Rotten Teeth (Part 1)

Posted on Sun Sep 6th, 2026 @ 3:22pm by Candy Templeton & Colonel Jack Patton & Lieutenant Kora Sidero

1,649 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Mission 6 - Candy Leads to Cavities
Location: Various Faltan Station
Timeline: MD001 0300 hrs

Jack had seen Candy's report of eight hours earlier. The report did not trouble him, it was the standard faire from the sub par succubus. What troubled him was the weapons that were brandished in the background. He had ruminated over it, wondered if he was the only one that had seen it. Confirmed that he was not when he spoke with his wife, and later Starfleet Security. He expected a call with an update, and as the hours passed and the call never came Jack got more and more on edge. His wife had gone to bed and he sat at his desk thinking.

The sound of an incoming message brought him out of his thoughts. He tapped the command on his computer and the image of a bleary eyed Vice Admiral Cornelius Harrington the Director of Starfleet Operations appeared on the screen. Jack smiled at his former CO. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this late hour."

Neil was tired and still in uniform, he had been in meetings all day. "Jack, we are going to have to catch up but sadly this is not a social call. I have been in meetings with Starfleet Security, and Intelligence all day. So, I am going to be brief and get to the point. Please forgive me." He ran his hand through his hair and across his chin. "Colonel I am ordering you to take Candy Templeton into custody. She is charged with treason, and sedition. We have evidence that she has been running weapons to the Falteans."

Jack leaned forward on his desk, he disliked the woman. But this, this was more than even he could handle. "Sir, should this order not be given to Captain M'Mira?" Neil raised a hand to quiet Jack before he could continue. "We are not sure if the Captain is in on it or not. So, you will have to make the arrest and run the investigation. Only allow those you trust in the know and proceed by the book. This case is too big to botch. Good luck BlackJack. Harrington out." The screen shown the seal of the Federation for a moment and then went black. Well that is both a surprise and not a surprise. It sure did not take long. He tapped his comm badge. "Patton to Sidero. Meet me in my office, five minutes." Without any further word he left his quarters and made his way to his office.

Kora sighed heavily and tapped her comm badge. "On my way." If Jack was calling her right now, there were very few things it could be and she suspected she knew what it was based on the reports that had been crossing her desk since she'd taken over her new position. Nothing to do but see if her predictions were right, she set her mug of tea in the replicator and slipped her boots back on and headed out her door towards the Colonel's office, her antique PaDD under one arm. Thankfully, it was late in the station's cycle so there weren't many people out so she was able to get there relatively quickly.

When she did get there, she pressed the chime and waited.

"Come on in Lieutenant, have a seat and help yourself if you want." Jack drank a cup of coffee. The server that had all of the coffee spread was next to Jack's ancestor's uniform on the manikin. On his desk was the pearl handled revolvers that also belonged to General George Patton. "I feel you will need the coffee and the seat for what I am about to talk to you."

Kora nodded silently before tapping an order for coffee into the replicator and taking a seat. "I don't normally drink coffee this late, but I get the feeling we're about to burn a lot of midnight oil. What's the situation, Colonel?"

Jack passed the PADD across his desk. "It seems that we have orders to arrest Candy Templeton. That is a warrant for her arrest on charges of treason, and sedition among others. As the Chief Security Officer it falls to you to make the arrest."

She just took the PADD and looked it over as she sipped her replicated coffee without commenting on it, but the way her brow furrowed you could tell she was deep in thought. "That is definitely my job. It also looks like everything is in order. I would prefer to do this somewhat publicly as I suspect she's got something cooking for us. I learned long ago that the more eyes on something, the easier it is to reveal the truth."

"As the XO of the Station it is my duty to assist you. My suggestion here is to go now. Middle of the night, wake her up and allow her to make fuss. She will wake the station as it were and there you will have your eyes. However, this needs to be by the book. Her rights are to be read publicly for witnesses to see. She is to be questioned with representation the whole nine yards. She is a reporter, and a shrewd one at that. We do not want her to spin any of this. Additionally, if she actually did any of this we need to make sure she goes away for a long time." Jack did not like Candy and that was no secret. However, he did not think she was capable of any of this.

The shorter woman downed the rest of the replicated degreaser in her cup and stood to return it to the replicator. "No time like the present then. Lt Sidero to security, have a team meet me at corridor junction..." She had to think for a moment, walking back through the corridors to a place where she could rendezvous with her people at without tipping off Ms Templeton. "Thirteen Jay."

"Roger, Lieutenant. On our way." The reply was quick and curt - they were a well trained team, just the way they needed to be. They'd be good observers and backup.

Jack stood up and straightened his uniform tunic. "Gear up and let's get to it then. Make sure you bring cuffs. As I said by the book." He pointed toward the door so they could get this over with. Jack would be lying if he said that there was not a small part of him that enjoyed this.

Candy, for her part, was sleeping pleasantly in her quarters. She had no hint of what was waiting for her. She had a facial mask on to make certain her face remained flawless. On her walls in the main portion of her quarters were trophies for various reporting awards. The color red was featured prominently in her decor. She squirmed lightly in her sleep and moaned softly from a pleasant encounter in her dreams.

It didn't take long for Lt Sidero and her team to arm and armor themselves with their standard loadout of holocams, phasers, cuffs, and light body armor. Once they had rallied at the designated point, she nodded and motioned with 2 fingers towards their destination, leading the team towards Candy's quarters. Without even waiting, she punched in her security override security code and the door slid open.

With just a nod from her, her team silently entered and cleared the entryway and stood guard with phasers at the ready as Kora strode in confidently looking around at the various trophies and decor before focusing on the woman in the bedroom. "Candy Templeton! You are hereby under arrest for crimes against the Federation. If you would be so kind as to wake up so we could proceed and take you in for questioning, we would be most appreciative." Rather than holding up a phaser, she held up the PaDD with the warrant and began reciting her rights.

Candy sat up, pushed her mask up on her head, and rubbed her eyes, certain that this was a bad dream. "Could you do me a favor?" she asked pleasantly. "Please pinch me. I would like to know that this is not a dream. Assuming that this is a dream, would you kindly find the real culprit? I would much prefer other types of dreams." She made a polite shooing motion with the back of her hand.

Lt Sidero didn't pause in her recitation of her rights, but finished reading them before lowering the PaDD and flipping out her handcuffs, one side quickly snapping closed over the hand that Candy had waved at them. "I assure you, madam, that this is indeed no dream and that we are here to take you to a secure location so that we may obtain information pursuant to the goal of finding the culprit. To that end, you are currently a suspect. Thus we are hereby arresting you. Preferably peacefully."

Jack stepped around Sidero so that Candy could see that he was there. "Candy, you have the right to remain silent. I suggest you exercise it. You are charged with Treason, Sedition, Terrorism, and Theft of Federation Property. This is not the place to discuss this. So, we can do this one of two ways. The first method is we give you some time to dress and we take you to Security quietly and that is that. This incidentally is the method that I prefer. The second is we cuff you and take you under guard where everyone can see. The choice is yours." Jack did not like Candy and that was no secret. However, he attempted to convey the severity of the situation, and that this was not about whether he liked her or not. It was about what she allegedly did.

[TO BE CONTINUED]

Colonel Jack Patton
Executive Officer
Faltan Station

Candy Templeton
FNS Reporter - The Sweet Truth

Lieutenant Kora Sidero
Chief Security Officer
Faltan Station

 

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