Catch & Release

ADVOCACY ARCHIVE
INTRA-AGENCY MESSAGES

Received 2944-11-04_09:12 SET
TO: SAC MATHILDE PRADCHAPHET
CC:
FROM: SA GORE MENDAL
CaseFile#pt-45e1dl [Digital Larceny / Origin]

Good news, sir. I think we got the S.O.B.

Working with BH Adalai Gorne panned out. Just finished processing the handoff and we have the suspect in custody now. My gut’s telling me this is our guy.

The perp is one Rigs Bakas; discharged Navy starman (rec#49921a1-5j), no priors, and no employment record post-service till he shows up at FTL 9 months ago. If the name’s familiar, sir, it’s because we brought in Bakas as part of the first round of questioning. He was released since he had no direct contact with the Goldfinch files after Origin brought them in to FTL, but it’s no longer seeming like that’s the case. Turns out that Bakas as a “senior runner” was in charge of double-checking that the junior couriers were adhering to the company’s policies concerning food and other contraband in the changing area; more specifically, impromptu locker inspections. This means that Bakas could have had access to the courier Colby’s transport-Glas before the Goldfinch files were ever placed on it, and given himself a backdoor. A loose connection for sure, but it turns out (and this is the part where Adalai gets the nod) that the files released onto spec were unpacked using a cryptkey that FTL only distributed to employees during a 6-month stretch where they were switching vendors. Guess who started work doing the last month of those 6 months? Preliminary searches on Bakas’ personal effects and accounts haven’t turned up anything yet, but we’ve tossed his Glas up to d4 to see if they uncover anything with their forensic voodoo.

If Adalai’s info checks out on Bakas like I think it will, she deserves every bit of the credits Origin posted for the bounty.

Gore Mendal
Special Agent
BadgeID 92312h
Office of the Advocacy
Prime, Terra III, Terra

Received 2944-11-04_09:17 SET
TO: SA GORE MENDAL
CC: SC PENELOPE SONTA; ASC DARVIS LENN
FROM: SAC MATHILDE PRADCHAPHET
Re: CaseFile#pt-45e1dl [Digital Larceny / Origin]

This is outstanding work, Mendal. There has been a lot of attention on this case and I think everyone will be relieved that we are close to filing charges on this one. I have signed off approval for Gorne, so as soon as charges are filed she’ll get her bounty. I have looped in SC Sonta and ASC Lenn as they’ve expressed a desire to be kept abreast of any developments. Let us know when you hear back from d4.

Mathilde Pradchaphet
Special Agent-in-Charge
Office of the Advocacy
Prime, Terra III, Terra

Received 2944-11-04_09:18 SET
TO: SA GORE MENDAL
CC: SC PENELOPE SONTA; SAC MATHILDE PRADCHAPHET
FROM: ASC DARVIS LENN
Re: CaseFile#pt-45e1dl [Digital Larceny / Origin]

Excellent news. Can’t wait till we’re ready to tell Friskers.

Darvis Lenn
Assistant Section Chief
Office of the Advocacy
Prime, Terra III, Terra

Received 2944-11-04_09:18 SET
TO: SA GORE MENDAL
CC: ASC DARVIS LENN; SAC MATHILDE PRADCHAPHET
FROM: SC PENELOPE SONTA
Re: CaseFile#pt-45e1dl [Digital Larceny / Origin]

Good work, agent.

Penelope Sonta
Section Chief
Office of the Advocacy
Prime, Terra III, Terra

Received 2944-11-04_09:25 SET
TO: SA GORE MENDAL
CC: ASC DARVIS LENN; SAC MATHILDE PRADCHAPHET
FROM: SC PENELOPE SONTA
Re: #URGENT# CaseFile#pt-45e1dl [Digital Larceny / Origin]

Agent Mendal,

New information has recently come to light, and the Advocacy no longer considers Rigs Bakas to be a suspect. Your current orders are to release him from detention ASAP and return to him all personal property being held as evidence.

Thank you for your compliance,

Penelope Sonta
Section Chief
Office of the Advocacy
Prime, Terra III, Terra

Received 2944-11-04_09:27 SET
TO: SC PENELOPE SONTA
CC: ASC DARVIS LENN; SAC MATHILDE PRADCHAPHET
FROM: SA GORE MENDAL
Re: #URGENT# CaseFile#pt-45e1dl [Digital Larceny / Origin]

I’m sorry, I don’t understand. With all due respect, why would we release him before we conclude our investigation? What could this new information possibly be? As lead agent on this case I have a right to know if it has any bearing on the inquiries I am making.

Gore Mendal
Special Agent
BadgeID 92312h
Office of the Advocacy
Prime, Terra III, Terra

Received 2944-11-04_09:31 SET
TO: SA GORE MENDAL
CC: ASC DARVIS LENN; SAC MATHILDE PRADCHAPHET
FROM: SC PENELOPE SONTA
Re: #URGENT# CaseFile#pt-45e1dl [Digital Larceny / Origin]

With all due respect, agent, I am under no obligation to explain myself to you. Release him. That is an order.

SAC Pradchapet, I am trusting that you’ve instructed your agents as to what an order is.

Penelope Sonta
Section Chief
Office of the Advocacy
Prime, Terra III, Terra

Received 2944-11-04_09:32 SET
TO: SC PENELOPE SONTA
CC: ASC DARVIS LENN; SA GORE MENDAL
FROM: SAC MATHILDE PRADCHAPHET
Re: #URGENT# CaseFile#pt-45e1dl [Digital Larceny / Origin]

Of course, sir. We will take care of it.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Mathilde Pradchaphet
Special Agent-in-Charge
Office of the Advocacy
Prime, Terra III, Terra

Received 2944-11-04_09:33 SET
TO: SAC MATHILDE PRADCHAPHET
CC:
FROM: SA GORE MENDAL
Re: #URGENT# CaseFile#pt-45e1dl [Digital Larceny / Origin]

Misunderstanding?!? This is bullshit, Matty, and you know it! There’s no way I’m releasing this guy.

Received 2944-11-04_09:39 SET
TO: SA GORE MENDAL
CC:
FROM: SAC MATHILDE PRADCHAPHET
Re: #URGENT# CaseFile#pt-45e1dl [Digital Larceny / Origin]

Check your tone, Agent Mendal.

Like it or not, this is an order from on high. We follow it. End of story.
Cut him loose, or I find a new agent for this case.

Mathilde Pradchaphet
Special Agent-in-Charge
Office of the Advocacy
Prime, Terra III, Terra

Received 2944-11-04_09:53 SET
TO: SAC MATHILDE PRADCHAPHET
CC:
FROM: SA GORE MENDAL
Re: #URGENT# CaseFile#pt-45e1dl [Digital Larceny / Origin]

I’m sorry. I let my anger get the better of me and for that I really do apologize.

But listen to me, sir, this isn’t right. I know that Bakas is connected to this whole mess one way or another. You should have seen him in processing. Ice the whole time. Hell, now I’m starting to think that he expected to get out of here as soon as we had him in cuffs. When I asked him if he wanted to comm anyone he said he “didn’t need to.”

On top of that, when I was digging into FTL, I learned that there was another purported data breach a few months back. Some piece of work named Burnett was brought in by Hennessy over in Oya for swiping some weapon schematics. A day after he was in custody he was released again for “booking irregularities.” Something bigger is going on here, Matty.

Despite my better judgment, I’m releasing Bakas now, but until you order me to stop, I’m going to keep looking into this case through any means possible.

Gore Mendal
Special Agent
BadgeID 92312h
Office of the Advocacy
Prime, Terra III, Terra

Received 2944-11-04_17:04 SET
TO: SA GORE MENDAL
CC:
FROM: DIR. THOMAS CARMODY
Re: #URGENT# CaseFile#pt-45e1dl [Digital Larceny / Origin]

Hello Agent Mendal,

We have not yet had the opportunity to meet, but I believe, in light of recent events, it may be the time to rectify that.

I am on my way to Prime now. Do you know of a good, out of the way tea house where we may share a drink?

Thomas D. Carmody
Director
Office of the Advocacy
New York, Earth, Sol

END EXCHANGE