“Those who need greater ‘leverage’ to be kept in check,” T’Pol interpreted.
“Exactly,” Hemnask said. “But the stolen files could expose other secrets, secrets that are necessary for any business. Patented designs, proprietary formulas and techniques, the particulars of confidential deals and agreements. Information about a company’s health or future profit potential which could lead to insider trading or disruptive runs on the market. The Families could use this information to blackmail countless businesses across Rigel and beyond—or to intentionally destabilize them. They could cripple Rigel’s economy and weaken our ability to keep their piracy and corruption in check.”
“Or weaken your defenses,” Reed said from the screen. “Admiral, our forensic scans show evidence that the assailants beamed themselves and their captives out of the vault. They’re working with someone who has transporter technology. Maybe the Orions, the Malurians, even the Klingons. Whoever it is, they must have something to gain by undermining the RTC.”
Jahlet frowned. “But the vault is deep inside a mountain. Even transporters should not penetrate.”
Reed’s science officer, Lieutenant Sangupta, fielded that one. “They had a portable transporter relay stationed near the entrance to the mountain. It beamed them out of the vault and into its own buffer, and from there to a waiting ship.”
“Have you identified the ship?” T’Pol asked.
Sangupta grimaced. “Unfortunately, it sent out decoy signals to half the ships in orbit, several of which left orbit minutes later.”
Reed’s armory officer, Valeria Williams—whom Archer knew well, for his right-hand man Marcus Williams was her doting father—elaborated. “We and the Rigelian authorities have already searched and cleared several of them—we think they were uninvolved and just had signals beamed to them to throw us off. But we think most of the rest were deliberate decoys. And several of them made stops at other planets or stations in the system before they could be searched. They’ve had plenty of time to move their captives elsewhere—especially if they’re using transporters. Grev and Sam could be anywhere in the system by now, if they’re even still in the system.”
“It doesn’t help that this attack has elements pointing to multiple worlds,” Reed added. “Vons is from Rigel V, the killers used knives made by the hill people of Rigel IV, and the DNA evidence suggests they got past the guards using a reptilian creature native to Rigel III—something called a hypnoid, which can project telepathic illusions. Not to mention whatever offworld power provided the transporter. Our problem, Admiral,” he finished, a grimace distorting his goatee, “is that we have too many leads.”
Archer frowned, taking in the bad news. “But why would they take our people?” he asked.
“The secure files are heavily encrypted,” Hemnask replied. “Even Vons would not be able to access them without at least two other directors’ codes. Starfleet communications officers are renowned for their skills with language and translation. Code breaking is a similar art.”
“And, sir,” Hoshi Sato said to Archer, “I know Ensign Grev. He’s got a real gift for languages, and he’s studied all my methods for translation and decryption—even improved on a couple.”
T’Pol considered. “The historian may have been taken to help assess the context and relevance of the deciphered data. Or perhaps he is simply a hostage for Mister Grev’s cooperation.”
“They are friends,” Reed verified. “But then, most everyone on Pioneer is a friend of Grev’s. We’re determined to get him back any way we can. And Mister Kirk, of course.”
“You will have the Commission’s full cooperation,” Hemnask told him.
“I appreciate the gesture, Director,” Reed said. “But we both know your highest priority is the recovery of your archives.”
“And it must be yours as well, Captain,” T’Pol told him, “given the risk to the stability of the Rigelian system if they are not recovered in time.”
Reed exchanged a look with her for a moment, then nodded. “Of course, Captain. I understand.” Archer knew that Malcolm Reed would be the first to remind him of a Starfleet officer’s duty to sacrifice oneself for others. If Grev and Kirk had absorbed any of their captain’s values, Archer knew they would both place the archive’s rescue—or destruction—over their own survival, given the need to choose. But being captain, Archer also knew, had a way of changing a person’s perspective. Sacrificing those under one’s command was a far harder call to make than sacrificing oneself.