</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">Michael watched and enjoyed Quinna’s concentration face. It was cute. But he maintained his serious look as she spoke. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">“I came because of you,” she told him.  “Being in the state you were in, you were vulnerable and I knew you needed protection.  You have to realize, you cannot do this alone anymore.  This has gotten too big and out of control.  And now that I am here, let’s end this.  I am not leaving now. So I think you should completely read me into everything… and leave nothing out.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">He wasn’t surprised by Quinna’s request/demand. And she was right. She was already in danger so she might as well know everything now. Although there’s little left to add. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">“I think I’ve told you the most of it,” he said. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">“You said you think you have been compromised,” Quinn’s probed, “any suspects there?”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">Michael sighed, “In fact I do. Right before the explosion I saw someone I never thought I’d see again, or at least hoped I wouldn’t. Remember the wound that I had when I first came on board the Illuminar?”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">(Reply Quinna)</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">“I saw the woman who gave me that injury,” he said. “Although she seemed to be as surprised to see me as I her. I’m pretty sure that explosion wasn’t actually meant for me. It was simply a moment of serendipity for her.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">(reply Quinna)</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">“Her name is Carir,” Michael continued. “I… used her to infiltrate the organization that had been selling the illegal weapons that we were looking for on the station in the Altair system.  I have a feeling they may be the ones behind my conspiracy.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">(reply Quinna)</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">Michael got up and moved to a panel beside the door control. With a solid thump he hit the panel and it popped off. He reached in and pulled out a data card. The very card he had received on DS 4.  He brought the card back holding it carefully between his fingers, as though it were hot. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">Sitting down he held out the card to Quinna. “This is what they’ve all been trying to hide or destroy. It’s a list of names. Names of the people that have died and their connection to some Federation legislation. All of the names on the list were against the legislation.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">(reply Quinna)</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">“It was legislation to give the Tholians the opportunity to acquire certain regions of space for the Assembly. Included in the areas are regions that are currently occupied by the new Romulan government. Space that has been an area of contention for a while.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">He opened a second list of names.  “These names are the people who took the place of those killed. Once they’d been installed the political stance on the Tholians took a shift.  Take a look here. Not only was the position of the Tholians screwing territory more positive, there were invitations to join several Federation counsels, including the security counsel.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">(reply Quinna)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial',sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap">(posted by Al Muir) </span></p><br><br><br></div>