LtJG Jovenan – Catching up
Jovenan
((Genkos Adea’s Quarters, Deck 3, USS Artemis))
Their tricorders could be set to detect the prismic radiation the transuniversal travellers had been exposed to, allowing them to tell them apart from the real crew. That part of the blueshirt trio’s plan worked well, but Jovenan could notice another, rather fatal lapse in their strategy.
Jovenan: And when we find them? They have almost taken over the ship, and we’re unarmed.
The Commander shook his head and started walking away. Jovenan observed his limping towards the replicator concerned, wondering if she could still convince him to lay down and let his weakness for the days of confinement subside first. To Jovenan’s surprise, the Commander ordered hand phasers from the replicator.
oO You can do that? Oo
Adea: We’ll arm ourselves and we’ll take them out. But I think it would be better if we united with others from our crew.
Jovenan nodded and accepted the replicated weapon, albeit reluctantly. Even when armed, she couldn’t see the three of them having any success in fighting off a seasoned band of soldiers. She worried what had already happened to the ship’s capable fighters for them not reporting having retaken the ship yet, and if the same would happen to Commander Adea, Doctor Sadar and herself should they try that as well. Regardless of her fears and doubts, she decided to trust the Commander. She resumed calibrating her tricorder and then tested it by scanning the air around them.
Jovenan: Nothing in our immediate surroundings. ::looking at the others:: Where should we head to? Bridge? Deck 15? Sickbay?
Adea: Let’s head to the bridge - we can retake the ship and get an idea of how bad the situation is.
Sadar: ::barely audible whimper:: Yes sir...
The Bridge. From what they had learnt from Lt Silveira’s counterpart over the intercom, the Bridge had already been taken by the Desdemonans. If they really had done so, Jovenan doubted they would be willing to give it up easily. For all they knew, there might have been a platoon of armed counterparts fortifying the bridge against a counterattack.
Jovenan: Aye, sir, but, uh, they probably have a lot of their troops guarding the bridge. Do you think we have a chance for a direct assault?
Adea: I can always pretend to be other me, and tell them I’ve taken you hostage?
Sadar: I am not opposed, but are we certain that hostage-taking is their modus operandi? They, uhh… ::looks to Commander Adea:: I mean. Yes. That sounds good. Yes.
Jovenan was fidgeting with the tricorder considering their chances of success. The nature of this mission had changed several times, and she only wished she had known that in advanced so she could have taken more time for sleep. She was currently only operating with adrenaline rushing in her veins.
Jovenan: That could work, but how do we smuggle our phasers in there? They’d probably notice easily we’re armed if we let them get any closer.
Adea: Response
Sadar: The probability that-
MacKenzie: =/\= MacKenzie to Doctor Sadar. =/\=
Jovenan was surprised when Doctor Sadar’s combadge chirped and the Captain’s voice came through. But was it the Captain or the Colonel? Before they could consider the possibility of deception, Doctor Sadar had already panicked and responded.
Sadar: =/\= D-Doctor Sadar here, Captain. =/\=
MacKenzie: =/\= You’re with Commander Adea? =/\=
Jovenan exchanged looks with the Commander. How did she know already?
Sadar: =/\= Yes Sir. We’ve joined up with Commander Adea after discovering the Desdemona crew’s ill intentions, and are now ::looks to the Commander for confirmation:: going to proceed to the Bridge? To… Expel the intruders? =/\=
MacKenzie: =/\= Stay where you are. We’re coming to you. =/\=
The commlink was severed. The conversation had ended as abruptly as it had begun, appropriate to the urgency of the situation. The trio’s location was now known to the Captain or the Colonel.
Sadar: The… Captain is joining us...
Jovenan: Or the Colonel. We don’t know for certain which one it was.
Adea: Response
((Timeskip))
Jovenan pointed her phaser at the door as it slid open. She had taken shelter behind some furniture in case the incomers had proven to be hostile, although she wasn’t certain if the Commander’s chairs were exactly phaser proof. The Captain’s – or Colonel’s – team entered, and Jovenan was ready to fight if needed. However, while the Captain was nigh identical to her counterpart, Lt Silveira was not. She could quickly identify the incomers as their allies, lowered her weapon and stepped out.
The Captain walked closer to Commander Adea and gave him a smile. Meanwhile, Jovenan noticed Lt Silveira take a long look at her for some reason. Perhaps he was trying to ascertain it was her and not the scheming Mediator the Desdemona had been carrying, not that they were perfectly identical either.
MacKenzie: Good to see you’re still breathing, Commander.
Adea: Response
MacKenzie: We know these monkeys have the bridge, but I’m not so sure they have the rest of the ship – you mentioned something about wanting to retake the bridge?
Adea: Response
Jovenan observed their new teammates’ reaction to the Commander’s plan. The fake hostage plan was much better than assaulting the bridge directly, even if they now had more troops and some actually skilled fighters in their lines.
Silveira: It’s a good plan. I think that might be a way to get them by surprise.
Sadar: Are we certain a faux hostage situation is the best way to gain access to the Bridge with this group? Given the Captain’s earlier message about the Colonel, surely they’d be suspicious if you appeared?
Silveira: Other than a frontal assault that will cost lives, even if we beam the team to the bridge instead of using the turbolift, I am with Commander Adea's plan.
Okay, it seemed they were going with the prisoner fakeout. Jovenan felt somewhat uneasy having to either pretend to be her counterpart and escort her colleagues to the enemy stronghold or be escorted there herself. She nervously straightened the hem of her skant uniform as she wondered what the Desdemonans did to their prisoners.
Adea/MacKenzie: Response
Jovenan: Sir, we’ve also prepared the tricorders to detect prismic radiation some members of the Desdemona crew might still be emitting.
She turned to Doctor Sadar to let her explain the rest of their technique.
Sadar: The Desdemona crew are not unaware of the radiation difference between us. Every member aboard the shuttle was called in for, and refused, anti-rad treatment… It would be… ::hesitant pause:: Major Dakora, Mediator Jovenan, Lieutenants Savel, Sato, Thevn and, uhh… “J”. Though we still don’t know how the cyborg components of Ensign Chevalier’s double interacts with the radiation.
Silveira: I think that’s irrelevant. I say we follow Commander Adea's suggestion. And we can add another element to the ploy.
MacKenzie/Adea/Sadar: Responses
Jovenan looked on curiously as Lt Silveira walked closer to Doctor Sadar and hold out his phaser.
Silveira: I know you're slightly different than the Shintverse Gila, but if you stay behind and point the phaser to us it will make Olivera think twice. Coronel Adea wouldn’t got all of us alone.
Having more than one “captors” made sense and would allow more of them to openly carry their phasers, not having to hide them or leave them behind entirely when going to the bridge. However, Jovenan wondered how willing the Doctor was to pretend to be her counterpart and possibly be the first one of them to actually begin the combat.
Sadar: Response?
Jovenan: What about the rest of us? ::to Silveira:: You can’t obviously pretend to be your counterpart, sir, but what about the Captain and me?
Adea/MacKenzie/Sadar: Response
She wasn’t sure how to react to the news. She wasn’t exactly sure if she even understood what had happened down in the belly of the ship while she had been rescuing the Commander. Regardless, she opted to concentrate on what was happening around her right now, as Lt Silveira seemed to have difficulty containing his emotions.
Silveira: I know that I am asking you something that might be your biggest sacrifice ever. And I will understand if you say no. But we have to hurry… I need to go and find my Jo and I can only do that after we take the bridge back… Please…
Jovenan raised her eyebrow confusedly. “My Jo”? She didn’t want to pry too much into the Lieutenant’s personal life, but she had served with him for a year now and didn’t remember ever hearing of him having a “Jo”. Who was so important to Lt Silveira and that she had never heard of until… Wait.
Jovenan: Jo who?
MacKenzie/Adea/Sadar/Silveira: Response
She couldn’t understand what had been said to her. It was like her brain had halted, or that they were speaking an unfamiliar language.
Jovenan: I thought she was… You did what to my… ::deep breath:: Sorry. We don’t have time to talk this through right now. I recommend we start moving before they can do any more damage.
MacKenzie/Adea/Sadar/Silveira: Response
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant JG Jovenan
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11