Star Trek RPG - Mission #8: "Make A Wish"

[Elendil's Heir]

Star Trek: The Yorktown Chronicles

Setup thread: http://www.mellophant.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10960

Mission #1: "On the Brink": http://www.mellophant.com/forums/sho...the-Brink-quot
Mission #2: "Primum Nil Nocere": http://www.mellophant.com/forums/sho...il-Nocere-quot
Mission #3: "Some Other Side of Paradise": http://www.mellophant.com/forums/sho...-Paradise-quot
Mission #4: "Codex Aelyrr": http://www.mellophant.com/forums/sho...ex-Aelyrr-quot
Mission #5: "Of Captains and Capos": http://www.mellophant.com/forums/sho...and-Capos-quot
Mission #6: "Marala": http://www.mellophant.com/forums/sho...ot-Marala-quot
Mission #7: "The War-Brotherhood of Irkhuit": https://www.mellophant.com/forums/sh...f-Irkhuit-quot

It is March 26, 2270.

Capt. James T. Kirk and the starship Enterprise completed their historic, and soon to be legendary, five-year mission not long ago.

The United Federation of Planets is strong, expanding and prosperous. Some fifty worlds are now represented in the Federation Council, united in their commitment to peace, democracy, the rule of law, free trade and mutual protection. The Federation's longtime rivals, the Klingons and Romulans, are now loosely allied, but to date have not mounted a major, concerted challenge to Federation interests in the quadrant.

Starfleet, the Federation's exploratory, scientific and military arm, has grown in the past few years. Twenty Constitution-class heavy cruisers remain its backbone, but a host of other vessels - light cruisers, destroyers, frigates, scouts, couriers, tugs, research and other specialized craft - have more than tripled the size of the Fleet. Starfleet is committed to extending its reach to every corner of the Galaxy granted to the Federation by treaty or unclaimed by others.

It's a good time to be a Starfleet officer, and those aboard the USS Yorktown often find themselves on the front lines of the challenges now facing the Federation.

So prepare yourself for adventure where no one has gone before....

[Elendil's Heir]

Captain's Log, Stardate 6077.7. The Yorktown will soon arrive in the Cavinre system, where we'll return to its most-populous but troubled seventh world. It is run, I regret to say, by a repressive government which is nevertheless considered by the Federation to be an important ally in the ongoing fight against piracy in the sector, as well as a significant trading partner and a bulwark against Klingon expansionism.

Three days after her return to the Yorktown, Lt. Onn has been cleared by Dr. Villa for unrestricted service. She is now in the big chair, serving as Bridge Command Duty Officer, as the ship draws nearer and nearer to the Cavinre system at Warp 5.

As Onn faces the main viewscreen, which shows the outermost planets of the system growing larger, Lt. JG Booker Graham is to her left, at the Security station.

The Environmental station to his left is vacant at the moment, but further over, Lt. JG Demei Xiang is at the Engineering station.

Ahead and to Onn's right, the General Purposes station just to the right of the main viewscreen is also vacant, but next to it, Dr. Bizhi "Biz" Mäkeläinen is at the Life Sciences station, not far from Lt. Gennadi Antonov at Science 2 and then the Science Officer himself, Lt. Cmdr. Abdi Roble, at Science 1. Antonov and Roble are jointly carrying out a scan of the extensive Cavinre asteroid belt.

Ens. Kylah is at the Communications station, just behind Onn and to Roble's right, listening intently for a signal from Cavinre VII even as she mulls over the subspace message she got from her Elasian guardian only a few hours ago. A murmur of reports from belowdecks can be heard by all over the muted humming, buzzing, whirring and even occasional chirping of the Bridge's advanced control systems.

Onn can see that the crew is working with its customary quiet efficiency. She expects the Captain's arrival on the Bridge momentarily.

Ship's Time is 1603 hours.

[stolz]

Bizhi has quite a few missions under his belt by now, but he is still a relatively junior officer (perhaps not younger than some Lieutenants who have been in Starfleet since the start of their careers--- the Medical Corps has its own traditions, though), and he is grateful for these chances to man the station on the bridge. To establish his competence among the senior officers of the Yorktown, certainly, but, with all due respect, he did not join the Fleet only to treat minor ailments among the crew and run routine tests. He doubts there are unknown life-forms or pathogens in this system, but unknown to him--- very likely. He does not yet know much about the worlds of Cavinre, but he has been listening to the stories going around. He has, for better or for worse, more than average experience in emergency medicine under difficult conditions, which makes him a good candidate for a particular variety of missions, but he hopes no one is envisioning anything like that.

[SidonianGal]

Aside from the usual atmospheric noises, the Bridge itself has been atypically quiet. Atypical, that is, for a watch when Nia's in the Captain's chair. She's always found that conviviality and interaction encourage teamwork, and when serving as BCDO she usually engages her fellow officers in light conversation.

Today, she's not up to that. She's tense in the chair instead of easy, although healthwise, she's pretty much right as rain. Recovery, for Nia, meant spending time cocooned and solitary in her quarters, her environmental controls set for a jungle-like humid heat. Lying on her bed, sleeping, meditating to Vulcan music lent to her by T'Var.

Hiding, in short. Particularly from Cheverez, because she's just not ready. Ajay conned his way in to remind her what talking is like. And then sex, to remind her what exertion for pleasure is like. It was great, it gave her a sense of her own physicality, it was caring and sexy and silly because that's their friendship.

It just wasn't quite enough to reach the emptiness.

Nia's very aware of Booker beside her and mentally shoos away the introspection. She rubs her shoulder absently. Her muscles are feeling it today, that's for sure. The burst of activity was a lot after nearly a week of nothing. Time to get back to moving. Once she's off-duty again, maybe she'll hit the gym or pool.

In the meantime, she decides to exercise her mind. It strikes her that she's completely forgotten what the deal is with Cavinre VII, if she ever knew it. What was the Yorktown doing while the Tes--the shuttle crew were away?

She girds herself and turns casually to Book. "Hey. Could you please call up any activity reports from while we were off-ship? I...haven't have a chance to catch up on what everyone's been up to once the Yorktown arrived at Cavinre VII the first time. Before their mission was so rudely interrupted." A crooked smile accompanies her arch words.

[Elendil's Heir]

Directly ahead of Onn and just to her left, at the Helm, Ens. Horst Leventhal says quietly to Lt. JG Luisa Guzman, to his right at Navigation, "A whole lot of nothing, if you ask me."

Guzman grimaces and says, equally quietly, "Well, aboard ship, sure. But there was plenty going on down on the planet. No wonder we didn't get shore leave!"

[choie]

Kylah finds it relatively easy to ignore the sounds surrounding her, at least compared to blocking others' emotions. Her eyes are closed while she taps lightly at the front controls that direct the movements of a distant dish-shaped antenna outside the hull. Its subspace sensor sweeps in a narrow arc, listening keenly.

If she finds nothing of note, she shifts the sensor's direction in tiny increments and instructs it to take yet another pass through the range of high and low frequencies that might carry a new prospective signal. With the ship's traveling at Warp 5, the window of opportunity to capture a transmission will snap shut...if the Comms officer is slow and her judgment poor when deciding to give up on one possible target and try another.

Thus, Kylah must avoid distraction. Fortunately, her mind is (for once) is not weighed down by worry, except for Velir's condition. She has spent the days since their rescue in contentment: back at her console; trying to dig up anything on the Uwat slave trade; seeking out a second self-defense lesson from Lt. Graham (and then practicing by herself); studying the Vulcan lute; having companionable meals with Mr. Rawlings, Dr. T'Var, Bizhi...and once, guiltily, with Carlos Alvarez. He is very kind and treats her with increasing fondness, to a point that she wonders if she risks hurting him. Mr. Mayhew is also pursuing friendship...or more...but she is less concerned about wounding his feelings. He is more insouciant than Carlos.

The video from Aldaan is hovering at the edge of her thoughts. Since she was about to go the Bridge when she received it, Kylah could only watch the long-overdue reply briefly. There was also an attachment: a piece of music, with its more purposeful hidden message embedded within. Even without decryption, the first seconds of the composition--a complex work written for a chamber orchestra of over a dozen synthesized instruments--told her that the message demanded such secrecy that Aldaan buried it deep and scattered it wide among this dissonance.

At least the "safe" video greeting started off well. Her uncle's tone was surprisingly loving, more emotional than usual. Leaving the rest for later, Kylah hurried off to the Bridge wearing a wry twist on her lips. I have nearly died five times since joining the ship. Why is he so shaken the one time I return without even a scratch?

Now hours into her watch, she sighs, a little impatient to hear the rest of his message. But she redoubles her efforts to concentrate on her work. The gentlest pressure from her fingertips continues to coax the subspace antenna to shift direction infinitesimally, while her other hand presses her earpiece more firmly in place.

[stolz]

Bizhi's communications with his sister have been sporadic since he joined Starfleet. He is never quite sure what to say. But he made certain to send her an anodyne message recently. In his heart, he knows one day he may simply not come back from a mission.

He is not about to start any extended digressive conversations while on duty on the bridge, but he does keep his ears open, and, in his free time, he has been trying to piece together, from talking to various people and the library computer, a clue as to what Starfleet is really up to in this system. Pirates, Klingons, all that explains their presence here, of course, but people like to tell tales.

[SidonianGal]

Since Luisa responded before Booker, Nia turns to the navigator and lifts her chin in a sort of nod. The remark may not have been meant for her ears, but...well, that's what you get when you let a species that evolved as prey overhear your whisper.

"Huh. Things were too sketchy for us--I mean, those on board--to get shore leave? Now you've piqued my interest. Go on, Guzman. While Graham gets me anything official, could you fill me in on what you know about this planet's messy situation?"

She didn't really want to reveal as much ignorance as she feels, but pride's a luxury Nia's run out of. Anyway, she trusts Lu to be tactful. She, Andy and Giya are her closest friends on the ship.

Speaking of Lu, do I need to warn her that in a moment of weakness I told Double-T about her crush? Hmm. Put a pin in that.

[Elendil's Heir]

Guzman winces a little. "You have really good hearing, Lieutenant. Well, there's supposed to be an official briefing later, but it's no secret that there've been big protests dirtside against the government. Some of the people down there are angry at the Federation, too. There've been demonstrations and riots near the Embassy, and even some anonymous threats. I think it's fair to say the Ambassador has been a bit on-edge. So we didn't get any shore leave because of the potential risk."

[SidonianGal]

Nia's eyebrow remains in its arched position as she thanks Luisa and turns to Booker--no luck there--then Bizhi. "Out of the frying pan into the fire," she says to her fellow shuttle-mates. (She'd include Kylah, but the Comms officer's facing away from her, a cloud of dark hair being all Nia can see.) Passing closer to the Doc, she adds in a murmur, "It'd be nice to be welcomed with open arms after the reception we just got."

She makes another mental note to check in with Luisa later. It's not like her to be so awkward around Nia; nothing she'd said was classified or embarrassing. At least it was an answer to her question, which was all Nia wanted. Maybe some of the crew are walking on eggshells around her, which probably isn't helped by Nia's changed demeanor as BCDO.

All right, suck it up, girl. A deep breath fortifies her--and how nice it still feels to be able to do so again!--before Nia plunges into her performance of Casual Nia Who Definitely Isn't Affected by Fucking Up Her Last Mission. Casting a swift glance around, she alights on the gents over at Science.

She squints at the screen, an unnecessary act but a tactful one. She couldn't help noting that Lu was a little disconcerted by Nia's Sidonian senses. Might as well not show 'em off just because it's a thrill to have them back. She spent four days feeling as if she was encased in petroleum jelly; now her sight, hearing and smell are fully functional and it's a pleasure to reencounter life with clarity. Maybe not emotional clarity, but that'll--hopefully--improve too.

"Anything unusual or noteworthy about that asteroid belt, Commander? Antonov? Ignore me if you're in the middle of something time-sensitive. Just curious to know what we're heading toward."

[general_urko]

Graham mentally kicks himself for being so slow to respond to Nia's question.

And it's ironic, because the reason was that he was so intent on collecting information not just about what happened onboard, but also an intel about what's happening on the planet, in the system--and whether their lost shuttlecraft has since been recovered.

If necessary, he waits to avoid interrupting, then apologizes and shares the most important information he's found so far.

[Elendil's Heir]

Science Officer Roble says, "This system's asteroid belt has atypically high levels of iron, chromium and bendissite, given its age and apparent origins. Very unusual. Mr. Antonov and I hope to eventually cowrite a paper for scholarly publication, perhaps in the Federation Astrophysical Review.

On her Comm panel, Kylah sees that there is an incoming message from Cavinre VII Traffic Control.

[choie]

Kylah's head perks with interest and she quickly lets Lt. Onn know the source of the hail, also directing her words to the Helm/Nav team--who are probably relevant here. The Tesla's experience approaching Ollos is fresh in her mind, though fortunately there is nothing remotely similar in the present circumstances.

Pressing her mic, she simply responds, "Acknowledged, Traffic Control; this is the USS Yorktown."

[stolz]

Bizhi whispers to Lt. Onn, when she is not performing a critical manoeuvre. "I can't judge ordinary people for not welcoming ambassadors, politicians, and foreign military officers," he says. "Perhaps they might welcome, simply, folk? Even if the Captain hadn't cancelled shore leave, though, angry mobs may not appreciate tourists." It would have been nice to have some free time to explore a new place and a new culture without some medical emergency or time-critical mission looming over everything. There are always dark currents beneath the surface, no matter where you go or how idyllic a place seems, but, even if the Captain must err on the side of caution, it sounds like whatever is brewing in Cavinre may be unwise to ignore.

The doctor checks the computer for information on the local biology and native species, both background information and any unusual readings as they approach within sensor range.

[SidonianGal]

Nia nods at Bizhi's salient point, even if he didn't react to her own about their only just having left a planet--a whole frickin' system, apparently--that hated their guts. We're quite the popular crowd these days.

Having stepped a little closer to the Science screens once Roble answered so she can better appreciate the view, she takes a look without getting in the Science experts' space. "Interesting! Hope you'll send us a copy of the report once it's published. Curious about the significance of the bendissite."

Her palm flips toward the screen nearest her. "So... if you don't mind my asking for spoilers... if the belt’s composition doesn’t align with its apparent age, what's your theory as to why? Some secondary formation, like debris from a differentiated body? Or might it be something captured from outside the system?" After a hesitation she frowns. "You are studying this purely academically, right? This isn't something super-recent we might need to factor into our course?"

Her own words make her wince, and she's quick to offer an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Commander, that was obtuse. You'd've warned us long before now if that was the case. Ignore me, I'm just..."

You're just getting on his nerves, that's what you're just. Before she can think of some way to end that sentence without sticking her foot farther in her mouth, Nia's distracted by Kylah's announcement of an incoming hail--perfect timing. Sounding on edgy or anxious is the last thing she wants. Even if the last weird space anomaly encountered under her command ended up with her vessel drowned under an icy lake.

With a tilted head, she glances over to Booker unconsciously for reassurance. If there's anyone on the Bridge who understands her regret and caution, it'd be him. Plus, regardless of their lost relationship, his face still calms her and reminds her of safety. Like returning home.

Aware she might be showing too much, she changes her expression to one of casual interest, waiting to hear from him whatever's been going on planetside, all while keeping an ear out to whatever Kylah's about to relate to them.

[general_urko]

Graham catches Nia's glance and nods before turning back to his console.

He pulls up the latest Security information and Starfleet chatter about the planet in order to give her a situation report.

[Elendil's Heir]

The Cavinre VII Traffic Control officer says in a flat voice to Kylah, "Welcome to the Cavinre system, USS Yorktown. Please come about to a course of 314 Mark 7 and drop to three-quarters impulse. You may take up standard orbit of Cavinre VII at coordinates 67-0032445. Please do not deviate from these instructions. All glory to First Citizen Vinre. Traffic Control out."

Dr. Mäkeläinen, in checking Federation records, sees that Cavinre VII is more or less a garden-variety Class M planet: slightly smaller than Earth but with a higher land-to-ocean ratio. Gravity slightly less than Earth-normal and milder weather, all in all. The Cavinre people are of the standard Human genotype inexplicably found so widely throughout the galaxy. Estimated population: 2.7 billion. Native species include the usual assortment of mammals, reptiles, insects, fish and the like. The most distinctive lifeform is a giant and fearsome flying reptile that looks much like the pteranodons of ancient Earth; it is an endangered species but still found across about a fifth of the planet (and nowhere near the capital).

Roble bows his head to Onn. "I'd be glad to share our paper with you, Lieutenant, when it's complete. Our preliminary theory," and Onn notices that Lt. Antonov seems pleased to be included in the phrase, "is indeed that there was considerable extraplanetary matter captured some three million years ago, perhaps from a rogue world that passed through and was either gravitationally broken up or severely reduced in mass before continuing on its way. But for now, it's too soon to say." He smiles. "And no, it poses no danger to anyone and has no significance as to the navigation of our ship."

Graham learns from Starfleet records that Cavinre VII's political situation has been highly volatile in recent years, and that the Federation has several times considered closing its embassy. If it were not for the planet's vital importance to Federation interests in the sector, that might have already happened, but things have never quite gotten that bad. Instead, the embassy's security detail has been reinforced several times. The Cavinre Government maintains a strong and capable navy which has been helpful in anti-piracy patrols in the region beyond this system. Graham gets the clear sense from official reports, however, that the autocratic and secretive government itself has few admirers in the top echelons of either Starfleet or the Federation Government itself.

[What Exit?]

The turbolift door opens and Ensign Delaney carrying a toolkit comes out. He heads for Lt. JG Demei Xiang at the Engineering station.
"Your relieved. #5 Replicator can be detagged and brought back online after your inspection. Everything else is complete. Enjoy your evening."

Almost to himself Delaney says, "Boy, it seems like years since I've had a bridge watch." He starts systematically checking all the readouts, following the EOSS*.



* Engineering Operational Sequencing System

[choie]

The stranger's rapid voice through the earpiece buzzes by as Kylah unhesitatingly taps out the transcription for backup to send to Lt. JG Guzman. She scowls at the officer's All glory remark, unpleasantly reminiscent of hearing the Doregg's full name for the first time--at least, it strikes a chord of familiarity. Kylah memorized the Uwat language version and strategically repeated it to the Uwat to ingratiate herself with them...for all the good it did.

She shakes away the irrelevant thought. "Thank you," she replies, about to add "sir" or "ma'am" but realizing she is uncertain if there is any need to assign a gender to the Traffic Control officer. "That was 314 Mark 7, three-quarters impulse, and an orbit at 67*-0032445, correct?"

While she rattles off the details, her fingers swiftly type in a Net inquiry about Cavinre VII and this First Citizen Vinre greeting, specifically if there is some polite response that is customarily used in return. If she was willing to ingratiate herself to the Uwat, she might as well take a stab at doing so here, especially since yet again the Starfleet crew are not welcome guests.

Regardless of whether her habitual research unearths anything, if the officer confirms the coordinates, Kylah will repeat the information to Lt. Onn, Lt. JG Guzman and Ens. Leventhal. Since she must turn to address them, she might notice Ens. Delaney arriving to relieve her short-term bunkmate, Xiang.


* 67! A reference to the numbers kids are incomprehensibly obsessed with these days, or just coincidence?

[SidonianGal]

Nia listens to Roble and pictures the ancient events in her mind, as if animated and brought to life by the older man's description. In the background she hears Kylah reciting coordinates, apparently given to her by the Traffic Control person, and straightens to pay closer attention.

While waiting, she too notices the changing of the guard going on over at Engineering. Delaney passes her by without a look on the path to his seat, which from Delaney is about right. Not that he's rude, dull or cold, far from it. But according to Engie gossip since he boarded the Yorktown some months ago--same group as Pourtash, Collins and T'Var, if she remembers right?--she's heard his attention varies from a single-minded, laser focus to flying around like a multitasking bee trying to pollinate every flower it sees.

She smiles at him. "Mr. Delaney," she says with a pleasant nod, and thanks Xiang when the other woman stands and heads off watch and off the Bridge. Even while performing basic social gestures, Nia keeps an ear out for whatever Cavinre is telling Kylah.

[stolz]

The problems on this planet seem to have their source in people. not in nature, Mäkeläinen thinks to himself. Typical. Not being from a garden-variety Class-M planet himself, he would otherwise enjoy a visit to such a place; there is always something new to discover. But, Nia seems to have the measure of it as far as the reception they can expect, and as much as he, himself as a physician is careful to be neutral in the context of political troubles, and the same probably goes for a good portion of the crew, the fact remains they are here representing (and projecting the power of) the Federation.

He looks behind him when the turbolift arrives, but it is not the Captain, just a young man he does not recognize, in an Engineering uniform, here for the shift change.

[general_urko]

Graham clears his throat. "Ah, Lt. Onn - the long and the short of it is that it's likely the Federation embassy would have been pulled from the planet because of the government--but for the planet's strategic value, including anti-piracy patrols."

He frowns. "Embassy security has been reinforced several times. Which--well, the Cavinre government is probably smart enough not to attack Federation assets. It may mean that the citizens see us as standing on the wrong side of things, ma'am."

[SidonianGal]

Nia folds her arms across her chest, staring out of the not-very-enlightening main screen. "Feels like more and more people wanna shove our assets out of their faces," she says darkly. "Ollos, Sigma Iotia... I mean, the latter had a cult worshipping us and we still had to sneak around undercover playing 'Feddies? What Feddies?' The prison planet was more inviting, and they were surrounded by mines. Don't they know we're the white-hats here? Supposedly?" The latter is murmured to Booker as she leans against his chair. "But the embassy team's staying in place, right? So if we're not here to extract potential hostages, and studying this asteroid belt seems more of an added bonus than our prime goal... what are we doing in the system?"

Nia has raised her voice to extend the question to the Bridge as a whole, since most of the others were actually on the ship for the start of the mission. She also flicks a glance to Kylah, waiting for confirmation of their course, before turning back to the main screen. Hopefully Singh'll keep Nia on the Bridge for their approach to the planet. A look at their destination would be nice.

[Elendil's Heir]

Lt. JG Xiang smiles at Delaney and stands. "Thank you, Mr. Delaney. I stand relieved. Thanks for the update on that replicator. All's well on the Engineering front, except for an intermittent 2.3% phase variance in starboard nacelle warp coil 16a. I was just about to tell Main Engineering, although they've probably already noticed. Otherwise, nothing to report up here." Once he's seated, Delaney sees the phase variance confirmed on the EOSS and by nacelle internal sensors.

Xiang says "You're welcome, ma'am" to Onn and leaves the Bridge.

Kylah believes the Traffic Control officer is female. She confirms the coordinates which Kylah read back. Federation diplomatic protocol records, Kylah learns, indicate that the proper response to "All glory to First Citizen Vinre" is to say, "All glory for all time." It is apparently not really expected of offworlders, however.

Roble, hearing Onn's and Graham's discussion, says, "You're right, Mr. Graham, the Cavinre government hasn't attacked us. They're been providing police protection for the embassy, as required by treaty and interstellar law. Sometimes it's been heavy-handed and unnecessarily violent, in my opinion, but the crowds, or mobs if you will, have several times been very large... and very hostile."

[stolz]

Mäkeläinen, hearing this latest scuttlebutt about outbreaks of active violence, automatically starts thinking about how important it will be to have doctors on hand to deal with traumatic injuries and provide supplemental health care. He hopes there are some neutral parties on hand to organize things, because it does not sound like Federation assets can take part.

[general_urko]

"Real Kobayashi Maru material," Graham grumbles. After a second, he realizes he said that out loud.

"Ah, yeah, about being the 'white hats.' If the embassy's seeing hostile crowds, then either we or the regime has lost control of the message, or the regime isn't doing us any favors in how they portray the Federation. And if the local authorities get overwhelmed, then we're potentially delivering force while sheltering the good who were just busting heads. Or if the locals bug out--maybe even strategically on purpose--we're really behind the eight ball on the ground."

He glances at Roble and then to Nia. "I'll prepare a briefing for Vargas--would be good to run down what if any contacts do we have in the opposition, who if anybody we can trust in local law enforcement, and, most important, how to evacuate the embassy in a hot minute."

[Elendil's Heir]

The comlink on Graham's Security board sounds. "Mr. Graham, please report to me in my office," says the First Officer from belowdecks. Guzman waggles her eyebrows just a little, as if to say, Speak of the Devil!

The Science Officer seems not to notice this. He says to Lt. Antonov, "Check these latest readings against our earlier results, please, Mr. Antonov, and then you're free to go off-duty." The young Russian nods and leaves the Bridge. Roble then taps the Science 1 panel's comlink and says, "Ens. Baenre, report to the Bridge, please, to continue Lt. Antonov's asteroid-belt scans on the Science 2 station."

[SidonianGal]

Nia is a little distracted by the phase variance news, but returns to pay close attention to Booker's remarks. She thanks him and is about to ask more when Vargas's order interrupts her. Controlling her urge to grit her teeth, she makes a little flourish with her hand toward the turbolift, elegantly inviting Book to attend to his quest.

With Science, Engineering and Security all getting subs, Nia returns to the Captain's chair, worrying that Singh'll be back any moment. If so, Nia decides she'd best take advantage of her temporarily heightened access level as BCDO to review any available logs from the past week. Something, anything, that'll explain to her frustrated brain exactly what in the name of Seht'dar's Holy Balls the Yorktown has been doing--or trying to do--on Cavinre VII.

[general_urko]

Graham can't help but smile a little at Nia's gesture.

With a nod he heads to the turbolift.

[Elendil's Heir]

It soon becomes apparent to Onn, from her review of the various logs to which she has access, that the Yorktown and her crew are meant to protect Federation citizens and interests in the Cavinre system, particularly the security of the embassy.

The turbolift whisks Graham away from the Bridge.

Ens. Haakon Kjaerstad soon arrives to take up Graham's post. The tall Norwegian nods at Onn, takes a seat and begins reviewing Security records.

[SidonianGal]

Fingertips press against Nia's head, massaging her right temple. She's trying to figure out if she lost more braincells than she realized due to multiple days of near-suffocation. The docs would've told me, right? Deciding that yes, they would, and more to the point she wouldn't be trusted as BCDO if she were operating too far sub-nominal, she ponders a bit. How to phrase the question that might elicit the info she wants?

All she wants to know is what actual activity went on during the day or more the Yorktown spent in Cavinre's orbit. Shouldn't be so hard, but her mind's a blank and for whatever reason, everyone's acting like the visit never happened. Then, after a second or two of thought, she requests a report on any transporter activity to or from the ship and/or planet. And if so, who was in the landing party (or visitor group, if any came on board), and any notes if possible. At least she can find out who spoke to who.

If the data's guard-railed for some reason, I'll try and get a scoop from... maybe Pourtash? He's a good bloke and'd do me a solid. And obviously Ajay knows everything that goes on. The only better options are Cece Bennett, which...uh, no, not after their clash post-Novy Rostov*, or Ben Collins, who despite being the helmsman most likely to have been on Bridge Duty duing her absence, rates a fuck no, as the sole ex-lover on the crew Nia hasn't remained on good terms with.

She taps the report request at the console but--conscious of the current activity on the Bridge--she glances up at the Helm/Nav team. "How's our approach, Guzman? Leventhal? Getting through those coordinates well?" Nia then spots Kjaarstad and nods a welcome to him before returning her attention to her tiny screen.

* - See confontation in Mission #6, "Marala," specifically my & EH's posts #2260 - 70. Yeah, Nia started it, but Cecilla escalated!

[Elendil's Heir]

Upon more closely examining the ship's records, Onn finds no indication of any transporter activity. Those who went to the planet's surface - including at various times the Captain, First Officer, Science Officer, Security officers and several others - first went by shuttle to the planet's sole space station, and then took the orbital elevator (or "beanstalk")* from there down to the surface. The Federation's treaty with Cavinre forbids the use of transporters except in emergencies. No Cavinre officials, personnel or citizens have come aboard the ship, it appears.

Guzman says, "All's well, Mr. Onn. Smooth as silk. We should be arriving in orbit within the hour."

Graham goes to Cmdr. Vargas's office and enters. its decor is as spartan as ever - empty bulkheads, a desk bare except for a datapad and a framed picture of an elderly couple, and behind it, the ascetic First Officer himself. He says, "Ah, Mr. Graham. Please sit down." After a few pleasantries he says, "The Captain will be returning to the surface shortly to confer with the Ambassador. I'd like you to lead the landing party that will accompany and guard her. While you're there, you're to evaluate Embassy security and then make recommendations for any necessary changes to the Captain and me upon your return. Who would you like to select?"


* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator

[general_urko]

Graham resists the urge to groan or scowl, which Vargas would probably not appreciate.

All things considered he'd prefer a spell of leave or on-ship patrol after the last away mission.

But as ACOS it's far from an unreasonable request from the old man.

He squints and clears his throat. His first instinct is "all Security, all the time," but protocol demands a balanced party.

"Dr. Mäkeläinen, Ens. Baenre, Ens. Delaney." he says. "And Ens. Kylah."

He contemplates adding Rawlings, but decides the big guy deserves a break. Likewise, Onn - her piloting skills won't be needed, and as far as he's concerned the more time she has to rest and recover the better.

It would be fun to get the band back together by choosing his friend Ens. Faisal - but Security personnel deserve a chance to show their stuff. "Ens. St. Croix," he concludes, an officer he was impressed with in a previous mission.

[Elendil's Heir]

Vargas nods thoughtfully. "I can see a good argument being made for all of those, Mr. Graham. Why Ens. Kylah in particular, though? She's had a very mixed record since her assignment to this ship, to put it mildly - including during your most recent mission."

[choie]

Kylah taps a finger against her lip in thought, idly listening to the others while also keeping her earpiece pressed tight. The omnipresent hum of the engines, usually a white noise Kylah ignores, happens to be in the same 'key'--at least, she perceives it as a specific key, though one could just as easily select any tonic one wishes--as a tune she has had in her head all day. She starts humming subvocally, never letting her volume anywhere near the frequency of the ship's atmospheric sounds.

Hearing her own voice soothes her a little. Moments ago, she was triggered to sadness by the end of Mr. Antonov's watch, mainly because normally she would have expected Velir to return to the Bridge. But of course, that will not happen. Someone she does not know will shortly take his place. It is not really his place. It belongs to anyone in Science. But... She casts a long glance toward the seat where she has grown accustomed to finding her friend. I will always expect to see him there.

Her hum turns into a sigh, then she lets it vanish into the ether. Kylah fixes her posture by leaning her back against the chair, and with a tiny shake of her head, decides to do a little more background on the Cavinre people and political situation. The Mob planet is still relatively fresh in her mind* and she does not wish the Captain or whoever is visiting the planet to be caught in a faction war.

She knows she might be duplicating the work of whichever xenosociologist created the pre-mission reports for the Captain and team. But she wants to find out for herself. Her fingerpads tap swiftly on her panel as she performs some searches.

1) Under what form of government, if it resembles any from Federation history, does the largest percentage of the citizens live?

2) Who is in power, and how did they come to their position? Is this contested?

3) Are the protestors considered a formal opposition? Among them, who or what is the primary group or leader? What is the approximate division of those loyal to/happy with the current leadership vs. those seeking its overthrow? (Assuming they do, Kylah thinks to herself.)

4) What are the chief complaints most often cited by the protestors? What remedy do they seek?

5) Have there been any specific incidents that triggered the animus against the Federation, and our envoys in particular?

Kylah rereads her words and raises an eyebrow. Our envoys? A strange choice of pronouns. Claiming such community with the Federation does not yet feel right to her. And yet it came naturally enough to her fingers.

After a pause, she concludes with:

6) Name the envoys and chief staff. Is there any indication that they sympathize with one side or another?

With one last tap and another exhale, Kylah sends the questions to the Net and the Starfleet database to answer. Her glance makes its way to the Science chair beside Lt. Cmdr. Roble. She wonders what this unknown-to-her officer will be like.

Not a small Coridanite xenobiologist who loves mysteries, hamburgers, chess, and staring into her soul. That much is certain.

* But not well enough that she remembers the name of it, apparently.

[stolz]

The Doctor considers things for a moment, and accesses the library computer to familiarize himself with any pertinent information about medical providers and facilities on the planet. The Embassy may have some emergency medical technicians on staff, perhaps even a clinic, but what about serious cases? There must be some instructions meant for Federation staff naming whom to call, what hospitals are nearby, and who is running them. He also checks for general information about the tech level and availability to the populace of health care.

[SidonianGal]

"Good to hear, Guzman," Nia says with a smile, although it lasts for only a second due to the curious information onscreen. She tilts her head and swivels her chair a bit to Roble. "Commander, is there a science-related reason the planet's so anti-transporters--some ecological objection, biological incompatibility, or whatever? Maybe transporting just gives them the creeps?" She lifts a hand before anyone misunderstands her.

"No judging if it does. My people are absolutely against it on almost a DNA level. In our case, there were some legit concerns about a power surge along the beam igniting our atmosphere, but mostly the whole concept offended some folks' beliefs, so..."

She gives a one-shouldered shrug. Can't really argue against faith. Fortunately, though a believer herself, Nia doesn't follow too many of her community's religious proscriptions.

[What Exit?]

Delaney says, "Oh, I would enjoy the chance to study the beanstalk a bit. I've read about them in exotic engineering class of course, but to see and ride one in person. Perhaps I could start a paper on it."

[Elendil's Heir]

Checking Federation records, Kylah learns that the Cavinre Government is roughly comparable to the autocratic, dictatorial regimes of Stalin, Hitler, Mao and Khan from Earth's dark past, although not nearly as bloody. It holds sway over the entire planet. First Citizen Ylla Vinre is in charge, as she has been for almost thirty years since seizing power in a coup. Those who oppose the regime do so for two main reasons: objections to its discrimination against ethnic minorities, particularly the Bellun, and a wish for greater freedom for all the citizenry. The two main anti-government groups are the Bellun League and the People's Democracy Movement, although neither is a political party, as such; the regime permits only one party, Cavrinre Unity. There has been a long-running, low-level Bellun insurgency on the northern continent, Bellun'e, and occasional terrorist attacks, even in the capital, blamed on the Bellun.

The regime's own polls, such as they are, show broad public support for the government, of course. But in a declassified report from three years ago, Starfleet Intelligence estimated that about two-thirds of the population is, at least to some degree, unhappy with or outright opposed to the regime. There have been no specific incidents that have spurred hostility towards the Federation, other than that it is seen by the harshest critics of the regime as doing nothing to overthrow it - something it could not do in any event, of course, due to the Prime Directive.

Which envoys and chief staff does Kylah have in mind?

Dr. Mäkeläinen learns that there are about twenty major cities on the planet, each with its own hospitals and related facilities. Cavinre medicine badly lags behind Federation medicine, but the regime does not seem at all interested in trying to improve it (there are also widespread rumors that top officials privately receive offworld medical care out of the reach of the vast majority of the people). A single doctor and several medtechs are assigned to the small clinic on the Federation Embassy grounds.

Roble tells Onn, his disdain for the policy obvious, "The Cavinre Government's prohibition on transporter use is of a piece with its general practice of limiting contact with offworlders and maintaining control over just about every aspect of society. It doesn't stem from any cultural taboos or scientific objections, as far as I know."

From his own research, Delaney learns that there are seven beanstalks in this sector, and that all of them were built by the Cavinre people: the one in this system, which the Yorktown is now approaching, and one in each of the other six relatively-nearby systems which they have colonized.

He also sees, from sensors, that there are nine ships in orbit over the planet.

[general_urko]

Graham clears his throat.

"Yes, sir, there's no doubt she got off to a rocky start. And that there continue to be ups and downs." He rubs his chin. "But I got off to a rocky start on this assignment too, and things once got so bad in my career that I got busted down in rank."

"Some good people didn't give up on me, or write me off, because I believe in the job and doing right by the Federation and what we stand for. I believe Ens. Kylah shares those values and that commitment."

He shakes his head. "I don't know how the hell to do the job of a communications officer, but all the ups and downs considered, it seems to me she also has talent. And if things get hairy, I'm inclined to place a bet on her rising to the occasion."

[Elendil's Heir]

"I take your point," Cmdr. Vargas says after a moment. "Very well, Mr. Graham. You may proceed. Good luck. Dismissed."