Posted by Lieutenant Commander Finn Grady (First Officer) in Main Sim - CNS Office - Colonist Profiling

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Samuel Andrew McIntyre (CNS) in Main Sim - CNS Office - Colonist Profiling

Posted by Gamemaster Amadeus (Gamemaster) in Main Sim - CNS Office - Colonist Profiling
Posted by… suppressed (16) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Finn left the captain’s ready room and made his way down to the counselor’s office with several PaDDs in hand. It seemed that, recently, he had been spending way too much time there. The counselor was great and all, as a person, but it was the rare Starfleet officer that wanted to have their mind analyzed regularly. Getting the counselor’s help on this particular project would be a great way to take the spotlight off himself and let the counselor analyze the minds of others.

He strolled up to the office door and rang the chime, wondering if he should have called ahead. This was something of a priority since they needed to have more information for the captain before they arrived in the Scallax system. If the rest of the crew felt like Finn did, maybe the counselor wouldn’t be that busy. Finn waited patiently for the counselor to acknowledge him.

Lieutenant Commander Grady - XO

” Enter, Commander. I wasn’t aware we had an appointment, sir.” Sam replied, rising to his full 6‘8 ” height from behind his desk.

Lt. J.G. Samuel A. McIntyre
Chief Counselor
USS Chimera • NCC-98730
Starfleet Medical Division
Starfleet Command

Finn stepped into the counselor’s office and gave a small, dismissive wave, “No appointment, counselor. The captain has actually given us some work to do.”

He held up one of the PaDDs and gave it a little shake.

“With the very real situation of separatists in the Scallax system, we are concerned that there may be a larger conspiracy going on. There’s a bunch of Federation citizens in the system, and we need to try and figure out what kind of a mess we are really warping into. Is Voss the only person who’s been pulled into the separatist movement, or are there others as well? The captain wants us to go over the profiles of the Federation citizens and see if we can figure out who all might be involved or sympathetic.”

He extended the PaDD toward the counselor and gave a weary grin.

Lieutenant Commander Grady - XO

McIntyre looked up as Finn entered and immediately recognized the difference in tone. This was not a personal counseling visit; this was an operational request requiring psychological assessment.

He accepted the PaDD and gave it a quick glance before setting aside his previous work.

“Understood. This is not a counseling session. You’re requesting a behavioral and sociological assessment.”

He activated the PaDD, reviewing the mission parameters involving the Scallax system and the suspected separatist movement.

“Separatist organizations rarely consist entirely of active members. Most movements have multiple layers: leadership, ideological supporters, passive sympathizers, individuals coerced by circumstance, and those simply caught in the environment. Our challenge is determining where people fall on that spectrum.”

McIntyre began reviewing the Federation citizen profiles.

“I’ll approach this from a behavioral analysis perspective. I’ll be looking for indicators such as radical ideological alignment, changes in social behavior, association patterns, financial anomalies, communication trends, and exposure to separatist messaging. I will also examine whether individuals demonstrate vulnerability factors that could make them susceptible to recruitment.”

He paused briefly, considering the broader implications.

“However, I want to be clear: disagreement with Federation policy, criticism of Starfleet, or support for greater local autonomy does not automatically indicate separatist involvement. Those are normal political expressions within the Federation. The assessment will focus on behavioral indicators and connections, not personal beliefs alone.”

McIntyre brought up a secure analysis interface.

“I’ll categorize the profiles into three preliminary groups: potential active participants, possible sympathizers or ideological supporters, and individuals with no significant indicators. Any assessments will include confidence levels and supporting evidence so command can make informed decisions.”

He looked back toward Finn.

“Provide me with Voss’s known associates, communication records, and the citizen registry for the system. I’ll cross-reference the information and build a psychological threat assessment for the captain.”

He returned to the PaDD.

“Give me some time with the data. If there is a larger network operating in Scallax, patterns should begin to emerge.”

Lt. J.G. Samuel A. McIntyre
Chief Counselor
USS Chimera • NCC-98730
Starfleet Medical Division
Starfleet Command

Finn nodded, “Definitely not looking for the standard political grumblings. We need to find people who might pose a credible threat or are likely to be involved with the separatist movement.”

He accepted the PaDD back and tapped a few commands to highlight any information they had been given on Voss’ contacts and communications as the counselor had asked before handing it back.

“I’ve given you access to whatever we have received from Intelligence. I guess that is a good place to start. The captain wants me to stick around and help out where I can with the profiling.”

Lieutenant Commander Grady - XO

“Very well, Commander. Unfortunately, one name stands above all the others: Tanod Orc. I strongly recommend that Colonel Hammond and his Marines begin preparations immediately should the Klingon warbird Harpy arrive. If Orc is involved, it would be prudent to assume the worst and be ready for any contingency.”

Lt. J.G. Samuel A. McIntyre
Chief Counselor
USS Chimera • NCC-98730
Starfleet Medical Division
Starfleet Command

Finn raised an eyebrow, “Klingons? I didn’t know they were involved at all in this system.”

He glanced down at the PaDD he was holding and began searching to bring up Orc to see what other information he could find.

“What’s his connection to Voss?”

Lieutenant Commander Grady - XO

Lieutenant JG Samuel McIntyre frowned slightly, immediately realizing he’d spoken too quickly.

“Klingons? No… my apologies. That was an error on my part.”

He shook his head once.

“I have no information indicating Klingon involvement in the Scallax system or in this investigation. Based on the captain’s briefing, our focus remains solely on Federation citizens who may have ties to the separatist movement.”

He looked back at the PaDD in his hands.

“As for Voss, I don’t have enough data yet to establish any direct connections. That’s precisely what this assessment is intended to determine. I’ll be looking for associations through communications, financial records, travel history, known acquaintances, and behavioral patterns. If there is a link between Voss and any other Federation citizen in the system, it should emerge during the analysis.”

McIntyre tapped the display thoughtfully.

“At this stage, I can’t identify any individual as connected to Voss without supporting evidence. I’d rather provide the captain with a cautious, evidence-based assessment than speculate and risk sending the investigation in the wrong direction.”

He nodded toward Finn.

“If you can obtain Voss’s complete personnel file and any intelligence Security has already compiled, I’ll incorporate it into the assessment and determine whether any meaningful connections exist.”

Lt. J.G. Samuel A. McIntyre
Chief Counselor
USS Chimera • NCC-98730
Starfleet Medical Division
Starfleet Command

“I’m confused, counselor, who is Tanod Orc?”

While he waited for an answer to that question, he glanced down at the PaDD and tapped a few commands, scrolling through the information on it.

“I think everything that isn’t redacted or classified is available in the files here,” he tapped the PaDD, “It seems like there is a lot of mystery surrounding this fellow and we are needing to know how many, if any, of the other colonists might have been turned to the separatist side. Depending on what is actually going on here their connection to Voss could be direct or through whoever may have turned him.”

He paused a minute to consider, “To be fair, I don’t even know if someone turned him or if he just got angry at something and turned himself. At any rate, we just need to make sure we profile these colonists to make sure we aren’t about to bring a whole nest of separatists onto the Chimera in the name of a rescue mission.”

Lieutenant Commander Grady - XO

Lieutenant JG Sam McIntyre listened to Finn’s question before answering, his expression becoming noticeably more serious.

“Tanod Orc isn’t a politician or an idealist,” he said evenly. “He’s a Klingon mercenary with no code of honor and no code of conduct. That’s what makes him particularly dangerous. Most Klingons, regardless of their allegiance, operate under some interpretation of honor. Orc doesn’t. He fights for whoever advances his interests, and he leaves a trail of violence behind him.”

McIntyre glanced briefly at the PaDD in Finn’s hands before continuing.

“Starfleet Intelligence has him listed as wanted in four different systems, including Federation space. Murder, piracy, arms trafficking, and supporting separatist cells have all been tied to his organization in one form or another. Whether he personally pulled the trigger is often impossible to prove, but his influence has been felt across this sector for years.”

He nodded toward the report.

“Your assessment is reasonable. We don’t know whether Voss had direct contact with Orc, whether he was recruited by someone working for him, or whether he was simply influenced by the separatist network Orc helped build. Until we establish that connection, we’re dealing with possibilities, not conclusions.”

McIntyre folded his arms.

“As for the colonists, I agree that we need to evaluate them before bringing them aboard the Chimera. We owe that to the crew. But we also have to avoid assuming guilt by association. Most civilians caught in situations like this are trying to survive, not wage an insurgency. Our job is to identify genuine security risks through interviews, behavioral observations, and evidence—not suspicion alone. If Orc has operatives among them, we’ll uncover them through a thorough investigation, not by treating every survivor as an enemy.”

Lt. J.G. Samuel A. McIntyre
Chief Counselor
USS Chimera • NCC-98730
Starfleet Medical Division
Starfleet Command

Finn’s face took on a more serious tone, “Ok, so this Orc fellow is some sort of rogue Klingon type operating on his own? I don’t want to risk sparking some sort of galactic incident that brings us to war with the Klingon Empire. I wonder why we didn’t hear about him before. Also, a Klingon without a code of honor is not great. The type of wildcard that I am not excited about.”

He thought on this for a second before speaking again, “I agree that we don’t want to treat the colonists like their enemies before we have evidence to the contrary. We just really need to know how big this separatist movement really is. Let’s start going through their personnel files and see what we find so I can report back to the captain.”

Lieutenant Commander Grady - XO

”

Sam McIntyre listened quietly, his expression thoughtful as Finn laid out his concerns. The mention of a Klingon operating outside the authority of the Empire was certainly troubling, but Sam was less interested in the warrior’s reputation than in the motivations behind his actions. “I agree with your assessment, Lieutenant. Orc being a rogue Klingon certainly complicates matters, but I think we should be careful not to let the possibility of a Klingon connection color our judgment of the colonists themselves. If we approach this assuming they are part of some larger conspiracy, we may end up creating the very hostility we’re trying to prevent.”
He paused, folding his hands behind his back as he considered the implications. “From a counseling perspective, I’d also recommend that we pay attention to the people who seem unusually fearful, defensive, or reluctant to discuss Orc. Fear doesn’t necessarily indicate guilt. In fact, if this separatist movement has been operating for some time, there may be colonists who have been pressured into cooperation or who simply don’t know who they can trust. That distinction could become extremely important if we’re trying to determine how widespread this actually is.”
Sam glanced toward the personnel records. “So yes, let’s start with the files. Look for connections, but don’t just look for names appearing together. Look for behavioral patterns, changes in loyalty, sudden transfers, unexplained absences, disciplinary issues, and anyone whose personal history intersects with Orc’s activities. If we can establish who is actually involved and who may simply be caught in the middle, we’ll have a much clearer picture to give the captain.”
His expression hardened slightly, though his tone remained measured. “And if Orc truly has abandoned the Klingon code of honor, then that makes him dangerous. But dangerous doesn’t automatically mean representative. Until we have evidence otherwise, I’d rather treat Orc as an individual actor than assume the Klingon Empire—or these colonists—are responsible for his actions. That distinction may be what keeps a difficult investigation from becoming an interstellar incident.”
If you want, I can also �⁠make Sam’s next post more heavily counselor-oriented, with him conducting a psychological profile of Orc and identifying what motivates him.

Lt. J.G. Samuel A. McIntyre
Chief Counselor
USS Chimera • NCC-98730
Starfleet Medical Division
Starfleet Command

OOC: I’m confused. Where did the name Tanrod Orc come from? And I don’t remember seeing the GM mentioned anything about him or mention of the Klingons. Is this just something you added to the GM’s story? –Terry

Ooc: I mentioned it to The Gm Terry so it got added until gm says otherwise sorry for the confusion

Lt. J.G. Samuel A. McIntyre
Chief Counselor
USS Chimera • NCC-98730
Starfleet Medical Division
Starfleet Command

OOC: I was confused about that too, Terry. Patrick, I wasn’t sure if you had a conversation with Matt that we all weren’t aware of so I just went along with you. Also, it looks like there’s maybe an AI prompt left in your post? You might want to watch out for in the future.

IC: Finn nodded, “Definitely hoping Orc is an individual agent.”

He gestured to one of the chairs in the counselor’s office. “I guess I’ll just make myself at home here for awhile while we pour through these files, if you don’t mind. I’ll let you know if I see anything and you can do the same so we can cross reference.”

Lieutenant Commander Grady - XO

Sam gave a small nod as Grady settled into one of the chairs, seemingly content to make the counselor’s office his temporary command post. He didn’t object; given the circumstances, having another set of eyes on the material was probably more useful than trying to work through everything alone.

“Works for me, Commander,” Sam said, turning his attention back toward the files spread across the display. “I’ll flag anything that looks like it connects Orc to a larger organization, and if I find something that doesn’t quite fit, I’ll bring it to you before drawing any conclusions.”

He leaned back slightly, scanning through another section of the records. The sheer volume of information made it difficult to separate meaningful connections from the usual bureaucratic noise, but that was precisely why cross-referencing would matter.

“If Orc really is an individual agent, there should be something in here that distinguishes them from the larger operation. Contacts, behavioral patterns, resources, movements—something. And if we find evidence pointing the other way, I’d rather know that sooner than later.”

Sam returned his attention to the files, leaving the room quiet except for the occasional sound of the console as they continued working through the material.

Lt. J.G. Samuel A. McIntyre
Chief Counselor
USS Chimera • NCC-98730
Starfleet Medical Division
Starfleet Command

As the two were going through the Colonist profiling, there was a group of offworld students from the Andorian Science Directorate. This years class had sent a group of students to Scallax to study cultural and economic factors surrounding Scallaxian development. There was about 20 names but for some reason this name floated to the surface.

Elara Blauc Wauld.

– GM Amadeus
USS Chimera

Sam remained silent for several moments as the list of students from the Andorian Science Directorate populated the display. Approximately twenty names appeared on the screen, each associated with the same general academic mission: studying the cultural and economic development of Scallax. At first glance, there was nothing particularly remarkable about the group. They were students, researchers, and observers operating under an entirely legitimate scientific mandate.

Then one name seemed to stand out.

Elara Blauc Wauld.

Sam leaned forward in his chair, his grey-blue eyes narrowing slightly as he studied the record. He did not immediately say that she was suspicious. His Marine Corps training had taught him something far more valuable than simply identifying threats: the ability to recognize when he did not have enough information to make a determination.

“Hold on.”

He enlarged Elara’s file and then opened the records for the other students beside it.

“This is where we need to be careful, Commander.”

His voice remained calm and deliberate.

“Her name being surfaced doesn’t make her a suspect. It makes her an anomaly. Those are two very different things.”

Sam began moving between the personnel records, comparing the students against one another.

“Twenty people came to Scallax for essentially the same academic purpose. That’s actually useful. We have a baseline.”

His attention shifted back to Elara’s file.

“If nineteen students have comparable travel patterns, academic assignments, communications, local contacts and financial activity, but one individual’s records deviate significantly, then we have something worth examining. But if she looks exactly like the other nineteen, then we may simply be looking at a coincidence.”

He paused, considering the implications.

“That’s one of the lessons counter-insurgency taught me. You don’t identify a network by finding someone who disagrees with the government. You identify it by finding behavior that connects people to the network.”

Sam brought up a second series of records.

“Political dissatisfaction isn’t enough. Supporting local autonomy isn’t enough. Even sympathy toward Scallaxian grievances isn’t enough. People are allowed to be unhappy with Federation policy.”

His expression hardened slightly.

“What matters is whether somebody moves from belief to action.”

He began listing the categories almost methodically.

“Recruitment. Material assistance. Financial transfers. Concealed communications. Coordinated travel. Intelligence gathering. Facilitation. Coercion. Unexplained meetings with known separatist figures. Anything demonstrating intent or capability.”

He glanced toward Finn.

“And there’s another possibility we shouldn’t overlook.”

Sam tapped Elara’s academic assignment information.

“These students are studying Scallaxian culture and economics. That means they’re probably talking to people we haven’t been able to talk to yet. They may have spent weeks interviewing local officials, business owners, community leaders, families and ordinary citizens.”

He leaned back slightly.

“That doesn’t make them separatists. It makes them potentially valuable sources of information.”

His expression became thoughtful.

“Elara may know something without realizing that she knows it. She could have encountered someone connected to the movement during her research. She could have been approached. She could have been manipulated. She could have developed a personal relationship with someone involved. Or there may be absolutely nothing there.”

Sam looked again at the name.

“And that’s precisely why I don’t want to start with the assumption that she’s involved.”

He opened the broader expedition records and began cross-referencing the students.

“I want to know what makes her different from the other nineteen first. Where she’s been. Who she’s spoken with. What communities she’s studied. Whether her research assignments changed. Whether she spent time outside the normal academic itinerary. Whether her communications pattern changed after arriving here.”

A faint smile crossed his face.

“Basically, we’re looking for the story the paperwork doesn’t tell us.”

He paused before adding more quietly:

“And if we find something concerning, I’ll want to know the reason behind it before we decide what it means.”

Sam’s military background was apparent in the precision of his approach, but there was something distinctly different from the soldier he had once been. He wasn’t hunting for an enemy. He was trying to understand a person.

“If Elara is involved, we need evidence. If she’s been manipulated, we need to know that. If she’s a victim, we need to recognize it. And if she’s completely innocent, then we need to be disciplined enough to leave her alone.”

He looked toward Finn.

“So let’s start with the baseline. Show me what the other students have been doing.”

Sam returned his attention to the personnel records, beginning the comparison.

“Then we’ll find out why Elara Blauc Wauld caught our attention.”

Lt. J.G. Samuel Andrew McIntyre
Chief Counselor
USS Chimera NCC-98730
Starfleet Medical Division
Starfleet Command

Finn glanced up and listed to the counselor’s words. He tapped a few commands to bring the student up on his own PaDD, looking briefly over some of the information.

“Counselor, why don’t you go to work creating a complete psychological profile for this Elara. I’ll keep searching for other names to add to that pile. I agree we are not looking at her as a suspect, just a person of interest, for now.”

He turned his attention back to his PaDD and began searching for more names.

Lieutenant Commander Grady - XO

Sam nodded as Finn returned his attention to the PaDD and began searching through the remaining colonist records. “Understood, Commander. I’ll start with Elara and keep the profile preliminary until we have something more substantial to work with. At this stage, I’m not interested in determining whether she is involved with the separatists. I’m interested in determining who she is, what motivates her, and whether anything about her behavior warrants a closer look.”

He pulled Elara’s personnel and academic records onto the primary display, then opened the corresponding files for the other members of the Andorian Science Directorate expedition. Rather than immediately focusing on the individual differences, Sam began establishing a comparative baseline. Academic history, field of study, previous assignments, travel history, professional evaluations, social connections, and the stated purpose of the Scallax expedition were arranged across the display.

“The first thing I want is context,” Sam explained. “Twenty students came here for essentially the same reason. That gives us nineteen comparison points. If Elara’s behavior is unusual, I want to know whether it is genuinely unusual or simply appears that way because we’re looking at her record in isolation.”

He moved into the psychological portion of the file, reviewing the information available on Elara’s academic performance and professional evaluations. There was no point attempting to manufacture a diagnosis from a personnel record, and Sam knew better than to confuse personality traits with evidence of criminal behavior. Instead, he looked for broader behavioral indicators: patterns of adaptability, interpersonal relationships, response to authority, stress tolerance, decision-making, and whether there had been any significant changes in her behavior before or during the Scallax assignment.

“I’m also going to establish a timeline,” Sam continued. “If something happened to her after she arrived here, the timing may matter more than the event itself. A change in communication patterns, academic interests, social associations, or even routine could tell us more than a single unusual entry in a personnel file.”

He paused over one section of the record and enlarged it before comparing it with the corresponding information from several other students. His expression remained neutral, but his attention sharpened as he worked.

“There’s another distinction I want to make before we go any further. We shouldn’t confuse exposure with allegiance. These students are studying Scallaxian culture and economics. By definition, they’re going to have contact with people who may hold anti-Federation views. They may have heard separatist arguments, interviewed dissidents, or even developed sympathy for some of the local grievances. None of that establishes participation.”

Sam looked over toward Finn.

“If Elara has been approached by someone connected to the movement, that’s potentially important. If she voluntarily sought them out, that’s more significant. If she provided information, resources, transportation, or other assistance, that’s more significant still. And if she was pressured or manipulated into doing something, then we’re dealing with a potential victim rather than an accomplice.”

He returned to the display and began building a chronological profile.

“I’d also like Security to eventually provide us with the expedition’s local contact information and access records, assuming they have them. Not because I want to start treating these students like suspects, but because social networks matter. If Elara repeatedly interacted with one particular person or community outside the normal research itinerary, we need to understand why.”

Sam leaned back slightly, studying the assembled information.

“So far, I’m not going to give you a threat assessment. It’s premature. What I can give you is a behavioral baseline and identify areas that warrant additional investigation. Once we have those, we can determine whether there’s an actual pattern.”

His attention shifted briefly toward Finn’s PaDD.

“And while you continue looking for other names, I’ll keep comparing Elara against the rest of the expedition. If we find several people exhibiting the same unusual pattern, that changes the picture considerably. It could indicate coordination, but it could just as easily indicate that they’re all responding to the same local circumstances.”

A faint, thoughtful smile crossed his face.

“That’s the advantage of having twenty people in the same study group. If one of them is an outlier, the other nineteen give us something to measure against.”

Sam returned to Elara’s file, his expression becoming focused once more.

“Let’s see what her record tells us before we decide what her story is.”

Lt. J.G. Samuel Andrew McIntyre
Chief Counselor
USS Chimera NCC-98730
Starfleet Medical Division
Starfleet Command