“There are whispers here and there…sightings off and on…but nothing concrete.” Lieutenant Grace Albright stood as she reported to her CO, Captain Peter Crawford. Since turning over Sarge to Montana’s JAG and security department, nothing of note had been found. That had been more than a month ago.

Crawford’s desk held several data PADDs, and his desk console screen was filled with the details of Albright’s report and the supplemental information Starfleet Intelligence had provided. Albright watched him shake his head, a faint whiff of annoyance. His eyes scanned the display once more before returning to her. “Pretty frustrating.”

She reflexively frowned. “That’s one way of putting it, sir.” She’d spent the last month working on building their relationship. She felt like it was working. It was still a position and place she’d never desired, but the beginning sensation of begrudged acceptance was starting to assert itself. She slid into the chair, “Someone has to be hiding him…or working to keep him out of sight. He’s the face of the Network. Hard to keep the fear of the almighty Tougun in them when he’s not visible.”

Crawford seemed to study her, those penetrating eyes of his seeming to push against her own. He said, “A new partnership? The Vaadwaur had laid waste to the rimward where they could. “If he wanted to survive, he’d have to make plenty of compromises and promises with the other bad actors out here.”

Albright could count on one hand the challengers to Tougun’s throne in the rimward. She wondered, “He’s not known as a paragon of virtue – they’d have to watch their back every second.” She wasn’t sure what would give anyone a reason to turn to Tougun in their time of need. His reputation and rap sheet indicated he did not play well with others.

Peter snapped his fingers, “Latinum.” He tapped at the console, and several intelligence reports scrolled as he spoke, “Before the Vaadwaur invasion, Intel had transferred a forensic accountant who had specialized in Syndicate work. They did some work before the curtain went down.” He scrolled and then chuckled, swinging the screen for her to see.

She gasped, “That’s a lot of latinum.” She felt her frown return. “So his leverage would have been money, which he controlled. The damage the Vaadwaur did would have put most of them on their heels. They need repairs, they need ships, they need bodies.” She felt her stomach drop, “He’s bought his way into something…or somethings…and can hide behind them.”

Crawford tapped notes into his console, “We’re not looking for him. We’re looking for the other big players doing business because he’s probably pulling the strings. Good work, Lieutenant Albright. What are our next steps?”

His expectant look had become the norm over the last few weeks as he’d shifted away from telling her what to do to asking her what they needed to do. It had felt jarring the first time he’d stared at her, mutely waiting for her to fill in the spaces. She’d stumbled through and relived that moment in her nightmares that night. Yet, she’d come back to his ready room and been steadier and steadier each time he’d returned the volley to her. Now, as she had learned to do, she took five seconds to assemble her thoughts and then replied. “We need to shift our search pattern to the other operating groups, have our science and tactical teams retask the sensor sweeps, and ask Captain Ki on Montana what they have on everybody else.”

The slight smile on Crawford’s face might have passed as his expression of pride, but she wouldn’t tangle herself up in it now. “Let’s get to it, then.”

She stood at attention, replied with an “Aye, sir,” and returned to the bridge. She wasn’t sure what feeling had been developing, but in that moment, with his smile and her confident walk to the bridge…it was starting to feel like a more complete acceptance – for both of them.