LtCmdr Jovenan – Something always happens
Jovenan
((Bridge, Deck 1, USS Artemis))
Well, there goes the hope that nothing will happen until Captain MacKenzie returns.
Jovenan scrolled through the reports on the screen of the First Officer’s station. Being the Acting XO was still alien to her, but besides her inexperience, she had already discovered another reason to miss her proper post. The Science station, at the corner of the bridge behind her, had screens the size of a wall and enough controls that she had needed to roll around on her chair to reach them all. The XO’s station? Just a simple, small interface. It wasn’t really even a station, just a chair with a screen added there next to it, almost as if an afterthought. It was still better than what the Captain had – all those buttons on the armrests still worried her – and she could issue orders to anyone on the bridge, but she felt like she could have been more useful at the Science station. Perhaps that was the purpose; from her previous experience at the central chair, she had learnt that when things turned any more chaotic than this, she’d need all the concentration she could muster to keep up with the situation.
And the things could indeed turn more chaotic any minute now. The routine Milano Sector patrol duty had turned less routine with a distress call. The cause of the trouble was still not clear to them, but the old colony ship belonged to a species known as the Boraxians… of whom they knew very little. Jovenan didn’t remember hearing about them before, and they certainly hadn’t turned up in the Borderlands during her stay. She had remained on the bridge after the Captain had ordered to alter the course to rendezvous with them, taking the opportunity to read the reports from their databases and what their sensors gave them. The few meetings with the Boraxians had been peaceful, they were nomadic, and there were some simple notes of their biology, culture, language, and that was it. The distress call was vague and unhelpful. It could be anything, a collision, a broken component… even a trap to them.
With the distance to the Boraxian vessel growing shorter, Jovenan signalled the Bre’ella Chief to inform the Captain.
Kaz’Orah: =/\= Captain, the Artemis is approaching the damaged vessel. =/\=
Munro: =/\= Drop us out of warp, I'll be right there =/\=
A door swooshed open and closed behind Jovenan. The sound of steps became louder until they stopped. Jovenan turned her head. With the MSD and the silhouette of the Artemis shining behind her, the Acting Captain tucked down her uniform shirt before walking around the seats to the centre. Jovenan followed her with her gaze. The Captain remained standing in the middle.
Munro: Lt Storm, yellow alert.
Storm: Yellow Alert, Aye Sir.
All the surrounding surfaces gained a flashing yellow hue to them as the lights dimmed. Jovenan’s attention turned to the viewscreen and to the vessel floating far away from them. The distress call and the sensor data had painted a picture of the vessel to her mind, but the extent of the damage had still been greater than she had anticipated. They had two visible breaches to their hull and were leaking gases. The Boraxians could have at least tried to tell them that.
Munro: Get us closer, ensign.
Meris: Aye Captain. We have dropped from warp and are closing at full impulse. I will bring us to a relative stop approximately 30,000 kilometers from the alien vessel. That will place us at three-quarters transporter range.
The Captain sat to her seat, next to Jovenan. The Acting XO’s attention shifted from the viewscreen to her own station and then to the Captain, who had taken just a few seconds to analyse the situation from the central seat.
Munro: :: to Jovenan :: What's the status, Commander?
Jovenan: Their hull is breached and many of their systems are down. They’ve got heavily localised markings and residual particles on certain parts of their, indicating receiving targeted weapons fire. The damage is concurrent with that hypothesis. No other ships in the immediate proximity.
Summarising the reports from the other stations and what they saw was hardly the job where Jovenan felt the most useful, but someone had to do that. She looked up to the image on the main viewscreen, noting the scorch marks on the hull.
Munro: So they've been attacked :: to the bridge crew :: I'd like to know who and the weapon that was used :: to K'Wara at the Ops Station :: Open up a channel with the ship. Let's see if we can shed some light on the situation.
K'Wara: Aye aye, Sir. ::turns to the console:: They’re responding to our hails. On screen.
The image of the damaged ship was covered by that of a Boraxian. Jovenan had looked up an image from their database, but this person seemed different from those. Their face and stature were slimmer than those of in the database images, delicate, almost juvenile. She wondered if this was just a thinner person, or if they were really as young as they looked like.
Luirétt: I am Luirétt, Leader of the Yurum and Captain of New Hope. Who do I now address?
The Captain stood up and stepped closer. Jovenan remained seated but turned her body towards the viewscreen, showing that the speaker, rather than her screen, had all her attention.
Munro: I am Captain Munro of the starship Artemis. We have responded to your distress call, and we'd like to offer our assistance.
Luirétt: That is kind of you. I am afraid that our Ship is suffering from some... Malfunctions at the moment, so any assistance you can render would be most welcome.
… Malfunctions? They categorised all that damage as mere malfunctions? The Boraxian Captain was either unaware of the severity of the destruction or downplaying it. Jovenan couldn’t tell the cause for such behaviour – not wanting to appear helpless? Hiding something? Incompetence?
Munro: Our scans indicate that you have several hull breaches and your ship appears to have been disabled deliberately? Do you have any injured? We have medics and engineers that could help you?
Luirétt: Thank you, Captain Munro. I will give directions to my crew to cooperate fully with your officers, so that we may reach a swift resolution to our impediment of your mission.
And the image of the Boraxian was gone. Jovenan appreciated their words, but the way they had remained secretive about their problems or whatever else was going on on the ship made her suspicious. The Captain turned to her.
Munro: Commander, I already have Lt. Commander Silveira on standby with Ensigns Tho'Bi and Cole ready to board. If you can take Richards, Bergmen and Imril as well. Tread carefully but I'd like to find out if they are hiding anything.
Jovenan pushed the screen aside and stood up. Although she was aware of the risks involved with leading the away team mission, she was happy that the Acting Captain had the sense of sending the Acting XO and the Chief Tactical Officer to the danger instead of insisting on going herself. Jovenan would have hated to remind her of her importance to the ship.
Jovenan: I’ll have them ready as soon as possible, Captain.
As Jovenan was leaving towards the turbolift, she listened to the Captain issuing other orders.
Munro: Lt K'Wara can you join Doctors Morgan and Bancroft in Cargo Bays 1 and 2 and help them set up the triage centre. I have a feeling we're about to get some visitors.
K'Wara: As you wish, Captain.
The Lieutenant – whom Jovenan had not yet had a chance to properly meet yet – joined Jovenan to the turbolift car. The Captain was addressing her remaining bridge crew as the doors closed and separated them from the bridge. While they hurled down, Jovenan tapped her combadge and spoke, ignoring the Lieutenant, even as she arrived to the Deck 4 and stepped out.
Jovenan: =/\= Jovenan to Imril, Bergmen and Richards. Please report to the Transporter Room 1. We’re going to board the damaged ship. =/\=
Imril/Bergmen/Richards: Response
((A moment later))
((Transporter Room 1, Deck 4, USS Artemis))
Jovenan gave each of her arriving away team member a smile as they came in. Once they were all gathered, she nodded to each of them and started with the explanation.
Jovenan: The Boraxian ship has received weapons fire. It looks like their opponents have been trying to disable them, but they also have a few hull breaches and a lot of problems they haven’t been able to fix for whatever reason. Commander Silveira is taking another team there to render aid, and the Artemis is beaming their injured to the triage centre.
Imril/Bergmen/Richards: Response
Jovenan checked her tricorder before placing it to her belt. She gestured to the shelves and the replicator in case any of her teammates needed to resupply their equipment.
Jovenan: Our tasks are to help them if needed, but also to investigate them. We’re not expecting trouble, but we don’t know much about them, and they also haven’t been forthcoming with what they share with us. So, let’s be careful and thorough. ::pause:: Other questions?
Imril/Bergmen/Richards: Response
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Lieutenant Commander Jovenan
Acting XO (Chief Science Officer)
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11