Book 2, Ch. 1: Extraction

[Matthew Reynolds]

Watching the person one loved sleep was one of the most comforting and peaceful things a person could do. As he watched Kristin sleep he realized that at that moment he couldn't be any happier. The only thing that kept him up at night was his duty as captain. He had received his orders weeks ago from Fleet Admiral Lin and to be honest he had totally forgotten about them. Now that shore leave was coming to an end, those orders crept back into his mind and apprehension came back into his life.

Apprehension was an uncomfortable emotion, but for a Federation captain this emotion was almost unbearable. Fleet Admiral Lin had reassured Matthew Reynolds that this mission would be the easiest of his career. The Jefferson was to to travel to the Sigma Iotia system and pickup the Federation liaison to the Iotians. He was expected to approve the Iotians bid to join the Federation. For a veteran crew like the Jefferson, this should be an easy enough mission.

'Captain's Log, Stardate 2396.0213'

"The Jefferson has been assigned an easy mission, which to be honest has me worried. This ship was built for war and I'm afraid that Fleet Admiral Lin wasn't completely truthful with me. The Jackson, Australia, and Neptune are much closer to the Iotia system, but we were sent to retrieve this individual. I will keep these thoughts to myself for now, but I will be cautious.

I'm also pleased to say that all new crewmembers have settled in nicely. I have been able to meet with each of them personally and I feel like they will only add to this family. I'm saddened to say that Petty Officer Grade Eight Laurie Rose has finally retired from Starfleet. She will be missed. I wonder who will now inherit the role that Lauire filled so well.

End Log"


"Reynolds to all Jefferson crew, we will be leaving Assailant in eight hours. All department heads report in six, senior staff report back in four hours to the briefing room. Reynolds out"

(Tag All)

[Deleted]

"And when do we report when we're both department head and senior staff?" Nathan mused as he sat up on the biobed, staring back at Hannah. "What do you say, Doctor Lowell?" He grinned at her.

Hannah chuckled. "Well, you are not senior staff, you're hardly an officer." She patted his shoulder. "You've not been having any complaints have you? And I mean your heart, not from other staff. I know you've been training with Commander Garrett, and word has it that you're actually enjoying yourself. Don't overtax yourself Nathan, you're not a young man anymore."

Nathan had the grace to look insulted, but the smile remained. "Yes mother," he replied, "so, am I cleared for duty?"

"Now, that's up to the captain, and you know it. But medically speaking, you're as fit as a fiddle, and then some." She patted his cheek. "At least you got some colour on your face, and word has it that Jayden's happier in training his men. At least all this training is good for something eh?"

"Hannah!" The chief medical officer glared at his assistant, positively glaring this time. "That's private and none of your business. I'll be up on the bridge if you need me. Seems there's a briefing I need to attend in a few hours, and since I don't quite know when to report, I'll have to go ask if I have to report at all."

He walked out of sickbay, pulling on his sweater where normally he would've pulled on his white doctor's coat. It still felt strange, not to be on duty and having so much time on one's hands. Too much free time, despite time spent studying or in training. Yet, he felt better than ever, wondering why he'd not started this sooner. It might've saved everyone some grief, including his beloved husband.

"Captain, a word if I may?" he asked quietly, as he came to a halt before the center seat, looking at a point over the captain's right shoulder as if he were standing at rigid attention. "Here is fine, but in private might be better." This time he did look down, for the captain to note the bemused sparkle in his eyes, despite the seriousness behind his request. "Just in case you wish to yell at me for some reason or the other," he added quietly.

[Matt]

"I wish to know when I'll be allowed back on duty. I've served my time in the brig, and I am studying and training with Commander Garrett. No doubt she's already filled you in on that. However, I am quite eager to get back to work. If I may, as Hannah, I mean Doctor Lowell, has informed me that it requires your approval, for her to clear me for duty."

[Matt]

[Valad Tavik]

Valad stood at the viewport in his quarters, looking at Starbase Assailant. It was large enough to refit a Sovereign Class ship, so it must have some sort of good counseling staff. The newly promoted Lieutenant Commander thought back to the Captain's order, "you must be aware that you will speak to a counselor once we reach Assailant. Valad remembered that he was less than amused at the Captain's order. The sentiment remained even now, but orders were orders. He ran his hands through his now growing hair. "Here we go," he said aloud. Walking out of his quarters, Valad made his way to the base.

Valad looked at his data Padd and saw that he had been assigned to Lieutenant Commander Diana Rendon. The Counselor was Betazoid, no doubt fully capable in raiding his mind for useless tidbits of memories that would somehow be related to the discussion at hand. Valad sat in a waiting room outside the office, anxious to get this "wonderful" counseling session over. He had only been shot, no big deal. But Captain Reynolds insisted it was vital to speak to a counselor. He only waited a short time before the counselor greeted him with a warm smile. Valad nodded and walked into the office.

"Good morning, Commander. Please, have a seat."

Valad sat down and smiled, though it was painful to do so. He didn't want to be here.

The counselor got out a Padd and looked through the information, no doubt regarding why he was here. "Ah, a newly promoted Lieutenant Commander. Congratulations!"

She seemed genuine enough. "Thanks," he said. Valad rolled his eyes, though in the meantime trying to conceal it.

The counselor obviously noticed it. "You seem unnerved about being hear. Is this your first counseling session?"

Where is she going with this? Valad was almost confused, but it immediately turned to annoyance. "I don't mean any disrespect. I just don't see my need for being here. I got shot, not killed. And there was no permanent damage, so...." he trailed off.

The counselor nodded. "If that is the way you feel, then you are free to go."

Valad looked up and raised an eyebrow. "That's it? I can just get up and leave?" The counselor nodded. "Sweet." He got up and started walking toward the door, but he suddenly stopped. "Wait a minute. What's the catch?" he asked turning around.

"No catch. I will just inform your Commanding Officer that the session was inconclusive due to the officer's unwillingness to divulge anything about the incident. It's perfectly normal in young officers."

Valad caught her at that statement. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He asked, the tone of his voice raised slightly. "There are no feelings to talk about." The counselor simply raised an eyebrow. Valad stopped and realized he had been played. "Oh that's sick. Really. Utterly disgusting." He went back to the chair and sat down.

The counselor simply said, "Wanna talk about it?"

Knowing he wasn't going to win this battle, he caved in. "Fine. Ok. So, we were working with the Romulans on a mission of peace and goodwill. You know, typical diplomacy stuff, I mean, we wouldn't want to go to war with the Romulans just yet. It wouldn't be fun." He chuckled to himself before continuing, noting no response from the counselor. "Well, as you can expect, things got hot with them. There were some insults thrown around and neither ship trusted the other. To be honest, I never trusted them from the beginning, but that is a story for another time." He was glad he stopped himself there. No need for anyone to know about that just yet... "So, I was at ops when the call for security came from sickbay. One of the romulans transported aboard and attacked our doctor. Naturally, I responded as well, since I consider the doctor a friend. We got down there and the Romulan had already left. I took security from there and gave chase. He killed one of the officers with me brutally. I'll never forget that." Vera, may you rest in peace. "Long story short, there was another firefight, and we all charged and fired at the same time. We hit our marks at the same time. We took the Romulan down, but were hit in the process. The security officer in front of me would have taken the full blast of a disruptor had I not of gotten there. Turns out it was my XO's little sister. I would have never heard the end of it. But thankfully, we both took the blast and are now ok. I was out for a little while, but I got back on duty ASAP."

"I see. What did you feel about taking the shot for your fellow crewman."

"I don't know. I just knew I needed to get there. I had no idea what the out come would be. All I knew was that I needed to get her out of the way. I wasn't going to lose another officer under my command."

"So you feared for her life?"

"Well if you mean I wanted to make sure she didn't die, then yeah. Look I'm no superhero, but if I can help someone, I'm going to."

"A fine quality in a person. How did you feel when you shot after the Romulan?"

"I'm not going to lie, I wanted him dead for what he did. Unfortunately I wasn't able to oblidge."

"Anger is a powerful emotion. It can lead people to do terrible things."

"Yeah, but there is a difference between anger and hate. I don't hate the Romulan, but he deserves what will eventually come to him."

The counselor nodded. "You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, Commander. I would advise, however, that you maintain that thought process. Any deviation could lead to chaos." She input something into the Padd. "I am sending your Captain a green light. You are good to go."

"Thanks," Valad said as he left, realizing nearly an hour had passed. He got himself back to the ship and went to catch some shut-eye.

-----------------

Valad awoke to the sound of an announcement. "Ugh... come on...."

=/\=Reynolds to all Jefferson Crew. We will be leaving Assailant in eight hours. All department heads report in six, senior staff report back in four hours to the briefing room. Reynolds out.=/\=

He rolled over in bed. "Damn it...." Valad got out of bed and put a uniform on. After all, it was time to get back to work.

-----------------------

A few hours later Valad found himself walking to the briefing room. It was only a matter of time before he found out what this was all about. Upon entrance, he found that for once, he was the first one in the room. He took a stance looking out the viewport, waiting for the staff to enter.

tag All

[Deleted]

In spite of the now welcomed training sessions with Doctor van Breughel, Megan was beginning to grow restless. She’d known that two weeks was a long time for her to go without some sort of mission or specific goal in mind, but now she felt as though she might just go crazy if something didn’t happen, and soon. True, she’d made excellent progress on several of her personal projects, enjoyed extra training time alone and with the doctor, and had even taken the time to regularly practice her music, something she hadn’t been able to do since the Academy. However, in spite of all this, Commander Garrett needed more going on, and two weeks had been quite long enough, and in fact, far too long, in her opinion without a mission.

Fortunately, just when she had started feeling like she could take no more, it ended. =/\=Reynolds to all Jefferson crew, we will be leaving Assailant in eight hours. All department heads report in six, senior staff report back in four hours to the briefing room, Reynolds out,=/\= came the very well-timed announcement from the Captain.

Suddenly feeling like the world made sense again, Megan set aside her current research. Four hours felt like an eternity, especially considering she had no idea what their new mission would be, and she knew perfectly well that she could focus on her work no longer knowing a mission was about to begin and wondering what it would be. The only thing she could do to make the four hours pass quickly was to go for a swim. One of the only times her mind was truly relaxed, or at least close to it, was when she was swimming, and although she had already completed her usual workout earlier, it seemed like the best way to ensure her sanity remained.

~

A swim had been a great idea, and between actually swimming, then taking a shower and grabbing something to eat, the timing had been perfect. So it was a more calm and refreshed First Officer that arrived at the briefing than would have been if she’d decided to continue her project and simply wait. Upon entering the briefing room, she found that the newly promoted Lieutenant Commander Tavik had arrived first, and since he had been on leave for the duration of shoreleave and she had yet to see or speak to him since the end of the previous mission, Megan approached him where he stood at the window. “Congratulations on your promotion,” she offered with a genuine smile. “It’s certainly well deserved,” she concluded before the doors opened to allow another senior staff member to enter and she moved to take her seat.

<Tag Valad/All>

[Matthew Reynolds]

The appearance of the Chief Medical Officer on the bridge of the USS Jefferson usually meant two things as of late. Either he was going to protest an injustice done by the crew or he was coming to learn his punishment for his foolhardy actions. Matthew Reynold that this was not the case this time.

"Captain, a word if I may?" Nathan asked quietly, as he came to a halt before the center seat, looking at a point over the captain's right shoulder as if he were standing at rigid attention. "Here is fine, but in private might be better."

"Yes, this bridge crew does have the tendency to share information rather quickly," Matt said as with a smirking smile," but if you prefer to do this in private."

"Just in case you wish to yell at me for some reason or the other," Nathan said.

"Why would there be a reason for me to yell at your?" Matt said almost laughing," unless you have done something incredibly stupid and I mean seriously jaw dropping stupid, I will not yell at you."

"I wish to know when I'll be allowed back on duty. I've served my time in the brig, and I am studying and training with Commander Garrett. No doubt she's already filled you in on that. However, I am quite eager to get back to work. If I may, as Hannah, I mean Doctor Lowell, has informed me that it requires your approval, for her to clear me for duty."

"I already did that," Matt said with a smile," in fact you were reinstated a few hours ago. I think Hannah liked being CMO a bit to much. Though I will tell you this in advance, I think and actually I hope you will be rather bored this mission."

Matt went on to explain his statement and discovered that he practically given his mission briefing to the doctor in less than five minutes. The idea that Nathan would not have to use his expertise as a medical doctor seemed to please the CMO.

Now that Nathan was back at his post, Matt for a second allowed himself to believe that everything was right on the Jefferson. He knew that the Federation was perilously close to war but for the first time in a very long time, the Jefferson was going to do what Starfleet was meant to do. As the senior staff walked into the briefing room, Matt was pleased to see that they all looked rather rested.

"Alright everyone, I would like to make this short and sweet," Matt said as he activated the view screen that showed Sigma Iotia, a rather unimpressive planet about forty light years away," I want everyone to become familiar with this planet. The Iotians have asked for membership to the Federation and we are to pick up the Federation liaison and escort him back to Federation space." At this time, Matt took a moment to gage how his senior staff had reacted to the initial mission briefing. They seemed puzzled, but then again so had he when he had first been debriefed.

"The Jefferson has been assigned this duty because the Iotians have a funny history," Matt said as he changed the view screen to show the USS Horizon and a hardback copy of Chicago Mobs of the Twenties. "The Iotians have based their culture around 20th century mob life and while their has been tremendous progress, there are still powerful bosses who oppose the Federation. I know that it is custom for the Federation to deny membership to planets divided in their choice to join, we are partially responsible. That is why the Federation Council wants to hear what the liaison has to say."

(Tag All)

"Your orders are simple and straightforward. Commander Garrett will oversee all security issues. We will pickup the liaison from the central mayoral palace and head back home. Commander Tavik, and Doctor Van Breughel you are free to work on any side projects that you may have but I would like your departments to be running at peak efficiency."

(Tag All)

"If there is nothing else," Matt said as he waited a few seconds to hear a response," you're dismissed."

(Tag All)

[Matthew Reynolds]

Caleb Reynolds Point of View

The only thing that Caleb Reynolds wanted to do was have fun and the beginning of a new mission was the best time for mischief. Everyone was busy taking care of business that they had no time to pay attention to the captain's son. The only person that Caleb had to worry about was Kristin, who always seemed to keep an eye on him. Her ever watchful eye had ruined countless pranks but that was not about to deter him. The only problem was obtaining an accomplice. Caleb knew that his cousins were to young to be helpful and that having Freddy as a sidekick could put his father in more trouble.

"I'm going to have to go at it alone," Freddy said to himself as he chose his next target. It was the face of someone who Caleb liked very much and would be a challenge. This would be the first time that Caleb would try to prank a senior officer, but he knew it would pay off in the end. "Computer open file Teddy bear."

"File opened"

Caleb knew that it was illogical for an eleven year old to have files, but he liked to have his thoughts in order plus it was cool. He also knew that his father wouldn't think twice about something named teddy bear.

"Please input description of target."

"Target is a Human male, six feet one inches, not fat but not to skinny. Has a cool scar near his eye," Caleb said between bites of his now disappearing sand which," target is high ranking member of vessel and is protected by his cute girlfriend. Speaking of which, she will be on the shortlist of my next target."

"What are you doing Caleb?" Kristin asked out of nowhere.

"First of all you need to stop doing that," Caleb said pointing to the door.

"I know, but you would have heard the door opening," Kristin said with a huge smile," and you are avoiding the question."

"Just homework," Caleb replied as he exited his program, finished his sand which and then hugged Kristin," when you finally move in, you won't be allowed to do that anymore."

"Maybe, but I will never stop checking up on you mister," Kristin said as she sat on the couch and began to read.

"I'll have to remember that," Caleb said with a smile before running out of the quarters to cause others some problems.

[Deleted]

For once in his long career Traks decided to try to start this assignment of on the right foot; but the Great Bird of the Galaxy always seemed to have other ideas. Having arrived on time for his transport to Star base Assailant, but the transport had trouble making warp 4 so he arrived 5 hours late. Checking in with the personnel office he was informed that the Jefferson was scheduled to leave in just over 4 hours. So gathering up his bags and arranging for his combat armor to be beamed aboard he reported to the airlock.

*Walking up to the young Marine guarding the airlock Traks stopped, saluted and requested permission to board.*

Traks: Lt. Colonel Traks requesting permission to come aboard.

*Guarding an airlock was not the exciting time this Marine had expected when he signed up. Also no one said anything to him and he just saluted when required. As the new Officer approached in dress Blues he was momentarily distracted by the Lt. Colonel with both a combat air assault medal, Pilot wings, and Star Fleet Medical badges. When the Officer stopped in front of him and requested permission to board he was momentarily speechless.*

Marine1: Ahhh granted sir. Do you require help with your bags?

Traks: Yes have them moved to my quarters, and inform the Gunny that play time is over. Simper-fi.

Marine 1: Aye Aye Sir Hu ra.

*Traks entered the Jefferson and headed for the Main briefing room but he had missed the meeting and arrived just as the Captain was coming out the door.

Traks: Captain Reynolds; Lt Colonel Traks reporting as ordered.

<tag Co>

[Matthew Reynolds]

The appearance of the Lieutenant Colonel was a welcomed surprised. Matthew Reynolds knew that it signified the return of a marine commander to the Jefferson's squadron.

"Captain Reynolds; Lt Colonel Traks reporting as ordered," Traks said.

"Welcome aboard Colonel, I'm sorry that I was not able to welcome you aboard this fine vessel myself, but you know how paperwork gets lost," Matt said as he returned the marines salute," I hope you find our marine contingent up to par, but if they do not meet with your standards you are free to whip them up to shape."

(Traks)

While the marines were always at thier disposal it was always nice to have a seasoned officer at the helm. Matt trusted his security forces, but the marines always helped when the situation got bad.

"Helm are we ready to go?" Matt asked of the helms officer.

"Aye sir, we have been given the green light by Assailant and all departments report a go," the helm's officer replied.

"Alright, once you are ready lay in a course to Sigma Iotia, maximun warp," Matt said as he took his seat.

"Course laid in," the helmsman said before he put the Jefferson at warp.

Knowing that there was no reason for any of the senior staff to be on the bridge, Matt decided that it would be a good idea to get some extra duties done. As captain, Matt could easily order any member of his crew to perform a task, but he knew that it was important to get his own hands dirty. The only problem; how dirty did he want his hands to get.

[Deleted]

Knowing that a Federation starship was in route to take her back to Earth comforted the Trill Ambassador. Since leaving Starbase Assailant, Ezdreiana had been elbow deep in talks with the Iotian government. She was confident that the Iotians were ready for membership within the Federation, but she couldn't help but be weary of certain criminal elements within their society. Those thoughts seemed trivial as Ezdrieana thought about her husband and son. She had not seen either of them in quite some time and even though they were Vulcan she knew that they missed her as well.

"Madam Ambassador we have gotten word that the USS Jefferson has been ordered to escort you back to the Federation," Percy Jackson, her aide, reported.

"If I haven't told you a thousands times, stop calling me that," Ezdreiana said," when we are alone you are to call me by my given name, not by my title."

"I know, but its a habit that cannot be easily broken," Percy replied sheepishly.

"Trust me, an Ambassador sometimes has to drop diplomacy and act irrationally if they want to get things done correctly," Ezdreiana said as she calculated the Jefferson's arrival. "They should be arriving within six days. It should give us enough time to convince the Vax family to stand down in their opposition."

"I doubt it, Vax does not want to lose all of his ill gotten riches," Percy replied," we don't have any evidence, but we are sure that he has bribed off some officials to make things harder for the Iotians."

"That Vax is a fool, the Iotians have made much progress since we destroyed their culture so many years ago," Ezdreiana said.

"I couldn't agree with you more, but they have lived this way for centuries and even now the most progressive members of their society haven't totally abandoned the mafia mentality that was rampant in Chicago during the 1920's."

"I know, that is why we have been here for so long," Ezdreiana said as she prepared to meet with another government official.

[Deleted]

"Alright everyone, I would like to make this short and sweet," the Captain began, activating a viewscreen to display a rather ordinary looking planet. "I want everyone to become familiar with this planet. The Iotians have asked for membership to the Federation and we are to pick up the Federation liaison and escort him back to Federation space. The Jefferson has been assigned this duty because the Iotians have a funny history," he continued, changing the display on the viewscreen. "The Iotians have based their culture around 20th century mob life and while there has been tremendous progress, there are still powerful bosses who oppose the Federation. I know that it is custom for the Federation to deny membership to planets divided in their choice to join, but we are partially responsible. That is why the Federation Council wants to hear what the liaison has to say,” the Captain stated, pausing to allow for any input from the others, with Command Garrett choosing to stay quiet.

“Your orders are simple and straightforward. Commander Garrett will oversee all security issues. We will pickup the liaison from the central mayoral palace and head back home. Commander Tavik, and Doctor Van Breughel you are free to work on any side projects that you may have, but I would like your departments to be running at peak efficiency. If there is nothing else," the Captain concluded, again pausing for anyone who wished to say something, before then adding, “You're dismissed."

Rising and quickly exiting, passing an unfamiliar Marine in the corridor, Megan left the bridge deep in thought. The Captain was certainly right that this was a simple, straightforward looking mission, but she knew all too well that appearances could be deceiving, very deceiving. Although she had yet to receive any information that would indicate it, this had the feel of a cover mission for something far from simple. Briefly, she wondered if perhaps this was some sort of test, to see if she was really ready to resume the active duties of an agent and complete missions again, but she dismissed this. Admiral LaPage wasn’t the type to pull something like that, not with her, but she wouldn’t put it past him to allow her to be placed in a situation where things could potentially get more complicated and trust her to deal with what came.

Megan knew of the Iotians from Federation history and from a few rather common jokes relating to mob practices and culture but little else in more detail or current. As Commander Garrett entered her quarters, she went straight to her console to access any and all information relating to the planet, especially recently. She was tempted to contact her superior and ask him directly what was going on, but that almost felt like cheating. Being an agent was far from a game, but sometimes the back and forth, politics, cat and mouse, and other similar ‘games’ helped to keep agents sharp. No superior would ever withhold vital information or deliberately make a mission harder than it had to be, but when there was room for adding a challenge or encouraging independence and growth without compromising the integrity of the organization or the success of a mission, it was encouraged. Her previous position hadn’t allowed for any of this, but she was familiar enough to know to be prepared.

So settling in for a long night of research and preparation, Megan decided that she would do her job as assigned by Captain Reynolds, prepare herself as best as she could for whatever surprises may await them, and above all, keep her eyes open. Expect the unexpected wasn’t a common Starfleet and Black Ops motto for nothing.

[Deleted]

"It'll take me some time to get back into the swing of things, but I assure you that Sickbay is running at top efficiency," Nathan declared confidently, while twirling his mug of tea in his hands. The mug felt comfortably warm, which in turn kept him calm. He never was one to sit idle, and he was literally eager to get back to work.

He listened intently to the remainder of the briefing, then was the first one out as he literally jogged back to sickbay. He wasn't even out of breath when he arrived there. "Hannah!" he called out, his voice carrying across sickbay, startling several nurses.

Hannah appeared from the CMO's office a grin on her face. "So, back on duty then?"

"Yes, and calling on the new marine for his physical." Nathan grinned back. "Might as well eh?" He tapped his combadge. "Colonel Traks, please report to sickbay."

[Traks]

Just on the last line of the SMO's response, Jayden walked into the medical bay, carrying Angel on his arm. "I have my shift in a few minutes. The nanny called in sick and our own won't activate for some reason." He showed Nathan the mobile emitter. "Someone thought this was a toy to gnaw on," he chuckled as he handed Angel over to his husband.

"Well she is teething," Nathan replied as he examined the toddler, watching her laugh as he tilted her above his head, then twirled with her across the room, as if she were a plane. She squealed with laughter, her dark blue eyes bright with joy. "Da!" she cried out, waving her little arms about, catching Jayden in the eye as he stood too close.

"Ow!" Jayden exclaimed, covering his eye with his hand, then blinked furiously. "That hurt. Are we sure she's a girl? She got a mighty good punch!"

Nathan chuckled, then turned as Traks walked in. "Ah, colonel. Thank you for coming down." He held out his hand, shifting the toddler to his left arm. "Doctor Nathan van Breughel, though doctor or Nathan will do. I have no rank to be called by."

[traks]

Jayden stood at attention then saluted. "Lance Corporal Jayden Mitchell, sir," he reported, "platoon commander." His eyes shifted to Nathan. "And his husband, sir. This is our daughter Angelique."

[traks]

Rolling his eyes, Nathan shoved the baby in his arms. "Off with you," he mock-ordered, "the crib's in my office. Colonel, this way please."

[traks]

"Any allergies I should be aware of sir? Anything that would read abnormal on a scan, but should be calibrated for since it is normal for you?"

[Traks]

"Anything else I need to know?"

[Traks]

[Deleted]

*Traks had just finished changing from his dress blues to a marine duty uniform when his commbadge churped...*


van Breughel: Colonel Traks, please report to sickbay."

Traks: "Traks here I will be there shortly Doctor." *Closing the connection Traks left his office and headed toward the Sick Bay.* [Ok Jim try to keep from ticking off another MD.]

*As Traks entered Sick Bay he was greeted by the sight of the Doctor holding an infant and two Marine's.*

van Breughel:Ah, colonel. Thank you for coming down." He held out his hand, shifting the toddler to his left arm. "Doctor Nathan van Breughel, though doctor or Nathan will do. I have no rank to be called by."


Traks: *Shaking the Doctor's hand Traks noticed the two Marines snapping to attention.* " Hello Doctor and not a problem, Star Fleet protocol has not changed since I was the CMO of the America.


Jayden stood at attention then saluted. "Lance Corporal Jayden Mitchell, sir," he reported, "platoon commander." His eyes shifted to Nathan. "And his husband, sir. This is our daughter Angelique."

*Turning to the Marine's * At ease you two before you strain something. Spit and polish protocol have there time and place, and as and ex CMO I do not stand on that in Sick Bay. She is a cutie now take care of her while the Doctor and the Doctor get to have his fun."

*Turning back to the CMO.* Ok then call me Jim as I left the Doctor title back in my old sick bay too much confusion during physicals."

van Breughel: "Off with you," he mock-ordered, "the crib's in my office. Colonel, this way please."

* Traks followed the Doctor into the exam area.*

van Breughel:"Any allergies I should be aware of sir? Anything that would read abnormal on a scan, but should be calibrated for since it is normal for you?"

Traks: "Nothing out of the ordinary for a Mars born human. Except for the inter phase just under the skin at the base of my skull. This allows me to communicate with my armor's computer and control it's actions. Or at least that is what it is supposed to do so far all it does is give me a head ache and wake me at odd hours with trivial questions from the computer or Sarge as I call him. This is all experimental and limited to myself and one other Officer who was working with me on the prototypes."

van Breughel:"Anything else I need to know?"

Traks: "Just my strange allergy to Cardassians; every time I get near one my eyes watter and I sneeze. I will endeavor to keep my medical opinion to myself, but I do tend to treat myself and my Marines when the situation warrants it. Rest assured that in here you are the Boss. If you require help and I will be glad to assist you anytime my duties allow."

<tag CMO>

[Deleted]

Just my strange allergy to Cardassians; every time I get near one my eyes watter and I sneeze. I will endeavor to keep my medical opinion to myself, but I do tend to treat myself and my Marines when the situation warrants it. Rest assured that in here you are the Boss. If you require help and I will be glad to assist you anytime my duties allow."

"So long as you don't question my authority, despite being civilian, I have no issues with listening to your medical opinino sir," Nathan replied, unable to prevent a chuckle at the mention of a Cardassian allergy. It wasn't something he'd ever heard of, medically speaking, but he was sure it wasn't a literal allergy, in the medical sense of the word.

"The marines do tend to tend to their own," Nathan agreed, "however I do demand that if there are medical issues, you send them to me. I am the medical authority on this vessel, and despite there being combat medics, and you being a medic yourself, I am the one who eventually treats the crew. I need to report injuries to the captain, and if you treat your own, reports might not be made, if you understand what I'm getting at."

[Traks]

"I do, however welcome your assistance in an emergency. I've found this vessel's EMH is somewhat... unreliable shall we say? And sickbay generally is understaffed though I do have a staff I can rely on." This time, he laughed. "It's me who can be unreliable," he added, "not in the medical sense, but physically. And I have this uncanny knack of getting myself into trouble, despite my attempts to stay out of trouble."

[Traks]

"I have a medical condition of my own colonel," he confided, "this is no secret. I have a heart condition though I am improving. I'm keeping myself fit, and am even following Starfleet Tactical training. So far so good though, I haven't had any symptoms in a while now, and I'm feeling fine. Currently, Im relatively stress-free. I have a loving husband and two young children, both biologically mine. You just met Jayden and my daughter Angelique. My son Frédéric is 6 years old."

[Traks]

This time, the Human doctor's eyes narrowed. "I may be civilian but trust me when I say that I'll go at length to defend my family. I have my oath as a doctor but I will hunt down those who hurt my family." It sounded like a threat, and maybe in a veiled way it was, but Nathan didn't intentionally make it sound like one. He was being truthful, even though he was in no way actually capable of hunting anyone down. His loathing of weapons attested to that, despite his becoming relatively proficient with a phaser lately. It was pure necessity, that he became proficient, hardly a desire to be.

[Traks]

[Deleted]

van Breughel:"The marines do tend to tend to their own," Nathan agreed, "however I do demand that if there are medical issues, you send them to me. I am the medical authority on this vessel, and despite there being combat medics, and you being a medic yourself, I am the one who eventually treats the crew. I need to report injuries to the captain, and if you treat your own, reports might not be made, if you understand what I'm getting at."

Traks: "No problem I remember the paperwork and all the headaches from my time as the CMO of the USS America. I haven't been called medic since my first couple of years in Med school." I know the feeling of being worried about family and friends. My first day as Chief Medical Officer of the old America we were attacked and boarded while in space dock. Not only did we loose half of the medical staff but I spent 3 weeks in a coma. After that I swore that on one in my care would ever be hurt while I could fight so I transfered to the Marines and have dedicated my efforts to defending those who needed it and to watch the back of those who save life."

[Deleted]

"Well then," Nathan smiled as he snapped his tricorder shut, "why don't you do the protecting then, while I see to the patching up. I'm not a fighter colonel, even though I am learning. Perhaps there's a thing or two that you could teach me in regards to defending myself and my patients?"

He gestured for Traks to sit up. "You are cleared for duty," he interrupted himself, putting the tricorder away. "I'm sure you noticed I'm but a civilian. My husband is a loyal marine, and he's been keeping the men and women under your command as trained as possible under the circumstances."

The Human doctor stepped back to allow the marine room to get up. "As I said, perhaps there's a few things you could teach me. I'm getting reasonably proficient with a phaser, but if I can avoid using them, I'd love to. I don't like phasers, they're but a necessary evil to me. To protect my family I have one in my home, well out of my son's reach."

[Traks]

Again, Nathan smiled, then tapped his combadge. "Bridge this is Nathan. I'm sending Colonel Traks your way. He's been cleared for duty, and ready for mission briefing."

[Reynolds/Garrett]

He held out his hand to Traks. "It's been a pleasure meeting you sir, and if ever I do require your help in sickbay, I'll not hesitate to call upon you." He waved the marine off, in what resembled a shooing motion. Oddly enough, this marine didn't make him feel nervous. In fact, he felt oddly safe and secure in his presence. Perhaps, because there were certain similarities, in that he too was a doctor?

[Traks]

[Deleted]

=/\=Bridge this is Nathan. I'm sending Colonel Traks your way. He's been cleared for duty and ready for mission briefing,=/\= the voice of the CMO sounded on the bridge. The Captain was currently off-duty, so it was the First Officer who replied.

“Acknowledged, Doctor,” Megan responded. She had yet to meet the new Senior Marine, and this seemed as good an opportunity as any. There wasn’t exactly a lot of information available on their current mission, but she could pass along what she knew. It would be nice to work with the Lieutenant Colonel on the security concerns, as the Tactical/Security Department was still a bit unstable. His arrival was well timed.

Once the Marine arrived, Commander Garrett stood and nodded to Valad to take over the bridge for her momentarily. “Hello, Colonel. Welcome to the Jefferson. I’m the First Officer, Commander Garrett. I apologize that I didn’t get an opportunity to introduce myself immediately upon your arrival, but your transfer was rather quick. I had not even received notice of it yet officially,” Megan began with a slight smile.

<Tag Traks>

“If you’ll step into the briefing room for a moment, I can bring you up to date on our current mission,” the Commander suggested. The ready room would probably be better suited to such a small “meeting” than the larger conference room, but since Matt was merely off the bridge, it just wouldn’t feel right to commandeer his office.

<Tag Traks>

Once the two had moved to the briefing room, Megan began the briefing without any preamble. “Our mission is a simple one. The Jefferson is heading to the planet Sigma Iota to retrieve a diplomatic liaison and escort him back to Federation space. The Iotians are requesting Federation membership, but the situation is somewhat more complex than usual. The planet is still not fully united, and although normally they would be ineligible for membership because of their unique history, they are being considered under the advisement of the liaison. Apparently, they mistakenly based their culture on a twentieth century Earth novel revolving around the less than noble Chicago Mob era of Human history, so their instability is partially due to our influence, however unintentional. That is also why caution is required and why the Jefferson was assigned. I was placed in charge of the security issues, and I would welcome your contribution and involvement also,” Commander Garrett concluded.

<Tag Traks>

“I’m sure you have a lot to do, getting settled in, acquainted with your Marines, and establishing yourself on board the Jefferson. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask me,” Megan added, offering another smile and extending her hand to shake his.

<Tag Traks>

Once back on the bridge, Commander Garrett moved first to Ops. Since Traks had missed the briefing, he hadn’t been able to meet the rest of the senior officers, so she figured she could at least introduce him to Valad, since he was on the bridge. “Colonel, I’d like you to meet Commander Tavik, our Chief Operations Officer. This is Lieutenant Colonel Traks, our new Senior Marine,” she offered as introduction.

<Tag Traks and Valad>

“If you’ll excuse me, gentleman, I have duties to return to,” Megan concluded as she moved back to the center chair to return to the reports she’d been reading on Sigma Iota and the Iotians history. Until they arrived, all she could do was prepare.

[Deleted]

*After being released from sick bay Traks headed to the bridge. Upon exiting the turbo lift he descended to the command area.*

Traks:" Hello Commander I did not have a lot of notice of this assignment either."

*Following the Commander into the briefing room.*


Megan: “Our mission is a simple one. The Jefferson is heading to the planet Sigma Iota to retrieve a diplomatic liaison and escort him back to Federation space. ....."

Traks:"Yes I will do all that I can to help with the security issues. I am somewhat familiar with the History of the Ioations. I spent 6 months there as a Lieutenant teaching their doctors more advanced medical procedures. But that was over 20 years ago."

*Traks and the Xo left the briefing room:*

Megan: Colonel, I’d like you to meet Commander Tavik, our Chief Operations Officer. This is Lieutenant Colonel Traks, our new Senior Marine,” she offered as introduction.

Traks: "Commander Tavik, a pleasure to meet you."

[Deleted]

"Honey?" Jayden marched into sickbay, a dark green bag slung over his shoulder. He grinned as he entered the CMO's office, finding his beloved napping on the couch. "Oy." He nudged the man, poking him between his ribs. "They invented beds for that you know..."

Jayden sat on the edge of the couch and leaned forwards, his lips lightly brushing those of the sleeping man. "You're a right sleeping beauty," the marine teased as the doctor slowly opened his eyes, responding to the kiss.

"Is that so?" Nathan sat up, careful not to throw his mate off the couch. He felt Jayden's supporting arm behind his back, the other caressing his cheek. Nathan smiled, tracing the line of Jayden's jaw. "If you say so then."

Jayden laughed in response and got to his feet, pulling Nathan up with him. "I say so," he replied, drawing the other man in. "And you're coming with me. Right now. I've dropped Angel off in the daycare center and Freddy's happy playing over at Timiny's. Though I think Caleb wanted to make a date, I'm not sure, I haven't returned the call yet."

"Caleb has his own homework to attend to. At Timiny's, at least the boy's mother will make sure both boys do their homework, as well as keep them out of mischief." They stood together for a long moment, content to be in the other's arms. "So where are we going?"

"Pool. When was the last time we had a swim together? Just you and me?"

"It's been a while," Nathan acknowledged, "except I don't have my gear with me."

Now, Jayden's smile turned mischievous. "Who said you need them?" he grinned cheekily, "I've booked a holodeck. No-one is going to disturb us. Therapeutic holodeck visits never are disturbed, remember? And to a degree, this is therapy for you as you're meant to relax once in a while. No doubt Garett will be drilling you on tactics again soon enough. Speaking of which, how are you doing on those? I heard you were very insistent on getting it."

Eyes widening at his mate's presumptuous boldness, Nathan smiled wanly. "I'm doing fine. I'm no expert and I never will be, but at least I can hold a phaser now, and use it with relative expertise. I can hit a target, can you believe it? As for the other parts, I've got good motive to learn. I don't ever want to risk our children like this again. Ever."

Sensing Nathan's fury, Jayden cupped his cheek in his hand. "I know. Calm down love, we don't want to risk your health over this. Now come with me. There's a pool, or rather, a warm beach waiting for us. And all we need is a towel, and ourselves. Let's go. We've got a few hours before someone no doubt is screaming for your attention again."

His smile warming, Nathan followed willingly, leaving Hannah in charge of sickbay. "I've no doubt there will be," he acknowledged. Feeling as though he were a teenager sneaking away while on curfew, Nathan followed his mate to the holodeck.

[Valad Tavik]

ooc: JP consisting of myself and Monica Quindara

Nearing the end of his bridge shift, Valad noticed a marine come onto the bridge. Must be new crew time... he thought. The marine talked briefly with the superiors and then came back to the bridge, where he was introduced to Valad by Commander Garrett.

"Commander Tavik, a pleasure to meet you," the marine Lieutenant Colonel said.

"Likewise Colonel," Valad said slightly bowing his head in greetings. "I look forward to serving with you, but for now I have some new crew of my own to check up on. Perhaps you would like to meet for a meal at some point?"

(TRAKS)

Getting his answer, Valad nodded and said, "I take my leave. Again, good to meet you Colonel." He turned briefly to Commander Garrett, giving a nod and saying, "Commander." He then took his leave of the bridge and proceeded directly to his office. Finding the room unusually peaceful, he went to his desk and brought up the new operations crew roster. He was gaining seven new officers, including Lieutenant Ashley Hansola, an expert in computers, Lieutenant JG Mario Sanchez, apparently well versed in the scanning department, and a fresh officer out of the academy, Ensign Richard Brass. They all should be good assets to the crew. He made a mental note to evaluate Sanchez for a potential relief bridge officer position. Valad always loved to get away from the bridge. However, this time, Valad really needed to get some work done. He headed for the ops center.

As Valad entered, he noticed a lone officer standing and working over by one of the consoles. He recognized the beautiful long, black hair of the woman. He approached her quietly and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her gently in towards him. He leaned his head over her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek.

Her initial impulse was to drop kick the person who had dared touch her in such a private way, but almost instantly she recognized his scent. She embraced the moment and joyfully laughed like a school age girl.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Monica said turning to face Valad,” I could have hurt you.”

"You're probably right. But I just couldn't help myself." He smiled and looked passed her. "So. What'cha doin'?"

“I’m just performing routine maintenance on all of the consoles on this deck,” Monica said glad that he had come to find her,” though you should already know this. I left all of this information on your desk this morning.”

"I never have to worry about anything when I have you around, do I?" In fact, he had read those reports, but he thought a little flattery might get him somewhere. "That's why I like having you around. Not only do you have no fear of podracing, but you keep morons like me from hurting ourselves with important information. You know me, I just stay away. It scares me." He made a face like he ate something that tasted awful. He hoped it would make her smile.

“Wouldn’t that also make me a moron?” Monica asked with a half smile,” only a moron would fall for another moron.”

"Only if you don't believe that opposites attract." Valad raised his eyebrows. "But then again, I never claimed to be a philosopher. All I know is that you are beautiful. That's all I need to know."

He had called her beautiful hundreds of times since they started their relationship, but every time he said those words blood rushed to her face. Even though it wasn’t customary to think of men as beautiful, that was exactly how Monica viewed Valad. Not only did he have a beautiful  though clouded soul, but he was hot to boot “I’m just lucky that you gave me a chance,” Monica said feeling a little bit sheepish,” after I confronted you on the bridge I thought any chance I had with you was over.”

"Oh come on. That was fun and you know it." While it had been a slight problem at the time, as he looked back on it, it had been a great bonding moment, if at all an abstract one. "I always like a good debate. Plus it gives opportunities for the kiss and make-up process later." He picked Moinca up and gave her a peck on the lips before setting her down and grabbing a padd. As he input information he said, "I met the new Marine Chief a little while ago. Seems to be an interesting fellow. Have you seen him around yet?"

“You shouldn’t do that while we are on duty,” Monica said wanting more of Valad, but resisting,” and no I have not met him, but I’m sure he will be just as good as our previous Marine Officer. He was quite good looking if I recall correctly.”

He smiled. "Fine, fine." He said starting to walk past her. He dipped down and kissed her on the cheek. "There I go again... I just can't seem to follow the rules can I?" he asked playfully.

“We both know you can, you just choose to ignore certain rules,” Monica said playfully,” though seriously I don’t want us to be a bad example to the junior officers. We will be arriving at the planet soon and I would rather them focus on that than our personal lives. Gossip tends to spread on starships and they do not need that type of distraction.”

Valad sighed, knowing he wasn't going to win this battle. He handed her the padd he was playing with. "Alright, fine. Here are some orders. I'd like you to run system diagnostics on the sensors and computer. We have some knew crew that came onboard in our recent base run. Lieutenant Hansola is a computer geek, so have her oversee the computer diagnostic. Sanchez will oversee the sensors. We also have a fresh cadet, Ensign Brass. I'd like you to get the feel for him, see what he is good at."

“Yes sir,” Monica replied with a coy  but professional smile,” his record indicates that he comes from a powerful Starfleet family. He is most likely on the fast track to Commander."

"Do I sense I tiny bit of hostility towards the young Ensign?" he asked Monica with an eyebrow raised.

"I will not give him any special treatment because of his family," Monica said," Starfleet should always be based on ability not your family connections."

"And as it should be," he said. "So have I left you with enough to do? Or would you like me to assign something else?"

"This is enough," Monica said with a laugh," if I finish I'm sure I can come up with something else to do."

"Damn, I was hoping you would ask for more, since then I wouldn't have to do anything. But not this time I suppose." He reached an arm around her and kissed her passionately. As he let go, he said, "Don't worry. I'm certain no one saw that either."

[Matthew Reynolds]

In school children were always taught that diplomacy was the best option to any hostile situation. Matthew Reynolds was quite the opposite. He would punch first and ask questions after throwing in a kick for good measure. This way of thinking had always gotten Matt into trouble and according to his mother only Starfleet would be able to change him.

~If you only knew mom~ Matt thought as he once again quietly observed the bridge. Matt felt of an up swell of emotion for his crew at that moment. He knew that they were second to none and would follow him into any fire.

"Captain, Doctor van Breughel has reported that Colonel Traks is cleared for duty," Ensign Jatel reported.

"Alright, now that our Marine Officer has been cleared, I'm sure we should expect some type of drill in no time," Matt said which was followed by a few laughs.

"Captain, we'll be arriving on the planet within hours," the ensign reported.

"Has Ambassador Ezdrieana contacted us yet, she was supposed to get a hold of us once we were in communications range," Matt said.

"Negative sir," the ensign reported," sir there is no outgoing communications from the planet. It may be that the communications network is down."

"Odd, I was under the impression that the planet's communication's system was on par with any other Federation planet," Matt said as he accessed all the information on Sigma Iotia," there are no reported instances regarding natural phenomena causing massive communications blackouts. Alright we do not need to jump to any conclusions, so keep trying to hail the planet. We will arrive shortly anyways and we'll have our answers."

(Tag everyone)

[Valad Tavik]

As time went on and the Jefferson got closer to the destination, Valad made the realization that he was quite bored. He had gone through all of the diagnostic results so ably procured by Monica and her team, but it seemed monotonous. Everything was in working order as it should be after a resupply. Everything was in its rightful place. That was great. Valad sat in his office chair twiddling his thumbs. He did not have to report for bridge duty for a few hours and he wondered what to do to pass the time. Everything was in working order with the ship's systems, so there was no need to worry. Engineering was no doubt in order. He knew J'Varr kept a tight lock on things. And no doubt the new Senior Marine officer was keeping his troop on their toes. The shuttlebays were good to.....Shuttles.....the Seraph Valad had always wanted to get a peak at the ship since he had been on it a few missions back. Now was his chance to investigate. He would of course have to find it, but that shouldn't be too hard.

After nearly an hour of searching, Valad had not yet found the Seraph. It wasn't in the shuttlebay, nor was it directly under the front end of the ship. It made no sense. Valad had walked around the main areas of the ship in hopes that he had missed something, but at this point there was no points of access that were not secured by locked doors and officially restricted access. Many of these points, Valad as a senior officer already had access to, but there were a few that had access levels higher than his, which meant that only Commander Garrett and maybe only Captain Reynolds had access to. Valad needed a tricorder and borrowed one from the ops office, which he had recently passed. He found one restricted room that was too small to fit a shuttle in., but eventually, on Deck Eight near the outer hull, he found a large room that was surrounded by a dampening field. Bingo! Valad tried to open it, but as he expected, he was denied access. No doubt the computer would log that he tried to gain access to the room, but he suspected anyone looking would view it as a mistake and pass it by.

Valad was not going to give up over a locked door. He moved to the nearest Jeffries tube access port and when he was convinced no one would see, he opened the hatch and crawled in. He quickly moved to the end of the tube and turned to open the hatch leading to the large room. It was Restricted Access. Now this is overkill. He opened the hatch leading above and climbed up to the next level. He freely moved across to the next till he was directly over top of the room. Trying that hatch, he was forced to move on. Valad travelled to four access hatches, all of which were restricted. Its a damn shuttle. It's not like anyone would mess with it... Valad knew the last thought was being entirely contradicted by the fact that he himself was trying to gain access to the shuttle. "Oh well," he said aloud. After realizing he wasn't going to get in the conventional, Valad realized that he was going to have to be creative getting in. He knew a site to site transport was out of the question because of the dampening field and obviously blowing up the walls was not going to happen. An idea popped into his mind as he remembered back to a time when he was younger and he was asked to traverse the ship in the ventilation shafts. Granted, with the Jefferson moving in space, it was slightly dangerous, but he thought he would try anyway.

If Valad remembered correctly, there was a shaft about ten meters back from his current position. It might very well lead to the large room, which at this point Valad was certain it was a shuttlebay. He opened the grate and peered down into the upper conduit. It was just barely big enough for him to wiggle through. He lowered himself into the conduit and crawled across five meters. The path dipped down slightly, allowing Valad a little more room to move. The main shaft that would take him to the proper level came quickly and he lowered himself downward from his current position. He couldn't make the entire drop down without seriously injuring himself. He would have to do it in increments. He looked down hoping to see another conduit to move towards, but from the angle he looked from, it was nearly impossible to see. He was beginning to get sweaty from the nervousness. This was a bad idea. He started to lose his grip. He suddenly slipped. The deck started to race up towards him. He saw the grate that would lead to his demise. He crashed through it with a loud bang and then abruptly stopped. His uniform had gotten caught on an edge that stuck out on the grate. Valad stopped breathing for a moment. The air was still around him. He slowly looked down and saw the floor was only a few yards down. He could make it. He exhaled with a sigh of relief as his body relaxed.

Valad slowly tore his uniform and he fell to the ground. The drop still knocked the wind out of him, but otherwise he was no worse for the wear. He smiled. I am never doing that again. He turned around to look right at the Captain, who was standing in front of the Seraph.

"Lieutenant Commander Valad Tavik, what the hell are you doing here?" Matthew Reynolds said fuming," If I wasn't captain of this vessel I would kick your [word deleted]."

Oh dear God. I am so screwed. Valad waited only a split second to respond. "Would you believe me if I told you I was out for an evening stroll?"

"Evening stroll, you are a complete imbecile if you believe I would buy that," Matt said as he slowly approached the visably shaken young man," not only were you stupid enough to enter a restricted area, but you endangered yourself in the process. I've been known to seek out mischief, but to mess with the captain's stuff is something not even I would do."

Realizing that at this point anything he could say would only dig himself into a deeper hole, Valad simply rose to attention, not daring to look at his superior.

"Valad Tavik, be a man and look me in the eyes," Matt said acting more like an enraged teenager than a highly decorated Starfleet officer," seriously did you think I wouldn't discover an intruder?"

Valad looked up and into his Captain's eyes. "I didn't think that far ahead, sir."

"Didn't think that far? What if there wasn't a shuttle here? What if it was something classified that would have landed you in a prison colony?" Matt said dumbfounded by the lack of forthought on the part of his officer.

Valad raised an eyebrow. "With all due respect, sir. We were just at starbase. It's not likely that we would retain anything that would merit a room of this size."

"Valad do not use logic right now because it will not help you right now," Matt said briefly amused that Valad was able to whip up smart [word deleted] remarks at a time like this.

This wasn't going well. Valad was going to be put in the brig, at best. "At this point, sir, its either logic, or more evening strolls."

"Again with the smart [word deleted] remark," Matt said almost seeing himself in Valad. He could remember himself being in almost this very situation and his mother ripping him a new one just like he was doing now to Valad," I want you to get out of here before I do something I will regret."

"Yes, sir." Valad turned to walk away and moved to the door. It didn't budge. He sighed, knowing what he had to ask. "Sir, could you let me out. The door can only be opened with your authorization."

"Computer, open door. Voice confirmation Reynolds Zodiac Tango One," Matt said before he turned his attention to the Seraph.

Valad nodded and walked out the door.


OOC: I put this at the end so as to not spoil the surprise. This is a JP between myself and Captain Reynolds

[Matthew Reynolds]

Valad Tavik's stupidity now behind them, Matthew Reynolds quickly made his way back to the bridge. The Jefferson was due to arrive at the planet in a few minutes and the communication silence was now starting to worry him. Once they were in orbit they would be able to determine the problem, but until then he would be experiencing this unsettling feeling.

=^=Reynolds to bridge, once we have entered the system, establish standard orbit above the capital and get someone on the line=^=

=^=Understood sir=^=

Captains always spoke of having that 'gut feeling' and while there could be a perfectly reasonable explanation for the communication blackout, something was telling him that something was very wrong and it involved the Ambassador.

"Captain we have established orbit above the capital, but we have yet to receive any response from the planet," the young operation officer on duty replied," is there anything else that I should do?"

The young ensign's response annoyed Matt. If Monica or Valad had been on duty they would have known to scan the planet and find the planet's communication network.

"Sir there has been a planet wide shutdown of all communications systems," the science officer reported," our scans might not be powerful enough. With your permission, I would like see if I can pick up any private frequencies.

While Matt was always weary of ease dropping on private citizens, this situation called for it.

"Yes, go ahead," Matt said as he went to the operations console and found the government headquarters where he immediately began an extensive scan of the area. The feeling in his stomach tightened when he discovered that there had been recent weapons fire in the area.

"Colonel Traks prepare an away team immediately," Matt said as he put the ship on yellow alert," Commander Tavik and Doctor van Breughel prepare yourselves for an away mission. Commander Garrett report to the bridge ASAP."

(Tag Traks, Megan, Valad)

[Valad Tavik]

Valad was livid, more so at himself than Captain Reynolds. He knew the error of his little mission and how he would fix it next time. The only reason he had been caught this time was his efforts to enter through main areas of travel. Valad should have been prepared for that. Next time, and there would be a next time, Valad would make certain that he was not detected. He would have to remember now though that the air shaft would most definitely be riddled with security measures.

As Valad went to his quarters, he had already begun to devise his new plan. He would most likely need some equipment now that he knew the doors would only open by Reynolds' command, going inside or outside. It would require climbing equipment. He would need a tricorder to track down any new security measures. He sat on his couch as he contemplated his new mission.

The ship suddenly went to yellow alert. Son of a ..... Valad got up and rushed out of his quarters. The comm opened up.

=/\=Commander Tavik and Doctor van Breughel prepare yourselves for an away mission. Commander Garrett report to the bridge ASAP.=/\=

Still peeved at his CO, Valad didn't respond, but made his way directly to the armory to gather the needed equipment. Showing up in the transporter room, stocked and ready to go, Valad asked the Captain, "What's going on?"

(Matt/All)

[Matthew Reynolds]

Location: Sigma Iotia, Capital City

"There is a Federation vessel taking orbit above the planet," a voice not to far from the apparently unconscious body of Ambassador Ezdrieana of Trill reported," the ship is registered as the USS Jefferson, a sovereign class ship."

"Why would they send a war ship for a diplomatic mission?" a frightened man said clearly worried that he had chosen the wrong side.

"Get him out of here!" a uniformed man said as he approached the only working console in the large open atrium," we have underestimated them. They must have suspected something, but I doubt that ship knows anything. If they did, we should have gotten reports of marines transporting all over the capital."

"You cannot fight this Don Jeerten, the ways of the mob have long been over. As the elected representative of Sigma Iotia I demand that you restore power and surrender," the President said.

"Our days will be long and numerous Mr. President," Jeerten replied before he took his pistol and emptied it on the now lifeless body of President Oreale. "He was really starting to annoy me."

"Don we have our men ready, if the Federation comes we'll be ready for them," another solider reported before going back to his station.

Jeerten would have normally smiled at the news, but the next few minutes would determine if he and his family would stay in power of Sigma Iotia. Whoever was in charge of the Jefferson was no fool and soon enough he would find out if luck was on there side.

[Deleted]

Away mission? Lazily, Nathan stretched himself out, thereby nearly dumping a sleeping child off his lap. "Dad?" Freddy asked, jolted awake. "What's going on?"

Nathan locked eyes with Jayden, who was sat in the comfortable chair, feeding a drowsy baby. There was a brief hint of jealousy in his eyes when his husband was called upon. "When the captain calls you'd better hurry. You know how annoyed he's prone on getting when you're involved."

"And I still don't understand why. I thought he was my friend. Perhaps it has to do with him being starfleet, and me...not. I don't know." He set the sleepy boy aside and rose to his feet. "Will you be all right here?"

"Go on, get ready. We'll be fine. Just promise me something Nate...promise me." Dark eyes settled on the tall Human doctor. "Come back to me, safe and sound. You promise me you'll come back safe." He felt strong arms being wrapped around him a face pressed against his.

"I promise," Nathan replied, kissing his husband's cheek. "I'll be back in a minute." He tapped his combadge. "Give me a few minutes to prepare captain, I'll report to the transporterroom when I'm ready. I won't be long."

A few minutes later, he checked his gear. He was dressed in a starfleet medical uniform, which bore no rank insignia. Under the circumstances he presumed that a uniform would be the sturdiest piece of garmet around, and he'd simply replicated one. He'd not ever worn a uniform before, thus he found it somewhat restricting and constricting, given that he was also wearing a black short-sleeved and snug-fitting shirt underneath. At least he could wear his usual footwear, which was something. "Med-kit, tricorder, phaser..." He hesitated at the phaser, then caught Jayden's approving nod and attached it to his utility belt. "Ready."

He kissed Jayden goodbye and made his way down to the transporter room, feeling slightly awkward, if not somewhat unlike himself. "I should've gone with just black," he murmured as he walked in.