MSNPC Major Oolwi - [Begin Act One] Aboard The Artemis (p2)(redo)
Chris Taylor
(OOC: Left some Richards text out of the previous version, sorry)
((Briefing Room – Deck 1, USS Artemis-A))
The door to the briefing room opened, and Indeethl was confronted by a many-windowed view of open space. She lost a step, pausing briefly at the doorway, just to look at it.
Oolwi: .oO(This is what we’re missing out on.)Oo.
Everyone took seats around the table: MacKenzie at the head as ship’s captain, the Grunden and Kobyar officials across from one another, and Richards and Cole on opposite sides of the table next to the delegates. Richards delved right in to kick off the conversation.
Richards: ::To Oolwi:: Major. ::To Kexxin:: General. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we are deeply sorry for what is happening on your soil right now.
Kexxin: ::Scoffing a bit:: So are we.
Kexxin seemed exhausted by the recent events. While she was a ball of nervous, conflicted energy. Sitting amid the bounty and freedom of the Federation while down below, her friends and family and subordinates and everyone else was still trapped in a prison of war. Only a matter of time until more of them were scoured away, unless something finally changed.
Oolwi: Very much so.
MacKenzie: Indeed. This is just another in a long line of tragedies that have taken countless lives of both your peoples over the years. I deeply hope that we can find a meaningful, lasting solution here.
Cole: With the recent events that have happened, I can not begin to imagine what the two of you are thinking.
Richards: You both seem reasonable. I can assume there will be no need to bring in any extra security during this conversation?
Kexxin: No. There is no need for any of that. The Major and I have agreed this is to settle things for our people. We are not here to make it worse.
Cole: ::To Kexxin:: It sounds like you may have taken what I said planet side to heart. Peace is the bigger fight.
Indeethl tried not to feel offended by Richards’ question. She knew the human hadn’t been present when she confided her feelings about the war to Captain MacKenzie, or the battle that came after.
Oolwi: I have risked my life today to save Grunden lives. I’m here to work to save all lives on Kydon from a war that has gone on beyond all cause or reason.
The Captain clasped her hands and rested them on the conference table’s surface, leaning forward as she did so. A polite but unmistakable sign of who was in control here.
MacKenzie: Major, General… I know that tensions have increased considerably with the bombing of the Kobyar capital. What probability do you think we have of trying to enact a ceasefire at this time?
Kexxin: They ignored the first ceasefire. I don’t know how trustworthy anyone is after the egregious display of war and weaponry while your people were planet side. We can try, but I can’t promise it won't end the same.
Cole: ::To Kexxin, gesturing openly toward Oolwi:: General, before all this, the two of you didn’t have Starfleet, now you do. Let us help. It’s a better option than watching your people tear each other apart for nothing.
Oolwi: I don’t know that the ceasefire was ignored so much as undermined. As I have already said to the General, I don't believe the simultaneous attacks on all of your away teams to be coincidental.
Richards: Response
The Captain sat back in her chair raising her arms slightly while shaking her head.
MacKenzie: I’ll be honest, my teams are doing the best they can with the data and observations we were able to make from our limited time on the surface, but I’m not sure we have much to go on with what we’ve gathered so far… And I can’t in good faith send any of my officers in to conduct any further investigations unless the violence has stopped.
Kexxin: I expect nothing less from a leader. The safety of your crew comes first and foremost.
Oolwi: I could not in good faith plead for your return. The Kobyari government has already failed to protect the individuals it welcomed as guests from harm, yourself included. And following the attack on the Capitol, Defense Service resources will be spread all the thinner.
MacKenzie: In the interest of collaboration and openness, I’d like each of my officers to share a brief synopsis of what they and their teams observed. Samantha was working on the investigation of Kobyar drone technology, and Ensign Cole was with the Grunden. Samantha, would you like to go first?
Richards nodded affirmatively.
Richards: Things in the Kobyar Capital seemed relatively fine. They were welcoming and kind from what I could tell. A couple of the Kobyar drones were delivered to us at our guest suite where Imril, Silveira and myself were instructed to examine them. Ensign Imril should have a complete report on what was discovered inside the drones. We were unable to finish the examination. ::Side glancing at Kexxin:: Our guest suite was attacked and I am unsure of what was saved and what we lost.
MacKenzie: And Ensign Cole?
Cole: After arriving at the Grunden camp we departed towards New Kehixa, the local area did appear to have sustained quite a lot of damage from a bombardment of some kind. While enroute we encountered the Grunden sensor’s system. This did lead to some initial confusion as one of the sensors detonated unexpectedly. Upon arrival at our destination we formally meet with the General and Naru. Afterwards we split our team in two; Lieutenant Zoyara’s team went to investigate the downed drone in the area while ours investigated for any evidence of off world interference. During that investigation we were attacked by Hoppers, and in the aftermath of that attack we found a facility of unknown origin under a building that had been heavily damaged in the attack. Inside we discovered two individuals and a signal, also of unknown origin. I did have to take drastic measures to ensure our team, and our guests, were able to exit without issue. Full details are in my report.
Cole exhaled. Practiced as she was in delivering information to an audience, Indeethl could have pointed out a few spots where she could have paused to take a breath.
MacKenzie: It’s still too early to tell, but I’d like to believe that neither side is responsible for what’s happening on your planet. At least, not directly, and certainly not a majority of either of your peoples. Do you have any thoughts on what our findings have shown so far, or information that might lend to aid our investigations?
Kexxin lowered his head for a moment, appearing to recall something.
Kexxin: I do…
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. Indeethl leaned towards it, knowing if nothing else that the Artemis’ sensors would have registered it as a threat if it were one. For a given definition of the word threat.
Kexxin: My Executive Officer. He- he attacked me when we went to find some of your team. He warned me that we shouldn’t go any further into the underground facility Starfleet discovered. His mutiny led to his death. I discovered this on him. I don’t know if it will be helpful or not. Hell, I don’t even know how to turn it on. I’ve never seen anything like it before…
Kexxin slid the device towards the Captain.
The Major was very much looking forward to her analysis, for she had not seen anything of its like either.
MacKenzie: Response
Richards: ::Skeptically:: You are telling me you didn’t know your own Executive Officer was hiding something like this from you?
Kexxin: A traitor is a traitor, I did what had to be done and now I am more unsure of my people than ever before.
Richards shook her head.
Richards: ::To MacKenzie:: Captain, may I suggest we have that device looked at by our Engineers? Imril is probably still dealing with the drone parts. Perhaps Tho’Bi? I know he’s a bit strange, but I think he might be a good fit for helping find out whatever may be on that thing.
MacKenzie: Response
Kexxin’s statement on treason served as a darkly appropriate segue into information that Indeethl had to share. Delivered to her during a brief exchange with Hui-Jel over satellite phone before beaming up with Kexxin.
Oolwi: I’m sorry to report that there is more than one traitor involved in these events. For those of you who were unaware, the first attack on Breetia has been confirmed to have been ordered by one Grand Marshall Vef-Lai. Who my government had been holding for trial for enacting that massacre. At the same time as the Village, Kobyar capitol and Starfleet teams were attacked, the holding facility where he was being housed was also raided. He was freed and escorted away by persons unknown. One of the guards stationed at his door has also gone MIA. The other is in a morgue dead from a gunshot wound to the back of his head.
MacKenzie/Richards/Cole/Kexxin: Response
Oolwi: I think we can start calling him Citizen Vef-Lai now. His dishonorable discharge is a matter of formality at this point. He’ll be tried in absentia if he is not recovered. The additional charge of desertion, atop others related to the escape, will seal his removal of rank and status regardless of the other sentences. High Treason carries the death sentence.
Capitol punishment was a factor of Kobyari military culture which Indeethl knew would have to be addressed, down the line, to get further into the Federation’s good graces. But as far as she was concerned, that could wait until after Vef-Lai and his pet guard had been dispatched.
MacKenzie/Richards/Cole/Kexxin: Response
Oolwi: Captain, you said that you believe that neither side is responsible for what’s happening on our world. I think it’s becoming evident that, whoever the ultimate cause is, they are receiving aid, and a lot of it, from Grunden and Kobyars both. We are dealing with a many-headed conspiracy.
MacKenzie/Richards/Cole/Kexxin: Response
TAG/TBC!
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MSNPC Oolwi
As written by:
Ensign Imril
Engineering Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240110I12