[END ACT 3] Ensign Ollie Bergmen - This is the price of being an officer
CPT Arianus
(( Clearing Near the Tritorian Wreckage - Meirash ))
She resembled a messenger of the apocalypse itself. Ensign Bergmen took his place behind Commander Dakora, quickly adjusting his cape and uniform to look... more presentable. Not the dirty, tired, traumatized ensign he felt like. No, he stood at attention, his head held high. As the Starfleet officer, he aspired to be.
MacKenzie: And just what was that?
He drew in a deep breath, steadying himself to keep his knees from buckling as he attempted to fade into the background.
The conversation about to unfold was well beyond his pay grade.
Silveira: Sorry Captain, but it was the best of the worst solutions. Given the situation we had to do it like this.
Lieutenant was first to speak. The argument is with truthful logic, and it was a strong first move.
Dakora: Response
The captain appeared less than impressed. She narrowed her eyes and nodded slowly. Yet Silveira attempted to salvage the momentum of their argument.
Silveira: Captain we had to get their attention. There was a mob heading this way.
Lieutenant gestured toward the scattering crowd, and the captain mirrored his gesture in response.
MacKenzie: Yes, I see that…
Dakora: Response
Bergmen remained at attention silently, allowing his superiors to share their perspectives on the situation. His gaze shifted from the captain to the crowd, from them to the Riche mercenaries, and from them to the wreckage, reflecting on the situation they encountered, trying to view it from a new perspective now that things were calm.
oO Did we do everything right? Could anything have been done differently, better? Oo
The ensign gazed back at the captain, remaining silent.
Silveira: Please Captain, truth be told we aren't the first ones here. Even the Tritorian isn't the first ship to crash on this planet.
MacKenzie: Oh, I can’t wait to hear.
Ollie tilted his head, trying without success to read the captain's expression for any hint of whether she believed them.
He took a deep breath and locked his gaze onto the captain's. If there was ever a time to speak, it was now.
Bergmen: We found the proof, captain. Old Orion datarod. The Orion ship crashed on Ura Neteos, and there was a survivor. She used all her knowledge and the surviving technology from the crash to subdue the local population and rise as the God-Empress.
Dakora: Response
Lieutenant looked at Dakora as if he was assessing the situation and whether he had anything to add to support their case.
Silveira: Maybe it's best Commander Dakora explain all the details.
Captain agreed, guessing by her slight nod and smirk on her face.
MacKenzie: I think you’re quite right about that, Mr. Silveira…
Dakora: Response
Bergmen nodded in agreement with every commander's words, supporting what was being said.
They did nothing wrong. They did their best under the circumstances. At least that's what he believed.
And maybe they persuaded the captain, maybe she just left it to be solved later… as she just gestured back to the jungle, to the place where Tritorian wreckage was.
MacKenzie: No doubt you’ve seen the workbees – Commander Salkath and the others are just about finished removing the Tritorian, but there was no trace of its crew or cargo… We’ll have to do an analysis on the wreck to find out exactly what happened.
Ollie bit his lip, contemplating whether he should speak. But what wrong could come from doing so?
Bergmen: The ship was carrying medical supplies, which were plundered and lost among the followers of the God-Empress cult. No weapons or ... more harmful technologies were looted as far as we know. One survivor was found and evacuated back on Artemis, ma’am.
Dakora/Silveira: Response
Captain glanced at each of them in turn, studying their faces one by one.
MacKenzie: It just keeps getting more and more interesting…
Silveira/Dakora: Response
Ollie had nothing more to say; there was nothing left to add. He kept his silence until the captain nodded.
MacKenzie: Alright, it’s time to get out of here – we’ve caused enough trouble. The others will join us when they’re finished.
Dakora/Silveira: Response
Ensign nodded and recorded the locations of the holographic projectors on his tricorder for transport.
Bergmen: Ready.
Captain stepped closer to the other three and tapped her combadge.
MacKenzie: =/\= MacKenzie to Artemis. Four to beam up. =/\=
TAG/END of mission for Ens. Olliver Kimmi Bergmen
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Ensign Ollie Bergmen
Operations Officer
U.S.S. Artemis-A
A240009JC1