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DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

[ Captain Ives | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 ] Attn: CanadianVet

Even though the junior officers she had met with were leaving, the next meeting would begin in fifteen minutes - leaving just enough time to eat in-between.

Regardless of the fact that there was nearly a dozen PADDs in front of Jien, they were all neatly organized by topic, category, and subcategory.  On her left was a stack of PADDs which pertained to Starbase 84. On the right side of her was another assortment of PADDs that pertained to reports about the enemy and the transcripts of the transmissions that they had come across in San Francisco. The pursuance of knowledge regarding the existence the enemy had been further added upon by the report from Sonja Acreth's interrogation. Assumptions and theories had been added upon the report, but they remained speculative at that point.

Another stack were the aftermath of the mutiny and the inheritance of crew from the Harbinger. Yet another was an inventory of the wreckage from the Reavers, scrap parts that were being screened for residual A.I. code. Department reports made out the rest of the stacks, all with urgent matters that needed to be resolved before they set a course towards Starbase 84. Their final destination had been made visible in the conference lounge too, the Orunal-class starbase represented as large hologram that slowly spun on its axis above the table. After the consecutive tactical briefings that had been held, Jien had asked Thea to simply leave it there.
 
Jien leaned back in her seat at the middle of the table and exhaled a soft breath as she squeezed her eye-lids together a few times - overtaking the fatigue that had begun to set in. Lieutenant Commander Trent was due to arrive, so she decided to get up and walk over to the replicator, deciding on her way there what she would eat to replenish energy for her morphogenic matrix. Cameron Henshaw had left with the other officers, otherwise she had likely insisted on getting the meal for Jien, so it was somewhat of a relief to actually put her mind to a more mundane task than what lay ahead on their voyage.

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #1 –
[ Commander Trent | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 ] Attn: Auctor Lucan

Getting the work started on preparing the simulacrum that would see Theurgy past Starbase 84's sensor nets was only the first order of business for Carrigan Trent.  In fact, once he had set his team to their purpose he had to excuse himself to get to the endless number of things that needed his attention.  As Executive Officer, there was always more work to be done.  Granted, much of the damage from the sabotage and the engagement with Calamity had been repaired and life on board was returning to normal.  But the preparations towards upcoming missions meant his attention needed to be seen to. 

And he was himself between two visits and he was on his way to the tactical department to check in on the additional weapons magazines he had ordered prepared ahead of the raid of a supply station.  From the intelligence he had provided, he knew there would be enough quantum torpedoes on hand to fill every rack on Theurgy without needed to stock any of the more conventional antimatter warheads.  But given the fact there was no guarantee they would be able to resupply anytime soon, Trent had taken the initiative to order the stripping out spaces near the existing magazines and fit them with additional ordnance racks, and the same in the vicinity of the fighter bay.  However, he could not attend to such for he received a message summoning him to the conference room. 

Upon arrival, Trent was greeted with the sight of the table, piled high with stacks of PADDs and the Captain contemplating the replicator.  "You wanted to see me, Ma'am?"

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #2 –
"Yes," said Jien when Carrigan arrived, and she glanced in his direction with a faint smile. "I had thought we'd take the opportunity to share a meal together, that's all. While we might be busy before this mission, I reckon we still need to eat."

Putting her hands on her hips, she turned to face her First Officer - this man that had disabled the entirety of Task Force Archeron when he defected to her. As much as there was to  do before they reached Starbase 84, they'd barely had the opportunity to spend any time together since his promotion.  Whatever short meetings they'd had, they had been succinct and to the point - the blood of pragmatism strong in them both. Other meetings, more of the Senior Staff had been present, leaving them without time to get reacquainted since that first time they had spoken in Jien's Ready Room - right after he had been released from the Bridge. It truly felt like weeks had passed since then, when it was actually just a few days.

"What do you feel like today?" she asked idly, gesturing towards the replicator before she placed her own order. "Hasperat. Spicy. And a side of plomeek soup. A glass of water as well, please."

[Aye, Captain. Here you go,] replied Thea, her British accent a pleasant sound from the device before it made the meal materialise. Jien retrieved the plate and brought it to the large table, letting the Commander place his order and join her. There was much to be said, more difficult to chose a topic that lay closest at hand. Conversation may come easily, but with all that had happened, there were many pitfalls to avoid - things better left behind to not ruin the opportunity and the focus on the mission before them.

"I read the report about Sonja Acreth, and we may have touched upon the implications briefly the other day, but perhaps you have drawn new conclusions since the interrogation. I saw the recording, but I was not there. It is not quite the same thing... for you have seen the enemy in the eye."

In retrospect, a brilliant choice of topic. Truly light-hearted conversation...

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #3 –
[ Commander Trent | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 ] Attn: Auctor Lucan

When invited to order his own meal, Trent stepped up to the replicator and placed his own order.  "Chicken Vindaloo, very strong, on basmati rice; naan and raita on the side and a half-pint of Kingfisher."  That was a solid meal he had ordered, and breakfast had been a long time ago.  And he was not afraid nor ashamed to order a beer to accompany his meal.  After all, he had acquired a prodigious tolerance to intoxication when he had crawled into a bottle to begin with and there was hardly enough in a half-pint to get the average adult even slightly inebriated. 

As his tray appeared in the slot, the Executive Officer flashed a brief grin.  Thea's acknowledgement, with her accent, was oddly fitting considering that even in the 24th century, Britons still seemed to be in love with their adaptations of Indian dishes. 

As he sat himself down, he considered what the Captain had said.  It was true they'd not had much time to actually sit and talk.  Usually, a new Executive Officer could look forward to a lot of meeting with the CO to get things sorted out.  But this was not a typical case.  After all, Trent had held the position before.  Better yet, he had command experience in a listening post and on a starship so he knew what he'd expect from a good XO and he had slipped into that role seamlessly.  And given the situation, there had been no need to communicate much for Ives to appropriate some of his administrative tasks so he could focus on the actual running of the ship and making her ready for action in the near future. 

But what was asked stopped a spoonful of the fiery dish halfway between his plate and his mouth.  Acreth.  Just the name sent a shiver down Carrigan's spine and he did not even try to suppress his shudder.  "Captain, I won't lie to you, whatever is in there scares the living shit out of me.  You've read the report, they are all about dissolution and they are trying to render our universe down to something they can digest.  I can't even fathom that kind of destruction.  And they know they can't do it until they get rid of any kind of organized resistance.  And I think that they are banking on the fact there will be a lot of people in Starfleet feeling something is wrong so they'll shake our confidence to the core as a whole, lose trust in the flag staff and create a lot of doubt."

"I think the whistle-blower is a good idea, but we need to talk to as many members of Starfleet as we can, face to face.  Let them see us for themselves and make their own decision, not just have to decide between instructions from Command they may or may not believe are completely on the level and a data transfer from us."

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #4 –
Jien could do nothing but sympathise with Carrigan in regard to the creature that had once been Ensign Acreth, but before she returned to the subject of her, she addressed the mission and the critical must-win-battles that they faced.

"Agreed, the simulcast we will send out to all factions in Federation space will be the starting point; the statement where we answer the claims of Starfleet Command with the truth that we hold. Then, hopefully, some of our pursuers will be more prone to talks instead of abiding to the policy of firing at us at the first sight they get. I am carefully optimistic about the repercussions our message will bring, at least lending the collective ear of those already in doubt about their orders." Having said this, Jien frowned - her worry made plain by the subtle furrow in her brow. "I am, however, less optimistic about the political repercussions. The worst-case scenario is that enemies to the Federation will seize the advantage of the fleet turning on itself. Our message, and the fallout that it will bring, could actually compromise our borders and not only make us a percieved target, but actually render us unprepared to face a foreign threat. That way, the unknown enemy would still be able to undermine the order of the Galaxy, and make our societies crumble in a new galactic war."

As if that wasn't enough, there was the implication that the enemy had a benefactor in the Temporal Cold War of the 29th century. "So unless the enemy manages to make the pillars of the Federation crumble on its own, they might as well manage to stir the Romulans, or any other factions outside our borders. Yet as you might know, there could be other ways to smite this reality in which we exist. If the timeships out there fail in their mission to preserve the time-stream, this enemy might very will decieve its ally in the future, and break the space-time continuum. Then it would not just be this alternative reality that would fold on itself, but other dimensions could be caught in the maelstrom - reducing us to fickle images lost in an inverted current. Whether or not that kind of non-existence is.... 'edible' for the enemy, no one knows."

Taking another bite lest she'd leave the meal cold, Jien tried to not dwell on all the hazzards that lay before them, focusing on the present. She had spent months contemplating the implications of the current conflict, and she could not function as a Commanding Officer if she couldn't see the forest for all the trees. She had to maintain some kind of prespective that helped her and the crew forward, instead of getting caugtht in the mire of her worries... however tough it might be.

She decided on returning to Acreth, talking to Commander Trent about something he might have read in a report, but not learned in full. In brief words, she told Carrigan about what had happened when the she and Vasser had headed down to the Harbinger's Brig down on Theta Eridani IV with a large detail of Security and Medical personnel, and how their respective First Officers had been there as well. She told him about how Acreth had reached through the oculus unit in the forcefield and pulled Dr. Nicander into the field, how the CMO was about to die unless Deputy zh'Wann had made a split decision. She had acted on instinct, ordering the forcefield lowered, and Acreth had gotten out of her holding cell with all those people present.

"I can but confirm that you have more than due cause to be afraid of what these creatures can do. Deputy zh'Wann had no idea how fast Acreth was, getting out of her sights quicker than the eye could follow her. No one could have known how strong their kind was either, since she managed to wrench the Harbinger's CSec's handphaser around and kill her with a close proximity stun beam." The memory of that sight was vivid. Jien continued after a moment. "Then she came after Ida. Tried to take her rifle. Everyone was trying to get behind cover while Ida held on to the weapon as best as she could, wrapping herself around the rifle while Acreth went at her with her fists. Fortunately, Andorians are a sturdy people, their insides protected with their endoskeleton, but at that moment, both Vasser and I, Edena Rez and T'Rena both, all present personnel were balancing on a knife's edge, and could have died that morning on the Harbinger. Fortunately, another security guard emptied his energy pack into Acreth's back, eventually managing to subdue her with his rifle's maximum stun setting."

Taking another bite, Jien finished her story - her validation of Carrigan's feelings about Acreth. "Dr. Nicander lived after immediately being transported to the Triage Centre, and no one died besides Dee... the Harbinger CSec. We did not know the risk involved, and if we would, we would have been forced to let Dr. Nicander die instead of risking the lives of everyone present by lowering that forcefield. In hind-sight, everything is quite different, isn't it?"

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #5 –
[ Commander Trent | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 ] Attn: Auctor Lucan

As Ives spoke of the mission, Trent took that time to eat.  He knew all too well that soon enough both of them would have to get back to work and both would desperately need their lunch to sustain them until such a time as they could afford to slow down long enough to get something resembling dinner.  And if this day was going to be anything like one of the few previous ones, he had at least a good eight to ten hours' worth of non-stop work in front of him once they'd part ways.  And he well knew the Captain understood such a thing and was not likely to take offence. 

"I share your hopes about what's going on within Starfleet, and with some luck there will be plenty of commanding officers who will revert to their standing orders prior to the receipt of any directions they considered to be suspect once they hear from us.  So while they might not directly be with us, they won't be against us either and will still serve the Federation."  However, there was the political fallout.  That was a tricky position because with Starfleet divided, much of Federation space might make for an appealing target for a lot of other governments.  But an idea germinated in Trent's mind.  "Captain, I think we can work around that."

"It would stand to reason the Federation isn't the only entity to have been compromised.  And our message, let's face it, will be going on open Starfleet channels all across Federation space.  It would be naive to assume it won't be picked up by others.  Of course, we'll say the Federation has been penetrated, but we could also mention how we assess this infiltration is quite pervasive and if key Starfleet were compromised, then other governments capable of mounting a credible resistance to this enemy must also have been affected."  Trent then offered a slight, but ruthless grin.  He knew such words would still be the truth, if somewhat massaged, but could be enough to get other governments looking inwards and on the lookout for key personnel that could be compromised instead of forming war plans. 

Tactics were all about the desired end-result.  Spreading awareness about the enemy was one goal, safeguarding the Federation another.  And if it could get the fleets of other governments worried, or better yet confirm what they already suspected, Theurgy's list of allies could conceivably grow exponentially. 

"But as for the Temporal Cold War, time travel, paradoxes and parallel realities, Captain, I'd rather not get into that.  There's nothing we can really do about it and if we start worrying about the timeline or changing history or preventing future history, we can wind up screwing things up for our allies in the 29th century.  If anything, unless it comes straight to bite us in the ass we should stay away from anything to do with time travel."  Trent wasn't one to mince words, and truth be told he was somewhat testing the waters with Ives.  He did not know his Captain that well and he needed to see just how frank he could afford to be in private.  Of course, in public he would support her all the way and keep his own counsel unless directly asked for it.  She was the Captain, he was her Executive Officer; she gives direction, he makes it happen. 

But what stopped Carrigan's eating was returning to the topic of Acreth.  He had read the reports, seen what recordings still existed.  He had never seen anything or anyone move like that before, and he'd been in a fistfight to the death against a Vulcan close-quarter combat expert just a few days past.  "You know what they say about hindsight, Captain," replied Trent.  "Honestly, I don't think we'll get anything useful out of that thing in the Brig.  It's just too... alien to us right now.  We have nothing to compare against or any way to create a baseline.  For all we know, it's immune to the various tricks we can use to break its mind.  If it was my call, I'd fry it in its cell and space what's left.  A hell of a lot safer to keep it locked up.  If the forcefield fails, it'll be loose.  If it needs to be maintained, we need to move it.  If we need to do any repairs inside the cell, we're at risk. We just can't keep that thing on board any longer than we absolutely have to."

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #6 –
Jien listened to the advise of her First Officer while she ate, making sure to not leave the meal forgotten since it might be the last meal she had before she retired to her quarters, and she would fare more poorly than solid humanoids when they lacked sustenance. Unlike the Founders of the Dominion, her Chameloid morphogenic matrix would suffer for it, making her less limber and able to maintain her form, much less change form as quickly as she normally could. Her thoughts and her mind would suffer for it in the same way, drowsiness making her thinking less swift and her judgement less true. Her matrix and her mind was intimately connected.

"I had thoughts around the similar approach," she said about the idea to implicate the other galactic powers in the enemy's plot, "and the way you illustrate it makes sense. All right, let's just hope it will be enough."

When Trent spoke his advice about Sonja Acreth, Jien had to look up from her meal. She had taken his words about the temporal wars and the alternate realities in stride, nodding in agreement about not trying to affect the course of history since they were unable to isolate what they might actually do, but when it came to the prisoner, Jien did not agree with Carrigan's advice, even if she understood perfectly well the motivation - having nursed the idea herself since the first day she was transferred to the Theurgy's brig.

"I am not prepared to do so yet," she said quietly in a very serious tone, "even if it has crossed my mind. She might constitute a risk to this crew, and it might end up costing lives... but that thing has a name, and its not its own. Ensign Sonja Acreth used to be a young woman that served in Starfleet, upholding the tenants of the Federation, so who are we to execute her unless we have exerted all possible ways to try and bring her back, and remove the parasite within her? It is not so easy to abandon hope for all the people that have been possessed, not when they used to be upstanding officers, family and friends. If there is a way to restore Acreth to her true self, should we not devote time and effort to such a cause? We might never have the opportunity to study and learn about this thing again, and if we space it, we have not gained any answers. We would still know nothing about the enemy, and even less how to properly deal with the threat without murdering both parasite and host."

Taking another bite, Jien raked a hand through her dark hair, "You should have faith in Doctor Nicander. He will find the answers we seek, somehow. If not him, the scientists might. It is important, however, that we do not give up on the very people we are trying to protect... because that would truly make us the villains that Command is making us out to be. "

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #7 –
An Executive Officer was not just the man who saw to a ship's day to day operations and readiness.  He was the Captain's seniormost advisor and if anything he was the one person on board whose job it was to disagree with her from time to time.  And where Sonja Acreth was concerned was one of those cases.  Yes, there was a chance there was still the Ensign herself in there but he had seen the reports and what recordings had been available.  She was dangerous all right.  And that put getting shot by the Deputy into perspective.  If he'd had time to get up and had been one of those things, the damage his prosthetics alone could have done...

"Captain, I have wondered about that myself, and trust me I didn't come to that suggestion lightly."  Trent punctuated the sentence with a sip from his beer.  He did not like what he had to say, but his better judgement was that the safety of the ship and crew came first, even at the cost of Acreth's life.  "If we had confirmed allies, other people who'd be certain to carry the torch if we fell, I'd say the risk would be acceptable.  But right now, we're all alone.  We have no allies, no friends, no support.  If we get killed, this is it, end of the line for the good fight unless the whole galaxy is really lucky and someone else has clued in on their own and started resisting at their end."  The matter was grave all right, and Carrigan's tone matched its seriousness.

Having said that, Trent took a deep breath.  "I hope you'll understand, Ma'am, the way I see it my job is to advise you as best I know how, and if need be to disagree with you.  But I give you my word that if you and I don't see eye to eye on a matter you'll be the only one to hear about it, and behind closed doors.  But once you make the final decision, you're the Captain and I'm your XO.  You decide, I make it happen and the crew will never have cause to doubt whether their command team is on the same page."

Only then did he pause, though only long enough to take a pull from his half pint.  "Right now, we have no safety net at all.  But if you're not willing to kill her, then perhaps a compromise could be reached?  I maintain keeping Acreth in the brig is too dangerous.  So perhaps we could drop her into a reinforced stasis pod instead?  One with an independent power supply and physical restraints as well.  It's not just for me, Captain.  The whole crew knows she's dangerous and everyone would breathe easier if they knew for certain the threat is contained even more tightly."

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #8 –
Jien listened to Carrigan while she finished her meal, glancing up at him while he spoke. His attitude was exemplary, the mark of an experienced Starfleet Officer and someone who had served as Executive Officer before. Whatever he had lost since the Harrier was ambushed, he seemed to have regained since he defected to her, rising to the challenges he'd faced in form of the mutiny and the battle against the Calamity. His reasoning was sound, and Jien nodded before taking a sip from her water.

"Agreed, provided that you consult with Doctor Nicander," she said, putting her glass down. "For while it sounds good to me, and the crew might be better protected that way, we need to know if it's a viable option for continued scans of Acreth and her nature. The reservation I have is that it remains a matter of whether or not the Doctor can conduct his work while she is in that state, and find a way to free the hosts from these parasites. If he can't, we may never learn how to restore the people in Starfleet Command and all the others to their usual selves. Without any other viable option, we are left with a situation where we will either have to kill the hosts, or imprison them - leaving them able to deny the truth we bear."

Having said this, Jien folded her hands on the table, and there was no hesitation in her tone - eyes still as they looked at Commander Trent. "However, if you think I would hesitate to kill the people in command if the future of the Federation was riding on it, then you are wrong. I have no compunction about doing what needs to be done for the sake of the free Galaxy as a whole... but I won't do it on a whim. Not when there might be a way to compensate for the lives we have taken since we fled Earth, by delivering all the infected from the enemy's hold on them. It could be our only possible act of redemption... if they won't listen to the truth we bear."

Whatever right thing she could do, she would try it, for at night, she could still hear the screams of all the mothers, fathers and children - lamenting the loss of their loved ones. Either they grieved someone who had died under her command, or someone that had been commissioned to the ships that she'd have to destroy in order to get away - the option of disabling their pursuers not always available. In her ready room, she still kept PADDs with the crew manifests of those ships, and in her weaker moments, she would look up the names on those lists, find their next of kin in the database... and commit the names of the surviving families to her memory.

OOC: Lost my first seven paragraph version because of internet disconnection, but I hope this version is okay too.

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #9 –
"Captain, I never doubted for a second you'd be the kind not to do what's necessary, regardless of what it might be."  Trent could understand where Ives was coming from.  After all, if she'd been the one to decide to go on the run and take her ship with her.  Such was not the sort of thing someone who avoided unpleasant truths and responsibilities did.  "And from my end, I'll speak to Doctor Nicander as soon as I find the time to do it but I'll try and make it sooner rather than later." 

Taking a few moments to eat, the Executive Officer used that time to organize his thoughts.  Of course those who'd been compromised would deny the truth.  So far, suppression of information had been their best weapon.  But once that particular cat would be out of the bag, there would be no putting it back in.  Not once it would be broadcast on every Starfleet channel and make its way to every ship, outpost, station and listening post.  And from there it would get to civilian Federation officials, and through diplomatic channels, and to other governments.  Two whole Quadrants would know.  And no amount of denials or condemnations would ever be able to make people forget. 

"I don't doubt they'll try and deny the truth.  They've been doing this ever since you, well, went rogue.  But once we get the word out?  They'll never be able to control the information anymore.  Once it's out there, it's out there.  They will never be able to put that genie back in the bottle. "  He then set down his spoon and looked at Jien Ives, his gaze meeting hers.  "Captain, maybe we won't be able to just fly back to Earth and show ourselves openly across the Federation for some time yet, but once we get the word out?  We're done running, we're on the offensive."

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #10 –
Jien nodded quietly at the idea, but she had thoughts about what they might be up against after their long absence from the Alpha Quadrant. "The raid we will make on the Black Opal and our subsequent boarding of Starbase 84 will be acts where we will be on the offensive," she said, and then looked down to her hands - imagining seeing innocent blood on them, but her face betraying nothing more than a concerned rift between her eyebrows.

"The question is not whether they will hear us... but if they will listen," she said quietly, turning her hands in the light from the hologram above the table. "If they will heed our words regardless of the smear campaign that has - undoubtedly - been used to draw our actions and our names in the dirt. Because of what we have been forced to do during the fist two months of our escape, it is not like the enemy is in lack of material to feed to the Federation News Network. A truth that's told with bad intent beats all the lies you can possibly invent, and our enemy does not need fabrication to convince the free Galaxy about what we have done. They have eye-witnesses, they have bodies, destroyed ships... and what do we have?"

Sighing, Jien raised her hand to rub her temple - her worries giving her a headache since she could not let them show. "A story about invisible parasites that mean to bring down the order of societies and reduce everything to chaos, dissolving reality as we know it until it is unrecognisable and edible for them. That no one can trust the leaders of their governments until they have been subjected to tests that verify their identities. We don't even have a more viable way of discerning them than using the zh'Wann method at this point, and we have no evidence to prove their existence beyond a recording of Acreth talking about a nameless darkness," she said, scowling with her mouth a bitter line. "The words of Marcus Aurelius might just be our bane. 'Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth',"

And truth was the holy grail they carried on their crusade.

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #11 –
At Ives' thoughts on the nature of their operations, Trent offered a wry smile.  Once again, they had a divergence of opinion but that one was rather trivial.  "Personally, I see the raid on Black Opal as preparing towards resuming offensive operations.   And a chance to test our message on Starfleet personnel.  Call it... a test run for our mission at the Starbase."  Tactics had ever been the XO's forte.  Even when he had joined Starfleet Intelligence and was certain he would never again have to make any snap decisions as those made in a tactical environment, his every analysis and recommendation had been heavily coloured by the experience and mindset he possessed. 

The Captain's doubts, though, did ring true.  Federation media, having been fed heavily biased reports by compromised Starfleet senior staff, would have been running reports of atrocities and other crimes about Theurgy.  That alone would be well-known.  And what's worse, the facts being relayed were most likely fairly accurate, just the interpretation of those facts, though, would be severely at their disadvantage. 

"I'll grant that one, Ma'am, we don't have a whole lot.  However... I assume the hails from Sankolov were recorded?  He made a point to broadcast them fleet-wide, but truth be told I was a little busy trying to get off the Archeron before the main shuttlebay would lock and decompress to try and record it myself.  But he did mention a number of times in staff briefings how he would not negotiate with terrorists, and how the only terms that would be entertained would be his own." 

Then, the Commander's eyes brightened with a dangerous light.  The kind of gleam that had started to appear more an more in his gaze these recent days whenever he seized upon an idea he thought was of significant tactical importance.  Captain, too many people will have heard Sankolov on the speakers.  And even if he invokes the Official Secrets Directives, people will still talk.  Word will eventually get out about how you tried to make terms that would see you and your crew spared long enough to stand trial and he responded by opening fire.  Oh, make no mistake what gets to the public will have been creatively edited, but I think we might have something to work with.  Captain, I know this might be risky to give up some of our evidence, but I think we need to track down the physical location of where that recording is within our memory banks, and  physically remove those engrams and we scan them down to the quantum level so we have records of its state while still in our possession.  And then we give those engrams to someone who might be at least remotely receptive to us and we let them access them.  Physical engrams would show sign of tempering if the data within was manipulated, after all."

"As for what little we know?  We tell the galaxy at large.  We send what findings Doctor Nicander will have at that time.  We send the footage of Acreth in the  various brigs, the test the Deputy devised, everything.  If we missed something, someone, somewhere, will have our research as a starting point.  And if we're destroyed, the data isn't going to be lost with us." 

Ives' worry was not lost on Trent.  Rubbing at her temple to dispel a headache.  That was a tell of the pressure she was under and he would not let that pass.  "Captain, like I said it's highly probably we'll disagree on things along the way; we might even butt heads like drunken Klingons at times.  But you're my commanding officer.  I'll back you all the way when you make your decision, and it's my job to support you any way I can.  And right now, let me say this.  I'm the second ranking officer on board; I've commanded a ship in wartime.  And I'm the one person on board who has an objective idea of what you're thinking and going through.  And I know a ship's captain has to be careful who he or she confides him lest they damage the crew's confidence.  I guess what I'm saying is, I'm supposed to be your closest advisor, and on top of that, you don't have to worry about losing my confidence in you.  If there's anyone within the chain of command you can be totally open with, Captain, that would be me and I'm more than willing to listen."

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #12 –
Listening, Jien nodded while Carrgian spoke of his idea to use the Sankolov recordings against the enemy, preserving the raw data as best as possible to avoid suspicion of the records behind fabricated. It was the best they could do, another record added to their case against Starfleet Command. It might not be enough on its own, but together with the rest of the evidence they had, it would amplify their call to arms.

"Make it so," she said quietly, closing her hands into fists and dropping them into her knee - leaning back a little in her seat. "Thea could help with that, I'd imagine, unless you ask Ravenholm to assist you. Either way, whatever we can pitch against the lies about or names will aide us, even if it is just one Admiral that denied us our rights - a man who has been hunting us since the beginning of our voyage."

Then Carrigan asked how she was holding up, and Jien could not help the faint, rueful smile that touched her face. He was offering her to open up and speak freely, and as kind as the gesture was - and rational given the circumstances - Jien was beginning to feel that some of the crew's attention towards her as a person and her well-being almost bordered on pity... but she knew that it was a lie. After the mutiny, she was seeing shadows everywhere, and chalked up all considerations towards her as confirmation that people though she was not going to handle the mission they were on. Paranoia was truly the bane to good relations with the crew, and she had to be better than that.

"My gratitude for your offer, Trent," she said, meaning it too. Her morphogenic matrix compensated for the lines around her eyes, rifts that would adorn any officer in her situation, so it was only made evident in the way her eyes burned with the kindling of righteousness. She had steeled herself to bring her crew home and clear their names, and anything less was unacceptable. "I think that you especially - for the aforementioned reasons - can picture how I am feeling. I can likely confirm your hypothesis on all accounts, and then add some more since you were not aboard until we encountered Task Force Archeron above Theta Eridani IV. What can I say? I feel like hell, but that is not going to stop me. I try to find solace in whatever way I can, and to take heart in the fact that most of the crew stand with me. That I am not alone, even if I have to lead the way. As much as I hated Starfleet Intelligence when I left, I guess I should be grateful that my service with them prepared me for the kind of decisions I have to make on this voyage."

She took a deep breath, and she leaned over the table a little - raking her fingers through her thick, dark hair in thought.

"I just hope it will be easier... when we are not alone any more." Hope sprung eternal, didn't it?

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #13 –
As soon as the Captain agreed with his plan to provide the physical engrams as evidence to help clear their name, Trent made a mental note to speak to Thea about it.  Granted, it might be a little insensitive to ask the ship's AI to help remove some of her own memory engrams but then again it would be far more humane than just getting in there and yanking them out on his own.  For that was not something he would ask assistance for.  Not that he did not trust Ravenholm to do a good job, but it was his idea and any dealing with the ship's sentience would be up to him. 

But then, the conversation stepped away from immediate tactical matters and when Jien spoke of her current mental state, Carrigan allowed himself to nod.  He understood the stress and the doubt of being in command of a ship that was deep in combat operations.  His own experience with the Harrier, especially once he'd brought ship and crew back up to standard, had been harrowing when he knew both were ready for active operations but had yet to be properly blooded. 

But then, she spoke of her experience as a deep-cover operative and he nodded again.  "I guess both of us being isolated from anyone we could trust at all for an extended duration gives us both that kind of advantage.  But at least now neither of us is solo behind enemy lines, so to speak.  We at least have a ship and a crew.  That's a world more than either of us had on hand when we had to hide.  But the difference is, they trained you to do it, I was just an analyst so I had to learn on the fly."  Then a bit of a smile crossed his lips.  Trent knew there would be plenty who'd still say he was just a glorified desk jockey who did not really belong in a command position, especially since he'd initially effectively washed out of the command track. 

"But once we start gathering allies, things will get more complicated because we'll become part of effectively a task force of our own, one you might even be in command of for a time at least.  But in other ways, they will get much easier because we're not going to be alone anymore.  We won't be carrying the torch on our own, there will be others to keep the word going, keep the research moving and keep fighting if anything happens to us.  As it stands, we've got the whole weight of the galaxy on our shoulders.  Once we can share it, it'll get easier."

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #14 –
Her First Officer's words rung true, and she very much looked forward to sharing the weight with other commanding officers than herself.

"Indeed. Back on Theta Eridani IV, the fact that I had Captain Vasser by my side made a lot of difference. I could validate my course of action, just like I then imagined he could, by showing the crew that we were not alone in our plight. The enemy was real, made even more manifest after Ensign Acreth almost killed us, and we could shed doubts in the hearts of our people. Gradually... I was feeling... vindicated."

A shadow passed over her face then, her frown split between ire and shame. "Perhaps that was why I didn't see the mutiny coming. I needed Vasser to certify my orders, and believed we stood together. I had to. Yet after reading the reports, Vasser had ordered T'Rena to mind-meld people before I ordered the crew to prepare for this mission to Starbase 84. Vasser had already decided to take the Theurgy and build his augment army well away from charted space, since T'Rena was turning people against me the day before the Senior Staff Meeting - working through the night of festivities on the holodeck to secure key personnel. So, contrary to my initial thought - that it was the announcement of our present mission that turned Vasser against me - he had already set things in motion. Perhaps it had been his ambition right from the start, when he sought us out in the Hromi cluster."

She paused there, the seething emotions making her outward image flicker - her morphogenic matrix compensating for the way her emotions had compromised her physical structure. To Trent, it would only appear as a ripple through her form, gone as quickly as it had come. She took a deep breath, rising her chin. "I have great respect towards the difficulties ahead when we gain supporters among Starfleet, because we might not know if we invite one of the enemy to our table. I hope you understand why I must insist on Nicander's tests to continue, and that it might be worth the risk of keeping Acreth in the Brig. If the Doctor require it, we will have to look over ideas on how to secure the prisoner in her holding cell regardless what might happen to the ship. Reinforcing the bulkheads if needed be, and giving her cell auxiliary power. Whatever it takes, as long as we find something more effective than the zh'Wann method to detect them. Speak with Nicander and sort it out to the best of your abilities, and delegate the work as required to keep the weight of your own shoulders. I... reckon this situation is not easy for you either, Commander."

Jien was certainly not unaware of how much she had put on Carrigan's plate, the nature of this short meeting of theirs proof of its own.

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #15 –
When the captain began to speak of Vasser and how she had not seen the mutiny coming, Trent resisted shaking his head.  He knew exactly what Ives was saying, because he had experienced all of it, save for ever feeling vindicated.  He knew that guilt she was feeling because he knew it all too well himself.  It had taken him joining the crew of the Theurgy to realize it. 

"Captain, no one saw it coming.  No one could have seen it coming.  One way or another, Vasser was planning to make a run for it.  He had no way to know he would find you before Sankolov would, and when he did all he saw was the possibility of an asset.  It isn't your fault, Captain."  That was rather odd to Carrigan, to return his commanding officer's words in such a way.  While it felt like half a lifetime ago, it was but a few days past since he'd been told as much, though about the Harrier. 

"I won't say we won't be running a risk of infiltration when we start gathering allies.  Because we'd be foolish not to assume it's going to happen.  But we can't allow ourselves to operate in complete isolation either."  She was right, they needed to devise a better, more reliable test than just shooting people to see if they had been compromised.  That test was hardly sustainable, for if the enemy could protect its host from phaser-fire, could it also opt against it once they would catch on. 

"I agree, Captain.  As you've already said, I'll be having words with Doctor Nicander, see if there could be ways for him to continue to experiment with Acreth in stasis.  Or if not, holding her in such a way that she would be more secure and not as dependent on shipboard systems.  I'll let you know as soon as I have something to work with." 

The Chameloid was right.  Things weren't the easiest for Trent either.  Assuming the mantle of XO was never an easy task, especially when one was an outsider to the ship upon appointment.  But so far as he knew, it had never been done before by a defector from Starfleet who was intent on preserving the Federation as his oath required.  "I'd say it's got its challenges," replied he with a ghost of a grin.  "But at least now I'm not completely stranded and alone behind enemy lines."
 

Re: DAY 03: Between Meetings [1200 hrs.]

Reply #16 –
"Quite true," saif Jien and smiled faintly in turn. "It was good speaking with you at length, and thank you for your encouragement. It is hard to tell how much you need it until you get it, and again feel that you are on the right track."

She rose to her feet, picking up her plate and her glass so that she could return it to the replicator's dispenser. "I look forward to hearing from you in regard to the Acreth situation. In the meantime, let me know if any matter arise that needs my direct attention. Yeoman Henshaw keeps me posted, but this week might just be the most busy one I have experienced since we fled Earth, so if my replies are too tardy, come see me in person."

- FIN


OOC: Let me know if you had another topic for them to cover and I will edit this post!
 
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