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Day 02 [1037 hrs.] - Kitty For Hire

[ Lt. RraHnam | Security Center | Deck 4 | USS Oneida ] Attn: 
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[D02|1037] Kitty For Hire

April 22, 2381
10:37 hrs.
Stardate: 57664.28

"...and request my transfer to the USS Theurgy for the reasons stated."
Lieutenant Rivera threw the PADD on his desk and rubbed the root of his nose. The exertions of the last time were clearly visible on his face. The dark circles under his eyes gave him away. He was tired, as were many other crew members of the USS Oneida. First the realization that they were deep into an empire-spanning conspiracy, then faking their destruction without being sure they would ever see their loved ones again, and now the two skirmishes with the Klingons and the Romulans. The last few days had a lot to offer, and the efforts were starting to take their toll.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Lieutenant?" he asked the muscular Caitian standing in front of his desk with some frustration in her voice. Her ears were forward, attesting to the fact that she was giving the USS Oneida's chief of security her full attention. Her tail swished back and forth in a relaxed manner. After several hours in sickbay being treated for injuries sustained when she went up against a Klingon politician infected by one of those parasites, she concluded that the Theurgy needed her services more than the Oneida did. RraHnam had not taken this step lightly. She had, after all, spent much of her service aboard this ship and had come to greatly appreciate many of her crew. Some she even considered friends. Among them was the man now sitting in front of her, who apparently couldn't come to terms with the idea that his right hand suddenly wanted to leave. But before RraHnam could say anything, he raised his hand.

"Forget it. That was a rhetorical question." He raised the PADD. "I already know your answer."
Rivera stood up. He clasped his hands behind his back and walked a few steps across the room until he arrived at a computer panel embedded in the wall. With a few quick inputs, he changed the display to show the Multivector Dreadnought, the namesake of the Theurgy class. RraHnam followed his movements and was firmly convinced that she could hear the gears working in his head. Curious, she tilted her head, her pupils dilated, and her whiskers began to tremble slightly. She wanted to know what he was thinking. RraHnam had known the man for more than three years now. By now she could read his body language and his current posture indicated... melancholy? Was he mourning the fact that she was requesting her transfer? The Deputy Chief of Security was about to launch into an explanation when the Rigelian interrupted her with a sigh.
"It's a big ship already," he began. "It's true... They can use all the help they can get. What am I going to do without you, Nam?"

Then RraHnam understood the game and sighed in her turn. She now looked into the screen as well, making eye contact via the reflection. Her previously curiously perked ears, laid back flat. Her pupils had constricted.
"Stop playing games, Rodrigo. I know you've been watching me in the reflection of the screen. You were just waiting for me to say something so you could trigger guilt in me with a dramatic gesture. That's your favorite trick to get people to do what you want them to do."
He gave a short laugh, then turned around. "Gotcha. So what? Did it work, at least?"
RraHnam snorted, and Lieutenant Rivera conceded defeat. He dropped into his seat and finally offered RraHnam a seat as well.
"No, it didn't," the Caitian denied as she settled down as well. She crossed her legs and folded her arms in front of her chest.
"Investigation Officer does not equal Chief of Security, you know that, right?"
"I am aware of that. But I don't want to switch to get ahead, Rodrigo. I want to help, and I believe my services can be used aboard the Theurgy."
"Your services are just as well needed here, though."
"I know that." A long sigh followed from her. "But you only need the services of one Deputy Chief of Security, though."
"What?" the Lieutenant asked, puzzled.
"Aw hell, Rodrigo. Brightman is a damn good officer. He just needs a chance to prove himself and he can't do that if he doesn't get one. For him, a transfer to Theurgy is out of the question. That's what he told me. He loves the ship here with all his heart. That is also why I will take my hat off, as humans say, to clear the way for him. I can kill two birds with one stone. Brightman gets his chance to prove himself and I can be directly involved in fighting this infection."
Rodrigo Rivera was silent and stared at his right hand. He was trying to organize his thoughts and was just processing their additional arguments. He was aware that Joshua Brightman was a capable officer, but something seemed to annoy him.
"What's the matter?" asked RraHnam. "Have you lost your tongue?"
"No." he replied. "It's... It's just that it's been a hell of a long time since I needed to be pointed in the right direction, and I didn't think it would happen to me again, but here we sit." Rivera shifted the PADD. "I'm going to talk to the captain. Pack your things, Lieutenant. You're going on the Theurgy."

[ Lt. RraHnam | Transporterraum 3 | Deck 12 | Vektor 2 „The Sword” | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @trevorvw
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A few hours later, she materialized on the transporter platform in transporter room 3 on deck 12 of the USS Theurgy, ready to begin a new chapter in her life. She had prepared Brightman well, she knew, and if the human behaved reasonably competently, he would quickly settle into his new assignment. That's exactly what RraHnam also wanted to do. She shouldered her duffel bag, which contained all her belongings.
"Welcome aboard the USS Theurgy, Lieutenant Ranam," the transporter officer said.
"Thank you, but that means RraHnam. You'll have to roll the R more, crewman."
"Forgive me, Lieutenant."
"It’s okay. Where can I find the Security Center?"
"The Security Center, Ma'am?"
"Yes, where can I find it?"
"Um, deck seven."
"Thanks." she mewed and trudged off.
RraHnam didn't want to waste any more time than necessary reporting for duty. She would be able to determine the layout of quarters later as well. The Caitian stopped toward the nearest turbolift.

"Security Center, Deck 7." she commanded the computer, which confirmed her input with the well-known triad and immediately began moving. When the doors to the main entrance of the security center opened, the security officer was amazed. The dimensions here far exceeded those of the Oneida; the entrance area alone seemed as large as the entire Security Center of their old ship. It was a bit intimidating and at first glance seemed much more disorganized than her old workplace. Her father would certainly like it here. A ship of such dimensions was his dream. RraHnam walked up to the reception desk where a young ensign was on duty.
"Hello, how can I be of service to you, Lieutenant." greeted the blonde woman of human descent.
"RraHnam. I would like to report for duty here."
The woman checked her console. Then she asked the Lieutenant to take a seat for a moment.
"Just a moment, please. I'll announce you, Lieutenant."
OOC: Correction of the CoS of the USS Oneida RraHnam is talking to

Re: Day 02 [1037 hrs.] - Kitty For Hire

Reply #1 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Kai Akoni | Security Centre | Deck 7 | USS Theurgy ]

Kai sat in his office drinking some coffee and going through paperwork. If there were one thing that he despised about being chief, it had to be the sheer amount of paperwork. One of the PADDs he went through caught his eye, even just for the strangeness of it on the surface.

Despite the reasons for the new transfer, at the end of the day, Kai would welcome the additional help to his department.

His mind almost went into a day dream when the chime from his communicator pulled him back into the present. It was the receptionist on the other end announcing the new transfer was present in the security centre.

Earlier than expected…, the large man thought as he reached for his combadge to verbally acknowledge.

”Understood. Let the lieutenant know I’ll be out in a minute” he informed the receptionist and then closed the comm channel. Kai then emptied the coffee cup and set it back down on his desk. He rose his large frame from the chair and looked at himself in the mirror. He was always marvelled at the dermal regenerators and how they made it look like he hadn’t been through hell in the last few days.

He smirked at the thought. However he also knew that the dermal regenerators couldn’t help him with the thoughts, memories and feelings of everything that had happened. Those…those would take time.

He exited his office and went over to the reception area where he saw the Caitian Lieutenant standing and waiting.

”Lieutenant, I’m Commander Akoni. Welcome to the Theurgy. If you’ll follow me please.” Akoni informed the Lieutenant as he turned around and headed for his office. The Caitian quickly fell in just a step behind him.

The two entered his office, Kai motioned for his new officer to have a seat as he went around the back side of his desk and sat in his chair.

”You know, Lieutenant…I have to admit I’m confused. You’re moving from a DSec position into an Investigation Officer position here. That’s not to say we don’t welcome the help. Some people would consider that a demotion, so I’d just like to hear from the horses’ mouth about why you’re here. Off the record of course”

Kai sat and watched the Lieutenant across the desk from him as he waited for an answer.

Re: Day 02 [1037 hrs.] - Kitty For Hire

Reply #2 –
[ Lt. RraHnam | Security Center | Deck 7 | Vector 02 "The Sword" | USS Theurgy] Attn: @trevorvw 
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RraHnam did not have to wait long for the Chief Security Officer of the USS Theurgy. In fact, she had barely reached the waiting area when she was approached by the tall human, who had an imposing stature, and told to follow him. The Caitian liked the direct manner. He had greeted her without much ado and long banter and directly asked her to follow him. Commander Akoni led her into his office and offered her a seat in front of his desk. RraHnam thanked him curtly and then took a seat. She placed her duffel bag on the floor next to her.

Again, Akoni got straight to the point, RraHnam had to give him credit for that. It was a pleasant change to talk to someone who didn't use the typical human platitudes of small talk. It secured him her attention. Her ears perked up and fixed on the person behind his desk. The pupils of her eyes dilated.

Akoni asked her about her reasons for transferring to the Theurgy. He questioned why she accepted a position that was lower than her last position in terms of responsibility. It was a valid question and yes, he was right. Many people would see that as a demotion, but for the Caitian, it wasn't just about her position or rank. She wanted to be there. She wanted to fight this infection.

"I'm sure some officers would see this as a demotion," she began. "And I'm not going to deny that a small part of me doesn't see it that way, too. After all, I shared responsibility for an entire ship with my CSO. Leaving such a position was not an easy decision, but I resolved to see it as an opportunity. I believe that I can play a direct role in fighting this infection here."

Her words sounded like something out of a job interview, and after all, she was conducting one right now, but she was completely serious. She knew that these questions would come up. This transfer was sure to cause a stir. It wasn't every day that someone gave up a position like the one she held. But RraHnam didn't stick to her chair like others. She wanted to help and make a difference. She wanted to make sure that something like a second Betazed would not happen again. She wanted to prevent it at all costs.

"The Oneida will do its duty and support the Theurgy to the best of its ability. Reconnaissance, encrypted communications, transports. The ship will have some things to do, but here..." She gestured to the room. "This is where the action is. This is the front line, and this is where I can make an impact. If that means knocking on some doors and digging through dirty laundry to do it, then I'll knock on some doors and dig through dirty laundry. If it means that the ship will be safer because of my contribution as an Investigation Officer and can continue to fight the most important battle in our history, then my 'demotion' is a sacrifice I'm willing to make."

Her whiskers twitched, and the former Vra'shan professional was glad she was sitting up straight, because her tail would otherwise be swinging back and forth excitedly. Attentively, she watched her counterpart's body language and facial expressions.
“Off the record of course.”

Re: Day 02 [1037 hrs.] - Kitty For Hire

Reply #3 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Kai Akoni | Security Centre | Deck 7 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] @Nero

Kai sat in his chair studying the Caitian sitting across the desk from him. He didn't have a lot of experience dealing with Caitians, but her service record and letter from her former boss spoke for themselves. She came highly recommended and to be honest, Kai was impressed with her answers. Her request to come to the Theurgy wasn't selfish, so much as it was selfless. He had known her just a few minutes, but Kai was impressed with her truthful and straightforward answer.

"Sacrificing upward career mobility for the greater good. I have to say I'm impressed...that is on the record" he told his new officer aloud. Kai stood up and while outstretching his hand in order to tell the new officer to stay seated.

He made his way to the replicator. He ordered his coffee from the replicator and asked his guest if she wanted anything. After her reply, he came back to the desk and sat down in his chair. He looked through the smattering of PADDs on his desk and found the one he wanted. It was all the current information he had on the brig breach. He slid the PADD across the desk to his new investigations officer.

"It just so happens that we have multiple things to investigate at the moment. This one is probably the highest priority."

He gave her a few minutes to glance through the information before continuing. He drank his coffee and studied facial expressions and body language. She didn't make any outward expressions.

"I know that I'm throwing you right into the mix, but we're a little short staffed and the Captain wants answers as soon as possible. This brig breach was a terrible situation. Multiple dead and multiple injured. I need to know if it was bad luck, sabotage or somewhere in between. Do you have any questions?"

Re: Day 02 [1037 hrs.] - Kitty For Hire

Reply #4 –
[ Lt. RraHnam | Security Center | Deck 7 | Vector 02 "The Sword" | USS Theurgy] Attn: @trevorvw 
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It was still difficult to read humans. Rodrigo Rivera, the CSO of the USS Oneida she had known for several years and his mannerisms she eventually learned to interpret. That's why the Caitian watched very closely how the human man's facial features changed as she told her story and Lieutenant Commander Kai Akoni finally took the floor. He expressed surprise that RraHnam willingly gave up her career, or rather put a certain damper on her career. Still, it pained RraHnam to leave her friends and her position abord the Oneida behind.

As Kai Akoni went to a replicator and ordered a coffee, he asked his new Investigation Officer if she wanted some. RraHnam answered in the affirmative and asked for a glass of chilled water. It was always a good idea to stay hydrated. Caffeine, on the other hand, only made her heart race and she didn't feel like that. RraHnam picked up the PADD. The ship's brig had taken quite a beating during a Klingon attack, and it was not clear whether the many failures during the attack were due to sabotage or simply technical failure. For the Caitian, this raised some questions that she had to answer during her investigation.

She accepted the invitation of her new boss and asked him some questions, which she assumed the Chief of Security could answer.
"The event was indeed...," She felt sorry for the losses and searched for the appropriate words to express her regret.
"...Quite unfortunate," she finally said. But then she immediately switched to work mode. "Was there anything suspicious in the logs? Which technician was on duty? What witnesses can I talk to, and would you please show me the crime scene?"

They were standard questions; the former professional athlete was aware of that. But as everyone knew, one have to start somewhere. Then she remembered one more little thing. "On which terminal can I work at?"

Re: Day 02 [1037 hrs.] - Kitty For Hire

Reply #5 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Kai Akoni | Security Centre | Deck 7 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] @Nero

She had asked all the usual questions, which wasn’t too surprising to Kai given her experience. Some of them were tough to answer since there weren’t answers.

”Well…that’s the thing. The logs were corrupted so I can’t even tell you if there was anything suspicious. Which is one of the things I obviously want you to investigate. Whether it’s a computer glitch or something else.”

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. He took a sip of coffee again and felt the warm liquid make its way down his esophagus. He didn’t like not having answers, but Kai was confident that with RraHnam looking into things, that they’d have the answers shortly…one way or another.

”C’mon, I’ll show you the scene.” he said to his counterpart as he stood up from his desk. The Caitian quickly followed suit as they both headed for the door.

The two made their way from Kai’s office to where the Brig break happened. Kai looked around the area. He saw scorch marks on the bulkheads, debris strewn about and blood still on the deck plating where people had taken their last breaths.

He watched the new Investigations Officer as she did a cursory look around the area. Kai could tell that the investigation was in good hands. He felt it was more of a gut feeling but he trusted it nonetheless. After the Caitian was done looking around, she turned back to Kai.

”As you can see Lieutenant, it was a bit more than ‘quite unfortunate’. If you’re done here for now, I can show you where you’ll be working”

Re: Day 02 [1037 hrs.] - Kitty For Hire

Reply #6 –
[ Lt. RraHnam | Security Center | Deck 7 | Vector 02 "The Sword" | USS Theurgy] Attn: @trevorvw 
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Corrupted computer logs were usually a clear indication of sabotage, but on the other hand, the ship and crew were in an exceptional situation. A battle was raging in space, and there was also fighting aboard the USS Theurgy. The fact that Klingons could penetrate so far into the security station was unfortunately not helpful either, or if it was finally just a glitch in the computer program, then the certified surveyor would surely find an answer.

Lieutenant Commander Kai Akoni exhaled with a sigh and rubbed his forehead before standing up and asking the Caitian to follow him. The well-trained man showed her the way through the ship's large security center. RraHnam was astonished. The entire complex seemed to be about the size of a small town's police station. Then she realized that by now she was on board a small town herself and that the size of the security center was justified by that. Where many people met every day, often from different species, conflicts were inevitable. A corresponding security presence was needed, and now she would be part of that presence. RraHnam swallowed a little intimidated when her ideas met reality. Suddenly, a question echoed through her head. She wondered if she was really right here, if she had made the right decision, and in the same second another voice stifled that doubt again. Yes, she was right here. Size and dimensions just meant that she had to travel longer distances to get her work done. Fortunately, this was not difficult for her and somehow a certain anticipation welled up in her.

Quietly, the Caitian followed the human into the currently patched-up brig of the ship. The curious, cat-like woman let her gaze wander and recognized a lot of damage that the attack had brought with it. Scorched wall and floor panels and dried bloodstains in various hues. There had definitely been a fight here, and unfortunately, many had not won it. For the most part, the individual cells had been restored to working order. In the center of the room, mounted under the ceiling, the Caitian could spot a gun of some sort. That was new to her. Until now, Starfleet had not made use of sentry guns inside the prison wing, but apparently hard times called for hard measures. RraHnam left it uncommented for now. After all, the Chief of Security had so far not found it necessary to explain to her the reason for this weapon. She would certainly be able to ask him about that later.

Yes, a lot had happened here. Much of it was not pretty and Lieutenant Commander Kai Akoni was right. It was more than just 'very unfortunate' what happened here. She could see that now. RraHnam acknowledged the human's comment curtly and then followed the commander to a free terminal. The widow of a holonovella author, however, then didn't want to drag it out any longer and simply asked the human man straight out.
"What's this about the gun in the brig?"

Re: Day 02 [1037 hrs.] - Kitty For Hire

Reply #7 –
[Lt. Cmdr. Kai Akoni | Security Centre | Deck 07 | USS Theurgy ] @Nero

Kai chuckled internally first at the question about the ‘gun in the brig’ which lead him to chuckle outwardly too. The question itself would have sounded preposterous if Kai wasn’t already aware and involved in it.

”Yeah…that’d be my first question too” Kai said, before continuing to answer the Caitian’s question, ”That’s..uh..complicated too. That’ll have to wait for the more formal briefing, but suffice it to say, we needed some extra precautions for keeping some of our brig residents in place.”

Kai knew it was a cop out answer, but that’s the best he was going to give for now. He knew it wouldn’t satisfy her, but it’d have to do.

He observed the Caitian and saw that she wasn’t satisified, but came to accept the answer he gave for now. He watched her log onto the terminal. He studied her movements and saw that she was one to get straight into her work. He wondered if she’d even been to her quarters yet, but just as quickly dismissed the thought when he realized that it didn’t matter.

”Any questions before I let you get to work?” he asked, as he wanted her to get to work and do what she’s good at. 

Re: Day 02 [1037 hrs.] - Kitty For Hire

Reply #8 –
[ Lt. RraHnam | Security Center | Deck 7 | Vector 02 "The Sword" | USS Theurgy] Attn: @trevorvw 
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She did not like the statement. If she was to determine what exactly had happened, she needed information. Even if her question sounded like pure interest, and to some extent it was, the gun in the brig might have been a clue as to what had really happened at the time of the attack. The Caitian, however, wasn't about to contradict her new boss on her first day. She swallowed her comment but would not let it sit for long. It was a typical approach, not even meant in a bad way. Individuals tended to never tell the whole truth. They tended not to disclose information that they themselves did not consider valuable. It was something she had learned in her short time aboard the Oneida. If you didn't probe, you didn't get answers. But in this case, she would wait for the formal briefing to get a better understanding of what was happening on this ship. Sometimes a little subtlety was better than the sledgehammer method, especially since the Caitian felt that the Lieutenant Commander was only acting on protocol and for that reason it was not possible for him to enlighten RraHnam on the nature of the weapon at this time.

Again, she followed the human male. He led her to a terminal where she could work. After a few moments of being authorized to use it, the trained engineer began to work. RraHnam first called up a map of the ship and, more importantly, of the security center, including the brig. She opened various schematics of the control and instrumentation system, the EPS network, and a map of nearby Jeffries tubes and maintenance corridors. There were many possibilities for sabotage, and RraHnam was willing to get to the bottom of every one of them unless she found another logical and provable answer for it.

"Any questions before I let you get to work?" the lieutenant commander asked.
"No, sir, thank you. I think I have everything so far."
RraHnam asked the computer for the duty rosters of the individual departments for the said time, so that she could pick out possible suspects from them. Someone would surely be able to help her. She would also make an appointment with the engineering in a timely manner to get a second opinion on her survey.
"No, it's all there. Thank you very much, Lieutenant Commander. I will find an answer."

- F I N -
 
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