USS BASTET - Mission 06
Lost and Found
POST INDEX
Post # Character Title
001 Andersson Purgatory
While captive, Sofia is joined by another woman
002 Gemma Unknown Friend
Gemma finds Sofia on the ice world JDO-SHEN
003 Dima Following
Nicole meets Sofia in their cell
004 Iverson Working Together, Part 2
Selene tells Satella that she can go to the ANUBIS
005 Valentine Faster than Gossip
Sarena confronts Selene about Satella's transfer
006 Mitshiba Overdue Rest
Aki returns to her quarters and runs into Sarena
007 Gemma Why Here
Gemma tries to make sense of what happened
008 Andersson Not Alone
Nicole and Sofia introduce each other
009 Dima Thinking of You
Nicole theorizes how she got here
010 Andersson Undead
Sofia deals with her being declared dead
011 Gemma Cold As Ice
Shinral wins the training session, but at a cost
012 Andersson Painful Revelation
During a beating, Sofia learns of a possible ally
013 Valentine Playing The Odds
Sarena speaks with Selene about the transfers
014 Gemma Weakest Link
Gemma deals with Finnja and Makor
015 Janeel Shadows Of The Dead
Janeel goes through her trinkets
016 Mitshiba Thinking
Aki deals with her feelings and transfers
017 Valentine Self-Evaluation
Sarena thinks back to how things came to be
018 Mitshiba When Nothing Works
Nearing despair, hope is rediscovered
019 Dima Nocturne
Nicole and Sofia talk about a possible ally
020 Andersson Elusive Calm
An explosion shakes the prison complex
021 Gemma Game Changer
Tehala, a Tal'Shiar operative arrives at JDO-SHEN
022 Valentine New Orders
Selene informs Sarena of their new orders
023 Iverson Stern Reality Check
Selene confronts Erik, and gets Elan to join
024 Mitshiba So Much To Figure Out
Aki learns as much as she can on the crystals
025 Valentine Getting Ready
The crew of the HATHOR discuss their mission
026 Gemma Darker Times
Things get more complicated with Tehala and Makor
Post # Character Title
027 Janeel Domino Effect
The HATHOR finds itself somewhere unknown
028 Mitshiba The Cold Crystal Facts
The HATHOR realizes they are in Romulan space
029 Dima Visiting Hours
Nicole dreams of before getting Dima
030 Valentine Looking For Trouble
Sarena and Janeel beam to the frozen surface
031 Janeel Out of the Cold
Sarena and Janeel enter the facility
032 Gemma Unexpected Surprise
Shinral finds traces of Federation intruders
033 Mitshiba Nothing New
Aki and Selene review the situation
034 Valentine Scavenger Hunt
Sarena and Janeel encounter Gemma
035 Gemma Nice And Easy
Gemma gets things started with the Remans
036 Janeel Questions
Sarena and Janeel, Sofia and Nicole talk
037 Valentine The Hardest Part
Janeel and Sarena wait for Gemma to do her magic
038 Gemma Total Chaos
Gemma manages to free Sofia and Nicole
039 Mitshiba Below The Surface
Aki picks up explosions below the surface
040 Andersson Follow That Woman
Sofia and Nicole are rescued, Janeel is gone
041 Valentine Personal Report
Sarena speaks with Selene about their situation
042 Gemma Different Surroundings
Selene speaks with Gemma
043 Dima The Needs of the One
Nicole talks with Selene
044 Valentine Adapting
The situation degrades for the HATHOR
045 Andersson Just A Kiss
Sofia tries to understand what happened with Nicole
046 Mitshiba Wishing For The Best
Aki deals with the discovery of Janeel being alive
047 Iverson Officially
Selene logs in an official report
048 Gemma Crowded Mind
Gemma is having problems adjusting
049 Valentine Adapting
Sarena thinks about the current situation
050 Dean Introduction
Ashton on RELAY OUTPOST 385
051 Iverson The Long Journey Home
The HATHOR makes its way home
M06-P001: USS BASTET: Andersson: Day 01 - 1000 ("Purgatory")
=-=
"Purgatory"
[previous post was (ANU) "Working Together" / (BAS) "The Only Option"]
=-=

Setting: UNKNOWN Location, inside a dark cell
Stardate: 33002.1000

How long had it been? The last thing she remembered was being in her quarters on the PHOENIX and answering a knock at her door. Actually, that was not the *last* thing she remembered, more accurately, it was the last thing she *cared* to remember. Everything else after that proved to be nothing more than an endless nightmare that she wished would never have happened. Why her? What had she done to warrant this treatment? All she wanted was to be allowed to stay in her quarters instead of taking part in whatever social event had been planned with the Romulans. Was it too much to ask for? Was being away from the eye of the general public for any amount of time such a crime that she had to be punished for it? Was it instead because she had been associated with the Neo-Essentialists? If only they actually asked her a question, any questions instead of endlessly torturing her this way.

Since her arrival to wherever this hell-hole of a  place was, Sofia had been pushed, pulled, poked, probed, and punished by people that she could not recognize. Either she suffered from some massive head trauma, which had permanently blurred her vision, or her captors kept her sedated just enough to insure that she would never be able to focus her vision to properly see anything. That said, there were a few things the blonde woman was certain as to the general identity of her captors; they were average sized humanoids, definitively stronger than Terran based by the ease with which they tossed her around from place to place, and they were as mean and nasty as a drunken Klingon in a bad mood.

How else could Sofia explain the hell that she had endured to this point? Her body, as well as her mind, had been pushed to their breaking points and beyond. The method was always the same though, they, whoever they were, would force her to relive a specific moments from her life before twisting certain details as if trying to test how she would react.  Every so often, one of them would appear in these nightmares, further distorting the memory she was forced to live through once again.  At first, she did her best to focus on the actual memory, on what she knew as real, but over time she began to focus on the parts that did not belong there. Her hopes were to figure out who was doing this and why.

She could not see them, not clearly enough to identify what race they belonged to, but she could see enough to get a very general idea.  There was something familiar about their speech pattern as well as the particular sounds of the words they used. Still, Sofia never managed to hear enough to figure out who they were, and certainly not before they would submit her to whatever test and torture they had in mind for that day. Again, if only they would actually ask a question, maybe she would be able to give them an answer that would put an end to all of this, one way or another. Death was gradually becoming an option that the blonde prisoner looked towards as a possible way out.

Today's tests were particularly brutal, so much so that she could not see anything at all. Still, through the complete darkness that she was cast into, Sofia was able to confirm that she had been returned to her cell, the blonde hair woman having memorized every subtle bumps and crevice of where they kept her.  As weak and tired as she was, the captive made her way to the corner where her cot was, the uncomfortable rock-hard surface being the closest thing to a bed she had been able to enjoy since her arrival. At least it gave her some level of protection from the cold stone floor of her cell. Not really, but she kept telling herself that if only to make her feel better in some strange way. It was not like someone else was going to do that for her here.

Sofia's head jerked up when she heard the door open. Had it been morning already? Had she passed out the moment her body had landed on the icy cot? Beyond those questions, the one that stuck in the blonde-haired woman's mind the most though was if she would regain her eyesight? Unless the cell had been plunged into complete darkness, whatever trauma she endured during the last session had left her more than momentarily blind.

She desperately listened for their footsteps, trying to figure out how many of them had come in and if they would be grabbing her as they had done countless times before. Instead, she heard an awkward thud coming from the other side of the cell as if something, or someone, had been discarded there. The cell was barely large enough for a single occupant, so had this been meant to further increase her discomfort? Would she be expected to fight against whoever was in here with her now in order to secure the barely edible scraps she received once per day?

Unable to see anything, Sofia was forced to rely on her other senses, so she carefully listened. The breathing of the new arrival was shallow and weak, so it was unlikely that they would offer any sort of physical danger to her, not that she was in any condition to fight however was there, no matter how weak they might have sounded. She waited for several minutes, trying to pick up on any changing in the breathing and if maybe she would be able to hear anything else.  Time passed in this complete darkness that she found herself in until she eventually decided to investigate. Given her current situation there was little for her to lose if the second cell's occupant proved to be hostile, but she may have a great deal to gain if they proved to be an ally in any form.

Using the weak sound of their breathing, Sofia crawled to them, her hands finding a body nearly as cold as the floor they had been thrown on. Whoever they were possessed five delicate fingers on their hands, very much like what would be found on most humanoids. The arm felt small, without any significant muscle mass hinting that whoever they were might belong to the female of their species. Beyond that, the fact that they failed to react in any way to her touch indicated that they in pretty bad shape.

The texture of their clothes was familiar, but the condition of the fabric indicated that the person had gone through quite a bit before being discarded here. This of course failed to address the why they had been brought here instead of wherever they had been before. Sofia continued her tactile investigation, her fingers discovering badly tangled hair, the length of which hinting that her 'patient' might indeed be of the female gender. A gentle survey of their face confirmed that the features were delicate and feminine, or at least should have been before whatever beating she had been subjected to.  One eye was swollen shut and the bruises on both cheeks indicated that she had been the victim of a brutal beating.

Proceeding with the greatest care, Sofia did a thorough tactile survey of the woman's body, easily identifying two broken collarbones. As she continued down the woman's body, confirming beyond a doubt that she was indeed a member of the fairer sex, half a dozen broken ribs were also discovered. Luckily, as far as the Medical Officer could feel, none of those breaks appeared to be life-threatening. Once she reached the woman's waist, the blind physician discovered a couple of pockets, part of the familiar uniform.  Inside, a small hand-held device was discovered, a tool that the blonde captive easily recognized as something she had used countless times before.

Even deprived of her sense of sight, Sofia was able to identify the object as being a Federation issues dermal regenerator. Apparently, their captors had decided to give their first captive something to do, maybe in order to test the extent of her medical knowledge. At least it was better than leaving her to wallow in the cold solitude of her cell.  As suspicious as she might have been about this, there was no way for the blonde-haired woman to ignore the other woman's needs.  All that the blind physician could hope for was that mending these bones would not be used by their captors as a reason to put the unknown woman now sharing her cell through a second round of an equal or more intensive beating.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Former Assistant Chief Medical Officer of the USS PHOENIX
Presumed dead but very much alive.
M06-P002: USS BASTET: Gemma: Day 01 - 1015 ("Unknown Friend")
=-=
"Unknown Friend"
[previous post was (ANU) "Working Together" / (BAS) "Purgatory"]
=-=

Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN
Stardate: 33002.1015

From the start, Gemma knew that the Romulan was more than he claimed to be. His mannerism, his confidence, and the way his own guards feared him were proof enough. Despite his claims to being a nobody, he possessed a great deal of power and influence. No simple wandering merchant could cause so much commission by his mere presence. When she discovered who he really was, everything became perfectly clear.

Retired Proconsul Makor had made a name for himself, both during his service in the Imperial Senate and beyond. His blood-stained hands could never be washed of the countless lives he had destroyed. What was more frightening were that the claims of his joining the Tal'Shiar after his retirement had apparently been true. Only rumors and fears of this possibility floated between the worlds of the Romulan Star Empire. That was until the wandering merchant and his Reman bodyguard found their way to this isolate outpost. This was where he decided to reveal his true identity.
The reception given to Makor matched the icy temperature that engulfed the entire planetoid. As a Romulan, no one cared to have the man around, representing what they loathed. As an operative of the Tal'Shiar, his presence here was even less appreciated. Shinral could only guess that this was one of the main reasons why he had wanted her by his side. With a Reman acting as his bodyguard, it was less likely that the other Remans would try anything. That said, once they learned of his true identity, no one dared to challenge the retired Proconsul in any way. His reputation having long ago made its way to this place, no matter how isolated it might have been.

Whatever her role was to be, whatever reason Makor had to being here did not matter. Gemma had followed the retired Proconsul all the way to this place because she needed to. The stories of a captured Starfleet Officer led them both here for completely different reasons.  The woman was said to have been kidnapped and replaced by a look-alike operative. To make sure the Starfleet Ensign would not, through some unexplainable way, contact her crew, she had been sent here. This was a place that everyone avoided as best they could, a frozen hell known as JDO-SHEN.

Every culture seemed to use such a place, calling it by different name. The Russian called it Siberia, a location that Anya Petrov sadly knew all too well. The Klingons called it RURA PENTHE, a penal planet where people were sent to die forgotten by the rest of the universe. The Remans version was the worse Gemma had seen so far. JDO-SHEN was nothing more than a solid piece of ice lost in the frigid emptiness of space.

Not actually orbiting a sun or being part a solar system, the rogue planetoid experienced nothing but darkness. Even seeing the stars from the surface of this world was defined thanks to never ending storms. The sheer force of the winds on the surface could rip anyone's skin off their body in seconds.  Life below the surface of this icy hell was not all that better. The Remans responsible for this place used it for preparing their own troops for a wide range of extreme conditions. Many of those sent here to train would never leave. Their lifeless bodies were unceremoniously discarded to the icy surface which became an uncaring graveyard to those who failed.

For any poor non-Reman sent to this place, their fate would prove to be far worse. They were meant to be nothing more than playthings for those training here. To the Romulan offshoot race, inflicting as much pain to another being was a delightful reward. The key was for them to cause as much bodily harm as possible without actually killing their unwilling pets. Needless to say accidents were frequent, and replacements for this type of entertainment were rare.

Everything Shinral had come to know about this place before her arrival paled in comparison to what she discovered with her own eyes. JDO-SHEN was the hell of hells, and she had come here to help save the Starfleet prisoner. If she could not get them off this floating block of ice, she would at the very least end their suffering in as quickly and painless method she could.

Like all best laid plans though, something unexpected happened. Out of nowhere another Starfleet Officer one day appeared right outside the cell of the first prisoner. The Reman who discovered her wasted no time to claim this new toy as his to do with as he wished. By the sounds that filled the underground complex after his find, he held nothing back.

It took a great deal of work for Shinral to discover the location of this second Starfleet Officer. Once she did, the bodyguard managed to use her influence with Makor to end the torture before the woman would be beaten into her next few incarnations. The claim that the new arrival could be used to entertain others was readily accepted by the Romulan and Remans alike. It made no sense to have only one enjoy what many others could equally do.

It took several more days for the bodyguard to be able to get close to any of the actual prisoners. When she did though, she managed to slip a dermal regenerator into the pocket of the badly beaten woman. The only problem was that she never confirmed who the prisoner actually was. Her freedom was limited, and if not under the scrutiny of Makor, Shinral was always under the vengeful watch of the other Remans.  Killing one prisoner would have been easy enough to explain, but two would have triggered a riot that the bodyguard would not have survived.

Another course of action needed to be considered, and soon Gemma understood what she needed to do. As difficult as it might prove to be, the only option was to find a way to getting as many of the prisoners out of this underground frozen hell. As the bodyguard of a retired Proconsul, her choices and abilities were limited. Still, she needed to find a way to make this happen, calling upon all of the knowledge and skills she possess.

She would need to think, to plan. Hopefully, Shinral would manage to rescue as many as she could even if the Reman could not come close to imagine how she would manage to accomplish this impossible mission. 

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Intel Operative
NEW ALEXANDRIA

[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
M06-P003: USS BASTET: Dima: Day 01 - 1040 ("Following")
“Following”
(Continued from (ANU) “Working Together” / (BAS) “Unknown Friend”)

=/\=
Setting: Unconscious
Stardate: Unknown
Time Index: Unknown

Nicole Dima entered the Black Hole lounge. “You started without me,” she teased Sonja, who was holding a very large frozen beverage, complete with umbrella.

“You’re not too late at all, my Pixie,” the Engineer said with excitement. “Another Sonja-size special for my friend over here,” she loudly called out, and within seconds someone was pressing the brightly colored drink in the Counsellor’s hand.

“Now that everyone is here, I have something I’d like to say.” Jayson grinned like a Cheshire cat until Ya’Han elbowed him firmly but safely in the ribs. “Ahem, I mean *we* have something *we’d* like to say.”

The senior staff of the ANUBIS appeared to lean in and get quiet, well, as quiet as they could get given the fact it was supposed to be a party.

“We’re getting married!” Ya’Han burst out, her hair temporarily shifting from its standard red and black blend to pure red and then back again.

After an eternal moment, the entire establishment burst into cheers and laughter and people were congratulating the happy couple, slapping Stark on the back and hugging the Sec/Tac. Dima smiled. It had been two years since the unfortunate events with the Dolbargy, and she felt the sadness that had crossed her heart during that time was starting to ebb away.

“As Captain of this vessel, I would like to know if you’ve set a date,” Morningstar quipped.

The two lovebirds looked at each other and laughed. “Not yet, but it will not be *during* a mission,” Jayson said honestly.

“I agree,” the Nylaan woman added. “We’d like you to be available to perform the ceremony.”

“Splendid,” the Native American man said, raising his glass for a toast. “To Ya’Han and Jayson- May the stars carry your darkness away. May the flowers fill your heart with beauty. May hope forever wipe away your tears. And above all, may silence make you strong.”

A scatter of clapping followed, along with a quickly stolen kiss between the betrothed. The room dissolved once more into more separate conversations and celebration.

“I guess that leaves only one question,” Erik said quietly to Nicole with a smile.

“What’s that?” she answered happily.

“How did you get here?” Only it wasn’t Erik’s voice Nicole heard. It was much heavier and accented than the CO’s voice. And it wasn’t Morningstar’s face anymore either. Or the Black Hole. That was all gone.

“W-what?” she stammered, trying to get up to leave, but she was bound to a hard chair, the room growing much darker except for piercing spotlights that were trained on her, preventing her from seeing who was interrogating her.

Someone hit her across the face, hard. It took her breath away. When she found it again, she gasped, tasting blood. The man speaking continued. “There are no ships in this area that do not belong to us. You arrived with no enviro-suit, no shuttle, and no evidence that there was one in the vicinity, either cloaked or not. How did you get here?”

“I don’t know!” she pleaded. “Nicole Dima, Ensign, Starfleet.”

She was answered with another fist across the face. Her eye stung and watered with the impact and she chose to keep them both closed from this point onward. “Nicole Dima, Ensign, Starfleet.”

“Who brought you here?”

“Nobody did,” Nicole insisted. “The last thing I remember I was on my ship... and then I was here.” Another fist went to her ribcage. She grunted.

 “What is the *name* of your ship?”

“I can’t say,” she answered and was paid back with a roundhouse kick near her shoulder. If she hadn’t been tethered to the seat she would have crumpled to the floor. She wept, struggling to stay alert, but continued her offer of name and rank. “Nicole Dima, Ensign, Starfleet.”

“Hwiiy yikh susse'thrai!” he yelled, and the next thing Nicole knew, her other shoulder was in searing agony and everything went black.

=/\=
Setting: UNKNOWN Location, inside a dark cell
Stardate: 33002.1040

She had slipped in and out of consciousness for an uncertain period of time. She remembered coughing, her throat parched from a lack of hydration. She reached for her comm badge but it was missing. Focusing her mind seemed like futile endeavor.

Cold. So cold. The misty hallucination and cross-examination turned into a bone-chilling bitterness that seeped through her clothing and the threadbare material of the cot that barely supported her battered form.

She shuddered, cradling her abdomen, trying beyond reason to sense if Dima was intact. Pain was radiating from several places on her body, but it seemed that the symbiont was not one of those places.

She opened her eyes, noticing one of them was distended and provided a mostly obscured view. It didn’t help that the room was nearly pitch-black. But she saw movement. It was ebony on eigengrau, but it was perceptible.

“Who’s that?” she rasped, trying to sit up, but the pain in her torso was too much to bear and she flopped back down gracelessly.

"Try to relax- I’m a Doctor," Sofia answered, trying to feel her way back to where she had left the other woman laying. "You have some broken bones but it appears nothing more serious. But I don’t have much in the way of diagnostic equipment."

“Where are we?” Nicole asked, voice cracking but a little louder than before. She felt the hands of the medic trace their way up her side.

“Some kind of torture chamber,” the blinded physician said with contempt.

“I’m still not sure how I got here.” The last thing she remembered was bringing the ninth crystal to Maya and putting it into place within the larger structure that Arken had created.

“I was abducted,” Sofia said. She was about to explain a little more about herself and describe her limitations to a fuller extent, when she heard noises from outside the chamber. She wasn’t certain how much time had passed since she or her new guest had been inside the tiny room.

“What’s wrong?” Nicole still felt woozy and weak; she might have been drugged by the men that had been mistreating her. She didn’t fully understand why the other woman moved away from her to the other side of the tight space.

“They’re coming.”

=/\=
Susan Ledbetter

Writing for

Ship's Counselor
M06-P004: USS BASTET: Iverson: Day 01 - 1045 ("Working Together, Part 2")
---
"Working Together, Part 2"
(Previous Post: (ANU) "Working Together" / (BAS) "Following")
---

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Corridor outside Holodeck 3
Stardate: 33002.1045

The discussion between Captain Morningstar and Captain Iverson had gone as well as could be expected. Normally, Selene would not have rushed matters and gone over the authority of Admiral Koniki.  As the senior most officer of NEW ALEXANDRIA it was his call to brief the other Captains on what had transpired. The events that took place in the other dimension with the two Masters' cruisers had been important, that much was certain, but speaking to Erik about this was the best way for Selene to start the conversation she needed to have with him.

As far as the Commanding Officer of the USS BASTET was concerned, it was the only way that she could lead into explaining the rest of what needed to be talked about. By the looks of things, he appeared to understand her dilemma even if he did not fully comprehend how the situation had come to be as she explained it.

All she needed to do now was to speak to Satella and see if she would be interested in what the two captains had been speaking about. Standing in front of the large holodeck doors, Selene wondered what the CMO of the BASTET and the Chief of Security of the ANUBIS could be doing in the holodeck. After their more recent encounter with the Lokustaar, had Doctor Bruxa decided to seek the help and training of someone more physically apt in dealing with an opponent?

As much as it might have been something the Commanding Officer of the USS BASTET would have done, Captain Iverson could not bring herself to accept that the Chief Medical Officer, a woman who had vowed to do no harm, had opted to do this. Yes, Satella had taken steps to end the life of the Yxidii, which proved to be futile, but just taking the decision to do this had injured to woman in a way that only another medical officer could truly understand. That the decision she made also put her at odds with Commander Valentine had not helped matter any.

Having confirmed that the door to the holodeck was not locked, Selene decided to just walk in. At the very least it would give her the chance to see what the two officers were up to.

---
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Holodeck 3
Stardate: 33002.1050

Captain Iverson froze mid-step as she walked in, seeing a Lokustaar standing right there in the middle of the holodeck grid. Her survival reflexes first kicked in but before she could say or do anything, her analytical mind quickly pointed out the inconsistencies in what she was looking at.

The nightmarish black creature with six legs stood motionless in the middle of the room with Doctor Bruxa and Lieutenant Ya'Han standing right next to it. Neither women appeared frightened or even concerned by the beast standing between them which could only mean one thing -- the Lokustaar was nothing more than a holographic recreation.

"An interesting choice," Selene said, resuming her walk into the room. As noticeable as her hesitation had been to herself, it appeared that the other two women had been too busy to realize that the Captain of the BASTET had stopped for a second or so the moment she came in.

"We were comparing notes on the Lokustaar," Satella explained. "It was Lieutenant Ya'Han that thought to bring our discussion here so that we could see exactly what we have been dealing with and if our observations matched.  Did you know that captain Morningstar has had dealings with these creatures?"

"I did," Selene confirmed, his experience with those creatures being another reason as to why Iverson wanted to speak with Morningstar. "Lieutenant Ya'Han, would you mind if I borrowed my Chief Medical Officer for a few minutes?"

Of course Ya'Han did not object, casting her full attention back onto the holographic recreation of these walking nightmares while Satella moved towards her Captain.  Without saying a word, Selene motioned for her Chief Medical Officer to follow her out back into the corridor where they would be able to speak without the Chief of Security of the ANUBIS listening in on their conversation.

"Is everything alright Captain?" the Chief Medical Officer inquired as soon as the heavy doors to the holodeck closed behind them. From experience, Satella easily recognizing the expression on the face of her Captain has indicating that something serious was about to unfold.

"I spoke with Captain Morningstar," Selene began.

"I know," Satella stated in return, sounding more serious than maybe she should have. "You just finished saying that. Are you feeling all right? Are you experiencing any sorts of dizziness?"

Iverson softly growled, not appreciating being made to be a patient when there was no need. "I spoke to Captain Morningstar about you," Selene clarified causing Satella to display a sudden expression of shock. "The ANUBIS has been withint the services of a Chief Medical Officer for quite some time and he has agreed to take you on in that role, leaving me the task to get a replacement."

"Captain?" Doctor Bruxa hesitantly questioned. Although she did suspect the reason for this, Satella still wondered if she had done something to push her Commanding Officer to go from a passing thought to a done deal. "May I ask why?"

"You know very well why," Selene sighed. "I do not wish to see you go, your assistance and performance on board the BASTET have been immeasurable, but I cannot allow the conflict between Sarena and yourself to expand. So far things have managed to remain under control, but I fear that the incident with the Yxidii will only serve to bias the opinions and reactions of Commander Valentine against you.  Again, I wish there was another way to do this, but the opportunity that I saw was just too good to pass. The ANUBIS is a wonderful ship, and I know that you and Captain Morningstar will get along well. It might require some work on your part to adjust to a new crew, but knowing you as I do, I am sure that this will not be an issue."

Satella hesitated for a while, not entire sure as to what to say next, but Selene interrupted before the Doctor could actually say something.

"The decision is yours, I am not forcing you into this transfer," Captain Iverson said making sure that there would not be any misunderstanding as to what had happened as well as what could come to pass. "All I did was speak with Captain Morningstar, one Commanding officer to another, and he agreed with me. The position of Chief Medical Officer on board the ANUBIS is yours if you so wish it. Think about it, but don't take too long. You know that being part of any crew operating from NEW ALEXANDRIA means that things tend to happen quickly and without any notice."

Doctor Bruxa nodded her head, indicating that she understood and that she would give the offer presented to her some serious thought.

---
Jessica Solarik

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

&

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M06-P005: USS BASTET: Valentine: Day 01 - 1130 ("Faster than Gossip")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Faster than Gossip"
[previous posts (ANU) "New Assignment" and (BAS) "Working Together, Part 2"]

Setting: BASTET, Bridge
Stardate: 33002.1130

Following a rather informative meeting with the Executive Officer of the ANUBIS, Commander Valentine returned to the BASTET to speak with her Captain. Something unexpected had been shared and now Sarena needed to get to the bottom of this, if what she was told was indeed true.

"I thought you would have taken more advantage of our being back at NEW ALEXANDRIA to do something other than being on board the BASTET." Selene said as Sarena stepped onto the bridge, the Captain noticing only afterwards the look of discontent on the Executive Officer's face. "What's wrong?"

"As you know, I was talking with Commander Shar'El, the Executive Officer of the ANUBIS who also takes on the duties of the Intel Liaison Officer. I have to admit that there are some distinct advantages for a single officer handling both dossiers," Sarena said in such as way as to draw a curious look from her Captain.

"Are you asking me to give you the role and added responsibilities of the BASTET's ILO?" Iverson asked but not entirely shocked given the palatable friction between Janeel and Valentine.

"Not at all," Sarena stated in a heartbeat. "I was just impressed by the way Commander Shar'El was on top of every situation on board the ANUBIS. Her reach as the ship's ILO does allow her to go well beyond what would be expected from an Executive Officer."

"Why do I have the feeling that this goes beyond simple professional admiration?" The BASTET's Captain sighed, recognizing that specific twinkle in the eyes of her second in command.

"Apparently there is a rumor floating about on the ANUBIS about our Chief Medical Officer transferring over," Sarena stated, clearly the woman not being impressed by the fact that she learned of this possibility the way she had.

"It's no rumor," the Captain confirmed. "I will say though that I am astonished at how fast this news spread. As far as I know, Satella has not made her final decision as to accepting the transfer."

"So you are aware of this?" Sarena asked, her confusion clearly laced with anger.

"I am more than aware of it," Selene specified. "I was the one who approached Captain Morningstar with the idea."

"Am I not your Executive Officer?" The question was simple and by the way Iverson reacted, it was also expected.

"Sarena, I know that personnel matters fall under your jurisdiction and that I should have spoken to you about this first, if only to make you aware of what I was planning. The truth is that I did not for the simple reason that there is a conflict of interest here. What happened with the Yxidii created a rift between Satella and you, and for the sake of this ship I had to find a solution, one that would benefit everyone."

"With all due respect captain, how am I supposed to take you doing this without telling me?"

Selene's expression hardened. She knew that might happen, but it was a calculated risk. The one thing Iverson had not counted on was the speed with which the rumor had reached both Executive Officers. "First of all, don't play the wounded with me, we both know that you are not the type. Second, since the incident with the Yxidii you have been on Satella's case. I understand that you needed to make sure she understood who is in charge, and I appreciate this, but I also have to think about how all of this would impact her performance as this ship's CMO."

The pause that followed was awkward, but necessary for both woman to carefully choose their words and how they would proceed with this discussion. After a short silence, it was Selene who took the initiative.

"Look, I was speaking with Captain Morningstar and saw an opportunity. The ANUBIS has been without a CMO for far too long and I thought that Satella could use a fresh start. I did so because of what happened and also because I suspect that we are about to be given a mission that would require us to have a smaller crew."

"What?"

"Commander Shar'El is not the only ILO operating under Admiral Koniki. Janeel was made aware of certain details that point to the crew of the BASTET being sent on a special mission," Captain Iverson explained.

"What about the ANUBIS' missing Counselor? Are we being pulled from helping them find her?"

"Actually, it's the opposite. It appears that there may be plans to see us take over the HATHOR as soon as the "Blink Device' is installed and operational."

"Why us? It's their Counselor that vanished."

"And that is why nothing had yet been made official," Selene continued. "Although Ensign Dima is a member of the ANUBIS' crew, we are the ones with the experience in dealing with, shall we say unorthodox propulsion systems. According to Commander Janeel, the plan is to have us test the 'Blink Device' and if possible find the ANUBIS' missing officer in the process.  It is believed that if Captain Morningstar and his crew were the ones to use this new device, they might place finding their missing Counselor above performing an adequate test of this new propulsion system."

"Pragmatic to the end, isn't he?" Sarena said referring to Admiral Koniki and the way he often seemed to not allow any feelings to get in the way of the decisions that were required.

"Again, nothing had been made official, but you have to admit that personal feelings aside it all makes sense," Captain Iverson said in an effort to wrap the conversation. "Mitshiba and Maya are still trying to figure out if they can find where Counselor Dima disappeared to, and the work to incorporate the Blink Device into the HATHOR's systems is nowhere near completed. Once all of this is done, the Admiral may make a different call, but I for one agree with him. We have traveled through countless dimensions and even through time. Whatever this new device will do is not going to present us with a situation that we are unequipped to handle."

"Agreed," Sarena said not overly enthusiastic about the whole thing but appearing to understand the train of thought used to reach this conclusion. "Without Satella on board, you also insure that my attention will be solely focused on our mission."

"I would not have said it quite in those words, but I do appreciate your understanding. On the ANUBIS, Satella will be able to be the Doctor that she is without fearing your wrath if she does something that you might find objectionable. For us, it just means that we have to be sure we don't scrape our knees or elbows too much."

"You wanted to help Satella, I understand that," Valentine began with a faint tone of satisfaction in her voice. "All I can do is say this to you, off the record of course. After speaking with Commander Shar'El, I am not so sure that you did our former CMO any favors. In either role, be it Executive Officer or ILO, the ANUBIS's second in command is a woman who comes across as someone who is best left to her ways. That woman actually scares me."

"Do you want me to relay this information to Doctor Bruxa or shall I let you do it?"

The question was rhetorical but it did make the Captain's point. As the Executive Officer of the BASTET, Sarena should have immediately wished to let a member of her crew know what she might be getting into, but instead Valentine seemed more than happy to let the chips fall where they may.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Karen Price <kar3npr1c3@gmail.com>

Executive Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M06-P006: USS BASTET: Mitshiba: Day 01 - 1900 ("Overdue Rest")
"Overdue Rest"
Previous posts: (ANU) "Status Report" & (BAS) "Faster than Gossip"

///^\\\
Setting: USS BASTET, Corridor
Stardate: 33002.1900

Aki returned to her ship with a single goal in mind, to reach her quarters and the bed therein before she collapsed from complete exhaustion. Working on finding a way to track the whereabouts of the ANUBIS' missing Counsellor with Commander Maya had not been an easy task. Actually, to say that it was more of an impossible mission would be more fitting, but neither CSciO gave up and pushed on until their bodies could no longer continue. That was why Mitshabe had returned and why it was with mixed feelings that she came across Commander Valentine who was coming down the corridor in the opposite direction.

"You look like you had a very long day."

"This will be my first real break in 30, no make that 40 hours," Aki said realizing that even the simplest of mental math had because a nearly impossible task to accomplish. "We looked at everything we could think of, and if that was not enough, I had to use every trick I knew of to keep up with Maya's relentless pace. The way that woman works is just not human," the BASTET's CSciO added, the Asian woman's eyes appearing larger than they had ever been as she recalled some of what she say and dealt with.

"Of course she's not human," Valentine teased, evidently not half as tired at the woman she was speaking to. "She's Shillian, the last of her kind if memory serves me well."

"That's not what I meant," Aki said in exhausted exasperation. "I have seen entire teams of scientists do less than that single woman does without even trying. Her ability to multitask is beyond anything I gave ever witnessed. Most researchers are happy to just discuss possibilities, but she tries to argue her own suggestions so as to avoid someone else wasting their time on them. The ANUBIS is fortunate to have her on their crew."

"I will admit that I am surprised to hear you compliment her as you have just done. According to Commander Shar'El, their CSciO can prove to be quite trying when she is working with someone else on any sort of high-end project," Commander Valentine said, pausing a few seconds before adding. "Did you not serve on the ANUBIS as aCSciO?"

"Yes I did," Aki replied. "Strangely enough I do not remember Maya ever being so driven to solve a scientific problem, of course this is the first time that I have been working with her while a member of the crew, and someone I suspect was also a friend of hers, has gone missing. Now, if you are referring to her ability to endlessly jump from one subject to any other during the course of a conversation, I will agree that it can prove to be somewhat taxing. After a few hours though you start to get used to it and even manage to follow, for the most part, the woman's rapidly changing train of thoughts. Being a member of the scientific community does help as I am able to quickly pick up on the nuances and hints she scatters throughout her words, which allowed me to, again most of the time, anticipate what subject she jumped onto next. What is truly amazing is the fact that her ability to work is in no way affected by her talking, just another perfect example of her ability to truly multitask," Mitshiba said realizing only after the fact that she was starting to sound like the woman in question.

The expression on Commander Valentine's face was priceless, echoing a sense of stunned astonishment that had never been seen there before. This small sample of what working with Maya was like had proven to be more than enough to insure that the First officer of the BASTET would do everything in her power to avoid ever being left alone in a room with the ANUBIS' CSciO.

"Working conditions aside," the Commander said, wanting to change the subject and hopefully allow AKI to return to herself. "Am I to gather by the way you look that you have not made any significant progress in your attempts to figure out where the ANUBIS' Counselor vanished to?"

"Unfortunately, we did not," Aki sadly confirmed. "Maya was still working on trying to isolate a fluctuating sub-space quantum vibration that was detected following the Counselor's disappearing when I left. So far, we have not been able to pinpoint where this vibration lead, or even if it actually goes somewhere. As much as I wanted to continue helping I just had to leave before my falling asleep at any of the workstation would get in the way of our research."

"Isn't Professor Arken helping you?" Valentine asked, certain that the creator of these crystals and the one ultimately responsible for what happened would be involved in finding a solution.

"The Professor was ordered by Admiral Koniki to hand over all of his notes on the way the crystals interact with one another to create the Blink Device, but Arken himself had not been anywhere around to help us," Aki replied. "To be entirely honest, I am not sure that he would be of any real assistance, from the little bit I was able to gather about the man, he is completely unable to focus on a single task. Very much like Maya, he multitasks to an unprecedented level, but at least for the ANUBIS' CSciO, she is able to work on multiple facets of the same issue, something that I suspect Arken would be unable to do."

"I am sure that the two of you will be able to figure it all out, in the meantime get some rest," Valentine said in a way that was far more an order than a well-placed suggestion. "Fresher eyes may be what will end up breaking this case wide open. After 40 hours, I think it is safe to say that you have more than earned this rest; the fact that you were able to make it this long without rest is a credit to you and your dedication. In order to be effective in your work though, you need to take it easy for a little while."

"Thank you Commander," Aki said having already resumed her walking down the corridor while hoping that this interruption would not make it impossible for the Asian to reach her quarters. The last thing the crew of the BASTET needed at this time was to find one of their own officers passed-out in a corridor between here and the CSciO's quarters.

///^\\\
Dawn Bohr

Lieutenant Misaki Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Chief Science Officer
USS BASTET - NCC 74977
M06-P007: USS BASTET: Gemma: Day 01 - 1900 ("Why Here?")
=-=
"Why Here?"
[previous post was (ANU) "Status Report" / (BAS) "Overdue Rest"]
=-=

Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Quarters
Stardate: 33002.1900

Why here? That was the question that Gemma pondered alone in her room. Those two words haunted her mind since their arrival to JDO-SHEN. Of all the places the retired Proconsul could have gone to, why here? The frozen wasteland of the surface had certainly not been the reason for him or anyone else to want to visit this place. This meant that there had to be another reason. As hard as she tried to come up with multiple, she could only think of one.

What possible interest did the captured Starfleet Medical Officer have for him? There was no question as to why she was here in the first place. Her fate had been sealed long before her arrival to the Reman training facility. This place was meant to see her disappear for good as an unrecognizable broken mass. Was it what Makor had wanted or even planned? To take the woman from where no one would ever be looking for her?

The problem was that he learned of her being here at the same time the bodyguard did, so that could not have been it. His reaction was too sudden to have been rehearsed. His surprise came across as being too fresh to have been faked. His desire to suddenly change course and head to this frozen hell was too unexpected to have been previously planned. It was serendipitous that he had decided to come here just as much as Gemma wanted. The question remained though, why here?

Was it because he somehow knew that the other woman would appear out of nowhere? Did he have access to knowledge or Intel that Gemma had been completely unaware of? If so, this would only prove that she was slipping, and that bothered her even more. She prided herself in her ability to know something before anyone else, even those directly affected by it. Had she become as weak as Za'Ran who had allowed her emotions to dictate her actions? Had her spending time with Ema Fairchild dull her skills as the Intel Operative she had been meant to be since that first fateful day?

No, that could not be it. Gemma refused to even accept the possibility that she was in any way lesser than she had always been up until recently. All of this had to be because of Makor. The retired Proconsul appeared just as puzzled as everyone else when they learned of the arrival of the second woman. Maybe he was a better actor than Gemma gave him credit for. If he was, it still failed to answer why the Trill unexpectedly appeared inside the training compound. If the universe wanted to punish her for some unknown reason, a thousand other locations easily came to mind. There had to be another reason to account for her to be here of all places.

Wimdalli, the Uxali scientist sat up from the only bed in the room, the question driving her every thought. Why here? Applying scientific reasoning would be the only way to answer this puzzling question. Luckily for her friends, this was the way she always approached whatever situation presented itself to her.

First, she needed to list all of the facts. Not the theories, not the probabilities, only the pure and simple facts. The Medical Officer was brought here while against her will. No prisoner of the Reman brought to JDO-SHEN ever came here willingly. The second woman just appeared, and by her surprised expression, she too had not arrived of her own free will. Their uniforms confirmed that they were both Starfleet. Therefore, what was the link? Following the latest round of torture, this time joined with actual questions being asked of them, nothing was found. Were they both willing to die in order to keep the association a secret? Wimda strongly doubted it.

The link between them had to be something else, something so small that neither could realize it. Then again, no one could be expected to think clearly while under the repeated pounding of an overly enthusiastic Reman. Those muscle bound Romulan off-shoots might not even realise that the answer they sought had been given.  The moment they set out to inflict as much pain as possible, those training here would likely not be able to make out anything worthy of reporting.

The Uxali brought back the report she had read on the second woman's arrival. A single item was found on her prior to the brutal interrogation. The small, delicate hair pin suited the style and hair of the first woman far more that the second. Could it be the link that bound the two of them together? Could the insignificant trinket actually be the key to explain why the second woman had come here?

Is she was part of a rescue attempt; it had been very poorly planned, and even more poorly executed. The hair pin held some level of importance in this affair, but Wimda needed more data to come up with an explanation. To arrive at a conclusion that made any sense, she would need to talk to them. The problems were that she needed to do this without Makor finding out. There was absolutely no reason for his bodyguard to interrogate either prisoner. Claiming simple curiosity would not be enough to explain away her actions.

That was when Shinral had an idea, a thought that propelled her out of the bed she had been assigned. The prisoners were meant to be a source of entertainment for the Remans who were in this facility training. She easily matched the first requirement, that of being here in this frozen hell. All she needed to do was to train with the others and earn the right to beat one of the two women within a single inch of her life.

The Reman bodyguard suddenly found herself haunted by another question. Again, only two words filled her mind, but the importance of this new pair easily surpassed the previous. From repeatedly asking 'why here?' Shinral now wondered 'why her?' If her plan worked, which she had not doubts it would, which of the two prisoners would she ask for? Again, the first had been brought here to die and be removed from the pages of history. The second had come here in a way that no one could explain. With her was the hair pin that she believed linked the two of them.

The more she thought about this, the more she came to see that the answer to this haunting question was already hers. Unfortunately for the Trill, she would be the one she would request once tomorrow's training would be completed.

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Intel Operative
NEW ALEXANDRIA

[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
M06-P008: USS BASTET: Andersson: Day 02 - 0100 ("Not Alone")
=-=
"Not Alone"
[previous post was (ANU) "Status Report" by me / (BAS) "Why Here?" by Rachel]
=-=

Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, inside a dark cell
Stardate: 33003.0100

In a way, Sofia was glad that she was no longer alone. Just the simple knowledge that she was not the only one being put through hell offered some strange comfort. The saying that misery loves company did appear to be right after all. In another way though, the blonde-hair physician almost wished that her cellmate had never come to being here in the first place. Since her arrival, the intensity and frequency of the beatings had increased, mainly thanks to her being unable to answer the questions that she had hoped would be asked at some point before now.

Telling the truth, despite the pain and the troubling sound of her own shattering bones, had been the only way Sofia could answer. She did not know whom the other woman was, how she had come to being here or why. The only thing she could do was confirm that she knew nothing and identify by name where each fracture landed.

From her corner slab of stone that she called her cot, Sofia could hear her cellmate laboured breathing but it clearly sounded better than the first time they met. Strangely enough, the two of them had not shared any personal details, things having happened just too quickly. At least now that she was back in their cell, the medically trained Starfleet officer could take care of her own injuries thanks to the dermal regenerator that had been found in the other woman's pocket.

Keeping the device hidden from sight, Sofia worked on mending her broken fibula, finding herself again experiencing mixed feelings. Having access to this simple medical device meant that they were able to mend whatever bones their captors would break during their interrogations. What this also meant was that as the target of these repeated beatings, they would suffer the pain time, and time again.

Emotionally and physically exhausted, Sofia instinctively turned her head to look at the other woman to see nothing. The trauma she suffered from still deprived her of her sight, making the physician that maybe the next target of the medical device in her hand should be her eyes. Mixed feelings were apparently the main course of the day as the physician debated as to whether or not to use the device. If it worked, she would regain her eyesight and be able to see who she was now sharing her cell with, but if her efforts failed, it would mean that the damage to her optic system was far more extensive, and maybe even irreparable.  Thanks to advancements in bio-cybernetics, implants were readily available to rectify such a situation, but before going that far they needed to get out of here, wherever here was.

"Do you need some help?" a gentle, caring whispered voice asked. Evidently, Sofia had stopped listening to the woman's breathing, that or she had become as deaf as she was blind.

"Do you know how to use one of these?" The physician asked, not wanting to sound hostile but coming across that way.

"I am sorry if they did this to you because of me," the second prisoner quietly offered, "and yes I have experience using a dermal regenerator." Hearing this, Sofia released her grip on the small device allowed it to be taken by her cellmate.

"You are not the cause of my having been beating into blindness," Sofia stated, keeping her eyes closed as the device was used on and around her eyes. "There are more bruises and cuts on my body than I can count, all of them with the exceptions of the more recent ones were by no means your doing. Your arrival just gave them another excuse to do what they seem to enjoy the most, which is forcing us to relive memories so that they can twist them into something that never was."

"Do you have any ideas as to why they are doing this?"

"No. All I know is that until the last torture session, they never once bothered to ask me any questions," the physician replied, the tingling sensation just below the surface of her face indicating that something was happening, yet she could not find the course to open her eyes and test the results.

"Until that last session," the other woman said with great sadness. None of this had been her fault. She had not wanted to be here, to be interrogated or beaten, and certainly, she had never intended for someone else to suffer because of her being here. "I am truly sorry. I never wanted for any of this to happen. I am still at a loss to understand how I got here."

"It's alright," Sofia said before a shot of pain rushed through her body along her spin reaching to the tip of her fingers and toes. "Trying to figure out how or why we are both here is a waste of time. What we need to do is focus on surviving. That is our primary goal."

"In a situation such as the one we are in, I believe that our primary goal is actually to find a way to escape. Survival is implied in every situation we end up finding ourselves, that is the unfortunate part of being part of Starfleet," the woman corrected, oddly sounding like a Counselor and confirming by her statement hat she was well aware of Starfleet's protocol in such cases. "Now, open your eyes. We need to see if this worked, no pun intended."

Sofia actually smiled, even if only briefly, as what the other woman said. The irony of the situation had not escaped Andersson who was not playing patient while her cellmate took on the role of the physician. The sensations she experienced, minus the pain that had rushed through her body, matched what was expected meaning that the procedure had been done correctly. This did not mean that it had been successful and that the blonde-haired woman would regain her sight.

"Don't be scared," came the reassuring tone of the woman leaning over her. "I'm right here. Whatever happens, you are not alone."

What had started to be nothing more than an idea, a distant possibility grew into a near certainty with each word the woman spoke. If she was not a Counselor, she worked or dealt with them on an extensive level. Either way, her reassurances proved to be enough to make Sofia do as instructed.  Slowly, she opened her eyes to seen nothing but darkness.

"Give it a few minutes. Your eyes have to adjust and there is not a great deal of light in here," the woman playing Doctor said, easily recognizing the facial expression of fear on her patient. "You said that you were a Doctor, so you know this. Don't let your fears take over."

"Let me guess, you are a Counsellor?" Sofia asked, forcing a smile on her lips.

"It was that obvious?" She chuckled back, keeping her own fear of seeing the procedure fail out of her voice. The last thing the blond woman needed was to have anyone confirm that her concerns had every right to be there and acknowledged. "My name if Nicole Dima."

"Sofia Andersson," came the reply as her eyes squinted. "I can see, at least shadows for the time being. My vision is blurred but a few more treatments might just do the trick.

Nicole smiled and resumed the treatment. There was no telling when someone would come in to interrupt them, but what the Counsellor found interesting was that she knew the woman.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Former Assistant Chief Medical Officer of the USS PHOENIX
Presumed dead but very much alive.
M06-P009: USS BASTET: Dima: Day 02 - 0120 ("Thinking of You")
“Thinking of You”
[previous post was (ANU) “Morning Meetings” / (BAS) “Not Alone”]

=/\=

Diversity- the art of thinking independently together.
-Malcolm Forbes

=/\=

Setting:  Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN , inside a dark cell
Stardate: 33003.0120

Nicole continued to work in the nearly non-existent light to restore Sofia’s vision. As her hands steadily directed the regenerator, she pondered if it was a coincidence that she knew the woman’s name. “Are you the same Sofia Andersson that was deployed to Paris after the Aegis Shield device destroyed the city?”

The Counselor noticed that Sofia froze after her question.

“I’m not hurting you with the regenerator, am I?” Nicole asked, concerned.

“No, but I am that Sofia. How did you know that? Have we met?”

“Not before now,” Nic admitted. “But I know Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark. I serve with him aboard the ANUBIS.”

“And he spoke of me?” the Scandinavian woman queried as she continued to see some movement in her field of vision.

“Enough for me to remember.” She pressed the dermal repair device back into Sofia’s hands for the time being. “Hold on. I even have something that belongs to you. Let me find it.” She rustled around in her pockets, but there was nothing there. Sofia couldn’t imagine that she missed anything when searching for items to help their survival, but then again her sight wasn’t even close to being up to par.

After a short time the searching noise stopped. "It's gone," Nicole said, dejected.

"What's gone?"

“I had a hairpin that you had given to Jayson as a gift.”

“He gave you my hairpin?”

“No. We were searching for a crystal encrypted with information, and I thought it might have been in the hairpin, then we all realized it wasn’t, and my intent was to return it to him but I ended up here before that could happen.” The words tumbled from her mouth in a disjointed way.

“You keep saying you don’t know how you got here. Were you kidnapped like I was?”

“No. I was on the ship, and then suddenly... I wasn’t.”

“Are you always this cryptic?” the physician asked.

“No.”

“What were you doing last before you arrived here?”

“I was in the Astrometrics lab. Elijah Arken handed me a data crystal, one of the ones I had mentioned wanting to find earlier, and I went to where the remaining crystals were being assembled by our CSciO. I reminded myself I needed to return your hairpin to Jayson, put the last crystal into place, and the next thing I remember was being interred and beaten.” She felt the pull of Zacharias Dima, the third host and eminent scholar, at her memories as she fully realized what she had said, as well as the potential ramifications. “That’s how I got here!”

"Are you saying a hairpin transported you across the galaxy?"

"I wish Maya was here," the joined Trill lamented. The Shillian Science Officer could have explained this so much better. "No, what I'm saying is the thought I had about reuniting the hairpin with its owner- that being you- transported me across the galaxy."

"How?"

The crystal device, it must have been some kind of travel catalyst. Professor Arken didn’t bother to explain before he rushed off to speak to the Idanian operative that tried to thwart our reconstruction of his research. Maybe the real intent was to get the thing working again… I don’t know. But it worked and I was brought to you.” She then gasped softly, clearly upset.

“What is it, Nicole?”

“I’m the only one who knows where you are and I can’t do anything about it. Everyone else thinks you’re dead.”

=/\=
Susan Ledbetter
Writing for

Ship's Counselor
M06-P010: USS BASTET: Andersson: Day 02 - 0200 ("Undead")
=-=
"Undead"
[previous post was (ANU) "Morning Meetings" by Francois/ (BAS) "Thinking of You" by Susan]
=-=

Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, inside a dark cell
Stardate: 33003.0200

Sofia laid flat on her back against the cold, stone cot, and her eyes closed while her mind travelled millions of light-years away. It made sense for her to be listed as MIA following the abduction, but how could her fellow shipmates have just written her off the way they did? People could remain on the list of officers missing in action for years until a proof of their demise was discovered. In some cases such proofs still failed to see their names removed from the list because there was not enough evidence to confirm the officer's actual status as being dead.  So why had everyone so easily given up on her being alive?

The last thing the aCMO of the USS PHOENIX recalled was seeing a perfect recreation of herself on the other side of the opened doorway after answering the door chime. The only possible and logical reason for Ensign Sofia Andersson to have been declared dead was that her doppelganger had suffered that fate, meeting an untimely death.

One thing that troubled her, amongst all of the several others, was that Lieutenant Commander Aerdan Jos, the PHOENIX's Chief Medical Officer, had not managed to identify the alternate origins of the victim. Surely once that would have been done, her status would have been changed and the crew sent to her rescue.

How could they have given up on her so easily? What sequence of event had taken place to see her be left here to face her fate alone and with false hopes of ever being rescued? What could she have done to call upon such utter apprehension from the ship's Commanding Officer Captain Michael Kane? Was it truly what had taken place or had other mitigating circumstances forced everyone into the situation they all now faced?

Tears forced their way out of her closed eyes to slowly flow down the side of her head. The realization that she was officially classified as being dead hit the young physician harder than she could have expected such a news to, but then again how often did anyone came to learn that they were declared dead while in reality still being very much alive. Maybe later, when she would be in a better mindset, Sofia could ask Nicole for some counselling on that matter. In the meantime, she needed to calm herself while forcing her thoughts on less depressing matters.

In the complete silence of the dark cell, the physician started listening to her own heart beating, each thump reinforcing the fact that she was not dead as those who knew her believed. Sofia needed to focus on everything positive she could so as to not permit the depression she felt at the edge of her mind claim what was left of the person she was. The first step for the woman was to draw strength in the fact that she was no longer alone. Whatever odds she had of ever making it out of this hell alive had greatly increased thanks to Nicole Dima's arrival.

If no one was out there looking for Ensign Andersson, hopefully someone would be doing so for Ensign Dima, and their finding and rescuing her would lead to a happy ending where two officers would be rescued instead of one. Of course, as great as the increase in those odds might have been, they were still along the lower end of the probability scale. Still, it was enough to have Sofia reclaim the hope that the news of her being dead had vanquished within her mind.

The other point that Sofia could hold on to as means to restore her hopes was the discovery of the tissue regenerator. Nicole had made it clear that she did not have the item in her possession at the time of her unexpected transport across the galaxy. This meant, at least as far as the blind captive chose to believe, that some power or entity out there was working on their behalf.

The possibility that this same tissue regenerator had actually been provided by their captors to lengthen to a maximum the duration of their torture was something that Sofia, for obvious reasons, decided to ignore. In order to keep from slipping into a depression, she needed to hold on to every single bit of positive, be it real or imaginary. Only then would she and Nicole have a true chance at finding their way out of this cell taken them one step closer to freedom.

After everything she had endured following her association with the Neo-Essentialists, Sofia had vowed to do everything she could to prove herself to her family, to those who had believed in her like Jayson Stark, and to the Federation as a whole. Such a goal could not be accomplished by someone who gave up and who accepted the label of being dead. In order to prove to everyone that she was the person she claimed to be, Ensign Andersson needed to rise from the grave they had put her in and show the universe that it would take a great deal more to keep someone like her *dead*.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Former Assistant Chief Medical Officer of the USS PHOENIX
Presumed dead but very much alive.
M06-P011: USS BASTET: Gemma: Day 02 - 0400 ("Cold As Ice")
=-=
"Cold As Ice"
[previous post was (ANU) "Morning Meetings" / (BAS) "Undead"]
=-=

Setting: JDO-SHEN, Surface
Stardate: 33003.0400

The wind was strong enough to knock someone off their feet, and cold enough to freeze any skin left exposed. The surface of JDO-SHEN was a frozen hell meant to test any Reman to his or her limits. It was also the perfect barrier to stop any of the prisoners from escaping. If any of them did manage to get out of their cell, the glacial surface weather would stop them dead in their tracks. That's what made this place such an ideal location.

Even before the day's training had begun, Gemma knew that escaping via the surface was impossible. As strong and resilient as Shinral was, it took all that she had to take another step. This meant that the humans would not survive a minute in these conditions. Training on JDO-SHEN was meant to weed out the weaker elements of the Reman forces. It also insured that the race as a whole would never have enough members to oppose their Romulan cousins.

It had been an hour since the first training exercise had started. The objective of which was simple, to make it to the next entrance of the underground base. A rough estimate placed the two entrances at about 800 to 900 yards. Thanks to the hurricane-force winds though, those yards might as well been light-years.

Shinral pressed on, fighting against the cold and wind with determination. Many had bet against her even reaching the second entrance. Others had been generous enough to give her the benefit of the doubt, claiming that she would be last or close to it. Therefore, reaching the other entrance first would insure the respect of the others. This would be a minor thing that could play a role later on during an attempt at escaping.

Winning this training session would also grant the Reman female the right to interrogate one of the prisoners. Normally, the victor could choose from any available detainee. Beating up the latest arrival would insure the most useful answers. The knowledge of how the Trill had gotten here was not all that important. Knowing where she came from on the other hand would provide clues as to what rescue attempt, if any, might be undertaken. Before any of this could happen though, Shinral needed to do one thing first. She had to reach the other entrance first.

=-=
Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Meeting area
Stardate: 33003.0530

The snow and ice still clung to her curled up eyebrows. Although they had been covered for the training exercise, the wind still managed to reach them. As it did other parts of her body that she could barely feel. She studied the other participants who had also finished the course. Not only had she been first in reaching the second entrance, but she appeared to be the least affected by the experience.

The looks on their faces showed that she earned their respect. When Shinral saw Makor approaching the group, she believed that her own objective had been reached.

"Why did you take part in this training session?" The retired Romulan Proconsul demanded. The backhand slap he unleashed soon after made it clear that he was not pleased. Whatever her reply might be, he could not allow her defiance to remain unanswered.

"This is a Reman training facility," Shinral answered feeling the stinging of the man's backhand against her cheek. The defiance she felt was quickly curtailed. He was her employer, her master, and this was not the time to claim otherwise. "I simply wanted to show that I was worthy. I thought..."

"I brought you here to act as my bodyguard," Makor scolded the female Reman, interrupting her. "You are not here to *think*, let alone risk my safety by you play with the others of your kind. How were you expected to keep me safe while you were out there?"

Switching hands, Makor struck his bodyguard again. The force of the impact sent her flying in the other direction. The intent was to make sure that she would understand the error of her ways. Against her cold, frozen cheeks, the backhanded strikes proved to be that much more painful.

"My apologies," Shinral said, lowering her head as far as she could. It would not have taken much for her to take the Romulan Proconsul down. She even suspected that the other Remans would watch the spectacle while cheering. Doing so would seal their fate by being exiled to the surface. Because of that, there was no other choice but to accept the dressing down she was being handed. "I forgot my place and allowed my pride to cloud my judgement."

"You have been an exemplary bodyguard, until now. That is why I will go easy on you, but make no mistake. Disappoint me again, and I will personally end your miserable existence." Makor was used to having things done his way and no other. As a member of the Romulan senate, he was not used to being so openly challenged. When he started chuckling, he realized that he had gone soft during his retirement. A fact that he did not entirely liked.

"Thank you," Shinral meekly said. Saying or doing anything else would only serve to make matters worse. Therefore, it was best for the bodyguard to act as she had been meant to.

"Who came in second?" Makor demanded, prompting one of the other Remans to take a single step forward.

"You are the winner of this training session," the retired Proconsul announced. "Claim your prize. You," he continued glaring at Shinral. "The only one you need to impress is me, no one else."

The gathered Remans who had completed the first training exercise stood quietly. There was no need to say or do anything as the Romulan made his way out of the room. Once he was gone, the second place winner turned to Shinral and extended a helping hand.

"We cannot go against his wishes," the Reman weakly smiled. "You won the session, but the first place prize is mine to claim. Since he said nothing about the prize that would have been mine though, I give it to you." He paused, looking at the woman standing before him. She was quick and strong; her finishing first was proof of that. Maybe if he was nice to her, she would in turn find a way to be nice to him. "The new arrival shall be mine, so you can take any of the others."

Instead of thanking him for his generosity, Shinral wanted to argue, maybe even fight him. Of all the prisoners he had taken the one she wanted, the one she needed. Challenging him now would cause her to lose the respect she had worked so hard to earn. It would also insure that Makor would be made aware of this little conversation.

"Thank you," the female Reman said. "Her cellmate shall therefore be mine."

"An excellent choice," the second place winner claimed. "You will find beating her most enjoyable. I should know as I have done so many times since her arrival. I find the way she screams very rewarding."

Upon hearing this, Anya Petrov, the Russian assassin had been ready to strike with all of her skills and strength. After taking down an entire town, dispatching this handful of bullies would not be any trouble at all. Despite her anger, the huntress found her desire for revenge denied. She would have to remain in the shadows for the time being. Maybe before their escape from this place, she would be granted the opportunity to deal with him.

"Go warm up," the lead Reman instructed the participants of the first training session. "You two have an hour before you enjoy your rewards. The rest of you still have to make your decision. There are only three others to choose from."

Shinral inwardly smiled. Now she knew that there were a total of five prisoners.

"The Klingon is mine," the third place Reman stated. "I suspect that he will not survive this latest beating."

"I'm not even sure that he survived the night," another claimed before laughing.

"The traitor is mine," the fourth place participant announced. "You," he continued pointing to the Reman who came after him. "You get that Corvallen weakling. Everyone else gets to bang their heads against the nearest wall. Enjoy."

In a little less than an hour, Shinral would be with the blonde Terran. Hopefully something useful would be obtained from the beating she was about to be given at the hands of the Reman female. Hopefully, between now and then, the anger she felt would subside enough to insure the prisoner's survival.

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Intel Operative
NEW ALEXANDRIA

[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
M06-P012: USS BASTET: Andersson: Day 02 - 0800 ("Painful Revelation")
=-=
"Painful Revelation"
[previous post was (ANU) "Breakfast" by Jayson / (BAS) "Cold As Ice" by Rachel]
=-=

Setting: EARTH, Paris
Stardate: Sometime after the destruction of the city

Sofia hesitantly walked through the snow-covered streets of the renowned city, surrounded by an unearthly devastation that she remembered all too well. The air was heavy and although there was no discernible aroma, the stench of death was very much present; unavoidable and inescapable. She had lived this nightmare more than once, both in the real world and in her troubled mind. Somehow things were different this time around, appearing both the same and different. Everything was as she remembered it with one glaring exception, there had never been any snow.

Following her trial and judgement, the former member of the Neo-Essentialists known as Sofia Andersson was sentenced to the Versaille Triage Center to help sort through and identify whatever mangled corpse could be found. Due to her minimal involvement with the organization, the court had showed her leniency, but that had in no way lessen the effect of the verdict. With was only thanks to the help of others that she had regained the privilege to be referred to as a Starfleet Officer, but the path she took to get where she was would forever be hers to look back upon with shame and sadness.

Clearly having heard the noise of footsteps coming from behind her, Sofia quickly pivoted to confront whoever had been there. Maybe they would be able to explain as to why the ravaged city of Paris was now covered under a thick, cold blanket of snow. It took no time for the woman to notice that a second set of footprints had been created right next to hers, leading past where she stood. As she followed them, a new set of feet came into view. She could not understand how she had not noticed them before, but then again neither could she explain the snow that was still falling all around her.

As Sofia scrutinized the newly discovered feet, making her way up the legs and body to finish at the head belonging to them, the blonde-haired woman came face-to-face with a woman she easily recognized as being a member of the Reman race. Again, there was no explanation as to how or why someone like her would be here in a snow-covered Paris, but the idea that this was nothing more than a nightmare further embedded itself in her mind.

She suddenly became aware of the coldness of the air against her cheeks, and felt an icy chill sweep through her body. It was as if a new layer of detail had been added to this nightmare to add an aspect of physical discomfort to the emotional unpleasantness she was already experiencing.

"Who are you?" Sofia asked of the Reman standing there in front of her. What harm could asking a simple question cause while being inside a nightmare?

The answer came in the form of a solid right jab to her abdomen followed by a powerful uppercut to her jaw that sent Sofia flying through the air. For a split second, the woman found herself expecting to feel the coldness of the snow greet her landing, softening the impact ever so slightly, but instead of a blanket of white, she crashed onto a medical table before rolling off from it onto the floor.

Winded by the force of the impact, Sofia did her best to look around expecting to see some part of the famed city, but like the snow the French capital had also vanished. Instead, she found herself trying to use the examination table of the PHOENIX's Sickbay to return to her feet while woman with the sadistic expression on her face looked with amusement at her struggle.

"You will tell me everything that you know," the Reman demanded, easily lifting the injured woman by the collar of her torn uniform before tossing her like a ragdoll against the nearest wall.  Sofia heard the sound of bones breaking from the impact, but there was little she could do as she was brought back onto her feet for another round

Memories of previous beatings came rushing into her mind like a tsunami. This was more than a simple nightmare, this was like the other trips through her memories, using familiar details only to further confuse the one being tortured, which at this moment was her. She now remembered having been blinded during her previous beating and also that up until now she had never been allowed to see the one responsible for this vicious assault.

Why had she been made to see her attacker? Did this mean that it would be the last time she would suffer such a beating? For fear of revealing what little she knew about her cellmate, Sofia did her best to push the woman from her thoughts. She must have achieved a certain amount of success judging by the anger visible on the face of her tormentor before everything went dark.

=-=
Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, inside an inactive holodeck-like room
Stardate: 33003.0800

The program that allowed the memories of the one targeted by the system to be made real and altered at will had been terminated. Sofia could only see vague outlines of the room and of the woman looking down at her.

"We do not have much time," the woman said, her voice not that of the Reman who had knocked Sofia unconscious an unknown amount of time ago. "I have disabled the recording system of the holodeck, so there won't be any records of our conversation. I need you to relay a message to your friend. You need to hold on and be ready for an escape. We will have to move quickly when the opportunity presents itself."

Sofia felt a hypospray being pressed against her neck. "Who are you?" She asked, curious and half expecting to be struck once more for daring to ask a question.

"My name is not important. I am just here to help you two get back where you belong."

Whatever was in the hypospray made the pain go away, but it always caused Sofia to feel her consciousness slip away from her. Obviously the substance she had been injected with possessed numbing agent with tranquilizing properties. Who had been this person who claimed to be here to help and had she been the one responsible for them having a tissue regenerator? More important, how would she be able to help them escape this hell they had found themselves in?

=-=
Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, inside a dark cell
Stardate: 33003.0830

Sofia was returned to her cell as if she had been nothing more than a piece of trash abused well beyond its usefulness. The Trill managed to get a glimpse of the Reman female who had brought her back, the Romulan offshoot displaying an anger that could not be ignored. As soon as the door was closed and locked, Dima rushed to Andersson's side.

At first Nicole believed the woman to be dead due to the manner with which she had collapsed onto the cold floor, not a single iota of life having been displayed. So it was with great relief that she discovered a pulse with her fingers against the woman's neck.

"Can you hear me?" Nicole whispered, scared that the woman whom everyone believed to be dead would now actually be just that.

"Yes," Sofia barely managed to reply. "What happened?"

"Something must have gone wrong with their equipment," the Counselor explained. "I was being made to relive some of my memories from my time on my last ship when everything went dark. I was beaten for a few minutes before being brought back here, a few minutes before you were brought back. It looks like you were not as lucky as I was though."

"Maybe I was," the drugged woman countered with. "If I was not imagining or hallucinating, we might have someone out there that is trying to help us."

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Former Assistant Chief Medical Officer of the USS PHOENIX
Presumed dead but very much alive.
M06-P013: USS BASTET: Valentine: Day 02 - 0830 ("Playing The Odds")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Playing The Odds"
[previous post ((ANU) "Inner Debate" / (BAS) "Painful Revelation")]

Setting: BASTET, Captain's Ready Room
Stardate: 33003.0830

"Enter," Captain Iverson said follwing the sound of the door chime indicating that someone wished to come in and speak to her.

"Looks like we will be losing our CNS," Sarena announced as she walked into the Captain's office and made a straight line to her desk behind which she was sitting.

"Isn't that a little premature? I have not heard anything official about Adriana transferring to the ANUBIS, or any other ship for that matter," Captain Iverson said watching her Executive Officer take the empty chair in front of her desk without having been instructed to do so.

"The writing is on the walls as they say," Valentine quietly huffed. "With Satella already on the ANUBIS, and their crew needing a Ship's Counselor, betting on Adriana staying on the BASTET would be against the odds."

"One can hope," Selene shrugged. "The ship is going to feel awfully empty if we lose both our CMO and CNS."

"I think we are well passed the *if* in that regards. Our Counselor has officially logged in more time on board the ANUBIS than she has here over the last few days. The moment you authorized Satella's transfer, you had to know that Adriana would follow, even if only to leave the BASTET," Valentine pointed out not looking very pleased with the whole thing. "After that happened with our Yxidii refugee, it makes sense that both of them want to put as much distance between us. It is a safe bet that they consider me the enemy now."

"I think that you all acted with the best possible intents given the situation that we were in," the Captain said trying to smooth things over. "You and Satella approached the situation from different perspectives as well as different objectives. She saw a creature being endlessly tortured while you saw a unique chance to obtain information. Neither one of you was wrong; we just need to recognize that at times we may end up with conflicting ways of dealing with problem."

"It was not that simple, an you know it," Sarena argued, not wanting to let the fact that her orders had been ignored be so simply brushed under the proverbial carpet.

"This has been said before; we are not in the business of creating mindless drones who simply follow orders. That was the way of the Borg and look where that led them to be. You gave an order and both Satella and Adriana decided to not follow it for reasons that they believed to be reasonable, which resulted in them finding a solution that gave us the best possible scenario. I spoke to them about respecting the chain of command, but it seems that I also need to speak to you about accepting that sometimes we have to take a step back and see the final result."

"Which is?" Valentine asked almost as if challenging her Captain to make her point.

"That the mission was a success. We returned with the information we were after and with our guest alive. If it wasn't for all of your oversized egos, the BASTET might still have a CMO and CNS heading into the next mission.

"I might have over-reacted, and for that I do apologize, but you have to admit that there was still a fair possibility that they would eventually request a transfer off the BASTET," Sarena said, trying to bridge the gap that was rapidly growing between the two senior most officers. "It is difficult for most to deal with the things we do. The disappearance of Halston while we were in the past still haunts those who were there, and after facing the Lokustaar the way we did, I am actually surprised that they have only elected to transfer to another ship instead of leaving Starfleet all together."

"Worried that our next encounter with those 'shadows' may not end well?" Captain Iverson asked with a definite hint of concern in her words.

"Let's just say that the odds are not all that good," the Executive Officer replied. "We were able to stop them on CAIT and we now know that they are actively working on getting their hands, claws, whatever they have, onto a working transdimensional drive. If those scary creatures manage to get a hold of such a device, there is no telling what kind of nightmare we will be dealing with. I suspect they will not be sending only a few ships our way either. After what we saw in those parallel realities, when they find a way to cross into our dimension, they will be doing so with enough troops to bring countless worlds to their knees in a matter of days if not faster."

"We need to change the subject," Selene sighed. "These rapidly mounting odds against us are depressing me, and if what you said when you came in is true, we may not even have a Counselor for me to speak to about this. So, how are thing going on the HATHOR?"

"Commander Janeel went to check on their progress, and before you ask, Lieutenant Mitshiba reported in earlier this morning saying that they have not been able to make any headway in their search for the whereabouts of the ANUBIS' missing officer. Apparently the only additional help they were able to get from the creator of the crystals, Professor Arken, was for them to 'think harder', which needless to say has not proven to be all that helpful."

"Why is it that the moment a scientist gets smarter than the norm, they go head-deep into madness, eccentricity or some weird combination of the two? Is it that impossible to ask for a genius to be able to interact with the rest of the population in a more normal manner?"

"You can always ask," Sarena replied, fighting back a grin. "The odds are just not in our favor in that regards."

Captain Iverson shook her head and sighed. "I guess I need to put in an official request to Admiral Koniki for replacements for our multiple vacant positions. I guess it a good thing that we will be on board the HATHOR for our next mission. A smaller crew for a small ship, and who knows, maybe the odds will shift in our favor and we might be able to find a few able and willing bodies to join us in our continued travels.

"I never truly pictured you as being the overly optimistic sort," Valentine said, scrunching her as much as she physically could.

"That's alright, I never pictured you as being the gambling sort, but since you have walked into my office, you have not stopped mentioning the odds that are apparently stacked against us," Iverson hit back.

"Touché Captain. The point is yours, now I will have to go and see the odds maker to see if this victory will change the odds that we will be facing while on board the HATHOR with only a partial crew," Sarena added.  After a short exchange of smiles, the Executive Officer stood and made her way towards the door in order to allow the Commanding Officer of the BASTET to resume her work while she contemplated the rapidly shrinking size of her senior staff.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Karen Price

Executive Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M06-P014: USS BASTET: Gemma: Day 02 - 0900 ("Weakest Link")
=-=
"Weakest Link"
[previous post was (ANU) "Together Again" / (BAS) "Playing The Odds"]
=-=

Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, interrogation chamber
Stardate: 33003.0900

Shinral came back to the interrogation chamber for two reasons. The first being that she needed to make sure the malfunction could not be traced to this room. Disabling the power had insured that all of the prisoners would survive a little longer. It was hoped that those in charge of the repairs would not look too closely now that the power was back. The other reason the Reman came back was to try to understand why she made an appearance here.

The surface of JDO-SHEN was an extreme show of inhospitality. Anyone unprepared to deal with the harsh environment would perish in minutes; that is if they made it that long. Anyone claiming that the underground complex was any more welcoming was gravely mistaken. Instead of a cold wind that could rip the skin off your body, the corridors were filled with Remans. Each and every single one of them was more than ready to rip apart a would-be intruder. So for her to show up here the way she did was asking for trouble in countless ways. All of them more problematic than the previous, and just as deadly.

Finnja, the bleeding heart as she was known by everyone who knew her, had decided to lend a hand and help. For her to deem the prisoner in the hands of the Reman interrogator worthy of her care was not all that surprising. The Dinaali nurse was known for wanting to help anyone that was in the least bit injured. The woman cared nothing about her own safety, being completely blinded by her desires to end suffering. All that mattered to her was to help those in need no matter the circumstances. In a place like this though, wanting to help could very easily turn into a death sentence for her and her patient.

Why she had decided to show herself now was beyond Shinral's comprehension. The only reason her visit had not messed everything up was because the internal scanner had been made inoperative. The Reman had managed to secure a hypospray to help, but for some reason the Dinaali thought it best if she were the one to use it.

The Reman bodyguard gave the room a quick yet thorough scan to make sure nothing hd been forgotten. Dealing with Makor was not all that complicated but it did create some unforeseeable variables. Trying to earn and maintain the respect of the other Remans was straightforward enough. Having to try to keep the two Starfleet prisoners safe was the hardest part, at least up until now. Dealing with Finnja's incessant want to jump into a situation would now be the most demanding part of this mission.  If she had the opportunity, Shinral would not hesitate to hand the Dinaali over to Anya. The Terran assassin would surely not take more than a few seconds to solve their collective problem.

With the interrogation chamber clean of any traces of what happened, the bodyguard was ready to return to her duties. After the dressing down she had received from Makor, it was best to make sure she was never too far from him. If luck were on her side, this would mean that there would not be another opportunity for Finnja to make her presence known.

=-=
Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Common Room
Stardate: 33003.0920

"What do you mean you have no idea what happened?" Makor blasted the Reman standing in front of him. The retired Proconsul was so angered by the whole affair that he failed to notice the late arrival of hi own bodyguard.

"There was some sort of power surge in one of the interrogation chambers. The power spike knocked every one of them out. By the time we started looking into the issue, the power had been restored. We have no idea what happened as the energy surge disabled the scanners."

Makor stood motionless, fuming as only a high-ranking Romulan could when faced with Reman incompetence. Those in charge of the complex knew what they were doing, but even perfection on their part would not have been accepted. Any error from the slave labor caste was enough to have this or any other Romulan be as outraged has the retired Proconsul was.

After several moments, the retired Romulan slowly turned around and made as if he was ready to drop the matter. To everyone's surprise though, he suddenly turned back to face the Reman he had been arguing with. No one could have expected to see a disruptor in the hand of the retired Proconsul. Stunned by the unexpected display of force, everyone froze in place. This pause simply made what followed that much easier for Makor who pulled the trigger without any hesitation.

Gasps of disbelief filled the room. Looking at the gaping hole in the victim's chest, Shinral found some minute comfort in the knowledge that Finnja could do nothing at this point. The Reman was dead and quickly becoming the reason for the mounting anger of the others. Being here on JDO-SHEN and dying because they could not meet the demands of their training was nothing. The fault would be theirs if they did not make it to another day. This was an entirely different story. One of their own had been shot dead for no other reason than because a Romulan had been unhappy with the reply he was given.

"You are all useless," Makor yelled at the rest of the room's occupant including his own bodyguard. Shinral quickly scanned the expression on the faces of her fellow Remans. Although the Romulan was the only one in possession of a weapon, he would be unable to kill everyone. Outnumbered and certainly out trained, there was no way he would get out of this room alive. That was when he glared in the direction of his bodyguard direction, reminding her without speaking of her duties to him.

The chaos that would follow should he die would prove useful in camouflaging an escape. The problem was that this same chaos would more than likely make it impossible for any of the prisoners to make it out alive. As much as she did not want to, Shinral had no other choice but to put herself directly between Makor and the enraged Remans.

"Get out of our way," the Reman who received her reward in the first training of the day ordered. "We have no quarrels with you."

"I cannot allow you to do this," Shinral said, standing her ground without fear. "Do you truly believe that any of us will make it out alive if you do this? This entire facility will be bombed into oblivion and for what? To claim the right of vengeance for the mistake of another? The Romulans believe our lives to be worthless, do not do this and prove them right. Return to your barracks and learn from this as we learn from all that happens around us."

It took a moment but the other Remans eventually withdrew. Apparently, Shinral's speech had convinced them, at least for the time being, exactly as she hoped.

"Well done," Makor said with a distinct tone of superiority in his voice. "Having you be my bodyguard might not have been the mistake I was recently made to believe.

Shinral kept her thoughts and words to herself as the retired Proconsul left the room through a different exit. She had saved his life, not because it was her duty, but because it would serve her interests at a later point. Makor killing of the Reman the way he did in front of the others was a huge mistake. He thought this would strengthen his position while in reality is only served to rally the others against him. Finnja would certain have found all of this disturbing and sad unlike the woman now standing alone in the room. This event would help shape the foundation that she would use to enable their escape. All she needed to do now was to carefully put all of the pieces in place before making the final move. Keeping the Dinaali nurse out from underfoot would also be a good thing to insure that nothing got in the way of this new plan.

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Intel Operative
NEW ALEXANDRIA

[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
M06-P015: USS BASTET: Janeel: Day 02 - 0930 ("Shadows Of The Dead")
=-=
"Shadows Of The Dead"
[previous post was (ANU) "Overreacting" by Hanali / (BAS) "Weakest Link" by Rachel]
=-=

Setting: USS BASTET, Janeel's Quarters
Stardate: 33003.0930

Commander Maya and Lieutenant Mitshiba had been chin-deep in their research of the crystals and the way they functioned. Their goal was to not only figure out a way to identify where the Trill Counselor had vanished to, but also to allow whoever would go on the rescue mission after her to control how they would get there. Despite their tireless combined efforts though, the Chief Science Officers had been unable to find a single usable clue to guide them in their search for answers. The lack of help from the creator of the crystal proved to be just an additional source of frustration for the two women who could not think of a way to 'think harder' than they already were.

Unable to offer any tangible assistance to Maya and Mitshiba, while likely only contributing to increasing their already high frustration, Janeel left the two women to their task without interrupting. From there, and knowing that her report back to Captain Iverson would not change anything in how things were currently developing, the ILO decided to return to her quarters. At least there, the ILO had something she needed to do following their latest dealing with the Lokustaar. Something about seeing the shadowy race dispose of the Masters the way they had triggered something within her, a long sequence of thoughts that led the woman back to review the path that her life had taken. The unexpected disappearance of the ANUBIS' Counselor proved to be the catalyst which pushed her thoughts into action.

Now back in her quarters, the woman stood in the middle of the living space, the lights not having been turned on for reasons that even the shapeshifting Daledian could not yet understand. She found the surrounding shadows oddly welcoming, something that surprised her knowing what she did about the Lokustaar. Where she half expected to feel fear instead she felt peace and somehow, the darkness made her feel safe, as if she no longer needed to hide from everyone around her.

With the press of a single bottom, a set of small lights came on, illuminating a group of small shelves on the wall and the small items displayed on them. To everyone else, these little trinkets were nothing more than random items that appeared to have no communality, but to the woman currently looking at them, each of the small mementos held a very specific significance.  Janeel took a moment to carefully study every one of them as each represented the identity of a person she had appropriated the identities of over the many years leading to today.

The first item on the shelf, and the one that meant the most to her, was a small ragged doll, the kind that little girls played with during the day and which offered comfort during the night. The toy belonged to a young girl very close to her own age then whose name was Enshya. The innocent little girl was the unfortunate daughter of an Orion slave merchant who one day stumbled into the crossfire of a raid against her father's assets. It would be the first time the Daledian would take on the identity of someone else, taking over a life ended too soon in order to extend it as if nothing had happened.
As Enshya, she spent over two full years enjoying being pampered by her father who, after having already lost his wife and nearly lost his only daughter, had been more than ready and willing to agree with his child's request for him to abandon this dangerous line of work. After calling in some favors, the two of them moved to a small and quiet home on a remote planet where they would be able to dedicate their time at doing nothing more than enjoying the passing days to their fullest.

Life as the young Enshya proved to be wonderful, her new father taking care of her every need. Each day that passed made the Daledian forget a little more who she really was, this life being far better than anything she could have hoped for as the person she was before. Not a hint of regret tainted her thoughts as she completely lost herself in this new identity. That was until the day that a rival merchant finally found her father's hideout and sought revenge for whatever wrong had been done to him.

The explosion turned into rubble their quiet little home but luckily, Enshya had been out in the wilderness gathering flowers. Hearing the explosion, she returned to discover her father mortally wounded barely visible beneath the debris of their home. In a frantic rush the daughter did everything possible to save her father, but it would prove to be too little, too late. His dying words to her were a heartfelt thank you for having allowed him to spend this extra time with his daughter whom he knew had died many moons ago.

Janeel allowed a single tear to caress her cheek as she reached for the doll and lovingly pulled it off the shelf. After looking at the child's toy for several minutes, recalling the happy memories of the child she had taken the identity of, the doll was brought in closer to be tightly held against her body before being reluctantly put away in an open crate that had already been there.

The next item on the shelf to draw the ILO's attention was a small clay recreation of a flower created by the husband of a woman named Prya Kelly, whom she met while on EARTH. The woman met an unexpected death during a shuttle accident, but before that, Prya had spent several hours talking about how wonderful her husband was and how they planned on not only living together, but also dying together in their old age.  When she learned about the accident, the Daledian could not stand to have the sweet man she had heard so much about suddenly find himself alone. So, using her skills and the knowledge she had acquired of the couple, Prya Kelly returned home having miraculously missed the shuttle claiming that the news of her death had been nothing more than a mistake on the part of the authorities.

As Prya Kelly, the Daledian did everything she could to make the life of her new husband as pleasant as possible as they grew older, but again tragedy soon struck. One day, her husband was diagnosed with an incurable illness which claimed his life just over a year after his wife's return from a fateful trip that he believed she had never taken.

A sad smile graced Janeel's lips as she placed the small art piece inside the crate in a space specifically made for it located right next to the doll. Another set of memories, belonging to another life had been stored away once again before she turned her attention to the next trinket to be removed from the shelf. The delicate necklace belonging to a Kerelian woman had been found in her travel bag along with the framed Starfleet Academy acceptance letter and several photo albums. Rumors amongst the cadets were that after making it to her dormitory, Breeha Tallen had decided to run away beyond Federation borders, unable to stand the crushing pressure put on her shoulders by her parents.

Finding the story heartbreaking and imagining how her parents would likely be devastated by the news of their daughter's decision, Breeha unexpectedly returned to the Academy having apparently changed her mind.  She explained to her fellow classmates that the pain it would cause her parents would be too much for her to live with, a story that actually never made it back to her parents. During her second year at the Academy, news of the body of a young Kerellian woman being found rushed reached the members of the class. Although the description provided did match that of their classmate, the similarities were quickly dismissed as being nothing more than coincidental. Unfortunately for the Daledian, not everyone was so easily convinced, and the next two years of her Academy training were closely followed by people she did not even know had taken an interest to her.

The day before her graduation, Breeha was approached by a man dressed in black claiming to belong to a secret branch of Starfleet Intelligence. Right away she feared the worst but instead of accusing her of having taken on the identity of another, they offered her deal. She would join their organization following her graduation or they would expose her for who she really was before she would even get to see the stage. Not really having a choice in the matter, she agreed and immediately following her graduation Ensign Tallen joined NEW ALEXANDRIA.

That was when her training truly began as she went from taking one identity after another in matters of months instead of years.  The Daledian sorrowfully closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to sort the memories that were now flooding her mind. There had been so many names, so many faces, and so many memories, all belonging to someone other than who she was or had been.  In a way, the ILO understood how a joint Trill felt, but unlike them, those memories were not rightfully hers, born from lives and events that should never have been.

One by one, the trinkets were carefully placed in their respective spots within the crate until nothing but the memory of their presence on the shelf remained. All but one of the 22 little items had been removed, the emptiness they left behind proving to be almost unbearable for Janeel who needed to repeat the process one last time. The only trinket left on the shelves was a small framed mirror that had once belonged to her namesake, a woman who had been tricked by an operative of Admiral Koniki to betray her associates in the Orion Syndicate. Rightfully feeling betrayed by the woman, the Syndicate ended her life in a most unpleasant and dreadful manner making an example of her to whoever would ever consider doing as she had done.

As a show of strength, and to prove that the Orion Syndicate was not as powerful as it claimed to be, the Intel Operative was task with taking on the identity of the woman and further destabilize the criminal organization by appearing in various points of interest, showing that she had survived their murderous attempts. The fact that their repeated efforts proved just as unsuccessful only further damaged their image, although Janeel would never reveal how she had managed to survive all of the attempts at her life.

As the Daledian gazed at the reflection in the mirror to see Janeel looking back, she discovered that she could no longer recall her original appearance or even the name by which she was known by before becoming Enshya. The skilled operative had been assigned to the BASTET as the Intel Liaison Officer to help them in whatever way she could while still hindering the Orion Syndicate by her current identity, but now, after having taken on so many identities, she realized something. What she wanted most was to find out who she really was, to no longer be the face of someone who had perished, be it accidently or on purpose, in order to achieve some dark and shadowy objective.

All that Janeel wanted was to discover who she really was, to be able to look into a mirror and see someone other than a stranger looking back at her. She wanted a name, a face and an identity that was and would truly be hers.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET

Lieutenant Commander Shar'El [Access Character BIO for Shar'El]
Acting Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
M06-P016: USS BASTET: Mitshiba: Day 02 - 1000 ("Thinking")
"Thinking"
Previous posts: (ANU) "Overreacting" & (BAS) "Shadows of the Dead"

///^\\\
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Astrometrics
Stardate: 33003.1000

It had been several hours since the CSciO of the ANUBIS and BASTET had resumed their work, and still nothing new had come of it. Wave patterns of all sorts filled the screens on one side of the Astrometrics lab while the others displayed everything they managed to discover on the fluctuating sub-space quantum vibration found by the internal sensors.  The lack of progress on this split-second finding made Aki wonder if maybe it had nothing to do with the disappearance of this vessel's CNS.  After having spent so many hours trying to understand that particular oddity, Mitshiba hated to think that it might have been nothing more than an ill-timed coincidence on which they had wasted their time.

Aki took a moment to breathe and settle her mind. It felt like they were running in circles while going at warp speed, and with her experience on board the BASTET, the CSciO knew that as bad as things were, they could always be much worse. They had in their possession all of the available information pertaining to the crystals as provided by Professor Elijah Arken, and even a little more. They also had access to all of the resources of their base of operation, allowing the on board computer to consider even more possibilities, and with the ships safely docked inside the hidden fortress, there was little chance of them having to deal with some unexpected danger to the crews.

On the other side of the issue, the entire affair could have happened in another dimension without any resources or available help, so Aki forced herself to look on the brighter side of thighs as she glanced over to the other CSciO working on this problem. As little progress as they had achieved, Mitshiba was glad to have been able to work with Maya. Had this situation been hers to face alone, the Asian scientist might have given up by now, but thanks to the Shillian's unwavering drive, the idea of abandoning all hopes had never even remotely been an option.

Had the BASTET lost an officer in the same manner, Aki wanted to believe that she would have reacted in the same fashion as Maya. As she considered this, depression gradually invaded the thoughts of the Asian woman as she recalled the similar disappearance of their Chief Engineer Ensign Halston Thorquelsson. Like Counselor Nicole Dima, he had vanished into thin air, lost in the vastness of time instead of space. It was guilt that Mitshiba began to feel now, guilt at not having worked half as hard then as they currently were in order to find the missing Trill officer.

Searching through the vastness of space was certainly not an easy task, but it paled in comparison to the infinite possibilities that 20,000 years offered. It was because of that impossible task that Captain Iverson agreed so quickly to list Halston as MIA upon their return, knowing that they could spend years searching for him without even scratching the surface. It was hoped that one day a clue of his whereabouts in time would be discovered giving the BASTET a temporal destination to go to.

With all of this turmoil in her mind, Aki thought that it might be a good idea to set up a counseling session with Adriana. All of this thinking about missing officers, not to mention their more recent dealing with the Lokustaar had taken its toll on the Asian scientist. A friendly chat with the BASTET's Counselor could only make things better, even if it only served to give Mitshiba the opportunity to think of something else for a little while.

"Computer, open a channel to Lieutenant Adriana Lopez, Ship's Counselor for the USS BASTET," Aki instructed. Without knowing how busy the woman of Mexican descent was, it was best to check a few things first.

=/\= Lopez here. =/\=

"Adriana, this is Aki. I was wondering if you would have time for us to speak for a few minutes?"

=/\= Is everything alright? =/\=

"Everything is fine; I just need to speak to someone. All of this thinking is causing me to smell burnt toasts."

=/\= Aki, you do know that smelling burnt toast, especially when not having breakfast, could be a sign of a stroke? You need to speak to your CMO, =/\= Satella jumped in sounding oddly joyous.

"I thought you were my CMO, Did something happen?"

=/\= Oops. I guess the news has not reached you. Captain Morningstar has approved my transfer to the ANUBIS. =/\=

"What? Why?" Aki would eventually be thankful that she was sitting when that news came to her.

=/\= Long story, but no worries, you know that I will always have a bed open for you. Sickbay on the ANUBIS is a lot larger and I would love to show you around my new kingdom. =/\=

"I think I'll just stick with setting an appointment with Adriana. Maybe at some point after this crisis is done and over with?"

=/\= That might be a problem, =/\= Adriana said, jumping back into the conversation, her voice much more solemn than that of her friend.

"Why would that be a problem? Don't tell me that you're also transferring to the ANUBIS?"  The question was meant as a joke, but the delay in any sort of a reply made Aki realize hat she had inadvertently hit the bullseye.

=/\= Where are you? =/\= Adriana asked, understanding that there was another issue from her decision she needed to deal with.

"The Astrometrics lab on Deck 12."

=/\= We'll be right over, =/\= Doctor Bruxa announced before closing the channel and leaving Aki feeling more depressed than she was before. How could all of this have happened? With Adriana and Satella gone from the BASTET, the ship would feel like a ghost ship. With that thought in mind, Aki began to wonder who else might be leaving the ship but the Asian scientist quickly snapped her mind back on task. Whatever was happening back on the BASTET, whoever was leaving or coming, there was a job to be completed.

With each second, minute and hour that went by, the possibility of something horrible happening to Counselor Nicole Dima increased. Things had already been enough of a mess without making it worse by having another officer officially declared as being lost.

///^\\\
Dawn Bohr

Lieutenant Misaki Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Chief Science Officer
USS BASTET - NCC 74977
M06-P017: USS BASTET: Valentine: Day 02 - 1130 ("Self-Evaluation")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Self-Evaluation"
[previous post ((ANU) "Searching for Brainwaves" / (BAS) "Thinking")]

Setting: BASTET, Sickbay
Stardate: 33003.1130

Her fingers trailed on the examination bed where the Yxidii was when this mess all began. By now, the alien from another dimension had been taken to NEW ALEXANDRIA and was likely being checked from head to toes by their medical staff. Once that was done, he would undergo a complete psychological evaluation before being debriefed. At some point, the BASTET would be tasked with his return to his dimension, but for the moment he was the best source of information on not one but two threats this dimension faced.

The Masters were a race of conquerors, enslaving entire world and civilizations as they had the J'Den. Their appearance as giants was enough to strike fear in most, a reaction that the Executive Officer of the BASTET suspected they enjoyed quite a bit. As limited as their dealings with this race was, it had been enough to recognize their type; a race of over confident bullies who believed the entire multiverse to be theirs to do with as they wished. Their self worth being built not on their achievements, but rather on the billions of individuals they would force into subjugation. Brute force was the only thing this race understood, as it was the only language they practiced. As frightening as they may be though, Valentine understood the way they thought.

The other threat to this dimension thought was a complete mystery. They knew next to nothing about these walking shadows called Lokustaar, but one things had been made abundantly clear during their last encounter; they were after a dimensional device. Why these nightmarish creatures wanted to invade this dimension was a mystery equal to the race itself. From what the crew of the BASTET saw and experienced, in both the past and present, it was understood that fear was the weapon of choice of this race. Looking at the way they had taken out two of the Masters' cruisers made it also evident that their ability to wage war surpassed that of the race of giants.

Considering everything, it could also be stated that the Lokustaar's disregard for life also surpassed that of the Masters. From the observations made while dealing with the J'Den, the race of giants wanted to conquer all, but the race of moving shadows seemed driven by a need to spread destruction and chaos everywhere they went. Their goal was not to impose their will on others, but simply to crush others out of existence. Discovering why this was so might not help in their battle against them, but at least it would offer the Executive Officer and those around her an idea as to what this conflict was all about.

For the moment, survival was their one and only goal, an objective that Valentine had every intentions on giving her everything in order to reach. Maybe that absolute dedication to a single goal was part of the reason why Sickbay and the Counselling department were now without a lead officer. As important as their needed to stop the Lokustaar was, maybe, just maybe, Sarena had gone a little too far in the way she handled the situation with Doctor Bruxa and Counselor Lopez.

The Executive Officer found it strange that she now sought to speak to the Counselor, hoping to better understand what had happened. Sarena was by no means ready to accept full responsibility for the way things had unfolded, but she did accept the fact that she played a role in all of this. Maybe, just maybe, Satella and Adriana would still be on board the BASTET had she not reacted as harshly as she did against them. As different as their views and methods were to her own, there was no escaping the fact that they were all on the same side, fighting against the same opponents in order to reach the same goal.

All that Sarena could do now was to move forward. The idea that one learns more from their mistakes than anything else had been around since long before recorded history. It would be nothing more than a waste of time if she chastised herself or anyone else or what happened. The BASTET would go on and in time a new CMO and CNS would come on board to fill in the vacancies, until such time though the Executive Officer needed to keep her eyes on their primary objective.

Commander Valentine was ready to leave when the doors opened. For a split second, the Executive Officer thought that maybe Doctor Bruxa had returned, having changed her mind for one reason or another. Instead of the CMO walking in though, the BASTET's ILO was the one who stepped into the room.

"Commander Valentine, I was not expecting you to be here," Janeel said, a heavy weight on her shoulders.

"Neither was I actually," Sarena said in return. After everything that she had thought and considered, the Executive Officer believed that a change of tactic was required from now on.  "Is everything alright? You seem troubled."

"Just thinking too much. That's why I came here to get something for the headache," was the reply, dismissive in its delivery as if the woman truly did not care whom she was speaking to.

Sarena could have easily begun interrogating the ILO, trying to get to the bottom of what the woman had been thinking about so much that she gave herself a headache. Instead, Valentine decided to offer some help. The BASTET had already lost two officers and there was no reason for her to try to force someone else to consider the same.

"Come, maybe together we can find something that will help," the Commander said, trying as best she could to smile and make the other woman feel a little less alone in dealing with her pain. "Worst case scenario, we can always head over to the ANUBIS. I hear that their Black Hole Lounge has quite a selection of non-replicated drinks. Guess they need that kind of stuff when they find themselves locked away under that ablative armor of theirs for days at a time."

"We all have our own ways of dealing with difficult choices that we made or were made in our stead," Janeel said taking Sarena a little by surprise. Whatever was bothering the ILO was certainly more than a simple headache.

"Tell you what, let's skip the headache medicine and head straight for those drinks. I think we are in need of something with a little more punch than whatever we could ask for in here. Plus, i think that a change of environment could do us both some good."

Janeel nodded, seemingly agreeing with the Executive Officer's recommendation although the woman did not allow any emotions to betray her thoughts and feelings. Maybe, just maybe, a few drinks would make her feel more at ease with sharing her thoughts.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Karen Price

Executive Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M06-P018: USS BASTET: Mitshiba: Day 02 - 1300 ("When Nothing Works")
"When Nothing Works"
Previous posts: (ANU) "Fitting In" & (BAS) "Self-Evaluation"

///^\\\
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Astrometrics
Stardate: 33003.1300

Being on the ANUBIS should have been an exciting experience. The ship was designed for long-term Intel gathering, observation and investigations, possessing the most state-of-the-art equipment to help along those tasks. Aki would have loved to see all of the equipment at work as well as visit all of the dedicated laboratories on board, but she came here to help in the search for their missing Counselor, and that was what she used her time and efforts for.

Despite her being busy as she was, Aki still managed to let her mind wander to the environment she was in. At almost twice the size of the BASTET, the ANUBIS was a wonder to be seen, and even more so to experience. For the short period of time she had been on board, it made her feel like she was actually serving on that ship. This was not to say that her own ship was any less thrilling, in fact the Asian woman was ready to argue that point against anyone who might dare to challenge this, but there was something to be said for visiting something new and yet so very familiar.

With the BASTET possessing both a Dimensional and Temporal Drive, no other ship in the fleet could compare, and maybe that was part of the reason why Aki felt the way she did. Being the exception to the rule could be fun, but to be on a completely different playing field did present those involved with a unique set of issues for them to deal with, both externally and internally.

A flashing indicator on the console brought the attention of the Asian woman back to her task in progress. The most recent search for anything remotely resembling brainwave patterns had found nothing. This station had been the last one that Aki had been asked to investigate, and by the frustrated expressions visible on the faces of the others, it was a foregone conclusion that they had been just as unsuccessful as she was.

"I found nothing. Most of the stations were not even active when the incident occurred," Doctor Bruxa said. "I still ran the search though, but the outcome was, shall we say, predictable."

"Same on my side and those stations that were active have scanning fields far too narrow and precise to have picked up on anything useful," Counselor Lopez added.

"It does make sense," Aki followed with. "The data gathered by any of those stations would be contaminated if the scanning fields were too broad ranged. Had there been only one, or maybe two such stations in this room, we would have had a better chance, but with so many dedicated scanners, having them be so precise in the area they operate in a necessity."

"Commander Maya," Doctor Bruxa said, turning to the CSciO of the ANUBIS. "You had mentioned something about the internal sensors and the ship's Intel Gathering department. Any luck on that front?"

The woman said nothing, only shaking her head which by itself was more of an indication than anything else. The normally verbose officer had become speechless due to their work and efforts having provided nothing new. Their search had revealed nothing, and now their hopes stood on the edge of an abyss from which there would be no return from.

"Thank you for all of your help, but it looks like there is nothing for us to work with here," the ANUBIS' CSciO eventually said, defeated and saddened by what the woman considered to be a failure on their part towards a member of her crew, of her family.

"We are so very sorry," Aki said, trying to find a better way to show and express her sympathy. Losing a member of your crew was not something easy, and the Asian woman knew this first hand. Unable to say or do more than she already had, the BASTET's CSciO began to make her way out of the laboratory, catching in the corner of her eye the CMO handing something over to Maya.

As soon as Satella stepped out, Aki stopped her, looking back to see Adriana trying her best to comfort the ANUBIS' CSciO before she joined the others in the corridor. As soon as she did, Mitshiba turned to Bruxa.

"What did you give Maya before leaving?"

"It was just a tricorder that I found in one of the holding areas of a workstation. It was opened and appeared to have been there for quite some time. The power cell was completely drained so it was of no use to us, but I thought that giving it back was the right thing to do," Satella answered. "Maybe it was one of the last things Nicole touched, and as such would represent something worth keeping aside. It was not like I was going to keep it."

"I don't think that's what she meant. I know that look," Adriana said, studying with great care the expression growing more and more visible on the Asian woman's face. "You are thinking about something, an angle that none of us considered before now. What's on your mind?"

"Did anyone bother to check to see if the tricorder recorded anything?" Aki asked, meeting the other two women's puzzled stares.

"As I said," Satella explained, "the power cell was completely drained; there is no way that it could have recorded anything despite the fact that it was open."

"Maybe not recently, but it might have been active when Counselor Dima walked into the room and placed the ninth crystal with the others," Aki detailed. "The internal sensors might not have been able to pick up anything useful, but tricorders are meant to be far more discriminating in their scans. It is possible, if my theory proves to be accurate for far more, that the device recorded what happened and maybe even recorded the Counselor's brainwave patter at the time of her disappearance."

"That's a long-shot," Bruxa noted. "Even a medical tricorder would need to be specifically calibrated to record such information. To ask that of a regular tricorder is asking for quite a bit."

"I understand, but you have to consider that it is very likely that the crystals responded to that specific brainwave pattern and frequency, amplifying it in order to send the Counselor wherever she is no. That amplified signal could and should have been picked up by a tricorder if it was closer enough," Aki suggested, hope quickly being restored to the small group.

"That all depends on the tricorder having been functional and operational at the time," Adriana added, not wanting to put a damper on the renewed hopes but still wanting everyone to keep a realistic perspective as to what they were all considering.

"Only one way to find out," the Asian CSciO said quickly making her way back into the Astrometrics lab only to discover the Shillian hard at work on the small device in question.

"I am so glad you are back. I was thinking that may this tricorder was active at the time of Nicole's disappearance and that it might have recorded what it is that we have been searching for. I know that this is not a medical tricorder and that there is no way that it could or should have done so, but the way the crystals appear to function, they would have likely amplified the brainwaves transmitted by Counselor Dima and I believe that such an amplification would have been picked up by this device. I am replacing the power cell so that we can download the memory into the ANUBIS' computer and run a full analysis on everything that was recorded.  We may not have found anything in the workstations, but we just might have the information right here, literally in our hands."

"Guess that's why she's the CSciO on board the ANUBIS," Adriana grinned, gently nudging her friend Aki who clearly had not been the only one to have realized the potential of Doctor Bruxa's find.

///^\\\
Dawn Bohr

Lieutenant Misaki Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Chief Science Officer
USS BASTET - NCC 74977
M06-P019: USS BASTET: Dima: Day 02 - 1400 ("Nocturne")
“Nocturne”
Previous posts: (ANU) "Fitting In" & (BAS) "When Nothing Works"

=/\=
Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, inside a dark cell
Stardate: 33003.1400

The Counselor had laid perfectly still with her eyes closed for an unknown amount of time, but sleep simply wouldn’t come. She knew she had to conserve her strength. Despite the good fortune of having the regenerator fall into their possession, the two women in the small, dark cell were depleted physically by the repeated beatings and undernourishment. And while logic indicated rest was one of the best things she could do, the possibilities opened up by Sofia’s encounter had dominated the Trill’s thoughts and made it impossible to surrender to the obvious exhaustion that was present.

She was the fifth host to the Dima symbiont. Four others before her had contributed their lives’ experience to mesh with Dima, who now shared this wealth of experience with Nicole. There was so much to guide her, and yet nothing that applied to the position she now found herself in. She had considered performing the Rite of Emergence, to allow one of her former hosts to communicate with her separately of the others, but she honestly didn’t know what any of them could do to help. Besides, she didn’t want to draw any attention to the fact that she was joined. She was worried it would be seen as a weakness to exploit, or worse, a better reason to stop torturing her and just kill her outright. She sighed as she rolled over on the small, hard cot.

“Nicole?” Sofia’s voice softly pierced the darkness.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Nic apologized.

“What are you thinking about?” the Doctor asked, knowing that should be the only reason for the other woman to be awake.

“Your encounter earlier with someone allegedly trying to help us.”

“You sound skeptical.”

“That’s not my intention,” Nicole admitted. “But it’s easy to do when you’re trapped with the most limited of information coming in.”

“There’s a lot of unanswered questions,” Sofia agreed. There was no way to tell if this new contact had any of the answers they were seeking. How had they ended up here? Did anyone know they were missing? Where were they? Nicole’s arrival had been a small comfort to the blonde woman, as it gave her a much needed frame of reference and some companionship, but it did not solve their problem. “Are you worried?”

“Oh, yes, I am. But I also know one thing.”

“What?”

“Whoever she is, and whatever her motives are, even if she doesn’t have our safety in their best interest, we owe it to ourselves to go with her, wherever she may take us.”

Sofia played over the events in her mind. “I didn’t get the sense that she couldn’t be trusted.”

“Which means there are two possible outcomes: she’s telling the truth, or she’s not.”

“If you’re not sure you believe her or her story, why do think we should accept her offer of help?”

“There’s only a fifty percent chance she’s not on our side. While, if we remain under the control of our captors, there’s a hundred percent chance they aren’t on our side.”

“I’m not sure those odds are that great,” Sofia thought out loud.

Nicole ran her hands through her short hair. “Anything to get us one step closer to freedom. We can’t overpower the whole lot of them, but perhaps two of us could defeat *her* if we teamed up. She doesn’t appear to have an obvious cache of weapons or any other advantage if she has to talk to you in secret. She’s acting like she is in a endangered position as well.”

“Which is why I tend to trust her.”

There was a pause. “We’re back to that,” Nicole replied. “So, we agree to follow her lead when the time comes?”

“Yes. Now, you should really try to get some sleep. We don’t know when our tormentors will be coming back for another round.”

“Okay.” Nicole closed her eyes and shifted to her left side. They had a stroke of luck today with the power outage. There was no guarantee that their good fortune would continue.


=/\=
Susan Ledbetter
Writing for

Ship's Counselor
M06-P020: USS BASTET: Andersson: Day 02 - 1415 ("Elusive Calm")
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"Elusive Calm"
[previous post was (ANU) "Fitting In" by Marissa / (BAS) "Nocturne" by Susan]
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Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, inside a dark cell
Stardate: 33003.1415

The physician laid flat on her back with her eyes wide opened, not that she could tell. Even with several more uses of the tissue regenerator that had been provided by their would-be ally, her sight had not returned. Whatever nerve damage she suffered was beyond the ability of the small handheld device to heal. Blind as she was though, Sofia could see number floating in mid-air just out of her reach. She knew that these were not real, but still the sight was a little troubling.

As the 50% and 100% trade places in this waking dream of hers, Sofia could hear a haunting echo of Nicole's voice repeating her earlier words of mathematical logic. **There’s only a fifty percent chance she’s not on our side. While, if we remain under the control of our captors, there’s a hundred percent chance they aren’t on our side.**

A long sigh of sad despair escaped from her lips as she closed her eyes, trying in vain to force the numbers and voice to leave her alone. The human psyche was a truly odd thing. While she was alone, all that the blonde captive could do was hope to hear a friendly voice and see something other than the dark stonewalls of her cell. Now that she was no longer alone, Sofia wished for nothing more than to enjoy some quiet stillness.

As strange as that might all seem to be at that particular moment, the motionless physician would not have wished to once again be alone as she had once been. From zero, her odd of finding a way out of this place had notably increased, and that was what she needed to keep in her sight.

"Nicole?" A soft whispered voice shattered the silence of the small dark cell.

"Yes?" The Trill replied, a hidden smile gracing her lips. Had the blonde-haired woman only a few seconds ago not said that they needed to get some sleep? With everything that had taken place, both recently and since their arrival to this hell, it did not surprise nicole in the least that rest in any form would prove to be a very elusive prize.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being here."

"That was not really my choice," the Trill said as seriously as she could. Nicole understood what the other woman wanted to say, and the Counselor did appreciate the sentiment, even if she was using the expressing of those feelings to try to bring some light into the all too dark world they were now forced to share.

"I meant for you being here with me on an emotional level. You could have chosen to ignore me the moment you had the chance, especially now that I am blind. I just wanted to say thank you for being there for me."

"You're welcome, and by the way, I knew what you meant. I would be a lousy Counselor if I didn't understand that much."

Sofia smiled. There were countless other people she could have wished to be here with her, not for them to be a prisoner as she was, but to help her deal with the situation and fill the void of her solitude. The fact that Nicole knew Jayson was amazing, but even more interesting was the fact that the blonde haired physician believed that she would prefer to have her current companion to anyone else. Maybe it was the trauma of having been alone for so long, or maybe it was because of her current physical and emotional state that made her think this way. Whatever the reason was though, Doctor Andersson could not find within her to wish for anyone else to being trapped here as she was.

"Sweet dreams," Sofia wished to her cellmate in a relaxed, calm voice.

"Sweet dreams to you as well," the reply came, the hint of a smile interweaved in those few softly spoken words.

With that having been said, the woman with the golden hair drew in a slow, deep breath, happily noting in silence that the numbers and voice had vanished. Tomorrow would be another day, and with the assistance of an ally on the other side of the locked door, everything was possible, Being locked in this cell was no longer a final state of being for them, at least there was no harm in hoping for things to move towards a better state. Whatever the future held in store for them, it was best to believe that it would prove to be better days than those that had already happened.

The peace and tranquility that claimed the dark cold cell enveloped the two captives like a blanket, one that both had surprisingly welcomed. Therefore, it was with shock that Nicole and Sofia found this almost pleasant sensation abruptly yanked away from them as a loud crash echoed through the entire complex.

"What's happening? Did something explode? Are we under attack?" Sofia asked in rapid fire with enthusiastic hope, the thought of this place and those working in it suffering even only a fraction of what she had endured thus far being more than she could hold back.

"Maybe," Nicole hesitantly replied, both women not sitting on the cold stone cots, listening attentively for anything that might give them a clue as to what was happening. "I'm not even sure that what we heard was an explosion or even some sort of impact. The only thing I can say with certainty is that it was loud and made the entire place shake."

"Whatever it was, I can tell you this much, it is the first time I have heard anything like it since my arrival, and I have been here for longer than I care to remember, not that I actually could. It doesn't take long to lose all sense of time and its passage while in this place," Sofia confessed.

"I doubt that we are under attack," Nicole expressed. "There are no alarms and there does not seem to be any hysterical commotion out there."

"Maybe everyone is dead and some very muscular Marine will be knocking down the door to our cell any minute."

Nicole slowly turned and narrowed her eyes to get as good a look at the blonde woman as she could through the shadows of their cell. There was something to be said about the way the physician's mind worked, and maybe if the opportunity presented itself at some point in their future, the Counselor would try to figure out what events in her past had made Sofia Andersson to be the person she was today.

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Tiffany Reeve

Former Assistant Chief Medical Officer of the USS PHOENIX
Presumed dead but very much alive.
M06-P021: USS BASTET: Gemma: Day 02 - 1415 ("Game Changer")
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"Game Changer"
[previous post was (ANU) "Fitting In" / (BAS) "Elusive Calm"]
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Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Landing Platform
Stardate: 33003.1415

Since the power outage that saw all of the interrogation chambers go offline, tensions throughout the facility had increased. The resulting termination of a Reman by a Romulan did not help make things any better. In fact, it was quite the opposite. What Makor did only added fuel to a fire that already threatened to consume this place whole.

More than once, Makor had been the target of less than friendly glares. Each time, the retired Romulan Proconsul appeared unimpressed and unconcerned. He even went as far as to ignore the whispered insults that had been spoken after he passed by. The Romulan seemed confident that if something were to happen, his bodyguard would step in. After all, it was her sworn duty and responsibility to do so and protect his life even if it meant sacrificing her own.

Standing on the landing platform following the shuttle's landing and the closing of the overhead doors, Shinral sighed. No one knew how or even if a message was actually sent. Everyone suspected that Makor was somehow responsible for his but there was no proof to be found. All that was known was that someone had been dispatched to the DJO-SHEN facility. The reason for this although unknown were evident. They were here to investigate recent events, including the lost of power and the death of a Reman trainee. Given the retired Romulan's current associations, the bodyguard knew who was on the shuttle that had just landed. She knew the individual, not by name, but rather by role. Sending anyone else would not have made any sense in this situation.

As the woman stepped out of the shuttle, the Reman bodyguard allowed a short-lived smile to appear. Her suspicions as to who the individual was had been proven correct. The woman's features were clearly that of a Romulan, and her pristine uniform that of a Tal'Shiar Sub-Commander.  Makor greeted her with respect but also in a way that indicated he knew her well enough. Romulans were not generally known for being overly outspoken in their display of emotions. With them being distant cousins of the Vulcans, this of course made sense. In this particular case though, the retired Proconsul did not hide his joy, which could only mean trouble for everyone else.

The two Romulans made their way off the underground landing platform followed by Shinral. Makor had not specifically said so, but it was implied that the duties of the bodyguard now included her protection as well as his. The Reman doubted that the Tal'Shiar Sub-Commander needed any help in protecting herself under normal circumstances. The problem was that this entire affair was far from being normal. With at least 40 to 50 Remans stationed here, the odds were not favoring the Romulans. One more would not tip the balance much, regardless of her training and rank.

As the doors to the platform closed, a large explosion rocked the facility. The force of the blast was powerful enough to knock the doors off their tracks but luckily, no one was injured. Through the crack created between the doors, the fiery remains of the shuttle could be seen.

"Are you alright?" Makor asked of the other Romulan who appeared much more angered and injured.

"You do have a problem here," she stated, accepting the aged Romulan's assistance to return to her feet. "I am glad that you called me. Those responsible for this will be made to regret failing to kill me when they had the chance. Can this one be trusted?" The Tal'Shiar officer asked, glaring in Shinral's direction.

"For the time being," Makor answered, glancing over at his bodyguard. Trust was not something that came easy to him for obvious reasons. That the woman in charge of his protection had taken part in this morning's training exercise had not helped in that matter. She had taken a calculated risk, and had considered everything with the exception of his temper. Now, the Reman bodyguard needed to play her role to perfection if her plan was to succeed. Thanks to the destruction of the shuttle and assassination attempt though, that plan risked falling apart before it started.

The Romulan stared at the Reman, the two women silently sizing each other up. In a way, it almost seemed as if each was daring the other to try something. After several moments though, the only thing that happened was for the Sub-Commander to turn around and walk away. From there, the Tal'Shiar officer purposely made her way to the nearest control panel. With a few press of her fingers, a base-wide channel was opened allowing her to insure everyone would hear what she had to say.

"This is Sub-Commander Tehala of the Tal'Shiar. I am here as a representative of the Romulan Star Empire, and as such this facility is now under my control. Those responsible for the recent attempt on my life will be dealt with in the harshest possible ways. Anyone found to have been involved in any way with those responsible will share in their punishment. Choose to instead cooperate, and I might shown leniency. In the meantime and until further orders, all Remans are restricted to their barracks. All training and recreational activities are hereby suspended. Anyone found wandering the base without specific authorization from me will be shot on sight. Make no mistake; I will find who did this and they will pay for this outrage.

Makor waited for the channel to be closed before speaking. "Are you not concerned that this might force those responsible to try and strike against you again?"

Tehala snarled what could only be considered to be a smile. "I dare them to try. They wasted the one chance they had, not that it would have helped them any. I will not be giving them another opportunity. The satisfaction of ripping those responsible apart will be mine, I assure you that."

Shinral remained perfectly still and quiet. She understood why the other Remans acted the way they had. There was no love for their Romulan cousins, but still this would not make things any easier. Whoever had done this had likely wanted to even out the score. An 'eye for an eye' as the saying went. As understandable as the act was, it also proved to be very short-sighted. Before this situation would end, many more would die. There was no escaping this now. Whatever confusion she had hoped to create to hide their escape was now an impossibility. Anything short of a full out revolt would allow her to get the two Starfleet officers out without being seen.

In short, the Reman woman could only see two options for her to consider at this time. She could play the bodyguard through this mess. Make sure Makor survived so that she could leave with him when the dust settled. The other option was for her to side with her people and find a way to secure the safe exit of the prisoners. What troubled Shinral in making this decision was that either choice seemed just as impossible as the other did.  She would need to come up with a third option and quickly.  This new option would need to address two very important requirements. To allow her to save the Starfleet officers while keeping the Remans off their collective backs.

Things would have been so much easier had the attack against the Tal'Shiar agent never happened. Now it seemed that the Reman bodyguard would need to call upon some extra help to find a way to deal with the new situation. This of course created another problem. How would she be able to call upon Anya and have her involved without making it known to everyone that Shinral was not entirely whom she claimed to be?

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Rachel Jackie Johnson

Intel Operative
NEW ALEXANDRIA

[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
M06-P022: USS BASTET: Valentine: Day 02 - 1530 ("New Orders")
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"New Orders"
[previous post ((ANU) "I Can't Hear You" / (BAS) "Game Changer")]

Setting: HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.1530

Nothing official had been said, but Sarena could not help herself. She wanted to be here and let her thoughts travel to something different, something that would make her forget for a little while the affair concerning the departure of the BASTET's CMO and CNS. Another reason for her to be here was that the USS HATHOR had been at the center of several conversations over the last few days, either because of the work being done on it to incorporate the 'Blink Device' created by the crystals, or because it would be the means to rescue Counselor Nicole Dima.

With only five decks, the ship was small, in more ways then one, the bump on her head being the perfect proof of that. The engineers responsible for building it did not have comfort in mind, that was painfully obvious to the BASTET's Executive Officer. The DEFIANT-X Class vessel had been built to be a destroyer-type, small, maneuverable, and tough, able to reach places that more bulky starships would never be able to get close to in the heat of the action.

In this particular case, the smaller size and power output of the vessel was what made it the perfect choice to be equipped with the 'Blink Device'. Largest ships, such as the BASTET and ANUBIS were simply too large and bulky to allow the crystals to do their thing, while smaller crafts such as a runabout simply did not have the power and durability to deal with what could easily become a long drawn-out mission. Without knowing where the crystals would be taking them, it made sense to have a ship able to handle whatever unexpected problems they would come up against.

"Commander Valentine? Aren't we jumping the gun a little?" Captain Iverson asked as she made her way onto the more confined command deck compared to the one she was used to.

"At best I thought that I would get a sense of what it was like to be here," Valentine shrugged. "If the Admiral decided to send someone else, at least I would have satisfied my curiosity and be able to offer my sympathies to the crew taking on the task of testing the HATHOR's new equipment," Sarena added as her explanation.

"Why would you want to offer them your sympathies? The HATHOR is a nice little ship, what's wrong with it?" Captain Iverson asked, showing off the bridge of the ship in question as if it was the grand prize in some competition they were a part of.

"Little being the keyword," the Executive Officer said, gently rubbing the bump on her head. "I have already hit my head on one of those lovely support frames."

Looking with puzzlement at the woman who was a full inch shorter than she was, Captain Iverson tried her best to imagine how the scene could have happened as described. It was true that Selene might have been more mindful of her surroundings as she made her way through the ship, but that failed to explain how Sarena had managed what she had. Recognizing the puzzled expression on the face of the CO, the Executive Officer just smiled and dismissed the discussion with a wave of her hand.

"So, what did Admiral Koniki say?" Commander Valentine asked, curious to know if she needed to start looking at the rooms and beds in order to make her claim as to which would be hers. Normally, this would not have been an issue, but on a vessel like the HATHOR, even the senior officers were required to share quarters and take either the upper or the lower bunk.

"As soon as the crystals have been integrated into the ship and the interface to controlling them is properly installed and tested, we are to take the HATHOR out and give the 'Blink Device' a thorough test of its capabilities," Selene reported. "Those are our orders."

"Sweet," Valentine smiled. "I have to admit that our service record is going to be quite impressive after this, as if it wasn't already. Let's face it, being able to say that we have traveled to other dimensions and through time is something that very few officers can claim."

"Actually, I can think of quite a few others," Iverson teased back, the historical records of the Federation having several accounts of famed vessels and crews able to make the same claim that Valentine had just mentioned. Traveling through time and meeting their own counterparts in the Mirror Universe were only some of the examples the Captain could use to make her point on this matter.

"Well, adding that we will have traveled countless light-years through space in the blink of an eye will add our names to a very selective list," the Executive Officer added, not willing to let go of what he believed would be the fame and honor their latest trek would bestow upon them.

"Let's not jump ahead of ourselves," Selene warned. "We may have the most experience in theoretical propulsion, both through dimensional space and time, as well as dealing with issues that no one else could have even dreamt of, but this one is going to be a demanding test for us all. Not only is this system never been tested other than through basic holodeck simulations, but there is a great deal we are not entirely certain about concerning how it actually works. I have already asked Misaki to review everything about those crystals as well as Professor Arken's notes. I would truly hate for this to be a one-way trip to nowhere."

"Nowhere? Are we not being dispatched to go after the ANUBIS' missing Counselor?" Sarena wondered, the mission perfectly lending itself to the mentioned test, at least as far as the Executive Officer was concerned.

"I would prefer to have said this to Captain Morningstar first, but our orders are to only test the 'Blink Drive', not to try and mount a rescue attempt," Captain Iverson explained, visibly upset by her own words. "If the tests are deemed to be satisfactory, the Admiral has given his word to me that he would consider sanctioning the rescue mission with the HATHOR having a complete crew on board instead of the skeleton staff we are currently able to provide.

"The tests could take days, even weeks, and that is if we don't encounter any sorts of trouble along the way" Valentine exclaimed in disbelief. "After that, it could very well be too late to do anything for their missing officer."

"I have already presented that argument to the Admiral who was unwilling to budge from his position. Our orders are to test the 'Blink Drive' and nothing else."

"Captain Morningstar and his crew are not going to be happy about this."

"I know," Captain Iverson confirmed with a solemn expression on her features. "Our first task is to break the news to him; we can deal with the rest afterwards."

With perfect timing, the man in question stepped onto the command deck of the HATHOR, the look on his face on the borderline of enraged. Sarena quickly turned to face Selene before leaning in closer to the Captain. "I think he already knows," she whispered before exiting the bridge, leaving the two COs to discuss the situation.

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Karen Price

Executive Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M06-P023: USS BASTET: Iverson: Day 02 - 1545 ("Stern Reality Check")
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"Stern Reality Check"
(Previous Post: (ANU) "On The Far Side of Upset" / (BAS) "New Orders")
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Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33002.1545

Captain Iverson stood her ground as the Commanding Officer of the USS ANUBIS drew ever closer. The troubled expression on his face made it perfectly clear, he knew and he was not in the least bit happy about it.

"What are you going to do about this?" Morningstar asked, evidently not interested in the usual pleasantries expected to be used when two people came together for a discussion.

"What I am supposed to do, what I am meant to do; follow my orders as they were given to me by our superior Officer, Admiral Koniki," Selene replied, not a hint of hesitation in her voice. "You are allowing your emotions to dictate your actions, just as you allowed the same from your crew," the SFI trained woman continued. "The ANUBIS was banished from NEW ALEXANDRIA for over 200 days because of that, the Admiral hoped that those days would be used to reflect on what happened. Your reaction now shows that you learned nothing from that experience."

"How would you know that?" The other captain snarled.

"Simple, I spoke to the Admiral and he trusted me enough to explain what happened. That's what happens when you follow orders; you earn the respect of your superiors."

"I am not a robot and neither are you," Erik argued.

"No, but I do know my place in the chain of command. Had you not acted as you did, we might very well not be here having this very debate. The way you handled the situation with Kai led you to be here as you are now; hurting," Selene stated, pausing for a moment to make sure her words hit their mark before continuing. "The mission to test this new device is too important to allow personal feelings to get in the way. I understand your pain, but like it or not, you brought this upon yourself."

"Nicole should not be made to pay for what I did," Morningstar added, clenching his fists as a snarl danced on his upper lip.

"You know just as well as I do that the universe is not fair," Iverson countered. "It never was and never will be. We accept what comes to pass and move on. Ignoring this, as you would if you were in my position, would place your crew and your career in jeopardy. I will not claim to know how important Counsellor Dima is to you, whatever relationship you two had is none of my business, but I am sure that as a Starfleet officer she would not stand for you risking everything on her behalf."

"There was no relationship," Erik specified. "Not beyond that of her being my Ship's Counselor, a confident and most important a valued member of my crew. That is more than enough for me to risk everything and I know that those under my command would agree."

"That would be another reason why I am here on the HATHOR with my senior officers and you are not," Captain Iverson shot back. Many who had come to face her over the years had wondered if the woman had not been a surgically modified Vulcan, her way of approaching any situation being far too similar to the green-blooded emotionless beings. This latest confrontation would be no different.  "Erik, you need to take a step back and look at this logically. The Blink Drive may be real but it is nothing more than a theory given physical form. What you see as the answer to your missing officer, I see as a potentially catastrophic tool that, if it should fall in the wrong hands, could put an end to the Federation and to life as we know it. If we blindly rush into this, there is no telling what would happen next, and the desire to save a single officer could go down in history as the reason why darkness spread throughout this galaxy."

"You are absolutely crazy," the Captain of the USS ANUBIS unleashed. Erik had tried to remain calm, but after all of this, his anger and frustration had reached their boiling point. "I'm talking about saving the life of a member of my crew, and here you are talking about the end of all life."

"A single action can tip the balance, this you know just as well as I do," Captain Iverson emphasized. "You also know just how fragile this balance is. I have seen shadows of things out there, shadows that you have experienced as well. The darkness is coming and it not do so gently, that I have no doubts about.  This blink drive may be what tips the balance back in favour of our staying in the light instead of being cast into a bottomless abyss of darkness. You may be ready to sacrifice yourself or even your crew to attempt this rescue, but I am not ready to place the fate of the entire galaxy at stake for a single life, no matter how much it may mean to you or anyone else.  Return to your ship and let me do my job. As soon as the tests are completed, I will personally make a request to Admiral Koniki to go after your Counsellor. If she is alive, I will bring her back to you."

As much as he wanted to argue, as much as he wanted to scream, the Captain of the USS ANUBIS knew that it would not accomplish anything. That he liked it or not, Selene had been right and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Good luck," he offered before leaving the command deck of the HATHOR.

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Setting: USS HATHOR, Main Engineering
Stardate: 33002.1615

Captain Iverson entered Main Engineering to find Lieutenant Commander Fairborn and Lieutenant Paquette cleaning up their work area, their task having been accomplished.

"The interfaces are complete," Sonja reported. "You might want to take it slowly at first as there was no actual way to calibrate the entry of the destination coordinates. Using brainwaves might have seem like a brilliant idea to Professor Arken, but it was nothing short of a complete nightmare for us poor engineers to figure out."

"Lieutenant Paquette is right, the interface system will require constant monitoring and calibrating during the upcoming tests," the Oltharian added.

"I understand, will you be remaining on the HATHOR to oversee these constant modifications and calibrations?" The Captain asked, directing her question to the giant.

"Of course we will," Sonja asserted without delay.

"Lieutenant, as much as i appreciate your offer, you have a ship of your own to take care of. Also, I would not want to deprive Captain Morningstar of his Chief Engineer, especially given that there is not telling how long the testing of the Blink Device will take."

"It's all right," Elan said to Sonja. "I am able to take care of this and will do so just as fast as if you were here."

Reluctantly Sonja agreed and left, closely followed by the ANUBIS' Avatar.

"I am very glad to having you on board with us Commander Fairborn. Please have everything be ready for immediate departure. As soon as my officers report in, we will be leaving. There seems to be a fair number of people hoping for these tests to happen quickly, and i would hate to disappoint them."

---
Jessica Solarik

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

&

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M06-P024: USS BASTET: Mitshiba: Day 02 - 1630 ("So Much To Figure Out")
"So Much To Figure Out"
Previous posts: (ANU) "On The Far Side of Upset" & (BAS) "Stern Reality Check"

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Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.1630

Every single bit of data concerning the crystals, the way they were meant to worked, how the systems of this ship had been modified to use them as they were intended to along with he research notes from Professor Arken had been downloaded into the HATHOR's main computer. As large and numerous as the files were, the download had been the easy part, reading them all in order to understand what would come to happen, and possibly even predict potential issues would prove the be the difficult part.

Never having been one to shy away from a challenge, Aki set herself up at the science station on the bridge, quickly realizing that the work area was much smaller than what she was use to. After working on the ANUBIS's Astrometrics Lab, pretty much anywhere would have felt small, but the science station of the HATHOR felt significantly limited in comparison. Luckily, all that the Asian woman was expected to do at this time was to read up on the newly coined Blink Drive, so the amount of space she required was not all that much.

As fascinating as all of this was, Aki had to admit that she felt some apprehension towards the entire process. With the crystals responding to a very specific set of energy waves that resembled those emitted by joint Trills, the entire process seemed to lend itself to a great deal of input errors. Aside from making sure that no joint Trills came anywhere near the crystals, in case their own thoughts would interfere with the crystals, they needed to make sure that the computer relayed the desired information accurately. That would prove to be the first and most important set of tests, and the ones with the greatest potential for problems.

Using regular propulsion, the computer simply needed to be given a heading and speed to have the ship head in that particular direction at the specified velocity. The Dimensional Drive on board the BASTET worked along the same principles with the exception that the destination coordinates were located in another quantum reality to their own. Likewise, the Temporal Drive also on the BASTET allowed the ship to travel through time in one of only two possible directions, forward or backwards. With the Blink Drive, directions were all but useless as the ship would theoretically travel from one point in space to another instantaneously using a method commonly referred to by the general public as 'folding space'. For the more scientific inclined community, this method of traveling through space was called an ' Einstein-Rosen bridge' which linked two points of space regardless of their physical distance.

The problem with traveling through the cosmos in such a manner was that the slightest error could lead the ship and crew to finding themselves on the opposite side of the galaxy as to where they initially intended to be. In fact, if the theory surrounding the crystals' potential was as described by the Professor, the HATHOR could find its way to an entirely different galaxy just as easily. To say that there was no room for mistakes was a grave understatement in this case, further pushing the CSciO to absorb as much of the downloaded knowledge as she could.

"You seem to be doing well on learning everything there is to know about these crystals," Commander Janeel said as she looked over the shoulder of the Asian woman. Every screen, as small as it was, filled with data and formulas concerning the inner workings of the Blink Device.

"Trust me, this is just the first page, of the first chapter, in a very long series of books," Aki said. "I do have the advantage of having been there with Commander Maya as she figured out how the destination coordinates were transmitted to the crystals, but that is still a long ways from our truly understanding how all of this actually works. On that front, the best we have is that the crystals respond to an amplified brainwave pattern closely resembling that of a joint Trill."

"I know," the ILO nonchalantly admitted. "That is why I thought that you might find this of some help. It is a medical file containing a comprehensive study and comparison of Trill brainwaves with subjects that were both normal and joint. I did have a quick look at it, but I am afraid that all of this scientific stuff went above my head. Still, I suspect that in your hands the data may prove to be most useful."

"Where did you get this?" the CSciO asked out of simple surprise.

"I had some time and did a bit of research through the medical research files on NEW ALEXANDRIA," the ILO explained. "You would be shocked to see just how much there is in there. Even with the help of the search filters, I had to manually scan through several hundred dossiers to find what it was I was hoping to find. When i did, I wasted no time in downloaded the research on this," Janeel said holding the small data chip between two fingers and presenting it to the CSciO.

"Thank you," Aki smiled, gladly accepting the data chip offered by the ILO. "It means that I have that much more to read and understand, but I am sure that it will be well worth it. I am just sorry that Satella is not here with us, she could have helped me with this part as the research is from a medical stand point and not a purely scientific one."

"The Doctor made her decision, and we have to respect it," Captain Iverson said as she walked onto the bridge closely followed by Commander Valentine.  "How close are we to being able to get under way?"

"Regular propulsion is fully functional," Janeel reported making her way to another station, her task of handing over the data chip to the CSciO having been accomplished without any problems.

"It's the Blink Device that we are still not entirely certain about," Aki added. "Every instruments is showing it ready, but I am still trying to make sense as to how the computer will translate the spatial coordinates into Joint Trill amplified brainwave patterns.

"Sounds like it's going to be one of those languages the universal translator is going to have a real hard time with," Janeel said, casting a quick glance at the Asian CSciO who understood that the data chip she had been given could hold the key to translating this new 'language' if one dared to called it that.

"That is why we are here, to test the interface as well as the crystals' potential," Captain Iverson stated as she took charge of the center chair normally reserved for the Commanding Officer of the ship.

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Dawn Bohr

Lieutenant Misaki Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Chief Science Officer
USS BASTET - NCC 74977
M06-P025: USS BASTET: Valentine: Day 02 - 1700 ("Getting Ready")
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"Getting Ready"
[previous post ((ANU) "On The Far Side of Upset" / (BAS) "So Much To Figure Out")]

Setting: HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.1700

Without a full crew, those on board the HATHOR would be expected to perform more numerous roles as they proceeded with the tests of the space-folding crystals or blink device as it come to be known. Lt. Cmdr. Fairborn had graciously joined the crew to take on the daunting role of Chief Engineer, being responsible for not only the proper functioning of the ship but also the constant supervision of the crystals and their integration into the ship's propulsion system. Lieutenant Mitshiba had her hands full with her usual duties as Chief Science Officer, gathering and analyzing all of the data gathered by their upcoming tests. Commander Janeel had taken on the role of Chief of Security alone with her usual duties as ILO, sharing the duties of the Chief of Operations with the Executive Officer who had also taken on the responsibilities of the FCO.

"The ship is on a heading of 2-1-2 mark 7-4, steady at warp 5. Helm is responding within normal parameters," Sarena reported, knowing that as the Executive Officer she would have wanted such a report following their departure from NEW ALEXANDRIA. It did seem odd though that she had voiced aloud a status report technically meant for herself.

"Using regular propulsion is not the issue," Commander Janeel commented. "I am far more apprehensive with what is going to happen when we engage those crystals. I know that this is why we are here, but that does not mean that I have to like it."

"According to Professor Arken's extensive notes, there should not be any outward effects of our using the crystals. The interface matrix put into place by Lt. Cmdr. Fairborn and Lieutenant Paquette will have the effects contained to the immediate ship, not going beyond the outer hull. At least theoretically that is," Misaki added.

"That would be why we are putting a safe distance between the HATHOR and NEW ALEXANDRIA before running our live tests on those crystals," the Executive Officer said, knowing that there were just too many things that could go wrong with any of this to take chances.

"A safe distance may be a subjective term," the CSciO said hesitantly. "All of the information provided by Professor Arken does state that the space-folding effect should be limited to the item or items physically in contact with the crystals at the time the effect is triggered. Part of the engineering puzzle was to insure that the crystals followed in that journey and were not just left behind as in what happened with the ANUBIS' Counselor. The Professor's notes do include a warning though, that in a live testing there is a slight potential that the crystals would not create a wormhole between two points in space but would instead rip the fabric of space-time creating a sort of giant black hole that would initially engulf everything within several light-years."

"Initially?" Janeel repeated, casting a concerned look across the bridge to Mitshiba.

"This is all theoretical, but Professor Arken does say in his notes that there is a slight possibility that such a rip in the fabric of space-time would grow in a matter of days to engulf the entire quadrant and that within roughly a week, the entire Milky Way galaxy would vanish into the tear."

"How so very reassuring," Janeel gulped aloud.

"Those crystals should have been installed on the BASTET, at least that way we could have taken them to another dimension to run these tests. Just in case," the Executive Officer suggested after the fact.

"As powerful as the crystals do appear to be, they are limited in just how much matter they are able to move through space in the manner they were designed to do. That is why the HATHOR was the most logical ship to be used as it combines both the smaller required size with the power output that should permit us to better control the effects or at the very least survive any problems allowing us to address the issues encountered and try again," Misaki explained.

"Spoken like a true scientist," the Executive Officer smiled and sighed at the same time. "Only people like you can point to the possibility of things going so wrong that everything would be destroyed and in the same breath state that you would be ready to try again if things didn't go exactly as expected."

"According to the Professor's notes and from what I have been able to make sense of in all of his theories, it is highly unlikely event that this rip in the fabric of space-time would occur," the CSciO said trying to reassure everyone. "We are just as likely to see a rip in the fabric of space-time happen during our tests as we are to see the warp core suffer a sudden matter / antimatter imbalance that would result in an explosion that would just happen to take place at the exact moment as the ship came into contact with a quantum filament causing the explosion to be directed into subspace where it would have to be near some sort of negative energy source that would amplify the force of the blast back onto itself to create a black-hole type anomaly in normal space."

Sarena chuckled briefly. "We can tell that you have been working with Lt. Cmdr. Maya, you sounded just like her for a moment. That said, we hear what you are trying to say. The Professor might have mentioned it in his notes, but it is unlikely that we will have to deal with that particular situation."

"I'm guessing no one is going to be taking a bet on that happening anytime soon then," Janeel said, returning her attention to her console. "We will be reaching our target test location in just under 5 minutes."

"Maybe we should scan for any sort of quantum filament or negative energy or matter at or near the test location, just in case," Sarena added, trying to keep a more positive attitude towards what they were about to attempt. "No need for us to take any more risks than we already are."

"Bring the HATHOR to a complete stop as soon as we have reached the coordinates and run a full sensor sweep of the area," the Captain ordered. "As soon as that is done, we can run the first test sequence. I would like to have the preliminary tests completed before the end of the day. We may not be under direct orders to proceed with haste, but I have made a promise to a friend that we would get this done as quickly and safely as possible."

A general sense of agreement was shared by every other officer on the bridge, everyone understanding that the promise made had been to Captain Morningstar in regards to finding his missing Ship's Counselor. There was no way they could rush through these tests, but there was also no reason for them to take more time than required. As long as noting went wrong with any of the tests, the HATHOR should be back at its base of operation within two weeks, maybe less.

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Karen Price

Executive Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M06-P026: USS BASTET: Gemma: Day 02 - 1715 ("Darker Times")
=-=
"Darker Times"
[previous post was (ANU) "On The Far Side of Upset" / (BAS) "Getting Ready"]
=-=

Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Corridor 
Stardate: 33003.1715

Three hours ago, Tehala arrived at the detention and training facility of JDO-SHEN. Three hours ago, an unknown individual or group attempted to kill the Tal'Shiar envoy to this forsaken place. Three hours ago, the newest Romulan to set foot in this frozen hell had taken complete control of the entire facility.

As the retired Proconsul's bodyguard, Shinral had been one of the very few Reman allowed out of the barracks. Neither Makor nor Tahala trusted her, but they tolerated her presence for the time being. Maybe it was meant as a test to see her reactions and confirm her allegiance. Was she truly loyal to her employer or had her blood link been stronger?

So far, three more Reman had been executed in front of their peers. The Tal'Shiar Sub-Commander not having been in the least bit impressed by their answers to her questions. Tehala expected these deaths to send a clear message to all those involved in the assassination attempt. She cared for nothing else but to expose those responsible for the earlier attack on the landing platform. As a Reman, Shinral could see that this was not the message that was being received by the others. With each addition fellow trainee made to pay with their life, the anger of the others mounted.  At this rate, those who remained would have no other choice but to strike back. At least that way they would have a chance to die in combat and claim the lives of their adversaries.

The Remans may have been a great many things, but being simply sheep had not been in their blood. To be under he heel of their Romulan cousins was bad enough, but to be treated like this was not acceptable. As one of them, Shinral understood this, but she knew that there was nothing she could do, not yet. In order to save the two Federation prisoners, the timing of her actions would need to be perfect.

"Maybe it would be best to give them time to think about the consequences of their continued silence? Killing more of them will only serve to tighten their lips even more," Makor suggested.

Tehala turned to face him, bloodlust reflecting in her eyes. The Tal'Shiar agent was angry, there was no denying that, and her rage did not appear to be limited to the Remans. When she took a step towards the retired Romulan, Shinral actually believed that she would have to step in. Her duties were to protect Makor's life against all threats, be them Reman, or Romulan.

"Maybe you are right," Tehala grunted, forcing her way past both Makor and Shinral. "I will resume my interrogation after I have checked the prisoners you have here."

A cold sweat crawled down the bodyguard's back. In the mood the Sub-Commander was in, there was no telling what she would do to them. Did she want to simply see and talk to them or had Tehala decided on a darker course of action. The prisoners brought to JDO-SHEN were meant to be nothing more than playthings to the Remans. Therefore, what better way to strike at them than by removing the potential reward from heir reach.

Of course, this meant that Shinral's plan would once again be faced with unexpected complications. If this were the Sub-Commander's plan, how would a simple Reman bodyguard manage to save them as well as herself. It seemed that her plan to ask for the aid of the Russan assassin might come to pass far sooner than Shinral had previously expected.

Plans upon plans formed in her mind as she followed the two Romulans. Thinking in such a wayhad never been her strength. Shinral was a woman of action, trained to act and react to actual event. In that regards, her training had ben simple, direct, effective. She could anticipate the attack of an opponent or predict where an ambush would take place. This was an entirely different story, which required far more thinking than she was used to doing.

Others were far more qualified to do this. As a scientist Wimdalli would be far better and analyzing the situation and coming up with a plan. Even Za'Ran would be able to think her way through this with great ease, but of them possessed neither Shinral's strength nor endurance. As much as she might not have wanted to do so, the Reman bodyguard had no other choice. She was the one here because anyone else would certainly end up dead within minutes. For the time being, she needed to keep her wits about her and continue doing as she had been.

"How is in this cell?" Tehala demanded, the Tal'Shiar agent having locked onto the one cell Shinral had hoped she would ignore.

"Two low-ranking Starfleet officers, both female. One was transferred to us after she was abducted from her ship to be replaced by a lookalike operative. The other just appeared out of nowhere," Makor answered.

The Tal'Shiar Sub-Commander turned to face the other two who had been following. The bloodlust that had been there before still very much present in her eyes. Again, Shinral believed that she might have to step in to protect her employer, Tehala's rage having only grown.

"She just appeared out of nowhere?" Tehala echoed in an displeased and unimpressed manner. "I find it most interesting that this miraculous materialization does not appear on your latest report? In fact, the presence of this second female Starfleet Officer is not mentioned anywhere in your daily reports back to the Tal'Shiar."

"Her arrival did not happen that long ago," Makor offered in his defence. "Since no ships were detected anywhere in the vicinity and she was completely unaware of what had happened to her, I did not believe that there was an urgency at making this event known. It was obvious that she had not been sent here of her own free will; therefore, I thought it best to hold informing ROMULUS and the Tal'Shiar until more information was available so as to not create any undue concerns as you are displaying at this moment.."

"Either that or you were hoping to discover something that would elevate your position within the Tal'Shiar. Many have suspected you wishing to possess more influence and control. I could see you using the discovery of how she came to appear here out of thin air to your advantage. You should know that not everyone would be in support of such an attempt on your part. You are not as trusted as you may hope to be within our home world's hierarchy, that is why I am here," Tehala said. With her mind spoken, she unlocked the cell and opened the door.

Shinral observed a look of utter disgust on the woman's face as she walked into the dark and cold cell. The bodyguard could not tell if this was because the Tal'Shiar agent was entering the same space as two Federation officers or because of what she had said about Makor. What the Reman woman knew for sure though was that in either case, things would not become any easier from this point on.

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Intel Operative
NEW ALEXANDRIA

[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
M06-P027: USS BASTET: Janeel: Day 02 - 1730 ("Domino Effect")
=-=
"Domino Effect"
[previous post was (ANU) "Wishing You Were Here" by Francois/ (BAS) "Darker Times" by Rachel]
=-=

Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.1730
"What's next?" The ILO acting as Chief of Security and Operations Officer inquired. The HATHOR had reached the designated coordinates without any problems and the first few tests had been completed without a single itch. Then again, those tests had not involved the activation of the crystals, so no one expected there to be any issues.

"We have confirmed that the navigational controls are communicating with the crystal interface, and Elan did report a slight power fluctuation from the Blink Drive itself, so everything does appear to be working as it should," Lieutenant Mitshiba reported from the Science station.

"Long-range sensors are not showing any sort of anomaly in this region of space, so it would seem that whatever we have managed to accomplish thus far has not have any outward effect," Commander Valentine added.

"The next step is to actually test the device's controls," Captain Iverson explained. "According to our instruments, we can safely state that the crystals are properly integrated with the propulsion system of the HATHOR, and our most recent tests show that we are able to control them from the bridge. Now we need to figure out exactly how we go about telling them where we want to go."

"Thanks to Commander Maya, we at least know the language to use, but we need to figure out what each wave amplitude translates to in regards to a location in space. I was able to extrapolate some basic theories that explain why only the brainwaves of a joint Trill work." The CSciO reported.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind knowing why the crystals are so specific about responding to Trill brainwaves over any other race," Commander Valentine stated.

"Joint Trills," the Captain corrected, inviting Mitshiba to educate them on the specifics of this aspect of the drive's inner working. 

"Normal humanoid brainwave patterns only have length and amplitude, so assigning these as specifications for a destination in space would leave us missing a third variable since we are living in a three-dimensional universe," Misaki explained. "That is why the brainwaves of a joint Trill worked where all others have failed, because of the added brainwave provided by the symbiont."

"I still cannot understand why Professor Arken decided to go this route as a control mechanism for the crystals?" Sarena questioned aloud, certain that she was voicing the thoughts of everyone else on the commander deck of the HATHOR.

"Commander Maya described the Professor on many occasions as being an eccentric genius, so maybe there was some unknown reason that made him decide to use these brainwaves as the way to give destination coordinates to the crystals," the CSciO continued.

"According to what Commander Shar'El told me about the Professor and his crystals, it could just have been yet another way to keep the device safe should it actually fall into the wrong hands," the ILO shared. "Imagine what could happen if the Romulans or Cardassians came to possess the ability to have their ships appear in the middle of Federation space, bypassing all border patrol and security measures. By insuring that the crystals needed the input of a trustworthy Federation ally, any other government would have that much more difficulty in figuring out how the crystals work, that is if they managed to get all nine crystals to begin."

"I suspect that the Professor is as paranoid as he is intelligent," Captain Iverson noted before turning her attention to the CSciO. "Lieutenant Mitshiba, do what you can and let us know when you are ready to try a first live run at the crystals."

"I am ready now," Misaki stated, the Asian woman actually sounding excited at the prospect of seeing the Blink Drive at work. "The first live test needs to be very low key to see if we can actually have the HATHOR move from one place in space to another without the use of any conventional propulsion system. By shifting only one of the three wave patterns, we should be able to identify which corresponds to the X, Y and Z-axis respectively. Once we have figured that out, we will be able to actually test how much of an impact a change in the pattern has on the distance traveled."

"You make it sound so easy," Janeel smiled.

"All of the hard work was done for us. Figure out a way to actually fold space was the impossibility that Professor Arken managed to make possible, we are just here trying to figure out how it actually works," Mitshiba said, still sounding as excited as she did before.

"If we are ready," Captain Iverson said, giving the go ahead to proceed with a nod of her head.

=-=
Setting: SPACE
Stardate: 33003.1745

The USS HATHOR hung motionless in the emptiness of space. At first glance, the ship appeared lifeless, as if just sitting there waiting for something to happen. Suddenly the ship began to shimmer before unexpectedly vanishing only to reappear several hundred kilometers directly behind its previous location.

=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.1746

"All stations report," Captain Iverson demanded. From her perspective, nothing had happened other than the lights flickering for a few moments.

=/\= All indicators are showing green down here. There was a minute energy spike from the crystals but it lasted only a few seconds at most. =/\= Elan reported.

"All systems, including structural and life support appear to be working fine," Commander Valentine reported. "Are we sure it worked?"

"It did Commander, it did," Janeel reported.

"The BASTET moved just over 314 kilometers directly astern in the blink of an eye," Mitshiba added. "None of the instruments actually showed that something was happening, but our location did change, that there is no denying. Our first live test appears to have been a resounding success."

"Well, that was a lot smoother than I had expected," Captain Iverson noted, not sure if this was a good thing or not.

"This was too easy, I don't like it." Valentine muttered under her breath, the First Officer having expected all sorts of trouble to happen during the tests of the Blink Drive.

=-=
Setting: SPACE
Stardate: 33003.1750

Away from prying eyes, the HATHOR proceeded with the next set of tests, which saw the ship vanish and reappear in a relatively rapid sequence. The distance between each disappearances and reappearances seemed to be almost magical. Following several more blink jumps, the vessel reappeared at the exact same location where it had been before the first test had been initiated.

=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.1800

"The precision of these jumps is amazing," Misaki said, the woman sounding thrilled beyond measure. "We are back to the exact same location we started at. I would be hard pressed to find that we have actually moved a single meter in any direction."

"But move we did," Captain Iverson noted, happily surprised by the simplicity of their tests.  "Bridge to Main Engineer, Lieutenant Commander Fairborn, please take the Blink Drive offline."

=/\= Aye aye Captain. =/\=

"Why are we taking the drive offline?" Janeel asked, floored by the order given by the Captain. "All of the tests have been more successful than we could have hoped for them to be, so why stop now?"

"I would like for Lieutenant Mitshiba to review the data from these tests before we move ahead with more. As successful as the first set of tests were, I do not want to take any unnecessary risks by moving ahead too quickly," the Captain explained.

Janeel hid her discontent at the given explanation simply turning to face her station once again in silence, casually pressing controls as expected for someone in charge of the ship's Operations. The ILO could not argue with her Commanding Officer, nor could she dismiss the logic in not rushing into more complex and risky tests.

=/\= Engineering to Bridge. =/\= The voice of the acting CEO sounding troubled.

"Go ahead. What's the problem?" The Captain quickly asked, concerned that maybe her First Officer had been right in stating that this had all been too easy.

=/\= The drive will not disengage. In fact, it appears to be powering up for another jump, a much larger one. =/\=

"Do whatever it necessary to take the drive offline," Captain Iverson ordered, the Commanding Officer not at all thrilled with the idea that the HATHOR and its crew might end up somewhere unknown.

"Captain!" Misaki gasped. "It's too late!"

=-=
Setting: SPACE
Stardate: 33003.1805

Deep inside the Romulan Star Empire, a small frozen planetoid that found itself well outside of regular travel routes stood alone in the emptiness of space. That was until a vessel appeared out of nowhere, shattering the tranquility of this region of the cosmos.

=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.1805

"Report!" Captain Iverson demanded, this latest jump having been far rougher than the previous ones.

=/\= Primary power couplings have ruptured and I have to fix a coolant leak; both the Blink Drive and regular propulsion are unavailable at this time. =/\= Elan reported

"Attitude controls are offline," Commander Valentine added as she frustratingly tried to get her controls to react to her touch but to no avail. "I can't even get the thrusters to fire. If we get too close to that planetoid, we won't be able to establish an orbit."

"Initiating a computer restart," the ILO said, Janeel hoping that a reboot would restore the needed systems to avoid them crashing onto the small planet they had suddenly appeared next to..

"Lieutenant Mitshiba, what happened?" The Captain asked, clearly not happy with this unexpected jump.

"I have no explanation for what happened Captain, but however bad this may seem, I think we have a bigger problem. Sensors are picking up bodies on the surface of that planetoid," the CSciO reported.

"Bodies? Are they the reason why we are here?" Iverson inquired, not understanding what possible link these might have to their current situation.

"I doubt it as they are dead, frozen solid, but the sensors did pick up one additional piece of data on them. They are Romulans, all of them."

"Bridge to Main Engineering, Commander Fairborn, give priority to the cloaking device. We need it operational now."

=-=
Setting: SPACE
Stardate: 33003.1808

The unexpected arrival of a ship near the planetoid where the Reman training facility of JDO-SHEN was located on would remain unseen and undetected as the vessel engaged its cloaking device, hiding it until he crew could figure out a way to get themselves out of this mess and hopefully back home.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET

Lieutenant Commander Shar'El [Access Character BIO for Shar'El]
Acting Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
M06-P028: USS BASTET: Mitshiba: Day 02 - 1810 ("The Cold Crystal Facts")
"The Cold Crystal Facts"
Previous posts: (ANU) "Sisterly Love" & (BAS) "Domino Effect"

///^\\\
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.1810

"The cloaking Device has been engaged."

A shared sigh of relief was heard through the bridge of the HATHOR. Commander Valentine's announcement was the first good news they got since their arrival to wherever this place was, but it was far from being enough to have people cheering.

Aki was running a star recognition algorithm to figure out where the crystals had taken them to, while at the same time using the sensors of the HATHOR to scan the small ice-covered planetoid they were in orbit of.  So far though, there was not a great deal more to report.

"Any ideas as to what happened?" Captain Iverson asked, the CO having moved to stand directly behind Aki as she worked. "Why did we end up here?"

"I am trying to figure that as well. Everything was working fine, the crystals were responding to the interface exactly as they should, our first set of tests proved that. We were able to pinpoint our jumps to within less than a hundred meters. I just can't understand why we suddenly found ourselves being transported here," Aki replied not liking the fact that she did not have an answer to give to her Captain.

"Can you at least tell us where *here* is?"

"The computer is extrapolating our current location using the stars around us. We should find out very shortly where we are," the CSciO reported just as the computer completed the task and displayed the HATHOR's location in a closed-in view of a star chart.

"This cannot be right," Captain Iverson said, more out of hope than out of questioning the accuracy of the information being displayed.

A quick scan of the science station showed that neither the CSciO nor the computer had made any errors. The location was perfectly accurate. "Our location is confirmed. We are deep inside Romulan space, in fact we are several hundred lightyears beyond the furthest the Federation has ever been able to get any sort of readings on. We are on the far side of the Romulan Star Empire."

"How is the cloaking device holding?" The Captain asked, wanting to make sure that they were not drawing any sort of unwanted attention.

"All readings are nominal, but after the malfunction of the crystals and the Blink Drive, it might be wise not to take anything for granted," Commander Valentine replied.

"Captain," Aki said in order to bring the attention of their Commanding Officer back onto her. "I am not convinced that we are dealing with a malfunction. The results from our preliminary tests showed a level of control that was near perfect. Through all of the jumps we did, there were no indications of any possible problems. Then, suddenly, the Blink Drive engaged. There are no records of any data being transferred but the jump and our current location just seem to be too coincidental to have been a malfunction."

"What are you saying?" Commander Janeel asked from across the bridge. "You think we have a spy on board?"

"I know that it is highly unlikely, especially given the small number of crew members on board the HATHOR," the CSciO said. "I was more thinking along the idea that some sort of hidden set of instructions that would be triggered as soon as the crystals and Blink Device were shown to be working within a specified set of parameters. It is even a possibility that those instructions, as well as the coordinates of this location were embedded inside the crystals, insuring that no one would have been able to access them until it was too late."

"Hold on," Commander Valentine jumped in. "You think it was Professor Arken who placed that jump command and its location deep inside Romulan space inside the crystals? Why would he do that?"

"To hand over a working model of the drive to the Romulans," Commander Janeel said as if that was the only possible answer.

"That makes no sense," Captain Iverson added. "Admiral Koniki would have made sure that he had no contact with the Romulans or any other hostile force. There is no reason for him to have the ANUBIS' crew go all over the galaxy to find these crystals only to turn the entire contraption to the Romulans. We need to get back as quickly as possible and get to the bottom of this."

"Commander Fairborn is working on restoring both normal propulsion and the Blink Device, but he has not given any timeframe as to his accomplishing either," Commander Valentine said, relaying the reports she received from the acting Chief Engineer.  "Without the means to break orbit, we might be here for a while."

"Due to the rapid freezing factor on the surface of the planetoid we are orbiting, there is no telling how often the Romulans, or anyone one else for that matter, come here. Sensors show that the bodies are frozen solid, but that could have happened yesterday just as much as it could have happened months ago," Aki pointed out. "The fact that sensors are not picking up any signs of debris is what concerns me the most as there is no explanation to account for those bodies being down there."

"There is one explanation that we may not be willing to entertain," Janeel said, instantly drawing everyone's attention onto her. "The planetoid might be the location of an underground base."

"A hidden base deep inside Romulan space means trouble," Captain Iverson said, adding a distinctively sigh of frustration. "We need to get out of here as quickly as possible, this before we figure out how we managed to get here in the first place. As far as those bodies are concerned, we may never figure that out, and right now that is not a priority," the Commanding Officer added, looking straight as the CSciO. "Getting back is our one and only objective at this time."

Everyone agreed and quickly returned to their respective tasks. As for Aki, she would try to figure out exactly what had happened with the Blink Drive, isolating if possible the origin of the coordinates used by the crystals to bring the HATHOR here. Of course, while the computer checked for hidden transfers of data, the CSciO might be able to squeeze in a few scans of the surface in an attempt to figure out why the frozen bodies of those Romulans came to being there in he first place.

///^\\\
Dawn Bohr

Lieutenant Misaki Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Chief Science Officer
USS BASTET - NCC 74977
M06-P029: USS BASTET: Dima: Day 02 - 1825 ("Visiting Hours")
“Visiting Hours”
Previous Posts: (ANU) "Sisterly Love" & (BAS) "The Cold Crystal Facts"

=/\=
Setting: TRILLIUS PRIME, Capital city of Ma’kala, Medical Center
Time Index: about a year and 8 months ago

The old woman slept lightly, her neck and shoulders propped up on a series of pillows, making it easier for her to breathe. Her silver hair was swept up in an elegant bun, barely mussed despite the inordinate amount of time she’d spent in her hospital bed as of late. There were machines helping her remain stable, but they were unobtrusive and in the background. A small sensor was attached to her forehead.

Carrina slowly became aware of a small, feminine hand gently squeezing hers, and then the sound of someone softly crying. “I’m not dead *yet*,” she said, in a more ornery way than she intended, and was met with no response other than the cries increasing in intensity.

She leaned towards the sound, opening her almond-shaped eyes, and recognized the young woman she had come to know through her grandson, Tenar. Nicole Organa had been seeing Tenar for couple of years now and had practically become a member of the family, and a great comfort to Carrina as she neared her last days. “What is it, child?”

Nicole looked up, her tearstained face peering through a disheveled curtain of brunette hair that fell past her shoulders. Carrina instinctively pushed the strands away from her face, thinking the style overwhelmed her delicate features. “Tenar broke things off. For you. For Dima.”

“He did?” Carrina asked tentatively. She had always been proud of her grandchildren’s accomplishments, but even she was surprised at Tenar’s unselfish act.

“Yes.” Nicole heaved a ragged sigh. “I’m so confused. I still love him. Why would he be so quick to throw that away?”

Carrina smiled a knowing smile, her wizened face glowing. “It was not a quick decision. It only feels that way because you were not the one who made it.”

Nicole’s tears started anew. “He knew I had been struggling with your... request. So he wished to end that struggle. And he did. But I am no more certain than I was before. Except now I’m heartbroken too.”

Carrina had grown fond of the young woman as she and Tenar courted. The fact that Nicole had been approved by the Symbiosis Commission as a candidate for joining had always been known, but was not in the forefront of her mind until she fell ill. Her condition was manageable, but degenerative and terminal. And a few short months ago, Carrina had made a bold plea, requesting that Nicole be the recipient of the Dima symbiont after she passed away. Carrina had felt something click deep within her, beyond the caring she felt towards Nicole, an unmistakable pull that Dima would be happy and flourish under Nicole Organa’s hosting. Carrina had pushed for this, announcing this decision openly among the entire family and Nicole herself, not pulling any punches or keeping any secrets. Nevertheless, the extreme turmoil this had caused could not be understated.

It was somewhat rare to have a living host make such an appeal, and the Commission had not announced a decision. Meanwhile, the young couple with measuring their love against Tenar’s grandmother’s wishes. If Nicole were joined with Dima, from that point forward she would not be permitted any deliberate contact with Tenar. It would be a choice; either pursue their relationship, or accept that the Dima symbiont might be placed in her custody. “I wasn’t strong enough, and now Tenar is gone,” Nicole said pitifully.

The old woman laughed warm-heartedly. “Strong enough? You have passed tests most Trill were not capable of passing to become an initiate. You have distinguished yourself in your studies, both in civilian schools and at Starfleet Academy. You have done most of this before Tenar was even a thought in your head. He is only demonstrating his belief in you, beyond your feelings for one another.”

“It’s a sacrifice- one I never wanted to burden him with.”

Carrina grasped a glass of water from a bedside tray and took a sip. “A sacrifice is only a burden when what you’re sacrificing for has no meaning. Dima’s perpetuation and the memories it carries are infinitely meaningful, as is our love for Tenar. And through Dima, that is something that will last lifetimes. For Tenar, and I hope eventually for you, you can understand why your relationship is something he was willing to give up.”


=/\=
Setting:  Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN
Stardate: 33003.1825

*...up...*

“Wake *up*!” Tehala yelled, slapping the daylights out of the petite woman with the short crop of dark brown hair. Nicole felt the smack against her cheek and saw stars before her body hit the floor like a tossed rag doll. This startled Sofia, who did her best to curl up in the corner of the room on her hard, cold cot. The voice was not familiar to her.

“Bring her to her feet,” The Tal’Shiar spat, and Shinral complied, even though she was not truly willing to do this. Makor, still not revealing all the reasons for keeping the new arrival’s backstory under wraps, could only watch.

Nicole cringed, her face still stinging as she stumbled to get upright.

“Hold her,” Tehala growled to the Reman bodyguard. “How did you get here?” she sniped at Nicole.

“Ensign Nicole Dima, Starfl-” a wicked backhand, and then a rapid fist to the solar plexus stopped the basic information. Nicole doubled over and coughed, tasting blood at the corner of her lip.

“That is *not* what I asked. I asked you how you got here.”

“I- I don’t know. I was speaking to one of the senior staff and the next thing I know I was here. I don’t even know where I am,” Nic pleaded. “I’m just the ship’s Counselor,” she said honestly, indicating the whole situation was above her knowledge. That wasn’t exactly true, but whoever this new person was they seemed much more desperate for answers than her previous tormentors.

Tehala glared at Makor. Shinral could not fathom if it was a look of anger or of acquiescence. “Did she bring any weapons with her, or anything of importance?”

The retired Proconsul elaborated. “She had only a standard issue communicator badge and a woman’s hair pin in her possession. Both were analyzed and found to have no special or unique properties. Perhaps she is a criminal sent here to express her penitence?”

“Idiot!” she hissed. “Starfleet doesn’t have a clue this place exists- and how could they send her here with no ship?”

Nicole was standing under her own power for the moment, and Tehala grabbed her by the ragged collar of her worn uniform and shook her. “We are not done here.” She then threw the prisoner into the back wall. Nicole seemed to lose consciousness and slide down to the floor.

Tehala led Shinral and Makor out and locked the door, addressing the man once more. “I want to see your reports on these ‘belongings’. I am far from satisfied that you researched them thoroughly enough. One does not merely appear from nowhere without something very powerful working to get them there.”

=/\=
Susan Ledbetter

Ship's Counselor
M06-P030: USS BASTET: Valentine: Day 02 - 1830 ("Looking For Trouble")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Looking For Trouble"
[previous post ((ANU) "Spilled Wine" / (BAS) "Visiting Hous")]

Setting: HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.1830

Even with the cloaking device active and working perfectly, the Executive Officer felt a great deal of misgivings about their entire situation. Being this deep inside Romulan space was bad enough, and being on board a ship that they were not completely familiar with just added to their troubles. Added to this not know how or why the blink device brought them here was just the icing on a very sour tasting cake.

=/\= Main Engineering to Bridge. =/\=

"Go ahead Commander," the Captain acknowledged.

=/\= We have a problem. =/\=

"Of course we do," Sarena said not trying to hide her discouragement as she looked back from the flight control station to the Captain who seemed just as unimpressed as the Executive Officer was.

"Care to elaborate on that Commander?" Selene asked.

=/\= Several parts of the main engines will need to be replaced. It take several weeks to replicate everything needed and installing them. =/\=

"Several weeks? Is he aware that we are on the far side of Romulan space?" The Executive Officer growled, the prospect of being where they were for weeks not being something she cared to consider.

"Commander, is there any way to speed up repairs?" Captain Iverson asked, the Commanding Officer sharing the Executive Officer's desire to leave this region of space as quickly as possible.

=/\= Not unless we are able to find replacement parts. In addition, the interface with the crystals seems to have taken some damage, likely from an energy overload. The part cannot be replicated, as it was custom made. It will take me several days to create a new one. =/\=

"Even if we could use the Blink Device, I am not sure that it would be the safest course of action, at least not until we have figured out what went wrong the first time," Sarena said. "That said, it might be the lesser of two evils. If we stay here we re nothing more than sitting ducks waiting to be found out by a passing Romulan vessel. If anyone can see through a cloaking device, it has to be them."

"There is another possible option," Janeel offered. "The bodies Lt. Mitshiba reported are a sign that something is down there. Maybe we should beam down and investigate. If we are lucky, we might find resources to help move our repairs along."

"If we are dealing with a hidden Romulan base down there, our going down is only going to make a bad situation worse," Sarena argued. "At least up here we are hidden by our cloaking device, but the moment we set foot on the surface, we advertise our presence."

"Commander," Selene continued, addressing the Oltharian down in engineering. "Please provide us with  list of parts needing replacement, then proceed with your repairs. I should not have to remind you of the urgency of our situation, so please do your best to complete them as quickly as possible. We will see if we can help on our end by providing some replacement parts or their nearest facsimile."

=/\= Understood, Engineering out. =/\=

"You can't be serious. You really believe that things are not going to blow straight in our faces the moment we set foot down there?"

"I do not believe that we truly have a choice," the Captain argued in return. "We are stuck in orbit of this planetoid, unable to leave if a ship should come along. Being stuck like this for weeks is asking for trouble just as much as it is for us going down there. We have to try and work towards shifting the odds back in our favor."

"Fine, who's going down with me?" The Executive Officer asked reluctantly, suspecting that she already knew the answer.

"I will do," Janeel replied. "Misaki is needed up here to figure out what happened with the crystals. At least with only two of us down there, the odds of our being discovered are lesser and we can watch each other's backs."

"Be sure to dress warmly," Mitshiba suggested, checking the results of her latest scans of the planetoid. "The surface temperature down there is below glacial. It would not take a lot for either one of you to become frozen statues."

"So noted," Sarena acknowledged as she stood from her station and glanced at the ILO. "Let's go. the quicker we get down there, the quicker we can come back up."

"Be careful down there," the Captain offered as the two officers made their way off the bridge. "We will keep a transporter lock on you and beam you back up should there be any sign of trouble."

"Guess we'll be seeing you again very soon," the Executive Officer teased, thinking back to what she had said earlier about them likely running into trouble the moment they would set foot on the surface.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] 
Setting: JDO-SHEN, Surface
Stardate: 33003.1850

Two form materialized onto the surface, greeted by hurricane force winds and snow that made seeing anything next to impossible.

"Lovely weather," Sarena sarcastically noted. "How are we suppose to find anything in this? I suspect that even the Breen would consider it cold here."

"Let's start with doing a quick scan of those bodies Mitshiba found," Janeel suggested. "Maybe we might be able to find something useful on one of them."

"Never expected you to be the optimistic sorts," the Executive Officer huffed, pulling on the hood of her coat to held shield her face from the frigid wind.

The ILO said nothing, instead pulling out her tricorder and examining the nearest frozen body that they had beamed right next to as per the instructions of their Captain. Like Janeel, Selene had hoped that something useful could be found on them to indicate as to what they were dealing with.

"Commander, not sure if this is a good news or a bad one," the ILO said as she read the results of her tricorder scan.

"Right now I would be surprised if we found something that would actually prove to be useful or helpful in any way, so my guess is that you are going to be giving us some bad news."

"The bodies are not that of Romulans," Janeel reported.

"How is that possible? Misaki did not hint to there having been any possibilities of her report being possibly wrong for any reason," Sarena said as a possible explanation came to mind. "Unless..."

"Yup, we are dealing with Remans, not Romulans."

"Great," the Executive Officer sadly exclaimed. "Can this get any worse?"

Janeel looked up, seeing nothing more than the outline of the woman, the blowing snow and arctic wind making it impossible to see more. Following this latest discovery, it was undeniable that they had found their way in the dead center of trouble leaving them all with very few options as to what to do next.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Karen Price

Executive Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M06-P031: USS BASTET: Janeel: Day 02 - 1850 ("Out of the Cold")
=-=
"Out of the Cold"
[previous post was (ANU) "Spilled Wine" by Marissa / (BAS) "Looking For Trouble" by Karen]
=-=

Setting: JDO-SHEN, Surface
Stardate: 33003.1850

The discovery of the frozen Reman on the surface made Janeel wonder what kind of trouble the Counselor of the ANUBIS, as well as the crew of the HATHOR, had managed to land in the middle of.

Providing the coordinates of this location to the crystals without anyone realizing it had been child's play. Even modifying the data to make sure they would arrive at a safe distance had been relatively easy. Everything about the Blink Device was automated to such an extreme that adding required nothing more than computer access, and the knowledge of how to proceed

The data provided by Commander Shar'El, which was the exact pattern detected during the disappearance of the joint Trill Nicole Dima, brought them here. As much as Janeel had agreed to help in this, never could she have expected the HATHOR and its crew to find themselves so deep inside Romulan space. With both normal propulsion and the Blink Device inoperative, the ILO felt a fair amount of guilt in what she did, hence why she had been so quick to volunteer to come down to this frozen wasteland of a rock.

"Do you have a theory as to what we have found here?" The tone of Commander Valentine's question hinted that she had an idea but likely wanted a second opinion to counter the unpleasant one that she had.

"This could be a Breen resort," Janeel said with a smile. "You are correct in saying that they would claim this place to be colder than usual for them, but you have to agree that the scenery is breathtaking.

"You are right," the Commander growled. "I can barely breathe with this wind."

"Seriously, the number of Reman bodies and the fact that they all are facing the same way makes it very probable that we have set foot on some sort of training facility. Either that, or this is some sort of prison in which the inmates are permitted to go for a run every so often," the ILO said, the theory suggested making the most sense when taking into consideration he way the Romulans looked down upon their biological cousins.

"That's what I also thought," Sarena admitted. "We need to head back to the HATHOR before we are found out."

"Commander," Janeel sternly said. "We are here to search for a way to help Elan with the repairs. If this is a Reman training and/or holding facility as we suspect, there is bond to be a fair amount of technology available for us to use. We can easily guess in which direction we might find an entrance, and based on the environment surrounding us, is it unlikely that such an access will be heavily guarded, if at all."

"I do not like this on bit," Commander Valentine mumbled.

"Neither do I, but since we are here and the Captain wants to see the HATHOR leave this sector as quickly as possible, we should start heading that was now before we actually free in place."

Reluctantly, Sarena agreed, taking point with Janeel following closely behind.

Each step was harder to take than the previous, the cold and wind reaching directly to their bones despite the thermal protective clothing the two officers had put on. The near permanent whiteout made walking in a straight line nearly impossible, and their footsteps were vanishing behind them within seconds. Even Janeel began to believe that maybe moving forward had not been such a great idea until she noticed a faint light.

At first, the ILO believed it to be a trick caused by the blinding snow, but when the First Officer pointed to it, the two officers knew that they had found what they were searching for. With a goal in sight and their bodies nearly completely frozen Sarena and Janeel picked up the pace.

As they came closer, another faint light joined the first beacon that was seen. A quick search through he snow between the light revealed the presence of an unlocked hatch. With some effort, the two officers managed to pry the heavy door open and quickly made their way inside the underground structure, whatever it may be.

=-=
Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility
Stardate: 33003.1910

The heavy-duty coats were quickly removed to allow the two officers the freedom to move, the outer protective layer having become completely stiff. Once this was done and the two women confirmed their position to be secured, Commander Valentine glanced over to Janeel.

"Is it just me or is this place way quieter than I would have expected it to be?" Sarena whispered.

"I can only guess that there are not too may Romulans who want to be here. As for the Reman, they might be busy elsewhere, or locked away in their cells. The general appearance of this place though makes me believe that this is more a training facility than a detention center, but than again, it could be both. Let's face it, the Romluans like being efficient," Janeel explained.

"What is the tricorder picking up?"

"Limited range, the walls appear to be impervious to scans but at least I can tell you that there is no one for at least 100 meters in either direction. I would suggest trying to find our way to a maintenance and repairs bay or even a landing platform. Those are the areas where we will have the best chance to find at leas some of the items needed for the repairs," the ILO suggested, obtaining a quick nod of agreement from the ExO.

"Which way?" Sarena asked, the corridor appearing identical whichever way they chose to go.

Janeel debated the question for a few moments, trying to come up with a reply base on logic and a deeper understanding of the Romulans and Remans. The fact was that despite the knowledge they possessed on both races, there was little for the ILO to call upon when it come to the reasoning behind any specific layouts for a facility such as this one. In the end, the Intel Operative made a call based on nothing more than a 50/50 chance of them going in the right direction.

As she pointed left, Sarena quickly gave a glance to the right before moving ahead as suggested. As Janeel followed, the ILO could only hope that they would find more than they were here searching for, namely the missing Counselor of the USS ANUBIS, Ensign Nicole Dima.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET

Lieutenant Commander Shar'El [Access Character BIO for Shar'El]
Acting Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
M06-P032: USS BASTET: Gemma: Day 02 - 1900 ("Unexpected Surprise")
=-=
"Unexpected Surprise"
[previous post was (ANU) "Time to Thing About Time" / (BAS) "Out of the Cold"]
=-=

Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Corridor 
Stardate: 33003.1900

As a retired Romulan Proconsul, Makor was a man who radiated control wherever he went. His posture, as that of most high-ranking Romulans, was tall and intimidating. The permanent scowl on his brow dared anyone he met to challenge him. As his bodyguard, Shinral had witnessed all of these things first hand. When he was dealing with Tehala though, the man just appeared angry, enraged even. He did not like having her here challenging his authority. Even more frustrating was the way she ordered him around like some unimportant underling.

She was a Sub-Commander and he was a retired Proconsul. Both worked under the banner of the Tal'Shiar, and both believed they were in charge. Had the situation been different, Shinral might have actually enjoyed watching this battle of characters. As Makor's bodyguard though, she needed to act accordingly, whatever the situation was.

The moment Tehala walked out of the cell, Finnja threatened to leave her hiding place and rush into the small, dark room. The desire to help and make sure that both prisoners were alright was almost overwhelming. Shinral was quick to snap the bleeding-heart back, as it would have been impossible to explain the presence of the nurse in these parts. Sooner or later, the Denaali would get her chance to help the two captive Starfleet officers. For now though, she needed to simply stay out of sight and let the professionals do their work.

As the trio made their way down the corridor, Shinral found herself almost wishing for Yshuni to be here. The Kotakian had an uncanny ability to read people and know what they were thinking simply by the way they stood or walked. Although she was not a telepath, the blue-haired woman was the next best thing. At least she would have been had it not been for their current location. As great as it be to have someone else here to help, only the Reman could be in this place without calling forth a universe of trouble.

The Tal'Shiar operative, who was in the lead of the group, came to a complete stop when the sound of a high pitch alarm was heard. The Romulan Proconsul and his bodyguard quickly followed suit.

"What's going on?" Tehala demanded, glaring at Makor as if he had been responsible for whatever was happening. As far as the Sub-Commander was concerned, it didn't matter what was happening, the Proconsul would be blamed for it.. The old and retired man was a thorn in her side, and she would make sure he was aware of that.

"It's a seal alarm," Shinral explained. As Makor's bodyguard, she needed to defend him from all attacks, be then physical or verbal. "The outer hatch was likely not properly sealed. The high winds on the surface have likely pulled the hatch open."

"Then fix it," the Romulan woman commanded. Either the sound of the alarm was especially annoying to her or she didn't like not being able to blame Makor for it.

Shinral waited to get the okay from the retired Romulan before heading out to do as they had been instructed. It was evident that he did not like the thought of being alone with Tehala, but Makor had little choice in the matter. With a nod of his head, he sent his bodyguard off to take care of the alarm.

As a show of support and to keep the Tal'Shiar Sub-Commander off her back, Shinral ran towards the hatch. The corridors were eerily empty thanks to all other Reman having been confined to their barracks. The underground base felt abandoned, almost dead.

When she reached the location, Shinral immediately felt the cooler air hinting that the hatch had actually been opened. To her surprise though, she found the access port closed and sealed. No visible explanations could be found to account for the cooler air in this region of the base. A more thorough search of the area revealed something unexpected. Two Federation issue cold-weather suits had been left behind.

Whoever they were, they had been smart about this. Leaving their suits behind insured a greater freedom of motion and there being no risks of them tracking snow inside the compound. Had it not been for the hyper high-pitch alarm designed to be heard only by Romulans and Remans, no one would have known of their presence. Of course, Shinral needed to insure that this remained unknown for their own safety.

As she took care of turning off the alarm, Shinral began to wonder how the two Starfleet officers had come to be here. JDO-SHEN was a secret Tal-Shiar training facility, unknown to the greater majority of the Star Empire. Even if the Federation had learned of the abduction of the other two officers, how could they have made it here without being detected?

As puzzleling as this was, Gemma was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. If they were here, it meant that they had a ship nearby, and that would be their way out. She needed to make sure the intruders found their way to the prisoners, that they here for them or not. A great of a news as this was, it also meant that things were about to become far more complicated. Sooner or later the Starfleet officers now on JDO-SHEN would be spotted and that would not be good. Therefore, she needed to find them first, but before that, Shinral needed to get back. A lengthy absence would only raise suspicions that something was not as it should.

The bodyguard ran back, offering her report as soon as she regrouped with the two Romulans. "As suspected the hatch had not been properly secured and the wind caused it to open thus triggering the alarm.

"Let us go to the control center. Maybe there we can figure out how two Starfleet officers came to find this place." Tehala was not happy. Shinral could just imagine how upset the Sub-Commander would be is she learned of there being another pair. Her reaction would be that much more amplified by the fact that they were roaming the facility unchallenged.

"Now what?" Tehala said in exasperation as the sound of another alarm was heard by the trio.  "Another hatch?"

"No, this one is different," Makor said. "Sounds like one of the secured doors. Someone is trying to gain access to a restricted area in this zone."

"How is that possible?" The frustrated Tal'Shiar operative demanded. "All Remans have been confirmed to their barracks and the security systems are designed to identify Romulans. Could there be intruders in the facility?"

"Highly unlikely," Makor countered.

"Just as unlikely as two Federation officers finding their way here without a ship?" Tehala venomously hissed. "You," she continued pointing at the bodyguard. "Find out what is happening and do not come back until everything is fixed."

Again Gemma was not about to object a perfect opportunity. This would give her the chance to locate the two intruders and get the rescue mission of the other two started. Things were about to get very messy but the undercover Starfleet Intel Agent was confident that it would all work out. She might be forced to call upon some specifically skilled assistance, but they would all find a way to get out of here alive and in one piece.

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Intel Operative
NEW ALEXANDRIA

[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
M06-P033: USS BASTET: Mitshiba: Day 02 - 1915 ("Nothing New")
"Nothing New"
Previous posts: (ANU) "Rewriting History" & (BAS) "Unexpected Surprise"

///^\\\
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.1915

As the CSciO, Aki's primary task was to figure out what had brought them to the far side of Romulan space. Of course, the Asian woman knew that this was due to the crystals at the heart of the Blink Device created by Professor Elijah Arken, but she needed to figure out why the device had unexpectedly engaged to send the HATHOR to this particular location when Elan tried to turn the entire contraption off. The way the device had been integrated into the ship's system, there was no way for something like this to happen without some set of instructions being sent to the crystals from an outside source.

On top of trying to solve that mystery, Aki had also been tasked with keeping an eye on the away team sent to the planetoid's frozen surface. Just reading the readouts on the frigid temperature and hurricane-force winds was enough to cause her to shiver and be thankful that she had been needed here on the HATHOR. Captain Iverson had instructed them to maintain communication silence to avoid their presence there being detected. The problem with maintaining silence was that when Commander Valentine and Commander Janeel vanished from sensors, there was no way to know what was happening.

"Anything new?" The Captain asked as she came to stand directly behind Aki, instantly making the Asian woman feel hyper-nervous.

"Depends on which front you are asking about," the CSciO replied.

"Alright, let's start with the repairs to the main propulsion system."

"Lt. Commander Fairborn has not updated his earlier repair estimates, so nothing new there," Aki replied. "Both normal propulsion and the Blink Device are out of commission for the time being. Our only means to move the HATHOR is by using the navigational thrusters."

"Have you figured out what happened with the Blink Device that caused it to send us here?"

"I have not," Aki sighed. "There is nothing in the Professor's notes that remotely indicates the crystals being able to spontaneously engage or for them, either individually or as a set, to have been hardwired with any sort of coordinates. Even if they had, why have the location of this place in them?  According to everything I have read so far, what happened should not have happened. So I am sorry to report that I have nothing new to report at this time on that front."

"What about the away team?" The Captain continued, expecting there to be something to report on that aspect of their current situation since the previous two attempts had not provided any new details.

"No signal or any additional information has been relayed to us since we lost contact with them. Commander Janeel was able to transmit a short, narrow-beam report clarifying that the bodies on the surface were not Romulan as reported by the ship's sensors, but were in fact Reman," the CSciO explained to her Commanding Officer who did not appear overly pleased by the latest report.

"That is not making things any better," Captain Iverson expressed. "This pretty much confirms that we have stumbled on some sort of secret facility, the purpose of which still needs to be determined."

"On the brighter side of things, it does increase the odds of Commander Valentine and Commander Janeel to find at least some of the parts requested by Lt. Commander Fairborn," Aki said trying to spin

"It also increases the odds of our away team running into trouble as the odds of this being some sort of abandoned base have greatly been reduced with he discovery of Reman bodies instead of Romulans." The Captain said as a counter argument before continuing. "Anything on long-range sensors? Since it appears that we have found our way to some isolated and hidden Reman facility, it is very likely that there are going to be some ships in the vicinity. They will either be coming here for supplies or they will simply be out there keeping an eye on things. Either way I doubt that we are as alone as we had hoped to be."

"Long-range sensors have not picked up any signs of ships in the sector, but since we are possibly dealing with Romulan vessels, there is a possibility that they are cloaked and hidden from our instruments," Aki offered, painting a rather gloomy scene.

"If there are cloaked Romulan ships this far inside the borders of the Star Empire, I suspect that there would be a greater threat for us all to be concerned about," Captain Iverson said before making her way back to the command chair. "According to our latest Intel, the situation between the Remans and Romulans has not changed all that much, one crushing the other into near complete submission. It would be safer to keep your eyes open and report on any changes. We cannot afford to be found here, as it could be misinterpreted in countless of ways, none of them good.

"Aye aye Captain," Aki acknowledged, returning her attention to her instruments and realizing that as sophisticated as the console was, it was far too small to permit the CSciO to work on everything she needed to at the same time. Designed to be an infiltration and rapid strike vessel instead of a research or exploration one, the equipment on board the HATHOR had been streamlined to an extreme. As much as Aki might have wanted to voice her discontent, being on a ship able to cloak and remain undetected was clearly something that greatly offset whatever issues she might have had.

Cloaked or not, the Asian woman knew that she needed to figure out what had happened with the Blink Device as quickly as possible. Even if Lt. Commander Fairborn did manage to bring the normal propulsion systems back online ahead of his stated timeline, it was highly unlikely that they would be able to return to Federation space without behind detected. Their best chance to leave this place and return home was with the Blink Device, a theoretical propulsion system that clearly required a great deal more testing in order to be properly understood and used.

All Aki needed to do was to solve that mystery head of the return of the away team and Lt. Commander's repairs of the Blink Device's control module.

///^\\\
Dawn Bohr

Lieutenant Misaki Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Chief Science Officer
USS BASTET - NCC 74977
M06-P034: USS BASTET: Valentine: Day 02 - 1920 ("Scavenger Hunt")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Scavenger Hunt"
[previous post ((ANU) "Rewriting History" / (BAS) "Nothing New")]

Setting:  Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Secured Cargo Hold
Stardate: 33003.1920

Sarena was frantically searching through the crates for items that matched or at least were close to what the Oltharian had put on his list. This was the reason why they had come down here, to confirm that there was some sort of secret base beneath the frozen surface of the planetoid, and if so, to find anything that would aid and speed up the repairs to the HATHOR's propulsion system. As far as the Executive Officer had been concerned, they had hit the jackpot, the only problem was reading Romulan or Reman and to figuring out how they would find a way to bring all of these items to the surface in order for them to be beamed up to the ship.

"How are we doing?" Janeel asked in a quiet, whispered voice, the ILO standing by the ajar door, looking through the small crack to see if someone was coming heading in their direction.

"We are doing great," Sarena replied. "There is enough material here to build a small shuttle. I am sure that Elan will be able to make use of everything we will manage to bring back. At this rate though, it might be easier for one of us to head back to the surface, beam back to the HATHOR and return with transporter tags that should allow these items to be brought straight to the ship. Trying to Contact the Captain from in here is too dangerous and would likely revel our presence, although based on these tricorder readings, I doubt that we would be able to get any sort of signal out."

"No problem. I'll just stroll out of here and go back to the hatch," Janeel sarcastically shot back, still keeping her voice to be no louder than a weak whisper. "I still can't believe that we made it all the way here undetected. I severally doubt that our luck is going to hold that strong for much longer."

The ILO suddenly paused, believing that she had heard something in the hallway but Janeel could not see anything this regardless of how hard she tried. Concerned and frustrated, she was about to open the door a little more to increase her field of vision when it was quickly swung open out of her hand allowing a woman rush in. With little effort and remarkable speed and agility, the woman knocked the surprised officer on watch flat on her back before setting on sights on the HATHOR's Executive Officer.

Instinctively, Sarena reached for her phaser but before she could even come close to aiming the weapon, the would-be target had already crossed the room and taken the sidearm from the Commander's grasp. The room became perfectly still and quiet as the unknown woman held the weapon, aiming it straight at the face of its former owner.

"You're Starfleet? What are you two doing here and how did you manage to get all the way here?"

Not knowing who the person asking the question was, it made sense for Janeel and Sarena to remain silent and not provide any information that could possibly be used against them.

"Are you here to rescue those two Starfleet officers being held in this facility?"

"Two Starfleet officers?" Janeel repeated. The agreement she had made with the ILO of the ANUBIS, Commander Shar'El, dealt only with one officer, namely the Ship's Counselor Ensign Nicole Dima.

"I do not have the time to explain everything, I am expected back shortly. What you need to know is this; the situation here is highly volatile. The tensions between the Romulans and Remans are about to boil over and it is my objective to use the chaos that will soon erupt to escape along with the two Federation prisoners. My name is Gemma, I am an undercover operative who has been following a retired Romulan Proconsul closely working with the Tal'Shiar. He came here to investigate the reports of a Starfleet Officer who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Is your ship able to beam us all back from this location?"

"We cannot," Janeel replied based on what Sarena had said earlier. The answer she gave though quickly drew an angered glare from the Executive Officer who was evidently not ready to trust the woman despite what she had revealed.

"Looks like you are looking for parts, likely to effect repairs on your ship. Here," Gemma said as she reached into a pocket and tossed to Sarena a bunch of transporter tags used by SFI agents.  "These will allow your establish a transporter lock on the crates you need. I have to go back but be aware that all the doors in this facility are set on an internal alarm system audible to only Romulans and Remans. You will need to stay here until I return with the two prisoners. Do not take any chances; it would only require one wandering Romulan to trigger the general alarm. This would cause all of the Remans in this facility to go on a blood hunt that would end with both of you as well as the prisoners meeting a most gruesome end," the undercover Intel operative added, tossing the phaser back to its original owner before making a hasty exit out of the cargo hold. "Stay here and wait for our return."

It took several moments for the members of the away team to come to terms with what had just happened. Not only had they been discovered, but instead of being apprehended, they had found an unlikely ally who offered knowledge and assistance.

It was Sarena who broke the silence first, her questions about this latest development needing to be answered.
"Do you believe her story?" The Executive Officer asked of the ILO.

Janeel shrugged before hesitantly nodding her head in agreement, unable to find a reason to dismiss the woman's claim as being other than as she had said.

"Fine, let's say that she is telling the truth. How is it that we managed to find our way to a secret location deep inside Romulan space where not one but three Starfleet Officers are present? There would only be one possible explanation, that the Blink Drive bringing us here was not an accident. This would meant that we have been set up, but by whom? If this was meant to be a rescue mission, why not tell us this from the start? Admiral Koniki made it clear that he did not want us to risk the crystals falling into enemy hands, so it is unlikely that this was his doing. It is far more likely that someone on the HATHOR tempered with the drive causing us to end up here."

As a trained Intel Agent, Janeel easily maintained her cool, not betraying her thoughts and feelings in the least. The HATHOR being here had not been an accident, she was the one responsible for bringing them to this place although at the time she did not know where this would be. Her agreement with Shar'El had only been to move things along faster in regards to going after the missing Counselor. After the success of the preliminary tests, the ILO thought that they would be able to jump to the Counelor's location, retrieve her before heading back. Now, it was clear that the situation had not been as simple as she might have expected it to be.

From a simple equipment test mission, the ship and crew were thrown deep inside Romulan space to orbit a frozen undersized planet, their means to return home damaged beyond easy repair. From there, the crew had stumbled onto a secret Reman facility in which three other Starfleet Officers were found, two as prisoners and a third as a deep-cover operative by the name of Gemma. Now, not only did the away team needed to bring the required parts back to the HATHOR, but they would also need to provide assistance in the escape of the three officers found here.

From a scientifically interesting mission to test a possibly revolutionary means of traveling between stars, the HATHOR and its crew had now fallen waste-deep into what many, including the Executive Officer herself, would consider to be an impossible mission. The mathematical probabilities of events occurring as they had to lead to the situation they now faced was astronomical and likely beyond the ability of most to even imagine. Yet, here they were, in a hidden facility found in the underground of a frozen world located far inside of the Romulan Star Empire, waiting to return with parts for repairs and three out-of-place Starfleet officers.

What truly concerned the HATHOR's Executive Officer was all of this was likely only the tip of the proverbial iceberg, their escape from this place being just the first difficulty in what would most certainly turn into a long list of obstacles for them to overcome.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Karen Price

Executive Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M06-P035: USS BASTET: Gemma: Day 02 - 1930 ("Nice And Easy")
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"Nice And Easy"
[previous post was (ANU) "Rewriting History" / (BAS) "Scavenger Hunt"]
=-=

Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Corridor 
Stardate: 33003.1930

The Reman bodyguard stood in the corridor against the wall, motionless. She needed a moment to gather her thoughts. Things in this facility were about to explode, and Shinral needed to carefully plan her course of action. It made sense for Gemma to have been the one to speak to the Federation intruders. As a fellow Starfleet officer, they were more apt to believe her words. Even if they did accept the Intel Operative's accounts of what was, the task ahead would not be any easier.

Before anything to be put into motion, the two Starfleet prisoners needed to be made aware of what was to come to pass. They would need to act and react in a very specific and timely manner if this was to work. As skilled as Shinral was, she would not be able to do all of this alone. If everyone were to get out of here alive, they would all need to be part of what was to come.

With a clear list of what needed to be accomplished now in her mind, Shinral resumed her course down the corridor. There were many things she needed to do before joining Makor and Tehala, and she did not have that much time to do it all.

=-=
Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Cell
Stardate: 33003.1935

The two captive Starfleet officers were cautiously enjoying the precautious tranquility they had been subjected to. Following the latest visit, both Nicole and Sofia knew that something was heading their way. When the door to their cell opened, both retreated from the doorway as much as they could. The extra centimeter or two would not make any difference, but the reaction had been beyond their control.

"Are you two alright?" Finnja quietly asked as she scampered into the room. Once again, the Dinaali nurse had found a way to check in on the prisoners. The woman quickly moved to visually inspect the Starfleet officers, glad to see no new injuries had been added.

"Why are you here?" Nicole asked the nervous looking nurse. The question was meant to investigate the woman's presence in this facility. There was no logical explanation to account for a Dinaali to being here amongst Remans and Romulans. If she was a prisoner as they were, her being able to move about raised an entirely different set of questions.

"I am here to warn you," Finnja replied, looking back over her shoulder to the partially opened door of their cell. "Things are about to happen and you need to be ready."

"Things?" Sofia asked. "What things? What are you talking about?"

"I cannot say more, just be ready. If you want to return home, you need to be ready."

The instructions were vague, to say the least, but neither Nicole nor Sofia would get the chance to ask for any clarifications. The Dinaali nurse had left the cell just as quickly as she had entered.

=-=
Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Corridor
Stardate: 33003.1940

So far, everything had gone according to plan. Following Gemma speaking to the two Starfleet intruders, Finnja had warned the two prisoners. All that remained to do was for Shinral to get the ball rolling with her fellow Remans. To do so, the bodyguard needed to push her own people over the emotional edge they were already close to. The death of several of their own at the hands of the Tal'Shiar agent would make that easier. The hard part would be to convince them that she was on their side. As the bodyguard of the retired Romulan Proconsul, her status with the other Remans had not been the best. Still, she believed that the goal would be reached easily enough.

"No one is permitted to enter as per the orders of Sub-Commander Tehala." There was a tone in the Romulan guard's voice. He did not like being where he was and hated Remans even more. To argue with him would have been pointless. He would have likely used that confrontation as an excuse to knock Shinral down or worst to kill her. The problem though was that she needed to gain access to those barracks to speak to those held there. Her entire plan depended on that.

"I was sent here by Sub-Commander Tehala. We have been dealing with a number of alarms, one from a secured cargo hold. I have been tasked with finding out who is responsible." Shinral explained. Her strengths and skills laid far more in the physical fields than in dealing with others. She could react to an attack like no one else, but negotiations like these had been well beyond her reach.

"No one gets in or out," the Romulan said in a clear and pronounced voice. "Go back to being a mindless bodyguard and leave the real work us. You are nothing more than an outcast, unable to be a Reman and undeserving to be a Romulan. Go away and sit by your master's side as the veruul you are."

Had it only been his words, the Reman would have been able to brush off the insult. She would have needed to find another way to gain access to the barracks, but that would have been another problem. That he had decided to backhand her across the face had changed everything. The bodyguard saw the hand go up and knew exactly what would happen. She could have easily dodged the hit or blocked it. Instead, she allowed it to happen for a reason that she had not been entirely certain of. A voice inside of her instructed her not to move or offer any sort of opposition. When Anya glared back at the stunned Romulan Shinral understood why.

What followed next was the sound of the Romulan's upper arm breaking. It was only fair that the first strike against him targeted the body part that had made the first strike. Next was the sound of a lower leg being shattered causing the guard to drop to his knees. The third and final sound would be that of his neck snapping as his head was made to spin well beyond the physical limitations of his body.

The entire fight lasted only a few seconds, but the outcome had been undeniable. As Shinral studied the broken body of the dead guard now at her feet, she knew. The Russian assassin had struck as she always did, with deadly accuracy and speed. This would permit the Reman bodyguard to get into the barracks and speak to the others. Dragging the broken body of the dead Romulan behind her would save her from having to say anything. They would all understand what had taken place and what needed to happen next.

As much as Shinral might have hated it, she owed a debt of gratitude to Anya. The woman's skills had come in handy and none of the Remans would question who had done this. They would accept that it was the bodyguard who had done this. They would understand what they needed to do next. They would also know without a doubt as to which side of the conflict she stood on. All that remained for them was to make the Romulans pay for all that they had done. During that time, Shinral needed to get the prisoners out and bring them safely to the cargo hold.

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Intel Operative
NEW ALEXANDRIA

[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
M06-P036: USS BASTET: Janeel: Day 02 - 1935 ("Questions")
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"Questions"
[previous post was (ANU) "Looking Into The Void" by Marissa / (BAS) "Nice And Easy" by Rachel]
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Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Secured Cargo Hold
Stardate: 33003.1935

The name Gemma was familiar to Janeel although she could not recall why at this time. The ILO knew that the link was with NEW ALEXANDRIA and Admiral Koniki but that was it, then again, a certain level of mystery was expected when dealing with Intel Agents. At least for the time being, that familiarity made the story of being a deep-cover operative that much easier to believe. What it failed to address though was that odd feeling there was more to the woman, a lot more than her being a simple covert operative.

"You don't seem overly certain that we can trust her?" Commander Valentine said to the other woman who had beamed down to this frozen rock to find exactly what they were now sitting on.

"She's an Intel Operative," Janeel replied. "Can you truly or fully trust any of them?"

The statement caught Sarena off guard, especially since the woman who had just said this was an Intel Operative herself. Had Janeel said this without thinking of the full implications of her words or had she purposely included herself in the statement. With the questions surrounding the Blink Drive and how it had brought them here, Commander Valentine could not help but wonder if this was some sort of confession on the part of the ILO.

"I hope she hurries up," Janeel continued. "Sitting and waiting is not my strongest point, although I will admit that I would much rather be in here instead of out there. With both Romulans and Remans wandering about, it would be far too easy for us to run into the kind of trouble that a couple of Starfleet officers would never be able to get out of."

"Speaking of Starfleet officers," Sarena said to direct their conversation to another matter that also bothered her. "What are your ideas and theories as to how not one but two of them made their way to this desolate frozen prison?"

"The possibilities are endless," the ILO replied, the truth is that she knew the reason for one of them if not the other. "Let's face it, there are currently five Starfleet officers where none should be. Aside from us two, I am sure that the other three have a unique set of circumstances that saw them find their way here. Maybe once we are all back on the HATHOR we can ask them how they came to being here. Until then, we can only guess as to what happened."

Janeel had done her best to answer the question without revealing any of the details that she knew, but judging by the expression on Sarena's face it was evident that the Commander had not found the explanation satisfactory in any way, shape or form. Again, the First Officer found herself wanting to ask more questions but given their current situation and the answers that she had recently been given Valentine knew that any sort of interrogation would be nothing more than a waste of time. 

This did not mean that Janeel was off the hook, Sarena using the time between now and then to carefully select her questions to ensure that the ILO would not be able to find some slithering way to answer without giving any actual useful information.

=-=
Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Cell
Stardate: 33003.1940

"I wonder what she meant by 'things'?" Sofia asked of her cellmate, the warning from the Dinaali nurse having been as vague as could be.

"Obviously something is about to happen," Nicole theorized. "With both Romulans and Remans working in the same environment, frictions are inevitable and it is possible that one side is pushing the other more than they should."

"Yea, like that woman who was interrogating you. Romulans have never been known for being nice, but she came across as being especially nasty. There was no reason for her to hit you the way she did."

"I thought your eyesight had not returned," Nicole said, finding the possibility of Sofia having regained the use of her eyes to be a joyous event despite the nightmare they were both in the middle of.

"I still can't see anything," the blonde-haired Ensign confirmed as she gently tapped her right ear. "You don't need to be an expert in interrogation techniques to recognize the sound of a backhand across the face or a punch to someone's midsection. The gasp of air that followed was more than enough for me to know what happened. I wanted to ask if you were alright but feared that I might just make the situation worse."

"I've gone through worse," the joint Trill admitted as she rubbed the impact zone before letting her hands drop down onto her belly making her think of a friend who had gone through a much more painful ordeal, not that she remembered it.

"Guess the only thing for us is to wait," Sofia said as she crawled to sit next to Nicole, "although there is one thing we could decide now."

"What would that be?" The Trill asked, not sure what the Physician was talking about.

"We could draw short straws to see which one of us will take the lead when this *thing* we have been warned about happens."

"Short straws? I thought I was the Counselor and you were the blind Doctor."

"I don't know about you, but I'm definitively a Doctor," Sofia grinned, ignoring completely the fact that she was as described by her cellmate, blind.

"I am glad to see that your spirits are so high."

"After having been in here for as long as I have, and taking the beatings I did, the simple possibility of our getting out of here is enough to put a bounce in my step."

"I will enjoy seeing you take a bouncing lead out of here," Nicole chuckled, forgetting for a moment the seriousness of their predicament.

"I just need you to do me a favor."

"What would that be?"

"When it's time for us to leave, can you point me towards the door? I would truly hate to ruin the show by running straight into a wall."

"Of course," the Trill quickly chuckled knowing that this little exchange would be something she would remember for quite some time, of course, that was as long as they actually manage to escape from this place.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET

Lieutenant Commander Shar'El [Access Character BIO for Shar'El]
Acting Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
M06-P037: USS BASTET: Valentine: Day 02 - 1945 ("The Hardest Part")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"The Hardest Part"
[previous post ((ANU) "A Friend In Need" / (BAS) "Questions")]

Setting:  Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Secured Cargo Hold
Stardate: 33003.1945

Waiting patiently had never been her strongest skill. As an Ensign, Sarena always felt the need to prove herself better than what everyone else believed she was. As the Executive Officer of the USS BASTET, a uniquely equipped Intel Cruiser, just waiting around to see what would happen next was a luxury that they could ill afford. This was something that Commander Valentine understood better than most.

The first few minutes of sitting and waiting, surrounded by alien equipment and crates, had passed without incident thanks to the odd conversation Valentine had with Janeel. After that, only an eerie and uneasy silence could be heard which served to make the woman that much more eager to do something, anything. At least that was as long as their actions did not reveal their presence to their Romulan hosts.

No longer able to remain silent, Sarena was about to ask Janeel to elaborate on her earlier statement concerning how much an ILO could truly be trusted. Just as the Executive Officer had been about to speak though, the other woman present in the room raised her hand in an urgent manner.

"Listen," Janeel said forcefully while keeping her voice to being no louder than a whisper as she struggled to hear what was happening on the other side of the closed door of the secured cargo hold.

"Sounds like people running," Sarena whispered back, the muffled sound they were hearing clearly not being something that would have normally been hard in a facility such as this one.

"A lot of them," the ILO specified, "and they are getting closer."

With nowhere to go, both officers quickly jumped off their respective crates upon which they were sitting on to find cover behind them. With phasers drawn, Janeel and Sarena exchanged a quick look, each knowing that should their presence here be discovered it was unlikely that they would make it out of here in one piece.

Not taking any chances, the Executive officer did not make the slightest noise; instead, she offered her her suggested course of action thought clear and specific gestures. Pointing to one of the transporter lock enablers, Sarena pointed up indicating that she thought it best if they beamed up now.

Janeel appeared almost angered by the suggestion. Although it did make sense for them to retreat and possibly return to help the others, there was no guarantee that they would be able to beam back down to do so. Since this would leave the others stranded here, in this facility, the ILO could not agree to the suggested course of action. Her quick and passionate non-verbal replay made it perfectly clear that as dangerous as it might be, they needed to remain here to help with the extraction of the two Starfleet prisoners and the ILO currently working to secure their escape.

With their choice made, Janeel and Sarena prepared to confront the horde they both expected to come crashing through the door. Their breathing grew shallower as the sound of the rushing footsteps grew louder and louder. As long as they maintained control over the only point of access within the room, they would be able to survive, but it did fail to address the question of how would the others find a way to join them?

The thundering rumble was right there on the other side of the door causing the Executive Officer and ILO to hold their breath in dreaded anticipation of the door opening and countless Remans rushing in as only their race could. Confusion slowly settled in though as the sound of the rushing footsteps grew weaker, softer, indicating that the horde had passed.

"Could this have been the chaos that Gemma mentioned?" Sarena asked in a trembling whispered voice as a sensation of relief swept through her body and mind.

"I am not sure what else it could have been," Janeel replied in the same soft-spoken voice. "IIf this is what Gemma had planned, I think chaos may end up being a massive understatement. This place could very soon become ground zero of an all-out confrontation between the Remans and Romulans, which means we have to get out of here as quickly as possible."

"Agreed," Sarena said. "Win or lose, the Romulans in charge of this facility will surely call for reinforcements. That means the HATHOR is going to get some unwanted company and it would be best for us to all be out of here before then.

"With both standard propulsion and the Blink Drive inoperative, where would we go?" The ILO inquired.

"As long as we are all back on board the HATHOR and the Romulans have their attention focused on this facility, we might have the chance to remain hidden as they will unlikely be scanning for a cloaked vessel in orbit," the Executive Officer explained.

"That is a very dangerous assumption," the ILO pointed out, not convinced that the plan would work.

"It will be a lot better than us being here when those reinforcements come down and they start doing a room by room sweep of the entire facility," Sarena countered. "At least while in orbit, we can maneuver to be on the opposite side of the planet and keep the ship in the sensor shadow."

"That is if the Romulans only send one ship as reinforcements," Janeel said, playing devil's advocate.

"Can we keep our thoughts and energy on our making it through one problem at a time," the Executive Officer strongly suggested.

"Guess it means we wait," the ILO said as she turned around and slide down, leaning her back against the crate she had sought cover behind when the scare had started.

"I was afraid you'd say that," Sarena reluctantly admitted, almost wishing that the Remans had come into the cargo hold instead of running right past it. Given their luck though, the Executive Officer suspected that they would have to deal with at last some of those bloodthirsty aliens before they would get the chance to make it back to the HATHOR. Once their, they were likely to have their hands full with the Romulans, so as difficult as it might be for her, Sarena forced herself to enjoy the current tranquility while it was here.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Karen Price

Executive Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M06-P038: USS BASTET: Gemma: Day 02 - 1945 ("Total Chaos")
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"Total Chaos"
[previous post was (ANU) "Medical Complications" / (BAS) "The Hardest Part"]
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Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Corridor 
Stardate: 33003.1945

The moment the other Remans saw Shinral dragging in the dead body of the Romulan guard, all hell broke loose. The Proconsul's bodyguard needed a way to motivate the others of her kind into action. She needed something simple but effective with a clear enough message to rally them to oppose their oppressor.  She could not have asked for a better way to achieve the desired outcome.

By the time the first barrack was cleared of its occupants, the guards watching over the other barracks had already fallen. The Remans were now free to act upon their blood-lust for revenge against the Romulans. Judging by the state of the few guards who were caught in the stampede, no mercy would be given on this day. Not that such a concept was normal for those who were brought here to train or die. It was a foregone conclusion that the revolt would only end in a specific manner.  The end would come only when every living Reman or Romulan would be drowning in their own blood. Anything short of this would be insufficient for either side.

Shinral quickly glanced at the door to the secured cargo hold where the Federation intruders were waiting. In their mob mentality, the Remans had not bothered checking any of the rooms on their path. The command and control center of the facility was their one and only goal, and nothing would get in their way. At least that was their mindset until the sound of Romulan disruptors filled the corridor.

It was expected that Makor and Tehala would not let this happen without a fight. In fact, Shinral had counted on this to create the disarray she needed for her plane to work. The female Reman had to admit that the setup of a perimeter around the command center had happened much faster than she had expected. Either the retired Proconsul had expected trouble, or it was the Tal'Shiar operative who had foreseen the situation. The possibility that their combined paranoia had been responsible for the swiftness of the reaction was also a possibility. Whatever the cause for this was, it meant that the unrest the bodyguard needed to spread through the facility would instead be contained in only a few sections. If she were to secure the prisoners' escaped as she hoped, the woman would need to quickly find another way.

Seeking to avoid the numerous emerald-colored energy bolts heading their way, Shinral and the others dodged out of sight.  Unfortunately, as speedy as their reaction might have been, it was not fast enough to save many of their fellow Remans. Worst was that now the survivors were pinned inside the rooms they sought refuge in.

"What do we do now? They have us trapped like rodents."

"How did they react so fast? Were they keeping an eye on the barracks? Even so, there is no way they could have set up a perimeter so quickly."

"We have been betrayed!"

Those and several more opinions were voiced by the Remans as the hopelessness of their situation settled in. Without weapons of their own, there was little they could do against a barricade of disruptor fire. It took some effort but Shinral eventually managed to get the attention of those around her.

"Whatever the reason may be for them being ready for us does not change anything. We just have to find a way to get past the blockade without losing more of our kind." Those who had not been listening before soon joined in to see what the bodyguard had to offer. As strong as the members of the race were in combat, they lacked the ability to strategize. This meant that they preferred to follow someone's lead, in this case, hers. This unexpected turn of events would prove to be both an advantage and hindrance to her plan.

"What should we do?" One of the Remans asked, shedding any doubt that Shinral had been elevated to the rank of leader.

"The corridors are too narrow for us to be able to successfully rush their position," the only female of the group said. "We need to find another way to attack them," she added looking around to see if there was anything of use in the room.

"The facility is simplistic in design," a Reman stated. "There are only a few ways to reach the control center. If they have established a defense parameter, all access routes will be blocked."

"Since when do Remans give up so easily?" Shinral rhetorically demanded. The last thing the bodyguard needed was to see this end before it actually started. She needed to have them ready to fight to the bitter end. Surrender for them could not be an option, at least not for the time being. "Have the Romulans defeated us so completely that we are not even willing to try and fight? Have they enslaved us so that we can no longer see ourselves win against overwhelming odds? Have we forgotten the true meaning of what it is to be a Reman?"  A loud cheer filled the room triggering another volley of disruptor fire.

"See, they even fear the sound of our voices."

"WE ARE REMAN AND WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS!"

As much as Shinral was pleased by the reaction, she could not just send all of these men to their deaths. The battle needed to last and spread beyond this location, so a plan was needed. The advantage had to be returned to the Remans, even if only momentarily. The problem, how she was supposed to accomplish this from this small and empty room?

"The ventilation ducks," Shinral suddenly announced pointing to the floor level vent. "Some of us could make our way to behind the defense parameter and surprise the Romulans. Once we have done this, we will be able to reach the command and control center. Once there we will be able to claim victory."

"The vents are small. Most of us will be unable to use them as you suggest."

"No, but not every one of us needs to."

"Agreed. We only need a few to make it behind their line and open the way for the others."

Before Shinral could say anything, the cover grid of the ventilation shaft was removed and tossed aside. Seconds later the smallest of the Remans began making their way in. Being a female, she easily fit in the narrow conduit and no one objected when she made her move to join the others. As the elected leader of this little rebellion of theirs, she was expected to be on the front line and that suited her just fine.

"Do your best to keep those Romulans busy. We can't have them hear us while we make our way to them." Shinral's instructions were simpler said than done, but that was not her problem. The immediate need was to get through that defense parameter.

A total of six Reman forced their way into the ventilation shaft, and everything seemed to be going well. When the sound of disruptor fire was heard once again, Shinral figured that all was going according to plan. That changed when the bodyguard heard screams coming from ahead of her.  It became evident that their situation was far grimmer than hoped. Those tasked with making their way behind the defense parameter were being picked off one by one. It appeared that the Romulans had taken this possible course of action in consideration when setting up their parameter. The vent giving onto the corridor had been kept well in view of the guards ensuring that they could not be surprised.

Shinral found herself stuck. If she returned without even trying, the others would certainly kill her for being a coward. No one wanted to have a coward as a leader. If the Reman bodyguard crawled out in full view of the Romulans, she would be gunned down like the others. The need for another course of action was evident, and the answer could only come from someone else.

Once before, she had come to her aid, that time without being asked. This time though, Shinral would need to make a conscious decision to call upon the only person she knew could handle the situation.

The Russian redhead waited like the predator she was. The slow, rhythmic tapping of her finger against the frame was just enough to draw the attention of one of the Romulans. The moment he came into view, Anya struck like a snake, more specifically a Death Adder. Exceptionally deadly and fast, the guard did not stand a chance and fell almost instantaneously. By the time the second guard showed up, the assassin had taken hold of the disruptor and was more than ready to use it.

When the sounds of close-quarters firefight stopped, not a single Romulan remained. By the time the Remans moved in on the crates that formed the barricade, no one could be found. As far as the advancing horde was concerned, the six who had gone forward had perished taking their oppressors with them.  As short-lived as her stand as their leader was, Shinral would be remembered for her courage and leadership.

=-=
Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Cell
Stardate: 33003.2000

The sound of the ongoing conflict could be heard throughout the facility. The Reman revolt had not been stopped as expected, and now it threatened to consume the entire facility. Locked in their cell, there was little Sofia and Nicole could do but wait. They still had an ally out there, somewhere. All they could do was hope that she would get to them before anyone else.

The two prisoners collectively held their breath as the door swung open. The Romulans would likely kill them on sight to avoid having to deal with them later. The Remans would dispose of them just because they could. While in their blood-lust induced rage, everyone deserved the most gruesome and painful death. This left Finnja, but what were the odds of a Dinaali nurse making it through this mayhem?

"Who are you?" The Trill asked the woman who stood in the opened doorway. She did not appear to be Romulan, nor Reman, and her hair was much darker than that of Finnja.

"My name is Gemma. I am here to rescue you."

"Where is Finnja?"

"She is safe, but for us to be the same, we need to move, now! There are two Federation Officers waiting for us. Every second we delay will make it that much harder for us to reach them."

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Intel Operative
NEW ALEXANDRIA

[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
M06-P039: USS BASTET: Mitshiba: Day 02 - 2000 ("Below The Surface")
"Below The Surface"
Previous posts: (ANU) "Medical Complications" & (BAS) "Total Chaos"

///^\\\
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.2000

Aki was starting to feel the demands of her duties. On one side she needed to work on trying to understand how and why the Blink Drive had brought the HATHOR to this specific location, on the other, the CSciO needed to keep a close watch on the frozen planet below for any signs of the away team. Captain Iverson expected that the ExO and ILO would need a hasty extraction the moment they returned to the surface and in view of their sensors. If that was not enough, the Asian woman also needed to keep a watchful eye for any hints of other cloaked ships in their immediate vicinity. As unlikely as it might be for the Romulans to use their cloaking technology while so deep inside their own territory, no one wanted to leave such a possibility unchecked.

Things would be easier if Aki could at the very least figure out where the coordinate data had originated from to trigger the crystals leading the ship here. It would certainly make things simpler if their sensors could pierce the icy surface of the planet below. She would even be able to blink once in a while had they not have to be concerned with being surprised by one or more de-cloaking Romulan cruisers. There was just so much to do and not enough time for people to do it all as needed.

Mitshiba could not help wondering how a simple equipment test mission had turned into such a mess, and the worst part was that this was just the way things appeared on the surface. The situation as it was could rapidly devolve at any time, which only added another level of stress to those on the command deck of the HATHOR. Needless to say that this did not make things any easier for any of them. The lengthy list of issues requiring fixing currently addressed their immediate needs and did not account for what would need to happen after.

Once the away team returned, hopefully with the required items to affect the repairs to the engines, the HATHOR still needed to find a way to return safely to Federation space. Even with the Blink Drive operational, no one on board understood the device well enough to know how to enter the return coordinates. Trying to do so blindly could send the ship and crew into an even more hostile environment, so understanding what happened was key.

Upon the HATHOR's return, whenever that would be, the investigation into what happened with the Blink Drive could proceed while the crew went through an extensive debriefing. It was conceivable to expect Admiral Koniki to simply brush off what had happened without knowing specifically who or what was responsible for the unexpected trip deep inside Romulan space.

An unexpected energy spike reported by the sensors scanning the frozen plan below drew Aki's attention. At first, the CSciO thought that her eyes had been playing tricks on her but when a second and third similar spike was noticed, Mitshiba knew that something bad was happening.

"Captain, sensors are picking up energy spikes that are likely explosions down below," Aki reported.

Iverson jumped out of her chair and quickly came to stand behind the chair of the Asian woman. "What's happening on the surface?"

"That's the interesting part," Mitshiba explained as she pointed to her screen. "The explosions are coming from beneath the surface. I cannot confirm that these energy spikes are actual explosions, but we are also picking up minor seismic vibrations, which coincide with the spikes. Whatever shielding is between us and the cause of these spikes make it impossible to know for sure, but it is the only way that I can explain these sensor readings."

"Could these be of natural cause? Maybe some sort of subterranean volcanic activity?" The tone of hope in the Captain's voice was easy to notice. As bad as such a situation could be, Iverson knew that it would be easier to deal with than any other possibility involving the Romulans.

Aki shook her head. "The amplitude of these energy spikes are too similar to one another to be a natural cause. Even the seismic shock waves are nearly identical to one another. It is far more likely that we are looking at a series of underground explosions."

"Explosions or not, something is happening down there," the Captain said, her concern for the members of the away team clearly visible as more energy spikes were being recorded. "Is there any way to get a transporter lock on the away team?"

The Asian woman tried once more to do just that, but her efforts proved as futile as they had been before. "I have tried Captain," Aki confirmed, looking up and over her shoulder to the woman standing there. "Whatever is down there was built to keep sensors and transporters from getting inside. There is no way to know for sure what is happening or if Commander Valentine and Commander Janeel are in any kind of trouble."

"Knowing them both as I do, I would not be surprised if they were the reason for these energy spikes." The Captain walked away knowing that without any means to get past whatever was blocking their sensors and transporters, there was little they could do to help. "Iverson to Fairborn. Please make sure that our transporter system is on full standby. We may need to bring our people back in a hurry."

=/\= Understood. =/\=

Sitting back in her chair, the Captain turned to look in the CSciO's direction. "Keep an eye out for them, and the moment you think you have a chance, beam them up. I will feel a lot better once they are back on board and away from whatever those energy spikes are."

Aki nodded. Everything else could wait. The CSciO needed to find a way to increase the sensitivity of the sensors in order to get a lock on the away team. Even a partial scan beyond the protective barrier would allow Mitshiba to know if the two women below the surface were anywhere near the rapidly increasing number of energy spikes. It might also help in figuring out what was happening down there allowing for the HATHOR to maybe help in some way.

///^\\\
Dawn Bohr

Lieutenant Misaki Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Chief Science Officer
USS BASTET - NCC 74977
M06-P040: USS BASTET: Andersson: Day 02 - 2005 ("Follow That Woman")
=-=
"Follow That Woman"
[previous post was (ANU) "Someone Else's Past" by me / (BAS) "Below The Surface" by Dawn]
=-=

Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, inside a dark cell
Stardate: 33003.2005

"Doesn't she sound a little short for a Stormtrooper?" Sofia whispered to Nicole who was helping the blind physician get to her feet. Following the new arrival's claim that she was here to rescue them, it seemed the proper thing to say in return at the time.

As amusing as Sofia's words might have been, the joint Trill was far more preoccupied with their escape than with the height of the woman whom they were meant to follow. As soon as the introductions were completed, Gemma left the cell to make sure that their escape route was still available. The two prisoners had only to choose on their own if they would follow or remain behind. It did not take long to make the decision, both having given this exact course of action a lot of thoughts.

Cautiously they stepped out of their cell and into the corridor where the sounds of explosions filled the air, hinting that things were as bad as could be for those in charge of this facility. This also meant that their window of opportunity was here and could end at any moment. Taking time to consider their next move was a luxury they could not afford, but luckily, it appeared that their rescuer was taking care of everything concerning their escape.

Gemma pressed herself against the wall and instructed the other two women to do the same. A quick scan around the corner confirmed that the route was still clear and that they could proceed. "Whatever happens," the skilled operative instructed in a stern voice, "stay low, stick to the wall and follow my lead. I walk; you walk. I stop; you stop. The Remans and Romulans may be busy killing each other right now, but that does not mean we have an easy trip ahead of us. Ready?"

Both the Counselor and Doctor nodded their understanding, not that Sofia truly had any other option as she could do nothing more than to follow Nicole's lead through the fact that they were holding hands, the blind woman bringing up the rear.

Relying only on her other senses, Sofia tried to get a mental picture of what was happening. The quick bursts of speed were followed by sudden stops as the sound of weapons' fire, explosions and screams were heard coming from every direction. The Trill's hold on the Terran's hand varied in strength from a nice and gentle 'don't worry, I've got you' to a much more powerful and firm 'follow or I'll rip your arm out'. However uncomfortable the later might have been, the blonde woman could not find any reason to complain. As long as her friend held her hand, the two of them were one-step closer to escaping the hell the two endured for far too long.

The game of 'follow the leader' continued for several more minutes as the trio snaked their way through the war zone the facility had become. Luckily, it appeared that the bulk of the fighting was happening elsewhere allowing the three women to make good progress, at least that was what Sofia figured unable to see what was happening.

"Thank you for waiting," Gemma said once all three had walked into another room.

"I am Commander Sarena Valentine and this is Lieutenant Commander Janeel. May I asked who you ladies are?"

"I'm Ensign Nicole Dima, Ship's Counselor…"

"Ship's Counselor of the USS ANUBIS," Commander Valentine interrupted with a sigh, shooting a glare in the direction of the ILO. The mystery as to why the Blink Device had brought them to this place was no more. Someone sabotaged the equipment so that this would happen even if their orders had been clear that they were not to attempt a rescue. What needed to happen next was to uncover the person or people responsible for this, but that would have to wait until after they returned to the HATHOR.

Surprised and happy that her identity was known, the Trill confirmed and continued. "Yes, I am she, and this is Ensign Sofia Andersson assigned to the PHOENIX as Assistant CMO," the Trill informed.

"Wait? Sofia Andersson of the PHOENIX? I read the Intel report, you are dead, declared as having been 'killed in action' following the discovery of your mangled body. At least that's what the report stated."

"As you can see, I am not dead," the blind blonde-haired woman stated with as much assurance as she could call upon. "I opened the door to my quarters, saw myself looking back at me and woke up in a cell."

"Can we finish this discussion at another time?" Gemma asked, not interested in the least as to who died where or when with the possible exception of them dying here and now.

"You are right," Valentine said, handing over a transporter lock enhancer to each of the three women who had walked into the secured cargo hold. Just as the third device was placed in the hand of the ILO known only as Gemma, another explosion occurred, this one much closer than any of the others. The force of the blast was enough to move crates and push everyone off their feet as small pieces of metal flew through the air embedding themselves into any exposed flesh.

"The battle is heading this way," Janeel winced, her face now covered in cuts. "Time to go. Hope these little things do the trick."

"They will," Gemma confirmed as she locked her gaze on one specific device, the one that the ILO of the BASTET was currently wearing. Noticing the intensity and target of her scrutiny, Janeel looked down to see a piece of shrapnel sticking out of the device.

Sarena started moving some of the crates in an effort to bring them back to an upright position. "We can take one of the devices used for the repair items."

"There is no time," Janeel countered, grabbing hold of the Commander's wrist. "The weapons' fire is coming closer; we do not have the time to start searching for another in this mess. Moreover, it will be better if one of us stays behind to make sure that no one follows. Head back to the HATHOR and leave the rest to me."

"Janeel, you can't," Sarena argued.

"I can and I am," the ILO stated with force before turning to look straight at Gemma. "ILO to ILO, promise me that you will personally see that everyone makes it back to the ship in one piece. I will take care of giving you as much time as I can."

Although neither woman offered any visible reaction or confirmation, both understood what they needed to do. Janeel quickly exited the room while Gemma made sure that the placement of the devices handed out was correct, while at the same time ensuring that no one tried to follow the other ILO.

=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.2015

"Captain, sensors are picking up a large number of signals meant for transporters to lock on."

"Looks like Commander Valentine figured out a way to make our task easier." Iverson cheered. "Beam everything into Cargo Bay 4 and lock it with a force field. Let's make sure that it is our people we are bringing on board and not some sort of boarding party."

"Aye aye Captain."

=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Cargo Bay 4
Stardate: 33003.2016

Four humanoid forms materialized along with several crates. As soon as the transport sequence was completed, Sarena reached for her communicator. "Captain! Commander Janeel is still down there. She stayed to make sure nothing would get in the way of our returning on board."

=/\= Sensors are picking up three other life forms with you. Who are they?"

"They are friends, two prisoners and an undercover operative who made our escape possible. We are all in need of medical attention though. The last blast sent a fair amount of shrapnel our way."

The sound of the force field deactivating was quickly heard followed by the voice of the ship's Commanding Officer. =/\= Take care of your injuries; we will take care of Janeel. =/\=

=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.2017

"Without those transporter-lock enhancers, there is no way to scan for her," Misaki reported, her fingers dancing over her controls to find some way to prove her own words wrong.

"Keep scanning. I am sure she will find a way to let us know where she is as soon as she can."

=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Sickbay
Stardate: 33003.2025

The injuries might have been numerous, but none of them proved to be several. Commander Valentine and Gemma were taking care of their own scrapes and cuts while Counselor Dima was taking care of the still blind physician.

"Hold still," Nicole softly instructed as she carefully placed a couple of neural regenerators against Sofia's head, right next to her eyes. "These should help restore your eyesight. Once the optic nerves are repaired, you can start acting like the medical officer you have been claiming to be all this time."

"I will be happy to do just that," Sofia grinned, but before she could add some sort of a joke aimed at her friend and savior, the ship shock every so slightly making everyone wonder as to what had just happened.

"Valentine to bridge. Are we under attack?"

=/\= Negative. It was just a shockwave. =/\=

"Shockwave?" Gemma and Sarena repeated simultaneously, both suspecting what the cause was.

=/\= The underground base has exploded. Although there is no way for us to scan for survivors, the force of the blast leave it very unlikely that anyone could be alive down there. Even if they were, the collapsed structure and frigid temperature would an attempt for a search and rescue impossible, not to mention that the Romulans are most certainly on their way to investigate what just happened. =/\=

A somber silence took over Sickbay as everyone contemplated the significance of the report.

=-=
Setting: Reman Detention and Training Facility JDO-SHEN, Command and Control Center
Stardate: 33003.2030

A beaten and bruised Tehala stood alone in the center of the destroyed room, covered in the blood of the now lifeless bodies scattered around her. The woman angrily surveyed the surrounding, a nearly depleted disruptor in one hand in one hand while the insignia of the Tal'Shiar was firmly in the other. One by one, she scowled at those who had opposed her, who had challenged her, and who paid the ultimate price for their defiance. A certain pride flashed on her features as she looked down at the barely breathing retired Proconsul, the aged Romulan having faired through this far better than anyone could have expected.

Slowly the Romulan woman raised her weapon and aimed it at the offending form found through the rubble. No one could become aware of what had just happened, so any trace that might lead someone to ask questions needed to be disposed of for good. Tehala smiled as her finger began to squeeze the weapon's trigger. Soon, very soon, there would be no proof for anyone to find.

A green energy bolt was fired and the target was instantly vaporized into nothingness. After that, Tehala kneeled down and turned Makor onto his back to ensure that he was still alive. "Get up old man. I am certainly not carrying you out of here," the Tal'Shiar operative said before returning to her feet and glancing once again to the insignia in her hand that would become the symbol of her new life.

=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Sickbay
Stardate: 33003.2035

"How are you feeling?" Nicole asked of her patient, the blonde-hair physician having removed the optic nerve regenerator.

"A lot better, thanks to you," the woman replied, a smile of complete joy dancing on her lip. "I owe you my life."

"You owe me nothing," the Trill dismissed. "We were there for each other when we needed it."

Sofia's smile grew even brighter as she leaned in closer to Nicole. "Thank you," the whispered words were filled with gratitude and more, but before the trill could try to figure out what those other emotions were, her lips were made to caress those of the other woman in an unexpected kiss of passion.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Former Assistant Chief Medical Officer of the USS PHOENIX
Presumed dead but very much alive.

Lieutenant Commander Shar'El [Access Character BIO for Shar'El]
Acting Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
M06-P041: USS BASTET: Valentine: Day 02 - 2045 ("Personal Report")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Personal Report"
[previous post ((ANU) "Medical Complicatons" / (BAS) "Follow That Woman")]

Setting:  USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.2045

"Welcome back Commander."

Sarena forced a smile. It was good to be back, but the Executive Officer could not bring herself to be overwhelmed with joy following what had transpired. According to all the data available, Commander Janeel, who had remained behind to make sure everyone else could get out safe and sound, had perished during the massive explosion that saw the collapse of the facility they had been in.  What Valentine found more troubling was the rescue of three other Starfleet officers, one of whom was none other than the ANUBIS' own CNS.

"Still no signs of survivors," the CSciO reported, showing by this that she was still searching, still hoping. "Without knowing the inner layout of the structure though, it is difficult to know the full extent of the destruction."

The Executive Officer came to stand behind the CSciO, looking over the Asian woman to see what the ship's sensors were showing. According to the displayed image, the area affected by the blast stretched further than Sarena could have imagined.

"I am sorry that I cannot provide you with some helpful insight. From the hatch we used to gain access to the underground base, we actually did not have to go all that far before we came across the cargo hold. From there, the undercover Operative Gemma instructed us to stay put after she discovered us. If someone can give us more information on whatever was down there, it would be her."

"Speaking of her. What can you tell me about our three guests?" Selene rightfully asked. Things happened so quickly that many questions still waited to be answered. Amongst them was the explanation as to the presence of the three women, not only on the HATHOR but in the Romulan controlled facility.

Sarena approached Selene and leaned in close, making sure that no one else would hear what she needed to say. "Captain, I believe it would be better if we continued this conversation in private."

A little surprise, the Captain looked at her Executive Officer for a few seconds before inviting her to step into the Captain's Reay Room.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] 
Setting:  USS HATHOR, Captain's Ready Room
Stardate: 33003.2050

The room was small, barely able to fit two chairs and a desk, but it would be more than enough for what the Executive Officer needed.

Selene did not even bother to go around the desk, sitting on the corner instead. "What's on your mind?"

"Coincidences amongst other things. One of our three guests is the ANUBIS' missing Counselor, Ensign Nicole Dima." Sarena had never been one to beat around the bush, so it was not a surprise that she went directly to the point when making her report to the Captain.

"That is a coincidence," Iverson thought aloud. "Who do you think was responsible for this unexpected development in our mission to test the Blink Device?"

"After we made contact with Miss Gemma and instructed to wait, Janeel and I had the opportunity to chat. During that time, the question of trusting Intel Operatives came up," the Executive Officer somberly explained.

The Captain sighed. "Let me guess. Janeel said something along the lines that no one should ever truly trust an ILO, including herself."

"That was pretty much it," Sarena confirmed. "Since we arrived here, deep inside Romulan space and orbiting that ice ball, Janeel was acting weird. She seemed more surprised than most at to the where we ended up and yet she did her best to come across as if this was perfectly normal. I have no proof to support this claim, and with her gone, we might never find out the truth.  All I know is that we currently have on board an Ensign who was believed to be dead, another who unexpectedly vanished and a deep cover operative of whom we know nothing about.  However strange Janeel might have come across at times, I can assure you that this Gemma has her beat right off the starting line."

"Sounds like I should have a chat with this Gemma. I do need to thank her for making your escape as well as our getting repair parts possible. In the meantime, you should head down to Main Engineering and see if you can give our resident giant a hand. At the very least we will need standard propulsion to put some distance between ourselves and whatever ships come to investigate what happened here," the Captain said as he slid off the desk. "Misaki can continue scanning the surface of the planetoid, just in case."

"Of course," the Executive Officer acknowledged. "Good luck with Gemma."

"Don't worry about me," Selene said in all seriousness. "I've been dealing with members of the Intel community for as long as I can remember. I'll get to the bottom of this story, one way or another."

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] 
Setting:  USS HATHOR, Main Engineering
Stardate: 33003.2100

"Elan?"

"Right here." The giant replied from behind the warp core base, the Oltharian busy with trying to fix both the regular engines and the Blink Device.

"How are the repairs going?"

"Slowly. I have to catalog all of the parts you were able to bring back. Most of them are useless or incompatible with our systems, but some could be adapted to help shave some time off. If I can find the right parts, I might be able to get the warp engines back online in a few days. The impulse engine though is a completely different story as most of the components were fried thanks to a power surge that originated from the crystals," Elan explained, never stopping his work.

"Speaking of which, we are still trying to understand what happened to the Blink Device. Do you have any theories?"

"I'm just the engineer. All I can tell you is that the crystals received the coordinates and they took us there. Where those came from I cannot say other than the data was not already there when we began the tests. As complex as the crystal component is, it responds instantly to any data provided to them. If the data is coherent, the Blink Device is engaged and the ship is transported to the stated coordinates."

"Thank you for your insight," Sarena offered. "Now, what can I do to help?"

"You could finish cataloging the parts that you brought back to the HATHOR, more specifically I need to know if they are compatible with our systems."

"I can do that," the Executive Officer said. This simple task would give her the time to more carefully think about everything that was offered in regards to the coordinates provided to the Blink Device, the presence of Ensign Dima and Ensign Andersson down in that facility as well as what role, if any, had the ILO Gemma played in all of this.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Karen Price

Executive Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M06-P042: USS BASTET: Gemma: Day 02 - 2100 ("Different Surroundings")
=-=
"Different Surroundings"
[previous post was (ANU) "Medical Complications" / (BAS) "The Hardest Part"]
=-=

Setting: USS HATHOR, Corridor
Stardate: 33003.2100

With the pieces of shrapnel removed and her body healing on its own, the ILO went exploring. Even before stepping into the corridor, Gemma knew what kind of ship she was on. The small Sickbay, the low ceilings, the narrow doors, the claustrophobic feel of the walls all said the same thing. She was on board a Defiant-class Destroyer, one likely equipped with a cloaking device. How else could the ship have made it to JDO-SHEN without dragging half of the Romulan fleet behind them?

The presence of other ILO, as well as the ship being so deep inside Romulan space, provided more clues about those in charge. Even the recycled air hinted to the Admiral's involvement in all this. The man's unique scent assaulted her sense of smell with each breath she took, but why was he involved in this?  Why were this ship and crew here? That was the question on her mind as she wandered the ship. It made no sense for Koniki to send in a ship to rescue two Ensigns. Neither one of them had shown to have any particular skills or knowledge, so why risk a rescue?

Was the blonde woman particularly important to some high-ranking official? Was she the daughter of a diplomat, used to influence some distant government? Neither of those options added up, so Gemma shifted her self-questioning to the other prisoner. As a joint Trill, the symbiont held some level of importance, but was it enough to risk such a mission? What secret did the slug inside the woman hold that made a rescue so crucial?

Nothing about this situation made any sense. The Admiral did not know about Gemma's whereabouts nor what she was doing. Therefore, this had not been some sort of unplanned extraction. The ILO just happened to be at the right place at the right time to make the escape possible. The reason for the ship's presence here had to be one of the two prisoners. The question was which one and why?

Suddenly, the woman instinctively took a more defensive posture. The sound of approaching footsteps indicated that she would soon have company. On a ship as small as this one was, it was impossible to avoid running into someone else, that the ILO wanted to or not.

"Miss Gemma?" The female voice sounded confident, in charge, but not to the point of arrogance. That made her either the Captain or First Officer of this quaint little ship.

Experience having taught her to never make any sort of abrupt gestures, the ILO slowly and cautiously turned. She scanned the woman from head to toe, confirming that she was the one in command. "That would be Lieutenant Gemma, Captain. Thank you for permitting me to be on board your ship."

"No trouble at all. I am just curious as to how you managed to be on a secret Romulan facility." The woman's words and assurance betrayed the fact that she knew a thing or two about dealing with Intel operatives.

"I am sorry, but the details of my mission are classified."

"Of course they are," the Captain said taking a single step forward. "So let me make something perfectly clear to you. We both know that we fall under the same Admiral's jurisdiction. That puts us on the same side regardless of what brought us here. As far as security clearances are concerned, as long as you are on this ship, you are the one lacking authorization. Until I am satisfied that you can be trusted, you will be restricted to sickbay or whatever quarters we find for you. This will be in effect until we reach our base of operation, which I am sad to say, may take a while. Now, should you find it acceptable to share the details of your mission, I might consider lifting some of these restrictions. I have too many things to think about without having to deal with an uncooperative passenger."

Gemma peered straight into the eyes of the Commanding Officer standing before her. Although she stood a single inch taller, the Captain still appeared as someone best to keep on one's side. The ILO admired the woman's strength of character and ability to stand her ground without allowing emotions to take over. In similar situations, most would have come across as entitled, but not this Captain. She knew exactly what to say, and more important, she knew how to maintain control.

Gemma allowed a smile to appear on her lips for only a second. "I can see why Charles likes you." Her words were direct and carefully chosen.

"I believe Admiral Koniki would say that he 'tolerates' me more than 'likes'. Now, should we continue this discussion in my Ready Room, or should we continue wasting our time posturing?"

After having been undercover for so long, Gemma was not entirely sure how to proceed.  Wimdalli wanted to study the situation, to learn all there was to earn about the woman and her ship. Za'Ran and Yshuni wanted to hear what the Captain had to say while Shinral could not bring herself to trust the woman despite her words. Whatever the others believed or wanted, it was Gemma who needed to make the decision. This was not some undercover exercise requiring her to be ready to defend herself at a moment's notice. On board this ship she was safer than she had been in a long time. Maybe that would prove to be the hardest part to adjust to.

"Before we do, maybe it would be best if I spoke with your ILO. I believe her name if Janeel."

"She is still on the surface," the Captain revealed. She hoped to trigger a reaction that would go a long way in understanding the woman. Learning to suppress emotions did not mean that none were present, especially when dealing with fellow ILOs.

"I would like to volunteer to retrieve her."

"It may not be that simple. The underground base appears to have been destroyed by an internal explosion. It is unlikely that anyone survived the blast."

"I still would like to try Captain."

"I appreciate your offer, but no one is beaming back down to that frozen wasteland. If you want to help, come with me to the bridge. Maybe you can help us fine tune our sensors to see if there is something that can be done." The Captain's proposal was fair and Genna wasted no time in showing her willingness to help.

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Intel Operative
NEW ALEXANDRIA

[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
M06-P043: USS BASTET: Dima: Day 02 - 2035 ("The Needs of the One")
“The Needs of the One”
Previous Posts: (ANU) “Situational Review” & (BAS) “Different Surroundings”

=/\=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Sickbay
Stardate: 33003.2035

Nicole stood still, Sofia’s gesture having depleted what little energy she had left after calling upon her inner reserves to work with Gemma and the others to escape the horrors of the underground prison. She was exhausted, bruised and battered. She was hungry, wanting something more substantial than the flavorless gruel that she had barely subsisted on. She was confused. How had their rescuers come to be here at this place and time? She was saddened. An officer she had just met had died in that hellhole below so that they could live. Had her life been worth their freedom? They had merely been two junior officers, still somewhat green, in a dark and dangerous place; the presumed dead woman had been a seasoned member of Starfleet. Regardless, the die was cast. It was over and done. But that did not mean Nic would forget. The symbiont most certainly would not.

And now, after all that, she was also surprised. Stunned, actually. Nicole hadn’t kissed anyone since Tenar broke off their engagement. After the joining, the thought of relationships and commitment had been set aside in light of the slew of memories Dima had in store for her. As a host, she never felt alone or incomplete. While she felt genuine emotion from Sofia, knowing she had been held captive for many months without companionship made the Counselor aware the blonde woman’s feelings might be misplaced.

There was an awkward silence. Thanks to the repair to her optic nerves, Sofia could easily see bewilderment play out on the Trill’s face. While it wasn’t exactly the reciprocal response she hoped for, it didn’t come across as being negative. The spontaneous display wasn't exactly the physician’s normal style either, but it just happened. It felt right.

Andersson looked to the two other women, Gemma and Commander Valentine. “Does anyone need medical assistance? I'm in a much better position to provide it, now,” she offered gamely.

Sarena shook her head slowly, indicating no. She seemed troubled too, but kept her concerns much closer to the vest. “I'm going to check in with the Captain.” She moved with purpose to the exit, from which a corridor could be seen leading to the rest of the vessel.

“Thank you, Commander,” Nicole said with gratitude. It felt like the words were lacking in light of what had happened, but it was the Trill’s attempt to make amends.

Gemma watched the others, her keen skills of observation still on alert even though they had reached safety. She continued to work with a regenerator on the various cuts and scrapes she had received, handling the equipment confidently. “I’m fine, Doctor. Thanks for your concern.”

That left things back with Nicole and Sofia.  “You were in that place longer than I was,” the joined Trill suggested. “Perhaps we should first eliminate any other issues besides the obvious one of repairing your eyesight.” She gestured towards the biobed.

Sofia laid down, the material beneath her a great deal more comfortable than her previous surroundings. She remembered Nicole explaining her reasoning days earlier to follow whoever came to help them get out of that forsaken wasteland, even if escape was not guaranteed. “Have you always been so logical?”

A gentle smile graced Nic’s lips as she turned on the equipment to confirm there were no underlying internal injuries. “No. Dima’s third host was a bit of a nerd. He was a published scientist and very proud of that fact. I often get a strong sense of him when I have to make a decision about something.” While there was evidence of previous fractures, the small medical tool that had found its way into their hands while on JDO-SHEN appeared to have mitigated the majority of the damage caused by their Reman and Romulan captors.

“Oh.” Nicole suddenly made a pained sound, which caused Sofia to sit up, temporarily disrupting the scan.

“What’s wrong? Does something hurt?”

“Finnja.” Recalling some of their time in captivity had caused Nicole to reflect on the Dinaali woman, the Nurse who had visited them once, urging them to prepare. “We have no idea if she made it.” The Trill was clearly rattled as she continued to comprehend all the sacrifices that had been made for the two of them.

Sofia squeezed Nic’s hand in support. “We still don’t know how she came to be there in the first place.”

The Intel agent, who had been quietly deciding what her next move would be, interjected. “Do not trouble yourselves about her,” Gemma urged. “Although I cannot explain, I can assure you of her safety. Do you understand?”

Nic, who was all too used to the secretive ways of ILOs, nodded as the Operative gazed into her blue eyes with a cold assurance. She then refocused her attention to Sofia Andersson. “We really need to finish the scan. Then I will allow the same for myself,” Nicole promised to the physician.

Sofia lowered herself back into bed, arms at her sides.“You are not in any physical distress?”

Nicole put her hand on her upper abdomen, where Dima was. “Thankfully, no. Other than fatigue and a desire for that beef stew they make on New Alexandria.” Mentally, it was another matter, but as a Counselor she trusted the eventual outcome.

“And I need to explore,” The dark auburn haired woman announced to no one in particular, and left the same way Commander Valentine had.

=/\=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Captain’s Ready Room
Stardate: 33003.2130

The room was small and utilitarian; in fact the whole ship had a scaled down feeling to it. Nicole shifted in her seat across from Captain Iverson. Her first thoughts after getting medically cleared were to clean up, replicate a fresh uniform, and move beyond Sickbay to the ship proper. The vessel was unfamiliar, but it was still Starfleet and definitely levels above the tiny cell that she and Sofia had been housed in. She remembered Erik’s daily status briefings with fondness, and thought a visit to the Commanding Officer of this ship was due in short order. But the woman across from her was not Morningstar, and the business of the day had little to do with average concerns.

“...we are making repairs to the ship while cloaked, after which we will carefully leave Romulan space.” Iverson explained as little as possible, and did not include how they came to be broken down. While Miss Dima and her alliances were clearly known, the joined Trill was still a little bit of an unknown quantity.

“We’re in Romulan space,” Dima said, repeating what the CO had just advised her. It made absolute sense, but it was still difficult to let it sink in how far she was from home, that being the hidden Intel station.

“Yes. Are you able you tell me how you got here, Ensign?” Selene wanted an unsullied account from the Counselor, and getting that sooner, while it was still the freshest in the young woman's mind, would be ideal.

Nic nodded. “You’re not going to believe it, though. I’m still not sure I do.”

The woman with raven locks crossed her arms, curious to find out how the Cns had interpreted the event. “Go ahead.”

“The ANUBIS was assisting Professor Elijah Arken by gathering a series of crystals related to one of his experiments. Each subsequent crystal led us to the location of the next one. We spent months bringing these items together, but even with an extensive amount of research by our Science Officer, we couldn't completely decipher the nature of Arken’s work.” Nicole paused to take a sip of tea that had been fortified with copious amounts of honey and lemon.

“Inscrutable to a fault, Arken kept the final crystal to himself until we returned home. He provided the item but still did not explain its role in the object that had been formed when the shards were pieced together.” Dima sounded annoyed.

“What was your impression of Arken?”

“A pompous genius with all the sensitivity of a piece of yarelwood,” Nicole answered. “In hindsight, he could have helped us immeasurably by providing us more information, but perhaps his machinations were to prove, without any variables, that the technology worked. In addition to withholding the last crystal, Arken had planted one of the crystals among the crew’s belongings, which we had located a short time earlier. I was assisting Jayson in going through his things thinking he might have had it, and instead found a hairpin that belonged to Sofia.”

“Jayson?”

“Lieutenant Stark, our Operations Officer. He had met Sofia on EARTH before I was assigned to the ship.” It didn't quite explain everything, but it did explain the connection between the two prisoners, however obscure it might be.

“After an abrupt meeting with Arken in which he was much more keen to question a person of interest than in explaining himself, I visited Maya, our Science Officer, in the Lab, eager to show her what I hoped would be the key to making a breakthrough. I also still had the hairpin in my possession and intended to return it to Jayson when I was finished speaking with Maya. My last conscious thought as I slid the crystal into place was of Sofia being the original owner of that hairpin.”

“What happened next?” Thanks to the work of the BASTET and ANUBIS crews, Selene knew the answer, but wanted to hear it.

“Somehow, I don’t understand how, my thoughts were channeled through the device and instantly transported me to Sofia Andersson’s location on JDO-SHEN. I was thinking of her and his machine... brought me to her.” Nicole Dima sat back in the small chair, looking relieved as she unburdened herself of this information, no matter how impossible it sounded. “If this is really the purpose of Arken’s work, I guess I should be thankful he’s on our side.”

“Indeed,” the CO replied, her stance not having changed since Nicole had started explaining.

“That I was thinking of a missing officer that had been reported deceased, because I found one of her belongings, is an incredible coincidence. But it’s not the only one.”

Selene allowed herself a faint smile of acknowledgement. “Yes?”

“Gemma was there- she obviously had some sort of mission to fulfill. I’m sure I will never find out what it was- nobody can keep a secret like an Intel Operative.”

“Or a pompous Scientist,” the Captain added for good measure.

Nicole nodded. “She stumbled across the two of us being there. So a pure stroke of luck, at least as far as Sofia and I were concerned. And there’s something else.” The Trill looked hesitant.

“You can speak freely here, Ensign.”

“If I didn’t know where I was, and Doctor Andersson didn’t know where she was, and Gemma was under deep cover, how did the crew of the HATHOR know where I was? And why, if my whereabouts were discovered, was the ANUBIS not tasked with coming to get me?”

Iverson studied the young Trill, her lifetimes of understanding serving her well when the situation defied a standard explanation.

Before Selene could answer, Nicole put her head in her hands, quickly raking her fingers through her short hair and peering back at the Captain. “No, that’s okay. Let me guess. Koniki.”

“In part, yes,” Iverson admitted, searching the other woman’s face for her reaction.

The Counselor looked a little shaken, but not completely surprised. “I blame Arken for tricking me into testing his glorified transporter, but everything else is my fault. It’s my fault you’re here stranded, and it’s my fault that Janeel is...” she couldn’t bring herself to finish.

“If you hadn’t come here, Sofia Andersson could have easily been killed or in permanent exile. Consider that.”

Nicole’s expression softened. That was true. “There’s just one thing I know to do.”

“And that is?”

She stood up. “I’m asking you- put me to work, Captain. There has to be something I can do to assist.”

=/\=
Susan Ledbetter
Writing for

Ship's Counselor
M06-P044: USS BASTET: Valentine: Day 02 - 2200 ("Adapting")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Adapting"
[previous post ((ANU) "Situational Review" / (BAS) "The Needs of the One")]

Setting:  USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.2200

As soon as the Trill walked out of the Captain's Ready Room, the Executive Officer stepped in, effectively cornering the Commanding Officer before she had the chance to walk out.

"Now I remember why I hate being in here," Selene sighed. "No escape route. What can I do for you, Commander?" The question being offered after the woman returned to her seat.

"Thought it best for us to have this conversation here, in private. The bridge is rather small."

Selene did a quick survey of the room they were in, causing the Executive Officer to smile. "What's on your mind?"

"While helping to sort through all of the parts we brought back, I spoke with Lt. Cmdr. Fairborn. He is convinced that the data provided to the Blink Device came from an external source. The HATHOR arriving here was no accident."

"I never thought it was," Iverson confessed, looking at the door through which the Trill Counselor had just walked through. "The question had always been who did it? The more I think about it, the more I speak to others, I always come back to the same answer."

"Janeel," Sarena languished. "She had the opportunity, but I am not convinced as to her motives."

"Our new Counselor said best when she said that no one can keep a secret like an Intel Operative. Both Erik and I knew that Koniki would never authorize a rescue, hence why the testing of the Blink Device was given to us. If the roles had been reversed, I am sure that you, as my Executive Officer, would have done everything possible to help. I believe the same from his First Officer, the added twist is that she is also an Intel Operative."

"So you believe that Shar'El enlisted Janeel to help force us into this rescue mission. I've said it before and will continue to say it, I do not trust any Intel Agents. They always have other, darker reasons for doing what they do."

"Guessing that you do not trust Gemma either," Selene chuckled, the woman in question did appear to be stranger and in possession of more secrets than any other ILO she had ever dealt with.

"Her least of all. We know nothing about her or the deep under-cover mission she was supposedly on. Can we truly trust her claimed allegiance to Starfleet? Before you answer that, not that you need to, let me back us up a little. Our new Counsellor?"

"Ensign Dima requested that she be put to work and I see no reason to deny her request. We are short several key positions at the moment and having a Counselor on board may not be such a bad thing, especially as we peel back the layers back of Janeel's involvement into what happened. For all we know we might be stuck out here for a while."

"So from testing a theoretical propulsion system, we end up getting a new CNS?"

"At least for the time being," the Captain clarified. "I see no reason to confine her or Ensign Andersson to quarters. Both have just escaped from one cell, why would I put them into another?"

"You are far too generous and trusting," Sarena half growled before smiling.

"No need to get insulting Commander."

"You know what they say, no good deed goes unpunished," the Executive Officer added. "Do you wish me to speak to Ensign Andersson and see if she would be interested in taking over Sickbay, for the time being?"

"Yes," Iverson confirmed. "Let's be realistic, we are deep inside Romulan space with no timeline as to our return to Federation space. We have to use all available resources to our advantage, and this includes *all* of our guests."

"Understood Captain," Sarena acknowledged before heading out of the room. As unpalatable as she found the idea of accepting Gemma as part of the crew, even momentarily, the Executive Officer understood their need to adapt to their situation. Failing to do so would only make a bad situation worse, and right now things were bad enough without anyone going out of their way to making them worse.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] 
Setting:  USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.2215

"Captain, Commander," Lt. Mitshiba said, calling the two women to the science station. "Sensors are picking up some strange readings in orbit of the planetoid."

"Could these readings be some sort of echo or residual effect from the earlier explosion of the underground base?" Captain Iverson asked, actually hoping that the answer would be a positive one.

"Unlikely," Misaki said, glancing back at the two women. "The timing and location are all wrong. Something else is happening, and there is only one way for me to even come close to explaining what could explain this."

"A cloaked Romulan vessel," Selene and Sarina said in unison, neither one sounding pleased by the latest development of their situation.

"On the bright side, sensors have not picked up any sort of sweep of the planet's orbit. If it is a cloaked ship, they are currently too busy with what happened on the planet."

"We can't go on the idea that this will continue. Commander Valentine, go back to Main Engineering and assist Lt. Cmdr. Fairborn with the repairs of our propulsion system. We need to be able to leave orbit before they decide to start scanning for another ship in orbit with them."

"Aye aye Captain."

"Commander!" Selene called out stopping the woman in her tracks. "This may be a good opportunity to see where Lt. Gemma's loyalties are."

"Keep your friends close?" Sarena said, quoting only the first half of the expression.

"Something along those lines. If she is working for the Romulans, it will be harder for her to try and contact them while under your care. If she a skilled Intel Operative as we believe her to be, she might be able to help speed our repairs along.

"Aye aye Captain," the Executive Officer said, this sound sounding much less enthusiastic than she had only seconds before.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] 
Setting:  USS HATHOR, Corridor
Stardate: 33003.2220

The reality of a small ship was that the odds of running into the person one needed to see increased exponentially the fewer decks there were. With only 5 decks on the HATHOR, it was impossible not to do so, that the Executive Officer wanted to or not.

"Lt. Gemma, may I speak with you for a moment?" Sarena called out as the Intel Operative appeared down the narrow corridor. By the looks of things, the ILO was just wandering, looking for something that could not be found in this physical realm. Valentine could not help but wonder if the woman had been searching for a way to contact the Romulans to inform them of their presence.

"How can I be of assistance?" Even when offering to help, the way the woman spoke sent shivers down Sarena's spine leaving the Commander to wonder why she had ever accepted to work for Admiral Koniki knowing what she knew about what he dealt with.

"I was hoping that you would be interested in helping with the repairs to our propulsion system," Sarena explained without providing any unnecessary details. "Captain Iverson would like to see the ship more mobile than it currently is, and she suggested that you might have some useful expertise."

"I welcome the opportunity to help," Gemma said, turning to head down to Main Engineering ahead of the Commander who quickly followed to make sure that the woman would not leave her sight from his moment on.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Karen Price

Executive Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M06-P045: USS BASTET: Andersson: Day 02 - 2200 ("Just A Kiss")
=-=
"Just A Kiss"
[previous post was (ANU) "Situational Review" by Rachel / (BAS) "Adapting" by Karen]
=-=

Setting: USS HATHOR, Sickbay
Stardate: 33003.2200

A single finger gently caressed her lips as the memory of the kiss lingered on in her mind. Sofia was not entirely certain why she did it, but she had to admit that the sensation she experienced had been better than anticipated. Never before had she done this, to kiss a girl that is, and she now hoped that it would not be the last.

As delightful as the sensation was though, the blonde-haired physician had to admit that she felt a little confused by her own feelings. Why had she acted this way? Why had the desire to do so been so overwhelming at the time? Had her imprisonment and torture changed her in some way? As far as she had been concerned, the possibility of being attracted to another woman had never been on the table. For as long as she could remember, Sofia was a strong believer in the attraction of opposites and that it was in the differences that the enjoyment of a relationship could be discovered.

"Talk about jumping the gun," the woman chuckled aloud. Here she was trying to understand what had led her to kiss Nicole, and suddenly she was thinking about what made a relationship viable in her mind.  All that happened was a kiss, a simple display of gratitude between two individuals who just happened to be the same gender. Long had passed the days of social intolerance about such matters although there were still some out there amongst the stars who believed in the old antiquated and religiously enforced standards that dictated that any kind of attraction could only happen between a man and a woman.  Again though, the blonde-haired woman had to bring herself back to task with her own thoughts. Nicole and she had shared nothing more than a kiss, nothing more.  "I've got to keep myself busy or risk thinking myself into a coma," she quietly exclaimed before searching the room for something to do.

In a normal Sickbay there would have been countless things to keep the physician busy, but here on the HATHOR, there was not a great deal to do. Like every other section on board the compact vessel, only the bare essentials were available, all kept within easy arms reach of the one and only examination bed. As small as the room was though, Sofia delighted in the warmth and brightness of the room which proved to be more than a welcomed contrast to the cell she had been confined to for far too long.

Maybe that was the reason why she felt such an urge to kiss the woman. Not only had the Trill vanquished her feelings of solitude and abandonment, but she had gone above and beyond the call of duty in helping her heal both her physical and emotional injuries.  Had it not been for Nicole, Sofia was certain that she would not have made it out of that cell alive, perishing long before the arrival of the nurse Finnja and later the ILO Gemma.

As reassuring as Gemma was about the safety of Finnja, Sofia could not help but wonder how the ILO had been so adamant about it. It was true that the physician knew nothing about the mysterious auburn-haired woman or her association with the caring Dinaali woman, but still, there was something odd about the way the conversation had taken place. Then again, Andersson had to admit that she was somewhat distracted when the woman's name was mentioned by Nicole.  However simple the kiss between them had been, it was evident that it had left quite an impression on her. The fact that she was once again touching her lips was proof enough of that.

"What would Nathan think?" Sofia asked thinking of her brother who always teased her about falling for the wrong guy.  "Looking at Nicole, he might actually be jealous," the blonde woman heard herself say causing her cheeks to instantly turn red. Had she truly made a comment about her admiration for the woman's looks?  "I need to speak to a Counselor," Andersson said before realizing that as far as she was aware the only Counselor on board the HATHOR was none other than the Trill. 

The physician desperately looked around; hoping to find something to keep her mind occupied and going as far as to wish form someone with an injury to come in seeking medical assistance. Instead of someone like that walking into Sickbay, Sofia was both thrilled and horrified as seeing Nicole standing in the now opened doorway.

"Are you alright? You appear a little flustered."

"Just thinking too much I guess," Andersson casually replied, not ready to admit about what or whom she was thinking about. "How did your meeting with the Captain go?" Sofia inquired, trying to best to keep the conversation going on a subject that was not herself or her thoughts.

"It went well, Captain Iverson accepted my offer to act as the HATHOR's Counselor for the time being. At least that way I will be able to keep busy."

Sofia's face lit up like an exploding sun. "That's wonderful. Do you think she would be willing to do the same for me, I mean allowing me to take on the responsibilities of CMO while I am here? I realize that there might not be a great deal to do, but it will be better than my staying in some room thinking."

"Thinking? Is that all? Can I ask thinking about what?" The joint Trill teased, clearly seeing the woman's growing discomfort as her eyes focused on Nicole's lips.

"Just about stuff," the blonde dismissed, quickly casting her gaze elsewhere, anywhere other than on any part of the woman still standing in the opened doorway to Sickbay.

"I am sure that she will be happy to have you take on that role, but right now I think that everyone is busy with something else. The tension on board the ship significantly jumped not that long ago. Something is happening."

"That's never a good sign, but at least they have the two of us here to help, in whatever way we can."

"That they do?" Nicole confirmed. "Are you sure you are alright?"

Sofia unconsciously bit her lower lip, the memory of their shared kiss still very much present in her mind leaving the physician thankful that Trill did not possess any type of telepathic abilities. "I am fine, and I will be here should anything happens and someone requires any sort of medical kiss... I mean attention." Andersson's cheeks turned bright red once again at what the Counselor would be sure to call at some point in the near future as having been a Freudian slip.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Former Assistant Chief Medical Officer of the USS PHOENIX
Presumed dead but very much alive.

Lieutenant Commander Shar'El [Access Character BIO for Shar'El]
Acting Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
M06-P046: USS BASTET: Mitshiba: Day 02 - 2230 ("Wishing For The Best")
"Wishing For The Best"
Previous posts: (ANU) "Not The Most Pleasant" & (BAS) "Just A Kiss"

///^\\\
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33003.2230

The bridge was quieter than the CSciO had ever thought possible on any starship. Even the normal background noise of the surrounding instruments was gone as if their sound might reveal the ship's presence to the Romulans. Everyone knew that sound waves could not travel through the vacuum of space, and yet every member of the crew walked softly and whispered whenever they needed to say something to someone. The fear of what was out there was real and proved to be more than enough to make people act differently

The report of that first particle wave made everyone's heart skip a beat. Aki was certain that the cloaked Romulans were using some sort of old-style echolocation in order to find the HATHOR, but Mitshiba was stunned to discover that their shields had absorbed the segment of the wave that came in contact with the ship. The problem was that there was no way for the CSciO to know if this was on purpose or some kind of serendipitous turn of event.

When a second similar wave was detected, Aki feared that some modifications had been made enabling the Romulans to succeed where they had earlier failed. Against all odds, the same thing happened as before; the particle wave made contact with the ship and was absorbed by the shields as if nothing happened.  Paying a little more attention than she had the last time, Aki noticed something strange about the wave's composition. What she found was the presence of a faint micro-resonance embedded in the wave, something that had no practical reason to being there.

Never having been a believer in coincidences, as most scientists were, Aki decided to look more closely at this odd micro-resonance. Expertly hidden within the particle wave was a short message using the micro-resonance and encoded in such a way that there could only be one person responsible for its creation. Janeel was alive and onboard the cloaked Romulan vessel.  Answering how this had come to be would have to wait, as right now the feeling of relief and joy were just too consuming.

By the time the third wave came in contact with the HATHOR's shields, Aki was able to calculate the relative position of the Romulan ship and determine that it was moving away. Unless this was some elaborate deception meant to lure them into a false sense of security, it appeared that the ship and crew were out of danger and well ahead of the game. Not only had their ILO survived the explosion that saw the destruction of the underground facility, but also the crew had gained the services of a CMO, CNS and a replacement ILO.  All that remained was for them to find a way back to NEW ALEXANDRIA and call this rescue mission a complete success, even if the intended mission had not been about accomplishing this goal. Sometimes, it was just best to accept that events did not follow set plans and ended up working better than could have been hoped for or expected.

With the suspected departure of the Romulan ship, Aki could take her analysis of the sensor scans down a few notches. The CSciO would be able to see Doctor Andersson and get something to ease the pounding headache she had developed over the last little while. After that, she would be able to speak to Counselor Dima and seek the woman's insight on how to deal with the idea that their former ILO was now on board the vessel of a known adversary of the Federation. Had Janeel found a way using her extensive skills and experience as an Intel Operative to infiltrate the crew, or had she simply returned to the side of the conflict she felt more drawn to?

As much as this was a logical possibility, Misaki could not bring herself to accept Janeel being some sort of Romulan spy. After what they endured on EPSILON 358 and the battle to stop the invasion of CAIT, Aki had to reject the idea of the woman being a traitor. With the ILO's knowledge of the BASTET, its temporal and dimensional drives, not to mention the recent addition of the Blink Device, the CSciO could not allow herself to think of that possibility, as it was too scary to contemplate. Right now, it was best to believe the woman to be an ally who would one day find her way home instead of a person who managed to fool everyone to such a complete extent.  Some, like Commander Valentine, would certainly lean on the side of concern, so Mitshiba saw it as her duty to stand on the other side to offer some sort of counter balance and argument on that issue. Time would tell which side was right and which wise was wrong, but in the meantime, nothing could be done either way.

Thinking this way made Aki's headache that much worse and her need to see Doctor Andersson that much more urgent. The woman might have been a Romulan prisoner up until not that long ago, but Aki figured that being able to do something different would be a welcomed distraction. At this point, Mitshiba figured that the woman would welcome any personal interaction. Helping to relieve someone of their physical discomfort would just be an added bonus, one happily shared between the two of them. Beyond that, the CSciO could only hope that their new Cousnelor would be able to do the same about the emotional uneasiness created by the revelation of Janeel being on board the Romulan ship.

At least that session would not deal with the sorrows and endless questions of a fellow shipmate having been killed in the line of duty. Given the circumstances though, Aki was not entirely sure if this was better or not, but she continued to believe that Janeel being on board the other cloaked ship was a trickery on her part towards the Romulans and not towards her former crew and friends.

///^\\\
Dawn Bohr

Lieutenant Misaki Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Chief Science Officer
USS BASTET - NCC 74977
M06-P047: USS BASTET: Iverson: Day 03 - 0115 ("Officially")
---
"Officially"
(Previous Post: (ANU) "Not The Most Pleasant" / (BAS) "Wishing For The Best")
---

Setting: USS HATHOR, Captain's Ready Room
Stardate: 33004.0115

Selene sat in the small room, behind the small desk thinking that she would never again complain about the layout of the BASTET. As small as the modified Prometheus-Class Destroyer was when compared to other ships like the ANUBIS, it was a spacious luxury liner in comparison to the HATHOR. As tangible as this difference was though, it was not the main reason why Captain Iverson was thinking of her ship.

"Computer, begin recording. Official log, Captain Selene Iverson, stardate 33004.0115." The woman paused after having read the time displayed on the small desktop screen, not having realized that they were well into a new day.  "Repairs are progressing ahead of scheduled thanks to several variables that have come to play in our favour. The parts brought up from the now destroyed Romulan facility have proven to be very useful thanks to some careful modifications made by Lieutenant Gemma who seems to possess unexpected expertise in the field of engineering. That said, I believe that the largest acknowledgment for our speedy repairs should go to Lieutenant Commander Fairborn who appears to have no concept of what it means to rest, even if only for a few minutes. We are most fortunate to have him here with us, the Oltharian having proven himself more than worthy of his own reputation as a tireless and devoted worker.

With the repairs well on their way, Lieutenant Mitshiba has been under pressure to understand how to accurately manipulate the coordinate system for the Blink Device. With Ensign Nicole Dima now on board the HATHOR, a turn of event that has shocked everyone, it is hoped that the assistance of the Trill will prove useful in achieving that goal and getting us back home. Speaking of the Counsellor, it should be noted with this official log that both she and Ensign Sofia Andersson have been department head positions as members of this crew, at least for the time being. With the earlier departure of Doctor Bruxa and Lieutenant Lopez, both positions of Chief Medical Officer and Ship's Counsellor for the USS BASTET were left open. It is my hope that both of these resourceful officers will consider remaining with us once we find our way home. In the meantime, I think it is best for them to remain occupied with official duties to help them deal and heal from their imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Romulans

This brings me to my next official statement. Following a covert message presumably sent by Lieutenant Commander Janeel which originated from the Romulan vessel before its departure, I have no choice but to list her as 'Missing in Action'. I have to admit that this entire affair leaves me rather perplexed as there is no way for any of us to know what happened. Is Janeel being on board the Romulan ship sort of skillful subterfuge on her part to avoid her true identity from being discovered, I have to admire her ability to jump into such a demanding deep cover mission without any preparations. On the other hand, if this is nothing more than her being a double agent who returned to her side of the conflict, I can only fear for the damage her knowledge will inflict. The information she managed to gather while on board the BASTET could prove to be devastating and led to the loss of hundreds if not thousands of Starfleet personnel.  Needless to say that everyone on board the HATHOR is hoping that the woman is a truly skilled and resourceful operative who acted in the only way she could to save herself, but I cannot help but wonder how probable the other scenario is.

There was always something odd about Janeel and although it is exceptionally difficult for me to believe that she may have been a deep cover Romulan spy who fooled everyone including Admiral Koniki, I just cannot simply dismiss the possibility after what happened. In the end, the final decision as to the official classification of our missing Intel Liaison Officer will be left to the Admiral whom I suspect may have his hands full with the debriefing of another operative currently on board the HATHOR. Lieutenant Gemma may be currently helping us with our repairs, but that does not help me in deciding what I need to do with her afterward.  There is no doubt that I will need to have a long talk with her, but I strongly suspect that not a great deal will be achieved by it. From what little I have seen of the woman, she truly does not strike me as the type to simply reveal who she really is to the first person who asks. Still, I have no other choice but to try.

Computer, end recording. Commander Valentine, could you please report to my Ready Room?"

The call for the First Officer had barely been made when the door chime rang announcing the presence of someone on the other side of the door.  With a press of a button, the door was opened and the woman in question walked in.

"You called Captain?"

"Guessing by the relaxed expression on your face that there is nothing new to report."

Sarena smiled. "Elan and Gemma are in Main Engineering finalizing the repairs. We will have normal propulsion in less than an hour. I know that you do not want to hear this, but I have to admit that I am surprised by the way she works. The woman has clearly many hidden skills."

"It is not her hidden skills that I am concerned about, it is the rest of what she is hiding that I am worried about. All we know is that she was in a deep cover mission inside Romulan space. We lost our Intel Liaison Officer who was a mysterious woman to start with and gained a woman who is even more of an enigma. Frankly, I would rather be back at NEW ALEXANDRIA and let the Admiral figure this out instead of us."

Commander Valentine paused and looked at the woman sitting on the other side of the small desk. "This is not like you Captain. You have never been one to shy away from a mystery."

"You are right, but we have never before been so deep inside Romulan space. Now, add that we have just rescued two prisoners of the Star Empire, one who traveled as we did to this location thanks to a device that we barely understand while the other was presumed dead, and that none of us have any means to get us back home and you have a lousy situation. Beyond that, there is the fact that we lost our Intel Operative and brought on board another to make this whole situation something that I would really not have wanted to deal with if given the choice," Selene paused, closed her eyes and drew in a long, deep breath.

"We have been faced with worse and still managed to find our way back home."

"True," Iverson dryly agreed, "but there is always a price to pay. The universe likes to keep an official record of what took place and of what is owed to it. After this mess, I am truly not looking forward to seeing what the bill will be."

"I will do my best to make sure that the due date on those payments is pushed back as far as possible. Maybe by then, we will have accumulated enough credit to offset the debt owed."

"We can hope. We can hope. Let me know as soon as we can leave orbit. Just getting us away from this frozen planetoid is going to make me feel a lot better. Once that is done, I will need to set a private meeting with Gemma. After that, we will just have to see what our next move will be."

"Aye aye, Captain."

---
Jessica Solarik

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

&

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M06-P048: USS BASTET: Gemma: Day 03 - 0200 ("Crowded Mind")
=-=
"Crowded Mind"
[previous post was (ANU) "Compressed Realities" / (BAS) "Officially"]
=-=

Setting: USS HATHOR, Main Engineering
Stardate: 33004.0200

The Oltharian knew his stuff, there was no arguing that. Gemma had to call upon everything she knew about engineering just to keep up with him. Of all the people she could ask for help, none of them were knowledgeable in that domain. Even as a skilled pilot, Dalra's knowledge in that particular field was at best limited. Flying a ship and fixing a ship were two very different things but her experience was the best she could call upon. The skill set of her other friends were more along the lines of destroying things rather than fixing them. That was why she could not call upon them. Maybe that was why she found working as she was so refreshing, at last for a little while. This was a situation that she was not entirely used to.

With her body hidden inside one of the small crawlspaces, she made her report. "The impulse power manifold is still showing a residual static charge. If we apply any amount of power to it, it will blow up in our faces." The thick German accept even surprised Gemma who had not expected Gabrielle to show herself. In fact, her presence here could prove to be catastrophic given what the Terran woman excelled at doing.

"Are you alright?" The Olthairna asked, the accent taking him by complete surprise. "You sound different."

"Been stuck in this crawlspace for too long. My being in this cramped space on my back must be playing with my ability to breathe and talk." The explanation was pathetic, and she knew it, but Gemma was not trying to trick a possible adversary. Having worked with the Oltharian, she knew that he would not challenge her excuse. The giant engineer was just not the kind to look for something wrong where there was no need.

"You can come out of there if you wish. I can continue the repairs on my own."

"Thank you for your offer, but I'll manage. In addition, we are too close for me to simply walk away now, not that I would. I promised Captain Iverson that I would assist with the repairs. Doing anything other would make me a liar and prove myself to be untrustworthy." The last word she spoke left a bitter taste in her mouth. As the Intel Operative she was, could she truly be trusted by anyone? Time after time, she betrayed those who had come to trust her, the latest of which being Makor. He trusted Shinral with his life and in the end; the bodyguard had turned against him. None of those Gemma worked with could truly be trusted, every single one of them waiting for their opportunity to strike. Gabrielle was the perfect example of that, the woman actually happy at the thought of the HATHOR exploding. Granted the feeling was short-lived, but it was there nonetheless.

"I am sending an inversed static charge through the impulse power manifold. I will be gradually shifting the phase variance, so let me know when the charge is canceled. This should solve the problem and allow us to finally use impulse power." Elan sounded relaxed, unburdened even by all of the work they needed to do. Being deep inside Romulan space inside a cramped cloaked ship unable to escape orbit did not seem to bother him. At first, Gemma had found this trait annoying, but now she found it almost endearing.

"You know, I could listen to his voice all day," Ema softly announced. "There is a certain poetic charm to the way he speaks, don't you think?" As an Oltharian and a member of the Religious Circle, she felt an uncanny closeness to him. Makor might not have been able to trust Shinral, but Elan would be able to trust Ema. She would never be able to betray him. The two of them thought so much alike, how could they not find endless ways to trust one another?

"What was that?" Elan asked. The soft-spoken words and the location of the woman had made it impossible for him to make out what had been said.  "Are you detecting any changes in the static charge of the impulse power manifold?"

The question snapped Gemma back. As crowded as the HATHOR felt, the crawlspace was even more packed. There were just too many people trying to have their thoughts voiced or their presence acknowledged. Under normal situations, a single person would lead while the others followed. In the relative safety of this Federation ship though, things were different. She was not used to interacting with people who fought on her side. There were times when she would fight on theirs, but that usually never lasted long.  It would take the ILO a lot of time and effort to get used to this. It would likely take the others even more time as this was not the environment they had grown accustomed to.

Looking over her shoulder had become second nature, and it was what helped her maintain control. The fear of being discovered, the possibility of facing their end, all that was enough to keep everyone in line. Now, here, on the HATHOR amongst friends, what would keep her allies in check?

Gemma reasserted herself by clearing her throat before speaking. "The static charge is almost gone. Keep up whatever it is that you are doing." Silence filled the crawlspace as she watched the readouts on her tricorder gradually dropped until they finally reached zero. "That's it! You've done it."

"We did, and thanks to you it was done a great deal faster than it would have been."

Gemma could feel Ema smiling. The Oltharian, despite his gigantic size, was a gentleman through and through.  "I didn't do all that much, but I am not exactly in a position to argue with you."

"Let me help you get out of there so that you can report to Sickbay to have that breathing problem looked at. I will then inform the Captain that we have impulse power back online. It may not get us back to Federation space anytime soon, but at least we will be able to leave orbit."

Her hand vanished into his making her fear that she would hear every bone being reduced to dust. Instead, the Oltharian's hold was gentle and caring, which made Ema Fairchild smile even more. Gemma had to concentrate to make sure that the Oltharian female remained unseen. At least for the time being and certainly not before a long conversation with the Captain took place.

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Intel Operative
NEW ALEXANDRIA

[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
M06-P049: USS BASTET: Valentine: Day 03 - 0230 ("Adapting")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Adapting"
[previous post (ANU) "From One Unknown To Another" / (BAS) "Crowded Mind")]

Setting:  USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33004.0230

Sarena smiled. Never before had she felt this way while leaving the orbit of a world, then again never had she been in a situation such as this one. The icy sphere, which grew smaller on the main viewscreen set on a reverse angle, would forever represent a moment in time that the Executive Officer would recall with a certain level of sadness, and yet she smiled.

Leaving orbit was a joyous occasion that everyone on board the HATHOR shared. While still being deep inside Romulan space, it was possible that cloaked cruisers searching for them were out there, but at least they were leaving the gravitational clutches of that frozen wasteland behind. Like in so many other things, this joy came at a cost, in this case, a heartfelt sadness. The unexpected journey to this place led to the loss of one of their own, the ship's ILO Commander Janeel.  It was no secret that Valentine held no personal admiration for the woman.  Everyone, including the Captain, had experienced the friction between the two officers, but that did not stop the Executive Officer to feel the void left by the woman's absence. That was why the gentle smile that had been present vanished at the thought.

Sarena could not help but feel sadness and pity for the woman now stuck on that Romulan vessel. Valentine could imagine Janeel's every thought and action focussed on finding a way for her to return home. The ILO was resourceful, the Executive Officer had to grant her that much, but it would require a lot more than simple resourcefulness for the trapped operative to find her way back to the Federation side of the border. In fact, it would take a great deal of work and luck to see that happen, not only for the woman in question but also for the crew and ship circumstances had forced Janeel to leave behind.

Thinking of the crew, Sarena scanned the HATHOR's command deck, thinking of the officers that had come from the BASTET on this mission.  Although the crew roster was now down by one, the ship counted three additional people: Ensign Nicole Dima, former CNS of the ANUBIS, Ensign Sofia Andersson, the assistant CMO of the PHOENIX officially listed as dead, and Lieutenant Gemma, a deep-cover operative of which they knew next to nothing about.

Given their rather unique situation, Captain Iverson had seen it fit to welcome Sofia and Nicole as official members of their crew, a move that Sarena actually supported. Not having access to the skills and expertise of a CMO or CNS could prove to be problematic in a situation such as theirs, so the decision made perfect sense. Although the same could be said, in theory, about Gemma, Valentine found it a lot more difficult to accept the ILO's appointment to the crew, this despite the help provided in getting the HATHOR back on its figurative feet. There was no doubt about it, the Executive Officer did not trust the woman but that raised an entirely different question; was this distrusting aimed at the woman or at her role within the frame of Starfleet?

There might have been something odd about the woman, but that was not enough to warrant the feeling of distrust Sarena experienced when thinking about Gemma. The woman had after all helped them escape from the Romulan facility along with a great deal of equipment as well as two Federation prisoners. The Intel Operative had proven herself a highly valuable asset then and continued to demonstrate this as she helped Lt. Cmdr. Fairborn with the repairs to the ship's propulsion system. Despite all of her accomplishments and assistance, Valentine could not bring herself to trust the woman who slid in where Janeel had been hours before.

Sarena sighed, realizing that all of this thinking was actually leading her to have a headache. As the BASTET's Executive Officer, it would be her responsibility to address the changes in the crew roster and ensure that those who had been selected as replacements would be made to feel comfortable in their new positions. The problem at this time was that these new assignments were only temporary, at least until the HATHOR found its way back to NEW ALEXANDRIA. From that moment on, it was easy to imagine that all three would wish to return to their respective previous posts if that was at all possible.

It was conceivable that Doctor Andersson would want to return to the PHOENIX, this even after she had been declared dead. Granted, this might create some odd interactions with the rest of the crew, but the alternative would be for Sofia to stay with them and become the new BASTET's CMO. Sarena had to admit that the thought was a pleasant one following the departure of Doctor Bruxa and Counselor Lopez. To see both of these positions filled once again, both former Romulan prisoners would have to agree to join this crew on a permanent basis, something that Valentine doubted would happen.

The one person who was more likely to agree to such a change in assignment was Lt. Gemma. After having spent as much time as she had in deep cover, however long that might have been, it was conceivable for the woman to wish to embrace a simpler and safer way of life. That thought made Sarena smile once again, never before now having considered life on board the BASTET, a vessel able to travel to other times and dimensions, as being simple or safe. With all of these possibilities floating about, the Executive Officer forced herself back to what needed to be handled now, namely keeping the ship and crew safe while the Warp Drive and Blink Device were being repaired. 

With a touch of the controls, the main viewscreen was brought back to its normal forward view, leaving the small frozen planetoid and what had happened behind. At their current impulse speed, the HATHOR would not be putting that much distance between them, but as far as Sarena was concerned, every meter counted.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Karen Price

Executive Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M06-P050: USS BASTET: Dean: Day 03 - 0235 ("Introduction")
"Introduction"
[previous post ((ANU) "From One Unknown To Another" / (BAS) "Adapting")]

Setting: RELAY OUTPOST SIGMA 385
Stardate: 33004.2035

Ashton left the station's sickbay for the last time. Since accepting a post as Chief Flight Control Officer on the USS BASTET he stopped taking patients.

“Headed out?” Nurse Xu asked as they passed in the door.

“Yep. Just finished the report on my last patient. I’m done with all my station duties,” he replied.

“Keep in touch. I’ll miss our after work drinks.”

“Me too,” he smiled, "but you can go with some of the others. Just remember to let people in.” Before he could do anything she gave him a hug and headed into sickbay.

Ten minutes later Ashton was entering a holodeck version of the USS BASTET's bridge. 

“Let’s get familiar with my new home.” He took his seat at helm and familiarized himself with the helm. He studied the console and familiarized himself with their layout. “By the time you arrive I’ll be flying you with my eyes closed.” 

_______________________
Setting: Dean Quarters
Time: Simultaneous 

Tristan pushed the hair out of her eyes as she focused intensly on the picture she was drawing. Near by her little sister Cordelia took an orange crayon and stuck it in her mouth. Quickly she realized it didn’t taste as good as it looked and laid it on the table, a trail of slobber sliding off her tiny fingers. 

“Sissy, no. Here.” Tristan said handing Cordelia a baby bottle of water. That lasted about two seconds before it was dropped to the floor and the two year old's attention turned to the window. She toddled over and watched the ships coming and going from the station. In the other room the sitter was folding the laundry and packing it for Ashton and the girls. 

_______________________
Leigh Rachal

Ensign Ashton Dean 
FCO USS BASTET
M06-P051: USS BASTET: Iverson: Day 04 - 1400 ("The Long Journey Home")
---
"The Long Journey Home"
(Previous Post: (ANU) "Agent of the Shadows" / (BAS) "Introduction")
---

Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33005.1400

"Captain's log. Repairs to the warp drive and Blink device are, according to Lieutenant Commander Fairborn, finally completed. Both he and Lieutenant Gemma are to be commentated for their tireless work having managed to turn days of work into hours. Lieutenant Mitshiba is confident that we will be able to figure out the specifics to control the data input to the crystals allowing us to return to NEW ALEXANDRIA quickly and safely.  All that is left for us to do is try, something that my own First Officer seems anxious to do. To be honest, I cannot blame her as I feel the same way. End log."

"All stations report ready," Commander Valentine announced from the flight control station of the HATHOR.

"Bridge to Sickbay," Selene said after opening a channel. "Are you ready Doctor?"

=/\= As ready as we'll ever be Captain, =/\= Ensign Andersson replied, referring to Counselor Dima and herself. Given the uncertainty of what they were about to attempt, it was deemed best to make sure that the new medical and counseling staff was ready to help should things go wrong with the latest test of the Blind Device.

"Lieutenant Mitshiba, at your convenience."

"Power readings to the Blink Device are reading exactly as they should," the Chief Science Officer reported, glancing at the mysterious ILO who had taken the position at the engineering station on the bridge. Had it not been for her and Elan, the HATHOR would have likely still been wondering about using nothing more than impulse power. "Standing by for simultaneous disengaging of the cloaking device and the engaging of the Blink device in 3... 2... 1... now!"

Iverson watched on the main view screen as the stars and space itself began to warp. For a brief moment the lights on the command deck dimmed but soon everything returned to normal.

"Cloaking device has been re-engaged," Sarena announced.

"Attempting to establish our new location based on the recorded star patterns before the device was engaged," Misaki added, the scientist frantically working to see if this latest test was as successful as she hoped it would be.

"Bridge to Engineer room," Gemma said, making sure that her voice was loud enough to be heard by others thus avoid her to have to repeat herself. "Commander Fairborn, I am picking up a seven percent overall drop in power."

=/\= I see it too, =/\= the Oltharian replied through the open channel. =/\= It might be caused by one of the Romulan components that we integrated into the warp power conversion matrix. I'm on it and will report back as soon as I have isolated the source of this power drain. Fairborn out. =/\=

"Sensors are picking up some traffic in our vicinity," Commander Valentine reported. "According to sensors they are likely nothing more than freighters and appear to be Corvallen in design."

"It would mean that we are still within the Romulan sphere of influence," Selene noted.

"The test was not meant to bring us directly home Captain," Mitshiba specified. "It was only meant to see what level of control we have as to where the crystals are taking us. By the looks of things, it would seem that we have moved about 27 lightyears from our previous location in only a few seconds. The problem is that we have no way to know if we are actually heading in the right direction as none of our star maps match anything we are currently seeing."

"Being as deep inside Romulan space as we are, it makes perfect sense that the star charts are useless, but there are other ways for us to figure out where we are within the Romulan Star Empire," Lieutenant Gemma offered, the ILO still trying to show that her loyalties were in fact with the Federation and the crew she was currently a temporary member of. "Communication relays use an encoded identification system that permits vessels to know exactly the location of these often cloaked satellites. This is used to help vessels navigate should they suffer from some sort of massive computer malfunction. I might be able to break the encryption and see if we can get some information as to where exactly we are."

Commander Valentine and Captain Iverson shared a quick glance before Selene gave the okay to Gemma. Had the woman truly been some sort of double agent, the Romulans would have had a fleet of battlecruiser already on top of them by now.

---
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33015.0700

"Captain's log.  It has been nearly ten days since we have started using the Blink Device in an effort to return home, and we are still inside Romulan space.  Our latest attempts have been hindered by the growing incompatibility of the equipment brought aboard from the Romulan detention facility and the fact that we have limited energy resources to replicate those pieces of equipment we are in need of. Lieutenant Commander Fairborn continues to surpass any and all expectations as to his abilities to accomplish miracles with next to nothing at his disposal. Hopefully, things will get back on track soon. End log."

---
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33030.1930

"Is everyone all right?" Selene asked as she pulled herself back to her feet while scrutinizing the bridge illuminated only by emergency lighting.

"Main computer is down Captain," Lieutenant Mitshiba reported.

"Commander Fairborn is not responding, permission to go to Main Engineering and see what is happening," Gemma added, the woman barely waiting for the Captain's approval before the ILO left her station on the bridge.

"Commander, are you all right?" Selene asked of Sarena who had been thrown clear of the flight control station.

"Had we appeared just a few hundred meters closer to the tail of that comet, we might not be here talking about it," the First Officer jokingly said, accepting her Captain's help to get back on the chair where she had been before all hell broke loose.  "Main computer is down as are propulsion and cloaking systems. We are dead in the water."

"The worst part is that we are also likely still well inside Romulan space," the Captain added, concerned that they could be discovered at any moment which would end their troubled journey back to NEW ALEXANDRIA.

With a press of a control, Sarena refocused the image on the main view screen to see the comet drawing away from them. "There is one small advantage playing in our favour. We are still very close to the tail of that comet, it should help camouflage our presence from Romulan sensors for a little while."

"Not much but it will have to do at the moment," Captain Iverson said as she made her way back to the main chair and opened a channel to the ship's Engineering section. "Bridge to Main Engineer."

=/\= Gemma here, go ahead Captain, and before you ask, Commander Fairborn is injured and being taken to sickbay as we speak. I will start work on fixing the cloaking device to void us attracting any unwanted attention. =/\=

"Very well, keep me informed," Selene sighed, closing the channel and looking at her First Officer in a way that hinted to the uneasiness of her thoughts.

"With Elan down, we might be stuck here for a lot longer than any one of us would consider being safe," Sarena stated drawing a reluctant nod of agreement from the Captain

---
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33050.0800

"Captain's log. It has been twenty days since our almost fatal run-in with the tail of that comet. Lieutenant Gemma was successful in restoring the cloaking device but unfortunately, Lieutenant Commander Fairborn is still in sickbay under the care of both Doctor Andersson and Counsellor Dima. The injuries to the Oltharian were extensive but as of the latest report from Sofia, Elan should make a full recovery in another few days.  Lieutenant Mitshiba has been helping as much as she can with the repairs to the propulsion system and Blink Device, but her reports are not overly encouraging. The best we can hope for is that Commander Fairborn will be able to pull another miracle upon his return to active duty. End log."

---
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33075.1800

"Captain's log. Efforts to repair the Blink Device have failed once more, and with the lack of specialized equipment on board, it is unlikely that we will be able to fix it. The HATHOR continues on course at maximum warp speed towards Federation space thanks to the work of Lieutenant Gemma who was able to break the encryption of the Romulan communication relay stations. At our current speed, and doing everything we can to avoid known patrol routes of the Romulans, we expect crossing back into Federation space in another 27 days. End log."

---
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33098.1800

"Captain's log. The HATHOR was forced to head back into Romulan space after our sensors came across some sort of military training directly ahead of us. Given the size and number of ships we detected, it was deemed safer to backtrack and give the Romulans as much space as we could to avoid risking running into something that would divulge our presence. Unfortunately, this detour is going to add an extra week if not more to our being able to make it back to Federation space.  Counsellor Dima is doing her best to help keep the morale of the crew up, but even with multiple lifetimes of experience for the Trill to call upon, I fear that the task might prove to be too much for the Ensign. Still, we are all trying and doing our best given the circumstances. End log."

---
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33109.0945

"Captain's log. We did it! We are finally back in Federation space. It was discovered after we attempted to contact NEW ALEXANDRIA that our long-range communication system was damaged during the run-in with the comet. Since there was no reason for us to use the system, the damage was not discovered until now. Although this means that we are unable to inform Admiral Koniki of our imminent return, the crew is holding on to the joy that we will all be able to make this announcement personally once we are back which should be in about four days. End log."

---
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 33113.1425

"There she is," Selene announced as a large asteroid filled the main view screen. Every officer who had worked so long and hard to make this possible was on the bridge, watching with excitement the final steps of their long and demanding journey back home. With the assistance of the Engineering teams of NEW ALEXANDRIA, the Blink Device would eventually be repaired, but Captain Iverson would be happy if she never heard of those crystals again.

"It will be nice to be back," Nicole voiced leaving the Captain is the Counsellor meant the secret base of the ship and crew she officially still belonged to.

"We have been cleared for entry and docking," Sarena announced, the First Officer having manned the Flight Control station for the greater majority of their journey back. The moment the large space doors opened and the inside of the base became visible, Selene quickly noted that only the BASTET was present, all other vessel being elsewhere.  As normal as this was, something made the Captain believe that this was an indication that something was wrong.

"Captain," Gemma said following the ILO trying to contact the base of operations she had not seen for a very long time. "Admiral Koniki is requesting the crew of the HATHOR report directly back to the BASTET as soon as the HATHOR is secured. He will meet you in your Ready Room once we have transferred over."

"No debriefing?" Sarena rhetorically questioned.

"I knew something was wrong," Selene sighed. "Bring the HATHOR to its mooring station and start beaming everyone over to the BASTET. Once there I suggest that you all take a long hot shower, I will call for a general staff meeting following my meeting with the Admiral. In the meantime, welcome back home."

---
Jessica Solarik

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

&

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)

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