NAME: Arkos Nair
SPECIES: Korda
GENDER(S): Male
Age: 35, Terran standard
Height: 5:9
Weight: 161 lbs
SEXUALITY: Heterosexual
KNOWN FAMILY MEMBERS: Lua Tahl (aunt); Naru Tahl (cousin); Siru Tahl (cousin's daughter, "wardling"- Korda equivalent of Terran "god-daughter.") All currently presiding on Pacifica under refugee visa from Diplomatic Corps.
OTHER KNOWN FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES:
-Malek Korr (Korda, family friend) [CURRENT LOCATION UNKNOWN-- SEE FILE 817191]
-James Wong, Captain, U.S.S. Hadfield (Human, retired, currently living on New Hope colony)
-Teeglar, Captain, U.S.S. Avandar (Roylan, former commanding officer- see attached file 8855731 for list of Avandar officers Nair worked alongside with)
SERVICE HISTORY
-Starfleet Academy- top of class, Diagnostic Engineering, Fabrication and Repairs. Earned Geordi LaForge Award for Technical Ingenuity.
-Ensign, Engineering, U.S.S. Avandar
-Lieutenant, U.S.S. Khitomer
-Acting Captain, U.S.S. Da Vinci (promoted in wake of Vega disaster; officially promoted to Captain in [REDACTED])
-Captain, U.S.S. Archimedes
NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
-Established first contact with polaric entities in Gammma Sigilis Belt (see file 577431- "Haunting of Deck Two."
-Helped create early schematics for [REDACTED], predecessor to current Avenger-class battlecruiser design.
-Participated in Battle of Starbase 24, and personally saw the destruction of 6 KDF vessels.
-Prevented invasion by Terran Empire in [REDACTED] system.
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION
-Has repeatedly used captured contraband and enemy tech to barter for top-of-the-line starship equipment at Deep Space Nine and K-7. Thus far, Captain Nair has been careful enough to avoid having these activities being noticed by Starfleet authorities. It is unknown if any of Nair's bridge officers know of these activities.
CURRENT ASSIGNMENT:
-Research and recovery, Solanae Dyson Sphere.
PERSONALITY:
-Arkos Nair has been aptly described as being an engineer at heart, and is obsessed with tinkering with and developing mechanisms and technology. He is known for an impulsive curiosity and explorative spirit bordering on recklessness, and it is strongly suspected that he would have earned several reprimands by now if not for the restraint enforced by his first officer, Commander K'Nera Shras. This eargerness to, as one of his superior officers put it, "tinker with every new thing he finds," has seen him assigned to several deep-space exploration missions in the Arucanis and Delta Voltanis clusters. It is worth noting that this curiosity appears to be coupled with a rapid ability to learn and understand how unknown technology operates, and thus far, he has been a valuable asset in researching and understanding the alien technology of the Solanae Dyson Sphere.
In spite of his occasional impulsiveness, Arkos Nair has repeatedly demonstrated adequate qualities as a starship captain. He is conscientious in upholding the Prime Directive and the Federation Charter, and has often resorted to negotiation and diplomacy as a first resort. For all intents and purposes, Captain Nair appears to be extremely loyal to the Federation-- a loyalty that no doubt stems from the fact that the Federation gave him and his family refuge-- and he has rarely been known to question or disagree with Federation policy. Although he does not appear afraid to enforce proper discipline on his ship, Captain Nair has gone out of his way to cultivate an amenable working relationship with his crew, and commands the loyalty, respect and even friendship of many of the officers under his command.
It is worth noting that, while Arkos Nair does not appear to hold any hostile attitudes to persons of religious faith, he appears to maintain a personal philosophy that borders on militant atheism. He has, in the past, vocally expressed a belief that religion has no place in modern society, and has described any sort of religious belief as irrational, digressive and potentially dangerous. He has, as of late, been particularly outspoken in this belief during the Archimedes' assignment to the Solanae Sphere-- in one communication with the Voth, he even went so far as to call their Doctrine "the most brazenly ignorant and utterly ridiculous load of [UNTRANSLATABLE] I've ever heard." It has been concluded that this belief stems from persecution Nair faced from the theocratic regime of his homeworld before fleeing. (See attached files-- "Nar-Etulis," "Korda," "Telvenari," "Ionn.")
NOTABLE TRAITS
-Extremely fast learning rate, and ability to adapt to new technological and social environments very rapidly.
-Above-average intelligence.
-Immunity to most known toxins.
Note: While it has been confirmed that the toxin immunity is a natural part of Korda physiology, it has yet to be determined if Nair's enhanced cognition is a racial trait as well, or is unique. Too little data on Korda physiology exists to confirm this, and as of yet, we have not had the opportunity to gain any subjects for dissection.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT:
For all intents and purposes, Arkos Nair appears to be an outstanding officer who is steadfast in his loyalty to the Federation. His unique history means that he considers the Federation-- and particularly Starfleet-- to be almost an adoptive family, and if given the choice, would probably side with the Federation over even his own people, if such a scenario were to arise. This, and Nair's high intelligence quotient, uncanny technological aptitude, and natural inquisitiveness, would make him an excellent field agent.
Unfortunately, recent events must force us to re-evaluate this appraisal. Ever since the U.S.S. Archimedes was commissioned, as per the [REDACTED] program, extensive monitoring devices were placed on the ship to monitor the officers and crew. On Stardate [REDACTED], Captain Nair not only somehow discovered these devices, but managed to remove them, along with all secure channels, worms and tracing programs, from the Archimedes. As far as we are aware, this happened within a single ten-minute window, without our knowledge. As of yet, we are still unable to determine how Captain Nair was able to accomplish this, or by what means he was able to carry out such a quick and effective purge without our knowledge.
A recent communication between Captain Nair and operative [REDACTED], however, confirmed that Captain Nair is not only aware of our bureau's existence, but feels a grudging hostility towards us for what he sees as our lack of ethical restraint. As of now, there remains the possibility that Captain Nair could be convinced to join us, but in the meantime, the fact that he is aware of our existence, and was able to counter our monitoring program, means that he should be approached and treated as a Gamma-level threat.
RECOMMENDATION:
Monitor closely, and finds means through which to coerce cooperation.
SECONDARY FILE: BRIDGE OFFICERS/SUBORDINATES:
NAME: K'Nera Shras
SPECIES: Andorian
GENDER(S): Zhen
Age: 36, Terran standard
SEXUALITY: Quadro-normative*
RANK: Lieutenant Commander, First Officer, U.S.S. Archimedes
SPECIALIZATION: Tactical (Ground and Space Warfare)
PERSONALITY: Strict, disciplinarian, career officer; ambitious-- has applied, and been turned down, for command twice in her career. In spite of this, Lt. Cmdr. Shras appears to have a healthy respect for Captain Nair, even though she is also frequently at odds with his command decisions.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Is on record as having failed the entrance exam for the Andorian Imperial Guard, prior to joining Starfleet.
RECOMMENDATION: Do not approach-- her file indicates that she will be even less receptive to our offers than Captain Nair.
PERSONALITY: Aloof and friendly, maintains close friendships with many of his shipmates. Is a dedicated and competent engineer, and sticks rigidly to orthodox engineering principles. Has an easy cameraderie with Captain Nair.
RECOMMENDATION: Monitor closely.
*Due to their unique four-gender social dynamic, Andorians consider both males and females of most non-Andorian species to be viable sexual partners.
PERSONALITY: Impulsively curious and explorative, has been described as "eccentric" by some and "irrevocably insane" by others. Has a fascination with Terran history that borders on obsession. In all other regards, Lt. Cmdr. Sann appears to be a competent, and often quite brilliant, science officer.
RECOMMENDATION: Monitor closely. Could be a potential asset.
NAME: Brax
SPECIEs: Ferengi
GENDER(S): Male
AGE: 37, Terran standard
SEXUALITY: Heterosexual
RANK: Lieutenant, Chief of Security, U.S.S. Archimedes
SPECIALIZATION: Security (Assault Squad leadership)
PERSONALITY: Unscrupulous, very willing to bend the rules; in spite of this, has a very strong sense of justice. Does what he feels is right, not necessarily what the rules say is right. Like all Ferengi, Brax is heavily motivated by profit and financial gain, but is willing to set aside his own needs for the greater good when the need arises.
NOTABLE TRAITS: Possesses keen investigative skills; has prior service history as a Judicator on Ferenginar, and as a private detective on Drozana Station.
RECOMMENDATION: Monitor closely. Lt. Brax could either be an asset, or a serious thorn in our side.
NAME: Velnan Choll
SPECIES: Bolian
AGE: 38, Terran standard
GENDER(S): Male
SEXUALITY: Heterosexual
RANK: Lieutenant Commander, Chief Medical Officer, U.S.S. Archimedes
SPECIALIZATION: Medical
PERSONALITY: Amiable and friendly, has a consistently pleasant attitude and bedside manner. Strong ethical convictions, takes Medical Oath to do no harm very seriously, although he also appears more willing than some other medical officers to attempt unorthodox treatments.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
-Was part of the initial Federation relief effort to Romulan space in the aftermath of the Hobus Detonation. Is on record as having undergone psychiatric therapy after completing this tour of duty. Close observation indicates that Dr. Choll continues to suffer from post-traumatic stress.
-Dr. Choll's spouse, Dr. Varra Choll, is currently working with Starfleet Medical at Memory Alpha. The two do not appear to have been on speaking terms ever since the Romulan relief effort.
Section 31 Decoded
Sender: The One
Subject: Captain and crew of USS Nostradamus
Co-subject: Associates of primary subject
USS Nostradamus - Custom Vesta-class ("Century-class") starship
Captain: Petra Ruzena Karpov
Fleet: Demons of Razgriz
Petra Karpov and the crew of the USS Nostradamus are an enigma within Starfleet. While somewhat friendly to S31 operatives and operations they are also hostile, situation dependent. Cpt Karpov seems to be more amicable to us than the First Officer Hesta Aacra. There is a long history with this ship and S31, including the loss of our previous Organizer: The One. This history stretched back to 2393 and the aftermath of the Neo-Empty Crown incident.
In the couple years prior to 2393 we noticed an increase in organized Romulan ships with unique modifications (non-Borg type as the Tal Shiar have been attempting) affecting attacks and other incidents around Romulan space. This was found to be the result of a previously defunct group calling themselves the Empty Crown, thought destroyed by then-Lt Munro and Cpt Picard during the Exomorph Incident. They were trying to secure a base to rebuild Romulan stability that they saw Taris being unable to accomplish.
While most consider 2393 a "quiet year" with respects to galactic events, aside from the change in Klingon Empire leadership, we know otherwise. A decade long string of events erupted from this year. Upon learning of the Neo-Empty Crown, now calling themselves the Fractured Crown, Cpt Kraata and then-Lt Cmdr Karpov of the USS Universe were tasked with calming their actions and through our nudging led to an assault on their primary base of operations. While we do not know exactly what happened there we do know that Lt Cmdr Karpov confronted the leader of the Empty Crown, an individual calling himself Narek (actually a rogue agent of ours, ironic eh?) and sometime during this confrontation a stray torpedo from the battle outside the starbase hit the section they were in. Somehow Lt Cmdr Karpov survived with minimal injuries while Narek was killed, or so we thought at the time.
After this incident Karpov was promoted to Commander and Kraata vanished. At the same time Cpt Kal Pierce of the USS Sovereign (original Sovereign-class) went rogue with his ship and all his crew, also taking Captain Daniel Rhen (who played a big part in the Unity Incident shortly before Shinzon's Coup) with him (apparently Rhen's crew was not willing to go rogue with him). We do not know exact events since we were focused on other locations at the time but the results have badly set us back. Sometime between 2393 and 2400, Pierce took over the pirate cartel known as the Wyldfire Compact (which came into existence sometime around 2270) and began changing the cartel into a strike force, renamed his ship the Tabula Rasa and orchestrated the theft of the Prometheus-class starship USS Dahlia. This ship has since been encountered a few times with significant modifications and has been renamed the USS Meranda. Also during this time Cmdr Karpov was assigned to various stations and took multiple leaves of absence completely vanishing from our trackers for months at a time.
Also during this period between 2393 and 2400 we started to become a force to reckon with. Since the Dominion War and our success in poisoning the Founders we had steadily been gaining strength and resources which exponentially increased during this 7-year period. This was thanks to an engimatic individual calling himself/herself The One, and who had 3 Sub-commanders. The only one worth noting of these Sub-commanders was one individual calling himself Jormungandr. While no knowledge of who he is was ever made know to us many traits point to him being Narek, albeit he is not quite Narek. A largely cybernetic individual the majority of his body is cybernetic with a scary amalgam of abilities grafted into his frame, and visually is not one you want to be around for long. During this time Jormungandr organized small research cells along with materials to be ferried to various places outside the reach of Starfleet and the primary powers, in deep space toward the Galactic Core. From these places came wondrous technological advances to aid our operations, and also specially constructed starships based on proven designs from the Federation, Klingons and Romulans.
About 2398 Cmdr Karpov was promoted to Captain and informed she would be given command of the Vesta-class starship USS Nostradamus and returned to Utopia Planitia to supervise its construction and to gather a crew for the ship. Most of her old crew returned from their postings but several new crew were also added in place of those who didn't want to return. In the last days of 2399 a distress call from a ship on the borders of Federation space toward the Galactic core was answered by a yet-incomplete Nostradamus on its way to deliver couriers to the nearby Deep Space base. Here Nostradamus encountered a race calling themselves the Vr'kul, who have a phobia for artificial technologies and use organic ships grown over a synthetic frame. USS Nostradamus was almost destroyed in the encounter but somehow the USS Tabula Rasa was in the area and saved them from the Vr'kul attackers. Nostradamus retreated to deliver the couriers and repair and finish system assemblies. Following this the Nostradamus was tasked by Starfleet with a broad mandate to investigate this new race and their intentions and deal as fit with them since tensions in the Alpha Quadrant were rising and a new threat was not needed. Nostradamus set off into Deep Space coreward and encountered more Vr'kul along with the now-allied races of the Ulryix and Auritian. During this deployment the USS Nostradamus also encountered the long-forgotten super-power of the Interstellar Concordium (ISC). While the records of what the Nostradamus are well documented by The One, from this chain of events this is where we lost most everything. The Nostradamus found and destroyed many of our secret facilities and started a war between the ISC and the Vr'kul (previously members of the ISC themselves), since the Vr'kul were planning a coup of the ISC in preparation to attack the Federation (which they seem to have a massive near-fanatical hate of). Soon after the war began the Wyldfire Compact appeared between the Vr'kul and the new Allies of the Ulryix and Auritians (and the Federation) holding off the Vr'kul assault fleets. During this war the Nostradamus was also destroyed and we brought its remains to one of our last facilities to rebuild and improve. Before that could be completed we were ordered to abandon the facility and take the S31 fleet to support the defense fleet on the Vr'kul base-world of Raf Edis, but the Vr'kul (our temporary allies at the time) attacked using secret super-weapons and wiped out the fleet and most of our operatives. Meanwhile the enhanced Nostradamus was retrieved by Cpt Karpov and her crew and used to end the war with the Vr'kul sealing their borders in face of a civil war brought by their puppeteers (now known as the Vohrsoth) losing control of the honorable portion of the general population. The One and all the Trinity were also lost during this incident depriving us of the organization and resources they had brought and reducing our strength to levels equivalent to pre-Dominion War times.
During this war Cpt Karpov was also infected by some creature the Vr'kul use to control humans, but it didn't work on her and she developed super-kinetic powers, once even steering the Nostradamus away from a star. The effect of using such powers severely weakened Karpov though and after several encounters through the war the parasite began to die, almost killing her too. Intervention by the Ulryix using their symbiotes (a distant relation of the parasite the Vr'kul use) saved her and removed the parasite but have left her with residual kinetic power, albeit much reduced.
Upon return to the Federation she and the entire Nostradamus crew were imprisoned for multiple accounts of breaking the Prime Directive and starting an interstellar war. Before the court martial was completed Pierce and the Tabula Rasa broke her out and stole the Nostradamus. We now know that they had found the leaders of the court martial were Species 8472 infiltrators. After a few years of running from Starfleet the Nostradamus returned to help at the beginning of the Federation-Klingon war in 2405. Their actions and a few years of evidence review put Karpov and crew on probation as well as delaying punishment until circumstances eased allowed them to remain in Starfleet and aid in operations as needed. In 2408 Starfleet recalled Karpov and stripped her of her rank and command, reassigning the crew. After the attack on Vega colony she quickly regained her rank, ship and crew.
Since the events of the Vr'kul War, Karpov and crew have been intensely hostile to S31 operations, with few notable exceptions encountered by Franklin Drake where the obvious benefit of our operations have fit with her beliefs.
Overall we believe that while Karpov and her allies, which have expanded with the creation of her personal fleet to include her sister Vera (rescued from the Borg during the Vega Colony attack), Captain Kensi and the mysterious Romulan Selvaria and several others, she has acted to try and preserve the Federation. Our projections from info gathered during the Vr'kul incident leads us to believe that they would have attacked the Federation about this time when the Federation is already taxed from fighting the Klingons, Tal Shiar, Borg and numerous other threats. So while we were greatly set back during that incident she works to preserve the Federation.
Conclusion: Friendly to Federation security, threat to S31 operations
The whine of the transporter was barely audible over the sounds of exotic seabirds and a rushing waterfall. The fine white sand shimmered like diamonds in the hot sun, giving the feeling of a stroll across opulence. Porters and waiters wandered the sand, carrying towels and drinks back and forth between small drink kiosks and the soft beach chairs that lined the sand.
A bit further in land, backed against a cliff face was a bustling boardwalk. Children scampered around, while their parents browsed the exotic offerings of local venders. It was the busy season at this tropical resort, and the area was packed with all sorts of people enjoying their vacations.
The Section 31 officer known only as Reid, stepped out of the alley where he had materialized and seamlessly merged with the crowd. He adjusted his shirt uncomfortably. It was a bright kaleidoscope of blues, reds and greens, much more brilliant than any of the black uniforms his agency typically employed. He felt like it would only draw attention to him, but he reminded himself that the shirt was specially designed to distract and divert the eye, making it almost impossible for anyone's eyes to linger on him long enough to form a memory.
He smiled brilliantly, trying to look like he was having a great day at the beach. Under his breath he cursed again. He did not like the idea of meeting the asset here in a crowded place, it wasn't how Section 31 operated. But the asset was a bit of a wild card, a wild card they needed for the mission. If it meant that he had to work outside his comfort zone, he would do it.
He pulled his sunglasses down and immediately the HUD sprung to life. Information streamed across his eyes, running threat analysis, monitoring communications feeds and most importantly, identifying the location of the asset.
Meandering down onto the beach, he casually strolled through the sand to a parasol at the end of a row of beach chairs. It was a relatively secluded part of the beach and according to his HUD, a dead-spot in the resort's security net. It explained why the asset had arranged the meet here.
Lying under the parasol, on a pair of identical beach towels were two women dressed in identical blue swimsuits.
Reid smiled as he examined the pair. Both women had, short black hair, slender faces, tall attractive bodies, they were identical right down to the ridges on their noses. The only exception was that one woman wore the traditional Bajoran earring and the other woman was dead.
"The surgeons did a good job." he said, nonchalantly as he stepped under the parasol, sitting down on the beach chair beside them.
"Of course they did." she said bluntly. There was ice in her voice, cutting through the hot sunny beach. She turned her head slightly, just enough that she could see him through her sunglasses.
"Can you do something about that?" she asked, gesturing to her dead doppelg
Comments
Access Level: Vermilion
Authorization code: *********
ACCESS GRANTED
Welcome agent.
Retrieving information:
NAME: Arkos Nair
SPECIES: Korda
GENDER(S): Male
Age: 35, Terran standard
Height: 5:9
Weight: 161 lbs
SEXUALITY: Heterosexual
KNOWN FAMILY MEMBERS: Lua Tahl (aunt); Naru Tahl (cousin); Siru Tahl (cousin's daughter, "wardling"- Korda equivalent of Terran "god-daughter.") All currently presiding on Pacifica under refugee visa from Diplomatic Corps.
OTHER KNOWN FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES:
-Malek Korr (Korda, family friend) [CURRENT LOCATION UNKNOWN-- SEE FILE 817191]
-James Wong, Captain, U.S.S. Hadfield (Human, retired, currently living on New Hope colony)
-Teeglar, Captain, U.S.S. Avandar (Roylan, former commanding officer- see attached file 8855731 for list of Avandar officers Nair worked alongside with)
SERVICE HISTORY
-Starfleet Academy- top of class, Diagnostic Engineering, Fabrication and Repairs. Earned Geordi LaForge Award for Technical Ingenuity.
-Ensign, Engineering, U.S.S. Avandar
-Lieutenant, U.S.S. Khitomer
-Acting Captain, U.S.S. Da Vinci (promoted in wake of Vega disaster; officially promoted to Captain in [REDACTED])
-Captain, U.S.S. Archimedes
NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
-Established first contact with polaric entities in Gammma Sigilis Belt (see file 577431- "Haunting of Deck Two."
-Helped create early schematics for [REDACTED], predecessor to current Avenger-class battlecruiser design.
-Participated in Battle of Starbase 24, and personally saw the destruction of 6 KDF vessels.
-Prevented invasion by Terran Empire in [REDACTED] system.
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION
-Has repeatedly used captured contraband and enemy tech to barter for top-of-the-line starship equipment at Deep Space Nine and K-7. Thus far, Captain Nair has been careful enough to avoid having these activities being noticed by Starfleet authorities. It is unknown if any of Nair's bridge officers know of these activities.
CURRENT ASSIGNMENT:
-Research and recovery, Solanae Dyson Sphere.
PERSONALITY:
-Arkos Nair has been aptly described as being an engineer at heart, and is obsessed with tinkering with and developing mechanisms and technology. He is known for an impulsive curiosity and explorative spirit bordering on recklessness, and it is strongly suspected that he would have earned several reprimands by now if not for the restraint enforced by his first officer, Commander K'Nera Shras. This eargerness to, as one of his superior officers put it, "tinker with every new thing he finds," has seen him assigned to several deep-space exploration missions in the Arucanis and Delta Voltanis clusters. It is worth noting that this curiosity appears to be coupled with a rapid ability to learn and understand how unknown technology operates, and thus far, he has been a valuable asset in researching and understanding the alien technology of the Solanae Dyson Sphere.
In spite of his occasional impulsiveness, Arkos Nair has repeatedly demonstrated adequate qualities as a starship captain. He is conscientious in upholding the Prime Directive and the Federation Charter, and has often resorted to negotiation and diplomacy as a first resort. For all intents and purposes, Captain Nair appears to be extremely loyal to the Federation-- a loyalty that no doubt stems from the fact that the Federation gave him and his family refuge-- and he has rarely been known to question or disagree with Federation policy. Although he does not appear afraid to enforce proper discipline on his ship, Captain Nair has gone out of his way to cultivate an amenable working relationship with his crew, and commands the loyalty, respect and even friendship of many of the officers under his command.
It is worth noting that, while Arkos Nair does not appear to hold any hostile attitudes to persons of religious faith, he appears to maintain a personal philosophy that borders on militant atheism. He has, in the past, vocally expressed a belief that religion has no place in modern society, and has described any sort of religious belief as irrational, digressive and potentially dangerous. He has, as of late, been particularly outspoken in this belief during the Archimedes' assignment to the Solanae Sphere-- in one communication with the Voth, he even went so far as to call their Doctrine "the most brazenly ignorant and utterly ridiculous load of [UNTRANSLATABLE] I've ever heard." It has been concluded that this belief stems from persecution Nair faced from the theocratic regime of his homeworld before fleeing. (See attached files-- "Nar-Etulis," "Korda," "Telvenari," "Ionn.")
NOTABLE TRAITS
-Extremely fast learning rate, and ability to adapt to new technological and social environments very rapidly.
-Above-average intelligence.
-Immunity to most known toxins.
Note: While it has been confirmed that the toxin immunity is a natural part of Korda physiology, it has yet to be determined if Nair's enhanced cognition is a racial trait as well, or is unique. Too little data on Korda physiology exists to confirm this, and as of yet, we have not had the opportunity to gain any subjects for dissection.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT:
For all intents and purposes, Arkos Nair appears to be an outstanding officer who is steadfast in his loyalty to the Federation. His unique history means that he considers the Federation-- and particularly Starfleet-- to be almost an adoptive family, and if given the choice, would probably side with the Federation over even his own people, if such a scenario were to arise. This, and Nair's high intelligence quotient, uncanny technological aptitude, and natural inquisitiveness, would make him an excellent field agent.
Unfortunately, recent events must force us to re-evaluate this appraisal. Ever since the U.S.S. Archimedes was commissioned, as per the [REDACTED] program, extensive monitoring devices were placed on the ship to monitor the officers and crew. On Stardate [REDACTED], Captain Nair not only somehow discovered these devices, but managed to remove them, along with all secure channels, worms and tracing programs, from the Archimedes. As far as we are aware, this happened within a single ten-minute window, without our knowledge. As of yet, we are still unable to determine how Captain Nair was able to accomplish this, or by what means he was able to carry out such a quick and effective purge without our knowledge.
A recent communication between Captain Nair and operative [REDACTED], however, confirmed that Captain Nair is not only aware of our bureau's existence, but feels a grudging hostility towards us for what he sees as our lack of ethical restraint. As of now, there remains the possibility that Captain Nair could be convinced to join us, but in the meantime, the fact that he is aware of our existence, and was able to counter our monitoring program, means that he should be approached and treated as a Gamma-level threat.
RECOMMENDATION:
Monitor closely, and finds means through which to coerce cooperation.
SECONDARY FILE: BRIDGE OFFICERS/SUBORDINATES:
NAME: K'Nera Shras
SPECIES: Andorian
GENDER(S): Zhen
Age: 36, Terran standard
SEXUALITY: Quadro-normative*
RANK: Lieutenant Commander, First Officer, U.S.S. Archimedes
SPECIALIZATION: Tactical (Ground and Space Warfare)
PERSONALITY: Strict, disciplinarian, career officer; ambitious-- has applied, and been turned down, for command twice in her career. In spite of this, Lt. Cmdr. Shras appears to have a healthy respect for Captain Nair, even though she is also frequently at odds with his command decisions.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Is on record as having failed the entrance exam for the Andorian Imperial Guard, prior to joining Starfleet.
RECOMMENDATION: Do not approach-- her file indicates that she will be even less receptive to our offers than Captain Nair.
NAME: Adim D'jeph
SPECIES: Andorian
GENDER(S): Thaan
SEXUALITY: Quadro-normative*
RANK: Lieutenant Commander, Chief Engineer, U.S.S. Archimedes
SPECIALIZATION: Engineering (Diagnostic, systems & warp core engineering)
PERSONALITY: Aloof and friendly, maintains close friendships with many of his shipmates. Is a dedicated and competent engineer, and sticks rigidly to orthodox engineering principles. Has an easy cameraderie with Captain Nair.
RECOMMENDATION: Monitor closely.
*Due to their unique four-gender social dynamic, Andorians consider both males and females of most non-Andorian species to be viable sexual partners.
NAME: Neazri Sann
SPECIES: Trill (Joined)
GENDER(S): Female
Age: 34, Terran standard
SEXUALITY: Heterosexual
RANK: Lieutenant Commander, Science Officer, U.S.S. Archimedes
SPECIALIZATION: Science (Astrometrics, Gravimetric Studies & Warp Theory)
PERSONALITY: Impulsively curious and explorative, has been described as "eccentric" by some and "irrevocably insane" by others. Has a fascination with Terran history that borders on obsession. In all other regards, Lt. Cmdr. Sann appears to be a competent, and often quite brilliant, science officer.
RECOMMENDATION: Monitor closely. Could be a potential asset.
NAME: Brax
SPECIEs: Ferengi
GENDER(S): Male
AGE: 37, Terran standard
SEXUALITY: Heterosexual
RANK: Lieutenant, Chief of Security, U.S.S. Archimedes
SPECIALIZATION: Security (Assault Squad leadership)
PERSONALITY: Unscrupulous, very willing to bend the rules; in spite of this, has a very strong sense of justice. Does what he feels is right, not necessarily what the rules say is right. Like all Ferengi, Brax is heavily motivated by profit and financial gain, but is willing to set aside his own needs for the greater good when the need arises.
NOTABLE TRAITS: Possesses keen investigative skills; has prior service history as a Judicator on Ferenginar, and as a private detective on Drozana Station.
RECOMMENDATION: Monitor closely. Lt. Brax could either be an asset, or a serious thorn in our side.
NAME: Velnan Choll
SPECIES: Bolian
AGE: 38, Terran standard
GENDER(S): Male
SEXUALITY: Heterosexual
RANK: Lieutenant Commander, Chief Medical Officer, U.S.S. Archimedes
SPECIALIZATION: Medical
PERSONALITY: Amiable and friendly, has a consistently pleasant attitude and bedside manner. Strong ethical convictions, takes Medical Oath to do no harm very seriously, although he also appears more willing than some other medical officers to attempt unorthodox treatments.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
-Was part of the initial Federation relief effort to Romulan space in the aftermath of the Hobus Detonation. Is on record as having undergone psychiatric therapy after completing this tour of duty. Close observation indicates that Dr. Choll continues to suffer from post-traumatic stress.
-Dr. Choll's spouse, Dr. Varra Choll, is currently working with Starfleet Medical at Memory Alpha. The two do not appear to have been on speaking terms ever since the Romulan relief effort.
RECOMMENDATION: Monitor closely.
Section 31 Decoded
Sender: The One
Subject: Captain and crew of USS Nostradamus
Co-subject: Associates of primary subject
USS Nostradamus - Custom Vesta-class ("Century-class") starship
Captain: Petra Ruzena Karpov
Fleet: Demons of Razgriz
Petra Karpov and the crew of the USS Nostradamus are an enigma within Starfleet. While somewhat friendly to S31 operatives and operations they are also hostile, situation dependent. Cpt Karpov seems to be more amicable to us than the First Officer Hesta Aacra. There is a long history with this ship and S31, including the loss of our previous Organizer: The One. This history stretched back to 2393 and the aftermath of the Neo-Empty Crown incident.
In the couple years prior to 2393 we noticed an increase in organized Romulan ships with unique modifications (non-Borg type as the Tal Shiar have been attempting) affecting attacks and other incidents around Romulan space. This was found to be the result of a previously defunct group calling themselves the Empty Crown, thought destroyed by then-Lt Munro and Cpt Picard during the Exomorph Incident. They were trying to secure a base to rebuild Romulan stability that they saw Taris being unable to accomplish.
While most consider 2393 a "quiet year" with respects to galactic events, aside from the change in Klingon Empire leadership, we know otherwise. A decade long string of events erupted from this year. Upon learning of the Neo-Empty Crown, now calling themselves the Fractured Crown, Cpt Kraata and then-Lt Cmdr Karpov of the USS Universe were tasked with calming their actions and through our nudging led to an assault on their primary base of operations. While we do not know exactly what happened there we do know that Lt Cmdr Karpov confronted the leader of the Empty Crown, an individual calling himself Narek (actually a rogue agent of ours, ironic eh?) and sometime during this confrontation a stray torpedo from the battle outside the starbase hit the section they were in. Somehow Lt Cmdr Karpov survived with minimal injuries while Narek was killed, or so we thought at the time.
After this incident Karpov was promoted to Commander and Kraata vanished. At the same time Cpt Kal Pierce of the USS Sovereign (original Sovereign-class) went rogue with his ship and all his crew, also taking Captain Daniel Rhen (who played a big part in the Unity Incident shortly before Shinzon's Coup) with him (apparently Rhen's crew was not willing to go rogue with him). We do not know exact events since we were focused on other locations at the time but the results have badly set us back. Sometime between 2393 and 2400, Pierce took over the pirate cartel known as the Wyldfire Compact (which came into existence sometime around 2270) and began changing the cartel into a strike force, renamed his ship the Tabula Rasa and orchestrated the theft of the Prometheus-class starship USS Dahlia. This ship has since been encountered a few times with significant modifications and has been renamed the USS Meranda. Also during this time Cmdr Karpov was assigned to various stations and took multiple leaves of absence completely vanishing from our trackers for months at a time.
Also during this period between 2393 and 2400 we started to become a force to reckon with. Since the Dominion War and our success in poisoning the Founders we had steadily been gaining strength and resources which exponentially increased during this 7-year period. This was thanks to an engimatic individual calling himself/herself The One, and who had 3 Sub-commanders. The only one worth noting of these Sub-commanders was one individual calling himself Jormungandr. While no knowledge of who he is was ever made know to us many traits point to him being Narek, albeit he is not quite Narek. A largely cybernetic individual the majority of his body is cybernetic with a scary amalgam of abilities grafted into his frame, and visually is not one you want to be around for long. During this time Jormungandr organized small research cells along with materials to be ferried to various places outside the reach of Starfleet and the primary powers, in deep space toward the Galactic Core. From these places came wondrous technological advances to aid our operations, and also specially constructed starships based on proven designs from the Federation, Klingons and Romulans.
About 2398 Cmdr Karpov was promoted to Captain and informed she would be given command of the Vesta-class starship USS Nostradamus and returned to Utopia Planitia to supervise its construction and to gather a crew for the ship. Most of her old crew returned from their postings but several new crew were also added in place of those who didn't want to return. In the last days of 2399 a distress call from a ship on the borders of Federation space toward the Galactic core was answered by a yet-incomplete Nostradamus on its way to deliver couriers to the nearby Deep Space base. Here Nostradamus encountered a race calling themselves the Vr'kul, who have a phobia for artificial technologies and use organic ships grown over a synthetic frame. USS Nostradamus was almost destroyed in the encounter but somehow the USS Tabula Rasa was in the area and saved them from the Vr'kul attackers. Nostradamus retreated to deliver the couriers and repair and finish system assemblies. Following this the Nostradamus was tasked by Starfleet with a broad mandate to investigate this new race and their intentions and deal as fit with them since tensions in the Alpha Quadrant were rising and a new threat was not needed. Nostradamus set off into Deep Space coreward and encountered more Vr'kul along with the now-allied races of the Ulryix and Auritian. During this deployment the USS Nostradamus also encountered the long-forgotten super-power of the Interstellar Concordium (ISC). While the records of what the Nostradamus are well documented by The One, from this chain of events this is where we lost most everything. The Nostradamus found and destroyed many of our secret facilities and started a war between the ISC and the Vr'kul (previously members of the ISC themselves), since the Vr'kul were planning a coup of the ISC in preparation to attack the Federation (which they seem to have a massive near-fanatical hate of). Soon after the war began the Wyldfire Compact appeared between the Vr'kul and the new Allies of the Ulryix and Auritians (and the Federation) holding off the Vr'kul assault fleets. During this war the Nostradamus was also destroyed and we brought its remains to one of our last facilities to rebuild and improve. Before that could be completed we were ordered to abandon the facility and take the S31 fleet to support the defense fleet on the Vr'kul base-world of Raf Edis, but the Vr'kul (our temporary allies at the time) attacked using secret super-weapons and wiped out the fleet and most of our operatives. Meanwhile the enhanced Nostradamus was retrieved by Cpt Karpov and her crew and used to end the war with the Vr'kul sealing their borders in face of a civil war brought by their puppeteers (now known as the Vohrsoth) losing control of the honorable portion of the general population. The One and all the Trinity were also lost during this incident depriving us of the organization and resources they had brought and reducing our strength to levels equivalent to pre-Dominion War times.
During this war Cpt Karpov was also infected by some creature the Vr'kul use to control humans, but it didn't work on her and she developed super-kinetic powers, once even steering the Nostradamus away from a star. The effect of using such powers severely weakened Karpov though and after several encounters through the war the parasite began to die, almost killing her too. Intervention by the Ulryix using their symbiotes (a distant relation of the parasite the Vr'kul use) saved her and removed the parasite but have left her with residual kinetic power, albeit much reduced.
Upon return to the Federation she and the entire Nostradamus crew were imprisoned for multiple accounts of breaking the Prime Directive and starting an interstellar war. Before the court martial was completed Pierce and the Tabula Rasa broke her out and stole the Nostradamus. We now know that they had found the leaders of the court martial were Species 8472 infiltrators. After a few years of running from Starfleet the Nostradamus returned to help at the beginning of the Federation-Klingon war in 2405. Their actions and a few years of evidence review put Karpov and crew on probation as well as delaying punishment until circumstances eased allowed them to remain in Starfleet and aid in operations as needed. In 2408 Starfleet recalled Karpov and stripped her of her rank and command, reassigning the crew. After the attack on Vega colony she quickly regained her rank, ship and crew.
Since the events of the Vr'kul War, Karpov and crew have been intensely hostile to S31 operations, with few notable exceptions encountered by Franklin Drake where the obvious benefit of our operations have fit with her beliefs.
Overall we believe that while Karpov and her allies, which have expanded with the creation of her personal fleet to include her sister Vera (rescued from the Borg during the Vega Colony attack), Captain Kensi and the mysterious Romulan Selvaria and several others, she has acted to try and preserve the Federation. Our projections from info gathered during the Vr'kul incident leads us to believe that they would have attacked the Federation about this time when the Federation is already taxed from fighting the Klingons, Tal Shiar, Borg and numerous other threats. So while we were greatly set back during that incident she works to preserve the Federation.
Conclusion: Friendly to Federation security, threat to S31 operations
End File
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...corruption detected
...TRIBBLE insert, deletion impossible
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...I
...am
...not
...dead
...1=K
...3=J
A bit further in land, backed against a cliff face was a bustling boardwalk. Children scampered around, while their parents browsed the exotic offerings of local venders. It was the busy season at this tropical resort, and the area was packed with all sorts of people enjoying their vacations.
The Section 31 officer known only as Reid, stepped out of the alley where he had materialized and seamlessly merged with the crowd. He adjusted his shirt uncomfortably. It was a bright kaleidoscope of blues, reds and greens, much more brilliant than any of the black uniforms his agency typically employed. He felt like it would only draw attention to him, but he reminded himself that the shirt was specially designed to distract and divert the eye, making it almost impossible for anyone's eyes to linger on him long enough to form a memory.
He smiled brilliantly, trying to look like he was having a great day at the beach. Under his breath he cursed again. He did not like the idea of meeting the asset here in a crowded place, it wasn't how Section 31 operated. But the asset was a bit of a wild card, a wild card they needed for the mission. If it meant that he had to work outside his comfort zone, he would do it.
He pulled his sunglasses down and immediately the HUD sprung to life. Information streamed across his eyes, running threat analysis, monitoring communications feeds and most importantly, identifying the location of the asset.
Meandering down onto the beach, he casually strolled through the sand to a parasol at the end of a row of beach chairs. It was a relatively secluded part of the beach and according to his HUD, a dead-spot in the resort's security net. It explained why the asset had arranged the meet here.
Lying under the parasol, on a pair of identical beach towels were two women dressed in identical blue swimsuits.
Reid smiled as he examined the pair. Both women had, short black hair, slender faces, tall attractive bodies, they were identical right down to the ridges on their noses. The only exception was that one woman wore the traditional Bajoran earring and the other woman was dead.
"The surgeons did a good job." he said, nonchalantly as he stepped under the parasol, sitting down on the beach chair beside them.
"Of course they did." she said bluntly. There was ice in her voice, cutting through the hot sunny beach. She turned her head slightly, just enough that she could see him through her sunglasses.
"Can you do something about that?" she asked, gesturing to her dead doppelg
As I prepare to post the next challenge and unstick this one, remember that you can still contribute if you have not already. See you in #59!
~CaptainSmirk