Fleet Captain Addison MacKenzie - A Show of Faith
Addison MacKenzie
The jig was up, as was any hope for discretion or subtle disarmament. The Nasciak group, led by the hyperfemale Eos, now stood in front of them, aware of their presence with the intent of confronting the Starfleet contingent directly. She wasted no time.
Eos: I suggest you return to your ship. By our laws, I could take your blood for your violence and your prejudice against my people :: sighs :: Let the record show that Dota Bundara Eos was merciful: Mercy met with condemnation and prejudice is un unresolvable shame. Retribution must be paid. If a war comes of this, it will be the Federation that bears the blame. Not the Nascaik.
MacKenzie shook her head slightly. What a foolish creature. It was clear that she had no concept for the lengths Starfleet had gone to - she had gone to - to ensure a lasting peace between the Nasciak and the Thama. Surely, the commanding officer believed, she was unaware of the consequences that would await her if the Nasciak government found out one of their own had been responsible for harming the mediator that helped usher in an era of peace for their people.
MacKenzie: You wouldn't dare risk war with the Federation.
The Nasciak hyperfemale seemed to shrug nonchalantly as she turned to share a look with the archivist.
Cole: ::making eye contact with:: I don’t think any of us are standing here because we want a war, Dota Bundara Eos.
Eos looked to Cole with thinly veiled contempt.
Jaran: Violence between us hasn't happened, and is never inevitable.
Eos: Your Bajora is correct. Captain, I suggest you contain the hubris of your inferior. To disrespect a Dota of the Nascaik is a crime.
The archivist made a note, raising her PADD to take an image. Behind her Bancroft cleared his throat.
Bancroft: We do not intend disrespect, Dota Bundara Eos. If offense has been given, I would ask that you attribute it to misunderstanding rather than malice.
The redheaded commanding officer of the Artemis once again slowly shook her head and gestured for the others to lower their weapons. Next to her, the officers slowly lowered their arms to their sides.
MacKenzie: We've only ever wanted peace for your people. That's why I helped broker it in the first place. We agree that your people have been the victims of violence here, but you are not alone in that regard, nor do you get to be the sole arbiters of how justice is exerted.
Cole: Help us get to Havun alive. Dead, he becomes a symbol. Alive, he can still answer for what he’s done.
Jaran: You must see that cooperation is in yours and our best interest here.
Eos sighed.
Eos: You are standing here in breach of Starfleet General Orders 9, 13, 14, 15, 19, and 21. I don’t wish to waste too much time, as I have a Thalaron crisis to deal with as well as the apprehension of the terrorist Havun. But a record has been made.
Eos raised her fist and her officers lowered their weapons. MacKenzie could almost feel a collective exhale from both sides.
Bancroft: It seems we share a mission – the Thalaron is a primary concern of ours.
MacKenzie: For the region.
Cole: You want accountability, so do we. We can still stop him without making this tunnel the start of something worse.
The Nasciak weapons snapped back up.
Jaran: That wasn't a threat, regardless of how her face may be set.
Eos: Perhaps she should remain quiet. Or she may find herself in breach of our laws. To threaten a Dota is punishable by imprisonment :: she glanced to the archivist who made more notes :: I assume she does not speak for you in this matter Captain? It is wasting mine and your time? That can be another matter for me to raise with the FDC at DS224.
With another raised fist, Eos’s soldiers lowered their weapons again. The question was clearly directed at her - and she intended to answer - but not before making a note to speak with Cole about the usefulness (or un-) of her tactics.
MacKenzie: The lieutenant is often easil-
From behind her, Jira's tricorder interrupted them all with a loud trill, followed by the same from Bancroft's.
Jaran: That's a warning. I'm going to open my tricorder. It's not a weapon.
Cole: I'd love for that to be a “Improve my day” kind of alert.
Eos: Do it :: she indicated to her officers to remain at peace ::
Bancroft: What’re you seeing, Jira?
Jaran slowly removed their tricorder and opened the device, causing the audible trill to stop. Bancroft moved over to check the readout as well.
Jaran: I know we're all having a moment right now, but I'm reading elevated levels of thalaron radiation in the corridor.
MacKenzie took a sharp breath in through her nose. The summary meant one of two things: either Havun's device had reached the next phase of its escalation, or Jovenan's team failed and they were on the verge of catastrophic disaster. They had little time to make a choice that meant literal life or death.
Cole: We can go back to disagreeing with each other after we're no longer standing in something that kills everyone equally.
Eos shook her head in apparent disgust.
Archivist: It has been noted to the record of law.
Eos: Move.
The Nasciak officers fell in line and quickly pushed past the Starfleet officers in the direction of the radiation. It was the right course of action - the only choice was to try to stop or contain what was happening... If they couldn't, the entire region was in danger and any attempt to escape on their part would be futile anyway.
Jaran: I suggest we move before this reaches a dangerous level. Levels are rising as we speak.
Cole: Survival is as good an incentive as any to cooperate.
Eos pushed ahead with her people before turning to the Captain.
Eos: Our orders are to prevent an incident with the Thalaron radiation. I hope that I don’t have to explain to you the level of destruction we are facing. We have nine worlds that rely on the trade routes through this sector of space. That is billions of Nascaik lives.
Bancroft: Three of the four of us are physicians. Healers, not soldiers, ma’am.
Bancroft winced briefly, no doubt aware that his words would either be meant with respect or contempt. Still, she hoped that the fact that many of them were doctors meant that the implications of the presence of thalaron radiation were deeply felt.
Bancroft: We understand the danger. Preserving lives – Nasciak, Federation, Da’al, anyone caught in the path of this – is not peripheral to our mission. It is the mission.
Jaran: Response
Cole: You don’t need to agree with us. You don’t need to even like us, but you have to see we’re all in the same blast radius.
Eos: That’s the only thing that has made sense from this inferior since she first spoke, Captain.
The archivist, always by Eos’ side, nodded as if confirming a fact.
Bancroft: Jira, how are the levels looking?
Jaran: Response
MacKenzie: ::consulting Jaran's tricorder:: It doesn't look like there's been a massive spike yet. We might not be too late, but we have to hurry.
Cole: Then let's move before we get ashy.
Eos and her team were already moving. MacKenzie and the other followed suit.
Eos: Straight ahead. There’s a stairwell that leads to a lower section. We suspect that whatever experiments have been happening here, they’ve been using Thalaron :: cursed under breath :: That's where they store it.
Eos paused as they neared the shaft.
Bancroft: If that is where they store it, then we should assume containment is either compromised or soon will be. We should also assume Havun knows exactly what that means.
MacKenzie: No doubt, and he's now found himself between a rock and a hard place...
Cole/Jaran: Response
Eos: I must insist that you return to your ship, Captain. This is not posturing :: looked to Cole :: This is our battle and you may not want to believe this, but the Nascaik are not your enemy here. Never have been :: again, looked at the aggressive ones :: I don’t want to see you or your team killed.
Bancroft: Dota, our own people are down here somewhere – not for violence, but for the same reason you are. To prevent thalaron from destroying lives beyond counting. We are duty-bound to support them. And if we leave now, we abandon both them and the chance to help you stop this before it becomes the incident all of us are trying to prevent.
MacKenzie: I wouldn't leave our people behind any more than you would - the only way out of this is to work together if we have any chance of getting out of here alive.
Cole/Jaran: Response
Eos: :: sighs :: Very well but do not fire weapons down there. You’ll kill us all. Your doctor should treat you for the radiation. If they aren't capable, I can have my scientist do it.
The scientist immediately stepped forward as Eos shot MacKenzie with a smug look. Apparently it hadn't registered that three of the four Starfleet officers were physicians. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, they pressed forward through the corridor in a methodical manner until they reached an opened door. Bancroft stepped in carefully.
Bancroft: That’s a very generous offer, thank you. It is appreciated. We brought prophylaxis, but I would value coordination with your scientist. Would you consent to Dr. Jaran and me working in partnership with them to keep everyone here as safe as possible?
The offer was both practical - it was always possible that the Nasciak had access to knowledge and processes they didn't - and a gesture of good will... An invitation for cooperation built on the Nasciak offering. ...It was a smart play.
MacKenzie: Agreed, but let's hurry.
Cole/Jaran/Eos: Response
Bancroft nodded and gestured for Jaran to begin preparing the inoculations.
Bancroft: These will prevent the worst of any Thalaron exposure we may experience. ::a beat:: But we should still move quickly.
Cole/Jaran/Eos: Response
MacKenzie stepped forward to receive her inoculation from the Nasciak scientist - a gesture which, she hoped, would be received as a show of faith. Around her, the others were receiving doses from Bancroft and Jaran.
Then, the corridor was suddenly bathed in flashing red lights and a horrendous klaxon blared throughout the complex. MacKenzie instinctively reached for her tricorder, flicking the device open with alarm.
MacKenzie: I'm reading a massive spike in thalaron generation...
Bancroft/Cole/Jaran/Eos: Response
MacKenzie: We've got to hurry. You said we need to head through these doors?
Bancroft/Cole/Jaran/Eos: Response
The commanding officer holstered her tricorder and removed her phaser from its holster. She had clocked Eos's warning not to discharge weapons - and, of course, she wouldn't if she didn't have to - but if they were facing imminent danger, the risk of igniting any of the radiation would probably be just as fatal as allowing Havun to carry out whatever was happening anyway.
MacKenzie: Let's go.
Bancroft/Cole/Jaran/Eos: Response
Commanding Officer
USS Artemis-A