“Approximately four months ago a proximity beacon was detected in the Xi’an System,” Uba continued, unruffled. “It was first determined that this was some sort of ruse or even threat by the Asianic Union, even if our analysts didn’t fully understand the context. Three and a half weeks ago the prox beacon stopped and a full power emergency beacon was detected from the same ship. The coding of this ship’s emergency beacon wouldn’t have been something the AU was privy to.”

“Which ship are we talking about, Agent Uba?” Celesta asked.

“Starwolf-class destroyer, Seventh Fleet,” Uba said, his face impassive. “It’s not transmitting its registry, however, so that’s all we know.”

“Well we know that’s impossible,” Celesta said after a long, uncomfortable silence where she could sense everyone watching her closely. “Every Starwolf-class ship is accounted for and Tsuyo will not be making any more.”

“I’m well aware of that, Captain,” Uba said. “Our initial recon of the system indicates that there is something of appropriate mass, however, that is squawking classified codes identifying it as a Black Fleet destroyer. We have now been waiting here, one warp flight away, for your taskforce to arrive so that we may thoroughly debunk what our sensors are telling us and, if possible, link it back to the AU. Consider the second task our mission priority.”

“So the analysts are convinced that this is an AU ploy?” Kolsh asked.

“We believe so,” Uba nodded. “While we’re unsure how they would have gotten the proper code sequence for the transponder, we’re relatively certain there is no other logical explanation.”

“I’m inclined to agree,” Celesta nodded. “But why? If it’s supposed to be a message I’m afraid I don’t understand it.”

“Your former CO has become a reviled character behind the closed border of ESA space,” Captain McKenzie of the First Fleet frigate Midlands said, her accent identifying her as not a Britannia native despite her posting. “In order to absolve themselves from the blame for costing the lives of billions, the AU and Warsaw Alliance governments adopted an official position blaming the attacks on the reckless behavior of a certain Starfleet captain from Earth. As these things often go, he has been morphed into a nefarious caricature that some people believe led the Phage to them on purpose. Using a Starwolf-class beacon signal could be aimed at him. This might be some sort of propaganda effort as much for the benefit of their people as it is a message or warning to us.”