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"John! I was hoping I wasn't catching you at a bad time." The face of an older dark-skinned man appeared on the screen. He sounded happy to see Stanton, but there was worry on his face.

"It's never a bad time Charlie. Well, unless it's you or another member of Section 31 calling me out of the blue." Stanton sat down at the desk. "Things usually don't go well afterward."

"Such is our lot in life my friend." Commander Charles Palmer replied from his office on Starbase 24.

"I'm going to guess this isn't a social call and has something to do with my inquiries into the Eagle." Stanton needed to get down to business.

"That Augment mind of yours is as sharp as ever." Palmer grinned. Stanton just shot him a look as if to ask 'really?'. "I had a feeling Command hadn't bothered to reply as yet. Not like they would given the situation."

"Ah, one of THOSE situations?"

"You could say that. Remember that little incident involving the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon?" Palmer, of course knew the answer, but had to ask anyway to steer the conversation.

"Not something I'm likely to ever forget. I alienated a few Klingon houses and lost someone I probably could have considered a friend if things were different at the time."

"Of course you remember the purge Starfleet Command initiated after the Accords were signed. Well, they didn't get everyone."

"I know. A few leftovers hung me out to dry in this very sector with a handful of ships and a rather sizeable renegade Klingon armada to fight." One of the reasons Stanton rarely returned to the Madier Sector.

"Oh yeah. I had actually forgotten about that. A bit." Palmer looked nervous again. He was trying not to make this more awkward than it already was. "Well a few were concealed by S31 after that situation took place."

"Okay. Then what?" Stanton really disliked it when people drew things out unnecessarily.

"From what I've been able to gather, they managed to recruit newer S31 people into their little group." Palmer picked a PADD up from his desk. "I'm going to admit, they were patient. They held on and waited until the Eagle was decommissioned before they did anything."

Stanton was no becoming visually impatient. Something that was very rare.

"On the orders of Admiral Jeffery Caine of S31, the Eagle's hull and her components were held from dismantling. They were then removed from the yard and all traces of the transfer were erased." Palmer set the PADD back down and folded his hands in front of him. "She was reassembled and sent out with a skeleton crew and a very special piece of equipment."

"What kind of equipment?" Stanton leaned in. He needed to know this.

"Well, I use the term loosely." Palmer looked back down at the PADD. "It was actually a prototype AI. A damn powerful one too. I know I don't have to ask if you remember the M-5 incident."

Description
"John! I was hoping I wasn't catching you at a bad time." The face of an older dark-skinned man appeared on the screen. He sounded happy to see Stanton, but there was worry on his face.

"It's never a bad time Charlie. Well, unless it's you or another member of Section 31 calling me out of the blue." Stanton sat down at the desk. "Things usually don't go well afterward."

"Such is our lot in life my friend." Commander Charles Palmer replied from his office on Starbase 24.

"I'm going to guess this isn't a social call and has something to do with my inquiries into the Eagle." Stanton needed to get down to business.

"That Augment mind of yours is as sharp as ever." Palmer grinned. Stanton just shot him a look as if to ask 'really?'. "I had a feeling Command hadn't bothered to reply as yet. Not like they would given the situation."

"Ah, one of THOSE situations?"

"You could say that. Remember that little incident involving the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon?" Palmer, of course knew the answer, but had to ask anyway to steer the conversation.

"Not something I'm likely to ever forget. I alienated a few Klingon houses and lost someone I probably could have considered a friend if things were different at the time."

"Of course you remember the purge Starfleet Command initiated after the Accords were signed. Well, they didn't get everyone."

"I know. A few leftovers hung me out to dry in this very sector with a handful of ships and a rather sizeable renegade Klingon armada to fight." One of the reasons Stanton rarely returned to the Madier Sector.

"Oh yeah. I had actually forgotten about that. A bit." Palmer looked nervous again. He was trying not to make this more awkward than it already was. "Well a few were concealed by S31 after that situation took place."

"Okay. Then what?" Stanton really disliked it when people drew things out unnecessarily.

"From what I've been able to gather, they managed to recruit newer S31 people into their little group." Palmer picked a PADD up from his desk. "I'm going to admit, they were patient. They held on and waited until the Eagle was decommissioned before they did anything."

Stanton was no becoming visually impatient. Something that was very rare.

"On the orders of Admiral Jeffery Caine of S31, the Eagle's hull and her components were held from dismantling. They were then removed from the yard and all traces of the transfer were erased." Palmer set the PADD back down and folded his hands in front of him. "She was reassembled and sent out with a skeleton crew and a very special piece of equipment."

"What kind of equipment?" Stanton leaned in. He needed to know this.

"Well, I use the term loosely." Palmer looked back down at the PADD. "It was actually a prototype AI. A damn powerful one too. I know I don't have to ask if you remember the M-5 incident."