Matthew Reynolds
Rear Admiral
"It's good to have an end to a journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end."
Registered: Apr 28, 2005 20:58:32 GMT
Posts: 2,759
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Post by Matthew Reynolds on Oct 22, 2008 3:16:58 GMT
"I think its worth a try, Captain. With your permission, I'd like to scan using a confined bandwidth and see if that turns anything up.
"Alright ensign, I want that ship found and the quicker we do it the better," Matt said as he more proactively began to search for the ship that had been eluding them for hours. He wasn't sure but the young commanding officer felt that they were getting close to their objective. Even though he couldn't see the shuttle with his eyes his gut was telling him to be on his toes.
“Sommers to Seraph, I’ve got a solid lock on the trail of the ship we are following on sensors,” the first officer reported.
"Commander send us your data, so that we can extrapolate were the ship might be now," Matt ordered," I would like to use the beam as soon as possible."
“Captain, I have an idea. I don’t think we’re going to catch them before we get there, and if we pull up in either the Seraph or the Sommers, and especially both, we will gain too much attention at a place like this. The Seraph would never go unnoticed, but the Sommers...looks more standard, and if damaged could easily pass as stolen.”
"Commander what are you getting at?"Matt asked pretty sure where this conversation was going. He knew that some areas in these sectors were dangerous, but he was not comfortable sending his first officer out there alone. Knowing that Megan's plan was a sound idea, Matt decided that he would amend her plan a little bit.
“If the Seraph were to fire a few shots across the hull, no one would ask any questions, and we could continue to investigate on the station with someone remaining behind with the yacht receiving sensor telemetry from the Sommers and providing a backup.” Commander Garrett said,“What do you think, Sir?”
"I like your idea Commander, but I will not let you go into that starbase alone," Matt said," Commander Pride and Ensign Tavik will be joining you on the starbase. I will stay behind on the Seraph. I'm sending the Jefferson all per net information as we speak. Just tell me where you want the Sommers to be damaged."
(Megan/Desert/Tavik)
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desertpride
Guest
Registered: Mar 28, 2024 9:18:54 GMT
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Post by desertpride on Oct 22, 2008 12:31:18 GMT
Looking up at the captain he was going to say something but he wasn't sure how to put it. There was a reason why he had Commander Garrette stay futher back he just couldn't put a finger on it. Her ship was giving off a strange energy pattern he had seen before but couldn't remember still orders were orders and maybe he could figure it out. Something about her ship not so much the way it looked but the pattern was very familure.
"Captain might I suggest a change of clothes in case we have to leave the ship. Nobody in the world is going to believe 3 officer stole a shuttle and left star fleet. I would also suggest a change in weapons to in case something a little more evil looking. I have long since learned the more mean you look the less people want to mess with you" <Tag Reynolds>
He still wasn't sure how he was going to function on the Commander ship he was going to have to block his sense out which was going to take a great deal of energy from him. His people had help develope his mind he could block his emotions but his sense were always on he hadn't mastered being able to switch them off. Thats when it hit him now he was remembering where he had felt that energy pattern. It was becoming clear to him and he was alittle concerned how a certain commander had gotten her hands on that equipment. He couldn't prove anything yet he would need time for that.
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Deleted
Registered: Mar 28, 2024 9:18:54 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2008 19:24:02 GMT
Though Nathan would much rather spend his time off with his family, he felt the dire need to be able to protect them. His best bet for protection right now was Jayden, who was keeping close quarters on his rifle. Even his father was capable of defending himself if need be, though the doctor hoped it wouldn't come to that. Quietly, after a moment of debate, he nodded.
"Jayden already showed me the basics of firing a phaser," he explained as they walked out of his quarters. But not, of course before he had bid his partner and father farewell for now. Dutifully, and carrying his phaser, he followed the young woman to the holodeck, then waited with a certain amount of impatience for her to load the program.
As they entered, he listened and watched as she demonstrated, like Jayden had done, how to change the settings on his phaser, and how to aim and fire. Though he knew how to change the settings, and reasonably aim and fire, he was a long way off from his target. Looking somewhat annoyed, Nathan gripped the phaser tightly in his left hand, then balanced it with his right. After a few attempts, and still using both hands, he finally managed to hit his target in the center.
But, he needed to be able to fire with using just the one hand. Chagrined, he scowled at the girl when things weren't moving quickly enough, but then again, how was he expected to learn this quick? People at his age just didn't learn things as quickly anymore as opposed to when they were younger, now did they?
Marina seemed bemused as he struggled with the weapon, especially since he hated having to use it. "Can we do something else now?" he asked, after firing off another round of bright orange beams, both hitting and missing the target even though the hits now outnumbered the misses. "I'm getting tired of this." He wondered if he'd fare any better at self defense as he knew he could pack a mean punch if he wanted to. His strength, after all, lay in his arms and shoulders. He just had no real endurance anymore, as he hadn't really trained since his heart attack. Not that he was out of shape, far from it. He was in reasonably good shape, despite his lack of good health lately.
He lay the phaser aside and faced the security officer, an expectant look on his face.
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Deleted
Registered: Mar 28, 2024 9:18:54 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2008 3:44:48 GMT
"Can we do something else now? I'm getting tired of this.” The doctor hadn’t been anywhere near enigmatic about his ‘enjoyment’ of this particular exercise. Marina had been having fun practicing her phaser skills at the same time and actually found Nathan’s slight grumpiness kind of cute, and at the very least amusing. If she were to be honest with herself, the security officer was getting bored with target practice too, but this wasn’t about her. Doctor van Breughel needed to learn these skills, but he didn’t seem to have the patience for it. However, that was still no excuse for not learning. Glancing at his pleading face, Ensign Garrett suddenly had a better idea.
“Have you ever heard of Velocity?” she asked, laughing at the rather disgusted look on his face at the question. “Ok…so you have. I suggest you learn how to play. I’d start playing against the computer, until your skills are good enough to not stun your opponent, but after that you could play with Jayden. It’s a lot of fun, it’s very good exercise, and it’d help you learn and keep your skills without target practice.”
Nathan still didn’t look happy, so Marina tried a different approach. “Look...I get it. You’re a doctor, so you see a phaser as a weapon. I don’t see it like that. It’s a tool, and like any tool, it’s how you use it that matters. If you think about it, a laser scalpel can be used as a weapon too, but you use it to save lives. I started training in self defense and with phasers to protect myself and later to protect others. A well timed phaser shot can save lives, Nathan, and set to stun, it can even save the life of the person it’s aimed at,” the security officer said, but she didn’t get a response.
“I’m not saying you should carry one around everywhere all the time, but carrying it when it is needed, and knowing how to use it can save lives, including your own and including your family’s. It’s far more dangerous to not know how to use one. I am going to teach you really quick how to play, and then we’ll move on, but I want you to think about that and consider playing it on a regular basis,” Marina insisted.
Striding to the control panel, the security officer switched the program, brought up a basic Velocity court with the programmed hover target in the center. Briefly, she explained the game and played a computer match, where the opponent was another hoverball designed to predict and imitate the abilities of an opponent. Fortunately, she was able to beat level one, as she hadn’t played in awhile. Wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, Marina grinned at him. “Not as easy as it sounds, huh? It’s a lot more fun with another person, but do you want to give it a try anyways?”
<Tag Nathan>
~
=/\=I like your idea Commander, but I will not let you go into that starbase alone. Commander Pride and Ensign Tavik will be joining you on the starbase. I will stay behind on the Seraph. I’m sending the Jefferson all per net information as we speak. Just tell me where you want the Sommers to be damaged,=/\= the Captain replied.
Grinning, Megan responded. “I’m sending Commander Pride a list of spatial coordinates in relative position to the Sommers, as well as specific weapon’s levels and angles. It won’t really cause any damage, but I’ll blow out one of the impulse engines to give the appearance it did.” The First Officer knew Matt would never let her go alone, but she was grateful that she didn’t have to fight him on the starbase being no place for a Starfleet Captain, so that certainly made her job a lot easier.
“Once the damage is done, we’ll be leaking some radiation, which will mask your shuttle in our wake. I’ll set a course to pass by the system’s star, where you’ll stay hidden. I’ll transmit all sensor telemetry to you on an encoded frequency while we’re there. We won’t need to transfer Ensign Tavik and Commander Pride or blow out the impulse engine until we’re about to enter the system. I have a plan in mind, so they should both arrive in standard, inconspicuous civilian’s clothes, as there isn’t exactly room to change over here,” Megan suggested, already handing over helm control to the computer and retracting the consoles. Luckily, the Sommers was well prepared for almost any contingency, so everything she needed was already here.
Crossing to the back of the ship, Commander Garrett activated a control panel that opened to reveal a wide array of devices, carefully stored inside. She had almost everything she needed on her already, except for a few things. Selecting a small, slim, circular device, Megan set that aside before retrieving three groups of three, even tinier devices and carefully lining them up on the ledge. Next, she got rid of her uniform, except for the non-descript black body suit she wore underneath. The agent may have understood why the Captain insisted she take the others too, and she would go along with that, but part of her knew this would be...embarrassing...
Reaching up, the Commander carefully released her hair from the pins and shook it out a bit. She could have gone with holographic hair, but it always felt weird and drove her crazy. Carefully affixing the circular device to the bottom of her boot, she accessed its programming through the console and in a few minutes, the black suit shimmered away to reveal a much different look. Tapping a few more panels, a full length mirror temporarily appeared, and Megan surveyed her appearance grimly. ‘Yup…I look like a high end Dabo girl…’ she moaned to herself, but there was no avoiding the necessity of it. This, plus her act, would sufficiently embarrass herself.
After deleting the mirror, placing her uniform inside the storage cabinet, and making a few tweaks to the hair program, Megan momentarily switched the personal stealth generator to assume the appearance of her uniform, just to make herself feel more comfortable until the arrival of the other two officers. Securing the rest of the equipment they would need, Commander Garret closed the compartment and transformed the interior of the shuttle back to standard in preparation for their arrival before sitting at the helm. Now, she was ready. Once they stopped and completed the firing pattern, it would be an hour before they got there. Then, the fun would begin.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2008 6:43:30 GMT
Unimpressed, Nathan watched as she showed him how the game worked. While it did look appealing as a good workout, something he did enjoy, the use of a phaser to achieve it didn't do at all. Of course, she did have a point; a single phaser shot could save lives...besides wasn't that why he was learning now?
"I'll see if I can get Jayden to help me out on this," he offered, as he returned the phaser to the clip at his belt. "For now, I'd realy like to learn to defend myself. What if someone attacks me in my quarters, Jayden isn't at hand or incapacitated. What then?"
He waited for her to deactivate the program and set up a new one. In that time, he contacted Cyle to see if he made any headway in getting the content of that message to him. "It's my message major," he insisted, "it was sent to me. I have a right to learn of its contents."
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Deleted
Registered: Mar 28, 2024 9:18:54 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2008 6:14:50 GMT
D'Etora by Valad Tavik T'Ress by T'Ress
D'Etora ran as fast as she could. She heard screams all around her. The smell of rotting corpses stabbed at her nose and lungs. She ran further and further away, trying to get away. She ran, ran, ran. She stumbled and fell into a large crevice. She fell and fell and fell until . . . .
D'Etora woke, sweat falling down her head like a running stream. She sat up. ~It was only a dream. But a dream I've had for a long time.~ She looked at the chronometer: 0400. Four hours before her shift. She got up anyway and went to get dressed. When she put her comm badge on she tapped it, "Maron to Ensign Tavik." No response. "Computer locate Acting Ensign Valad Tavik."
The computer chimed and responded, "Ensign Tavik is not on board the Jefferson."
"Where is he?" she asked the computer.
"Ensign Tavik is on an away mission."
~Already?~ He was still new to the ship. ~The Captain must really like him~ She smiled, because she did too.
She walked out of her quarters and made her way to engineering. She needed to do something. She soon got there and found Commander T'ress there, working. She walked up to him and asked, "Commander, is there anything I can do? I need to do something."
T'Ress sighed slowly, looking at his console the entire time. He was oblivious to anything else that was occuring on the vessel, and therefore, he simply did not realize anything was wrong for th etime being. Until, finally, he started to focus on the individual speaking to him. Purring gently, he shook his head.
With his tail faltering again, T'Ress looked down, and sighed, "I can tell that something is up, murr. Please, go ahead and tell me. I may be an engineer, but that does not mean I cannot be a friend. I can still work on this at the same time, you know."
He paused once more, trying to think over the words he wanted to share.
"Please, go ahead and tell me.." He turned back to the console and continued to splay out the characters he was typing.
D'Etora wanted to tell him everything. Her dreams, her feelings, everything. But there was something Commander T'Ress might be able to help with, "Commander, I want to be more than I am. I mean, I want to be an officer, not just a crewman. I want to be a Chief Engineer one day." She sighed. "I'm sorry Commander. I'm just restless."
The feline shook his head, not necessarily believing ever bit of what he was being told, "Why do I have a feeling there is more to this then you have just given me? I have a feeling that you are stressed over more than just your rank, murr. However, I am sure you are going to do just fine with promotions as our missions accure. Do you wish to replace me?"
"Of course not Commander. You are the finest officer I have ever known. In fact, you are the reason I want to become more than I am. You are such an amazing engineer and . . . it may sound crazy, but I want to be like you." D'Etora smiled at him, hoping he would understand.
J'Varr T'Ress clearly did not understand the other officer, "No, no, you clearly cannot be like me. After all, you are not a Caitian...murr..."
"No, I . . . not like you physically. I mean . . . I emulate you. . . " D'Etora trailed off. She started to say something else but stopped and said, "I'm sorry to bother you Commander." She started to walk out the door.
T'Ress stood, shaking his head, "No, please, do come back, murr." His tail stood out with the second shake of his head, "You misunderstood me. Or purrhaps, I misunderstood you. I am actually quite flattered now that I do understand!"
D'Etora stopped. She sighed as she turned. "It's the truth, Commander. I just feel I could do so much more. I was told for so long that I would never be anything than a deckhand. I believed that for so long until Ensign Tavik came and inspired me to be better than I am." She looked more hopeful, hoping that the Commander would offer her more responsibilties.
With a second purr, the feline nodded and his tail once more returned to its usual motions, "Certainly, I ask you...how would you care to join in on this message business?"
This was her chance. She had to get it all right this time. D'Etora smiled. "I'd love to, sir. What do you have already?"
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Valad Tavik
Lt. Commander
Registered: Sept 11, 2008 4:29:47 GMT
Posts: 180
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Post by Valad Tavik on Oct 27, 2008 6:16:15 GMT
Valad entered the the attack procedure into the computer as he got it from Commander Garrett. Now he had some time to think. His mind returned to the Jefferson and his first look at the bridge. Then how D'Etora discovered the weapon in teh starboard nacelle. ~D'Etora . . . ~ he smiled as he thought to himself.
He was brought back to the Seraph by a beeping informing him that they were almost to the system. He looked over the instructions one more time and then finalized everything. After taking a look at Commander Pride to size him up, he went to the replicator to get some civilian clothing. "Captain, its almost time to begin, we should get over to the Sommers soon."
(tag Matt)
He hand Commander Pride the civilian outfit. "I hope this works for you Commander. Its not stylish but it works."
(tag Desert)
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Deleted
Registered: Mar 28, 2024 9:18:54 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2008 22:33:41 GMT
JP between Nathan and Marina
As Nathan contacted Major Johnson about the message again, Marina moved to the holodeck control panel to change the program. For now, she decided it would be best to just create a simple training setting, padded floors and walls, all white to minimize distractions and make it easier for him to see what was happening. It would be simple enough to access additional programs and create a holographic opponent from there. As the scene shifted and the comm call ended, the security officer crossed back over to where Doctor van Breughel was standing.
Nathan blinked as all the white greeted him, then turned to face the security officer. "Cyle will get back to me," he stated gravely, though he looked a little concerned. Then, he ran both hands through his hair, then down over his face, followed by a deep sigh. "Enough of that, we are here to train. Where do we start?" He looked around, wondering where the opponents were. He'd heard a lot about security training but this was not at all what he'd expected.
“Alright we can start on basic self defense.” Leading him to the center of the room, Ensign Garrett took a few paces before turning back. “Ok, now try to attack me.”
"Attack you?" Nathan asked, "Surely I can't..." Yet she looked serious, so he simply rushed at her, headlong.
The poor doctor clearly didn’t know what he was doing, so without much effort at all Marina sent him flying back to the mat. “Running at someone without a plan of action isn’t a good idea,” she suggested as he struggled to his feet. “Even if you know what you’re doing, it’s rarely good to rush in like that. It puts you at an automatic disadvantage, unless you have the element of surprise. Try again.”
The poor doctor crawled back to his feet, tugged at his tunic, then observed her for a few seconds. From a medical point of view, she seemed to favor one side, so he opted to charge her weaker side this time.
While he did chose a better side for an attack, he still simply rushed in as if hoping to somehow simply knock her over, but it was still fairly easy to spin out of the way, and allow him to charge into the opposite wall on his own. Trying to not to laugh, Marina forced herself to stay serious. “You’re still just running. Take your time, and be more deliberate rather than just charging,” she suggested, walking backwards to the opposite side in case he decided to just run at her from behind.
Nathan shook his head, trying to regain his bearings after bouncing off the wall. "Of course I'm running," he scowled back, "because I've no idea what I'm doing! Why don't you show me what you mean, instead of just tiring an old man."
Grinning, Marina nodded in approval. “Very good, it didn’t take you long to get to the first lesson. It’s always best not to make the first move, except if it is very well planned and you have the element of surprise. Otherwise, you always give up the advantage to your opponent. Your job is to be prepared for the attack, watch the other person and get a feel for what they’re going to do and how they move.” Stepping forward, Ensign Garrett raised her hands in a defensive position and began to circle the doctor. “Now, to prepare for an attack, you raise your hands like this, keep an equal distance, and position yourself to always be facing me.”
The doctor balled his hands into fists, copying her stance and kept his eyes on her. He moved with her as she circled around him, until he felt he would grow dizzy any second now. For a moment, he wondered how long this would go on and thereby allowed himself to get distracted for just a second.
Nathan was doing fairly well keeping himself positioned correctly, unaware of just how closely she was observing him. She was learning how he moved, watching for signs of weakness, predicting what he would predict. She was almost a little bit disappointed when he dropped his guard, but struck nonetheless, sweeping his hands out of the way and knocking him down with a light shove to the chest, as well as tripping his feet out from under him before quickly retreating back to a safe distance in case he tried to take her down with him. “Never drop your guard. You can be sure it will be taken advantage of, and you may not even realize what happened before you’re dead,” Marina warned him. “You have to shut out any distractions, everything but your surroundings and your opponent’s movements.”
Breath knocked from him, Nathan lay gasping for a few seconds. With a determined look on his face, he got back to his feet and crouched a little, observing her while keeping himself covered with his hands. For several long seconds, he just observed her. He felt a little odd, unusually energetic as though he were at least a decade younger. Very quickly, he lashed out at her and managed to knock her feet from under her. It was a lucky shot, beginner’s luck probably, but he had at last floored her.
Grinning, Marina rolled and came back up on her feet. “That’s better. Self defense isn’t a game. It’s a matter of life and death. There is no playing fair or cheating. It’s about doing whatever it takes to save your life. Your goal is to observe and to protect, striking only when you’re absolutely certain the risk is minimal and using your opponent’s strikes to your advantage. Now that you have the right mindset, I can teach you some more specific moves, mostly defensive but a few offensive.”
"I don't like the idea of having to strike anyone," the doctor answered honestly, "but I like the idea of getting struck so that someone can get at my family less. Show me."
Nodding, Marina stepped forward. “I’ll show you each move individually, and then we’ll practice them, slowly at first and then gradually faster. Once you’ve got the general idea, we’ll move on to the next one, and then I’ll pull up a practice program. They’re all pretty basic, but important to start with, and I have a feeling that you’re a quick study,” the Ensign offered sincerely, smiling slightly as she remembered the beginning of her training, which had gone pretty much the same way. “Ok, first we’ll work on basic dodging, like when I got out of the way and you ran into the wall. This is the principle of using your opponent’s momentum against them…”
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Matthew Reynolds
Rear Admiral
"It's good to have an end to a journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end."
Registered: Apr 28, 2005 20:58:32 GMT
Posts: 2,759
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Post by Matthew Reynolds on Oct 29, 2008 4:37:00 GMT
Even though he knew that Megan and Desert were experienced Starfleet officers, Matthew Reynolds was not ready to send order them onto the starbase. These feelings were even more pronounced towards Valad Tavik, the youngest of the four officers. Even though the ensign was trained by the best instructors in the quadrant; nothing could compare to first hand experience. The fact that Valad Tavik had none of that experience made Matthew a bit overprotective.
"Captain, its almost time to begin, we should get over to the Sommers soon."
"Alright, fire on the Sommers at your discretion," Matt said responding to Valad's remark about being ready to proceed with Megan's plan. A few moments later, Matt felt the Seraph fire its phasers for the first time. He knew that the Seraph would be a little tough ship.
"Commander Garrett, Ensign Tavik will be transporting to the Sommers first," Matt said hoping to speak to Desert privately.
(Megan, Valad)
Once Valad had transported to the Sommers, Matt turned to face the helms officer. "Commander please look after Ensign Tavik. This is his first away mission and he doesn't have the experience that we have accumlated over the years."
(Pride)
"Alright, Commander Garrett, I don't want you to put yourself or the rest of the team in any unnecessary danger, I will be monitoring your progress from here," Matt said over the comm," if anything goes wrong, I expect you to get yourself out of there."
(Megan/Valad/Desert)
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Deleted
Registered: Mar 28, 2024 9:18:54 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2008 7:37:09 GMT
As the two ships approached the system and dropped out of warp, Megan brought the Sommers to a full stop and waited while the Seraph got into position. While the phasers were fired, just as she had requested, Commander Garrett accessed the external decoy program and made the correct alterations to make it appear as if the shuttle had been damaged. While she was it, the First Officer also made a few other changes to make the ship look older, changed the registry number, and erased Jefferson. She’d switch it back once they returned to the Seraph’s position, but for now, she felt it was best to keep as many of the facts hidden as possible.
Once the firing pattern was complete, a comm channel came from the Seraph, as expected. =/\=Commander Garrett, Ensign Tavik will be transporting to the Sommers first,=/\= the voice of the Captain informed her, making Megan wonder why exactly Commander Pride was being kept longer, and frankly, she didn’t like the options.
Perhaps the Captain didn’t completely trust her. Considering their conversation in the ready room, that wasn’t entirely a surprise, but the thought of him speaking to Commander Pride expressing that concern or perhaps even asking him to keep an eye on her was a disturbing one. True, it could be something entirely different, but suspicion was almost a required trait in her line of work. Of course, there was nothing she could do about it, especially now, but it was concerning nonetheless. Pushing it from her mind, Commander Garrett carefully blew out one of the impulse engines in preparation for the impending approach to the system before responding.
“Acknowledged,” Megan replied, quickly switching her appearance back to her less than respectable disguise. Now she was just going to have to try and suck it up and somehow maintain her dignity and authority, in spite of looking like the type of girl that required you to spend some latinum to...get to know. Her plan was if perhaps she acted like she didn’t look…well the way she looked, maybe they wouldn’t say anything. The First Officer certainly hoped they wouldn’t. It would make it easier.
As the sound of a transport in progress started behind her, Megan kept her focus on the controls in front of her. The interior had already been transformed into that of a basic shuttle cockpit with four stations, and she was seated at the helm. “You can go ahead and take the engineering station,” the Commander requested without turning around, as the last thing she wanted to see was his most likely shocked expression given her appearance, and in spite of her generally calm exterior, the First Officer wasn’t entirely confidant that she could manage to keep from blushing. <Tag Valad>
A few moments later a second transport occurred, and she assumed Commander Pride had also arrived. “I want you at tactical, Commander,” Megan ordered as she began to pull away from the Seraph and head towards the station. She’d already mostly forgotten about her appearance as her mind was now on the mission and her ready made plan. It had been awhile since the agent had pulled an undercover mission like this, but this type of job had always been something that she enjoyed.
=/\=Alright, Commander Garrett, I don't want you to put yourself or the rest of the team in any unnecessary danger. I will be monitoring your progress from here. If anything goes wrong, I expect you to get yourself out of there,=/\= Matt ordered as the Seraph took up position directly behind the Sommers in the exhaust’s wake.
“Understood, Sir, I will keep you informed of our progress, Garrett out.” Quickly closing the channel, Megan still didn’t glance at either of the other two officers. “Ok, here’s the plan. Commander Pride, you are going to be our backup, lookout, and an observer. We’re going to have to go from bar to bar trying to find information. This kind of station doesn’t have any sort of authority system or record keeping. For each establishment, you will arrive a few minutes before we do, find a corner where you’ll have a good view and remain there. Ensign Tavik and I will arrive later and work the room, trying to find some information. Only if we need help will you step in. We’ll each be wearing a listening and transmitting device, so we can all hear what’s happening with each of us at all times,” she informed them calmly.
“Ensign Tavik, our cover will be brother and sister. We’re looking for information about a group of men who hurt our sister. I’ll be the dominant one, doing most of the talking. Your job will be to try and remain and as quiet and inconspicuous as possible. If you come across as threatening, they will be far less likely to open up to me. When I’ve determined they don’t have the information we’re after, I’ll give you a signal, and you’ll step in as if to protect me, I’ll make an excuse, and we’ll leave. The signal will be something simple, like…I’ll say that I’m suddenly thirsty.”
As she spoke, Commander Garrett sent a signal to Captain Reynolds, and the two shuttles dropped out of warp simultaneously. As the Sommers approached the sun, the Seraph moved out of her wake and carefully near the sun for cover. While she piloted her ship towards the station, Megan asked, “Do you have any questions?”
<Tag Valad/Pride>
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Valad Tavik
Lt. Commander
Registered: Sept 11, 2008 4:29:47 GMT
Posts: 180
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Post by Valad Tavik on Oct 29, 2008 11:12:07 GMT
Valad initiated the firing sequence and the Seraph fired on the Sommers. It did little damage, if any at all. He finished the sequence and then proceeded to get into his new civilian clothes. ~Not too shabby~ he thought to himself as he tested the flexibility of the outfit.
"Commander Garrett, Ensign Tavik will be transporting to the Sommers first," Captain Reynolds said.
Valad stepped over to the transport pad and initiated the transport. The beaming process was always an interesting sensation. It was like being gently separated by an unknown force that carried you far away.
He materialized on Commander Garrett's shuttle. “You can go ahead and take the engineering station,” she said as he stepped of the transporter pad. He walked over to the station and took a seat, looking at the first officer.
"Hmmm. It suits you. I'm sure all the males on the base will be falling head over heels for a Starfleet officer." He smiled, hoping she would laugh.
(Megan)
"Everything seems to be a go, Commander," Valad said as Pride beamed over. Valad wondered why the Captain kept Commander Pride a little longer instead of transporting them both at the same time.
"I want you at tactical, Commander,” Garrett said.
After recieving some orders from Captain Reynolds, she told them the plan, “Ok, here’s the plan. Commander Pride, you are going to be our backup, lookout, and an observer. We’re going to have to go from bar to bar trying to find information. This kind of station doesn’t have any sort of authority system or record keeping. For each establishment, you will arrive a few minutes before we do, find a corner where you’ll have a good view and remain there. Ensign Tavik and I will arrive later and work the room, trying to find some information. Only if we need help will you step in. We’ll each be wearing a listening and transmitting device, so we can all hear what’s happening with each of us at all times." It was a good idea, as long as there weren't many bars to go through.
SHe turned to Valad and said, "Ensign Tavik, our cover will be brother and sister. We’re looking for information about a group of men who hurt our sister. I’ll be the dominant one, doing most of the talking. Your job will be to try and remain and as quiet and inconspicuous as possible. If you come across as threatening, they will be far less likely to open up to me. When I’ve determined they don’t have the information we’re after, I’ll give you a signal, and you’ll step in as if to protect me, I’ll make an excuse, and we’ll leave. The signal will be something simple, like…I’ll say that I’m suddenly thirsty.” Valad took it all in but wondered why he and Commander Pride had not been switched.
"Do you have any questions?" Commander Garrett asked.
Valad shook his head. "I'm just ready to go do this Commander."
(Megan)
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Deleted
Registered: Mar 28, 2024 9:18:54 GMT
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2008 3:44:29 GMT
"Hmmm…it suits you. I'm sure all the males on the base will be falling head over heels for a Starfleet officer," Valad commented as he took his station, but although she was a tad embarrassed, Megan chose simply not to reply and wait for Desert. Fortunately, Commander Pride arrived shortly, and she was able to start with their briefing. The First Officer wasn’t really sure if the navigational officer had ever done anything like this, but his chances were more likely than the new operations officer. Still though both the members of the away team were mostly unknown to her, and she’d wasn’t used to working with non-black ops agents in situations like this, Commander Garrett felt confident they would do fine, and she could manage.
Following the quick summery of what the plan was, and in reply to her request for any questions, Ensign Tavik replied, "I'm just ready to go do this, Commander." The First Officer smiled slightly at his enthusiasm, and when Commander Pride also replied that he was all ready to go and get the mission underway, Megan nodded.
“Good. As soon as we dock, I’m going to transport Commander Pride somewhere on the station. As soon as you’ve picked an establishment and gotten settled, we’ll begin our search there. You’re going to have to pay close attention to everything being said, Commander because we’ll be communicating with you through hints.”
Within a few minutes, the Sommers had arrived at the busy station, found a vacant port, and docked. While the shuttle powered down, at least somewhat, Megan rose from her seat and moved to retrieve the communications devices. Standing up she felt a little more...exposed given her attire, but once again, tried to ignore this. Handing them three small devices, Commander Garrett instructed them to place the first inside their ear, the second on the front of their clothes, and the third on a part of their hand easily accessible by the thumb. “The device on your clothes will pick anything you say or that is said to you and transmit that to the ear pieces. The button on your hand will mute transmission and reception to avoid distraction.”
Crossing to the scientific console, Megan began trying to locate a beam in point for Commander Pride and managed to select one a few minutes later. Motioning for him to join her, the First Officer brought up a map of the station. “Alright, I will beam you in there. You’ll head in this direction, take the first left, then the second right, and you’ll be in one of the centers of business. Locate a busy bar, buy a drink, and position yourself in a corner. We’ll join you in a few minutes.” Standing again and moving to the replicator, Commander Garrett replicated three vials and retrieved a hypospray. “This will keep any alcohol from absorbing into our bloodstreams for at least six hours. Hopefully we’ll have some good information before it wears off.”
As Desert prepared to leave, Megan had a few last pieces of advice. “Commander, just remember to follow my lead, use your instincts, and try to keep your cover as long as possible. Good luck,” the First Officer added before initiating the transport and heading back to her station to track his progress, tugging the hem of what passed for a dress down as she took her seat. The sounds of the helmsman making his way down the corridor and the conversations of those he walked by transmitted by her ear piece were quite clear as she watched his indicator proceed across the map of the station. A few minutes later, the navigator was in position at a bar.
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Megan rose from her seat once more and after checking that the security systems and transmissions were in place turned to Valad. “Alright, like Commander Pride just follow my lead and remain in character. You’re my younger brother, and I have the stronger personality, so you just tend to follow along. I know it might be tempting to jump in and protect me, but I promise you, I’ll be fine. You don’t have to look happy about it, but don’t jump in until I give the signal. Then you can make a scene, enough of one that I’ll have to give some excuse and leave but not so much of one that we end up in a fight, ok?”
<Tag Valad>
Nodding once, Commander Garrett took a moment to gather herself and get into character before she sauntered off the shuttle an entirely different person. As was expected, they’d barely left the docking ring heading for the nearest promenade when guys were already making comments. Megan simply ignored them. As far as her ‘character’ was concerned, she had more important things to do, and if any of them did dare do more than just comment, she’d deal with them accordingly. True, most of the comments, and nearly half of the words, were incredibly offensive, but they were just words. The First Officer just hoped Tavik would ignore them as well.
<Tag Valad>
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Matthew Reynolds
Rear Admiral
"It's good to have an end to a journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end."
Registered: Apr 28, 2005 20:58:32 GMT
Posts: 2,759
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Post by Matthew Reynolds on Oct 30, 2008 22:06:03 GMT
Not knowing the condition of his officers was driving Matthew Reynolds insane. He had complete faith in there abilities but he was still worried about them. Hoping that it would help pass the time Matt began writing a personal message.
Begin Personal Message
"I know that many of you will not remember me, but a few years ago I served as a cadet onboard the Hanson. My time on the Hanson was short, but I want you to know that you made a lasting impression on me. Not only do I have the ultimate respect for what you did for me, but I would like to thank you for giving me the training that would lead me to where I am now," Matt said before taking a few moments to reflect on what he said. He hadn't thought about his instructors in many years, but he now realized how important they had been. If it hadn't been for people like Joan McCormick, Commanders Penfold and Hope, and Captain Marcell, Matt would have never made it past Lieutenant.
"I don't know what has become of you since we last served together, but please know that I will forever be in your debts and if you ever require anything please let me know. Best wishes, Captain Matthew Reynolds."
"Computer send letter to Captain Tony Marcell, Commander Penfold, and Commander S'reena Hope once we reach the Jefferson," Matt said immediately realizing that he was not good at personal messages. It had only taken him fifteen minutes to say less than one hundred words.
"Computer how long has the away team been on the starbase?" Matt asked.
"Two hours and thirteen minutes."
"They'll be fine," Matt told himself before finding something else to keep him busy.
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Valad Tavik
Lt. Commander
Registered: Sept 11, 2008 4:29:47 GMT
Posts: 180
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Post by Valad Tavik on Oct 30, 2008 23:36:53 GMT
“Alright, like Commander Pride just follow my lead and remain in character. You’re my younger brother, and I have the stronger personality, so you just tend to follow along. I know it might be tempting to jump in and protect me, but I promise you, I’ll be fine. You don’t have to look happy about it, but don’t jump in until I give the signal. Then you can make a scene, enough of one that I’ll have to give some excuse and leave but not so much of one that we end up in a fight, ok?”
Valad raised an eyebrow, “Younger brother? And here I thought I was going to be the boyfriend.” Valad gave a sarcastic sigh. Then he smiled. “Ok, if you insist.”
They got off the shuttle and as soon as they made it into the main area of the base Megan was attacked by a myriad of men who wanted to whisk her away and sweep her off her feet. Valad wasn’t quite sure if he playing the part or not, but almost the entire way, he kept a hand on his phaser and warded the men off.
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Matthew Reynolds
Rear Admiral
"It's good to have an end to a journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end."
Registered: Apr 28, 2005 20:58:32 GMT
Posts: 2,759
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Post by Matthew Reynolds on Oct 31, 2008 15:56:50 GMT
Caleb Linden Reynolds USS Jefferson
Hoping to do find something interesting to do, Caleb Reynolds began wandering the Jefferson. Caleb knew full well that his father preferred someone accompany him during his little excursions. Having someone with him lessened the chance that Caleb might do something dangerous. Not wanting to waste this rare opportunity Caleb now found himself in the astrometrics lab.
"This is my lucky day," Caleb announced when he noticed that the lab was completely empty. The young boy immediately began to play with the consoles in front of him. From what his father had taught him, Caleb knew what most of them did and Caleb knew what he wanted to see. "Computer show the most accurate picture of the Loskene Cloud."
The computer only took a matter of seconds to show the cursed space anomaly. It had been almost two and half years since the shuttle Promise changed the lives of the entire population on the planet. The Oceanus settlement encountered three Starfleet officers and one of those officers was now his father. Caleb would never admit it to his father, but he couldn't help but think of the people he had left on the planet. The cloud was not to appear for another five months, but no one knew where it was going to appear. There had been evidence that the cloud had been in the gamma quadrant.
"Young man what are you doing?" a civilian cartographer asked as he entered the lab.
"Oh, nothing just doing some research for a project for school," Caleb said putting his best innocent face on," please don't tell anyone. I don't want my dad to get mad at me."
"I won't tell anyone, it will be our little secret," the cartographer said clearly falling for Caleb's innocent routine.
"Thank you mister, I'll go play now," Caleb said with a cherubic smile and then ran off to hopefully cause a bit of mischief.
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Deleted
Registered: Mar 28, 2024 9:18:54 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2008 19:31:38 GMT
“Younger brother? And here I thought I was going to be the boyfriend. Ok, if you insist.”
Megan couldn’t help but smirk slightly at the operations officer’s comments, but of course only when he wasn’t looking. It wouldn’t do to encourage him. As the two officers moved down the corridor past the less than respectable groups of mostly men, the First Officer could almost feel her companion’s tension, and as such kept on top of dealing with anyone who approached her immediately. The last thing she needed was Valad going off on some rude but currently harmless creep and causing a scene before they even got to the first bar. Approaching the large double doors marking their first destination, the way was barred by another prospective ‘suitor.’
The grin on his face was announcement enough of his intentions, so Megan sighed heavily and crossed her arms glaring at him. “Look, I’m here on business, and not that kind of business, so I suggest you get out of my way, now.” Her demand was actually met by a roar of laughter from anyone within ear shot, and the Commander was grateful that those laughing included her would be suitor, who seemed to think her little speech was hysterical, even if it meant no fun for him. Brushing forcefully past him, she was grateful that almost everyone they had encountered so far fell into the gross but harmless category, but when they entered the bar, that changed.
Quickly surveying the room, which fell oddly silent upon her entry, Megan tried to size up the people and groups strewn around the dark room. There were still plenty of innocuous drunks, but several clusters and individuals reeked of trouble, real, serious trouble. Marching across the room pretending to ignore the uneasy silence, the First Officer selected the unoccupied bar stool furthest away from anyone else and demanded the first drink that came to mind before nodding to Tavik to select something too. There were quickly numerous offers to pay for her drink from various other locations across the bar, but she rolled her eyes and refused. “My brother can pay for my drink,” she insisted before spinning her stool around, crossing her legs, and casually tracing her finger around the edge of her glass before taking a sip.
She would get plenty of attention just sitting here like this, but she was looking for a specific type of guy. What she needed was a mark, and luckily, one came to her. “Your brother may be able to pay for your drink, but it’s on me; I insist.” The voice held some confidence, but there was an edge of shyness to it that screamed easy to manipulate. Turning her head to face the owner of the voice, Megan took a first, or actually a second look, at the inconspicuous Bajoran and smiled semi-warmly.
“That’s very kind of you, but you’ll have a hard time making money if you give free drinks to every girl that walks in here,” she replied to the bartender, fluttering her eyelashes slightly. She’d nearly made a mistake by overlooking him, though to her credit she hadn’t completed surveying the room. “…but thank you very much.” A collective groan seemed to rise from the rest of the establishment as most turned back to their business, seeming to recognize someone already beat them to it. It was funny how these types of situations always seemed to be entirely predictable.
Turning slightly pink as he realized she had accepted, the Bajoran ducked his head a little. For a moment, Megan felt a bit sorry for the guy, but work was work. “I don’t give drinks to just anyone,” he admitted, seeming to grow shyer by the minute. “My name is Torel Wital, but you can call me Wital. I own this bar,” he added, grinning proudly. “Oh, I have a small security team, so no one will be bothering you here.”
Pretending to relax and smile gratefully, Megan leaned forward, resting her arms on the smooth counter. “Thank you…I really appreciate that. It’s tough coming to places like this when you’re not working, but sometimes, you don’t have a choice.” Sighing sadly, Commander Garrett glanced at her hand as the bartender predictably asked what was wrong and if there was anything he could do to help. The poor guy didn’t stand a chance...and again for a moment, the First Officer felt sorry for him.
“I’m Jamie, and this is my brother, Steve. We’re here chasing a group of criminals, one of whom hurt our sister. They were about an hour ahead of us, and we’re almost certain they stopped here. I know these type of stations don’t keep records or have any centralized authority, but do you know any way we could find out which ships docked here within the last hour or two? That would at least be a place to start…”
Wital’s eyes lit up as he hurriedly replied, “Oh yes! The larger bars have a system set up so we know when ships arrive, how many are aboard…that sort of thing. It helps us get an idea of who our customers will be, how to advertise, stuff like that. Maybe the information in my system could help you out?” he suggested hopefully.
This was getting easier and easier... Megan smiled broadly at the Bajoran, but this time it was more genuine. “Thank you, Wital. That should help us out a great deal.”
Blushing again, the bartender indicated toward a door behind the bar. “My console is back there. You can access the information you need from there. I’ll show you,” he offered excitedly while motioning for a replacement to take over behind the bar and leading Megan and Valad behind the counter and to the door. Another, louder collective groan rose from the customers, as it seemed they believed the bartender was going to get even luckier. Wital continued to turn red, and Commander Garrett took advantage of ‘accidentally’ tripping to whisper for Pride to stay where he was.
A few minutes later, they were at the console in question and Wital had accessed the system, kindly stepping aside for Megan to use it. “Oh, I’m not really very good with computers,” she lied, pretending to look embarrassed by her lack of knowledge. “But Steve here is. He’ll pull up a list of possible ships in no time, won’t you Steve?”
<Tag Valad>
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Deleted
Registered: Mar 28, 2024 9:18:54 GMT
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2008 22:10:52 GMT
Nathan spent most of his free afternoon on the holodeck, practicing with Marina. Gradually, he was improving and she was able to land less strikes on him than when he first started as well as that he saw the walls a little less from up close. He grimaced, wiping sweat from his face, then grunted as his shoulder was starting to feel sore.
Panting for breath, he circled her, observing, studying her as he kept moving. He was getting tired and his own guard was dropping, but he was determined to see this through. This was their last exercise and it was already getting quite late; the both of them had completely lost track of time, so engrossed had they been in the training.
Nathan was forced to admit to himself that he was gradually starting to enjoy himself, enjoying something other than his usual dives in the ship's pool. He could see she was getting tired as well, which somewhat surprised him as she was roughly half his age. He smiled to himself. "Tired?" he taunted her, "surely a young pretty thing like you would be able to go on forever?"
Glaring at Nathan, the security officer actually was getting a little tired, but there was no way she would admit or show it after that. Deciding to reply without words, Marina rolled back to her feet, dodged his next move, before pulling out a quick kick to throw him off balance before adding a quick jab to the ribs which sent him back into the padded wall.
Wiping the perspiration from her forehead, trying to catch her breath, Marina kept glaring at him. "I may be young and pretty, but I don't take kindly to being teased."
Nathan staggered back, rubbing his ribcage with a look of pain on his face. She had struck hard and it hurt enough to make him wince. "Yes, I can see that," he murmured as he tried to get back to his feet, now breathing even harder. "That hurt."
"Good," she shot back. It wasn't exactly the most professional of attitudes, but he'd insulted her. Rubbing her shoulder, which had been bruised slightly at some point, Marina was getting fed up with training. She hated feeling all sweaty. "I think that's enough for now."
Nathan nodded, then held out his hand to her. "Please help me up..."
Rolling her eyes, Marina shuffled across the floor still glaring at him. "Fine," she replied, still quite irritated with him, before extending her hand to pull him to his feet.
He grasped her hand, rose himself up while using her for support, then sent her staggering with a round-house of his own. However, being a good sport, he walked over and in turn held his hand down to her. "I'm sorry, but I had to show I learned something, right? I'll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise."
Now she was really irritated, so ignoring his offered hand, Marina jumped to her feet and headed for the door. "Don't bother. You can practice with Jayden from now on because I'm done. I'm going home. Goodnight." With that, the security officer stormed out.
Stunned, Nathan gazed after her, then shrugged and made his way home. He knew it had gotten quite late and when he got home he found his partner dozing on the couch. Smiling, he tore off his shirt and tossed it on a vacant seat, then wiped matted hair from his face. "Computer, start recording, Nathan van Breughel, personal log."
The computer beeped, indicating it was recording. "Today was one of the strangest days in my life. Not only did my father turn up unexpected, but for the first time in my life I experienced jealousy." He paused as he removed his undershirt, then tossed away his boots as he sat down opposite of Jayden. "My partner, Jayden, I think was flirting with a girl from security, an ensign. Turned out he wasn't though but that wasn't the issue."
He smiled and leaned forward to caress the younger man's cheek, feeling him stir under his touch. "Still that wasn't the worst of my problems. My family is under constant guard, ever since it came out that my daughter was supposed to be used as blackmail against my sister, who is a commodore in starfleet. Actually, she's the squadleader of the squad to which the Jefferson belongs now."
The doctor leaned back, shivering slightly, realising he needed a shower rather badly. "I've finally taken up the order of learning self defense, and I've been taught this game called velocity. While I still don't like wielding a phaser, I think this game could be good exercise for me. I might come to like it in due time and I'm sure Jayden knows this game too, so we'll have something to play together, aside from our swimming. Surprisingly, it was that same ensign that evoked my feelings of jealousy that offered to teach."
Now, he smiled ruefully and rubbed his sore back and shoulders insofar possible. After all, he wasn't the most agile and youngest if men anymore, even though he was still considerably agile all things considered, at his age. "She showed me all corners of the holodeck I think, including up and down, but I do believe that I've gotten the basics of self defense now. Tomorrow, we'll continue training and again I'm sure Jayden will be of assistance."
When he looked over again, he saw that Jayden was looking straight at him, a smile playing around his lips. Nathan drew a deep breath and held it for a few seconds. "Despite everything, I am very happy." He deliberately looked back at his partner. "I have the man I love, my son and now a beautiful baby daughter. I couldn't wish for anything better right now. End log."
As soon as he was done, Jayden walked over and drew him into his arms. "How about a shower?" he whispered, smiling coyly. Nathan followed without further protest, but despite being in the mood, he was far too exhausted and fell asleep as soon as his head touched his pillow once he came out of the shower.
Looking a little disappointed, Jayden gazed down on him, leaned in for a kiss then settled on his half of the bed, asleep equally swift as well.
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Valad Tavik
Lt. Commander
Registered: Sept 11, 2008 4:29:47 GMT
Posts: 180
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Post by Valad Tavik on Nov 1, 2008 6:06:20 GMT
Valad walked into the bar with the Commander. He did his best to keep quiet when virtually every man in the room took a run at her. She looked beautiful, he had to admit. But he had a job to do. He continuously looked around and scanned each individual looking for something to tip him off. All he saw was an average group of thugs. After a small encounter at the door, which the Commander easily handled, they walked into a bar and sat at the counter. He looked around and found Commander Pride. He was a good length away, but still close enough to help if the need be.
They asked for drinks and Commander Garrett said, “My brother can pay for my drink.”
“Your brother may be able to pay for your drink, but it’s on me; I insist.” The Bajoran bartender walked up. Commander Garrett then began to peruse the bartender’s mind for information. She identified herself as Jamie, and Valad was Steve. ~Steve? That’s it? Now they are sure to discover us.~
Naturally, she was able to find a way to get what she wanted. The Bajoran led them to a room in the back, where a computer console was located. Wital, the Bajoran, accessed the console and allowed Commander Garrett to use it. “Oh, I’m not really very good with computers, But Steve here is. He’ll pull up a list of possible ships in no time, won’t you Steve?”
He stepped up and access the console. He searched through files and the database for Romulans. After searching for a few minutes, he finally found one. “Jamie, this guy might be it. He came on a small shuttle. Do you know this Romulan?” he asked Wital.
“Not personally, but he is known as Dekk. He is a mercenary, but he usually comes with a group.” Wital accessed the console again and found a ship. “This one here. The Avenger. Its an old freighter, but I’ve heard it can take on Federation Starships.” Wital heard some commotion from outside. “Now what. I’ll be right back.” He walked out.
Valad looked at Commander Garrett. “Its not like Romulans to be terrorists. We should keep an eye out for Romulan ships around, Commander. I recommend now that we find this Romulan. It seems as though his ship is docking in an hour.”
(tag Megan)
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Deleted
Registered: Mar 28, 2024 9:18:54 GMT
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2008 7:41:04 GMT
“While ‘Steve’ perused the computer database, ‘Jaime’ kept the bar owner occupied. The poor guy was just lonely, and as bad as one part of her felt for taking advantage of that, the other part knew this was an easy way to complete the mission with a low risk for casualties. “So how long have you been here on this station?” Megan asked, making direct eye contact and giving a good show of being completely fascinated.
Looking down at the floor, Wital outright blushed as he replied. “About eight years or so...but it’s not really all that interesting, especially to a...lady like you I’m sure.”
For a moment, Megan nearly lost her cover, having to cover almost laughing with a sudden cough like she’d choked on something. She didn’t know why that struck her as so funny, but she looked the furthest thing from a lady. Ever the gentleman, Wital slapped her on the back almost hard enough to knock her over, which only served to make the urge to laugh even stronger. Absolutely mortified by her lack of professionalism, the Commander quickly pulled herself together. “I’m sorry. I guess I just swallowed wrong.” In spite of her brain finding that incredibly funny as well, she managed to keep a straight face this time, hoping that Valad was busy enough to not notice her struggle. “And I want to hear all about it. Owning a bar in a place like this is incredibly tough work, and yet you seem to be doing remarkably well.”
The praise worked wonders, and soon Wital was pouring out his life story. Although ‘Jaime’ was listening, Megan was thinking about several other things at once. It was really too bad she couldn’t search for the ship, but she had a steadfast rule for covers: they could be strong, or they could be smart, but never both at the same time. One thing was certain; Mr. Torel was the perfect mark. He was honest and helpful, which was a rare thing to find in a place like this. ‘I’ll forward his name to Admiral LaPage as a reliable, uninformed contact for future reference,’ she thought as the Bajoran businessman talked about the family he lost years earlier.
“I’m sure they would be very proud of you,” Megan acknowledged quietly, feeling another twinge of guilt. At least as a contact, he’d be surreptitiously compensated.
“Jamie, this guy might be it. He came on a small shuttle. Do you know this Romulan?” ‘Steve’ asked Wital, who leaned forward to examine the information on the screen.
“Not personally, but he’s known as Dekk. He’s a mercenary, but he usually comes with a group.” While Wital accessed more information, Megan used his distraction to quietly link her concealed tricorder with his database, which transmitted the link back to the Sommers to download all the records, as they might need to know more later. “This one here, the Avenger, it’s an old freighter, but I’ve heard it can take on Federation starships.” Before either officer could ask anything else, there was a loud crash, and Torel sighed heavily. “Now what...I’ll be right back,” he grumbled as he headed back toward the bar leaving Commander Garrett and Ensign Tavik alone.
“It’s not like Romulans to be terrorists,” Valad commented as he stepped aside to allow her to access the console. “We should keep an eye out for Romulan ships, Commander. I recommend now that we find this Romulan. It seems as though his ship is docking in an hour,” the Ensign added quietly, glancing quickly after Wital.
“Romulan mercenaries aren’t common, but they do still exist,” Commander Garrett commented almost absentmindedly as she ran a check on all ships to dock within the last two hours. Of the half dozen or so, three were too big, two were too slow, and the only other ship besides the shuttle was a small Yridian craft. This scheme was far too complicated, and it most certainly didn’t fall into their realm of expertise.
“I agree,” Megan added, wishing the station kept better sensor records. They only had an hour or so before this much larger ship docked, and then they’d have more people to deal with and less of an opportunity. “We need to find him fast, and this station’s sensor system is out of date and mostly inoperative. Let’s start with his ship. If he’s there, that will be our chance. If he’s not, we can access his systems and at least get some information. Pride, meet us at level E, section thirty-four…” As Wital reentered and grinned widely at her, she quickly added a whispered, ‘ring twelve’ before returning his smile. “Hello Wital, thank you so much for your help.”
When his face fell, Megan again felt bad but smoothly kept talking. “I think we’ve found the right people. We couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome,” the Bajoran replied, looking terribly disappointed. “But you need to be careful. These people are dangerous, and they won’t take kindly to anyone, even a pretty girl like you, causing them any trouble. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
His concern only intensified the guilt, but Commander Garrett brushed right over it. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself. And we won’t cause them too much trouble. They’re businessmen, maybe not quite reasonable, but if you speak their language, they can be made to see reason just the same. Take care of yourself.” As the two officers turned to leave, Megan thought of one, final question. “Oh, by the way, do you know any bars or clubs that this…Dak frequents by any chance?”
Grinning slightly at her ‘mistake,’ Wital shook his head. “No, I honestly don’t know much about him. His group likes to spend time at Korrel’s on level C. It’s a Klingon club, but it’s...not the classiest of places...” he cautioned, face flushing once more.
“I’ll keep that in mind, but thank you; that helps,” the First Officer replied, flashing a smile and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “You have been so sweet to me.”
Now the guy was positively crimson, muttering something in Bajoran and adding, “It was no trouble…and my pleasure, really Miss. Feel free to stop by any time…”
As they said goodbye and made their way from Wital’s bar, ignoring the whistles and similar acknowledgements from the patrons, Megan spoke quietly to Valad. “I know a way to get on that shuttle if he’s there. It’s simple enough considering how I’m dressed. I’ll just pretend to be some kind of present,” As the duo continued on their way down the corridors to rendezvous with Pride, Commander Garrett quickly added, “You did quite well. These situations aren’t for everyone, but you handled yourself admirably. Though, I didn’t really push you as far as protecting me goes.”
<Tag Valad>
By the time they met up with Desert and accessed a vacant room nearby, sensors indicated the shuttle was unfortunately empty. Megan was slightly disappointed she didn’t get to really use her undercover skills, but at least this would be a little less dangerous. “Alright Pride, you’ll stay in this junction point with your tricorder to alert us to anyone approaching. We should be in and out in a few minutes. Tavik, while I access the computer systems and initiate a download, I want you to check the navigational records for any information that might be of use to us. The goal is to be quick and then get to Korrel’s and hope our target is there, alone. Questions?”
<Tag Valad/Pride>
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Valad Tavik
Lt. Commander
Registered: Sept 11, 2008 4:29:47 GMT
Posts: 180
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Post by Valad Tavik on Nov 3, 2008 2:13:49 GMT
As Valad and Commander Garrett left the Wital's bar, the Commander said, "I know a way to get on that shuttle if he’s there. It’s simple enough considering how I’m dressed. I’ll just pretend to be some kind of present." He looked at her with a weird look on his face. "“You did quite well. These situations aren’t for everyone, but you handled yourself admirably. Though, I didn’t really push you as far as protecting me goes."
"Thanks Commander, but if you are planning on offering yourself as a "gift" for a Romulan, first I doubt it would work and second, I can't let you go alone. That would be suicide if he caught on to you." He looked at her sternly. "I don't trust this station as I'm sure you've figured out, Commander. I'm not letting you go alone."
(Megan)
They continued on and met Commander Pride down the corridor, where Commander Garrett gave some more orders. "“Alright Pride, you’ll stay in this junction point with your tricorder to alert us to anyone approaching. We should be in and out in a few minutes. Tavik, while I access the computer systems and initiate a download, I want you to check the navigational records for any information that might be of use to us. The goal is to be quick and then get to Korrel’s and hope our target is there, alone. Questions?
Valad had already stopped listening because something caught his eye. He discreetly took out his tricorder and scanned one of the humanoids standing about sixty feet away from them. It beeped a confirmation. "We may not have to do any of that at all Commander." He nodded over in the direction of the humanoid. "Our Romulan friend is standing right over there."
(Megan/Pride)
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Deleted
Registered: Mar 28, 2024 9:18:54 GMT
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2008 6:48:07 GMT
JP with Valad
"Thanks Commander, but if you are planning on offering yourself as a ‘gift’ for a Romulan, first, I doubt it would work, and second, I can't let you go alone. That would be suicide if he caught on to you. I don't trust this station as I'm sure you've figured out, Commander. I'm not letting you go alone,” Valad stated very decisively.
Megan bristled at his protectiveness but said nothing. As far as she was concerned, she was the First Officer, and the Senior Officer on this mission, so she would do whatever she decided was best to complete their objectives. Commander Garrett wouldn’t be asking for permission from anyone. While she was dying to tell Ensign Tavik just that, instead she let the comment slide. There was no need to antagonize him, and if needed, this allowed for the possibility of just doing what was needed without broadcasting her plan, even to Valad or Pride. It wasn’t out of the question.
A section or so away from the target vessel, the three officers took up position to discuss their next move. With Pride and Megan positioned deeper in the junction alcove, only Tavik had a view of the horizontal corridor. "We might not have to do any of that at all Commander. Our Romulan friend is standing right over there,” the operations officer reported, while also subtly indicating the appropriate direction.
Unable to look for themselves to avoid causing a scene, the Commanders both reached for their tricorders, which also reported this was the man they were looking for, but when he suddenly began moving in their direction, Megan had to think fast, deciding to quickly pin the unsuspecting navigator to the wall to wait for the target to pass. Hurriedly flipping her hair to cover their faces until Dekk had left, hoping he would remain unaware of anything more suspicious than a ‘business transaction’ with some sort of lookout or body guard nearby. Once he was past, the First Officer reached for her tricorder once more to confirm he was heading to his ship, choosing to ignore any awkwardness resulting from her sudden move to keep their cover. “He’s heading to his shuttle,” she confirmed, mind miles ahead.
Now came the tough part. Valad didn’t like the going alone idea, and it was almost certain that Pride would back him up on that. ‘Men...’ she thought, mentally rolling her eyes before bringing her attention back to the matter at hand. It was a solid plan, and Megan was positive it would work. If she were alone, the way she usually was, there would be no question, but this would be more difficult. Still, there was no way Commander Garrett would let what she viewed as male chauvinism get in the way of the mission. “Right, we’re going with my original plan. Ensign, you can come to the door of the shuttle, sort of like a body guard, but I take it from there, if it goes that far. The goal is to use the element of surprise to knock him out before he even realizes what’s going on, and I’m more than capable of doing that,” she ordered, leaving no doubt by her tone that she was determined to get her way on this one.
~Damn Feminists. They always have to get their way.~ Valad thought to himself. "Commander there is no way that we are both going to allow you to go alone. It has nothing to do with your capabilities." Valad stopped because he knew it would make no difference. "You want me at the door to the shuttle. If there is any trouble, anything at all, call for me and I will be there." Valad hoped she would at least trust him enough for that.
Slightly surprised, but certainly not disappointed, Megan nodded. “Commander, you should be able to hear if there’s any trouble from here, as well as watch out for any unexpected company. If need be, you may have to warn us and act quickly,” she added before walking toward the Romulan shuttle with Tavik right behind her.
Valad walked behind her, waiting for the right moment to tell her he wasn't letting her go alone. They reached the door without any complication. "So I'm supposed to wait out here and twiddle my thumbs, while you go in alone and risk your neck, Commander?" he added, hoping she understood he didn’t like her going alone.
Not liking his tone much, Megan chose to ignore it and instead answered, “No, you’re supposed to provide backup under the cover of my bodyguard. If I enter the shuttle at all, it should only be for a few moments, and you’ll be able to hear what’s going on through the listening device.” ‘If I don’t mute them,’ she added to herself before continuing. “I’ll call for help if needed, or if you hear sounds of a prolonged struggle you can also provide some assistance, but hopefully, that will not be necessary.”
"Commander with all due respect, Commander Pride is out there scanning for anything within a five thousand yard radius. I'm going in with you. I would rather it be two on whoever is in there than one on whoever is in there." He gave a small sigh. "I may only be an Ensign, Commander, but if I know anything it's this: never let someone go in alone. I refuse to stand guard out here while Commander Pride is doing that job already." He was adamant in his statement.
Sighing in frustration, Commander Garrett spun around to face him. “Look, staying out here has nothing to do with necessity. It has to do with our cover. It would make no sense for a…body guard to enter the ship as well. Your purpose, as far as the cover is concerned, is to be nearby in case he gets rough. Your purpose as far as the mission goes is to be as nearby as possible without blowing the cover story.”
"So you are basing it off the assumption that we are being monitored. You said it yourself Commander, the systems on this station are virtually obsolete and worthless. The security systems are probably out dated and I've been paying close enough attention to know that no one is following us, unless he has connections on this station. And if he did, we would be captured or worse…" He paused for dramatic effect. "Since we are still here doing our job that seems unlikely."
Beyond frustrated now, Megan felt like smacking him. “I’m not talking about being watched. I’m talking about him! We have to convince Dekk that nothing is going on other than a...gift, or I have no shot of catching him off guard and knocking him out! I am only going to be alone for ten or fifteen seconds, one minute at the absolute most. That’s far from reckless, and need I remind you, I’m commanding this mission.”
And that triggered Valad as he said aloud but mostly to himself. "She pulled rank. She pulled rank! Over this!" He turned around, facing away from her and said, "Fine. Go in by yourself. But if I come too late, you can expect an ‘I told you so.’ By that point, he was fuming. Telling off a superior officer, all because he didn't want her to go in alone…damn him for having a conscience.
The First Officer had heard enough. “How dare you…first you question me, when you had no right to do so, and then you’re somehow surprised when I remind you that I outrank you. You are the…” Her tricorder sounded a warning, and sparing a glance, her eyes widened. “He’s moving, leaving the shuttle.” In a mad scramble, the two officers barely made it out of sight before Dekk exited his ship, heading in the opposite direction. After their target was out of earshot, the Commander turned toward Valad, fire in her eyes. It was all she could do to keep her cool, but it was perfectly clear, Commander Garrett was absolutely furious. “Now we have to follow him and see where he goes, but I doubt it will be easy to catch him off guard or get him alone. That opportunity is gone,” she added, glaring pointedly once more at Tavik. “And for the record, that was the best chance we had of capturing him.”
“And for future reference, Ensign, never question my orders again, is that clear?” Without waiting for a reply, Megan brushed past the operations officer and headed in the direction the Romulan had taken without looking back. She was rarely ever questioned by anyone, let alone by an Ensign, and it was unlikely she would take a repeat performance well. Commander Garrett just hoped that wouldn’t happen.
<Tag Pride/Valad>
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Valad Tavik
Lt. Commander
Registered: Sept 11, 2008 4:29:47 GMT
Posts: 180
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Post by Valad Tavik on Nov 3, 2008 7:13:41 GMT
After receiving a chewing out of a lifetime, he dashed for the corner of the corridor and peered around looking for the Romulan. He took out his tricorder and scanned the surrounding area. He didn’t find him after the scan and he slammed his hand against the wall. “Damn it!” he said aloud. “I lost his track. He can’t have gotten far.” He couldn’t believe that she thought he was being insubordinate. He was trying to protect her. Of course she was capable to do it herself, but he wanted to be there to make sure.
“Where is he?” Valad searched and searched.
*Megan couldn’t remember when she’d been this furious last. No, correction, the last time she’d been this mad was when Nathan had sedated her, but this was worse. Now not only had they lost a chance at capturing a probable member of the black mailing group and getting the successful conclusion of this mission underway, but they had completely lost their target. Refusing to even look at Valad, Commander Garrett did the only thing she could think of: fall back on an original plan. “We can get the information later. Our only clue is to head to Korrel’s and hope he goes to meet with the rest of his group, and we can catch him alone before they get there.”
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly trying to calm herself, Commander Garrett turned to face Valad, and Desert who had moved to join them. It was only then that Megan realized the navigator had heard the entire ‘conversation’ through the listening devices. “Alright...I’ll approach him at the bar and try to get him to go somewhere else more...private, like a backroom or something, and we’ll follow the original plan. And I don’t want any questions this time,” she added glaring at both of them before storming off in the direction of the bar again allowing them to follow.
She knew this would be far more difficult this time, and she’d have to put on more of a show, but Megan was absolutely determined to try and salvage it somehow.
<Tag Valad/Pride>
*Added by Megan Garrett
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desertpride
Guest
Registered: Mar 28, 2024 9:18:54 GMT
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Post by desertpride on Nov 3, 2008 23:32:08 GMT
Watching the exchange between Garrett and Valad was interesting something he hadn't seen before. He could tell things were not going well and that neither was going to back down the differnce being Commander Garrett out ranked Valad and he didn't understand why she wasn't useing that. Looking down at his tricorder he noticed there subject was on the move and the chance had slipped by.
Looking over at 2 of them waiting for instructions on what to do<Tag anybody>
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Deleted
Registered: Mar 28, 2024 9:18:54 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2008 2:10:48 GMT
On the way to the Klingon bar, Megan had more time to think about what had just happened and what needed to be done. While somewhat embarrassed about the argument, Commander Garrett still felt she had been and was right. Why Ensign Tavik had been so adamant, she didn’t know, but the First Officer was determined not to let anything like the argument happen again and complete the mission without any further trouble. Once they were a few bars away from their destination, Megan finally slowed down and allowed the other two officers to catch up with her. “Alright, Commander Pride, go ahead and take up position where you can clearly observe the target. We’ll follow in a few minutes. I need to report in to Captain Reynolds.”
<Tag Pride>
Before contacting Matt, Commander Garrett turned to Valad. “Ensign, I think we need to talk about what happened a few moments ago. I know you believe you’re right and I’m wrong, and a difference of opinion is fine. Even voicing your opinion and the reasons for it is fine, but you have to be careful not to cross the line, and you did. You voice your opinions, but once your superior officer makes a decision your job is to follow their orders. I earned my rank, and I was assigned as the First Officer for a reason. At some point, you have to trust your superiors and Starfleet for placing them in those positions. True, we can still make mistakes, and there are times when disobeying orders is the right thing to do, but that doesn’t happen often and is something that must be done as a last resort. I hardly think this was one of those times.” Stopping for a moment, Megan finally added, “I know you don’t know me, but you’re going to have to trust that I have the experience and knowledge to know what I’m doing, weigh all the options and risks, and make the right decision.”
<Tag Valad>
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Valad Tavik
Lt. Commander
Registered: Sept 11, 2008 4:29:47 GMT
Posts: 180
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Post by Valad Tavik on Nov 4, 2008 3:40:27 GMT
Valad thought before he responded. "Commander, I don't doubt your abilities asa Starfleet officer. I have no intentions of purposely causing confrontations with you. Its not you I don't trust. It's them. But from now on, you word is last." He hoped his point sunk in well enough. For now he would complete the mission.
(Megan)
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