Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca Iko -- Monkey see monkey do.
Rebecca Iko
Ertmo: =/\= This is Captain Ertmo to the USS Kepler. To Ar’a’Dal has agreed to share pathogen research with your people; in response I am asking that Admiral Mokto be placed in protective custody at least until Captain Peronis and myself are able to pursue a diplomatic solution with the Zumardi government. I am attaching the details. =/\=
Bec wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but they were far from this being over.
Hopper: Confirmed, Lieutenant?
Seleya: We are receiving the details now. Confirmed Captain.
Hopper: =/\= Understood, Captain... Since your ship is currently undergoing evacuation procedures in order to freeze out the pathogen infecting your gel-packs, we will attempt to temporarily take custody of Mokto on your behalf, for transfer to your vessel after the immediate emergency situation is resolved. =/\=
Hopper: Helm, bring us into transporter range of the Exelsior... Seleya, how are their shields? Assess our chances of of getting a transporter lock on the Admiral that won't kill him.
While Robin looked to Seleya, Bec looked over at the helm officer. Fingers were flying across the console, perhaps more frantically than before. They wouldn't have gotten a chance to call Shorty's team.
So Bec did.
Iko: =/\= Bec to Taelon’s crew, report. =/\=
Moore: =/\= We read you! =/\=
Taelon: =/\= Um, we were hoping to find a way to delay the shuttles… =/\=
Iko: =/\= We're attempting to jam their sensors with photonic sparkle kind of things. =/\=
Moore: =/\= Yeah, you just need to make a big enough cloud, run the torpedoes dirty, more charged matter than antimatter, so you spread the charged particles in all directions when they explode. =/\=
Taelon: =/\= Um, torpedoes? =/\=
Bec looked at Seleya, hoping she could explain further.
Hopper: =/\= Just... No shooting anyone... Right? =/\=
Right.
Seleya: On it Captain.
Bec nodded, even if they couldn't see so.
Iko: =/\= Kaito you don't happen to have your e-war suite on you, do you? =/\=
Moore: =/\= Umm… No, it's built into The Indy’s jamming systems. You should have access to it. I know we haven’t gone over how to use my suite yet, but I designed it to be user-friendly. That being said, Commander Taelon has an idea that the e-war could be key for it to work. =/\=
Bec closed her eyes and nodded to herself. That was the thing when you borrowed someone elses ship. It wasn’t your ship, so it didn’t have your stuff on it.
Zakrem: =/\= It is not a plan of observation though. Have talks fallen apart that badly? =/\=
Well, not yet. Kinda. But she doubted that Shorty and his crew couldn’t see the swarm of shuttles approaching them.
Taelon: =/\= Well, I - ::Zakrem was right. If they were going to do this, it’d have to be something they showed the Zumardi how to do.:: Um, if the talks have gone that badly, then we should… =/\=
She looked up at the viewscreen and grimaced. Shuttles were landing, or being destroyed, and Zumaris had turned into a battlefield. None of this was going well.
Bec turned to Robin, remembering what she'd overheard from the comms chatter.
Iko: Stupid idea: Diplomatic talks want Mokto in custody, no?
Hopper: That they do. ::To Seleya:: Possibility of interrupting the Excelsior's systems long enough for a stable transporter lock?
Seleya: That would not be a good idea at all Captain.
Bec looked over at Seleya, her brow furrowed.
Iko: We have something called a brig, and something else called a transporter.
Why couldn’t they kidnap the guy like the diplomats had agreed upon?
Probably because of the whole “kidnapping” aspect. And Bec didn’t like it either, but there were several dozen shuttlecraft causing havoc on the surface and she didn’t want Shorty and Kaito to, for a lack of a better turn, have to get “too rowdy”.
Seleya: Captain, we cannot be kidnapping a high ranking military officer, especially because we are not in conflict with them. We don’t want to be creating enemies. And it would be in violation of General order 1.
Bec shot Seleya a small look. In violation, sure. But this whole thing was one massive fart of a general order one violation.
Hopper: =/\= The talks seem to be going well, actually. Captain Ertmo has requested our assistance in... detaining Admiral Mokto so that he and another UAW Captain can continue the diplomatic approach with the Zumardi High Council without the current threat of combat... But we're having some trouble getting a safe lock. If that doesn't work, what is your suggestion? =/\=
Was it trouble with a lock, or just Seleya protesting? Bec looked at the console she’d taken up to see while Kaito was on the line.
Moore: =/\= By my estimates, we would just need access to the secondary processing, but this could stop the Zumardi dropships dead in their tracks. Hopefully not in a decaying orbit. The other option is to start shooting down their dropships from here. =/\=
Zakrem: =/\= Still not within our mandate. =/\=
Taelon: =/\= No, no shooting, not unless- =/\=
Iko: =/\= No shooting. Talks are still continuing. But a couple of UAW don’t wanna listen. We just need maybe two more minutes? =/\=
She looked to the bridge crew.
Hopper: =/\= Yes, what they said – but I take your point, Kaito. We're almost out of nonviolent options. If it comes to that, we cannot take that kind of action. Defend yourselves and civilians under direct threat only... I know it's a big ask for you all, but that is what we are able to do. =/\=
Moore: =/\= Copy that. We’ll be ready. Hey, Bec! When you activate the suite, make sure to use the new audio noise, and try to record their comms traffic. I want to test the effectiveness of my upgrades. =/\=
She huffed a small chuckle and rolled her eyes.
Taelon: =/\= Hold on, if the talks haven’t fallen apart, we shouldn’t - =/\=
He cut himself off. Bec furrowed her brow.
Iko: Seleya what are they doing? Can you tell?
They are still recalibrating their sensors from the photon torpedo bursts. I don’t know what they are planning to do after.
Hopper: Well, advising the Zumardi on how to defend themselves is an acceptable course... Let's just hope we can stop the ships before the local defenses have time to implement. In the mean time, let's grab Mokto and see how the UAW reacts. Can't be much worse than where things are now.
Bec nodded. Again. Then she looked to Robin. Again.
Iko: Heard back from Aitas and Ashwood yet?
Hopper: No time. We're going to just have to trust in them, and in diplomacy.
Iko: Lets get this over and done with.
Hopper: Commander, Lieutenant, prepare to extract the Admiral. On my order, interrupt their shields and beam him directly to our brig...
Seleya: Captain I would like to advise again that this is a big overreach of Starfleet, and would be breaking General order 1 of interfering with another civilizations culture. We have no jurisdiction to do this.
Bec snapped her head to look at Seleya.
Iko: General order one was violated the moment the UAW got their hands on Voyager’s cultural database!
She turned towards Robin, (Kinda proud of herself for not getting more annoyed with Seleya) and prepared transporter locks and shield drops.
Iko: Ready when you are captain.
Hopper: Ensign Furo, are the other UAW ships in communications range now? I'd like Captain Peronis to know exactly what is happening.
Furo: They should be able to receive us, ma'am, though they may have trouble broadcasting with enough power to respond.
Hopper: That'll have to do. Open a line now – all available channels. I want the Astrofleet to see this, and the Zumardi High Council.
Furo: The line is yours, Captain.
Bec looked at Robin, and side-eyed Seleya.
Hopper: =/\= This is Captain Robin Hopper, of the USS Kepler to all people now present in the Zumaris system. With support from the United Federation of Planets' Diplomatic Corps and Starfleet, representatives of the Zumardi High Council and the United Alliance of Worlds have met and conducted negotiations for a ceasefire in the current conflict. While these conditions are temporary, and will require continued negotiations between all parties in good faith, your people have already shown that this kind of collaboration is possible, despite your history... =/\=
Robin took a step forward.
Hopper: =/\= The Zumardi High Council have agreed to share their research on the pathogen that is now affecting the UAW's ships and crews. Our scientists are close to synthesizing a cure, and we've found a technical solution that should render the virus inert... With the Zumardi's help, I'm confident we will be able to provide aid that will stop this pathogen in its tracks and prevent further loss of life. ::A brief pause:: The Alliance has made concessions as well. Captain Ertmo, of the Astrofleet's flagship, Enterprise, has ordered the arrest of Admiral Mokto, until diplomatic talks have reached their conclusion. Under his authority, the Federation is now doing exactly that... =/\=
On the nod, Bec completed the shield drop and transport. It was easy, simple, and successful. Once complete, she nodded back.
Hopper: =/\= Admiral Mokto is now in our custody, in accordance with Alliance law... Captain Ertmo, representative To Ar'a'Dal, I'd like to invite you now, along with First Secretary Aitas of the Federation Diplomatic Corps and Captain Nicolette Ashwood of Starfleet, to speak to the ceasefire agreement that has been negotiated and to call on your people to stop military action immediately. =/\=
Ertmo/Ar'a'Dal: =/\= Response =/\=
Aitas/Ashwood: =/\= Response =/\=
The line was closed.
Hopper: Situation on the planet? Are the UAW shuttles returning? Are the Zumardi allowing them to safely leave?
Seleya: Seems they are holding their flight path, until further orders. The Zumardi have not fired on them.
Bec watched for a bit longer, as if to make sure.
Iko: I think with Mokto out of the way they are skidaddling…
Hopper: =/\= What was accomplished here today was just the first step in a long road to mutual respect. But the first steps have been taken... Great civilizations – those that value peace, prosperity, and equity for all – are founded on these kinds of agreements. The Federation is proof of that. Now, I hope that you will allow us to support you as your worlds find your own path to that... greater understanding. =/\=
Bec furrowed her brow. Not because she didn’t agree with what Robin had done, (though she did agree that the whole thing had been one giant mess they should never have had to clean up) but because she was thinking about that whole “greater understanding” thing.
She needed a greater understanding. Of what it meant to be second or third in command. Well, kind of. This mission proved that. Everyone around her knew what she was doing good and what she needed to improve on, and that she was a “good leader”. The questions Bec was asking now, was how, why, and after everything, what was it that she needed to do?
END