<Lt. Cmdr. Max Mortimer, Starbase Medlab>

Max Mortimer leaves the medlab with an ecstatic look on his face, and a brand new left arm. He flexes his new fingers, and makes a fist, then opens his hand. The arm twitches as he passes a supporting pillar, but these things take a little bit of getting used to.

As he passes through the exit doors, his attention is drawn to a pair of Starfleet officers in dark gray uniforms, one of whom looks like he weighs around 350lbs. His attention is further drawn to the type 1 hand phasers they hold pointed at him.

"I think that we need to talk", says the (relatively) smaller of the two, an asian wearing commander's pips.
"Need to talk", echoes the larger lieutenant.

Starfleet intelligence - what are they doing all the way out here? And in uniform - they usually only wear those at Intelligence Headquarters?

"Errr... I'm in a bit of a hurry - my ship is waiting for me to get back before it can leave"

"Not according to our information", says the commander.
"Information", adds his gorilla.

"Ummmm.. What information would that be"

"You are", the commander glances at the PADD he is carrying, "Lieutenant Commander Maxwell Ernest Mortimer, Operations Manager of the USS Lafayette. The Lafayette is scheduled for repairs and refitting lasting four days."
"Four days", says his companion.

"Oh - of course - I... er... meant.... um... The Lafayette needs me to co-ordinate the repairs so it will be ready to leave in four days. And.. er.. in fact our captain asked me specifically to see if there was anything I could do to ... um.. speed up repairs so we can leave in three days, as he.. er... wants to ... um... get somewhere urgently."

"Oh, really?", says the senior intelligence officer
"Really?", adds his assistant, who seems to contadict the term 'Intelligence' by his very existance.

"You must think that I was born yesterday", he adds
"Yesterday", comes the expected echo.

"Now, this phaser is set to level One. Lieutenant Allirog here has trouble counting, and his could be anywhere. So, are you going to come willingly, or do things get messy."
"Messy", says Allirog, with broken-toothed grin that makes Mortimer wish that they would just shoot him and get it over with.

"Ok, ok", sighs Mortimer.

"Get in the turbolift"

The three of them get into the nearest turbolift.

"Shuttle dock", says the commander.

The doors close.

"Hold turbolift, authorisation Tnega ten-delta, Starfleet Intelligence.
Lieutenant Commander Mortimer, there are currently five Ferengi Marauders docked here, with another twelve en-route. There's something happening here that we don't know about, and that doesn't make me very happy"
Commander Tnega looks at Allirog, as if expecting something.
"durrr... oh.. Happy"
Tnega turns back to Mortimer
"We need somebody to... take a look around one of those ships. There shouldn't be any problems, as there is only a skeleton crew aboard each ship. Just let us know what equipment you will need. Good Luck."
"Luck...."

"Hey! Wait! I'm not in Intelligence - you can't tell me what to do! And I'm NOT DOING IT!"

"Wouldn't it be a pity if somebody told starbase security about unauthorised access to their computers. Starfleet Intelligence computer software isn't just given away to any starship - we tend to keep an eye on it."

"Oh - right - they're going to throw me in the brig just for re-scheduling the Medlab appointments"

"Unauthorised use of Starfleet Intelligence equipment. Access to restricted computer systems. Possible involvement with abduction of Starfleet personnel, namely one Lieutenant Carlos Storm Castillion, resisting arrest...."

"RESISTING ARREST! Hey - thats it - I've had enough of this"

Allirog delivers an uppercut that knocks Mortimer into the side of the 'lift.

Mortimer wakes up in a dark room, strapped to a chair.

"I now have a corridor full of witnesses who will testify that you had to be carried from the turbolift after we had to stun you when you tried to resist arrest. Now, about this little job."
"Job"

"All right, all right. You've made your point. I want something in exchange for this."

"Of course, you want the details of your brother's mission to ch'Rihan."
"chur... chee... chreee........Romulus"
Tnega waves his PADD under Mortimer's nose.

"All yours - WHEN you deliver the information"
"Information"

"I'll need these things - and some help......."