LtJG Jovenan – Desperation, this time not from us
Jovenan
((Bridge, USS Artemis))
There was little she could do. She couldn’t bring the dead back alive, nor could she heal those who were wounded. All she could do now was continue internal scanner sweeps and report the events elsewhere to the Captain. At least they could try and stop things from turning any worse now.
Jovenan: We also have weapons fire in Engineering, sir, at mid-level. It was near the signal of Lieutenant Yellir. The lifesigns of an unidentified person have just seized.
Silveira: Ensign Savel is on the move. Maybe Lieutenant Yellir called Security.
That was good. She didn’t know if the unidentified person was one of them or their counterparts but seeing them seemingly die live on her screen didn’t make her feel any better. She had been on five missions by now, but this was the first one they actually had people dying onboard the ship.
While scrolling through internal sensor data, she noticed the external sensors picking up a significant change. She turned around to the main viewscreen to verify something that was already obvious to them all: the Desdemona was fleeing.
Kader: Engineering doesn’t report warp core readiness. We only have impulse on hand.
MacKenzie: Let’s go, Ensign…
It seemed like whoever was in command of the Desdemona had decided abruptly to abandon their plan and their fellow crewmembers, their captain included, now that it was beginning to seem like they were losing this fight. Jovenan was confused over their plan; where would they even go?
Silveira: Do you want us to reach them Captain?
Jovenan, still looking at the main viewer, noticed the Captain give the order with a simple hand move.
Kader: Tractor beam emitters still work.
MacKenzie: If they’re going to outrun us, then let’s get a lock before they’re out of range.
Jovenan: They’ll be out of range in fifteen seconds, sir.
Not all of the seconds they still had remaining were needed, as Kader successfully flew the Artemis close to the escaping transuniversal ship and managed to get a hold of it with the tractor beam. This threat dealt with, Jovenan exhaled and turned back to her station and continued locating their opponents within the ship.
Silveira: Savel is close to Engineering, he has a medical team with him as well. I am redirecting Security teams, but there are still some of the Desdemona senior staff unaccounted for.
MacKenzie: Unaccounted for? Who is unaccounted for?
Jovenan: Unknown, sir. We don’t even know how many of them beamed over yet. Of the senior staff, we haven’t yet found at least Yellir, Kader, Thevn, Stennes… Did we have Sato yet?
Kader: I know how to find one of them. Captain, 2nd lieutenant Kader is currently roaming free wearing my uniform and combadge. And also using my authorization code to possibly aid the crew of the Desdemona. All of those I provided to him out of my own free will. Permission to abandon my post and report to the brig.
Jovenan was yet again surprised by Kader. He had acquired information about the prismagons the science team couldn’t crack in that time, he had made deal with what had seemed like a Shint vessel, and he apparently trusted his counterpart enough to swap clothes and identities with him. Making deals and aiding one’s enemies without the knowledge and order of one’s commanding officer was a crime; it was called treason, and the Edo weren’t the only cultures in the galaxy who would be calling for an execution for it.
She hoped his trust hadn’t been misplaced as the counterparts had proven to be untrustworthy. Well, not all of them, as it had been seen. Her thoughts once again lingered to her sister, her mental pain causing her to lose focus for a few seconds.
MacKenzie: We’ll send a security team. Until all their crewmembers are accounted for, we need everyone to stay at their posts. (beat) Who has eyes on Ensign Kader’s commbadge?
The Captain’s question returned Jovenan’s thoughts back to her work. If she hadn’t been so easily distracted, she could have scanned for Kader’s combadge the instant Ensign Kader had mentioned Lt Kader wearing his. Now she had to hope any of the others might had been better suited for her job.
Silveira: Response
Sadar: Locating Ensign Kader’s combadge frequency… ::beat:: Ensign Kader’s ID is located on Deck 11, near the Hazards Laboratory. Someone’s with him. One of ours. A… Crewman Third Class Jozial Renirs?
Jovenan didn’t know who this Renirs was, but she was worried for them. A crewman, very new one judging by the lowest grade, might not realise how dangerous the Desdemonans were or that they are under attack. They might be entirely defenceless against Kader’s counterpart, should he prove to be like his companions.
MacKenzie: He may have a hostage…
Jovenan: It’s also possible this Renirs is also from the Desdemona…
Silveira/Kader: Response
Sadar: 2nd Lt. Thevn is also accounted for. She is enroute to the Brig as we speak.
The Captain seemed to react strongly to something. She nearly jumped from her seat towards the operations console, her phaser drawn. Jovenan wasn’t sure what had caused the Captain to prepare for an immediate attack, but given the access the Captain’s chair had to the overall systems, she must have noticed something.
MacKenzie: Secure the bridge!
Silveira/Kader: Response
Jovenan: No lifeforms in Jefferies tubes leading to the Bridge detected. Locking all access ports and erecting forcefields for caution.
The bridge lockdown seemed to calm the Captain sufficiently to return to her seat, only to find something bleeping.
MacKenzie: We’ve got an unauthorized shuttle launch. Can we lock the bay doors??
Jovenan turned quickly back to her consoles and accessed the relevant data. The shuttlebay doors were entirely open, and there seemed to be little to stop the small vessel from leaving them all behind.
Jovenan: The shuttle Ephesus would have cleared the doors by the time they close, sir. They’re getting away!
Silveira/Kader/Sadar: Response
MacKenzie: There’s a Betazoid lifeform on board… I’ve got to guess it’s not one of ours – and since Major Dakora is now deceased, it must be-
Jovenan closed her eyes for a few seconds. The counterpart Adea, the one who had bound and gagged Commander Adea and fooled everyone thinking he was the real one for a few days, had now managed to steal a shuttle and successfully escape them. The thought of an alternate universe person with Doctor Adea’s face and access codes roaming in their universe scared her.
Jovenan: Can we use the tractor beam or weapons?
Silveira/Kader/Sadar: Response
The Captain shook her head. It seemed like they were just letting the Ephesus run away. With any luck, they could track it after they were done with the Desdemona here, or maybe inform other Starfleet ships and local authorities of a stolen shuttlecraft and a dangerous criminal with the appearance of their CMO.
MacKenzie: I want the rest of them apprehended. Now.
Jovenan sighed inaudibly. The number of known Desdemonans on the run was diminishing little by little, but for all they knew, those still alive and uncaptured could be causing major damage any minute now. There was one more positive thing Jovenan could spot on her screen.
Jovenan: Sir, Commander Dakora’s team have secured the prismagons and there’s no leakage from them detected. The team seem to be taking them somewhere.
Silveira/Kader/Sadar/MacKenzie: Response
Jovenan: We haven’t yet tested phasing anything out to the other universe, but Ensign Kader has already demonstrated that something happened when the deflector controls were set to the configurations indicated by, um, his counterpart.
MacKenzie/Silveira/Kader/Sadar: Response
Jovenan wasn’t sure what to think of the idea. They could prepare to send the Desdemonans back to the shadows from whence they came, ridding them perhaps forever, but on the other hand, she wasn’t entirely sure if she’d trust the Kaders – no offence to their Kader – and their Shint friend to give them the perfectly functional and safe information.
Jovenan: My recommendation is that we study the prismagons more before we start testing let alone using them on living beings, sir.
MacKenzie/Silveira/Kader/Sadar: Response
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant JG Jovenan
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11