LtCmdr Jovenan – Having a captain whose name strikes fear would be a lot more useful if they didn’t outgun us
Jovenan
((Bridge, USS Artemis))
Starfleet’s history was full of mysterious objects found in space. Academy cadets spoke of some in stories with the reverence only bestowed to ancient myths or the fables of old. The stuff of legends was however only ever encountered by the few select who could either praise or curse whichever force they ascribed their luck to. Most mystery objects were mundane, fidgety constructions made by beings not any more infallible than those who discovered them. Such a frail device was also the object the Artemis had picked up sending signal into the space via the relay on the colony world behind, as Jovenan learned watching its message vanish from the screen.
Jovenan: Captain, the signal has ceased. Neither the object nor the relay are transmitting any more.
Storm: I can confirm.
Jetripar: ::nervously:: What does that mean?
Jovenan wished she could offer an answer. They hadn’t figured out the purpose of the object, not even determined conclusively if it was left there by the Afalqi or if coincidence had led it to their way. She swept the space with the various scanners in her disposal, trying to spot the object that had gone from illuminating the space with its transmission to being just as dead and invisible as any other rock in the void.
MacKenzie: It means that it likely did whatever it is it was supposed to... Analysis?
Munro: I agree, Captain. Did we manage to capture a copy of the signal for analysis?
The sensor sweep managed to find something that didn’t belong to the empty space. Jovenan directed the focus of the scanners there, finding typical probe materials and electronics.
Jovenan: Caught the object in sensors. Scanning for the internal composition. ::pause:: Um, it seems the probe is dead. I’m not sure if it suddenly broke down or if something initiated the self-destruct.
Storm: The internal mechanisms may not be functioning, but it is intact.
((OOC: The tags have shifted their place here, so I’ve kept them as they were in the previous sim.))
Munro: Would it be safe to bring it onboard?
Storm: My biggest concern is that if we bring it aboard, we could be bringing on a Trojan Horse.
Jetripar: I'm not sure what that is, but it sounds bad. Can you examine it from here?
That was a reasonable take. Just over three years ago, the fake distress beacon had exploded in the cargo bay and spread destructive nano-machines all over the Excalibur. Jovenan had been trapped in a turbolift and later inside a craft in the decompressed shuttlebay, so she was inclined to agree with caution before picking up something potentially left behind by the people they were pursuing.
Jetripar: This seems very convenient that it would break down right now…
MacKenzie: I'm inclined to agree... Suggestions?
Munro: We launch a warning beacon, and we continue to track the Afalqi. Do we have that signal recorded?
Jovenan turned to look across the bridge and saw the communications officer nod for the First Officer, who then stood up and walked to the back of the bridge. The warning buoy would come handy in making sure no one else picks up the possible Trojan Horse meant for them, but once they were done with this mission, they’d have easier time come back and find it if needed. It was usually not advisable to leave back evidence, but their investigation had turned into a pursuit and time was a resource they lacked.
Jovenan: I agree. There’s probably not a lot we can learn from the probe, but if we continue, we might be able to catch the Afalqi before it gets too far or hides.
Storm: If we look at this situation from a tactical perspective, Havun wants to get away, but he wants to do so stealthily. The easiest way to do that is to stay still.
Hm? Jovenan turned towards the tactical officer. It was an interesting suggestion, one that might as well be true if the Afalqi indeed had the cloaking device, but also one that they didn’t actually have any evidence of. Locating a cloaking ship that stayed still in one place nigh impossible, and if they were to meticulously scan every cubic centimetre of the area for the minute signs of the ship, it would be able to sneak away even if it had been there the entire time. Jovenan wasn’t sure what to make of the suggestion, and it seemed some others were confused as well.
Jetripar: I'm not sure I understand. He gets nowhere that way.
MacKenzie: I'm a doctor, not a tactician. Someone help me here.
Munro: I disagree. We need to stop making assumptions about Havun because we don’t know anything about why he’s doing this? It doesn’t make any sense for him to stop now and then launch a probe. Unless he wanted to either distract us or contact someone for assistance?
Storm: If we pass him and our focus is out in front of us, he can sneak back in behind us and get away easily.
Jetripar: Wouldn't that leave him in unfriendly territory, and in the path of a returning hunt?
Jovenan exhaled deep. No matter how incompetent Mr Havun was in the Secretary’s opinion, he or his crew did seem to have deeper tactical understanding. By leaving trails or probes for them to find, the Afalqi had demonstrated that they are able to do more than just run away. Whichever tactic they had adopted, the Artemis was stuck there debating, further lengthening their head start.
MacKenzie: You think they're here? Or closeby?
Munro: No. There’s no physical evidence that indicates that. Yet. We’re also travelling at warp, so we’re to assume that Havun is matching our warp speed and staying on the same course as us?
Jovenan: The Afalqi has the tactical advantage of being able to pick their methods. Leaving a probe behind and hiding near it in hopes we dismiss it would be a daring bluff.
Jetripar: Let's assume that he stopped here and is somehow cloaked. How long could he maintain the cloak?
Hoping that someone else might have a more definite answer, Jovenan searched for anyone to respond first, but then she looked at the Secretary and shrugged lightly.
Jovenan: We don’t know enough about the technology they have. Even the advanced, purpose-built Romulan cloaks need occasional maintenance, but if they have people who know how to keep it running without shutting it down, well, then it’s a question of resources and patience rather than technology.
Storm: Response
Jetripar: Well, we must do something. What was causing the sensor echo to pick up on this in the first place. Is that something we can magnify?
Munro: I’m trying to decrypt the signal now.
MacKenzie: Mr. Secretary, it would be helpful if we knew what to look for - are you able to give us access to the internal data you have for the Afalqi's scientific capabilities? It might help us narrow our search parameters.
Storm: Response
Jetripar: Yes, I can do that. Finally, something I can help with.
The Secretary hurried to the console. Jovenan kept watching him as he typed something, hoping that he might finally give them more than just snippets of information they needed to accomplish their mission.
Jetripar: There. You should have access, as much as I can provide.
MacKenzie: So how can we figure out where he is? And, more importantly, can we flush them out?
Munro: The sequence I’m running is beginning the decryption :: to Jetripar :: that information was useful.
Storm/Jetripar: Response
MacKenzie: How long do you think it will take?
Munro: A few minutes :: looks to the navigational data :: We’re approaching Nascaik territory. Captain, the shuttles have advised that the trails went dead. I’ve ordered them to return to the Artemis.
While Commander Munro was working on her own line of investigation, Jovenan’s attention was again in the sensors. The warp trail continued from there, which didn’t explicitly prove that the Afalqi had carried on from there – as the false trails had shown, the pursued vessel had the capability to make it only look like they had gone to one direction. In addition, the closeness of the inhabited area introduced another problem.
Jovenan: It’s difficult to follow the warp trail. Other ships flying in and near the Nascaik territory are causing it to become fainter.
Storm/Jetripar: Response
MacKenzie: Proceed.
Munro: We’re receiving a hail from a Nascaik warship. There’s three of them. Weapons are armed. They are on the border of their own territory. Im picking up debris?
Debris? Had the Nascaik detected the Afalqi and stopped it? That wouldn’t bode well for the intention to get the ship back and get the thieves to justice, but at least the pursuit would have been over. It was too early to declare that, however, as the Commander turned to look at the Secretary.
Munro: It doesn’t match the Aflaqi. Looks like a Nascaik Supply Ship might have been destroyed.
Jovenan bit her lip. Casualties raised the stakes considerably. Some militaries preferred to keep their ships ready for battle at all times, or at the sight of a vessel not belonging to their ranks. Still, foreign warships with active weapons, with debris nearby, were rarely a good sign. They had known that the Nascaik might react to them negatively, but now they had to hope that the Captain could reason for their goodwill before the Nascaik opened fire at them.
Jovenan: I’m detecting ionisation from the debris suggesting weapons fire.
Storm/Jetripar/MacKenzie: Response
The image on the main viewer changed, and Jovenan turned on her seat to see the person leading the ships near them. She hadn’t yet met a Nascaik person before, the species tending to stay in their territory during her service in the Borderlands, so she was curious about the woman who greeted the bridge crew with stern eyes.
Nascaik Captain: :: severe :: I am Dota Bundara Eos of the Nascaik Defence Coalition, we have no war with the Federation. Why have you attacked us?
Jovenan was trying to hide how nervous the words were making her. She had been to a battle only a handful of times, and it hadn’t become easier to accept the risk to anyone aboard the ship. Briefly, she turned her head to see the status of the team in the Hazardous Materials Lab, but seeing that it was still under lockdown, she returned to see the Nascaik Captain.
Storm/Jetripar/MacKenzie: Response
Eos: MacKenzie? :: lifts hand and closes her fist ::
The image disappeared from the main viewer. The sudden end of the discussion surprised Jovenan.
Jovenan: Is… is that a good sign?
Storm/Jetripar/MacKenzie/Munro: Response
Jovenan turned quickly back to her console. She spoke faster than before, despite her attempts not to let the anxiety of approaching battle to take hold of her.
Jovenan: The warp trail extends to the debris field, but not much further. The fire that destroyed the Nascaik ship and the radiation from its debris are obscuring it too much. The Nascaik might not realise there was another ship here before us, if they didn’t detect it in time.
Storm/Jetripar/MacKenzie/Munro: Response
Jovenan: The Afalqi going deeper into the territory would be a very bold move after destroying one of their ships. If the Nascaik detect them, they’re outgunned. As are we.
Storm/Jetripar/MacKenzie/Munro: Response
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Lieutenant Commander Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11