LtCmdr Tamio K'Wara - The Chase is On

[LtCmdr Tamio K'Wara]

(( Outside Sickbay - Afalqi )) ((( OOC: Thank you for your patience with me! Summer Vacation countdown ongoing!! )))

Nothing more eerie than a depopulated Starship running at a crew count less than a quarter of its recommended skeleton crew size. Except, of course, a depopulated Starship running at a crew count less than a quarter of its recommended skeleton crew size, where you suddenly hear something. Tamio had been through enough holodeck simulations as part of their job at the Academy to realize that space was one big horror story waiting to happen; it was all about stacking the odds in your favor before the penny dropped.

So when they arrived at the door to Sickbay, they stood by quietly, listening in on the muffled conversation occurring inside.

Pesho: ::muffled conversation:: -ucky it’s not wors-

Ava raised her hands, and Tamio nodded in understanding. They brandished their rifle, prepared for the worst, but hoping for the best.

Tarsan: ::softly:: Let’s give it a minute or two, maybe they’ll leave…

Munro: Time is a luxury we don’t have. 

Tamio didn’t disagree, but still didn’t relish the idea of going guns blazing at a group of Da’al who were still - despite their criminal association - civilians.

Pesho: ::muffled:: -ny better?

Tamio didn’t dare try to open the door - it was likely to make noise that the Da’al would recognize far better than any of them - and when they suddenly heard a new person joining the group, they were confirmed in their hesitancy. But there was another issue:

How long until they were outnumbered by whoever was on the other side of this door?

D'Hariv: Code Seven! There’s a man down in the transtube conduit in Section Four!

Munro: Is there anything we can do?

Tamio weighed their options, and didn’t much like most of them.

K’Wara: ::whisper:: Element of surprise? ::gestures to Gavrin:: Unless we find a way to deploy the gas from out here?

Pesho: ::muffled:: -ing here?

D'Hariv: Medtech Ligee was wounded in the attack. I thought he was alright, but then he collapsed after we got out of the transtube. Paracortal hemorrhage. ::Anticipating Nurine’s question::  I thought it best not to use communicators under-

Munro: Tarsan -

Something in Ava’s voice made Tamio tense. You never wanted to hear that cautionary tone in the voice of one of your command officers. They had barely started turning, their eyes moving to behold what was going on within Gavrin’s mind, before he had opened the door and blasted into the room. Cursing under their breath, they followed, rifle up.

Gavrin was already in fisticuffs with one of the Da’al women, while Ava was busy stunning the other two.

Munro: Grab him!

Tamio moved forwards, kicking away the improvised weapons that the stunned Da’al had intended to use - another confirmation that these thieves were not a trained group, but civilians and scientists on a misguided venture of some kind - before turning to point his rifle at the scuffle occurring in the center of the room.

K’Wara: Ensign, stand down!

Tarsan: Response

Munro: What are you doing, Tarsan?!

As the two of them jumped forwards, Ava forcefully pulled the struggling Gavrin back, and Tamio took his place in front of the Da’al woman. She looked familiar, they realized...

K’Wara: ::points the rifle at the Da’al:: I’d stay still.

Tarsan: Response

oO What? Oo

D’Hariv: If you came to this ship seeking a Romulan spy, you have found her.

Munro: Romulan?! So this is what the device was for? What could Romulans want from the Da’al?

The big question, and while Tamio didn’t move much - remaining still as they kept the Romulan-Da’al in their scope - their irises narrowed with interest.

D’Hariv: Somewhere on the planet below, a Da’al woman is fighting for her life. I contrived with her husband to deliver her to the treatment which her own government would or could not provide. I won't deny, however, that I am curious as to what other medical wonders might lay buried down there. Nor that coming here in an alien vessel had distinct advantages. In plainer words, I needed a patsy.

“Da’al woman fighting for her life”... They remembered Jetripar mentioning that Havun’s wife had called in sick recently. They’d presumed it was a ruse to cover for the theft. Had it all been true?

Ava sighed from somewhere behind them.

Munro: Keep your eyes on her :: to Tarsan :: What else did you get from the Romulan? :: lowered :: Your file, it suggested that you had no telepathic abilities? 

Tarsan: Response

Hearing Gavrin’s explanation, Tamio realized where they had seen this Da’al woman before. The symposium photos, alongside with that other Da’al who had had no identity or name to speak of prior to meeting Havun and the other Afalqi engineers.

Her fellow Romulan infiltrator, they supposed. The same woman who was now dead in the Artemis’ morgue.

K’Wara: That was your doing, I suppose?

D’Hariv: Yes, I killed her. I take it your people are responsible for neutralizing the doomsday weapon which she left behind on the Da’al homeworld? When last we spoke, she was monitoring its progress, or lack thereof, from this vessel.

K’Wara: And let me guess; you had nothing to do with it.

Not that Tamio figured that would matter much to the Nascaik. Their judicial system didn’t ascribe a great deal of import to the element known as ‘intent’.

Tarsan/Munro: Response

D’Hariv: You have my congratulations, and thanks. Whatever comes next, I want it stated for the record that I had no knowledge of that bomb prior to the vessel’s launch. And that I executed its creator to avenge its creation and prevent her trying anything of the like on the Afalqi’s crew. I stand apart from such barbarism.

It occurred to Tamio that a lot of medium-tier criminals claimed their saving grace in ‘at least I’m not as bad as the next person’. It was a curious mindset, and one that they were certain many counselors could spend hours rationalizing. To Tamio, it sounded like hogwash.

Tarsan/Munro: Response

D’Hariv: Your Betazoid will tell you that I am speaking the truth. I understand empathy to be a passive skill. ::Diplomatic tone dropping to a harsher octave:: But I warn him that if he tries to intrude upon my mind more actively, he will not enjoy the sights that I show him.

Tarsan/Munro: Response

It was clear what was to follow.

K’Wara: Yes Commander. ::approaches D’Hariv, rifle drawn:: By order of the Da’al government, you’re under arrest for conspiracy of theft and for usurping the identity of Da’al government agents. You are also in violation of several Nascaik statutes, including the murder of the crew of the Supply Vessel Balutén. Now, lower the hypo, slowly, and disarm.

The Romulan-Da’al did as requested with surprising ease, which should’ve set off warning flares in Tamio’s mind. They had participated in many holodeck simulations intended to train cadets for these kinds of scenarios, and most of those holodeck simulations had one particular thing in common.

D’Hariv: Oh, this? A general anaesthetic. Harmless. I did have to knock a fellow out nearby. Someone might want to go retrieve him. He’s likely to fall into the transtube if the Nasciak fire on us again. He's over that way.

The bad guy always ran away.

This bad guy, in particular, did so by flicking a small object - a cylindrical ampule of some sort, maybe? - through the air. When it shattered against the wall, the oxygenation of the compound within triggered an explosion, and immediately, the lights went out as all doors in the room sprung open. Tamio heard the shuffling of feet, something was knocked over and they discharged their rifle, hoping that the woman hadn’t moved too far to be hit.

Obviously, she had, and the shot rang hollow against the wall.

K’Wara: Shoot!

Tarsan/Munro: Response

K’Wara: On it!

Tamio switched on the scope torch and quickly took off in the direction that they’d heard the Romulan rush. Within moments, they heard a telltale noise from within the walls - air being siphoned from one place to another - and Tamio verified with the scanning device Gavrin had given them.

K’Wara: That- She’s in the transtube network. Heading up!

Tarsan/Munro/D’Hariv: Response

K’Wara: Gavrin, you better have that tube lined up for one heck of a boost by the time we get there.

Their chase was soon halted, as they got to the transtube access hatch, and it was closed. Tamio tried to open it, but to no avail. It was clear that transtube access was halted while it was in use, likely to not have violent winds tearing through the decks and upsetting life support functionality.

Tamio wasn’t one for violent outbursts, but they really felt like kicking the wall at that moment.

K’Wara: Do we have a bead on her? Gavrin?

Tarsan/Munro/D’Hariv: Response

K’Wara: Engineering decks? What would she- ::shakes their head:: Questions later. Let’s get after her.

Tarsan/Munro/D’Hariv: Response

TAG/TBC

LtCmdr Tamio K’Wara

Chief of Ops

USS Artemis-A
A240006GS1