((Shipyard Central, Conference room))

It was set to be another busy week in the SBB shipyard. Full scale construction had begun on 3 different ships and the keeps for 2 small support vessels were about to be layed. Construction times for Shran class ships had been averaging 2.5 months, but they were going to try and get the next one done in 65 days. Another 4 ships would be coming in over the next few days for overhauls or repairs.

“Any questions?” The deputy director asked as their Monday morning briefing was nearly complete.

“I might need you to authorize a few hours of OT if you want that last freighter loaded by the end of the day, sir. But it’s doable.” Traan replied from the far end of the table.

“No need for OT Lt, just do what you can, anything you all don’t get loaded can be finished be beta shift.” Just then the Deputy Director comm badge chirped and he was told someone was waiting outside for him.

After exiting, he returned a few minutes later with a redshirted JAG Lt in tow.

“It appears there’s a slight change of plan folks. This is Lt. Hart, and they have an announcement to make.” The room full of shipyard officers all turned to look at the new arrival.

Jade took a small step forward and tried her best to offer a reassuring smile. She knew what came next was going to be difficult. “Thank you. I’ll keep this brief. Earlier this morning, I received sworn testimony that one or possibly both of the vessels currently berthed in bay 5 may contain material evidence that is extremely relevant to an ongoing JAG investigation. Because of that fact, under Starfleet JAG regulations, I have with me a Cease-and-Desist Order here effective immediately.”

She offered her PADD containing the order out to the deputy director standing in front of her. She waited until after he took and started reviewing it before speaking again. “What this means for you is that all repair and overhaul work on both ships is to cease until further notice. Any further modifications, even routine ones, could risk the destruction of or compromise of evidence. This would undermine the case we are preparing.” She took a second to pause and allow the seriousness of the situation to settle.

“I understand that this will cause a significant disruption to your schedules and know that I do not issue this order lightly. I apologize for the delay and issues it will cause. But the integrity of the investigation must take precedence. My team will begin inspections within the next twenty-four hours. Once we have secured all relevant materials, I will personally and formally release these vessels back to your control so that repairs can be resumed as quickly as possible. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. If there are any questions, I will receive them now.” She stopped speaking and looked around her waiting for the array of questions she knew was coming.

To her suprise, the room stayed relatively quiet. Aside from some uncomfortable shifting of butts in chairs, no one said anything right away. Though the Head of Repair Docks eventually leaned over and whispered something to his shift leader who was seated next to him.

“Begin inspecting within 24 hours Lt? That’s not regs, if you’re issuing the cease and desist order that means you have to begin immediately. Its stated right here. This also states that you will be completed within 48 hours. Leaving the possibility that you might get done sooner if we give you full and immediate access, right?” The old shipyard salt had been through things like this countless times, and he knew exactly which section of the padd to scroll to. He thumbed his receipt of the cease-and-desist order and handed it back to the Lt.

Hart accepted the PADD back, scanning the regulation highlighted. She gave a small nod. “You’re correct, Director. The standard language does in fact call for immediate commencement of inspection once a Cease-and-Desist order has been served. However, there is an exception and most certainly applies in this case. There is a caveat further down in that same section that provides an exception that allows up to twenty-four hours when necessary, in order to secure accommodations, assemble the appropriate investigative team, and ensure that the evidence can be obtained and examined without risk of interference.”

She set the PADD on the table, folding her hands over it and offering a small smile. “That’s what I was invoking, and I apologize for not speaking clearly at first. I do not have my full team on-site yet as I just learned of this situation this morning. Without my team ready and assembled, the inspection risks being incomplete or challenged later on procedural grounds. These regulations we are speaking of are designed to ensure that we move quickly, yes, but not recklessly.”

Her gaze swept through the room, steady but not combative. “Now, with that being said – if your crews can provide my people immediate access and logistical support, we can begin preliminary sweeps today. Once my full team arrives, we will move to full inspection, and I will push them hard to finish ahead of the forty-eight-hour deadline. The sooner we can clear these ships, the sooner they can be back in your hands.”

She tapped the PADD once, decisively. “I assure you that I am not trying to be difficult and I will deliver the ships back to you as quickly as I can. But here is what I need: both ships secured as-is. No further work orders are to be executed and a small liaison detail from your side will need to be assembled in order to facilitate safe entry for my investigators. You have my word that we will work as efficiently and quickly as we are able to. Does this satisfy your concerns?”

“Certainly, I will assign one of my best people to liase with you to make sure you have all the equipment and access you need. Do this by the book, but efficiently. We’ve been ordered to cooperate, so we’ll cooperate fully.” The old yellowshirted Commander said.

Traan head sunk a bit and his antennae furrowed ever so slightly as he had an idea of what was coming. The Deputy Director had mentioned wanting to promote Ensign Horvath up to jay gee the day before.

“Traan, you’re assigned to work with the Lt here, make sure she has everything she needs. Get Horvath to cover for you running the show. Skelly (the repair docks head), get your crews to drop everything and remove themselves from the 2 ships parked in Bay 5. Get your people going and then meet me in my office we’ll plan out how to redistribute your work crews until we get the ships signed back over to us. Get it done people, dismissed.” He was a professional, but there was an understandable hint of annoyance in his voice.

A chorus of yes sirs, and people leaving the room followed. Traan swiveled his chair and stood up, revealing that he was easily a head taller than Jade. “Looks like I’m yours Lt. I’ll clear your people for access, and you just let me know whatever you need.”

Lt Hart rose to meet Traan’s gaze, her posture crisp but her tone measured. “Thank you, Lieutenant. I appreciate your cooperation. It makes all the difference in keeping this efficient and by the book. I know how disruptive this is to your schedules.”

“Honestly, the 2 smaller ships in bay 5 are the least of our worries, is the cascade of follow on delays that will cause issues for us, but we get it. You’ve got a job to do just like us.” Traan moved to depart but Jade had a reply ready which stopped him.

She turned to Traan, offering the faintest of professional smiles. “Very good, Lieutenant. You and I will be working closely for the next forty-eight hours. First, I’ll need a secure workspace where me and my team can process any material we pull from the ships, along with access to the yard’s system interface for record authentication. We’ll keep our footprint as light as possible. Once my investigators arrive, we will need an escorted entry into both vessels. Until then, you and I can start with chain-of-custody checks, power-down verification, and isolating access corridors so there’s no chance of accidental contamination.”

She tapped the PADD against her palm, then added more quietly, just for him: “I know this isn’t exactly the assignment you were hoping to receive today. But if we get this right, we’ll have both ships back to your crews faster than anyone expects. Let’s make it clean.”

“Sounds good to me…working in this shipyard I’ve learned to expect anything but a hard day’s work and a headache usually Lt….I get right on all of that. We can give you a secure loading dock near bay 5 so that you and your team won’t have to commute very far. I’ll meet you back here in 5 or 10 minutes.” Traan said, then headed out into the shipyard control center.

‘Just my luck’ he thought. As the shipyard operations guy liaising with the JAG he would be blamed for all the schedule backlogs this would cause, in people’s minds if not in actual fact. But Traan quickly realized the deputy director would have only put him on this dog and pony show detail if he trusted him. So, there was that at least.