Chapter 07: Quiets and Questions
"Ah, Lieutenant Capitaine! Prompt as usual. ... An assignment has come through for you in the Kassae System. There's natural interference in the system, but it should be much calmer than was Paulson. ... We've lost communication a research station, they use orbiting signal boosters, so its likely just misaligned or needing maintenance. So, your orders are to make repairs, re-establish contact, and report back; It should be simple *engineering* assignment."
" ... sounds 'simple', admiral."
"I'm thinking it should be, Lieutenant."
Still exhausted from Captain LaForge's assignments, Capitaine felt relieved that this one to Kassae should be a simple 'there-and-back' assignment. Capitaine still hadn't gotten to know her officers very well. Elisa had gotten her a book, 'Guide to Captainancy', from a Ferengi; despite her skepticism, it was actually very useful.
Some chapters such as 'When to go down with the ship' or ' Fraternizing with your officers' were pointless to read, but others like 'Ship-wide Discipline' and 'Relationship Expectations' Capitaine took efforts to memorizing these. Embarrassed about admitting she still struggled with social life and relationship queues, Capitaine kept the book in her quarters, out of sight.
Despite outranking Capitaine, Kovroht didn't seem to mind much the chain of command. Being the Chief of Science, there weren't many dedicated science officers onboard, mainly Versallia. The two of them didn't see eye to eye, one of them either cared too much and the other not enough; as for experiments and reports they were able to put their differences aside, most of the time. Capitaine was becoming best friends with Phaedriel, she found it easy to discuss alot of things with someone who shared the same social difficulties. Phaedriel seemed to feel the same, although she always kept herself more professional than personal. Capitaine noticed that Anne was retreating to her quarters more and more, despite enjoying her conn position; there was something bothering her, she spent less and less time with her friends and more and more time alone. T'Vrell didn't complain but as a Vulcan it was hard to read what she wanted or didn't. Morek and Zarva were starting to have crew complaints, either incompetency or work-place issues; this was in addition to the work-space issues of 'being cramped' or 'being too-retrofitted'.
Elisa, on the other hand, was becoming angsty for action. She had refined her orbital strike program to incinerate a single person from orbit, almost by sight alone. But that wasn't very useful, she kept it to a slightly wider beam, usually five-by-five meters, with a lower, less powerful output to avoid setting fire to environment. Working with Razkii, she had a system for either securing or retaking the ship in a matter of minutes, although the Epitaph wasn't that big of a ship. Capitaine could tell Elisa felt too restricted on this NX-class and wanted to either progress upwards or transfer to someplace she could. Not wanting to lose her best friend, yet being unable to promote her beyond ensign, Capitaine tried to spend more time together, but with less and less free time, it was depressing.
Assembling the crew to their posts, Capitaine explained the assignment. Most were glad for a calmer, steady mission while others, such as Kovroht, wished it was something she could sink her bat'leth into. Despite their complaints and their feelings of confinement, Capitaine could still tell they were content for the moment.
...
"Lieutenant, ... there are Gorn ships in orbit. They're gathered around the signal booster."
Kovroht squinted over to T'Vrell's station before glancing towards the viewscreen. "Capitaine, those aren't KDF ships ... they're an extremist faction."
"What are they doing here?"
"Kassae has had its *problems*, a couple factions claim that it is rightfully part of the Gorn Hegemony. The KDF officially stands against this. ... But an empire built around *honor* can do little to stop them. I can assure you they won't respond peacefully."
"Is that so?
Anne, take us through the asteroid belt, see if we can surprise them."
Piloting through the asteroid belt was tough already, but having to fly within a low, masked signature *with* a volatile gaseous everywhere only made a difficult situation more so. All eyes were either on Anne or at the view screen. Any sudden thump on the hull would likely cause a cascade and explosion; if they survived that, they wouldn't last well against the Gorn.
After hearing several holding their breath, Anne managed to pull through, Elisa opened fire ... and they pulled through in the end. Capitaine relaxed, she didn't like being so helpless in a situation like this; all she could do was watch and hope.
Scanning the satellite, it was damaged beyond repair. The Gorn had already stripped it down and it would take longer to repair than to build a new one. Scanning the surface facilities revealed extensive damage. Assembling teams with Razkii, Capitaine would take away teams to secure the facility. Morek would accompany them as soon as they secured the first room.
...
The station was dimly lit, musky, and smoky; difficult to breath; Razkii handed out rebreathers; a life saver. Walking up to a control platform, was a young girl who knelt over a researcher. The researcher had taken a deep slashing across his chest but was still alive. The girl seemed okay except with a distant look in her eyes, Razkii noted that she is likely someone's, now traumatized, daughter.
Securing the room, Morek beamed down with a small medical team and began setting up pattern enhancers and unrolling equipment. Capitaine took a moment to look again at the girl, she was wearing a researcher's jacket with smattered blood on it, Gorn blood.
"He should be fine, what's your name?"
"I am Dina Sarazu, his Lab Assistant." Pointing to the old man, she kept staring at him with neither concern nor anger. Walking her over to Morek's team, they did a quick scan of her, aside from some bruises, she was fine; Capitaine knew enough that she wasn't mentally fine.
Snapping away from the researcher, Dina looked to Capitaine. Her voice was quiet and had a small, child-like attitude to it.
"The reptilian, the dinosaurs, *the Gorn* ... just beamed in and started shooting ... started setting fires ... they are looking for something. ... I overheard they are claiming this as their own, but they have disabled or destroyed most of the facility. It'll take *years* to regain all that was lost today!"
Still not having much of an expression on her face, Capitaine began to doubt whether Dina was involved or not, or how much of her was still functioning after this trauma. However, Razkii soon struck a nerve with her and she lashed out at him.
"Lieutenant Capitaine, We're rescued four of the scientist and repaired environmental controls. There's some Gorn held up in the main lab with some hostages. I think we 'ight need your help.
Kid, where're your parents? You shouldn't be here for any more shooting, are there any other children here?"
"I am a Lieutenant and am hardly a child! I do not need your condescension and I do not need *your* help!"
"Sorry, ma'am. ... Maybe ... uhmm ...
... Morek! ... "
"Your name is *Capitaine*, one of the other researchers read aloud an article about you. Your reputation is quite impressive for your inexperience. ... I believe my superior will be fine; I am familiar how to overcome the Gorn in the main lab. I can help."
"*Great*, there were articles written about me? ... So, how well do you know me, 'Lieutenant ... uhhh?'."
"You may address me as *Dina*, Lieutenant. The article was written in ... "
" ... Dina, sorry, lets focus on the main lab. Show me what you have in mind."
...
Quickly siphoning out all the smoke and distress, the Gorn couldn't simply be beamed to the brig and the hostage scientists couldn't be beamed to safety. Razkii planned a quick strike but this was everybody's first encounter with the Gorn, there were bound to be mistakes and new, sudden realizations.
Taking the Gorn by surprise, most of them were easily stunned. Among the group there was one that seemed almost twice the size and height. As he saw his comrades being cut down, he grabbed the floor, ripping out the tiles and cement. It split with a loud creak as he flung it across the room. Directed at Razkii, he let down his rifle and simply stared at his death. While his team jumped themselves out of the way, Capitaine reacted the opposite.
Shoving Razkii across the room, Capitaine took the full force of the incoming piece. *Almost*. Luckily it had missed her and lodged itself into the wall behind them. However, it had missed *most* of her, her shin was snapped to the side and while only a mild scrape, there was obvious internal bleeding. While Razkii was still picking himself up, the rest of the team finished off the Gorn and rescued the hostages. Morek took Capitaine back the Epitaph, assuring that his team would handle the well-being of the remaining scientists.
Elisa waited at the transporter pad and carried Capitaine from Morek's shoulder to her's. With constant, almost cute, reassurances, Elisa carried Capitaine while running to the Medical Bay. Lying her down, Elisa decided to help Morek despite knowing next-to-nothing about medicine. Tasked with trying to figure out what a regenerator looked like, Morek went about as quick as he could.
With a sudden *CRACK*, Capitaine let out a painful gasp and curled up, clutching her thigh. Morek cut his attention back to Capitaine's leg, the source of the sound. Her foot was now facing the right way, and she was able to wiggle her toes without pain. Scanning again her leg, it revealed it was already almost completely healed and her bones had *set themselves* back to normal. Dumb struck, those who had just witnessed this miracle healing looked to Capitaine for an answer,
"I've never seen this before ... "
"Well, Morek ... I've never broken my leg before."
" ... and I can see why.
Flores, I'm gonna take some scans ... "
"Elisa, you're in charge, until ... Morek is gonna scan this: my leg, ... rest of me too, I guess. I'll be back on the bridge once he's done."
Before Morek had time to say more, Capitaine jumped to the ground onto her feet. Except for the painful anticipation and a sudden flinch, Capitaine was able to walk herself over to Elisa and reassure her back to the bridge. Still eyeing Capitaine, Elisa walked out as far as she could without breaking eye contact.
Watching Elisa stumble herself around, Capitaine decided to hail Razkii, even while Morek was scanning her with all his instruments. There wasn't much happening on the ground, the Gorn were contained and casualties were being cared for. The facility was totaled, the scientist would stay and start gathering their research and information.
...
Tracking the Gorn from the second planet to the fourth planet was simple. Due to the system's natural jamming, the Gorn seemed unaware that anything had gone wrong. Feeling unopposed, they went about as usual. With Dina's help, she managed to sneak Razkii's team onto the planet. Disabling the transport inhibitors, the Gorn on the surface were easily removed. Although there was a problem; from her ship, Capitaine felt her tesseract device pulling her to the surface, a feeling she couldn't quite explain. Morek still wanted to have her stay for scans, but Capitaine knew she had to leave.
Beam to the surface, Capitaine let Elisa and Phaedriel interrogate the prisoners while she wandered the forest. Her Device pointed her in a specific direction, practically *beating* like a heart, and it beated harder every step closer she took. It was a small circular device, definitely out of place for the planet's lush forests. Scanning, it was a piece of a transporter, almost resembling a personal transwarp beaming device. A device well-known but inefficient and impractical for all but the rarest of situations. Once realizing, her Device stopped, returning to its silent, normal self.
Returning to her team, they didn't seem to have noticed her gone at all. They had learned the Gorn had a ship in orbit where the last of the scientists were being held. Disabling and capturing the ship should be simple; somehow the Gorn just weren't prepared for any real resistance.
Returning to the Medical Bay with Morek, Capitaine let Elisa command until returning to Earth. Elisa seemed more than confident and if anything, a little condescending. Morek noticed it too and offered to run a full medical of Elisa, if Capitaine wanted.
...
"I'm Captain S'snek. You are tressspasssing within sssacred ssspace! Leave and I will ssspare your ssship."
"I'm Captain Flores of the USS Epitaph. We are here for the scientists that you have abducted. Return them to us ... and we will respect your claim."
"*Captain* Flores ... we can't do that, I'm sure Capitaine would agree: we can't give these extremists what they want."
Kovroht whispered her objections so that Captain S'snek couldn't hear over the viewscreen. Most of the bridge agreed with Kovroht while Anne and T'Vrell seemed indifferent to it, wanting to leave peacefully instead.
Elisa didn't seem to listen and had already loaded the torpedo launchers. Nudging Phaedriel and T'Vrell to prepare the transporters, although they weren't aware of what exactly Elisa had planned.
"Captain S'snek ... What is your answer? I'm in an old NX-class and I just want the scientists back, please. I'll leave you alone."
"Captain Floresss, *isss it*? ... I sssee your determination to get your people, even sssacrificing for them. Very well, they are in my cargo bay. ... Take them and leave my people to thisss planet."
Nodding to Captain S'snek, Elisa needed no confirmations from anybodyelse and simply fired as soon as he dropped his shields were set to drop. Captain S'snek's ship was large battleship but of an outdated design. Elisa knew exactly where to hit, and her torpedoes found their mark. Disabling the ship, Kovroht confirmed that it was powerless and was now drifting into the atmosphere. With time to spare, the scientists were beamed aboard and the Gorn were anesthetized and brought into custody.
...
"Well, Lieutenant ... I can't seem to keep you away from your *adventures*. ... We've spoken to Ambassador S'taass, the Gorn representative of the KDF. He has issued a formal renouncement of those you captured. He *didn't* direct it at this rogue group as a whole, but that is something to work for later. ... Today at Kassae was an archaeological loss, I think we can agree with the scientists, 'It'll take years to regain what was lost'. But I am glad you came out on top of all this! On another matter, I didn't want to give another assignment to you so quickly, but your name is becoming recognized in the Klingon Empire as well. To that fact, one of our officers requested *you* to escort them to meet with a KDF representative."
" 'Recognized' is good?"
"I can honestly say *I don't know*, but enough that she, Lieutenant Paris, has requested you specifically. I believe she wanted to brief you herself too."
" 'Brief me' with-a-security-team too?"
"You'll have to ask Lieutenant Paris, I'm sure she'll explain to you the situation. Also, there were two other details that caught my attention about your mission at Kassae. I reviewed Ensign Flores's command experience and of the incident in your Medical Bay. Concerning your First Officer, I hear this is her first try at command?"
"Yes, that's correct, admiral. Morek, err *Lieutenant* Morek, my CMO, thought it'd be best to keep me in the Medical Bay ... which, I think, leads to your *second detail of interest*. I-I, I-I don't have an *official* First Officer yet, but ... would you *approve* of her?"
" 'Don't have one yet'? ... Well, she has shown enthusiasm ...Although for a command officer, we wouldn't condone such deception; rescuing the scientists safely doesn't belay that fact. ... but *choosing* is up to you."
"I understand ... I-I'll make sure she understands that."
"Good. ... as for your medical concern, I hear you 'healed yourself'?"
"I'm not sure myself what happened. But I'm aware that *I* am not normal in a medical sense ... "
" 'Normal' or not, that report made it sound quite miraculous. We're not going to ask for a demonstration to Starfleet Medical but I know they do want to see how."
"Yes, my chief medical officer said the same thing ... "
- END OF CHAPTER -