Star Trek: Theurgy

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DAY 01 [1000 HRS.] THE FEDERATION EMBASSY

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[ Captain Ives (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Captain_Jien_Ives) | Federation Embassy Grounds | First City | Qo'noS ]
Attn: All OOC
[Show/Hide]Once the Oneida's aeroshuttle settled down, Captain Ives exchanged a nod with Captain Jackson, and then he turned his head and looked towards the officers behind him. "Everyone ready? Let's go."

The airlock opened, and a breeze met the delegation of officers when they stepped out. The air smelled of war, the fires yet to fully settle in the First City. With a frown, Jien adjusted the cuffs of his uniform as he tread unto Federation soil for the first time in many months, and he did so with the protection of two platoons of Klingon warriors lining his path. He paid the security arrangements no mind, Martok having insisted on showing the Empire's support. Instead, he raised his oaken eyes to the structure before him, and Jackson did the same.

"Impressive," said the Commanding Officer of the Oneida, and Jien had to agree. The Federation Embassy was a large - soaring two hundred metres above them - rust-coloured and shaped like an inverted pyramid with the corners supported by high columns. It was the permanent presence of the United Federation of Planets in the Klingon Empire, and the formal workplace of the Federation Ambassador and his staff. The Embassy grounds was surrounded by a ten meter high fence, and while the powerful force emitter that protected the building was lowered for their arrival, but the gate ahead was a formidable line of defence. Jien knew that in order to gain entrance to the embassy, there were multiple security systems to breach, and even if such an attempt was made, the embassy maintained constant contact with Federation space through its stand-alone subspace transceiver. He knew for a fact that it had the capacity to launch a cloaked probe into orbit in times of emergency to send distress beacons, and he did so because that was exactly what had happened the day before, when the Theurgy reached Qo'noS and the fighting between Martok Loyalists and House Mo'Kai raged in the streets. The reaction to the development was understandable, yet still, neither the Ambassador nor his staff had been evacuated.

"There they are," said Jien, seeing the large gates open, revealing a gathering of figures surrounded by Starfleet security forces, all dressed in exosuits. He recognised Ambassador Annup Bommu, a human of Indian origin, and Ms. Barnum, Bommu's assistant and also from India. The third one was Iris Hume, another Federation Embassy staff member, and they slowly approached the two Captains and the officers that had come with them down to Qo'noS. Once they came into earshot, Jien raised his voice. "Greetings, Ambassador. I'm Captain Jien Ives of the Federation starship Theurgy, and this is Captain Jesse Jackson of the USS Oneida. Please forgive Chancellor Martok. He insisted. Zentai Natauna!"

Jien turned to look at the El-Aurian woman that had been placed in command of the House Mo'Kai platoons of Klingon warriors. The Klingon Empire Liaison, whom had just received the honour and rank of Brigadier, had already been present on the ground when the aeroshuttle landed. "Could you please ask them to stand back," he requested, and then looked back at the Ambassador. "We do come in peace."

Bommu was cautiously silent at first. "Guards, at ease, and stand back," he said with a faint accent. "I'm Annup Bommu, Federation Ambassador on Qo'noS. This is my assistant, Ms. Barnum, and this is Representative Hume."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," said Jien, and then turned to the officers behind him. "Please, introduce yourselves."

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OOC: I will be posting an OOC thread shortly for Interregnum 01-02, but those who wish to participate in this thread should PM me on the forum! :)

Image: The Embassy in the wejDIch Quarter of the First City. Artists: Livid Ramondelli & Peter Markowski, Hidden Universe Travel Guide, by Dayton Ward.

[ Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen |  Outside the Federation Embassy ] attn: @Auctor Lucan

Enyd had been more a little bleary-eyed when reporting for the mission this morning. She'd "happily" volunteered for it when Rutherford had made mention of the outing, not at all interested in remaining cooped up on board when there was still so much to resolve back on the planet.

Her late night DTR conversation with Victor in the lounge post-holodeck training and adventuring had only been one factor in her sluggish awakening. Likely connected to seeing Victor again, unexpectedly, after so many years, memories she’d long since processed through emotionally had dislodged from their neat mental boxes, and her night had been plagued with images and snippets of conversations traded between her younger, more naive self and Victor, and then later, between her and Javec before his death. They hadn’t been nightmares, but they also hadn’t offered the sweetest of slumbers either, and she was operating on four cups of hastily gulped coffee and a good dose of “let’s not get everyone killed today” gumption.

Following along just behind the captains, Enyd studied their surroundings as they approached the Embassy. Or at least, she studied what she could whilst looking past the lines of Klingon warriors they walked between. Though it had technically only been a matter of hours, not even a day really, since she’d last been on this planet, it felt entirely different, and it was yet to be determined if that difference was a good thing or not. Oh, of course, not having assassins take off the arm of one of your security personnel or being thrown out of the way of an Infested were both grand improvements. Yet, as they approached the tarnished-looking inverted pyramid that was the Federation Embassy, Enyd still wondered if the revelation of the Infested in the Great Hall had been shared with those here, if it had been accepted, or if yet another Infested was about to weave another web around them.

Enyd had never met Ambassador Bommu, and though she had briefly met his assistant some years before, she doubted the woman would remember her. It had been at a crowded symposium after all. As Captain Ives spoke, she took the time to study the subtle shiftings of those who faced them, from the security personnel to the Ambassador himself. Enyd did what she could to note their micro-expressions and other details that often betrayed true feelings and intentions. When the captain turned towards them, Enyd straightened in response. She still felt like an idiot over the way she’d thanked him for his save back in the Great Hall, but as he’d not said anything, she wouldn’t either, and let well enough alone.

“Lieutenant Madsen, diplomatic corps.” Enyd gave a polite nod to the embassy members. She had previously thought to draw attention to the brief acquaintance with Ms. Barnum, yet she refrained now that she had the opportunity. Best keep that nugget tucked away, for now, to bring back as a test later if need be.

[ Brigadier Zentai Natauna | Federation Embassy Grounds | First City | Qo'noS ]  Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Ellen Fitz

Zy tried to push an aura of her commanding presence to dominate the 26 warriors immediately at attention behind her. Only hours ago they had been hell-bent on taking over the Empire and destroying the Theurgy and all who had aligned themselves with the Chancellor. Had you told her then that she would be commanding a contingent of usurpers as a Brigadier of the KDF and a senior advisor to the Chancellor himself, Zy would have said you were fucking crazy. But then again, the whole journey from the right-hand side of Drex to here had been a cluster fucking dumpster fire sliding down inside the caldera of a volcano preparing to erupt acid.

"mevyap!" she exclaimed in as commanding a voice as she could utter. She wasn't sure that the thick ridges of the warriors would allow for them to follow the commands of not only a female but of a non-Klingon. Ever since joining the KDF, the best respect Zy could garner from subordinates was at the level most Klingons gave to the QuchHa',  the name used for Klingons who lacked cranial ridges.

Their hesitation was obvious to those familiar with the speed at which warriors of the Empire typically moved. What should have taken fractions of a second, took three. But the warriors did comply and fell at ease and took a thunderous step back and with a boisterous shout of "luq, Zentai!"

Yep, that would definitely take some getting used to Zy thought. But the thought was fleeting as the urge to pull the wedgie forming in her ass crack from the tight-fitting uniform grew with each passing second. New rank and title equaled new uniform for ceremonial purposes. The tailor at High Command insisted she wear the formal attire of her new office consisting of thick leather, heavy boots, and fur sleeves. Some verbal gymnastics later and she convinced him of the errors of his ways.

Damn this better not take long.

[ Captain Ives (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Captain_Jien_Ives) | Federation Embassy Grounds | First City | Qo'noS ]
Attn: All OOC
[Show/Hide]"I'm Thea," said the Ship A.I. next, without adding anything further. She was being projected by her mobile emitter in order to be present before the Federation Embassy. Since she was the scapegoat for Starfleet Command in how they forbid communications with the Theurgy crew, citing that she would be able to take over any system through such a subspace link, Jien had asked her to come along as well. The holographic interface, the digital soul of the ship, was projected with her standard black bodysuit, having her hands behind her back in a relaxed stance. Her simple name was infamous, and the pause she gave the representatives from the Embassy was undeniable, even though they didn't say anything.

"Lieutenant zh'Wann, Deputy Chief of Security," said Ida next. She was to attend the Azurite Station mission later that day, having been recruited for it by Commander Cross, but she was effectively acting as Jien's bodyguard during the visit to the Embassy. Though she wasn't wearing an exosuit, the Deputy was armed with a pulse phase pistol holstered at her hip, and Jien was confident the Andorian had all she needed for her assignment. Whatever else required could likely be handled all the other present officers, not to mention Thea, who had her own unique abilities.

After the small delegation behind the two Captains had introduced themselves, including a couple of officers from the Oneida - Chief of Security Rodrigo Rivera and Chief Counsellor Murphy Caldera - Jien supposed it was time to address the present situation and how to proceed. Given that up until yesterday's battles, there had been a conflict of interest in that the Ambassador and his staff still believed Starfleet Command's word over that of the Theurgy crew's, there was now a discussion to be had. Another starship has joined the Theurgy's mission, and the High Chancellor of the Klingon Empire openly supported the renegade crew, spreading word of the true threat to the Federation. Jien spared no time addressing just that, having no interest in wasting time to molly-coddle the Ambassador about the truth.

"The parasitically infested Admirals in Starfleet Command has denied us to speak for a reason, a reason terrible and with repercussions that might shake the Federation's trust in its fleet...," Jien said quietly, to the point, and without preamble. " but the voices of my crew and I will not be silenced now, for the Klingon Empire has recognised the very truth that Command seek to suppress. This new enemy seek to divide and conquer, to raze everything we have built over hundreds of years, and they do so by hiding behind the eyes of those we trust, those we believe to be beyond suspicion. They seed lies and doubt, yet we come to you today, Ambassador - as two Commanding Officers of entirely different ships, and with the support of the High Chancellor. Instead of crossing the RNZ, as the defectors that Starfleet Command claim that we are, we are here, before you, hoping that you will listen to reason."

The Ambassador's accent seemed to have thickened when he spoke, be it because of the concerns of the implications or not. "Tum-he kyaa lug-taa hai?" he asked, looking like he'd swallowed something sour. "What do you think, Captain Ives? How are we supposed to respond to these kinds of allegations, after all these months in which we have learned about the atrocities you and your ship has committed? All the starships that you have destroyed, with lost officers numbering in the thousands, and all their surviving families on Federation worlds? Your attack on Starbase 84, and your involvement in rendering the Azure Nebula into a zone of space void of any subspace travel or communication? How are we to balance all that, with what you are saying now?"

"You could listen to something else," said Jackson next to Jien, speaking for the first time to the representatives, "than what Starfleet Command and the lies they make the FNN peddle every day. Neither of all those events are what they have been made out to be, and Martok has broadcasted the simulcast that was supposed to have left Starbase 84. It was tempered with, out of fear for the truth provoking a civil war within the Federation."

"And perhaps rightly so," intoned Iris Hime, "for what is the citizens of the Federation to think about Starfleet now? The trust in their operations - if handled as bluntly as it has - is about to be undermined. This will undermine the confi-"

"Forgive me the parable," Jien said, his tone cutting off the representative, "but at this far belated point in time, the snakes have to be cast into glaring light, because they have already sunk their teeth into our collective neck. The poison has spread for years, and unless we find a serum, it could be too late. The Praetor is one of them, and with Command's help, all the millions of citizens of Paris have turned to ash. I ask you, if the surviving families of those Federation citizens doesn't deserve to know what happened?"

Jackson had folded his arms across his chest, adding in a quiet voice, "The truth is known by far too few, but with greater numbers, this enemy can be challenged where they currently are. We need more resources, people of influence in the Sol System, that can expose them."

The Ambassador was silent for a moment, looking between the faces of those present. "So if this enemy's nature is what you claim it to be... what makes you so sure none of us whom you speak with are one of them?"

"Deputy?" Jien said, and the Andorian turned on her heel and returned to the aerowing behind them. "The fate of Councilor Kopek was regrettable, but if you saw what happened to him, he is also you answer."

ThanIda zh'Wann returned with a device, which was hardly considered a weapon.

"This is anyon emitter (https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Anyon_emitter). It emits sub atomic anti-phase particles," Jien said, and looked towards the Ambassador, "and I am afraid that all staff within the Embassy will have to be screened by it, starting with the three of you. We kindly request permission to step inside, so that we can screen everyone, and continue this conversation further."

The Ambsassador was silent at first, before nodding. "Very well. There is no point standing out here in the courtyard anyway. Do what you have to do. Will... the Klingons have to come inside as well for this?"

"If we find one inside the Embassy... they might not be enough to prevent it from killing everyone in sight. So my recommendation is that they accompany us."

"Very well... Come."

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OOC: So! Posting order: 1) @Ellen Fitz , in your next post, could you cover some ground in which Ida uses the emitter without any effect on the three officials, and then narrate in broad terms of they all go inside the Embassy for further use of the emitter? The most efficient way to screen them all with the anyon emitter would be to round up all the people inside, so perhaps you can NPC the Ambassador for this purpose, giving the order? 2) @jreeves1701 , could you then have Zy have the Klingons set up a perimeter around the gathered Embassy staff, in case one of them turn out to be Infested? 3) @Tae , you are next after that, in which Nara is introduced in this situation. 4) I will then post after that with Ida and the emitter, unless we have more writers joining!

I was hoping for more writers to participate already, but I think we can do this still. Looking forward to your posts! :)

[ Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen |  Outside the Federation Embassy ] attn: @Auctor Lucan  @jreeves1701  @Tae

Enyd couldn’t help the subtle jerk in response to Zy’s yell, followed quickly by the Klingons echoing shout. Their presence, as well as Thea’s, created quite an atmosphere that Enyd feared may not color their approach as peacefully and genuinely as they might hope. For more than one reason, it was important that the Ambassador receive them under a flag of peace. They needed the freedom to test the Embassy personnel for Infested, they needed to brief the Ambassador on the true state of affairs in the Federation and potentially win him over as an ally, and Enyd had a little side quest given to her by none other than Rutherford, an errand for the department.

Just a little trojan plant in the Embassy systems to ensure uplink access should Rutherford’s access through Starbase 133 ever become compromised. It wouldn’t be the first time they had asked Enyd to do Intelligence work while on diplomatic deployment, and she knew it wouldn’t be the last. As much as she “hated” to admit it, Enyd knew her babbling feigned timorous mannerisms defused situations and threw targets off the scent, making it not so difficult to accomplish missions when need be. She would never count herself as a spy, or even a good Intelligence operative—she HAD been caught on Cardassia after all—but she wasn’t the worst at it either. Not that she had any intention of ever telling Victor about Rutherford’s request, and not because of clearance issues either; Enyd knew the now-pilot would completely flip his lid if he found out she was putting her life on the line, again, and for the sake of Intelligence. It seemed dearest Victor had as much love for spooks as her grandmother had had.

Enyd’s eyes widened then resumed normal size as she resumed a neutral expression, momentarily taken aback by how quickly Ives had gotten to the point of their visit. She knew Rutherford would probably have balked at the captain’s lack of finesse, and perhaps L’Nari would’ve tucked tail and wanted to run since such bold words typically brought about bold actions. Yet, Enyd appreciated the straightforward nature of the captain and completely supported his approach with all its risks attached.

Based on the Ambassador’s response, it seemed the reception was mixed. The descriptive words used by the Ambassador told much about how the man felt towards Ives and the others and it was a curious thing for an ambassador to be so telling in how he expressed himself. But then again, perhaps that was his strategic approach as well. The captain squashed Representative Hume’s attempt to win over the conversationin, causing Enyd to busy herself with readjusting her uniform jacket, thereby hiding the subtle smile from all present.

When the Ambassador asked about proof, Ives had Deputy zh’Wann retrieve the anyon emitter. The Ambassador and those with him all squirmed a bit in their own ways, uncertain if this “weapon” would be used against them, solidifying their assumptions against the Theurgy crew as their deaths became more fodder for the jaws of treachery. But after Ives gave his explanation, the Ambassador gave his reluctant acquiescence to both the request for screening and for the Klingons to accompany them.

The problem was, however, that the Ambassador and his aide, and the Representative, had not been screened yet and so they had no way of knowing just yet if an Infested was about to lead them into a trap. Glancing at the captain, alerting him with subtle gestures, and nodding towards the Deputy, Enyd cleared her throat and like an elementary student raised her hand in the air to draw attention to herself.

“Miss Barnum?” Enyd shifted closer, plastering as awkward an effervescent a smile on her face as possible. “I hate to interrupt this but, considering the threat of Infested, checking one’s memory is another test.” Enyd hoped Ives didn’t mind her little fib here as she continued. “I remember attending a symposium on critical xeno-relations theory back on Earth near the Academy, nearabouts 2375. Do you remember?”

The woman blinked at Enyd, looking more confused at Enyd’s audacity to interrupt an important change of venue than anything else.

“We sat next to each other during a Professor Rylin’s presentation on Ixor VII’s state of affairs, and I remember we shared a good giggle over his mixup of gender terms when referring to the ruling members of their government.” To her credit, for as vague a memory as it was, the woman standing next to the Ambassador seemed to remember the shared moment. Instead of verbally responding, she gave a hesitant nod, as if she recognized Enyd’s intent to continue further. “I was curious if you could tell me what flavor of ice cream we shared in the café downstairs after the presentation.”

The Ambassador looked sternly at the Miss Barnum. In fact, most eyes of the group honed in on the poor woman and she felt the pressure, it seemed, evidenced with her neck rubbing and hair tugging as she wracked her brain for the requested information. It took only a few awkward moments of silence for the woman to frown and shake her head.

“I don’t recall eating ice cream with you, though I remember laughing with you in the presentation. What I remember is we expressed intent upon getting coffee at the hotel breakfast the next morning, only I never saw you. You sent me a note though,” she scowled a moment as she recalled the details, “apologizing that we were staying at two different hotels and to forgive you for the oversight.”

Enyd smiled and heaved a sigh. “You are correct. And may I say again, Miss Barnum, how very sorry I am for that misunderstanding. My grandmother, rest her soul, raised me to pay greater attention to such details and I guess I was just so thrown off-kilter by that Professor Rylin’s gaff’s that I made one of my own.”

Enyd’s efforts to stall their movement into the Embassy just yet proved fruitful in the end. A slight nod from the Deputy reassured all Theurgy crew present that at least these three officials standing before them were not Infested and they could proceed without fear of an Infested ambush. At least not an ambush led by these officials.

The Ambassador gave Enyd one last look of vague confusion before he seemingly came to some mental conclusion regarding either her or the content of her rambling and led the group towards the Embassy. Miss Barnum also glanced askance at Enyd, but kept her thoughts to herself as they progressed towards the Embassy grounds.

Enyd looked over her shoulder at the flanking ranks of Klingons moving with them, for a moment wishing she was a mind-reader to know what it was these warriors were thinking and feeling about the present situation. So quickly the tides had turned and now they were escorting Federation officials onto Federation grounds, when just days before they’d very nearly been enemies.

“If we had all personnel report to the atrium adjacent to our receiving hall,” the Ambassador’s question, spoken over his shoulder to those trailing behind him, “having them walk through it, would that be enough for the emitter test their integrity?”

Interesting word choice aside, when his question was confirmed with many nods of assent, the Ambassador gave the order to Ms. Barnum to see this action through as they moved through the entrance doors and entered the Embassy proper. Now all Enyd needed was a clever diversion to separate herself and an excuse to access the system, and her side quest would be complete.

[ Brigadier Zentai Natauna | Federation Embassy Grounds | First City | Qo'noS ]  Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Ellen Fitz @Tae

The wedgy the form-fitting uniform was creating crept ever deeper into Zy's rear. She dared not reach back and try and mine it out. Instead, she focused on the task at hand. Observing awaiting any sign of trouble.

"veH chechenmoH,"^[1] she commanded. "bIHvaD jatlhlu'.^[2] Hur suq paghla'.^[3]

These warriors had much to prove. Gorka's actions had sentenced them all to serve as members of the quvHa^[4], "the dishonored", warriors seeking to regain their honor. In an effort to reinforce that Zy added, "mo'qay tuq quv wIqem!"^[5] as the warriors under her command began to disperse around the embassy compound.

Speaking Klingon caused much tension in Zy's vocal track and she couldn't wait to be back in the comfort of her quarters with a cool beverage and maybe some company. She definitely wanted to get out of this damn uniform.

She watched as Barnum, Bommu, and Hume each were scanned by the anyon emitter with each receiving a negative result. If there was an Infested present, it had chosen a more deceptive host. The thought of an enemy in superb disguise reminded Zy of the Founders of the Dominion and their ability to blend almost undetectable in order to infiltrate an enemy population. The tactical thought was enough to distract her from the growing chafe her leather uniform was starting to cause. Perhaps a dip in the hot tub was in order as well when she got back on Theurgy

CM1 Nara Nueva | Federation Embassy Grounds | First City | Qo'noS ]  Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Ellen Fitz @jreeves1701

Nara was having a day best described as "interesting" it had begun with the cessation of the Red Alert status that the Embassy had been on the night prior. And then all nonessential personnel had been confined to quarters for their safety. Nonessential meant her, among a plethora of others around the Embassy grounds, but not her roommate V'Qol, the Vulcan was part of the security team and deemed essential. Well, Nara hadn't seen her since the Klingons had started shooting at one another. And then, not all that long ago, she'd heard the sounds of a shuttle buzzing the Embassy, maybe coming to rest at the landing pad. It was quite possible that the Embassy was being evacuated. She was packing her duffle bag just in case. There wasn't much from the Embassy that she cared to bring with her. a few datapads with notes on them, several paper notebooks that had some sketched research notes, and spare uniforms. One bag was not a lot to leave a world with. But good riddance to...

And her train of thought gets immediately derailed when her door opens, and it reveals a large Klingon Warrior without any kind of weapon drawn. So this wasn't an attack. The lack of klaxons and disruptor beans rending the air was proof enough of that.

The Klingon quickly searches Nara's shared room, finding V'Qol's belongings but no sign of the Vulcan. The bunk bed gave away the fact that the room had two occupants. "Your roommate, where are they?" The sudden shouting of the Klingon seemed to echo down the hallway with slight variation. It wasn't just this lone warrior. The sudden entry and shouted pronouncements clearly designed to rattle the staff.

"She's Security, Crewman First class V'Qol. I'm Nar.." The auburn-haired woman begins to explain, doing her best to keep the conversation brief, but she's interrupted by the imposing warrior shouting at her again.

"Conference hall! Brigadier's orders!" The Klingon warrior was satisfied by what he'd heard. But there was something in his tone of voice, a sneer of something that might be disrespect. Apparently, he didn't think too highly of this brigadier, whoever they were.

Nothing to say there, Nara complies by exiting her quarters and proceeding to the conference hall along with the rest of the staff that she saw. The strong woman walked proudly down the hallways, doing her best to not present the air of a captive, or that she was beaten. None of that would go over very well, so while she might be in custody, she didn't want to 'appear' beaten.

What mattered now was surviving the next few minutes and seeing what her life, short as it now seemed, had in store for her. The sounds of a thunderstorm off in the distance and the promise of a warm rain would bring some relief to the beleaguered city. The thunderstorm seemed to be only a few minutes away, the dark clouds roiling angrily, becoming the horizon. Purple and red streaks of lightning were lancing through the air paired with peals of thunder as deep and powerful as a warrior's drum. The ominous presence created by the storm sat heavily on her as she was marched into the Embassy conference hall along with most of the other embassy staff. A peal of thunder rattles the building, just over head creating a cacophonous sound that shook people to their bones. Nara didn't see V'Qol anywhere, here yes narrowing slightly as she scans the crowd. The sight of the Aeroshuttle through a window raised more than a few questions. Some of which were answered by the fact that it was the only shuttle on the Embassy grounds.

So it wasn't an evacuation; seeing only the one shuttle just made matters more confusing. Finally, Nara spotted Captains Jackson and Ives across the conference hall. Jackson was new to her, and she didn't recognize him. Captain Ives, however, that face she recognized. "Ives the Insurrectionist," as the tabloids and FNN had called them.  She'd seen their face on an almost weekly basis, coupled with the admonition of "See something, Say something." But here and now, with Ives so casually standing around and talking with Ambassador Bommu, the situation was significantly stranger than she could have imagined.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nara caught sight of the Andorian security officer with an Anyon-emitter. Now that made her perk up. She'd used them for cleaning particle traces as well as detecting the presence of other particles. But the primary use was for detecting and eliminating chroniton fields. Her eyes narrow then, not having anything explained to her as of yet. Nara set the burning questions raised by the strange days behind her aside for the barest of moments. But still, the Anyon emitter bothered her more than anything else. Since Captain Ives was here, she presumed that he was the one in charge of the situation. So it was with a sudden brashness that Nara spoke up, her voice loud and clear.

"Captain Ives, what are you trying to find? If you were the Insurrectionist that the news is painting you as, you could have started a war by turning the city to Glass. And you're here with Anyon emitters of all things. What is going on?" While the outburst had been Brash, the timbre of her voice was as respectful as was possible for a Scientist that wanted answers. Whatever answers she'd get in the next few minutes would likely determine her fate. If not that quickly, it was liable that the entire Embassy staff would be deemed traitors for not shooting Ives on sight. While it was undoubtedly presumptive of a Crewman to question a Captain, she had to get these answers. And now she waited with breath caught in her throat, her heart nearly caught between beats.

___________________________________________________________________
OOC: @Auctor Lucan let me know if I need to change anything.

[ Lt. ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS ]
Attn: All OOC
[Show/Hide]"If we had all personnel report to the atrium adjacent to our receiving hall, having them walk through it, would that be enough for the emitter test their integrity?"

"That would be sufficient," ThanIda zh'Wann said, walking behind the three representatives and having activated the anyon emitter. The Diplomat's precautionary exercise in delving into one of the representatives' memories was prudent, even if for all they knew at the moment, the Infested retained all the memories of the Hosts. They just knew too little, and Doctor Nicander was the only source they had on discussing the inherent nature of the enemy, the problem being that he was an Infested himself. Ida wasn't sure any more about how much they ought to doubt the word of the former Chief Medical Officer, since he's done nothing but been helpful for the mission after his mind was - allegedly - severed from the collective consciousness of the enemy. She wasn't about to take any chances, and the Captain had already told the three that Ida would use the emitter on them, so she did while they approached the entrance to the Embassy.

Quietly, she observed how Zyrao Natauna - whom had earned the rank of Brigadier after her many years of faithful service to the House of Martok - whilst she ordered the Klingons to secure the Embassy. The El-Aurian, whom Ida had first met on the Coreless Moon, was supposed to be a Commander in the El-Aurian army early in her long life, and it seemed that despite the many years since then, military doctrine had withstood the test of time. Difference being the Klingonese, Ida supposed, but she was confident the tattooed pinkskin knew what she was about.

Once inside the atrium, the proceedings were quickly arranged. Captain Ives and the rest from the Theurgy and the Oneida stood with the three representatives, and the Security Officers that were working at the Embassy coordinated themselves with the Klingons to secure the perimeter - making sure that there were no way to avoid Ida and her anyon emitter - cutting off all exits from the atrium. She had stepped up to the side of the entrance, and as the Embassy personnel filed through it, she had the emitter light them up with the sub-space particles. Having fought Infested a couple of times at that point, both at Starbase 84 and in that mining facility on Praxis, she was on edge, and had her free hand on the handle of her pulse phase pistol - light blue eyes darting to each newly arriving personnel. Any one of them might react like Councilor Kopek had in the Great Hall, when Sarresh Morali had activated the anyon emitters that Councilor K'Tal had helped hide throughout the chamber. Each new face she saw could be that of the enemy.

"It does not appear like any of our staff are reacting to that device," said the Ambassador, hands folded behind his back.

"Not anyone yet," amended Captain Jackson, while Captain Ives remained silent - looking intently at the new faces filling the atrium.

When the trickle of Embassy staff was receding, one of them spoke out while Ida was using the emitter on her. "Captain Ives, what are you trying to find? If you were the Insurrectionist that the news is painting you as, you could have started a war by turning the city to Glass. And you're here with Anyon emitters of all things. What is going on?"

Ida's eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything. Captain Ives took the question in stride, answering even though the Ambassador and the other representatives weren't at all impressed with the untactful outburst. It was clear they thought the crewman wasn't reading the room, didn't know her place. Ives, however, smiled faintly and gave his succinct answer, even though the tone was clear that this was not a time for discussions. Instead, he was addressing the whole Embassy staff within the atrium. "Your question is your answer. We are not what we've been made out to be. The reason we have been hunted across Federation space is the same reason Gorka, Son of Margon, challenged Chancellor Martok. He had been manipulated by the same enemy that possessed Councilor Kopek as well as Starfleet Command. Currently, an anyon emitter is the only available means we have at our disposal to address the threat of this enemy."

Until we can make more of those kemocyte-powered light cannons, Ida added in her thoughts, knowing that the thing was hardly something that could be carried around until something more portable was invented.

When no more people were arriving, Thea turned to the Ambassador. "May I have access to the internal sensors of the Embassy grounds to verify that all personnel have been accounted for?"

"No," said Hime, a little bit too quickly - showing her distrust towards the presence of the holographic projection. Hime looked towards the Ambassador before continuing. "This... is too early for that kind of trust. We do not know what you... We have been issued protocols about preserving the integrity of our systems from external influences. This is an Embassy, and..."

"By all means, please verify this yourselves. The importance is that everyone are accounted for," Captain Ives intoned without missing a beat, and Ida admired the Chameloid's restraint in how he didn't call out Hime on the specific distrust she had towards Thea - the woman clearly having a bias towards the A.I. from all the stories that had been made up about her. Ida wasn't just going to stand idly by either, for she hadn't scanned everyone in the atrium yet. Her antennae and her eyes shifted to those in exosuits around the area.

"Please remove your helmets while I make the rounds," she said, her hand still loosely resting on the handle of her pistol while she approached the guards, all in turn. Whatever the Ambassador thought of the development was unclear, because he was looking at the present staff, being quite thoughtful.

"We have a Starfleet Intelligence operative stationed here, but he is not present. He must still be in the operations centre."

Hime, whom was checking the internal sensors at a control panel, looked up. "Ambassador... that' classified," she said, but after her superior gave her a look, she acquiesced, "I... can't view that area. This thing doesn't let me access the lower levels for some reason, but of the 147 that work here, only 145 are present, so he is either down there... or he has already left the building."

"Who is the one unaccounted for?" Captain Jackson asked, since it was clear the numbers didn't add up.

"Someone we have incarcerated in wait for transport, having caused trouble with too many Klingon Houses. A certain Doctor Marlowe (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Story_NPCs#Dr._James_Hudson_Marlowe)," sighed Ms. Barnum, "Dr. James Hudson Marlowe. I suppose your Deputy will have to use that... thing on him too. He's held not far from the Starfleet Intelligence Ops centre. Can someone show the way?"

Meanwhile, Ida had been making the rounds among the present Security detail, looking into the eyes of the guards that she used the anyon emitter on. The last one in the line spoke up. "Lieutenant, I'm Crewman V'Qol. I volunteer. I can show the way."

Having finished her scan of the Vulcan, Ida nodded and looked towards Captain Ives, who inclined his head to the Deputy, leaving it in her capable hands to address the situation. Ida deactivated the emitter and holstered it behind her phaser. "Thea, will you remain here?" she asked the A.I., who nodded in assent, effectively taking over the responsibility of protecting the Captain. Ida looked towards Natauna next. "We need to go down there. I could use your help, along with as many warriors you can spare for it while also protecting this atrium. If the officer unaccounted for is one of them, he knows we're coming, and he's prepared."

Captain Jackson looked towards Lieutenant Rodrigo Rivera (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Story_NPCs#Lt._Rodrigo_Rivera.2C_Chief_Security_Officer), his Chief Security Officer. "You go with them."

Thea, who took her new assignment in stride, only had one question. "I cannot find any reference in my database about a Starfleet Intelligence officer posted at this Embassy," she asked, turning to the Ambassador. "What is his name?"

---

OOC: Posting order: 1) @Ellen Fitz , in your next post, could you have the Ambassador name this enigmatic Starfleet Intelligence officer hiding in the basement? :) Furthermore, feel free to have Madsen either join the party or just provide some context about Marlowe for the readers if you feel that makes better sense? 2) @jreeves1701 , could you then narrate the decent into the basement levels of the Embassy, as shown by Crewman V'Qol? Ida will be in stride with Zy on the way down there, and Rodrigo Rivera is available to be NPC:ed as needed. 3) @Tae , while I cannot fathom any reason why Nara would logically volunteer to head down into the basement, given her profession, I figure you could NPC her roommate in order to still partake in that action? :) Either way you want to NPC the Vulcan or not, back in the atrium, Nara could instead ask a few more questions since they'd be waiting for the fallout there anyway. If you want to do that, could you please have the Ambassador show the real Simulcast (https://uss-theurgy.com/forum/index.php/topic,3160.msg32728.html#msg32728) and the speech (https://uss-theurgy.com/forum/index.php/topic,3160.msg32912.html#msg32912) Martok made in the Great Hall, which Martok would have sent out. This would clearly be news to most of the gathered Embassy staff, and the very reason why the Ambassador is being cooperative towards Ives and Jackson. :)

[ Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Federation Embassy ] attn: @Auctor Lucan  @jreeves1701  @Tae

The memory of literally flying through the air in the Great Hall playing out in her mind, Enyd watched with more than a little trepidation as one-by-one, the embassy personnel moved before anyon emitter. So far, no one was reacting like Kopek had, but Enyd, like the rest of those in her group, was not satisfied enough to let down her guard. She appreciated Ives’ comment of “not yet,” and concurred with his caution. It was soon after that a dark-haired woman broke the otherwise silent proceedings with her bold question, and Enyd watched as the captain responded with as much diplomacy as someone who’d been in her department for years. Of course, the captain would have some diplomatic tendencies; one did not get to his rank based on brassy behavior and bold moves alone.

Hume’s quick response to Thea’s request had Enyd narrowing her eyes ever so slightly. While she was still growing accustomed to the AI herself, there was no reason to exhibit such behavior. At least, unless Hume was trying to hide something and it was prejudice at all that fueled the reluctance. Enyd’s lips itched to pull back into a smile when the Ambassador himself revealed the missing person: none other than a Starfleet Intelligence operative. Enyd inwardly snorted. It would figure that one of the most likely to be Infested, in her opinion, would be the one clever enough to avoid being present for these proceedings.

Enyd’s attention faltered, derailed, then snapped back into place at Barnum’s naming of the incarcerated. Memories of long lunches, later afternoon coffee breaks, and hours of laughter, debate, and discourse briefly filled Enyd’s mind, and despite the gravity of the situation, she couldn’t help the momentary smile that touched the edge of her lips. That he would be incarcerated at the Embassy for causing trouble did not surprise Enyd in the slightest, as Marlowe had always had a flair for troublemaking, but that he would be here at this time and under these circumstances had the smile dying from her lips as quickly as it had begun. What if James was Infested?

“Captain,” Enyd shifted closer to Ives, “I am acquainted with this Doctor Marlowe. We met while I was finishing my studies at the Academy, and even then he had a reputation amongst his peers as approaching his work with a less than traditional, slightly more unorthodox perspective. Since then, he’s become quite the celebrity among the civilians for his scathing critiques on Federation practices, and despite his ousting from more academic circles, his opinions still carry clout among the more open-minded of his peers.” Her eyes gliding over to the Deputy then back to Ives, Enyd added, “I would like to join the Deputy.”

Moving to join the beautiful Andorian woman who exuded a similar badass aura as Valyn, Enyd heard the Ambassador reply to Thea’s question, “Darcel Spiaire.”

---

Sorry it has taken me so long to reply.

[ Brigadier Zentai Natauna | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS ]  Attn: @Auctor Lucan  @Ellen Fitz @Tae

Zy took in a deep breath and held it, momentarily closing her eyes so that she could roll them back without anyone noticing. Within the amount of time it took to blink she opened them again and stared directly at Crewman V'Qol. It looks like peeling out of this very tight leather uniform would be a highly anticipated event that would have to wait. Zy already began to calculate where and when her quickest opportune time would be and who would be there when it happened. Perhaps Foval, Lillee, or Sera.

Snapping back to the situation at hand. "bI!" she commanded with a gesture to a nearby warrior. "bI!" she commanded another and gestured for them both to come to her side.  "Crewman, you will lead us to this covert operation center. Should you try to deceive us, know that your fate is in the hands of the Klingon Empire, not the Federation." The fact covert operations were being conducted on Qo'noS without knowledge of the High Council put an already tenuous Alliance in further jeopardy.  Imperial Intelligence tended to be ahead of the curve in countering anything Starfleet and the Federation attempted. But on occasion, they were surprised.

Zy's thoughts soften when Ida joined her side but quickly hardened again at the approach of the Oneida's Security Chief. He smelled different from other humans. Perhaps it was his Iberian heritage. Zy had read a few Terran classics and Klingon Opera had adapted one such Terran classic entitled Don Giovanni. She became curious what musk gland on a human would release such a scent to drive a female to swoon so.

"Brigadier, excuse my candor but I didn't expect a non-Klingon to be a flag officer in the Defense Force. The Klingons must have high regard for you." Rivera remarks upon reaching Ida and Zy.

Zy response only with a smirk of a smile leaving Rivera's curiosity hanging.

The security team followed V'Qol into a nearby turbolift. "Access to the lower levels is highly restricted. It takes a retina scan plus voice and palm print verification." V'Qol explained as he responded to the computer AI's requests to verify his identity. As soon as it granted V'Qol access the turbolift began to descend into the lower levels of the Embassy.

Zy pulled her Klingon PADD/Tricorder device from her belt and began to scan the area and compare the results with the building schematics on file in the Defense Force's database. What was the Federation hiding on Qo'noS and who were these two unaccounted for individuals who lacked the courage to show themselves when summoned?

CM1 Nara Nueva | Federation Embassy Grounds | First City | Qo'noS ]  Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Ellen Fitz @jreeves1701

Nara lifted an eyebrow with the response that she got from Captain Ives. She'd expected just about anything except an actual answer to her questions.  That had thrown her drastically, and Nara shifted on her heels slightly, looking uncomfortable. A bit of surprise showed on her face then, but she took it in stride as best as anyone could when presented with new information. She'd caught the looks that she'd gotten from others, but at the very least, her composure and manners were polite.

"Gorka wasn't Gorka then? That's... I'll look through the information, thank you." She frowns then and looks to the PADD she's presented with. Nara grimaces slightly and goes over the information submitted with no other words, after giving a polite nod of thanks as she departs to a corner of the room. Nara was never the sort of person to not go over new data or information. She took a position against the wall and took a seat to read through the data. She'd had her suspicions that the Theurgy and the situation wasn't what it seemed, so having good information like this certainly helped her to put some pieces together.

All of this information led to one conclusion. Nara needed to take an opportunity to request a transfer to the Theurgy. For that, she'd go through the proper channels. If the Klingons and Starfleet were both compromised, then the Romulans surely were as well. And with news from Earth about Paris, her expertise with Thalaron radiation would surely be helpful on a renegade ship. Of course, any situation where she got to work in the sciences would be a significant improvement over the Embassy. Nara had quite a bit of reading to do, but she kept glancing towards the Captains and the Ambassador. There was so much that she wanted to ask. Most of which would probably be answered by her reading material.


CM 2 V'Qol

V'Qol had volunteered because it was the right thing to do. It was only logical that she assist the Captains. And performing this duty had the benefit of getting her away from the embarrassing aura that Crewman Nueva had. Going up and questioning a Captain like that had irritated the young Vulcan. At barely twenty years of age, V'Qol had been lucky to receive a posting as prestigious as Embassy Guard while being fresh out of the Academy. And while it might be unusual for a Vulcan to choose a career as Enlisted security personnel, she had her reasons and felt them be quite logical. So taking this task in stride was something that she'd do lightly. With calm professionalism, she entered her credentials to take the turbolift down to the security center.  Mindful of her looks from the Klingons, V'Qol speaks up, looking more to Ida and the Brigadier.

"You'll pardon the security precautions we take here, but we're simply taking advantage of the local geologic benefits that are offered by the rock formations present in the local area. As you're all aware, there can be instabilities politically and militarily that require that any sensitive equipment be protected. It is only prudent. However, I personally only know that the room exists and that for emergency duties, I have access to the turbolift. However, my security clearance is..." She trails off, looking at the Brigadier, her lips pursing slightly for a moment, and her eyes narrow slightly in concentration.

"It would be logical to assume that your clearance will be approved in a moment as soon as the Ambassador updates the security protocols." she coughs awkwardly then, the young Vulcan finding all of this most unusual. She did her best to keep her composure, but overall the situation was highly irregular, and a look of worry managed to slowly work its way onto her face during the turbolift ride. V'Qol looks to Lieutenant zh'Wann with a curious expression. And she speaks up with a curious tone in her voice, her eyes narrowing slightly as she weighs her options.

"I would presume, Lieutenant, that the official story is incorrect in whole or in part. And that I would also presume that after the Theurgy departs and no record exists of me having taken action against you, an investigation into my conduct may ruin my career. Would it be illogical to assume, Lieutenant, that I might potentially find a berth on the Theurgy before your eventual departure?" The presumption of her questions for the Lieutenant surprised even her. And while V'Qol was relatively young, she knew what 'collaborating with traitors' would do for her career. As young as she was and as short as her career was, any 'misconduct' on this level would ruin her career. To hide her worry, the young Crewman makes a show of checking over her equipment, making sure everything was correctly seated. But if anyone cared to look, the concern in her deep blue eyes was plain to see, the lapis blue eyes. The Vulcan's eyes were as deep a blue as the waters of an ocean currently held a tempest worth of turmoil. Not placid or calm, but from the way her eyes were moving and the micro expression flickering across her features, V'Qol's eyes were a storm-tossed wine-dark sea.


OOC Note: Not planning to have V'Qol be a PC, buts he's weirdly an NPC that I'm becoming attached to. (No idea why). Please don't kill my Vulcan bab.

[ Captain Ives (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Captain_Jien_Ives) | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS ]
Attn: All OOC
[Show/Hide]When Madsen had requested to accompany the Deputy and the Brigadier to the lower levels of the Embassy, being familiar with the prisoner kept down there, Jien had inclined his head in approval. Jien had heard Marlowe's name now and again over the years, but never put his mind to learning what the man was about. As for Darcel Spiaire, that was a name he knew he hadn't heard before.

"Who is he?" he asked, turning to look at the Ambassador while the man was working at a console. Ms. Barnum was with the Ambassador as well, having brought PADDs at his request, and it seemed like the Ambassador was uploading information to the tablets from the console.

"Lieutenant Commander Spiaire has been stationed here for a couple of years," the Ambassador said quietly while he worked, "but he keeps to himself, barely making time to report on his activities with Starfleet Intelligence. He has fulfilled his duties and sends us information that pertain to the Embassy's function here on Qo'noS, but he has always been a bit of a recluse. He hurt his back during the Dominion War, the surgery wasn't successful, and his body has been rejecting most kind of treatments. Not fit for field work, I think he's resentful about his desk job. Irritable, but meticulous."

"I see. What are you doing?" Jien asked next, inclining his head towards the console.

"Representative Hime has reminded me that she hasn't been briefed about what happened at the Great Hall yesterday," the Ambassador said in answer, earning a quizzical look from Iris, but she didn't say anything before the Ambassador continued. "With your visit, it would seem I will have to do this before discussing the implications further amongst ourselves. I am uploading the footage from the Great Hall and the Simulcast - as it was meant to be - to these tablets. Ms. Barnum, transfer complete. Please pass around the PADDs and bring more from the back office."

Jien looked at Ambassador Bommu, coming to realise why the man was more forthcoming and cooperative than he'd expected when they took the shuttle down to the Embassy grounds. "My gratitude," he said, and glanced towards Iris, whom had started to read the brief from Chancellor Martok about the event on her own PADD. "Learning about yesterday from you goes a long way, Ambassador, rather than us having to convince them all that the evidence we bring isn't false."

"Of course," said Bommu with a terse smile, "but reading the Chancellor's words won't be enough."

The Ambassador hit a couple of buttons on the console, and having accessed the atrium's holo-projector, he displayed the recording from the Great Hall, which began with showing the real Simulcast (https://uss-theurgy.com/forum/index.php/topic,3160.msg32728.html#msg32728), with Ives words about the Infested resounding through the projected interior of the Great Hall and the present atrium alike. Then, there was the commotion, wherein Councilor Kopek - one of the Infested - fought to reach and kill Chancellor Martok. It showed the crew of the Theurgy fighting to protect the leader of the Klingon Empire, putting their lives on the line to try and prevent the Infested from getting to the Counsellor. It showed the immense strength that one of the possessed inhabited, not being restricted by the limitations of the host body. After Kopek finally fell, as if his strings had suddenly been cut, Jien supplied the information that the present Embassy staff didn't know.

"Councilor K'Tal, the Head of Imperial Intelligence, had installed hidden anyon emitters through the Great Hall, and what you see is when the subspace particles bring the parasite into phase with our present reality."

He said naught more, because next, the projection showed how Gorka made the attempt to try and kill Martok, and Jien raised his oaken eyes to see himself step in Gorka's way (https://uss-theurgy.com/forum/index.php?topic=3160.msg32830#msg32830), and taking the blade to his shoulder. It was an unpleasant reminder about the pain, and the risk to the integrity of his morphogenic matrix. He'd spent hours in sickbay, but he needed to return there soon enough. A gasp has gone through some parts of the present crowd, but that was nothing compared to the reaction when - at the end of his speech (https://uss-theurgy.com/forum/index.php/topic,3160.msg32912.html#msg32912) - Martok cut Kopek's body open and pulled out the parasite that had fused with the Councilor's innards. The Klingon High Councilor roared his words, and thrust the dead creature into the air. Iris Hime visibly paled, and one of the Embassy staff fainted.

The Ambassador stopped the recording after Martok had thrown the thing unto the stone floor and stomped on it, and the echo of his last words hit the walls of the atrium. "Heed me, and spread the word to every world, every fleet and all lesser Houses not present here today... that the Klingon Empire will stand ready. These demons can hide no more, because this hour, from here on, our eyes are open! 'ang'eghQo' quvHutlhboghjaghneHghobtaHvISghaH!"

The silence that followed spoke for itself, wherein the present Starfleet officers began to ponder their situation, and that of the past few months.

"When my Senior Staff and I decided that the Oneida would join forces with the Theurgy," said Captain Jackson, standing next to Ives, "we did not do so lightly. We understand if you find all of this hard to believe. I can but add that everything we have seen so far implies that the situation is exactly as bad as it might seem, if not worse. Yesterday, my crew and I fought a Romulan warbird that meant to deploy a thalaron bomb into the First City, and the Praetor's forces haven't even reached the Klingon border yet. While Martok will be forced to defend his Empire's border, Ives and I are doing what we can to prevent another war, and instead fight the real enemy. Praetor Tal'Aura is one of them, and we hope to reach her before too many lives are lost."

Jien inclinded his head to Jackson's words, and looked to the crowd to see if anyone had any questions.

[ Lt. ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | Federation Embassy Basement Levels | First City | Qo'noS ]
[Show/Hide]The Vulcan security officer seemed to have drawn the logical conclusion that everything wasn't as the FNN had led the citizens of the Federation to believe, and already asked if it would be possible to transfer to the Theurgy instead of remaining at the Embassy.

"Your career ruined?" she said with quiet chuckle, checking the energy setting on her pulse phase pistol in the turbolift, "If your career is your priority, then the Theurgy is the last ship you would want to serve on. I have no illusions about having a career if I make it through this, knowing that in defending the truth, the Theurgy has been forced to protect its crew against other ships in the fleet. The surviving kin of all those dead will demand justice, regardless the parameters of the mission. No, crewman, don't do it for the sake of your career. This is war. Do it because you care about restoring the Federation and Starfleet to what they once were, before the enemy corrupted both."

That was when the turbolift doors opened, and they stepped out into a corridor. "Which way to Doctor Marlowe?"

"Down the hall, to the right, Lieutenant," said the Vulcan, no sign of being perturbed by the Deputy's words showing, "we are keeping him detained to our brig. It only has three holding cells."

"Lieutenant Rivera," Ida said and turned to the Oneida's Security Chief, "will you accompany Lieutenant Madsen to the Doctor? Contact the officials in the atrium if you need any additional security clearance. Since we only have one emitter, and the Doctor has yet to break out - despite the events of yesterday - I think the likelihood that he's one of them is low. Far lower than officer Spiaire. Either way, I suggest you set your phaser to the highest setting, and don't hesitate if he makes any sudden moves."

"Understood, good luck, Deputy." Rivera had his phaser ready and headed off towards the brig.

"I suggest you try and learn what he did to enrage the Klingons, Lieutenant," Ida said in parting to Madsen, inclining her head and antennae to the woman before turning in the direction that the Vulcan meant to lead them. "Are you ready, Natauna? Let's hope you don't have to save my life a second time."

Having split up, they would soon learn whom of the two might be one of he enemy. Still, having fought their kind before, Ida hoped neither of them were.

---

OOC: So! Posting order: 1) @Ellen Fitz I can write Rivera in the scene with Doctor Marlowe! 2) @jreeves1701 feel free to have them arrive outside the classified Starfleet Intelligence Ops Centre? Fun with some banter on the way, since Ida and Zy haven't really interacted since the Coreless Moon 3) @Tae Up to you with Nara, really, and as for the Vulcan crewman, perhaps having him request the clearance needed to enter the mall Ops centre, only to find that the access codes have been overridden? The next available option is to phaser the thing open, after which we can have all hell break loose, haha 4) I will then post after that with Ida and Ives. :)

Sorry for the delay, the forum clone, the subsequent upgrade and the bug hunting stole my time. Apologies!

- 'ang'eghQo' quvHutlhboghjaghneHghobtaHvISghaH! = Only an enemy without honour refuses to show himself in battle!

[ Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Federation Embassy Basement Levels ] attn: @Auctor Lucan  @jreeves1701  @Tae

Waiting until after the nod of confirmation from Ives, Enyd moved to join the others as they vacated the room and headed towards the turbolift. She glanced over her shoulder when she heard Ives talk to the Ambassador but the contents of their conversation was quickly lost the further they moved from the group. Enyd returned her attention to her present companions in time to overhear the officer Rivera speak to the Brigadier, catching the last of their exchange before the Vulcan leading their group spoke up, her attention trained namely on both the Deputy and the Brigadier.

Enyd hid the smile of amusement but allowed her nod of agreement at the Deputy’s response to the Vulcan’s confession slash request. Even Enyd knew that her own career in Starfleet hung in tattered shreds once it became known where she was and whom she allied herself with. While Anderson had taken some pains to conceal her transfer for the sake of sparing Yew Valley Farms from being absorbed as a Federation asset, there was assuredly the risk of it becoming well known now that they’d contacted this Embassy. Even more so now that they were headed towards one of the greatest troublemakers to the Federation Enyd had ever known.

Once they emerged from the turbolift and separated, Enyd moved just a pace behind Rivera down the corridor toward the brig. She recalled the last time she’d seen James. It had been a hurried late lunch, or was it early dinner? He’d been leaving town, fast, after having stepped on one too many toes at the Institute, but had taken the time to bid a fairly proper farewell to Enyd (passionate kiss included) before launching himself into the great unknown.

Only after their parting had James made it big with the trans-Federation networks as a traveling anthropologist and civilian critic of both Federation politics and Starfleet tactics. In the time Enyd had been personally acquainted, he’d been a disgruntled member of the Federation but not quite a full-blown critic. Something had happened in the days following that afternoon meeting slash parting to drive James to become the massively popular Federation influencer Enyd knew he’d become.

When Enyd first became aware of his popularity, she’d already been embroiled in the politics of post-war Cardassia and then, in the dark days after that, Enyd had known very little beyond her own pain-filled psychological borders. Only after she’d recovered on Vulcan, just prior to her transfer to the starbase, had James been brought back to her attention via a colleague fairly in love with the eccentric former-professor. It had been strange listening to the man gush over how handsome and charming James was, verbalizing his fantasies for spending quality time with the influencer. Enyd never revealed her own connection with James, for fear of pressure from colleagues to use that years-distant connection to solicit a personal response.

And now they stood just steps shy of seeing each other again. Enyd believed like the Deputy that the chances of James being Infested were low. Unless this was a new ploy on their part to infiltrate the Theurgy ranks, Enyd didn’t believe the Infested forward-thinking enough to purposefully throw one of their own into the Embassy brig just before the showdown in the Great Hall.

It took only a few moments of convincing and double-checking between the brig guards and those still in the atrium above before Rivera and Enyd were granted full access to the brig. In the sterile environment, dimly lit as fitting for such a place, Enyd could make out empty cells in every corner except one. Though still a few paces away from standing in front of the cell properly, Enyd would recognize that voice anywhere. The trilled r’s, falling diphthongs on the vowels, the clipped bass acoustic quality, all the distinctive qualities combined and matched with the equally unique persona of James Hudson Marlowe.

As they drew to a stop just shy of the cell, and glancing at the “borrowed” officer from Oneida, Enyd smirked and nodded. “Yes, he is singing.”

Peering into the cell, Enyd’s amusement grew when they spied the professor lying on his back on the bunk, straightened legs leaning against his cell wall, head towards the cell entrance. He was still completely unaware of his would-be visitors as he held his hands over his head and made odd shapes with his fingers. It took Enyd a moment, and a few side-stepping head tilts, to realize that James was making shadow puppets on the wall next to his bed. The chosen song was an ancient Earth nursery rhyme, one that her grandmother had taught her, and assuredly one Enyd thought never to hear sung in the likes of an Embassy brig on Qo’Nos.

“The itsy bitsy spider crawled up the water spout.” James moved his hands to mimic first a spider, then a water spout. “Down came the rain, and washed the spider out.” His hands again moved to display relatively accurate looking shadows to match with the lyrics. “Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain..”

“And the itsy bitsy spider,” Enyd interrupted James, finishing the song as his head jerked up off the bunk and his gaze swiveled around to take in both Enyd and Rivera standing side-by-side before his cell, “went up the spout again.”

“Enyd Isolde Madsen!” James’ eyes light up as bright as the Earth’s sun. “As I live and breathe!” Twisting onto his side, James first curled into an awkward ball before shoving off the wall with his feet and unceremoniously dumping himself onto the cell floor. Enyd could only watch with continued amusement as the professor turned influencer and social rebel pulled himself to his feet with much the same grace as a newborn foal and with the same gait walked closer to the cell barrier. “I never thought I’d see you again.”

“Because of your own chaos or because of mine?” Enyd couldn’t help the wink, old habits of speech and mannerisms easy to fall into with a man as effortlessly charming as James.

A half shrug was all he offered as a response before his bright gaze moved to the officer at her side, “Don’t tell me you’re here to transfer me to another brig!” His eyes narrowed then, and he took a half step back. “Are you with ‘them’?”

“’Them?’” Enyd raised a single eyebrow, glancing to Rivera a moment. From their knowledge, no true knowledge of the Infested had been detailed or relayed to Starfleet or Federation members prior to the day before, so just who were the “them” James spoke of? “If you mean am I a member of the crew of the renegade ship Theurgy, then yes, I am one of ‘them,’ but if you mean some other nefarious group of individuals, I’ll have to say no.”

Her mentioning of the ship and the intentional use of “renegade” served its purpose. The momentary defenses wavered and soon enough James was much the same affable eccentric they’d first seen.

“You’ve developed a taste for rebellion as well then, eh?” James chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest and took to a subtle leaning back and forth on his heels. Enyd couldn’t recall a time she’d ever seen the man completely motionless. “If you’re so busy playing renegade, what brings you to my charming neck of the Federation? Were you looking for me?”

Smiling, Enyd mirrored his stance but not his incessant movement. “An answer for an answer, James.” She waited until he gave a nod of agreement before replying. “In truth, until a few minutes ago, we knew nothing of your presence here, though your reputation precedes you. Your fan base is extensive and we are well aware of your efforts to bring the Federation to heel for several policies and tactics on both Federation and non-Federation worlds. Not to mention your more recent episodes transmitted where you claimed Starfleet was suffering from internal corruption and had lost its way, citing fleet mobilizations and weapons manufacturing.”

James nodded his head in time with her words, his lips rising and falling in self-satisfied smiles until Enyd’s voice lulled.

“And your question?” He asked in the brief silence.

“Why are you in the brig?”

The cell filled with James’ laughter after an almost startling handclap made by the professor. He shook his head as he continued to chuckle, turning to move back to sit on the messied bunk. James ran both hands through the already disheveled locks of dark hair sprouting about his head like Medusa’s snakes.

“Have you ever tried to tell a Klingon official that his culture’s mating rituals bore great resemblance to the ancient First Hebitian civilization on Cardassia?” Enyd’s eyes felt ready to pop out of her skull as they widened. James noted her astonishment and nodded in confirmation. “Yes, oh yes, I did indeed make that statement, and more, and to more than one Klingon official. It seems Klingons don’t like being told they have anything in common with ancient Cardassians.” He gave a feigned grunt of confusion. “Who would’ve thought? In short, I managed to do what I tend to do, and I angered a few individuals who, being Klingon, would rather separate my head from my body than listen to me spout more such nonsense.” He pointed to the cell boundaries then and gave another snort. “The Ambassador felt it safer for my head and intergalactic peace to put me here for the time being.”

James scratched at his neck, his gaze again wavering to Rivera before coming back to her. Though manically eccentric, and often intimidatingly brilliant, James had a way of slowing down enough to make you feel you were cornered intellectually, if not physically, and there was no way out except via the truth. This was one such moment, only Enyd felt no fear and had expected the sudden shift in the professor’s demeanor.

“You never answered the other question of why you’re here.”

Enyd looked to Rivera then. Raising an eyebrow, she waited a moment to see what he might want to contribute to the situation.

[ Brigadier Zentai Natauna  | Federation Embassy Basement Levels | First City | Qo'noS ]
Attn: @Ellen Fitz @Auctor Lucan @Tae
Zy hated secrets. She really hated organizations that operated in secrecy. "'ang'eghQo' quv Hutlhbogh jagh neH ghobtaHvIS ghaH,"^[1] she whispered under her breath. The thought of a covert Starfleet Intelligence operation in the heart of the Klingon capital rubbed her in all the wrong ways. The chaffing of her leather uniform was more pleasurable than the thought of what lay ahead of them.

FlasIhback memories surfaced in her mind of the betrayal she had experienced at the hands of someone she cared greatly for, someone she believed cared equally for her. Zy subconsciously touched her right ear lobe where a Bajoran d'ja pagh earring once hung. A gift from Corbin that she had cherished until the day she learned the truth. Corbin had been an agent of the Cardassian Obsidian Order and the earring belonged to a Bajoran female that he had tortured to death. The horror of the memory sent a tingle down her spine, bringing her senses sharply into the present moment.

"It gives me great honor knowing that your blue-skinned ass survived because of my efforts. I surely thought you were damn well beyond saving because it is always the brave ones that fucking die." The phrase meant more to Zy than anyone would ever know. From the Borg attack on El-Auria to the current situation, she had seen so much death. The scars across her body were a testament to both the internal and external conflict.

Zy focused her mind on Ida and the thought of that blue-skinned physically toned ass. "I'm glad you were too damn stubborn to die, like some other Andorian I used to know." The Andorian in question was a fellow champion in the gladiatorial arena of the Kzinti. "I would love an opportunity to study your training methods. Maybe learn a thing or two."

Eventually, the duo reached the double door entrance to the classified Starfleet Intelligence Ops Center, Zy recalled the Andorian Lieutenant's statements to the Vulcan in the turbolift. Zy pointed to the bulkhead signage reading:  LEVEL B1 CARGO BAY  SECTION 31. Of course it wouldn't say TOP SECRET STARFLEET SPY ROOM INSIDE COME ON IN.

"Do you trust pointy ears?" Zy replaced her hand scanner and drew her disrupter, thumbing it up to its highest setting. "Every sense in my body tells me this might be a trap."

CM1 Nara Nueva | Federation Embassy Grounds | First City | Qo'noS ]  Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Ellen Fitz @jreeves1701

Nara was seated in the corner of the Embassy meeting hall, working her way through the documentation getting shared with her. Nara didn't need to ask questions. Just about everything was here at her fingertips. All of the actions of the Theurgy are fully explained and well justified. Now and again in the course of her reading, she glanced over to the Captains and the head Diplomats. Frankly, though, this evidence had made up her mind. And she walks back over to the small group, nodding to Captain Ives and the others.  The holo recording of the actions in the great hall certainly cemented her actions. Seeing Captain Ives step in taking a blade meant for Gorka, that alone spoke highly of them. If the crew of the Theurgy were willing to take such amazing risks to prove what was no doubt true, then Nara should absolutely do the same.

"I'd like to join the crew of the Theurgy, and I am superfluous at best here on Qo'noS. My expertise is in High energy physics, and I can be of use to any actual Scientific facility, which we don't have here." While it wasn't a by-the-book way of ask, and probably annoyed her immediate superiors, it was take this chance or potentially get left behind. Sure, this was a calculated risk for Nara's career, but she currently had no career to speak of anyway, so asking this question risked nothing. Nara noticed some of her fellow staff members giving her a mix of looks, ranging from shocked to expected. The Crewman was a bit of an opportunist looking out for ways to advance her own career or rebuild it. So while what she was doing was dangerous, it was 'safer' than playing along and then hoping it would blow over.

CM 2 V'Qol

Crewman V'qol was at the vanguard of the small troupe to the security center. The Klingons had built this place in a different time. Deep within Qo'nos, the construction was sufficient to make it a secured functional area in an old lava tube. While it hadn't been constructed by the Federation, that hadn't stopped them from using it as a spy center or whatever it was. Even providing relief for the guard stationed here had been awkward. Sounds bouncing off the melted stone walls, and the bare metal of the few furnishings in the area made it a creepy assignment. Every sound her echoed, the groups' footfalls on the floor were echoing hard and sharp. The words from the Brigadier burn her ears as she approaches the control panel. V'Qol didn't like the sound of that, the Vulcan coming to a few conclusions, only a few of them logical.

After entering the 16 digit passcode, V'Qol frowned and shook her head. It didn't go it, and she'd probably entered a digit wrong. Pulling up the passcode on the Visor of her exosuit, she entered it again and didn't get a response except for the panel to go black and shut down. Usually, it allowed three attempts and didn't shut down until the third attempt. Come to think of it, where were the two sentries that should be here, and where were the very violent alarms triggered when the panel shut down?

V'Qol slams her communicator to place a call with quick reflexes, but it only gives the poor chirping that signaled a lack of contact. The communicators sometimes didn't function down here, but Vulcan sighs heavily after trying again and getting the same response. This wasn't going to be good, and there were two ways this could go. One involved a diplomatic incident, the second involved V'Qol torching her career. Looking to Ida and the Brigadier, V'Qol shrugged since facial expressions wouldn't do it behind her faceplate.

"The door is not responding, and it locked me out. That should not happen until after the third incorrect input. Also, there are no sentries, nor are there any alarms. Something is very wrong. And I do not know how bad the consequences will be if we blow the door open with phasers. It is supposed to be magnetically sealed, but clearly, I haven't tried manual opening yet. brigadier, would your soldiers care to assist me in opening the door that way before we shoot it down?" And those were the words that probably just tanked V'Qol's career for all time. Shooting open a door for a secured facility was terrible enough. Doing so with Klingon's assistance was tantamount to treason. Or a diplomatic favor; politics were weird like that and frankly above her paygrade.

[ Rylan Sil | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS ] @Auctor Lucan @Tae @Ellen Fitz @jreeves1701

Rylan had waited patiently along with the embassy staff and others in residence at the time the gates had been sealed. He’d gone through the scanner just like the rest, and made a mental note to find out more about what kind of equipment the ambassador was allowing this renegade Starfleet crew to use on them all. Not only that but he knew he would want to learn exactly what it was they were looking for. He found himself being shuffled to the perimeter of the room along with the less important beings assembled there. Rylan had greedily accepted one of the PADDs being passed out by Ms. Barnum, and began to pour through the contents, doing little more than scanning headings and looking for keywords really, as he backed away.

None of this was making sense. It certainly didn’t jive with everything he’d heard about the U.S.S. Theurgy over the last several months. His own FNN colleagues had positively vilified the crew in articles and holocasts transmitted throughout the Federation. Yet here they were, being treated by the Federation ambassador and the Klingons alike like conquering heroes, not dissidents raging against law and order.

When the ambassador began the display of the ‘real’ simulcast Rylan quickly pulled Mera, his multi-functional camera drone, from one of his oversized jacket pockets. “Start recording,” he said in hushed tones, eliciting an [Affirmative] and corresponding chirp from the drone.

Ives’s voice cut through at one point, “Councilor K’Tal, the Head of Imperial Intelligence, had installed hidden anyon emitters through the Great Hall, and what you see is when the subspace particles bring the parasite into phase with our present reality.”

“Well, that’s two questions answered, and at least three more to replace them,” Rylan said to himself as the simulcast continued. “Oh… oh, shit,” he sputtered, enthralled by the image of Martok slicing open his adversary and pulling what had already been referred to as a parasite. As the Klingon’s boot came down on the thing splattering its… blood?... on the floor of the Klingon’s Great Hall, Rylan looked over his shoulder at Mera and said, “Please tell me you’re getting all this?”

The drone chirped. [Recording active.]

Then the bomb dropped. “Praetor Tal’Aura is one of them,” Captain Jackson from the Oneida said matter of factly. It was a hell of an accusation. Rylan stuffed the PADD in the same pocket he’d pulled Mera from, wondering if there might be some proof of that in the data contained on the device. He wasn’t returning it to Ms. Barnum after all this was done, he knew that. That seemed to conclude the presentation and it seemed like the captains and the ambassador were willing to entertain questions.

Rylan started toward the front of the atrium but stumbled as he worked to get his holographic FNN press credentials ready for presentation. The short delay allowed a young crewman in a blue tunic to reach them first. He rolled his eyes when she tried to use this situation to find a way to get herself a transfer off Qo’noS. He was thankful Mera was recording what was going on around him and not his face. “Rylan Sil, FNN,” he said finally, putting his press pass out where the others could easily see the spinning holographic logo along with his image. “If you don’t mind putting your personnel decisions on hold captains,” he tossed a sidelong glance at Nara, “this all runs pretty contrary to what Federation citizens have been seeing in the news over the past few months. The Theurgy and her crew have been branded renegades, dissidents on the run from Starfleet and the Federation. Now we’re supposed to believe you’re the conquering heroes instead. So here’s my question. How much of this is on the record?” Rylan pointed at the camera drone hovering over his shoulder with a sly grin on his face.

[ Captain Ives (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Captain_Jien_Ives) | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS ]
Attn: All OOC
[Show/Hide]In the Atrium, Captain Ives looked at the gathered members and visitors of the Federation Embassy - gauging their reactions to what the Ambassador had shown them. It was eerily quiet at first, and Jien understood how that might be the case. The implications of what had happened to Starfleet Command alone was a lot to wrap their heads around. How did one come to terms with the realisation that an invisible enemy could be hiding behind the eyes of anyone around you? What Jien hoped, in the revelation, was that those present could see how this enemy wasn't unopposed, and that it could actually be defeated.

Eventually, the first speaker came forth, and it was one that has already shown herself to be rather outspoken. It was the crewman who had questioned what was happening before, and Jien found himself smiling faintly. He was just about to answer her when another spoke up instead. This time, a reporter saying he was from the FNN. The very broadcasting network that had smeared Ives and his crew for six months. Naturally, Jien found his smile fading, but after the Ambassador had shown what had happened in the Great Hall... perhaps this correspondent might play a role that could aid the mission rather than undermine it.

"Let's speak later," he said quietly in the scientist's direction, before addressing the man in front of them. "Aye, this evidence is quite in contrary to what the FNN and other networks have been broadcasting across the Federation, so I am afraid that beyond the answers you may get now, you ought to direct some scrutiny towards what manner of sources you and your colleagues have used. I wouldn't be surprised if Starfleet Command has supplied their version of events, and the FNN has failed to question the information beyond face-value. Perhaps we can help you ask the right questions in that regard, and when you get your answers, you can evaluate the information with an unbiased mindset."

Jien didn't quite like the sleazy, sly grin on the face of the correspondent, thinking about what the FNN had done to help Command establish a collective loathing towards his own crew. The FNN had helped make mothers and fathers ashamed of their sons and daughters - brave officers who were fighting with their lives on the line to save the Federation. Splitting families apart, in gullible belief that whatever came out of Starfleet Headquarters was considered gospel.

"Thea," he said, turning towards the hologram, "would you mind supplying this gentleman with the tactical logs from our escape through Federation space?"

"Aye Captain," she said in answer and stepped towards the correspondent. She passed by Barnum on the way there and picked up a PADD from her, and she accessed it on the way towards Sil. It took only a couple of seconds for her to gather the logs from her shipboard database, downloading it to the tablet. She smiled when she handed it over to Sil, before turning on her heel and returning to where she'd been.

"When reviewing the logs, I think you will find how Admiral Sankolov's task force refused to answer our hails, preventing us from conveying what we learned about Starfleet Command. You ought to find that we always fought on the defensive, protecting ourselves and the truth we carried. Moreover, with Thea being one of the fastest ships in the fleet, and even when having every chance to escape beyond the RNZ, we didn't, which should put the lie about us being Romulan defectors into question."

Captain Jackson added, beyond what Ives had said, some other venues of query. "Fighting at Ives side, the Klingons and the Theurgy stopped a Borg invasion through a wormhole in the Azure Nebula. No doubt the Klingons can corroborate that. As for Starbase 84, the Theurgy was on the defensive even then, and would have been able to send the real simulcast through the starbase's broadcast system if their message hadn't been tampered with - instead showing the false one (https://uss-theurgy.com/forum/index.php?topic=1202.msg9845#msg9845) that spread across the Federation."

Jien could think of many more ways to corroborate the claims made, but he paused to let the reporter speak.

[ Lt. Rodrigo Rivera (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Story_NPCs#Lt._Rodrigo_Rivera.2C_Chief_Security_Officer) | Federation Embassy Brig | First City | Qo'noS ]
[Show/Hide]Watching the Doctor and the Diplomat speak, Rodrigo had begun to feel like the fifth wheel, but in spite of that feeling, he was keeping a watchful eye on the man. Unlike those of the Theurgy crew, Rodrigo had never fought one of the Infested, but he had read into the reports. Strong, quick and unmerciful. The parasite existed in a state of flux, and if it took over the host body completely, it was not bound entirely by the restrictions of the present reality. They derived pleasure from pain, and even if the host body sustained injuries that would normally kill them, the parasite kept the body alive still, making them difficult to kill unless the head was severed from the body, or they were entirely vaporised.

This ran through Rodrigo's head while he listened to the exchange, phaser at his side, until Enyd turned to him. The question from the Doctor was a pointed one, and if the civilian was known to cause unrest... Rodrigo wasn't sure they could be entirely transparent with the situation. Still, he could tell the truth without implying the scope of the situation.

"We have reason to believe the Embassy might be infested by a neural parasite, and we are conducting scans of everyone." Rodrigo stepped to the control panel next to the force field. "We're waiting for someone with a scanner, so you can just stay right where you are until then."

Rodrigo wasn't prepared to let the Doctor out of his holding cell, that was for sure, and he hoped the Andorian Deputy would show up soon enough. In fact...

"Lieutenant Madsen," he rumbled and turned to Enyd, "without the scanner, there is naught more we can do here. Do you wish to remain, or accompany me as I join the Deputy?"

[ Lt. ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | Federation Embassy Basement Levels | First City | Qo'noS ]
[Show/Hide]On the way to the hidden Starfleet Intelligence centre, Zyrao had suggested an exchange in training, wishing to learn Ida's methods, to which Ida had chuckled quietly. "With your experience, it might be me learning a thing or two from you," she said idly, and when the question about a possible trap. She glanced towards the back of the Vulcan, who was leading the way, and kept her voice equally low. "I have the same feeling, but I doubt it is the crewman we have to worry about. Rather, the officer who didn't come to the atrium."

Upon arrival their guide spoke of the password being overridden, Ida cocked a hip and put her hand on it. There was nothing strange about the situation. It was all rather expected. "The Ambassador had accounted for all personnel in the atrium except for Darcel Spiaire and Doctor Marlowe, so that's where the sentries are." When the Vulcan failed to get the door open, Ida heard the suggestion about trying to pry the door open with the help from the Klingons rather than shooting it. It made the Deputy sigh, straighten her stand, and raise her phaser instead. "There is no time for that. Step aside and stand ready. Now."

As soon as she had a clear shot, not wishing to grant the possible Infested another moment to prepare for their arrival or to finish what he was doing, Ida blasted the door - the highest possible setting on her phaser breaching it.

The sparks from the demolished door had yet to settle when Ida stepped through, leading the way inside the modified cargo hold. With her eyes along the sights of her hand phaser, held in a two-hand grip, she swept the immediate area before her. The large, open space housed a lot of computer hardware, monitors lining the walls and showing different feeds from surveillance units - appearing to display both areas off-world as well as the Embassy interiors. She picked up movements on the other side of the computerware obstructions. Someone running.

"Zyrao, fan out. Crewman, follow me," Ida said, wasting no time to start the search before the officer could...

She had yet to finish the thought before all the monitors on the walls powered down, along with the overhead lights - emergency lighting spilling through the cables that littered the floor plates. Within a second, the cargo hold had become a dark maze, data storage and computer consoles obstructing the view, sound bouncing between surveillance equipment and whirring processors.

"Shelat..." Ida murmured, antennae angling forward as she pressed on, determined to catch the officer before he could escape.

"Do you want to play, skin-puppets?"

Oh, how Ida hated being right. She'd heard that kind of eldritch voice before - the syllables clawing at the bounds of the present.

---

OOC: So! Posting order: 1) @Ellen Fitz Your call on what Enyd does! Rodrigo isn't prepared to lower the force field, that for sure. Haha 2) @jreeves1701 This would be an ideal time to have one or both of the Klingon redshirts bite the dust? The Infested use the darkness to his advantage and means to pick them off one at the time until they are all dead. 3) @Tae Up to you if you want to continue writing Nara here, but as for the Vulcan, either kill the NPC off in a grandiose way or have it be a close call? The Infested can use the computer equipment as weapons too, throwing large things at his guests, for example? 4) @oberonfrost , your call what Sil does or asks! :) 5) I will then post again! :)

[ Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Federation Embassy  Brig ] attn: @Auctor Lucan  @jreeves1701 @Tae  @oberonfrost

James raised an eyebrow in an eerily Vulcan-esque manner before turning to look at Enyd. She gave a noncommittal shrug but kept silent for the time being. She respected Rivera’s choice of words and would back up the vagueness with some of her own.

“If all it takes to get out of here is to be scanned, then I’ll wait then.” James continued to study Rivera, as if in staring more directly more answers might fall to the floor for him to gather. When Rivera offered nothing further, he gave a breathy chuckle. “At this point, I’m nearly open to cavity probes if it means I can get my gear and get out of here.”

Enyd choked on her laughter, then tipped her head to the side at Rivera’s question. Of course, her instincts could be wrong, but James did not FEEL Infested, and she wanted to take some time to speak to him directly, without an audience.

After pausing a moment she answered, “I’ll follow along directly.” She made a juvenile move of crossing her fingers over her heart before adding, “I promise not to let him out of the cage until thoroughly scanned.”

She waited until Rivera left the room before turning back to James. In a glance, Enyd let James see the extent of the danger they were coming up against. For his part, James straightened his posture and crossed his arms over his chest, bracing himself for whatever it was Enyd was keen on launching at him.

“You’re all about exposing the truth in your own fashion, James. Sometimes I wonder if you should’ve been a reporter instead. You can be such a nuisance.” James chuckled, not offended by her comment, but continued to wait as he knew Enyd well enough to know she was just getting started. “Critiquing the Federation for its dark underbelly left to rot and roasting Starfleet for overstepping its bounds or blundering about in gross negligence.” Enyd paced the length of James’ cell as she spoke. “What do you have waiting for you on this planet? Or elsewhere in the Federation? Undoubtedly chaos and danger because you are not likely to change your spots.” She pivoted on her toes to face him, studying the subtle changes in his features as he listened and responded. “Why not face chaos and danger with us? We are living the front lines right now, and if you could join us, use your network to expose the truth to others in the Federation, I can’t help but think that fewer lives would be lost.”

James clicked his tongue against his teeth in the silence that followed her invitation. “You’re certainly making bold invitations for not knowing whether I’m infected with this parasite your friend spoke of, and” James stood and walked closer to the cell barrier, “for being exceedingly vague. What is the truth you speak of? What front lines?”

As if in answer to his question, they both jerked at the echoing sounds of violence occurring elsewhere on the same level. Enyd glanced back at James, eyes wide.

“What was that?” If he was Infested this would likely be the point he would boast of her coming demise.

James pointed to himself, the cell barrier, and then the door Rivera had disappeared through, shaking his head emphatically.

“You’re the one on that side of the barrier, Sherlock, you find out! Unless you plan on letting me out to go with you,” Enyd shook her head, and he sighed, falling back onto his bed, “then go forth, my lovely, and figure it out. I’ll try not to go anywhere in the meantime.”

Enyd bolted for the door, leaving James and his eccentricity, and wishing for more weapons than she had available if what she was running toward was as terrible as she assumed.

[ Brigadier Zentai Natauna | Starfleet Intelligence Ops Center | Federation Embassy Basement Levels | First City | Qo'noS ]
Attn: @Ellen Fitz  @Auctor Lucan  @Tae

"Do you want to play, skin-puppets?"

The phrase resonated in Zyrao’s mind none too pleasantly. She recalled a similar series of words spoken over a century ago.

“We are the Borg. You will be annihilated. Your biological and technological distinctiveness is irrelevant. Your existence is over. Resistance is Futile.” The words broadcasted across El-Auria moments before the Borg began their orbital bombardment of her homeworld. Her people resisted. Few survived.

Zyrao had refused to be a skin puppet to the Borg and she sure as hell refused to be one to the Infested. She directed the two Klingon warriors behind her to each go in opposite directions and flank the infested Starfleet Intelligence Officer.

“HIv!”^[1] She commanded.

“Qapla’!” both responded. The two warriors disappeared into the darkness.

"bIjeghbe'chugh vay BIHegh!"^[2] Zyrao shouted. If she had it her way the infested bastard would choose death.

Zyrao envied Ida's Andorian senses, her antennae granting her a greater ability to hunt in the dark. Zyrao however would use her El-Aurian listening ability to focus on the senses she could use. Ida had already vanished into the darkness, leaving Zyrao and the Vulcan V'Qol. "I hope you know how to fight, Vulcan!" Zyrao knew of Vulcan's prowess in martial arts, the kind that can only be reached by obtaining the emotional detachment their race was known for.

Zyrao did not wait for V'Qol to respond before she too entered the pitch-black maze of floor-to-ceiling terminals and consoles. Zyrao raised her disrupter and quietly listened to her surroundings with all of her senses. She could hear the heavy footfall of her Klingon warriors, even the vibrations along the floor platting could be felt. Ida's was there too, lighter, soled differently. It was easy to tell the difference between Starfleet and Klingon issue. That would be how Zyrao would target the Infested and hope it wasn't Ida of V'Qol she hit.

Suddenly the sounds of a scuffle, disruptor blasts, and a squishy thud. The disruptor blasts provided momentary illumination for Zyrao to take inventory of the location of her compatriots. V'Qol was behind her. Ida was slightly forward to one side. One of the Klingon warriors was aiming at something behind a row of consoles.

"Hegh!"^[3] the Klingon warrior commanded to its prey. Zyrao watched as her man vanished from her sight. The sound and smell of disruptor fire filled the room again. More scuffling and then a loud bone snapping crack echoed through the space.

"I was of ... the understanding that ... Klingons were formidable ... warriors. One of ... the toughest in ... this galaxy. I ... do hope these ... two weren't the ... Hercules of the species." the eldritch voice of the Infested taunted.

The situation was becoming more and more dire. It had taken the Infested mere seconds to dispatch two Klingon warriors, how long would it take to finish off Ida, V'Qol, and herself?

"Oh those two...

"Spare me ... your bravado ...  meat puppets. You ... were all dead ... the moment you ... blasted through the door.", the eldritch voice mocked. It sounded like it emanated from all directions. Was this a new trick of the Infested? Could they throw their voice or project it to multiple points in normal space. However it was doing it, the trick effectively made it difficult to pinpoint its location.

[Lt. JG Andram Obair | Tactical CONN officer | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS
Attn: @Auctor Lucan

Obair had been stuck in the hallways of the Federation Embassy for the past 48 hours, strung out and tired after consecutive sleepless nights. He was anxious to leave Qo’noS, a system he secretly detested. He had gotten several accusatory questions from other officers regarding his upcoming transfer, none of which he felt prepared or compelled to answer. His duties as Starfleet liaison had been relaxed since the arrival of the Theurgy, and he grew weary of the small, unengaging work load.

He felt increasing tension over the past few hours, and grew weary of his growing anxiousness as he paced in his temporary quarters. A rap came on the metal of his door, and a young enlisted crewman came in carrying a PADD. He stood in front of Obair at attention, until he waived him to ease. He handed the officer the PADD, and left as quickly as he entered. He seemed to be in a hurry, having not said a single word. Obair gripped it and turned, facing away from the doorway until it had completely shut behind him. The PADD contained a compilation of information, a detailed summarization of the events that had occurred at the First City over the past few days, information Obair was already generally aware of. He left his quarters swiftly, responding to the orders that he report to the Atrium immediately. Walking through the hallways, he noticed they seemed emptier than usual.

Obair arrived at the Atrium in a matter of minutes, noticing immediately how densely packed it was, both with Embassy personnel and a number of Starfleet officers, many of whom he didn't recognize. A number of flag officers were gathered with many of the Embassy personnel he had met over the past few months, recognizing Humes and Bommu among the small senior delegation. He had recognized the face of Captain Ives almost immediately, both from the reports they had been receiving from Command, and the personnel files he had reviewed while requesting his transfer. He nodded towards the Captain from a distance but was unsure if he had been seen, quickly escorted to another area of the room by, what appeared to be, one of Theurgy's security personnel. He didn't resist, but found the crewman to be quite rough with his handling of the officer; Obair shook his arm from the crewman's grip and headed to where he was directed by himself. He was directed towards a larger scanner, like the rest of those assembled and went through it quickly, but was not offered any information on the device itself. Curious, he made his way to the perimeter of the room, and placed himself amongst the company of other assembled officers.

He had seemed to arrive just in time, and noticed the Ambassador setting up the simulcast in front of all those assembled. The tone of the room shifted almost immediately, and Obair looked up intently at the projection provided, making note of what was being said and when, and the reactions of those around him. Most remained quiet, as did he.  The recordings were surprising, quite contrary to the narrative he was used on both Starfleet Command and the USS Theurgy. A number of question he had to be sure, but now was not the time. He attempted to make his way to one of the exits, but was blocked by the security personnel at the perimeter. He then instead turned around, facing way from the doors. He pulled his collar up against he neck, and straightened his sleeves, before making his way over to Captain Ives, intent on introducing himself.

---

OOC: This was my first post, and had a little trouble setting the scene for my character. Any advice would be much appreciated, thanks everyone.

CM 2 V'Qol| Federation Embassy Grounds | First City | Qo'noS ]  Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Ellen Fitz @jreeves1701


V'Qol had not joined Starfleet to put up with this kind of a mess. The infested, a renegade ship, playing babysitter to a disgraced malcontent officer that should have been discharged from the fleet rather than allowed to continue. And here she was in the secured facility under the embassy with a group of Klingon soldiers and two people from the renegade ship. And oh, yes, there was one of 'the infested' who had filled the place with smoke, and there were disruptor blasts everywhere. Still, V'qol had her orders and followed behind Ida. She stuck to cover, mindful of the terrible terrain for fighting.

The server room was almost impossible to fight in, and she poked her head up over a bank of consoles, V'qol saw nothing through the thick fog. To be sure, the fog was as thick as the skull of a Ferengi with latinum lobe implants. What had caused this was beyond the Vulcan's understanding. She frowned then and poked her phaser up over the top of the consoles and fired a few shots into the dense fog. While V'qol couldn't see anything, hopefully, the fire she laid down would keep the Infested from moving forward.

However, V'qol didn't notice the heavy objects that the enemy was wielding because of the fog. There was no way for her to do that. So it was a surprise that a chunk of computer equipment whistled through the air and connected with the Vulcan's skull. The blow by itself wasn't a fatal one, as it hadn't caved her skull in, but from the way it cracked against her head and then spanged off it at an angle, it had done enough damage to knock the Vulcan out of the action for the remainder of the fight. She'd probably need medical attention. If only she'd been wearing her helmet.

OOC: sorry about the delay. And that's my involvement with this thread finished.

[ Rylan Sil | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS ]

Rylan quickly pocketed the tablet that the ship's solo-presence presented to him.  He scratched at his temple as he gazed up at the two Starfleet captains and scrunched his nose up, hinting at his continued puzzlement. "Parasites and Borg?" He took a step closer. Mera hovered along behind him silently collecting video and data. "Keeping the Federation safe from evil within and without? That's the line?"

Without meaning to that first single step transformed into a slow pace across the bow of the officers. He rubbed his chin. "Captains, you've been news and all of it's bad. Mr. Ambassador, you though, what's sold you on this? What have you seen that the rest of us haven't? Rylan spun tightly on his heel to face ambassador Bommu. The ambassadorial placement on the Klingon homeworld wasn't exactly one that unimportant. If Bommu was lending his voice to this story there had to be something more there. Right?

Slight suspicion began to settle in Rylan's mind suddenly. There was a story here, that he was sure of. Who the real heroes were, that he wasn't sold on yet. Even as he stared at the ambassador waiting for an answer, Rylan knew that he wasn't going to be convinced one way or the other here and now. This was going to need some serious digging.

[ Captain Ives (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Captain_Jien_Ives) | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS ]
Attn: All OOC
[Show/Hide]Looking at the way the reporter was handling the situation, Jien knew that the doubt was to be expected.

Jien knew that given the amount of time that the Infested had been able to establish their narrative about the his crew and the Theurgy, they had managed getting the citizens of the Federation to rally around the conviction that what they'd been fed was the truth. Regardless the evidence to the contrary, a shared conviction was hard to pierce. For if they were proven wrong, the common ground they shared in the hatred towards this renegade traitor ship, with its malevolent A.I. hologram, would be pulled out from beneath their feet. Challenging the lie they believed in was to challenge a part of their rationale. It would challenge them as people, paint them as fools regardless how the blame did not lie at their feet, and make them question what they've been told in other regards. The truth, at this point, was a double-edged sword, since it might undermine the authority of Starfleet in the long run, but it was also the only means available in which they could compromise the sway the enemy held over them all.

The question directed towards Ives and Jackson seemed almost a rhetorical one, which Jien answered succinctly. "Naturally. It is and was - long before this enemy infiltrated our ranks - the common line of Starfleet."

The question directed at Ambassador Bommu was a pointed one, but the man answered readily. "Aside from what you have just witnessed from the Klingon High Council yesterday... I had my doubts that I knew the whole picture when the Klingons began to sing about a halted Borg invasion in the Azure Nebula. Before that, multiple Klingon sources showed that Chancellor Martok rallied a fleet to the nebula, meaning to find the Theurgy and aid Starfleet Command in destroying her. This, because Martok's son had been killed in battle in the nebula, and the blame had been placed on the Theurgy, which given Martok's current support was clearly false."

Bommu shifted his stance, glancing towards the two Commanding Officers in the atrium. "After the Azure Nebula and the space around was bereft of subspace - of flight and communication - the Federation media outlets and Starfleet Command was quick to guilt the Theurgy for it. It seemed any notion that the Borg had tried to invade was scoffed at, not fitting the common line that the Theurgy was to blame for it all - all the while ignoring what we kept hearing here from the Klingons. They like to sing of their accomplishments, but to lie is dishonourable, so why sing of a battle with a Borg cube, and an invasion stopped? What was peculiar, rather, was the omission of a single word about the Theurgy... until a few days ago when Gorka, son of Margon, revealed that the Chancellor had been hiding the Theurgy at Aldea. It suggested that there was more to the truth than met the eye."

While the Ambassador had been speaking, Jien noticed a man approaching him. An officer with a closely cropped beard and with a clear intent to wish to speak with him. Jien turned slightly towards the man, having his hands folded behind his back. "Do you have a question, Lieutenant...?"

The rank pips were clear enough on the fabric of his gold-collared uniform, but Jien naturally had to query the name.

[ Lt. ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | Federation Embassy Basement Levels | First City | Qo'noS ]
[Show/Hide]That voice clawed at reality, seeping in through whatever breach the parasites came from, and lashed the darkness of the surveillance centre. Already, two Klingon warriors had been slain, clearly so even if they had yet to see the bodies of the fallen - the sound of their death rattles unmistakable. The noise of their torsos being torn apart by the Infested hiding in the maze would stay with Ida, and she regretted not having donned her exosuit when leaving the Theurgy. It would, at least, have slowed down the enemy somewhat if it laid its hands on her. As it were, she felt naked and exposed - the mere fabric of her uniform just tissue paper in the way for the creature they hunted.

Unfortunately, it had quickly become debatable whom the prey were.

This, even before the Vulcan was hit by computer hardware - hurled out of the darkness and straight against the unfortunate crewman's head. Given the present threat, Ida couldn't spare more than a glance towards the fallen, noticing how she might just survive. Her eyes had quickly resettled along the sights of her pulse phase pistol, and her antennae had angled forth in attempt to pierce the smoke from the destroyed door and the shadows ahead. She spotted movement in the distance, though it may as well have been the whirling smoke. zztann....

Knowing it was just the two of them left in the centre, Ida angled her path to fall in beside the Brigadier, and made a silent gesture with her hand that told the woman that she would circle around the room, so that they might flank the Infested on both sides. With only the two of them left and no one at the exit, it was a risk that the enemy might escape out of the room... but given his confidence and the high risk that they might actually die at his hands, it was a calculated risk that the Infested might opt to flee before trying to kill them. Keeping the fear out of her voice and her mien, she tapped her combadge. "Deputy zh'Wann to Lieutenant Riviera, we need reinforcements."

[Acknowledged,] came the winded answer from the Oneida officer, [Sending word. I'm nearly there...]

"Ida, out," she replied, and then moved away from Zy as intended, setting a quick pace along the outer edge of the server room.

"You believe you make a difference... but you are merely delaying the inevitable...."said the voice in the dark, the echoes reverberating against the tech in the room. "This cycle will end like all the rest. This war... with or without the Borg... it is just the first of many... but they all lead to the same conclusion..."

Thasalla shiitar... Ida thought to herself, it being an Andorian term for a situation where an Andorian's honour was obtained through combat. It usually referred to Captains going down with their ship in battle, but she would die fighting nonetheless, be it in some Klingon basement or in the frontlines of any war to come. She still hoped, even if she was a soldier, that she and her crew would be able to halt any wars to come... despite how bleak the odds seemed to be. She remained silent as she moved, however, and just when she thought her antennae picked up movements ahead in the darkness...

A memory storage tower toppled over, right in the direction where Ida believed Natauna to be. The Infested had pushed it over, but given the noise and the whirling smoke, Ida had no way of knowing if the El-Aurian survived. She almost exclaimed Zyrao's name, but bit her teeth shut and moved more quickly, stepping out in the line of fire - eyes along the sights. She saw movement and fired... and she believed she hit an arm. An exited cry came, flaying the fabric of reality with its echo, but the figure was already gone.

"Deputy!" came the call from the exit of the room. It was Riviera. Ida could already hear the Infested running in the man's direction.

"Wide dispersal! Fire! Now!" she called back, and ducked down, crawling like she'd learned on the ices of Andor towards where she'd heard Zy last, hoping the Brigadier was alive. Little did she know that another was on the way to the surveillance room, just in time to see whether the Oneida's Chief of Security was quick enough.

---

OOC: Wohoo! Fun times! Posting order: 1) @Ellen Fitz The Infested is hurt from fighting two Klingons, the degree of which is undetermined, and Ida has vaporised one of his arms. Riviera is inside the doorway, facing the dark room, and the Infested is moving towards him. Your call if Riviera fires in time, or if the Infested reaches him before then. If Riviera is quick on the draw, the Infested might take cover instead. 2) @jreeves1701 Up to you how Zy fared from the toppled tech that may or may not have hit her. Ida crawls towards where she last heard Zy in order to avoid being shot by Riviera from the far side of the room. Build on what Ellen writes in her post and go from there? The Infested may have his back turned towards Zy at the end of Ellen's post? 3) @teddyg123 , besides the introduction to Ives and any requests or questions Obair might have, could you establish a few security officers from the Oneida pick up a call from Riviera, where he asks for reinforcements. The group of security officers hurriedly leaves the atrium, heading for the turbolifts to the basement. This, given the suspicions of there being an Infested in the basement, ought to be plenty of cause for concern for all present in the atrium.... 4) @oberonfrost , awesome development and I hope the Ambassador's answer is plenty to work with for your character's future decisions. Also, you can build upon what teddyg123 writes about the development with reinforcements being sent to the basement, perhaps? :) 5) I will then post again! 

[ Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Federation Embassy ] attn: @jreeves1701  @teddyg123 @oberonfrost @Tae @Auctor Lucan

Pulling out her phaser, her breaths keeping time with her feet as she ran, Enyd hoped her delay hadn’t been the tipping point against them. Granted, she had no grandiose reflection on her fighting skills or ability to take on the Infested head-on—if it was indeed an Infested they were up against—but in a fight like this, every phaser counted. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the ruined entrance from a few paces away, the sound of the fight coming from just inside. Phaser fire, crashes, yells, it all reminded her of the Great Hall fight, and she inwardly groaned. They lacked a cybernetically enhanced woman and a pissed-off Caitian in this fight.

Enyd lowered into a crouch as she skidded to a halt just outside the entrance. Shifting forward then back, Enyd peered inside just in time to hear the Deputy order Rivera fire. The room was so dark all they could see were shadows moving among shadows. Taking up position just inside the entrance, diagonally behind Rivera with her phaser raised, Enyd watched as Rivera’s followed the Deputy’s order. He, like Enyd, trusted that the Deputy would only order such an action if she and the others were out of harm’s way. A yowling cry echoed in response to Rivera’s attack, assaulting their ears just seconds before the wounded and enraged Infested barreled into Rivera.

Both men fell to the ground in a painful heap, their momentum skidding them back across the floor till they came to a sudden stop, just shy of where Enyd stood. Rivera was quick to roll the Infested off his body before the assailant could recover and get a grip on him. Rivera continued his movements as he scrambled to get away from the potential line of fire while he readjusted his grip on his weapon. Twisting his torso to face the Infested once more, Rivera narrowed his fire and let loose another attack. His beams joined Enyd’s, the woman having leapt back into the room’s entrance to put more distance between her and the Infested. The maniac was still howling with rage, shifting his body on the ground as if attempting to rise back to his feet. In response, with nothing between her and the Infested except a ruined door, Enyd began a slow inch backward, though there was no way Enyd was about to let up on the trigger until she knew without a shadow of a doubt that the Infested was good and gone.

[ Brigadier Zentai Natauna | Starfleet Intelligence Ops Center | Federation Embassy Basement Levels | First City | Qo'noS ]
Attn: @Ellen Fitz   @Auctor Lucan  @Tae

It was rare to catch the El-Aurian off guard but that is exactly what the Infested had done. While Zy was focused, listening, trying to ascertain its location, the bastard had toppled one memory storage tower onto another creating a domino effect ultimately pinning Zy beneath a massive weight.

Zy could feel pain radiating from one side of her body. A sharp throbbing sensation behind her right earlobe created a disorienting effect preventing her from orienting herself. Zy was unsure which way to crawl. She felt sticky moisture along her pants leg. She didn't have time to worry if it was just sweat from the battle or blood seeping out from some wound. Then the psychological awareness of being confined, pinned in. It wasn't fear of being attacked by the Infested that prompted her panicked scream, no the trauma sustained on El-Auria over ago made the fighting spirit within her scram.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

It was only a fleeting expression of vulnerability as she swallowed the pain, physically and mentally, and began pulling herself in any direction but the confined space she was in. Zy only hoped it was toward someone other than the Infested. How far was Ida from her, she thought. The pain in her arm became more obvious the harder she pulled and further she dragged herself. Clearly, it was broken and possibly worse. How bad would be determined only if they survived.

She must have been closer to a clearing than she thought. Pulling herself free in time for Ida to reach her. The emergency lighting flickered aided by the radiance of phaser fire was just enough for the Andorian to notice that Zy's entire right arm was lacerated and burned from the back of her hand up to her shoulder, a bone protruding from her forearm, and the limb hung limp, possibly dislocated at the shoulder from the impact of the memory storage toward.

Zy heard Madsen's cavalry order. Aiming in the direction of the bellowing Infested, Zy thumbed her disrupter to its highest setting. "Die you son of a bitch!" she declared through gritted teeth. She didn't care if they needed to interrogate it, she wanted it vaporized.

[Lt. JG Andram Obair | Tactical CONN officer | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS
Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Ellen Fitz @jreeves1701

Obair was now increasingly aware of the growing tension in the building, and the Atrium was still gradually filling with officers and Klingons. He had made his way over the group of senior officers, a number of whom seemed anxious or occupied with the near chaos around them. Ives had addressed him, however, and he stood to attention in front of the senior officer as a few more people pushed past him in the now full Atrium. "Lieutenant Junior Grade Andram Obair, sir." He didn't want to seem intrusive nor overly curious, so he paused a moment before once again addressing the Captain. He was interested as to how frequent communications had been between the Theurgy and the Starfleet, if there had been any at all. Given the transmission, it seemed highly unlikely, but the Lieutenant was curious. “Has there been any contact with any of the nearby fleets since Martok’s reinstatement…”

Obair was interrupted as he and a nearby group of security officers received a comm from their badges, a group of them simultaneously alerted. “Riviera to Oneida security. I need reinforcements in the basement. Phasers at the ready.” The orders were barked through the comm badges, loud enough for many nearby to hear. He was shoved aside as a number of them pushed past, hustling between Obair and the senior officers, pushing him into another officer. I guess I’ll get my questions answered later. They pushed their way to the turbolifts at the far end of the Atrium, and he stood still for a moment watching them exit, only moving to place his hand on his phaser. He scanned the senior officers before he followed security to the turbolifts, covering their backs as they entered the basement. The room had become gradually more chaotic in a matter of minutes. Obair reached the doors without issue, but had to physically stop some Klingons and Starfleet personnel from following security to the basement. A few stopped to ask him what was going on, none of which he knew he was able to answer. He knew little of what was going on in the Embassy, or even the basement. The chaos was frustrating to the Lieutenant, but he stayed quiet, continuously scanning the room with his back to the turbolift entrance wall.

[ Rylan Sil | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS ]

Questions raced through Rylan's head as he listened to the ambassador's lengthy response to his question. The more answers that he got from the captains and Bommu the farther he felt away from anything resembling a full picture of the Theurgy's past. And so far, other than the ambassador's good feelings and some data Rylan hadn't had a chance to study yet, he couldn't tell what was true. For all he knew, this whole display at the embassy was some elaborate misdirection, a feint intended to draw suspicion away from the renegade crew of the Starfleet ship. From what Rylan had seen earlier they controlled the technology that supposedly revealed the presence of these parasites. If they controlled the technology, they could make it look like anyone they wanted - anyone they perceived as a threat - looked like one of 'the enemy.' The ship's A.I. had been reported to be a malevolent mastermind. She could be puppeteering this entire scenario, a serpentine piece of shadow theater meant to sow chaos in both the Federation and the Empire. The ship's holo-presence seemed peaceful enough, standing among them in the Great Hall, but there was no way for any of the organics assembled there could know what complex machinations stirred within her algorithmic thought processes.

Suddenly, the whole situation had started to have a more dangerous air about it than just a few moments before. Rylan was sure that it wasn't his own suspicious thoughts causing it though. He looked around, surveying the faces of the others in the room. It was more than evident that some of them were feeling the same tension he was. Then he overheard the request for reinforcements bleated out over a nearby security officer's communicator. 

"Thank you, mister ambassador," Rylan said and turned away from Bommu. He appreciated the man's candor in answering him, even if he found that response to be somewhat naive. Still, the ambassador was making a point that maybe he didn't even intend to make. Or maybe he did. Diplomats like Bommu had a way of couching things in hidden language when they needed to do so. Occam's razor, he thought to himself, remembering the Human philosophical construct he'd learned at the Samovar Academy in his youth.

The security team that had received the call made their way toward the nearest turbolift. Rylan tried to follow behind them, along with a gaggle of other Starfleet and KDF personnel. They were all rebuffed, stopped from entering the lift with the mustard-collared officers. They had remained tight lipped about whatever was happening in the embassy's basement, not answering any of the off-the-cuff questions Rylan had hurled at them in their haste to respond to the distress signal.

Turning back toward the main floor of the atrium he walked confidently back to the two Starfleet captains and the ambassador. Not addressing any of them in particular and casting his eyes across all three men he asked pointedly, "What's going on downstairs?"

[ Lt. ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | Federation Embassy Basement Levels | First City | Qo'noS ]
[Show/Hide]Like Zyrao Natauna, whom seemed to defy the pain from her injuries, the Deputy acted when they had the chance.

Ida leapt unto the toppled data storage tower, and set her aim towards the figure that Riviera and Madsen were firing upon. In the staccato flashes of their weaponry, it was revealed to Ida how Rivera's wide-dispersal beam had stripped Darcel Spiaire of uniform and skin - smoke rising from his thrashing limbs. The flashing cadence of their weapons painted the dark room in orange and red, and lit the flayed figure of the Infested with each bolt - remaining strips of clothing set aflame. Ida let her shots join those of the others, which served to strip the figure from limbs and flesh, but none of the demon's resolve. With cries of pain that sounded more like such of ecstasy, it regained enough orientation to look around. Ida's eyes widened, seeing what it meant to do, but there was no time to let her warning gain voice.

Springing from charred stumps like a creature out of a nightmare, the Infested leapt straight for Madsen, as if rather than fleeing, he wished to kill one more while he could. His movements weren't bound by the constraints of its frame, just like the eerie screech that struck the darkened walls. Moving like nothing naturally existing in the galaxy, quick and with extreme force, there was no time to warn the Diplomat of the threat to her life.

Likely - like Ida - having seen what the Infested meant to do, Riviera lunged forth in time. With his full weight, he barrelled into Spiaire from the side mid-leap, before the enemy reached Madsen. This, likely in full awareness that he might be hit by friendly fire, and it was only sheer luck that kept Ida from accidentally hitting the Oneida's Chief of Security. "Cease fire!" she called immediately to Zy before she ended up killing the man. Ida was already closing the distance, having jumped from where she was perched and beginning to run towards the two writhing bodies on the floor - phaser raised.

On her way there, Ida saw the fallout. Grappling with the skinless, ignited figure, whom wouldn't cease to screech in its blood-curdling way, Riviera suddenly cried out in pain and ended up thrown aside - arm bent at an unnatural angle. The momentary pause, during which Ida didn't fire upon her fellow Security officer, ended right then. Ida was too focused on her aim to notice whether or not Madsen and Zy also opened fire anew, but in all likelihood, all three women did. The Infested convulsed in a dance set by the rhythm of phaser bolts, until the figure's head was struck once, twice and three times. Only then, when the neck ended in a charred stump, did the Infested fall backwards.

At this time, the reinforcements arrived, both Klingon and officers in exosuits. "Check on Riviera," Ida said to anyone readily available as she came to a stop next to the lifeless remains of Darcel Spiaire. She was wary, in full knowledge that inside the charred torso, one of the parasites resided. Ida had no idea if - invisible as it was - it might leap to a new host somehow. They simply had no intel on how, or if, they could leap between hosts. So, she took no chances. She quickly holstered her hand phaser and pulled out the anyon emitter, sparing no glance towards those around her.

"Open a vid-feed to the atrium," she ordered one of the officers in an exosuit, and the woman activated the feature in her helmet without comment, likely too horror-stricken to realise she was obeying an officer from the Theurgy.

[ Captain Ives (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Captain_Jien_Ives) | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS ]
Attn: All OOC
[Show/Hide]The officer that had approached Ives had started to ask a question, but the commotion among the security officers that arose when Riviera asked for reinforcements led to the man going unanswered. The turbolifts could hold only so many, and Jien noticed how the FNN reporter also tried to go there. The question about what was going on downstairs wasn't unheard, but went unanswered by the remaining Security personnel. They simply didn't know, nor did Jien, but he was fairly confident that the educated guess about Darcel Spiaire's true nature had been revealed. All he could do was to hope that the officers down there were able to deal with the threat.

Nonetheless, Jien turned to Thea. "Be ready, and prepare a message to the Theurgy about we may have found here."

"Aye, Captain," Thea said, and with a shimmer, a holographic phaser appeared in her hand. Jien knew that the feature was a gift from Lin Kae, and the security settings of the weapon were deactivated, effectively creating a phaser with the range of the emitter inside Thea. Her chameleon bodysuit changed colour to that of gold, signifying her current function as an extension of Starfleet Security. Jackson remained stoically next to Jien, and they exchanged but a glance. All they could do was wait.

"We have a live feed, Ambassador," one of the security officers announced and approached. "Shall I patch it through."

"Yes, yes, show us," Bommu said impatiently, and the security officer ended up displaying the vid-feed through the holoprojector in the ceiling of the atrium. What they saw was the charred remains of someone, partially lit from the corridor outside the room. Deputy zh'Wann stood over the body with her anyon emitter, and she activated it. There was a momentary, silent screech heard through the static of the feed, coming from the torso, and there was some kind of movement that made the torso twitch. Then, it lay still again.

During a silence that encompassed both the atrium as well as the room in the basement, Ida slowly crouched down next to the torso, and asked for a parsteel blade from the officer who's helmet-feed was on display. Once she had the blade in hand, she carefully cut into the abdomen, and soon enough... the fused remains of the parasite was laid bare. Upon sharing the same space with the innards when phased into the present, the parasite had become one with Spiaire's organs, killing it instantly. Ida then reached out with a grimace, folded her fingers around the thing, and pulled it free.

Dripping with blood and ichor, she held the long creature up for the aghast watchers in the atrium. [This is the enemy,] the Deputy said quietly. [Not us.]

What the Federation Embassy staff had seen Martok do in the recording from the Great Hall was witnessed anew - the former not being an isolated incident any more.

---

OOC: One last round of posts for closure? If not, just let me know and I will Fin it here. :) Same posting order as before!

[ Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Federation Embassy ] attn: @Auctor Lucan  @jreeves1701  @Tae  @oberonfrost  @teddyg123

A yelping scream erupted from Enyd as the smoking mass that used to be Darcel Spiaire came at her. Her finger set in a permanent position for continuous fire, Enyd fell back, landing on her bum as her feet scrambled to push her out of harm’s way. The killing blow never came and Enyd had enough sense to throw her hand to the side, her finger finally letting off the trigger when Riviera’s body tackled the Infested and tossed the two of them askew.

Using the wall for support, Enyd quickly pulled herself to her feet and moved closer to take in the new circumstances. As soon as she caught sight of a clear line of fire, Enyd didn’t wait for encouragement. She almost gleefully resumed firing, not stopping until his head was no longer a threat to be considered and his body crumpled to the ground lifeless. Enyd let out the breath she’d been holding since the fight began when the reinforcements arrived. After dragging in the much-needed sweet oxygen of surviving yet another attack from an Infested, Enyd moved to check on Riviera. He was still alive, though he suffered more than a few broken bones and likely internal injuries. As Enyd finished her initial check and signaled members of the reinforcements to take Riviera to receive medical assistance, the Deputy displayed her flair for the dramatic, ripping the Infested from Spiaire’s bowels for those back in the atrium to see.

As members both present and back in the atrium responded to the sight of the dead eel-like creature of chaos, Enyd retreated back to the brig. She would update James on the situation before returning to Captain Ives. Enyd would talk to the captain first, see if he was in favor of the suggestion or not, and if so, perhaps they could use James’ help in communicating the truth of the Infested to the greater masses of the Federation. Only with the captain’s permission would Enyd broach the subject with James.

Enyd caught the eye of a passing embassy guard and nodded, an almost secretive smile touching her lips as she looked past him to the console she’d used only minutes before. Enyd hoped both Ravenholm and Rutherford would be pleased with what she’d been able to accomplish in the few moments alone with access to the embassy’s system.

[ Brigadier Zentai Natauna | Starfleet Intelligence Ops Center | Federation Embassy Basement Levels | First City | Qo'noS ]
Attn: @Ellen Fitz    @Auctor Lucan   @Tae 

When the order came to cease fire, Zy had to use every ounce of restraint to let her finger off the disruptor trigger. She wanted the Infested destroyed. The only way to truly earn the scars that would soon adorn her flesh would be through victory. Waiting, watching was instinctual for her race but it was not without its frustrations. El-Aurians were known for their patience but they were not immune from having that patience worn thin and that is exactly what this alien menace before her had done.

Zy did not have to wait too long for an opening to appear and once again the attack was on. This time a direct line to the head. As phaser and disruptor beams crossed and connected, Zy uttered a painful "Yes" as the former Starfleet Intelligence Officer's head vanished from existence.

With the threat was over, Zy collapsed on the floor, the pain finally overcoming her drive to survive. Starfleet medical officers would attempt to heal the wounds, eliminate any chance of scarring. Federation citizens were a spoiled lot. Scars existed to remind you of the challenges one has faced and overcome. If the wounds could not be healed naturally, then they would offer cybernetics. Like their magic medicine, Zy would refuse their fantastical machinery. A Klingon healer would be what she demands, someone who will set the bones, stitch the wounds, and mend her broken parts so that she can fight again.

[ Lieutenant JG Andram Obair | Tactical CONN Officer | Federation Embassy Basement Hallway | First City | Qo'noS ] attn: @Auctor Lucan

Obair watched as the live feed was broadcast to the Atrium, and felt as the tense aura of the room began to disparate as the threat was more realized, and understood by those watching. The chaos was momentarily dispersed, but the room was still overwhelmingly frantic, with a new understanding of the common enemy now apparent. He silently cursed himself under his breath,  His back still to the turbo lifts, Obair tuned his com badge in an attempt to raise one of the security officers down below, but no response was heard. He turned away from the wall, again pushing past a number of officers to access the nearest weapons locker, quietly and subtly taking and arming a phaser, trying not to further alarm anyone in the atrium. He entered a turbolift alone, entering the basement levels, having been given no orders otherwise.

Obair exited the turbolift with his phaser held in a defensive stance, both hands on the weapon as he quickly covered both sides. The basement levels were as chaotic as Obair had predicted, a number of Klingon and Starfleet officers scattered around, now tending to the wounded and debris. He crept out onto the main floor, his phaser now on his waist as he realized the danger had subdued. He turned to the nearest security officer, an Ensign, on the ground, his exosuit damaged, his phaser still in his hand. Obair stopped and leaned forward, helping him to his feet. He was only minority injured, but the officer clearly had trouble getting up. "We should leave, you're not wearing a suit. It's still..." he groaned slightly. "It's still unsafe down here." Obair nodded, putting his free hand on his phaser. He scanned the hallway cautiously as he headed for the nearest turbo-lifts, intent on getting the Ensign to the nearest sickbay.

[ Nysarisiza “Nysari” zh’Eziarath | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan

She’d spent the night in silence. That alone proved how the hours had passed for the Embassy staff, since the Andorian diplomat was rarely alone without some sort of audio playing. Music, theater, poetry, audiobooks, even recordings of newscasts and speeches from across the quadrant. Words were her trade. If Nysari needed silence, it meant the problem was serious enough that she couldn’t afford even the smallest distraction. Before they had been combined to quarters, she’d heard that the Klingons were shooting in the streets. But no matter how much Nysari strained her ears, antennae straight and tense above her, all she could hear was the persistent droning of the Embassy’s red alert siren, thankfully lowered to a quiet volume as the crisis continued.

Though she wished she could say this night was a rarity, Nysari had been spending more and more time in silence for the past few days. Her eyes constantly wandered back to her computer console, hoping in vain to see the small red light that signaled a new message. She wanted to hear from her colleagues and superiors, though the pragmatist in her knew they’d died with everyone else in Paris. She wanted to hear from whomever was now in charge of the civilian diplomatic corps, though surely they were too busy to worry about a foreign affairs officer in charge of a territorial dispute with the Klingons. More than anything she wanted to hear from her bondmate Vyta, eagerly awaiting his thoughts on the plan she was now set on. War with the Romulans was brewing, and Nysari wanted - no, she needed - to be on a Starfleet ship where she could stop it.

The only time she moved was near dawn, having caught sight of herself in the room’s mirror and deciding it was time for a change. Her hair had been long for days now and that would no longer do. White locks were sliced with neat precision and dropped into a waiting trash bin, leaving her with a pixie cut that accentuated the angles in her face. In many cultures, the cutting of hair signified mourning or a drastic life change. This was something Nysari did regularly, but it didn’t feel the same. The world had changed, and she was changing with it.

When the Klingons came to escort her to the Atrium many hours later, Nysari looked as fresh and ready as someone who had just woken up from a full night’s slumber. New haircut styled, makeup subtle and unblemished, and neatly dressed in a flowing white shirt and dark pants. She’d chosen the white on purpose, clean as fresh untouched snow in the face of whatever new horror had been unleashed during the night. Not that the Klingons noticed, barely sparing her preparations a glance before ordering her to the new location.

Nysari zh’Eziarath had felt the universe shake three days ago with the destruction of the Federation capital. Now, standing in the Atrium of the Federation Embassy on Qo’noS, the ground beneath her feet vanished yet again, courtesy of the PADD in her hands. She watched the recording from the Great Hall, using every ounce of strength she had to keep her composure and avoid flinching as Martok ripped the parasite free. She was belatedly grateful that they’d tested her as she’d entered the room. The truth made her guts twist in a way that felt like something was moving in there. Nysari pushed the thought away as soon as it came. The truth was a nightmare, but she needed to think, not give into paranoia.

She remained at the edge of the crowd while others approached Captain Ives, listening to their questions while skimming the information on the PADD. A scientist who seemed more desperate to escape the Embassy than worried about the problem at hand, a reporter looking for his next headline, and a pilot. At least the reporter was asking useful questions. Nysari was about to include herself in the conversation, ready to ask what diplomatic inroads had been attempted with this species, when a call came through summoning more security officers to the basement. Nysari stepped out of the way as a rush of volunteers headed towards the turbolifts. Even with her Starfleet training, she would be little help down there. She watched in silence as the gruesome scene from the Great Hall repeated itself in a new setting, live and not too far beneath her feet.

It took a few moments for her to order her thoughts, staring at the holoprojection without really seeing it. Though her original line of questioning still hovered in the back of her mind, she now saw the inquiry as too abstract. It needed to wait until Nysari read as much as she could on this new threat and began to form a plan. She needed to narrow her scope and focus on the most immediate problem. To her mind, that would be the Romulans.

“Pardon me Ambassador, Captains.” Though her tone was the picture of politeness, Nysari placed herself directly in front of them as she spoke, making it difficult for them to ignore her. “How do you know about Praetor Tal’aura?” As she posed the question, Nysari made sure her eyes shifted between both captains, a silent signal that it was for whichever one wanted to answer. The proof might be buried somewhere in this data, but Nysari preferred to ask them now when they were in the room with her. It would be too late for questions once they were back on their ships. “Clearly there is an infestation on Qo’noS. That evidence is strong enough that I’m willing to believe your assertion about Starfleet Command - though a subspace communication will not hold up in any court. But if you never crossed the neutral zone, how do you know Tal’aura is one of them? If your information is sound, why are you sitting on it when a Romulan fleet nears the border? Romulans are of a paranoid culture. Identify a few powerful senators with an eye on her position, get your proof to them, and they will take care of this problem for you.”

Normally Nysari wouldn’t condone even this small act of violence. She’d rather sit down and talk to Tal’aura - or the parasite inside her. But the loss of an entire city was weighing on her heart, and this city had only narrowly avoided the same fate. Even during the Dominion War, she had never felt a loss so profound. The Vulcans had a saying for times like this. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one. Even if it haunted her later, what her heart wanted didn’t matter today.

[ Captain Ives (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Captain_Jien_Ives) | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS ]
Attn: All OOC
[Show/Hide]The effect upon the crowd when the Deputy showed a second parasite - this one pulled from the ichor of a Starfleet Officer that had worked at the Embassy - was palpable, as much of the scepticism and reservation in the present faces were replaced with quiet horror and rumination. Clearly, dismissing the claims of the Theurgy's real Simulcast wasn't as easy any more. The Klingon Empire stood with Captain Ives and Captain Jackson, along with both their crews, and the evidence spoke for itself.

Nonetheless, a woman approached Ives and the others. An Andorian who wasn't hostile, but inquisitive, raising a highly valid question. It spoke of the woman's intellect, and perhaps more so, her assertion that there was a clear method in which the Praetor might be stopped.

"Captains," Ambassador Bommu said and gestured towards the Andorian with an open hand, "this is Nysarisiza zh’Eziarath, one of my diplomats here at the Embassy. She used to be a Diplomatic Attaché working for Starfleet, ranking as Lieutenant Junior Grade, I believe. Nysari's question is most warranted, to say the least. Whom one of these Infested is should not be a claim made lightly, for it might incite unwarranted paranoia. Are you certain that Tal'Aura has been compromised? Before all of this, before Paris, she aided Shinzon, did she not?"

"Aye, she did," Captain Jackson said, nodding, "and one might think she could act like this in reaction to false reports about the Theurgy supporting Empress Donatra and her fleets, since Shinzon also utilised thalaron radiation to execute the old Romulan Senate."

"However, there are two things to consider," Jien said quietly, chiming in, "one of which we find to be evidence. For one, there is nothing that suggests that Tal'Aura wasn't already compromised when Shinzon tried to usurp the leadership of the Romulan Empire. In fact, according to our best available source, the Infested have been among us since 2375, gradually spreading among leading figures in the galactic factions of all four Quadrants. The same source named the Praetor right after the Paris attack."

"So who is this source?" asked the Ambassador, intrigued. "How could possibly..."

"Our source used to be one of them," Jien answered, but wasn't going to delve too deep into details on the floor of the atrium, since explaining the circumstances of Doctor Nicander, the twists and turns of his story, and his aid to the mission was a lot to convey, "but he can still access the common consciousness the Infested share. At great toll, and risk of his mind being subsumed by the parasite remaining inside him still, our source can peer into the dark void from whence these parasites originate, and see through the eyes of other Infested. At my request, our source sought to determine if the Paris bombing had ought to do with our new enemy... and he could confirm it."

The Ambassador didn't know what to say to that, how to dispute it without more detail, instead being curious about the source still. "So the Infested can be... cured? Rid of these things? Or not quite? If the hosts can be spared, then..."

"We currently have no way to separate the parasites from the hosts, Ambassador," Jien said quietly, regretting the death of Vael Kaeris, whom had led the research to use a transporter system in order to lock on to the anyonic phase variance that the parasites possessed and to separate them from the host with a secondary containment beam, "but we can suppress the control the parasite has over the mind of the host with transphasic light. We have a prototype wavelength cannon for this kind of light, which we use in order to help our source retain his own will and sanity. Our source, is our old Chief Medical Officer, Doctor Lucan cin Nicander, and he has proven himself reliable, aiding the mission at every turn after he regained his mental faculties, and providing us with invaluable insight on our enemy."

Of course, there were some aboard the ship, more than Ives liked, who disputed Nicander actually aiding the mission regardless of the evidence of it. Jien could understand them, since he had also been a sceptic when it came to the Câroon in the brig, but at some point... the evidence of Nicander actively foreseeing and allowing the Theurgy to prevent the plans of the Infested to unfold ought to convince those who preferred to consider him an enemy. This, even if what he'd done whilst under the control of the parasite wasn't actions of his own.

Just like the public of the Federation would be hard pressed to admit they'd been fooled when it came to the Theurgy, some of the crew refused to admit being wrong about accusing the former Chief Medical Officer of the things his body had done under parasitic influence.

He then directed himself to the Andorian diplomat. "As for overthrowing the Praetor, that is definitely a tactic we've considered, and might utilise, if we can," he said with a faint smile, "I commend you for already considering it, even as this development is so new to you."

[ Nysarisiza “Nysari” zh’Eziarath | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan

“Thank you Ambassador,” she replied, her head lowering in a polite bow at his introduction. “You are correct in all regards.” Nysari was impressed he knew her Starfleet history at all. It spoke well to his discernment, that he’d bothered to thoroughly research the job history of someone only assigned to him temporarily. Though considering their company, she would have found it more prudent to tell Ives of a more recent affair. Nysari had been one of the diplomats responsible for sending the Theurgy to Romulan space the year prior. The ship’s last mission before going rogue - if the reports were true. Or they could tell him how she planned to rejoin Starfleet. Though that information would have to come from her own lips, as even the Ambassador wasn’t privy to such knowledge yet.

Rather than volunteer any of it, Nysari opted to remain silent, watching patiently as the three men jumped on her topic. She was content to have gotten the ball rolling, allowing those with a better grasp of the specifics to mull it over. Diplomats could get far too enamored by the sounds of their own voices. There was a time to be the center of attention, and a time to stand back and listen. Today especially, there was so much to learn. She didn’t interrupt once, letting them reform her opinions until she was directly addressed again.

“I left Starfleet five years ago, Captain. I spent the interim years as a civil servant at the Palais de la Concorde. I have been-” Nysari had to pause for a moment, an uneven breath interrupting the practiced cadence of her speech. Thankfully these men didn’t know her well enough to be accustomed to her normal composure, which would have made the breach in her armor all the more jarring. “My normal assignment is the Romulan desk. They are a topic I have considered in detail for years.” Coming to Qo’noS was meant to be a break from that. From her job, her family, her life. These temporary assignments were like a diplomat’s vacation. New planets, new cultures, new problems to invigorate the mind. A Klingon’s brazen demands were a relief when one normally dealt with Romulan mechanizations. Yet here she was, clinging to a problem she understood like it was a lifeline in this universe gone mad. “Your revelations, shocking as they are, do not change the inner workings of the Empire. Or else the intruders would have been found already.”

After listening to the conversation, she was selfishly relieved to conclude that her plan to instigate a coup in the Romulan Empire would never work. Praetor Tal’aura was a murderer responsible for countless deaths. She might be under the control of something even worse. Even then, Nysari didn’t want the praetor’s death on her conscience. The tension in her gut lessened and was quickly replaced by burning shame. Having a war on her conscience wouldn’t be any better.

“With that in mind, I fear I must apologize for taking your time. The words of your source,” Captain Ives had seemed to want to keep the doctor’s identity a secret at first, so Nysari refrained from mentioning him by name again. “Will not be considered credible by anyone on Romulus, unless you wish to give him to the Tal’shiar along with his information.” It pained her to add the last part, but she had to. Her duty was to present options, whether she personally agreed with them or not. “That is not a solution I would condone.” Or not. Besides, if this Nicander knew the details of what had happened to Paris… that was a man she wanted to speak to. “You could leak the holo footage you showed us today, along with the schematics for that device that scanned us on entry. It might convince them to start scanning their own people. However, it could as easily backfire into a rallying cry for further provocation.” Politics was unfortunately tricky like that.

[ Captain Ives (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Captain_Jien_Ives) | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS ]
Attn: All OOC
[Show/Hide]Watching the Andorian ruminate further about the available options, and the lack of potential in using Nicander’s words to convince a political opponent of Tal’Aura’s, Ives nodded in agreement and quiet rumination. Meanwhile, Jackson spoke up.

“No apology necessary. Agreed, the source alone would not sway a Romulan, much less, perhaps, whatever Chancellor Martok and the Klingon High Council might say. If they were to entertain the notion that what Captain Ives has claimed in the second, unaltered Simulcast had any credence, they would refer to the intel the Tal’Shiar can gather.”

“Aye,” Ives said in agreement, “equipping the Romulan spy network with all relevant and available evidence as best as we might could help seed doubt in the Praetor, and scans to - eventually - be made, but the enemy is cunning, and the Praetor would avoid being compromised at all cost, so there is little hope that we’ll stop the current sortie against Donatra and the fleet movements towards the Klingon border. Long term, our evidence and schematics might make the difference, but right now, there is no time. The Romulan Star Empire has mobilised, and once it has ended their civil war with Empress Donatra, the Praetor will come for the Federation and the Klingons in full force - armed with banned thalaron weaponry.”

The Ambassador had been looking at Nysari while the two Captains spoke, and then glanced towards the Lab Technican that had offered to serve under Captain Ives command after seeing the recording from the Great Hall. With a small, kind smile, Bommu bespoke his thoughts.

“With your expertise dealing with Romulans, I think you would be a great asset to this mission of the Theurgy and the Oneida. I would not begrudge a decision in which you decide to aid Captain Ives and Captain Jackson, but it is your call.”

Jien agreed with the Ambassador’s sentiment, but there was something the former Starfleet officer might have to consider first. “If you would chose to do so, you would report to my Chief Diplomatic Officer, Lieutenant Commander Rutherford. The Oneida does not hold a Diplomatic Department, but consider this...” he said quietly, and changed.... to her female form. After the injury she had sustained from Gorka’s dagger, sickbay had instructed her to shift between her two Chosen Forms often, since her morphogenic matrix has been compromised. When she continued to speak, her accent and tonality was the same, but held a more feminine timbre. “...you know what the FNN has said about the Theurgy, and the standing order that Command has issued in our regard. If you chose to serve under my command, your name and reputation may be tarnished, and both friends and family might consider you a traitor. If you chose to serve, it must be for the sake of the Federation... personal consequences be damned.”

Something worth to consider for everyone present in the atrium, if there were others who wished to join the mission instead of remaining on Qo’noS.

[ Nysarisiza “Nysari” zh’Eziarath | Federation Embassy Atrium | First City | Qo'noS ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan

Nysari listened as the two captains discussed, seeing no need for further elaboration as they agreed with her and took her initial train of thought to its inevitable conclusion. Grim though it may be. As Ives spoke, she was distracted by a slight prickling in her antennae, that sixth sense of another’s eyes on her. Sure enough, as her head swiveled to find the source, there were the dark eyes of Ambassador Bommu. Curious, Nysari thought idly as she met his gaze. She would have expected him to remain engaged with the captains. Their eyes locked for a mere second before he broke off, and she followed his attention to the scientist she’d noted earlier. For a moment she toyed with the idea that he was angry at her for inserting herself into the conversation, despite the smooth transition she’d affected. Certainly she’d shown more tact than the crewman, though they’d both interrupted. But Bommu’s kind smile didn’t lend credence to that theory. Then he spoke, and his intent for the comparison between Nysari and the human desperate for a transfer became clear.

She had not considered that option. Shock reared in her brain, attempting to burst through and make its ugly visage known, but Nysari forced it back into check, her face remaining indecipherable as stone. “An interesting suggestion Ambassador.” The reply was as noncommittal as she could make it. Yes, Nysari was set on the idea of returning to Starfleet. She was taking her time about it, getting approval from her family first, formulating her arguments as to why it was important for her to leave them for an extended time…

Joining the Theurgy was not the same.

Again, Nysari found herself in silent agreement with the captain, who voiced their warning right as the diplomat’s thoughts landed on the same conclusion. She had left Starfleet for her family. She had left Starfleet for her people. A few months on Qo’noS were forgivable. Another year in the fleet might be tolerated. But this? This was the radical option. Collapsing the tunnel behind her, no chance to return home. The Theurgy was a renegade ship, its crew traitors. This was throwing herself into far more dangerous waters than she’d planned. No, she should stick to her original plan. Go through Command, get an ordinary assignment, play it safe. And yet… how could she do that with the knowledge she now had?

Had Ives intended a deeper meaning by transforming in the middle of her speech? If she had, Nysari failed to decipher it. All she felt was a flash of awe breaking through her melancholy thoughts. In her own way, Nysari transformed herself daily, an actor’s scene dressing to fit whatever role she played that day. But no changes to her hair, makeup, or clothes would ever amount to this, slipping into a new skin while pausing for breath between words. She couldn’t imagine how that felt, even if she spent the rest of her life trying.

If she were free to make choices purely for the Federation’s sake, Nysari might have signed up then and there. How could she make a difference anywhere else? Any other ship she’d be assigned to was blind to the underlying problem. One lone diplomat would have no chance of changing their minds, not when a whole ship had been driven to exile for daring to speak. Returning to Earth posed the same problems. A decimated government would have little patience for this conspiracy. Ambassador Bommu was right. Nysari could be a valuable asset in this mission. If only it were that simple. Unfortunately, she could not in good conscience damn her personal consequences, not when the fallout ranged so far beyond her person. Her family’s struggle was deeply personal, yet felt by all Andorians. Her species was going extinct. Her duty to them could not be so easily abandoned.

“Wisely said Captain.” Ives didn’t strike her as someone who needed compliments, but the warning spoke well of her comportment. A captain in her position might be forgiven for taking help wherever she could find it, rather than force them to understand exactly what they were signing up for. “I thank you for the offer,” a slight nod to the Ambassador included him in her gratitude as well, “But I must take the time to weigh my options first. In light of recent events, I admit I have been considering a return to Starfleet. What I have learned today…” She struggled for a word to adequately describe it and came up only with a pathetic understatement. “Changes things. Where I go from here is not a decision to be made lightly. I have always preferred to set a course, rather than jump blindly into the unknown.

“Thank you for your time. Please excuse me.” With another bow, Nysari left them in peace. Hopefully, when they were released from the atrium, there would be a message from Vyta waiting in her quarters. That would help her decide.

- FIN