1st Lieutenant Tallera - Battle Toads

[Max]

(( USS Arrow, Deck 4 - Astrometrics & Stellar Cartography))

(( OOC: Thanks to Emma for being awesome and seeing where this goes with me.  You know the drill, but I can't emphasize it enough - All thoughts and actions are *strictly IC*!! ))

Jacin:  Readings show a negative point zero four seven variance from parameter ideals.

With the most recent flat response back from the Lieutenant, Tallera was fully aware somewhere along the line she'd touched a nerve.  Whether that was because her appraisal had been far wide or much too accurate for the woman's comfort was uncertain.  Probability theory didn't exactly cover a single person's emotions very accurately, so she only had an intuition trained by Klingons on a remote planet to go from.  Not exactly a built-for-purpose tool.

She had not meant her comments earlier as judgements, but rather as an illustration of a particular Vulcan brand of optimism.  Instead it seemed her line of questioning had drawn a defensiveness she was more accustomed to seeing in her adolescent children than the openness she expected from fellow officers.  In her experience, "standing up for what I believe" in the absence of useful, constructive, or actionable feedback was code Vulcans had perfected long ago when they really wanted to say "I don't care for you or your ideas."

Fortunately, Jacin was not her child, and was at least doing a satisfactory job of working towards the task at hand.  For now, that was enough to let the messy tangle of reeds floating on the water pass by.  Where Collins seemed almost cowed by Jacin and Connor was apparently enamored with the girl for one reason or another... Tallera simply failed to see logic in wasting energy on the woman more than was necessary if her words and presence were so obviously unwelcome.

Dewitt: It's a start, but we need more distracting radiation than that. Just to cover the electro-magnetic radiation from stand-by functionality.

Collins: Response

In this case, Jacin's report regarding a less-than optimal result at least carried useful data.  She proposed an improvement as soon as she could find one.

Tallera: Try nudging it into that ionized patch there. :: She pointed. ::

The response only took a moment.  If there was one way to please any Vulcan born anywhere, it was logical efficiency.

Jacin: Done.

Tallera looked up again as the ring moved into the new position, a slight, flat side-glance in the Lieutenant's direction.  The woman was obviously still displeased with her, but Tallera wasn't beneath giving credit where credit was due.  She nodded in affirmative - it was already looking better.

Dewitt: Good... good. Now, if you behaved well and we have Kahless' blessing, we might be in luck to find any form of asteroids or rocky formations in there to hide Proteus. That way, also active scans won't find the module.

Collins: Response

Connor's unquenchable enthusiasm and good nature was refreshingly cool.  So much so, she cracked a little smile when something caught her eye.

Tallera: Well, would you look at that... I think we have to leave it there.

On one of the views, the ring and a few rocky deposits were in a formation that looked like the very surprised face of some animal. Tallera chuckled softly, and Connor caught himself in a little snort.

Jacin:  I believe that that is the optimal position.

Tallera's forehead tugged on her eyebrow.  Was Jacin attempting to patronize her now?  Or maybe Jacin felt so sour towards her she was uninterested in a bit of irony?  "Optimal" seemed a reach, though the spot wasn't bad at all.  What she'd been referring to...

Dewitt: That looks like a frog... You want to hide Proteus in a frog?

She reset once more as Connor again unwittingly came to rescue the room's mood.  Mercifully, she hadn't been the only one to see what she'd been referring to.  The aloft eyebrow came down for a landing.

Tallera: I thought those lobes looked like the ears of a tlhol :: (rat) ::, myself.

Collins/Jacin: Response

Connor's smile was infectious, the banter oblivious to the undercurrent kept her mood buoyed up.

Dewitt: Don't be ridiculous, it's clearly a frog!

Tallera: A frog then... :: A light grin. :: Perhaps we should train it to be an attack frog?

Collins/Jacin: Response

Dewitt: The frog it is, then. I am combining all information and coordinates and will send it to the bridge.

Tallera: In that case, I will assist from Main Engineering.  We'll be able to keep an eye on it remotely for some distance, adjust as necessary.

Collins/Jacin: Response

(( OOC: Making a bit of an assumption that Dewitt & Collins are headed to the bridge, since Connor was tagged there.  Obviously override me if I'm wrong... ))

It didn't exactly please any of Tallera's natures that it seemed Jacin would once again be accompanying her, but she did what she could to dispassionately offer a truce.  She didn't particularly care what the woman thought of her, so long as she continued to actually help achieve what they'd been ordered to do.

Tallera: Yes, sir.  :: Beat. :: Lieutenant Jacin, your astute sense of the possible would be a welcome aid now there's time to address the full spectrum, should you care to continue making use of it.

She hoped that would make her stance plain, though suspected she used far too few words to resonate with the woman who'd practically mouthed off to her not just fifty minutes ago.  Time would tell.

Collins/Dewitt/Jacin: Response

(( USS Arrow, Deck 3 - Main Engineering ))

{{ Mini time-skip to the Chalnoth encounter }}

A quiet rhythm had barely settled in after a silent turbolift ride when the gold lights turned red, the whine of EPS shunts kicked in and klaxons sounded.  A quick glance on the monitor wasn't enough to know the full situation, but enough to ascertain the Chalnoth hadn't exactly rolled out the red carpet.  Red alert didn't necessarily mean battle was imminent, but the posture certainly wasn't friendly.

An engineer in the main chamber called out something only partially audible at distance.  She checked the board again.

Tallera: Confirmed - the power shunt for the forward targeting array is locked shut at the local node. :: A few button presses. ::  Scientific arrays won't switch off.  It'll need to be repaired at access junction 6-Q.

Not the most critical thing in the world - backups would kick in if shooting started, but it wasn't particularly good either.  All the more unfortunate that the breakage was in a less accessible corner of the ship's tubing.

Jacin: Response

She already had schematics up.  With all the recent upgrades and hotwiring laid on top of each other, the scanner subsystem was something of a mess.  She looked to the dour Lieutenant.  Whatever their feelings were about each other, the quick estimate she just made in her head suggested the repair would never be complete in time to help anyone without two pairs of hands.

Tallera: Will you assist me?  I suspect you know the scanner systems better than I.

The woman wasn't an engineer, but that hardly disqualified her in Tallera's mind, given the system that needed attention.  Science officers frequently maintained their own equipment.  Still, she readied herself for any answer.

Jacin: Response

Tag/TBC...

First Lieutenant Tallera

Starfleet Engineering Corps Marine Detachment

USS Arrow - NCC-69829

A239710MA0