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Thread: Star Trek RPG - Mission #7: "The War-Brotherhood of Irkhuit"

  1. #651
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    Malaj says to Onn, "I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but that's the policy. You can see, I'm sure, why I have no leeway to make exceptions."

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    With a nod, Nia lifts a hand. "Understood, ma'am. It would've been irresponsible for me not to try, just in case." She's still reluctant while slowly closing the locker door on her items, but then smiles archly back at Rangin. "In the meantime you'll have to be our ears and voice, Lieutenant." She turns and will follow Malaj, after whichever Security officer prefers to take point.

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    Graham's relieved the debate over retaining equipment is over - in fact, that Nia handled it with some grace and aplomb.

    With a glance to ensure she wasn't intended to direct who-went-where, he gestures for Rawlings to take the rear and steps forward to walk beside Malaj.

    Time to tour Hutchinson's new home...

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    Belatedly--proving her annoying mind issues are still, well, annoying--Nia realizes she let the communicator issue distract her from the hypospray she just asked for. She hangs back and waits for Dr. M. Surprisingly she can feel her scales prickling beneath her skin, as if anticipating the very minor discomfort of the hypospray. Touchy much? Get it together. Nia concentrates on staying relaxed by breathing deep, which gives her a nice boost of energy. The angst with Booker seems to take a lot out of her, a fact that only makes her more irritable and determined to perk herself up. "Thanks, doc. Appreciate it," she murmurs.


    OOC: Sorry, forgot Nia had asked for the spray, duh.

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    Kylah is watching the others prepare for the tour when she catches Lt. Onn's remark to Velir. But I am the communications officer, she thinks, hiding the flush of embarrassment flooding her cheeks by glancing back at the shuttle.

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    After dealing with Nia's hypo and stowing his gear, Dr. Mäkeläinen, too, falls in behind Malaj. Tour of a prison. Hm. I wonder what she has in mind for the opener? He tries to pay attention to details. Anything medically relevant will go into his report later. Also, Kylah seemed morbidly curious to hear about it, though evidently not enough to come and see for herself.

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    “Of course, Ma’am. Enjoy the tour,” Rangin responds politely to Lt Onn with a cheery smile and an inclination of his head to show his understanding of her, well not quite instructions, more request given that both he and Kylah will now be in a conference room together for the duration.

    He is quite surprised that Graham has not even raised an d eyebrow at that situation. Obviously, prisons must be his kind of thing: the locking people up, the general brutality of it all. Yes, it looks like Graham is going to be enjoying himself. As for the others, well that is up to them.

    He gestures to Kylah with one hand towards the door of the conference room. “Shall we?” he enquires.

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    Turning back to the others, Kylah gnaws at the inside of her lip. She is wary of Velir's possible wish to continue the discussion they had last night. Also, she bowed out of visiting the inside of the prison by claiming she needs to work on the Tesla's new communications tech. But... she can probably test some of the functions remotely, by using her tricorder. And she did make a promise to Velir that she would be more open. It would be cowardly to avoid him now.

    "Yes. I will access the Tesla from there." She eyes Lt. Onn. "I can try to use the new transmitter to amplify the signal of my own communicator. The new transmitter module is said to have that ability, I believe." With a parting smile to Lt. Graham, Ens. Rawlings and Dr. Mäkeläinen--which they might not see if facing away from her, although perhaps Rawlings in the back does spot it--Kylah heads to the conference room.

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    Cmdr. Malaj shows Kylah and Rangin into the conference room, a windowless space with the same rough-hewn stone walls and low ceiling the Tesla party saw in the entry hall, as well as a long, featureless metal table and six utilitarian metal chairs. A Starfleet seal is on the wall. The door closes behind the two and Malaj then leads Onn, Graham, Rawlings and Dr. Mäkeläinen through the same door through which the guards had earlier taken Hutchinson. There is another long stone corridor beyond with several doors along it.

    Malaj talks as she strides ahead. "Everything I'll be telling you is non-classified. If you have any questions as we go, please speak right up. So. The Jaros II prison was established just over forty years ago, and has been updated and expanded twice since then. It's the sole Starfleet prison, although there are four other temporary or transitional holding facilities, on Earth, Starbase 1, Rigel IV and Atlantica Station. We currently have 420 prisoners and a staff of about half that size, with a maximum prisoner capacity of up to 1,300. We've never come anywhere close to that, though, fortunately. Prisoners are assessed for physical and mental health, skills, risks and special needs at the time of processing, also known as intake."

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    Dr. Mäkeläinen does not interrupt with questions at this early stage, though questions do cross his mind, like how many of the staff are Starfleet specialists and how many are civilian contractors.

  11. #661
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    "Four-hundred and twenty," Nia says under her breath, shaking her head. "And that's it? For all of Starfleet? Not including the jails you mentioned, but even so... that seems so few. I know Starfleet attracts the best and brightest, but I didn't realize the bulk of us were so..." About to say paragons of virtue, she decides against the snark and just waves a hand in a sort of shrugging gesture and concludes: "Obedient. Very impressive."

    Nia suddenly wonders if, had Vargas followed through with his threat of a court-martial after the Marala incident, she herself would be finding a home here. She side-eyes Booker, who might have joined her--assuming they'd've been punished equally. Not a definite prospect, given Vargas's relationship to his Security officers. Still a sobering thought. Raising an eyebrow, she coughs slightly and murmurs, "All this is plenty of incentive to keep out of trouble."

    She takes a deep breath to address Malaj. "Is this low population an unusual lull for you?"
    Last edited by SidonianGal; 30 May 2022 at 09:35 PM.

  12. #662
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    Rangin looks round the conference room with a sniff, his annoyance obvious at the difference between what he is expecting and what he is being presented with.

    “You know,” he asides to Kylah, “I was expecting a conference room, not something closer to an interview room or somewhere guests get to meet a lucky inmate.” He nudges one of the chairs with a foot, hearing it squeak across the floor and then looks round the empty room.

    “Hmmm, I’m surprised it looks this empty,” as he starts to peer round trying to identify where all the listening and vision devices will be wired in. After all, it is a room in the prison, so the chances it does not have monitoring devices will be as close to zero as to be inconsequential.

    However, there is someone else in the room and he pulls the back of the chair out from the table and offers the seat to Kylah. Of course, she is a Federation officer and a rank below him and there is no reason for him to have to do it, but he is in the room first and he feels he should at least make the gesture.

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    Kylah accepts the chair and, smoothing her dress beneath her, sits. "It looks little different from basic rooms at the Academy, to me. But I find design so plain--utilitarian--with humans. Humans from Earth," she corrects herself.

    Picking up her tricorder, she sets it carefully on the table, centering it and keeping the device straight against the table's edge. Kylah stares down while doing this, as if the needless task requires all her concentration. "Perhaps it is just in comparison to what I am used to. I have never seen a jail or prison. Are they much different on Coridan?"

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    Graham leans over and murmurs to Nia "And to think, a couple centuries ago o just one country on Earth incarcerated millions. Progress, I guess."

  15. #665
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    Rangin spots three of what he thinks are probably sensor nodes in the conference room.

    Malaj replies to Onn, "It is a little lower than usual, but not by much. I've been here for almost five years and we've never had more than 500 or so in that time." She leads you through two codelocked doors and into a turbolift, which goes up four floors and lets you out onto a long white corridor with metal doors, identified only by number, every few dozen meters. She continues, "Most prisoners are in the general population, although we have separate sections for violent prisoners, protective custody, mental health, medical quarantine and outbound prisoners, that is, those due to soon be released. Prisoners are encouraged to work, and most do so in galley, custodial or laundry services. Privileges may be granted or withdrawn depending on behavior. Communications in and out are restricted and closely monitored."

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    Nia nods at Malaj's words while watching the doors they're passing by. Offices or cells? She hopes they're offices, since (at least from where she's walking) she doesn't see any slot or potential opening for meals, guard checks, or simply just to alleviate claustrophobia. If they're offices, they'll probably have windows to the outside. If cells... well, it seems cruel. Or indicates that these are home to particularly violent, unstable prisoners.

    She starts to ask but cuts herself off and decides to defer to Booker or Rawlings for such questions.

  17. #667
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    "Five years?" Graham asks. "I've visited one of old Earth's most storied prisons - Alcatraz, now a museum of course. Foreboding place, on a rocky island, but a short boat ride away from downtown San Francisco. It seems like this posting might be a rough go...are there any facilities or best practices for keeping the staff from getting burnt out?"

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    Rangin pulls a second chair out and sits down at an angle to the table while pulling out his own datapad and tossing it gently onto the surface and then spinning it around until it is the right orientation.

    “I have no idea how this particular prison matches up to those on Coridan, but it is likely to be a little more humane. Then again it’s not likely to be as entrepreneurial here as opposed to the comings and goings that can occur in a more open-minded and perhaps corrupt prison.”

    He thinks back to his past and his own misadventures on his home world. “Well, I may have seen the inside of a jail cell on an occasion or two, but fortunately, never been to prison. It’s almost an occupational hazard on Coridan depending on what you get into.”

    He smiles back across the table to Kylah, while wondering what her reaction might be to the confession. “I have turned over a new leaf, as they say, since then.”
    `

  19. #669
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    Everything so far seems rather sterile, orderly, and rigid. Of course, they only know what they are being shown on a brief tour. Even so, Dr. Mäkeläinen is willing to accept that, even populated by murderers and other serious offenders, a Starfleet prison is still, as a rule, going to be more efficient and less violent than a generic civilian facility. This is not the kind of program that the Fleet would risk screwing up, if only because of the security implications. And even the inmates came up in an organization where the Captain's Mast was rare and dreaded, a court-martial unthinkable.

    He wonders a little about Malaj's background. How was she selected for this assignment? Some kind of security specialist? Maybe he can work it into his question.

    "Ma'am, if I may ask, what proportion of the staff here are Starfleet, and how many are civilian contractors?"

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    When Malaj has answered the others' questions, Nia can't rein in her own. Curiosity murders pets, or however that bizarre Earth saying goes. "Before we get wherever we're going--what kind of rooms are we passing? Offices of some sort...?" She hesitates and looks ahead. "I don't see any Security around here so I'm assuming these aren't for people who need, uh, guarding."

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    "Duty assignments here are typically for one year," Malaj says, "and all staff are screened to make sure they're suitable for this work, which can certainly be hard. It's not for everyone. Personnel may agree to longer assignments, as I did. But yes, we have rec facilities comparable to those on a starship, as well as appropriate psych and wellness services, healthcare, and monthly shore-leave opportunities in nearby systems. Civilian contractors are typically rare; we only have a couple here at the moment. These rooms that we're passing aren't cells, but are offices, storage, L/S and machinery spaces and the like."
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 06 Jun 2022 at 10:33 AM.

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    "Why were you in--" Kylah stops herself, then starts again. "That is... of course you have changed. You must have. I cannot imagine you, of all people, taking part in any crime." Her cheeks burn and she glances at the table rather than Velir's rather penetrating gaze. She is uncertain whether her smuggling two refugees against orders counts as a crime, but it was surely risking a court-martial. Kylah's merely failing to report to Lt. Graham last week was worthy of a court-martial, at least in Cmdr. Vargas's mind.

    Aware of how much Velir tolerated and kept secret for Kylah's sake--even assisted her, somewhat--she knows she must add: "Not a crime on your own behalf, at least." She looks back up at him, hoping he knows how much she appreciates his violating his own ethical code. Needing to skip away from an incident that reflects so poorly on her, she decides to push forward. She still knows so little of his past. What she understands of Coridan society, anything that managed to get Velir Rangin involved must have been dark indeed. She doubts there were many petty crimes there.

    "What did you do? If it does not bother you to say. I will not judge. I am in no position..." Kylah shakes her head to dismiss the rest of her thoughts. "Do you mind telling me?"

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    "Offices, I thought as much. Good to hear," Nia says in response to Malaj, quite sincerely. "You mention shore leave to different systems... is there nothing of interest locally, or even on the other side of the planet. Big as this complex may be, the planet's inhabited by others... isn't it? (If the answer to this is no, ignore the following questions.) Any towns or cities anywhere nearby? Guess I'm curious about any interactions with the locals, or if the prisoners help out with community work?"

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    "No, there's nothing on Jaros II except the prison," Malaj says. "Nothing. The planet is otherwise uninhabited. There's nothing in the whole damn Jaros system except the prison. The Federation owns it all, and Starfleet chose it because it's so isolated and easy to close off. You saw some of our external security measures, including our guard ship, on the way in. Guard ships typically are assigned here for a month or two; I don't think the Yorktown has been here yet for that duty. SPJ2 has state-of-the-art security measures and we're always evaluating the need for, or usefulness of, upgrades, and adopting them as needed."

    You walk down the long corridor, then she takes a left turn and leads you through two more codelocked doors, one of which has a guard posted at it who comes to attention as the Deputy Warden passes. You go down another corridor. You see, through heavy glass windows, prisoners in light gray coveralls coming and going from cells along another parallel corridor. A few redshirted guards, watchful and armed with phaser-1s, are among them.

  25. #675
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    "Are the armed guards really necessary to escort prisoners?" asks Dr. Mäkeläinen. "Why ratchet up the tension, as well as add weapons to the mix, if anything should happen? You said yourself, there is nowhere for them to go.

    "Nor is this planet easy to get to. What arrangements are there for family or friends that wish to visit someone in a personal capacity?" It's important. One has to be pretty far gone for simple contact to cease to be a ray of light in the darkness.

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    Malaj says, "The armed guards you see here are on patrol; they're not really escorting prisoners, as such. When a new prisoner is brought in, as you saw earlier, they're guarded during processing before being placed in SPJ2's general population, if that can be safely done. The phasers our guards carry are permanently set on stun and are thumbprint-coded so they can't be fired by anyone other than that individual guard. Family and friends can visit monthly in person, but most prefer, or can only afford, to do so via secure subspace link."

    She leads your group through several more codelocked doors, showing you the large domed farm - with its extensive crops tended to by prisoners - as well as the educational wing, gym, recreational area and infirmary.

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    Graham suspects the guards on patrol also have panic buttons and biosensors that might immediately flood a compartment with anesthizine gas, but chokes back the question, also suspecting that might be classified information.

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    Fourteen years have passed since Nia left her dying home to live within and learn about the Federation, and still she finds it astonishing that a whole planet, hospitable and habitable, can be so underutilized. How wealthy and fortunate the Federation is, able to claim this entire world for one single purpose--housing 1200 prisoners at most. And Omicron Ceti III, she remembers while half-listening to Malaj's sightseeing tour; Isn't it devoted to a health spa for the ultra-rich?

    Do these fortunate races, the humans, Vulcans, Andorians and the rest, know just how extraordinarily privileged they are, how profligate these choices are? Meanwhile, Nia's own people barely subsist on Sidonia's ever-decreasing livable portion of scorched, crumbling land.

    Nia sighs, a little tired. There's a long journey to the Yorktown and she's hoping they can get going soon. Frankly she wouldn't mind some grub right about now, or even a short nap. Of course, the latter will have to wait until she's piloted the Tesla safely on course and past whatever part of the trip is closest to Romulan territory.

    "Impressive operation you have here," she says when they've all paused. "We're very grateful for the tour, ma'am, but we'll have to be off soon to catch up with our ship. We should probably start winding this up. That said, I for one would be very grateful for a meal, if that's not too presumptuous, Cmdr. Malaj." She smiles and nods her head back in the direction they just came from. "We've got rations onboard but nothing like the fresh produce we just saw."

  29. #679
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    Dr. Mäkeläinen is interested in the auxiliary wings and, especially, the infirmary. While they are there, he briefly introduces himself to the person on medical duty and asks him or her what brought them out here, how long he or she has been working there [Malaj mentioned most assignments were for one year?], and how they like it.

    Nia asking for a break—come to think of it, when did they last eat? How many hours have they been continuously on duty, unless this tour somehow counts as recreation? He would not mind more than a bit of strong coffee, now that she mentions it.

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    Graham spontaneously laughs at Nia's question.

    Ater a second, he realizes he should explain. "Ah--there's an old Earth um, in old Earth history quote-unquote 'prison food' was reputedly the worst of the worst. Profiteering to sell stuff barely fit--or maybe not fit--for human consumption to be served to convicts." He smiles and quickly adds, "I am pretty sure we're beyond that, here and now, of course."

  31. #681
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    In the conference room, Rangin responds to Kylah's question with an amused smile. “You do realise which planet I come from. The one, in part, in league with the Orion Syndicate?” Surely she remembers what kind of reputation Coridan has, especially given the value of the dilithium mines and the smuggling operations rife across the planet.

    “Trespass,” he elucidates before Kylah responds, “several cases of trespass. I did spend quite a few nights in a cell for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Well, when I say that, it was the right place at the right time for me, just not necessarily with other people’s agreement.”

    He sees Kylah looking intently at her datapad and the table even while she is asking her questions. At least she can not see that he is bending the truth a fair amount with his answer and also hopes she cannot hear it in his voice.

    “Enough about my previous misdemeanours, I’m guessing it’s not somewhere you have had the pleasure of visiting?” he looks to see if there is any reaction from his colleague.

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    Enrapt in listening to the barest hints of Velir's complicated past, which surely must have been more than mere trespassing, Kylah cannot help it: when he poses his question, her reaction is pure instinct, drawing back with a frown. "Of visiting Coridan? Of course not, it is hardly likely to be of any interest to my family. And even if it were, I would never have been allowed--"

    Her words catch in her throat, far too belatedly. This is Velir's home. He is quick to enumerate its flaws, but he is also a man with pride. One need not be a patriot to be insulted by such a disdainful comment. She puts a hand to her burning face, as if to cover her mouth and push the stupid response back down her throat. "Oh--I am sorry. Please forgive me, I did not mean to be... so..."

    At a loss, she peters out. Then another thought occurs to her, which makes her close her eyes. He was not even talking about Coridan. She forces herself to look back at him. "I was mistaken. You were asking if I have visited a jail, not... not your planet?"

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    In the Infirmary, Malaj introduces Dr. Mäkeläinen and the rest of you to the prison's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Haoyu Liang, a stocky, middle-aged Chinese man with kind eyes. He seems pleased to meet his medical counterpart. He says he volunteered for this assignment, having previously served on the USS Wellington. He has been here for six years, the last year as CMO, and says that (he shrugs) "It has its ups and downs, but mostly I enjoy it." Dr. Liang explains that he has two other doctors and a dozen nurses and medics to help him, and briefly shows you all around. The Infirmary is about three times the size of the Yorktown's Sickbay, which makes sense, given the larger population that it serves. Everything looks clean and in good order.

    Malaj says, "Of course, a meal! My apologies. I should have offered you all a bite earlier. The food here is certainly palatable; it's about what you're used to on your ship, and with more fresh produce. Staff and prisoners all eat the same food, and it's certainly not 'prison food,' as Mr. Graham is referring to from the days of old Earth. Shall we go back to get your shipmates so they can join us?"
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 16 Jun 2022 at 10:31 PM.

  34. #684
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    Dr. Mäkeläinen thanks Dr. Liang for the reception, and adds, "It was good to meet you, too, and to know that such a challenging post is in good hands." I wonder what stories he might tell off duty, perhaps after a drink or two? He looks like he knows a thing or two about this place, and not just limited to the medical wing. Probably not one for idle gossip or loose talk, but that is not what is of real interest here, anyway.

    He is looking forward to a decent cup of coffee and, sure enough, he has an appetite. As for "prison food", he has heard of such things, at least in stories, but it does not really make sense to him that anyone, whatever his or her status, would get anything different than anyone else. And, in his experience, out on a rock in the middle of nowhere you appreciate anything you do get. Not that he is simply a connoisseur of industrially produced nutritional paste and synthetic sandwiches---he has not been on a tour of the quadrant's most renowned and exotic eateries as a Starfleet ensign, but he has seen enough hither and yon, and has enough imagination, to know what is out there.

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    Rangin hears what Kylah is saying and has to cover his mouth before he bursts out laughing. Sometimes she really does just blurt things out or get the wrong idea, and that blush of hers when she suddenly realises what she has said.

    “Do not worry about it. Yes, I was asking about being in jail and not about any journey you may have made to that misbegotten planet of villainy.” Rangin waves a hand to ward off any further apology that might come from Kylah as he sits back in his chair and begins to laugh slightly. “I was not expecting you to have visited Coridan. Most people avoid it if they can and with good reason, so before you say anything else”, he adds quickly seeing how she is starting to say something, “no offence taken.”

    “I’m sorry, I think I interrupted something you were about to say?” Rangin pushes the onus on the conversation back onto Kylah waiting to hear what she has to say about prisons with an encouraging nod, “Please do continue.”

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    Grateful for Velir's forbearance, Kylah shakes her head. "No, you did not interrupt. I was going to say that Elas has little better a reputation. It was looked on as savage--and Elasians too, of course--by Federation standards. At least until our agreement with Troyius went through and they learned we were resource-rich." Her words have turned arch, and she gives a tiny shrug of dismissal. "

    "As for me, my experience with such things is limited. There is no jail or prison near the palace, nor the outlying capital. Troublemakers and transgressors are taken to an island in the North Ocean. My siblings and I were usually kept far from such things. Although one time, I needed to--to seek out someone who I knew would be on board one of the ships. A friend." She pauses, looking somewhere past Velir, then regrets her words and adds hurriedly. "Not one of the prisoners. He was--he was a crew member."

    She shifts her gaze to the tricorder and reaches for it, if only to occupy her cold hands while she hides her mingled shame and loss. "Anyway, when I managed to get up to the deck, I only caught a glimpse of them--the group of prisoners--before the platform descended to the hold, where they would be kept during the voyage. I could see little but darkness before the lift rose back to the deck, but it looked...bleak. I have no idea what the accommodations on the island are like. I tried to find out but my guardian would not allow it. He told me it is better not to know. I was younger then and I obeyed. I suppose I still do."

    Staring at the tricorder and absently rubbing her thumbnail across the tiny screen, Kylah looks bleak herself. "I do not know why I mentioned this. It was so long ago. I have tried not to think about it. I suppose Ms. Hutchinson's situation..." She tries to shake off the mood while tapping on the device."I had better attempt syncing up with the Tesla," she murmurs. "Perhaps there are messages waiting for us." Glancing up, she tries to smile. "I hope there are. Lt. Onn is not pleased to have me along, so it would be nice to show her I have a purpose. Do you have a project or something to work on?"

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    Nia looks at her fellow landing party members. "Whatever mess you have--using any definition of that word--is fine with us, I'm sure, Commander. Thanks, we'd all appreciate your hospitality. And... yes, I suppose we should invite the others too, although I'd still like someone to stay on the outside with the shuttle for extra precaution. Kylah's probably a good pick. At least she could--" Nia switches her next words from make herself useful to "--be the best option, and might even volunteer."

    Wouldn't surprise Nia if she does. The girl rarely eats. At least it seems like every time Nia's been in the vicinity of the younger woman during a meal, she's picking away at her plate and leaving most of her food untouched.

    "I'll want to be in touch with them anyway, in case there's news from the outside. Could be some updates from the Yorktown. I'd also like to monitor any traffic and /or chatter, if there's anything to monitor, over the next leg of our journey." She eyes Booker and adds under her breath, "Just to check if there's any news about our favorite pointy-eared non-Vulcan aliens. You're better suited than me for that sort of reconnaissance."

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    Graham can't tell if Nia's "volunteering" of Ens. Kylah to potentially stay with the shuttle is "common sense, she's the comms officer" or something more personal. But this certainly isn't the time or place to ask.

    He's struck by what seems to be worry about the Romulans--not that he wouldn't put anything past them, but there's no reason to expect trouble.

    On the other hand, she's flying the shuttle. Shit hits the fan in space, the rest of us are along for the ride, in her hands...

    He acknowledges her statement with a nod.

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    "Right, then," Malaj says with a smile. "Let's go get them, and then onward to some sustenance." She leads you back by a different route to the conference room where you last saw Kylah and Rangin, and unlocks and opens the door.

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    Mäkeläinen greets Ens. Kylah and Lt. Rangin. No time for a nice, relaxed chat, though. He imagines he can feel the sweep of the ubiquitous sensor net, like an invisible spider web moving over and through their bodies, and it does not make him feel like having private conversations. The Yorktown also has passive monitoring, does it not? Though nothing like the heavy security here, with visible nodes and panels all over the place.

    He asks Nia, "What's the plan, after we get refreshed?"

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    Somehow Nia is not surprised that Kylah is here, with Rangin, instead of on the shuttle. A couple of snarky remarks fly into her head before she recalls that the ensign did say she wished to test the Tesla's remote capability.

    The doctor's question interrupts her before she speaks. "After nourishment, we should get going--unless there's something more Cmdr. Malaj thinks we should see. Or more likely, if our Security officers are thirsting to get a look at some area we haven't seen yet. This is closer to their bailiwick than mine." She lifts an inquiring eyebrow at Rawlings and Booker, then finally turns back to the other junior officers at the table.

    "Lieutenant. Ensign." Nia greets them both with a nod. "We've been invited to grab a proper meal before we head off. One of us should stay behind--I'm still being cautious since we still won't have our communicators--but maybe we can make up a picnic basket for you." She doesn't exactly aim the latter words at Kylah, but the next remarks should clarify her preference. "Any success at connecting to the shuttle? I'd like to check on any messages or reports before we head to dinner."

    She realizes she probably should've asked for a status report first, but just looking at the pair of them makes it fairly obvious that there's no emergent situation that needs addressing.

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    The opening door takes Kylah by surprise. Normally she would have felt others approaching. The walls and door must be heavily reinforced. She wonders if Velir sensed them. Although thus far she has only noticed his empathic abilities when in direct contact. Perhaps, similar to Vulcans, his powers are restricted to touch.

    As usual, Lt. Onn manages to imply that Kylah's presence is barely tolerated. In fairness, this is not an unusual reaction. Somewhat defensively, Kylah lifts her tricorder as if to prove that yes, she was working. Even though, admittedly, she wasn't until a second ago.

    "Yes, ma'am, I am in the process of linking to the Tesla." She avoids Velir's gaze as she tells the tiny fib and studiously focuses on the keypad of the device, fingers tapping quickly to connect to, access and match frequencies with the Tesla. "I can stay here," she adds distractedly. "I am not very hungry anyway, you need not bother. Whatever rations we brought on the shuttle are fine."

    If she is successful in accessing the Tesla, she will equip its receiver, download any communications in the buffer, and identify anything she finds there.

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    Graham thinks that he of all people can't fault someone for being cautious, as Nia is at the moment--but he finds it a little hard to square with her apparent deference to her Security detail.

    Malaj and the Security staff here are every bit as qualified as our contingent on Yorktown, he thinks.

    But at the least there don't seem to be any...issues...with Rangin. Or Kylah. Other than I feel like Nia doesn't want her around...

    He clears his throat. "Well, weapon bays, armories, high-security detention facilities., you name it...I'm sure Rawlings and I could sight see and trade war stories with other Security personnel here or anywhere else all day long...But I think we're good to return to the ship, ma'am," he adds with a smile.

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    Nia lets her eyes gleam with amusement, then gives one of her one-shouldered shrugs and tilting smiles. "Of course, Lt. Graham, I should've remembered, you're undoubtedly more antsy to return to the Yorktown than the rest of us." She glances at Malaj and with a small cough nods toward Booker's ring-wearing left hand. "Honeymoon," she murmurs playfully. "So, Mr. Rawlings--or you, Lt. Rangin: let us know if you've any requests for our after-dinner stroll." Nia looks with expectation at Kylah's activities with the tricorder.

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    Malaj says, "As far as I'm concerned, you're all welcome to come for lunch. But if you wish to leave a member of your party behind, of course you may."

    Rawlings nods in response to Graham's comment and says to Onn, "I sure wouldn't mind some chow, but then I'm ready to hit the road, ma'am."

    Kylah relatively easily connects to the Tesla's communications array through her tricorder and downloads the usual daily run of comm traffic - Starfleet Command bulletins and advisories, navigational updates and hazard warnings, Security updates, software upgrades and patches, Science highlights, maintenance recommendations and component recalls, JAG Corps case summaries, Starfleet Academy alumni news and the like, as well as a typical Fleetwide gazetted list of reassignments, promotions, demotions, births, adoptions, retirements, Reserve activations, deaths, etc. There are only four messages specifically for the shuttlecraft's crew: a message from the Captain to the entire party advising that the Yorktown is on course and on schedule to Cavinre VII; private messages from Dr. Villa, the ship's CMO, to both Onn and Dr. Mäkeläinen; and a private message to Graham from his wife. Kylah may forward each to its proper recipient.
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 27 Jun 2022 at 11:15 PM.

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    Rangin smiles at Kylah’s bold statement about connecting to the Tesla and working hard and lets it slide under the other conversations taking place.

    “I’m fine either way, Ma’am”, chimes in Rangin after the others have finished, “although I will admit to being curious to see if the cuisine here is as notorious as it’s Coridan equivalent.” His eyes flicker across to Lt Graham to see if there is any reaction, not that it matters in the long run, but it would be nice to get a reaction of some description from him, perhaps Rawlings as well.

    “But, after that, there is nowhere special here I feel the need to visit and I will be happy to be on my way.”

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    Kylah's eyes widen at the massive stream of communications data available to her tricorder. It is no more than she would expect to see over the course of a watch on the Yorktown, but she is impressed that the Tesla's new receiver is powerful enough to have collected so many far-flung transmissions. Of course, she realizes she should have specified communications only relating to the Tesla crew, the Yorktown and any immediate emergency alerts, but her rush to prove her value to Lt. Onn made Kylah forget to narrow her choice of commands.

    In any event, she almost laughs at being temporarily overwhelmed, and looks over her shoulder to her current C.O. "There are only a few messages directly for us, Lieutenant--but a plethora of news and information that, if you wish, should keep us occupied for much of the trip back. The Tesla has been outfitted with very strong and capable technology indeed."

    She hears Velir's response and eyes him in a little surprise at how casually he refers to spending time in a Coridan jail, then quickly returns to her screen.

    After relaying Captain Singh's greetings and confirmation that the Yorktown is on course as expected, Kylah pauses, then selects the other three notifications. "You have a private message, ma'am, as do Dr. Mäkeläinen and Lt. Graham." She shifts her gaze to the ACoS with a small smile--she will not announce the sender of his message, of course, but she knows it will probably please him. Then her focus snaps back to her screen. "I am forwarding them to your communicators now."

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    The Chief Medical Officer's message to the good doctor turns out to relate to Lt. Onn's labs. Dr. Villa begins by explaining that while Bizhi's scan results were in line with her previous testing just two months prior, Villa went farther back to compare her blood serum levels with those from six months ago. He reads the data and compares them with the previous numbers:

    FSH: was 4, now 8
    LH: was 4, now 17
    LH/FSH ratio: was 1:1, now 2:1
    Prolactin and progesterone are elevated; ovarogen (a hormone unique to Sidonians) is 25% lower than average.

    Bizhi recognizes that these numbers wouldn’t be too concerning for human females. But the CMO comments that from what little research exists on Sidonian biology, Lt. Onn’s results are significantly out of the normal range for her age.

    There are some more lab details for Bizhi to digest, after which Villa notes: “As you know, in Humans so young, Onn's DHEA-S level can be associated with elevated depressive symptoms. It’s uncertain if these physiological-emotional effects are similar in Sidonians, as no equivalent data has been collected. However, it does align with the issues the lieutenant has self-reported.”

    Finally, she adds the usual disclaimer that all of these results are preliminary, and they'll want to repeat the scan next week back aboard ship for confirmation. Villa does suggest discussing this with Nia, who will have received the raw data results following Starfleet Medical policy of full patient disclosure and informed consent.
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 28 Jun 2022 at 10:06 PM. Reason: Written by SidGal; edited by EH

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    Graham's habitual dismissal of noise coming out of Rangin's mouth as probably smarmy bullshit best ignored is interrupted by the obvious implication that...he's been in prison on Coridan?

    Any given Coridanite involved in shady dealings would be the least surprising story ever, but...Rangin?

    And for what?

    He reflexively turns toward Rangin, and almost--almost asks "What were you in for?"

    But the odds of that being a constructive conversation...not good.

    He pauses and rubs his chin, turning his attention to Kylah as she speaks. Graham clears his throat. "Ah, thank you, Mr. Kylah." He decides to make a hopeful assumption that it's Marala rather than (say) Old Man Vargas with a bee in his bonnet, and returns her a small smile.

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    Nia shifts her crooked smile to Rangin, amused by his casual comment--amused and damn curious. But he'll probably have to be a lot more certain that she's not an enemy, now that she's no longer attached to Booker, before she'll be able to coax that info out of him. Although he had to be inviting commentary with such a purposeful, almost baiting remark. This guy's really a riddle wrapped in an enigma smothered in secret sauce. I'd love to figure him out.

    She's pretty sure today's not that day, and when Kylah passes along the message from Singh, Nia pays full attention. Her interest is piqued by a private message. Could be... almost anything really. Ajay responding to her traditional "Goodbye just in case I die out here" note; Rachel trying in her quietly eager way to ask about Rawlings--far as Nia knows, that crush is still going unrequited; Cheverez, just as eager to hear how the Tesla's doing; reports from any number of crewmates about various issues Nia's juggling... The list isn't endless but it's pretty frickin' long.

    Turning to Booker, who seems distracted, Nia then nods good-naturedly to Cmdr. Malaj. "Okay, there'll be one more tray needed if Lt. Rangin comes along. On our way, can we stop off in the locker area, so those of us who need to can check our messages? This might be important."



    Looks like Dr. M. got a little ahead of us, but just in case Nia's omitting mention of him for now.

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