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Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

[ DAY 03 | 1700 HRS. ] CLOAKED RUN | THE INSIDE MAN P3



[ Lieutenant Commander Jennifer Dewitt | Docking Bay Lounge of the USS Allegiant | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Away Team
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When Jennifer Dewitt entered the docking bay lounge belonging to the Allegiant, almost all of the away team had been gathered already, their personal affects brought aboard the Manta-class scoutship, and they were having refreshments at the tables. Dewitt saw some of them glancing her way, knowing that a few would still just think of her as Miss 619 after she deposed Trent from command. Be that as it may, she had come to speak with Captain Ives about the arrangements for the mission in hir absence.

While she waited for Captain Ives to emerge from the aft airlock of the Allegiant, Dewitt looked at the small ship through the lounge's viewport. She could clearly see how the weapons rig inside the airlock had been removed since the battle at the apertures, and that the external graviton cannon - which had been indispensable against the Borg cube - had been removed as well. Likely because of the tremendous energy drain it caused when used, and how the Reman cloak that had been rigged on the Theurgy without much success had been installed on the Allegiant instead. Given the import of the mission, and the need for absolute discretion in leaving the safety of Aldea, the long-winded debated had settled on making use of the Reman cloak despite the violation against the Treaty of Algeron. A treaty the Theurgy had already violated during the mission so far, to Captain Ives' great disappointment.

Dewitt, however, was pleased that the final decision had landed on installing the Reman cloak on the Allegiant, because if Captain Ives was about to lead this away mission hirself, then she wanted their Commanding Officer as safe as possible. What would become of the mission if Ives was lost? She did not know, and didn't care to find out.

Soon enough, Dewitt saw how the Captain emerged from the Allegiant - in his male form - and she turned to the assembled away team in the lounge before Ives passed through the sliding doors. "Captain on deck!" she called, and folded her hands behind her back, standing to the side of the gathered officers.

When Ives entered the lounge, his smile was faint and fleeting, before he spoke. "At ease," he said, and glanced to the side at a couple of away team members that just arrived, yet to bring their personal belongings aboard the Allegiant. They would simply have to wait until the briefing was over. "Thank you for coming. You have all read the information that came with your orders, but before we head out, now is the chance to ask your questions."

There was silence in the pause, so Ives moved on, speaking while he slowly paced before the gathered team. "Two days ago, it came to our attention that the Head of Covert Operations in Starfleet Intelligence was one of the recipients of the real Simulcast. The one we had intended for all the Galaxy to see, but a traitor to the crew made sure that only a select few received. It was Junior Lieutenant Petterson - a former SFI operative - that brought the message from this recipient to us."

Dewitt saw how Ives inclined his head towards Donna Andersson, one of the new Lone Wolves who had come aboard in the Third Rendezvous zone. Dewitt remembered it well, how they had fought the Dauntless in the scarce minutes before Sankolov's fleet would arrive. [Show/Hide]
"Our mission now," Ives said, looking at the gathering while he spoke, "is to reach a subspace buoy that will enable secure and encrypted communication with this contact, and arrange for aid from behind enemy lines. I use the word 'enemy' with some liberty, because we must remember that Starfleet in general is merely ignorant of this domestic threat we face. The Infested are innocent hosts to a parasitic threat, and as we speak, our scientists and medical officers are working on a way to free these hosts from what's inside them."

During the pause, Ives came to a stop in front of the team. "Until then, we need to regroup, repair and ready ourselves for the next phase of our mission, which we will share with the Klingon Empire and whatever other allies we may find out there. Our new contact in Starfleet Headquarters is Rear Admiral Joseph Nerva Andersson, and we will speak with him directly in two days - when we reach our destination. Unless something unforeseen happens, we will return here at this hour, two days afterwards. Report on the orders you were all given, and if you have any, ask your questions now."

Dewitt waited where she stood until all the gathered officers had spoken.

OOC: For reference, the Away Team, and their individual orders! :) Click here: [Show/Hide]
You all have 7 days to post before I have the scoutship launch on the 20th of July. Oh, and correct, the header says Part 03, and no, there has been no Part 2 posted for The Inside Man. The reason is simply that Part 2 - as seen in the Aldea Prime Calendar - is just a Senior Staff meeting where Ives informs about the ally in Starfleet Headquarters, this Rear Admiral Joseph Nerva Andersson that runs the Covert Operations section of Starfleet Intelligence. During this meeting, Ives also tells everyone that s/he will be leading the away team so that s/he can speak personally with this new ally. Given how the message sent by the Rear Admiral was for Ives personally, Ives has decided to take the Allegiant to the referenced subspace buoy. In his absence, which will last until 1700 hrs. on Day 07, First Officer Ranaan Ducote is in command at Aldea. @Top Hat & @Brutus ! If you feel like it, you are free to have Ducote and Stark see Ives off here. :)

With this starter, the listed characters above can write any threads they like on the Allegiant together, as long as you take into account the events described during the mission in the Aldea Prime Calendar. I will also open up threads aside from this one with Ives pending interest.

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #1 –
[ Lieutenant Vanya |Docking Bay Lounge of the USS Allegiant | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Away Team [/i]
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Vanya, being the punctual Android that she was, had been one of the first to arrive outside of the Captain of course and as such had already got her belongings for the mission stored away on the small craft before making her way back out into the Lounge area, awaiting the arrival of the rest of the crew that were to be accompanying them on the mission.

Slowly but surely everybody else had started arriving, some with enough time to stow their belongs away and others not. Captain Ives had not exited the vessel and with nothing to do for now, most had gathered around the tables with some refreshments while they waited. For Vanya, as the Science Officer on this mission she knew that her first task would be to study the information on the Subspace Buoy that they were going to retrieve and find a way to access it without causing any damage to either it or to the Allegiant. Her secondary task after that would be to figure out how to access the buoy's subspace relay transponder without broadcasting their location to everybody in Starfleet that might be paying attention.

That second part was actually pretty easy since Vanya had access in her neural net to many Federation and Romulan encryption and decryption protocols and methods, a combination of which should be able to easily do the job. The harder part would be accessing the Transponder in the first place, given the nature of the buoy, the Admiral from Starfleet Intelligence would surely have put safeguards around, on and perhaps even within it to prevent anybody else from accessing it.

Luckily the Admiral had at least provided some data and specifications on the buoy, which she had already taken a look over and had begun working on. She had several theories on how to bypass the safeguards that she knew about from the specifications however that did not mean that there wouldn't be any surprises at the buoy once they reached it.

The Android was brought out of her thoughts when Dewitt announced the Captain on Deck and turned her attention towards him, relaxing her stance when he gave them all the at ease. While she had briefly exchanged a greeting with the Captain when she had stored her belonging away, she had never formally met Ives since she had come aboard, what with everything that had gone on and pretty much getting to work things had happened there simply hadn't been the time, something that would no doubt change once they got underway, after all it was practically a week long mission.

While Vanya certainly had her own thoughts and concerns about the parasites, it was nice to know that at least some people in Starfleet were aware of them and actively trying to do something about them. After all this wasn't a battle that one ship with a mixed crew would be able to win by themselves, they would require allies and while their new alliance with the Klingons would be an advantage since they too knew of the parasites, it wouldn't be the first time the Federation and Klingon Empire had gone to war so them and a renegade Starfleet ship breaking this news wouldn't exactly persuade people, but other people within the Federation and Starfleet, that could do it, it was at the very least a start.

Ives finished his speech and opened the floor to questions, not that Vanya herself had any, their mission was pretty straightforward, go to the buoy, access it and come home and apart from accessing the subspace transponder, which she was 99% certain she already had a solution for, there wasn't really anything scientific she had to ask at the moment.

"Captain, I have studied the specifications of the buoy and I believe I already have a solution in regards to how to access the transponder without giving away our location that I can go into detail with later should you require. I am however still working on a way to safely grant us access to the buoy but I am confidant that I will have a solution before we arrive." she said.

Having said all the needed to say, the Android fell silent and allowed the others to update the Captain on their own tasks and ask any questions that they may have.


Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #2 –
Lieutenant Junior Grade Zark | Docking Bay Lounge of the USS Allegiant | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Away Team
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The day had started early for Zark, being the professional that she was, she had opted for an early duty shift in order to have plenty of time to prepare for the long mission she was about to partake. With her shift finished, the Andorian made her way back to her quarters and packed up some things that would cover her for the duration of their excursion.

Making her way down to the bay, she was not the first to have arrived, at least Captain Ives and one of her fellow crew members from the Cayuga, Lieutenant Vanya had gotten their first. Not that she was surprised by this. The Captain would have obviously been there first and Vanya had always been punctual as far back as Zark could remember in her time about the ship.

Having greeted both of them, the Security Officer stored her own gear away before  setting about her task, having been ordered to stock up the ship's armoury just in case they were boarded. Making her way to the armoury, she cursed at the fact that whoever was responsible for the ship after it's last mission had failed to do their job properly as there were several empty weapon lockers where somebody hadn't replaced them.

Muttering a few Andorian curse words under her breath, she made her way out of the rear of the ship and out of the bay. Making her way through the corridor's of the ship and down to the Theurgy's armoury. Picking out several phasers, phaser rifles and close combat weapons, the security officer checked them all to make sure they were charged and operational before packing them all into a crate, along with several extra power packs before making her way over to the on duty armoury officer.

"I need this crate transported to the Allegiant's bay and tell whoever was responsible was resupplying it to actually do their job next time." she said before turning on her heel and marching out of the room. If there was one thing she hated, it was having do to someone else's job, especially when there was a deadline.

By the time she made it back to the bay, more people going on the mission had arrived and had gathered in the lounge. Nodding at several of them, she spotted the crate nearby and picked it up, carrying it into the Allegiant and through the ship to the armoury. Once there she put the crate down and started checking the weapons, storing each weapon in their correct place along with the power packs. Luckily the medical supplies had been restocked, so that was one less thing she had had to worry about.

Giving the armoury a once over, she gave a nod, satisfied that they were well stocked and supplied for the mission ahead. Locking the armoury up, Zark made her way back outside and took her place with the rest of the crew. It wasn't long before Captain Ives emerged from the ship and gave a brief introduction and briefing on what they were going to be doing before giving everybody present an opportunity to report and ask any questioned that they may have.

Vanya had been the first to speak up, although she only had to report on her own tasks. Zark wasn't entirely surprised that the Romulan had solved at least one of their problems already, the woman was smart.

"The Armoury is full stocked with weapons and medical supplies for our mission Captain. I've also read through the away team's personnel files as well as their medical and psychological reports and can report that all have clean bills of health and are cleared for the mission." Zark spoke next.

"I do have a question however Captain and I don't want to sound like a conspiracy theorist and be that girl to coin an old Human expression but I'd not be doing my job as a Security Officer if I didn't ask if we're sure we can trust this Admiral and that this isn't some kind of ploy to lure us into a trap?" she asked.

While she was sure that the Captain had done the best he could to verify the information...and well as much as they could verify anybody nowadays considering the enemy they faced, as a Security Officer it was her responsibility to ensure the safety of the crew under her watch, even more so when it was her Captain, besides it was probably a safe bet that others had similar thoughts, the only difference was that unlike them it was her job to ask such a question. 

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #3 –
[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | USS Allegiant Docking Bay Lounge | Deck 19| Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Jesaya @Numen @Auctor Lucan 
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Though technically past the end of Alpha shift, Lt. Commander Stark was still on duty, and had recently beamed over to the ships third vector, and made her way, ever present PADD tucked under her arm, to the lounge for the Allegiant, where much to her consternation, Captain Ives was leading an extended mission to a Starfleet subspace relay. She'd followed in on the heels of Lt. Cmdr. Jennifer Dewitt, with a scowl marring her features and her hair pulled back into a ponytail that still allowed some bangs to curl down, framing either side of her face.

Unlike some, the frown wasn't directed to Dewitt. Natalie wasn't there on the bridge when her fellow Lieutenant Commander had been forced to make a judgement call and wrest command from Carrigan Trent. The captain clearly agreed with her actions - s/he would neither have demoted Trent down two grades to the rank of Lieutenant, nor assigned Dewitt the liaison position as s/he had done. Ives was not one to equivocate in word or action if they could avoid it, and s/he had spoken definitively on the subject. In general, Natalie trusted her commanding officer with a sort of devotion that  even had they not been declared traitors by Starfleet Command, the upper fleet echelon would likely not have approved of.

No, Natalie held no personal distaste for Jennifer Dewitt. Nor did she think that this mission was a fools errand. They needed a contact inside Starfleet, and while hopefully Anya Ziegler would hold that position - provided she had survived and returned to Federation space safely - someone in intelligence would be better suited to assist them. Assuming of course, anyone that had received the renegade (and deceased, but still problematic) Jona Rez's mutated transmission could be trusted. An assumption that Natalie was loath to make.

Too much had been done to, and too much seen by Natalie in these past months for her to blindly put faith in the message that Captain Ives had received by way of one of the new wolves. But Captain Ives, in hir wisdom, did not exactly trust this new olive branch either. S/he had consented to letting the Allegiant take advantage of the Reman cloaking device they had been 'gifted' with, despite concerns over a treaty that frankly, they had broken already and Natalie no longer cared to feel guilty over.

She wasn't even frowning because her best friend and....close ...confidant, whom she'd just been reunited with, was going on the mission. She was there to steal one last minute with Vanya before she went on the mission, as the Ops Chief was entirely too attached and was loath to say goodbye, even temporarily, to someone dear who'd only just walked back into her life. Vanya, Natalie knew, could take care of herself, and probably everyone on the mission, better than most. As long as she stays out of the water. I won't be there to repair her if she gets soaked.

She pushed that thought aside and looked up as Captain Ives entered from the aft airlock, before she could make her way to Vanya, standing across the lounge.

No, he - Ives was in hir male form now - was the reason she was scowling, though she'd managed to repress and school her face when the Captain's gaze fell upon her in the wake of Dewitt's formal acknowledgement of the commander. Jien Ives was insisting on leading the mission to make contact with SI himself, and that rankled Natalie.

They had not quite argued about it in the staff meeting. Arguing would have implied a sort of aggressiveness that was absent from Natalie's protests. There were a plethora of reasons as to why Ives should not be the one to lead the mission, as far as Natalie was concerned, and never mind the standard "captain should stay with the ship" regulations that Starfleet had put in place that had XO's leading away missions more often than not. Natalie had, herself, volunteered to lead the op. Thanked, kindly - and genuinely, she believed - and then told no.

Ives logic, Natalie reflected as the man addressed the room, the officers falling readily into an 'at ease' stance, had been fairly straight forward. The message delivered was for hir, and ergo, s/he should be the one to answer the call. Natalie;s counter argument....was one that she did not want to voice fully in front of the entire senior staff. That Captain Ives was too soon back from a traumatic experience and should not be placed in a situation where they were removed from the greater care of the ship's staff. No one who had been on the Savi ship should have been going anywhere away from the nest, as far as Natalie was concerned, but certainly not the captain.

In truth, just as she was worried about potential dangers to Vanya, who she'd just had return to her life, so too was she worried about Ives, who filled the roles of mentor, commander and surrogate parental figure for a large part of the crew. The crew, she thought, would not take it well if they lost their Captain right after getting them back. She would not take it well.

None of which had been enough to persuade Captain Ives to let her, or anyone else, lead the mission. The Captain listened to everyone, and then stuck to their guns on the subject. At least we convinced hir to install the bloody cloak. One argument won, one argument lost.

Natalie was pulled from her musings as she turned her gaze to Vanya, who spoke up now. Despite her stance, her lips quirked into a smile. Technically, all the questions that Nat harbored had already been answered, and she had no report to give on orders. But her friend did, and it pleased her, to see Vanya seemingly effortlessly integrate into the crew. Vanya wrapped up and Nat jerked her head to once side, to indicate she wanted a chat when this wrapped up.

Staying put, Natalie listened to the others. To the Andorian from Security that, upon second look, was not actually Ida zh'Wann, to Nat's surprise. She had to wonder at the accuracy of the statement that everyone on the mission had a clean bill of health. She knew that numerous members of this little venture had been at the mercy of the Savi. Her new assistant chief of operations, for one. She glanced at Shar, and arched her eyebrow high on her forehead, curious to see what she had to report.

The brunette Martian was still trying to get a feeling for her new aide. Sending her off on this mission was...not the best way to do that, but everything she had been told about the temperamental shen seemed to paint a picture of a competent officer.

Mostly.

For now, Natalie remained quiet and listened. If something came up before she had a chance to speak to Vanya, and see Ives off, she'd chime in, but this was more about the officers leaving on the Allegiant than those that were remaining aboard the Theurgy. Her gaze turned back to the ship in its docking port, and she found her stance softening a bit, another little smile teasing her face. It had only been for a day or so, on a search and rescue mission, but the Allegiant had technically been her first extended, independent command. The first sign that the Captain trusted her with more responsibility.

And... I should trust Captain Ives. Even when I think they're putting themselves at risk.

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #4 –
[Lt JG Salem Martin | Docking Bay Lounge of the USS Allegiant | USS Theurgy] Attn: Away Team
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Salem still felt awkward about the idea of shooting at fellow Starfleet ships, hearing the clarification of them as an enemy but not really did help to ease his conscious. He knew that the day would come where he would have to shoot at a Starfleet ship, but he wanted to delay that as long as possible. The fact that there was a head of covert operations that was aware of them, working as a man on the inside also helped Martin get through this. he checked his hands for a moment feeling them. The few days he had spent without medication after the Cayuga's medbay had been destroyed had played an effect on him.

But now that he was medicated again he felt like he had a stronger grip. His hands didn't tremble as he tried to move them, and he didn't notice any delays as he personally felt were more the signs of stress. He took his PADD for a moment checking the inventory of their micro torpedoes confirming that the dry dock had delivered the Allegiant's  payload. If things did get heated Martin wanted to make sure they could put up a fight. The thought that this entire mission could end up being a trap was on his mind, but that just meant he needed to make sure everything was working correctly.

Once dismissed from the Dockingbay Martin went to the bridge of the Allegiant. He had served on this little ship once before, and rather liked it. Compared to the overly massive bridge of the Theurgy, or the luxury apartments of the Galaxy class, this felt more classical, small. The word comfortable wouldn't be what most people would have chosen, but as Martin sat himself down into the tactical chair he couldn't help but find the place more suited to his taste.

He started running weapons diagnostics, checking alignments of the  pulse phase cannons. Everything was checking out, well enough, looking through the firing arks he had to work with. What weapons faced forward which ones to their broad side and aft. He leaned back in his seat.  "Payloads are stocked, weapons active and ready."

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #5 –
[ LtJr. Khelleshar sh'Zenne | USS Allegiant Docking Bay Lounge | Deck 19| Vector 03 | USS Theurgy]
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attn: @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @Jesaya @Masorin @Zodiac @Stegro88 @Jubbles @Triage


"At ease," the Captain's voice echoed as Shar crossed the lintel of the Allegiant Docking Bay Lounge. She was late. Not critically late, but later than she had intended. The young shen bit her thin lips and crushed the antennas against her scalp, scolding herself. It was not a good way to begin her first official mission in her new position.

She entered the room, taking a place next to the wall, away from the bulk of the crew. She leaned against the bulkheads on wall I dropped her almost empty duffel bag beside her. She barely had anything that could fill that bag. Just as she barely recognized a pair of faces in the crowd. The captain for sure. The engineer whose eyes had shone like silver on the Versant. A shudder ran through the Ops officer' slender body as she recalled the malevolent Savi ship. What had happened there. What followed. Shar had barely slept since she arrived aboard the Theurgy, unwilling to face the stillness of an empty room, alone with her thoughts and memories. No, it wasn't something she eagerly anticipated, there was still too much to digest. Too many 'what ifs' in the air. That was why she had devoted herself to relentless work, to keep her mind busy. Hands on work and mind on hands, as Vasiliev used to say, back in the Endeavour. And Shar had followed the advice of her late mentor. She had mapped what looked like half of the ship's jefferies, repairing any critical problem she had found and sending anonymous reports of what could wait for a while. It had been... agreeable in some way. She had been operating under the radar, doing what she was good at and not having to deal with interpersonal interaction with other crew members. And without the need to give explanations to the big cheese. At that moment Shar's pale eyes rested on the woman in question. Oh well, if she was accurate, it was best to call her 'the small cheese'.

She wasn't sure why Stark was there, but maybe she was still testing her performance. She had been offered a position as her assistant for less than twelve hours. And there she was, putting her scrawny blue arse in an away mission, with Commander Stark unaware of how she actually worked or if she was the right person for the job. Because, honestly... what did she know about Shar? That she had held the same position under Vasiliev in Endeavour. Hopefully her former (and current) XO had said some good words about her. And "The Beast" had not said any lie as she used to. But in general, Khelleshar suspected that her nomination was a political movement. A way of interweaving what was left of the Endeavour crew into the roster and make them feel worthwhile. That Comandante Ducote would feel confident on his new chair.

Somehow the little pink skin had managed to convince her to accept the position. Perhaps because of a mixture of pride and to rub her former companions in the face that she still was there. Or because she needed something to do. Something OFFICIAL, since she was trapped in that doomed vessel. In some way Natalie Stark also reminded her of Vasiliev. Well, physically they didn't resemble each other; the curvaceous brunnete was far from resembling the old Russian bear. Neither did she curse once every two words, with a stink of vodka breath from the previous night that could be smelled from two decks around. But there was a kind of fierceness in her. A thing for those beside her. Something that had motivated her to accept Stark's proposal. She had to recognize that it was easy to the eye. At least for being a pink-skin. Which was always a bonus.

When her mind ceased to drift and Shar focused again on what was happening around, a Zhen was asking a series of questions about the security of the mission. Probably one of Ida's grunts. Shar used that time and the short report of a brown-haired human to pull a padd out of her luggage. As soon as there was silence in the room, Shar raised the padd to draw attention to her position in the tail of the crowd.

"Alligeant's power reserves are ready for a standard performance. I' ve made a diagnosis of how much stress the cloak would subject to the stock, and they seem capable of sustaining it for a fair amount of time. Even so, I would advise that it should be used for the shortest period of time possible, as there are certain design incompatibilities that still have not been solved". She reported with her gaze fixed on her padd and the antennas curved towards the small display. She paused briefly before proceeding with the next topic of her report. This was not so optimistic, and if she had had more time she would have advised to delay the travel for at least a few hours. But that was a choice that wasn't in her hands. "As for the computer systems, it seems that the Borg virus has been completely purged from the network. All essential systems are correct, but I would prefer to do an in depth scan to remove any harmful subroutine that might be hidden in the programming. It will take some more time but it can be done during the travel," she assured. If she were in charge, she would perform a total purge of the system and restore it to factory state, but it was something that required time and recalibration of all the ship's other systems. That would leave it, with luck, 36 hours in dry dock, and by the sparse message Shar had received from Ives, it wasn't an option. Given WHAT the Manta Class had dealt with, Shar preferred to be cautious with her diagnosis.  The Alligeant would fly, and sneak using the reman cloak, and put some fight. But it wasn't in her best days.

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #6 –
[ Lt. JG Donna ‘Chance’ Petterson | Docking Bay Lounge of the USS Allegiant | Deck 19 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ] Attn:
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Lieutenant Junior Grade Donna Petterson was, unsettled. At least, that was the best word she could think of to describe exactly how she was feeling right now. Captain Ives was following her suggestion of taking the Allegiant away from Aldea to make contact with the buoy that the Admiral had advised them of. She hadn’t seen the coordinates but apparently it was a whole lot closer to their current position than she had expected.

Still, she felt it was a mistake to travel to it. If they were discovered, then it could expose Admiral Anderson to reprisals. At the very least it could give away that someone was still assisting the Theurgy. It would have been better to travel in a different direction, maybe get a system in direct line of sight of the comsignal. It didn’t matter with subspace that the buoy was obscured but people tended to think a little more linearly than computers.

But it wasn’t her decision to make and she would follow orders. And her orders were to develop a profile of the Admiral as she knew him so that they would have a way to hopefully determine if this was all some sort of elaborate trap. Which was going to be difficult for two reasons. The first was that the infested, as they were called, were able to almost perfectly mimic those they took as hosts. And the second was actually a simpler problem. Besides two different pre-recorded messages, she hadn’t spoken to the Admiral in almost 5 years. And a lot can happen in 5 years.

“Captain Ives, the profile for the Admiral is coming along but I would like to again warn you that I haven’t actually spoken with the Admiral in almost 5 years. The profile will not be the most accurate,” Donna warned the shapeshifting captain. “With your permission sir, I would also like to work with Lieutenant Vanya in developing a way to safely access the buoy. I am familiar with their usage from before.”

She didn’t explain what before was. No one here technically had clearance, but it wouldn’t be hard for them to guess. It didn’t matter now anyway. It seemed they had bigger problems.

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #7 –
[  Ensign Mektari Dumral | USS Allegiant Docking Bay Lounge | Deck 19 | Vector 03] att:  @Auctor Lucan @Numen @Brutus @Jesaya @Masorin @Zodiac @Stegro88 @Triage
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Despite her strongly held habit of punctuality Mektari had gotten turned around on her travels through the various passages of the multivector dreadnought on her way to her assignment aboard the Allegiant. Not the most auspicious start, the Cardassian mused to herself as she corrected her path and increased her pace.

Ensign Dumral had arrived close to last of the assembled officers and was fortunate to reach the docking bay lounge moments before the Captain emerged from the Airlock to address hir crew for the mission ahead, Mektari coming to attention, PADD at her side. A brief sideways glance toward the others selected for the mission raised some hope in Meki; Vanya, Zark and Salem Martin had been aboard the Cayuga, and though the latter had never shown any particular wish to speak to her they were both familiar faces. The others she knew little of but by reputation, although to have survived what these crews had witnessed spoke more forcefully than anything before.

She returned to ease at the Captain’s order and listened carefully as the mission was explained. That acute paranoid streak that characterised many a Cardassian was not absent in Mektari, her first thoughts falling on whether or not they were walking directly into a trap. Deception and mistrust were at the forefront of her thoughts again. The Andorian she was familiar with, Lt. Zark, voiced the same concerns, much to the Ensign’s relief.

The fact that the contact was Head of Covert Operations in Starfleet Intelligence was of little comfort to Meki either, if her Father’s words had convinced Mektari of anything, it was that members of the Intelligence community - ever in the business of espionage and dissembling - rarely had just one agenda and in the case of the Obsidian Order at least, were just as self-interested as they were in their duty.

Still, Security was not her responsibility.

Mektari paid particular attention to the words of the second Andorian,  LtJr. Khelleshar sh'Zenne,  as she reported on the power drain and recommended the limited use of the Reman cloaking device, waiting for a break in the reporting officers words to speak herself.

“Captain, I’ve charted a course to the Buoy’s location that should minimise the need for the cloaking device.” she stated with that level, confident tone before glancing toward Shar, “Although any further insight the Lieutenant could add would be appreciated.”

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #8 –
[ Lieutenant Commander Jennifer Dewitt | Docking Bay Lounge of the USS Allegiant | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Away Team
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Remaining where she was, Jennifer listened as the present away team reported in on their assignments. The Romulan android from the Science Division was working on safe means to access the buoy, which was work of high merit. The Combat Medic from Security, the Andorian who also hailed from the Cayuga, raised a question in line with what Vanya was working on, making Ives answer.

"Excellent question. Of course we have to take all risks into consideration, and that's why you all have assignments that can mitigate the risk to the Allegaint and the Theurgy as a whole. We don't want the mission compromised, but at the same time, if this ally shows to be genuine, we will have a direct line of communication straight to Earth. We must make the attempt, and if it's a trap, we'll be ready."

Jennifer had noticed the Chief of Operations attending, of course. While they had traded few words, she had a feeling that with Ives on the mission, the two of them might work a bit closer together. Something Dewitt certainly had nothing against... but she also suspected that with the close tie Stark had held to Trent, the woman might not be very impressed with her. Be that as it may, Dewitt would ignore it and let her actions speak for themselves.

The other Andorian - Shar, from the Endeavour - spoke of the cloak and the Allegiant's present computer conditions, and since Jennifer had commanded the Allegiant the last time it launched, she was quite familiar with the challenges because of the debriefing report she'd had to make. Ives inclined his head to the Ops Officer. "Well done, and keep me informed, please."

The next speaker was the very woman that had brought the Rear Admiral's message to the Theurgy, and it was only prudent that she was present on this mission. Especially since she might be able to tell if something was amiss with the man. Of course, she pointed out the obvious difficulties, but Ives merely nodded. "Thank you, it's still better than nothing, Lieutenant. and I have a few things to ask as well, just to corroborate his observations with that of the transmissions we picked up in Starfleet Headquarters five months ago. I will be able to verify if the man is lying about some things we overheard."

Then, the Cayuga helmswoman spoke up about the charted course, and asked to work with Shar in regard to the cloak, which had Ives inclining his head. "Of course. Given the drain of the Reman cloak, we should rely more on the Aldean cloaking feature since it hides our emission profile and our ship's visual design. If we are scanned at some point before we notice we're not alone, I don't want whoever sees us to immediately identify us. Moreover, the Aldean identity cloak is a far lesser drain on the ship, and can be activated all the time. If any vessels approach, we'll have to hide entirely, so I hope we have the energy levels to spare."

Ives looked at Sinead O'Riley at that point, the assigned Engineer, and after which confirmation was made, Ives nodded towards the scoutship behind the viewport. "Dismissed, and report to your duty stations. We launch in five minutes."

Having made this announcement, Ives walked over to Dewitt and Stark. Jennifer stood a bit straighter. "Word from he ADC is that they have acknowledged that you'll be absent, and if they need to contact the Theurgy directly instead of going through me, they will instead seek Commanders Ducote and Stark. First Appointee Radue even wished you good luck."

Jien nodded to Dewitt. "Very good. I hope the  relations with Radue and the ADC will continue to improve. Please report your continued activities to Ducote, and make sure the last reports you sent me are relayed to him as well."

"Aye, Captain. And good luck on the mission." Knowing when she was dismissed, Jennifer turned to leave, but she heard the Captain speak with Stark... only in a female voice instead. Why was it that Ives always used hir female form when talking to Stark?

"We'll send word through Mission Ops whenever possible on an encrypted channel. I know you'd wished I'd stay, but this is too important to pass off to someone else. After all, Joseph Andersson contacted me personally. I should deliver the answer if we're to hope for support from Covert Ops in SFI." There was a pause, Jennifer not hearing what the COps said in turn. Only Ives taking his leave. "Take care of yourself, Commander Stark."

Jennifer sorely hoped that Natalie Stark had no cause for her concerns...

[ Captain Ives | Bridge | USS Allegiant ]
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Five minutes later, Ives took her seat - having changed to her female form - and acknowleged what the Tactical Officer said. Salem Martin. Vivian's brother, now serving on the Theurgy by some kind of quirk of fate.

"Very well, Lieutenant Martin," she said, hoping that they would not have any need of the scoutship's tactical systems. It was time, the crew ready and waiting. "Helm, prepare launch sequence and set a course once we're out of the docking bay. Engage."

OOC: I bet @Brutus wants to have Stark talk to Vanya before she boards the ship. Besides that, have your characters take their stations, and end this thread with some kind of thoughts or anticipation for the coming days. I will post a new starter for the arrival at the buoy, which will be The Inside Man, Part 4. I am taking requests for one-on-one threads set on the Allegiant during the two days they will be travelling before reaching that buoy! Also, perhaps you guys can match up your characters for your own one-on-one threads as well? In any case, your next posts in this short thread will be your last ones here, the arrival at the buoy coming up in a few days. :)

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #9 –
[ Lieutenant Vanya |Docking Bay Lounge of the USS Allegiant | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Away Team @Brutus
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Vanya had indeed noticed Natalie when she had entered the lounge but Captain Ives had also emerged from the ship at the same time and started hir briefing so could not just wander over and talk to her friend. The Romulan remained where she was standing, listening to Ives finish the briefing and open the floor to the rest of the crew going on the mission.

The first to speak after her was Zark, her fellow Cayuga crew-member, both new to the Theurgy, at least there was one person going along that Vanya somewhat knew.  As a security officer, Vanya wasn't surprised at the question she had asked, not that it wasn't a valid question. Starfleet, because of the parasite infestation was the enemy for now, albeit through not fault of their own but it did not alter the facts. Those in Command wanted the ship captured or destroyed in order to keep their plans from being exposed to the galaxy and now this mysterious message just happens to offer them aid, she couldn't blame the Andorian for thinking it might well be a trap, especially considering her job was the safety of the people going on the mission, as well as to the rest of the crew remaining behind here.

The Android listened to the rest say their piece as well as the Captain's responses to each query raised but did notice when Nat motioned her to come over and was glad when they were given five minutes to get aboard, which would give her just enough time to talk to Nat before she had to leave. While she was sure everything would be fine, it would be nice to have a little chat before leaving. After all, the two had only just been reunited and with the events of the last few days, hadn't really had much time to actually sit down and talk before this mission had come up.

Making her way over Vanya aware of the fact that she at least was on duty and others were watching. "Lieutenant Commander." she said, her tone entirely professional, although the smirk she gave the other woman was anything but. "I would tell you not to worry but I know you will so I won't." She added, still smiling.

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #10 –
[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | USS Allegiant Docking Bay Lounge | Deck 19| Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Numen @Auctor Lucan @Jesaya 
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Drawing her gaze away from the scout ship, Natalie focused back on the discussion at hand in the lounge adjacent to the Allegiant. The officers all stood, scattered about the room, none sitting at any of the proffered tables and chairs that looked over the docked vessel - or out into space when the little ship was on deployment. Here and there she saw cups and plates, as if to imply some of those now offering up reports and lobbing questions at Captain Ives, or their fellow shipmates, had been indulging in one final meal before departing for their mission.

Should have set up dinner with Vanya. Or a late lunch...or tea. The Brits were fans of afternoon tea. As she recalled, the residents of New Billingham, back on Mars, were particularly taken with the practice, as was the entirety of the Caldos IV colony. Afternoon tea, she decided, would have been the perfect excuse to take a few more minutes with Vanya and simply enjoy her presence before she went gallivanting off across the sector.

Tea being neither her nor there, she focused back on the discussion at hand. Vivian's twin brother (and what a surprise that had been), reported on the stock of microtorpedoes and other such armaments for the little scout vessel, keeping his contribution short, and sweet. Silently, the Ops Chief hoped the Tactical Officer had no cause to fire said torpedoes in the coming days. If he did, their mission would have likely gone pear shaped in the worse possible way.

She felt, more than saw, Shar's gaze fall upon her form more than once as the others spoke up briefly in turn, and Captain Ives deftly handled the questions lobbed his way. The Martian dipped her head toward her new subordinate the second or third time she caught Shar looking at her, and gave a small, approving smile as the shen delivered her report on power systems, and the Remean cloaking technology. Here Captain Ives became a bit more involved with his response, and Natalie thought she almost heard - not satisfaction at the situation, but perhaps more like relief. They couldn't ride the cloak the whole way from the Theurgy the to communications buoy. Understandable, given hir reluctance to deploy the device to begin with, and hir clear preference to use the Aldean sensor masking technology. Not technically a full cloak, as far as the Treaty of Algeron was concerned.

But its close enough to piss all over the spirit of the treaty, if not the letter of the document. Just cause its not a full spectrum cloak doesn't mean its no the same core principle in play. Toe-may-toe, toe-mah-toe. Though I suppose diplomacy and legality all come down to the minor details. That earned a new frown that - unintentionally - got lobbed at the young Cardassian pilot. Unfair in the fullest, as Natalie had served with a Cardassian pilot just a short while ago, whom had gone a long way to proving herself a reliable crew mate - until her brains had been blown out by one of the Devoted.

Too many people that rode the right hand seat at the front of the bridge, next to Natalie's Ops Station, had ended up dead in the past 5 months. That cheery thought sent a shill right down the Martian's spine, as cold as the ice around Mars Outpost 3, by the polar cap. Bitter and distastefully cold. But Ives had said his piece and dismissed the crew to prepare for launch. Sure enough, as Natalie had expected, Ives was headed towards her, pulling Jennifer Dewitt into the mix as well, though the liaison officer wasn't exactly far away from Natalie to begin with.

Like the other human, Natalie stood up a bit straighter now that she was under Captain Ives direct scrutiny. It was good to know - or to have warning at least - that the ADC were simply going to directly bombard her and Commander Ducote while Captain Ives was out of the system. She idly wondered why hir being gone prevented them from still utilizing Dewitt as a viable go between. Not much I can do about it, she reminded herself, as she glanced past Jennifer and saw Vanya waiting in the outskirts of the conversation.

The woman from the Black Opal site would still have plenty to keep her busy, it seemed. Natalie gave a little nod to her in turn, as she turned to leave, before taking a breath as Ives stepped in. She'd only turned a way for but a brief moment, and yet, Ives had assumed hir female form. The sight of it caused just a hint of pressure to release in the pit of Natalie's stomach, and the Ops Chief breathed slightly easier.

Really need to schedule that session with Hathev, she thought as she gave Ives a weak smile in turn. "I know, Captain. And just because something is the right move," she'd grant her that, "doesn't mean I have to like it. Or that it's easy to...not worry." It felt awkward to acknowledge that she was worried about the Captain. But in the end, a lot had passed between them in the past five months of fleeing for their lives, and there was little else that Natalie could do but admit it.

"We need an ally in Starfleet Intelligence, and you've got the background to make sure that Admiral Andersson is on the level. More so than any of us." There was a small sigh, and she smiled again, dipping her head toward the other woman. "I'm sure Ensign Henshaw will be perfectly suited to keep us apprised of any reports you send back, Captain. In the mean time, I'll see what I can do to make sure the ship doesn't fall apart around us when we finally start systems trials of the repairs and upgrades. Just...be careful. Please?"

She hated how much she felt like a child in that moment, asking the Captain to be careful. It was a damned stupid thing, but Ives simply smiled, and told Natalie to take care of herself. "Aye aye, Ma'am," was the only reply that Nat could give.

Her blue eyes tracked Ives as they walked toward the access corridor to take hir to the Allegiant. Too soon, that ship would depart. Ives had kept their chat quick and short, though not without depth. Still, it left little time for the other conversation that Natalie sought. Perhaps the young woman should be setting this time aside to talk to her new Assistant Chief, to wish her well on the assignment. That might have been the proper thing to do, and later she would sent a short burst transmission wishing Shar luck. But parting, as they said, was such sweet sorrow, and duty or no, Natalie was entitled to say goodbye to her oldest friend. Especially after the woman had just walked right back into her life after more than half a decade of being a voice and a face on the end of a comm channel.

She turned on her heels to the left, toward the table that stood nearby, and the towering statue of a woman that stood there, patiently waiting.

That smirk. After all these years, it still means trouble, the human thought of her Romulan friend. matching the soft smile with one of her own. Vanya had set the town, and properly so, with Natalie matching it. "You're as insightful as you've ever been. Lieutenant. Unfortunately for the both of us, worrying is in my nature. All these pips," she tapped her collar carefully.

"They just give me more things to worry about. Though I promise you rank much, much higher than the current EPS Replacement efforts on deck 27. As bad as having Deflector Control short out, I promise, having something happen to you would be...profoundly worse." Despite her best efforts to make light of the situation, of her own worry, and to project confidence, Natalie had done just the opposite. She was going to worry, quite a lot. There was so much between them. There always had been, of course. Four years of close history, a chapter of her life opening back up for a new pass through old feelings. Something lost to the whims of the service found again, and in a much different light.

She needed Vanya in her life, plain and simple. She was the one person Natalie trusted implicitly and without reservation. She had seen after all, so very much of Natalie as she grew from a Cadet, to an officer in Starfleet.

Never mind everything ....else. And there was now, more than ever, so much else.

But all of that passed through Nat's mind in the blink of an eye, and the Martian kept right on starring up at her friend, towering over her. That she was concerned for the other was almost laughable, when the two were contrasted against each other. "You've managed to get along without me well enough these past seven years. I'd like to think that means you can handle a few more days without me there to take care of you." Both knew that it was more than just this, as Nat reached out and carefully took Vanya's hands in hers, squeezing tight.

"I mean it, Lieutenant. If you don't come back in one piece, I shall be quite cross.".

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #11 –
[ Lieutenant Vanya |Docking Bay Lounge of the USS Allegiant | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Away Team @Brutus 
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Having made her way over to where Natalie had been, she waited patiently for her friend to finish speaking to the Captain and had to admit that she was proud to see how far her friend had come over the years, especially now that she the 2nd XO of the ship, talking to the Captain and being one of the two main people left in charge while they were gone on the mission, it was a very nice sight to see.

Eventually Natalie finished with Ives and made her way over to Vanya and smiled at her first reply, giving a nod, both at Nat's statement that she was still as insightful as ever as well as the fact worrying was indeed in the woman's nature. "Well my insight isn't something that I will ever lose and yes, yes it is your nature, despite my numerous attempts over the years to rid you of that faulty programming of yours..  I can only imagine how much you worry now, being in the position you." she replied and smiled as she tilted her head slightly to look at the pips adorning her friend's collar when she mentioned them and tapped her collar. "They look good on you." she smiled.

Needless to say the Chief of Operations then went on to infom her about how much higher she ranked than EPS replacements, still Vanya smirked "Well we are docked at a starbase, not much use of the deflectors right now so that's understandable." she joked "While I appreciate it, you of all people know better than anyone that it's very tough for anything to...happen to me, barring contaminants in water that is and I highly doubt there is much risk of that happening on this mission."  Vanya too had opted to make light of the situation in order to try and settle Nat's worry, although she knew it more than likely wouldn't given that fact that it was Nat after all.

Standing over Natalie as she often did, she could practically see the thoughts running through the woman's mind as she pondered the many things she was no doubt pondering before eventually looking up at her. Not that the Romulan could blame her Martian friend, they had been separated by service for a while now and practically as soon as they were reunited was one of them going on a mission away from the other for a while, still that was the life in Starfleet, even more so in their current situation.

Smiling and allowing herself a chuckle she nodded "I'm sure I will. Just as I'm sure you'll manage to survive without me to watch out for you for a few days more." she countered , although truthfully Natalie didn't really need Vanya to look out for her, the woman was pretty good at taking care of herself. However the android knew that it was more than that. While they certainly had talked over subspace the past seven years as the served on other ships in other parts of the galaxy and had most definitely worried about the other, it was different now that they were serving on the same ship. Perhaps it wouldn't have been so bad if they weren't in the situation they were in against the rest of the Federation and if they had actually had some time after Vanya had come aboard to sit down and have a proper talk, but they hadn't and Vanya knew how she would feel if something happened to Nat while she was away so she couldn't hold Nat at fault for that.

Still she smiled slightly when she felt the other woman's hands take her and give them a tight squeeze, which she returned, albeit carefully knowing how easily she could break both her hands, which wouldn't go down well for so many reasons.

"I will do my very best too, after all we don't want you cross now do we?" she grinned. "You better take care of yourself too though." she added before loosening her grip on Natalie's hands. "I do have to get on the ship though, first away mission with my new crew and one of them is the Captain, don't want to make a bad first impression." she said. "Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it!"

[Bridge | USS Allegiant ]

Having said to goodbye to Natalie, Vanya made her way onto the ship and to the Bridge, taking her place at the Science station, keying up the console and pulling up the data on the Buoy to get started on it once they launched. "Science is ready Captain, I've got all the information on the Buoy keyed up for study and will start running some simulations once we're underway."

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #12 –
Lieutenant Junior Grade Zark | Docking Bay Lounge of the USS Allegiant | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Away Team
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Zark, having asked her own question nodded along with the Captain's answer, getting pretty much the response that she had expected before shifting her attention to the other members of the mission, listening to their questions and the answers given by Captain Ives until eventually all questions were asked and answered.

The Captain gave them 5 minutes to board the ship before they departed and with nobody to discuss anything with unlike Vanya, the Andorian made her way onto the ship. She would however decide to go back to the armoury and just double check to make sure that everything was indeed put away correctly and charged up the way they should. Yes she had done it herself already when she had collected and stored the weapons and she was confidant in her ability to have gotten it right, but now she was going on a mission with the Captain and she wanted to be doubly sure that she'd gotten everything right. Not just because it was her blue ass on the line if something wasn't right but it was her job to keep not just the weapons ready but to ensure the safety of everybody on the ship, which again included the Captain.

Luckily, a quick check later confirmed that everything was indeed up to code and smiled, giving the armoury a nod before making her way out to join the rest of the crew.

"Everything checks out Captain as far as Security goes and the armoury is stocked, weapons charged, EV Suits are available and the oxygen tanks are full. There are some emergency medical supplies in there as well should they be needed." she reported.

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #13 –
[Lt JG Salem Martin | USS Allegiant | Bridge] Attn: Away Team
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Dumral? Some part of him had really hoped that between the Cayuga's near destruction, the're chaotic battle with the borg, that this Cardassian would be among the casualties of the last few days of chaos. Sadly it seemed his wish would not be granted and he would have to continue to tolerate the spoon head on the bridge of the ship. Let alone with a ship this size the chances of them meeting over the next two days would be extremely likely.

On the Cayuga he had done a lot to avoid the lizard skin purse. He even went so far as to put himself on a seperate shift as the only grey beast on the ship. Since away missions tended to have smaller crews and pulled double shifts he would be stuck working beside her. Which just meant that he had to try his best to keep her stink away from his console.

He breathed heavily for a moment, closing his eyes trying to focus. They had a mission of the upmost importance, something like his racially charged biased against a member of the crew would not help him. Nor could he load her into a torpedo to use her thick cardassian head in the opening salvo of a fire fight so for now he just had to deal with it. He knew that keeping his commission would eventually mean playing nice with Cardassian crews when the rest of his ship had taken it as a joke when he had suggested bombing cardassia from orbit till it was little more than green glass, and blackened smokey clouds. He had even gone so far as to calculate the firing tragectories in his head, not hard to hit a planet from a space ship.

But the Federation had made peace with the spoon heads. he had served with Dumral before, she was the one flying the ship, he would have rather it be anyone else, but for now the ensign was part of his crew. His personal biases would need to be put aside and he would need to focus on his job.

That job currently would be him sitting in this chair, listening for alarms, and hopefully not pushing any buttons. A good shift was when he had to do nothing. Just sit here, worry about the trap ahead of them, and hate the creature next to him silently in his head where no one could reprimand him for doing so. Betazoids may serve on a ship, and could even be disgusted by how he saw the Cardassian's, but thinking about how much you disliked someone was not a crime in the Federation.

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #14 –
[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | USS Allegiant Docking Bay Lounge | Deck 19| Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Jesaya @Top Hat 
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They said what needed to be said. That was the bottom line of the exchange. There was, of course, so much more that could have been brought up, if time had permitted. If she'd been smart, she would have cornered Vanya hours ago. Afternoon Tea, the words flitted through her mind once again, hankering back to the briefing and her mental side track during the whole thing. It brought a smile to her face, knowing she could still get stuck on some oddity and have it single track back into her brain over and over.

Ever insistent on boosting her confidence, Vanya had pointed out Natalie's position, and sure enough, the martian could feel the pride in the other woman. it stung, just a bit, that Vanya's career hadn't gone as far or as fast. On the flip side, Vanya had been spared some of the attrition that forced Natalie into this rank, the postings, and all the responsibility that came with the title. Title's, plural she corrected. "You get used to them," was what she'd said in reply. Both of them were dancing that careful dance, trying to stay light about subject matters that were anything but. Certainly not after that meeting before we dealt with the Borg. Nor...everything else. She smiled despite the seriousness, the two batting compliments with heavy undertones back and forth like professional racquetball players.

"Just you watch. That comms relay is going to be encased in a ball of water held in place by a graviton generator. It'll be just your luck," Nat had teased. Though with everything else they'd seen over the past few months - and all the years before that in the service - there was a greater than zero chance that this would be exactly the case. Not much greater, though, so Natalie took heart there. "Never met someone more capable of taking care of themselves." She confessed.

Parting really was sweet sorrow, the words from the immortal Bard flashing one more behind Natalie's eyes as Vanya moved to head to the Allegiant. "Never you worry. The Captain will like you right away. I just know it,' Natalie reassured Vanya, hoping she was right, and not simply looking at the situation through very rose colored lenses. Wouldn't be the first time, wouldn't be the last, she knew well enough. Still, she had a good feeling there, at least. Ives would appreciate the analytical mind and the resilient officer if nothing else. "I'll be good while you're gone, I promise. And I'll avoid counting the days until you're all back." A bold faced lie if ever she'd told one.

"And when you do get back....we'll have that talk. A lot of  ground to cover, you and I." Oh, the understatement there."But you're right, you best be off. Scoot." she winked, then added, "Jolan tru, Lieutenant," speaking two of the few Romulan words that Vanya had taught her over the years. May your day be filled with peace

She reflected on those words as she stayed there, in the lounge, watching the crew board the little scout ship. And so she remained, taking a seat by the window, until the vessel had departed. Only then did she let out a long sigh, and rub the bridge of her nose. Duty called, and despite being off shift, there was plenty of paperwork she needed to review, plus she wanted to catch Commander Ducote to go over duty rosters one more time. The Engineering team had just submitted their third update of the day...

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #15 –

[ LtJr. Khelleshar sh'Zenne | USS Allegiant Docking Bay Lounge | Deck 19| Vector 03 | USS Theurgy]
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attn: @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @Jesaya @Masorin @Zodiac @Stegro88 @Jubbles @Triage

Almost immediately after Shar spoke, a pink-skin took the floor, followed closely by one of the women who would be in charge of the ship's helm. The Cardassian expressed her interest in learning more about the Reman cloak and its operation in tandem with the Manta Class. Shar moved her pale eyes over the ensign when she adressed her. On the one hand she valued a Conn officer who had concerns beyond stretching the ship to the limit of its capacity. However, she preferred to work on her own, and having nosy grey-skin hovering around her while working didn't excite her too much. Moreover, she had always felt a sort of...reticence against Cardassians. An instinctive distrust after the Dominion War. The helm officer was a Starfleet officer after all, but Shar couldn't avoid that mistrust. Her species had done too much damage, had committed too many crimes. Even so, when Dumral looked at her, Shar nodded, agreeing to inform her about the cloak, at least as far as the pilot was able to understand the technical complexities involved.

She barely had time for much more, as the Chamaleoid captain began to speak again, addressing one by one all the officers who had raised their voices, whether with requests, doubts or reports. When Ives asked to be kept informed about the areas that would be in charge of the young shen, she simply nodded anew, then leaned over to store her padd in her duffel bag. However, before she completed the motion, something in Ives' words halted her. So far, the Andorian had not been able to study an aldean cloaking device, and she was curious about it. Although it was a solution that still contravened the Treaty of Algeron, it was in a dark grey area. It wasn't a flagrant violation of the arrangement, like the Reman device installed on the Allegiant. Even though they were fugitives from Federation or, precisely for that reason, they should respect those treaties and regulations, even more zealously than they ever did. Acting as Starfleet officers was all they had left, the only thing that kept them from becoming the scumbags that the Federation News Network described.

She was still thinking about that when Ives dismissed them. Without much more to do in those remaining minutes except leave her belongings in the Allegiant habitational area, Shar headed for the airlock.


[ LtJr. Khelleshar sh'Zenne | Bridge | Deck 1 |USS Allegiant]

When Ives stepped onto the bridge, Shar was already in her position at the Ops. station, right under the main screen. "Ops is ready Captain" She reported concisely.

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #16 –
[ Lt. JG Donna ‘Chance’ Petterson | Docking Bay Lounge of the USS Allegiant | Deck 19 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Numen @Brutus @Jesaya @Masorin @Zodiac @Jubbles @Triage
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Donna had listened idly as everyone around her spoke at their turn; crew members reporting on their assignments much as she had and Captain Ives responding in turn. It was all very procedural, just the sort of thing that she had been forced to avoid as an undercover operative and then reacquire during her second life as a cadet and fighter pilot. Starfleet was all about procedures right up until they got in the way. It was then that you had to decide whether you changed your course, or ignored what someone lightyears away was telling you how to behave.

Captain Ives at least appreciated the difficulty of the task that they had assigned her and knew that there would be gaps and variations. For one thing, Admiral Andersons methods in assigning her the mission and in encouraging the assistance of Isel were very uncharacteristic of the man that she had known during her Intelligence career. Children had always been one of the hard points and Donna had had more than one mission altered or flat out cancelled because of their involvement. It had led to some bad situations but that was the nature of the business.

There had been a risk in everything they did back then and whenever they rolled that dice, they had to be prepared to fully accept the consequences. Her number had almost come up back then a few times but she had managed to slide away. Now that she was back to rolling that dice again, Donna couldn’t help but wonder as she headed towards the Allegiant.

“How many more rolls do I have in me?”

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #17 –
[ Lt. JG Sinead O'Riley | Bridge | USS Allegiant ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan, @Masorin, @Stegro88, @Numen, @Zodiac, @Jubbles & @Jesaya
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Sinead had worked almost round the clock with the other techs as well as Samala and Lorad, who were overseeing the equipment of their cloaking device on the Allegiant. Sinead frowned at the thought of it. Not past one day, had she made acquaintances with Samala, getting to know her, her brother, and about their ship, the Apache, but she wasn't sure she felt comfortable with what they were asking...or demanding, rather, of the Remans. She followed her orders, but she could still hold an opinion of her own, one that didn't quite like the whole arrangement.

Nevertheless, her main purpose, known only to herself, was the safety of the captain. If he was going out there, while she had every confidence in the abilities of the ship's security teams, there was no harm in an extra set of eyes to watch out for their leader. She remained silent and as inconspicuous as possible throughout any conversation, scrutinizing everything and everyone she saw, taking note especially of those in the vicinity who were not going to board the ship. When Jien gave dismissed the team to finish up any business before boarding the yacht, Sinead turned and boarded the ship.

She performed a quick survey and inspection of the warp core, in light of the last engagement, the repair job, while thorough, had to be done in haste. Everything appeared to check out. She instructed the NCO assigned to the Engineering department to look into the tuning of the core's output, as she had a feeling the setting was too high in its idle mode. Five minutes later, she was on the bridge, seated at her station, and running the last pre-flight check-up, ensuring the power output and feed into the Reman cloak was optimal. If she were given to emotional outbursts any longer, she would have been elated, but when she turned in her seat to look at Jien, her face was devoid of any expression beyond serenity and an impassive set, “Captain, Engineerin' is readyh for launch.”
 

Re: Day 03 [1700 hrs.] Cloaked Run | The Inside Man P3

Reply #18 –
[ Captain Ives | Bridge | USS Allegiant ] Attn: Away Team
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"Helm, prepare launch sequence and set a course once we're out of the docking bay. Engage."

"Aye, aye, Captain!" said Mektari Dumral at the helm, and keyed in the comms to Mission Ops over at Vector 01, on the other side of the Aldea Prime Shipyards. "USS Allegiant to Mission Ops, this is Ensign Dumral. Requesting permission to launch, over."

[This is Mission Ops, you're cleared for launch. Good luck.]

"Thank you. Allegiant out. Preflight checked complete, launching in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Decoupling from the Stallion now." Said and done, the viewport at the front of the brigde showed how the Allegiant slowly dropped out of its docking bay, and Ives narrowed her eyes when the brilliance of the Aldean's planetary surface hit their faces - lit by the stat at the centre of the Epsilon Mynos System. Son enough, the Cardassian at the helm had distanced the scoutship from the shipyards. "Aldean cloak engaged. Setting a course for the subspace buoy now. Ready at your command, Captain."

At that time the Security officer had made her report, as well as Ops and the other stations. Ives had acknowledged them all with a nod in turn. "Helm, Maximum cruising speed," said Ives, a faint smile on her lips. It was a long time since she'd been on a away mission, but with Thea in safety, and for a good cause, Ives looked forward to the coming days of being off the ship. "At your convenience, Ensign."

"Aye, Captain. Going to Warp 7,5 in 3, 2, 1."

And like that, the stars enlongated in the viewport, and they were off. Slowly, Ives rose to her feet and spoke to the present crew. "I will be in my ready room for the time being," she said and looked at Vanya, she being the highest ranking officer present, also formerly being Anya Ziegler's Chief Science Officer on the Cayuga. Ives could but hope that Ziegler and the Cayuga crew were all right, despite the troubling news from the FNN. "Lieutenant, you have the conn. Don't hesitate to call for me, and if either of you want to speak with me personally, I am available for the coming hours."

With that, Ives left the bridge to Vanya, and withdrew into the ready room adjacent to the bridge. Immediately, she increased the lighting in the room somewhat, still unable to whether the dark after her time aboard the Versant.

- FIN

OOC: New thread due for the arrival to the buoy. Anyone who have ideas for one-on-one threads with Ives aboard the Allegiant, please PM me!
 
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