LtJG Gila Sadar - A Day of Firsts
Gila Sadar
((Port Side Observation Deck - Nova Gamma Borealis Cruise Ship))
Voice: =/\= Unknown Vessel, you have invaded the sovereign territory of the New Idran Confederacy. Stand down shields and prepare to have your vessel impounded. =/\=
She should’ve known. There was no peaceful day in the life of a Starfleet officer. It had been too good to be true that they could just go on a jovial jaunt over to the Gamma Quadrant, enjoy the sights of a historical landmark, and then hop on home like nothing had ever happened.
No. They just had to encounter whatever this was!
Dakora: You have your comm-badge, right?
Gila blinked, reaching into one of the multitude of pockets in her robe. She nodded when her fingers reached the comfortable solidness of the representation of her service.
The Starfleet Delta.
Though if anyone of this so-called ‘Idran Confederacy’ saw it, it was sure to become her death sentence.
Sadar: Y-Yes Sir, but-
The Lieutenant Commander fell to one knee suddenly, just as a streak of sudden light passed by outside. Gila realized a bit too late what the light signified, and so was rather haphazardly jostled onto the floor in response to the sudden rocking of the cruiser. She didn’t have to be an empath to feel the tension within the observation deck erupt into full-blown panic, as the civilian passengers too realized what had just happened.
Dakora: I don’t like these guys already. ::He gritted his teeth as he stood back up.:: Let’s get back to the others.
Gila nodded, wordlessly following her senior officer back to the others, and while she remained deeply concerned and barely teetered on the precipice of a panic attack, she fell back to the only thing that was keeping her together.
Her training. There was something to say about the quality Academy’s conditioning, since it was able to keep the weak-willed Mizarian together in the face of a very well and very violent unknown danger..
Sadar: Everyone okay!?
Gnai: Minorly stunned, but fine, sir!
Savel: I am fine, Doctor.
Dakora: We all have our badges, so we should have peer-to-peer comms if we get separated.
That was always something. Out of pure reflex, Gila’s eyes started scanning the deck for any civilians in obvious need of triage, but her concentration was briefly interrupted by the unfamiliar voice that had hijacked the Nova Gamma Borealis’ intercom.
N.I.C. Voice: =/\= Last and final warning. Lower shields. =/\=
The blue shimmer sliding over the windows was almost immediate.
Sadar: That is… Not ideal.
oO Gila Sadar - Lieutenant of Understatements Oo
Gnai: Not in the slightest! ::looking to Ens. Savel:: This seems to be yet another crisis together. Perhaps if this is resolved, you and this should not be on missions in the future.
Savel: It is illogical to assume our proximity to one another is a cause of our repeated misfortunes. ::pause:: But it is an undeniably curious set of coincidences.
The only comfort in this situation was that the three of them were accompanied by Lieutenant Commander Talos Dakora, who had had enough experience with facing down dangerous happenstance that he was able to maintain the greater picture without any Vulcan mind training to assist him.
Man, Gila really envied Ensign Savel that particular aspect of his culture.
Dakora: I read some reports about these kinds of groups back when I was in Intel. They board unescorted civilian ships, ransom off or maroon the occupants on nearby world, then strip the boat for parts on the black market.
Well, at least this solved the ethical issue of trespassing into the sovereign area of a fledgling alien government.
Dakora: I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel like being marooned or seeing the look on Captain MacKenzie’s face when she has to negotiate my ransom. If any of you have an idea, now’s the time.
Gila hadn’t even considered that, and for a moment, these NIC pirates seemed like a trivial concern, compared to the overpowering alarm that the very idea of the Captain’s reaction to their capture. Gila had barely reached a point where she was able to be in the imposing Captain’s presence without assuming that she was about to get verbally roasted - which was a very real concern considering the Captain’s method of compliments included insults and belittlement - so she was really in no hurry to give the redheaded Human more material for jabs.
Guide: ::shouting:: Quiet! QUIET!
Breaking Gila’s anxious soliloquy, the Bolian guide had appeared on the deck and tried to wrangle the attention of the increasingly anxious - almost violently so - passengers.
Dakora: ::Whispering to the others:: He’s not going to be able to control this crowd for long…
That was plain to see.
Savel: Agreed, so we should not stay among them.
Sadar: Sh-Shouldn’t we try and… Assist?
Guide: I've been in... brief negotiations with the New Idran Confederacy. This is fine, you don't need to panic--
Any desire Gila might’ve had to join the guide’s attempts at placating the crowd dissipated as a glass bottle soared through the air, crashing into the bulkhead just behind the Bolian. The first of many. Realizing his folly, the guide rushed through to a nearby door, frantically entering a code and slipping inside just as another drink contacted with the door as it shut.
Then, a heavy thud that Gila couldn’t quite place.
Gnai: More likely surrender, given how quickly this ship dropped shields…
Dakora: This ship isn’t armed. There wasn’t much they could do. ::His eyes narrowed as he turned an idea over in his mind.:: We might be able to do something, though.
Sadar: Like what!? I-I’m sorry to say, Sir, but we’re hardly, ehh… ‘Battle-ready’?
oO Not that I’m ever anything remotely applicable for that moniker Oo
Savel: Our access will be limited for now, however, we may be able to convince a member of the crew to assist us.
Gnai: Is there... any way to contact the Artemis? Or is this ship completely alone here, at the mercy of whatever this New Idran Confederacy may be?
Dakora: It’s worth a shot. If we can slip into the employees-only areas below decks, we can avoid getting rounded up with all the other tourists at least. ::He shrugged.:: Then if we can make it to the Comm Room, we can try for help.
Savel: We may also wish to attempt to avoid the crew of this vessel if possible. Until we have gained some advantage in our situation.
Realizing that the other officers were planning to leave the observation deck to head further into the freighter, and quite possibly straight into the maw of this pirate menace, Gila searched for an out. What use would she be!?
Sadar: Sh-Shouldn’t we leave someone here to assist the other passengers, in case anything happens? ::notices how unruly the other passengers are:: On the other hand… Maybe not the right atmosphere for that.
Gnai: Response.
The four of them moved swiftly through the deck, easily avoiding notice by the other passengers. It had definitely been the right decision to forego her uniform on this venture… Soon, the four of them arrived at the door that the guide had escaped through, and just as Gila was about to question how they would gain entry, Lieutenant Commander Dakora stepped up to bat.
Dakora: Luckily our Bolian friend thinks his code out loud as he enters it…
And Gila had a thought she’d never considered having before.
oO Thank the Wheel for telepaths Oo
Dakora: Everybody in!
Gnai: Response.
((Crew Decks - Nova Gamma Borealis))
With Ensign Savel leading them further into the vessel, and Lieutenant Commander Dakora ending their line-up, the four Starfleet Officers made quick strides to move towards the bowels of the Ship.
Savel: I believe we will be safe in this part of the ship, for the moment. Though I do foresee the boarders attempting to quickly pacify the passengers on the observation decks.
oO Pacify Oo
Dakora: Yeah, we’ve bought ourselves some time, but not much. We need to try and get a message out if we can…
oO ‘If’. What a uniquely terrifying word. Oo
Sadar: Y-Yes Sir...
Gnai: Response
Moving down the corridor, their first conundrum revealed itself soon enough. They first had to locate the Comms room, and this on a vessel that was clearly not designed according to any proper standards. She missed the transparent organized wonder of a Starfleet vessel right now.
Savel: If we do intend to seek out the communications room, we should attempt to locate more information about the ship’s layout. Wandering between decks in the hopes of discovering it by chance, even on a ship of this size, would be illogical.
Dakora: Agreed. Keep an eye out for signs or deck diagrams– anything that might help get us there.
Gnai: Response
Nodding in response to this order, Gila followed the others as they moved further along the corridor. While the walking space had been narrow for a while - a fact that seemed exacerbated by the unwieldy nature of Ensign Gnai’s suit - they soon entered into a larger room that, at first, seemed like a maintenance area. Large tool chests and heavy crates of parts were stacked against the bulkhead, while the other side of the room was dominated by large and curious pieces of equipment.
Gila felt horribly inadequate. How come she always found herself in crisis where an Engineer was sorely missed?
Ensign Savel’s head swiveled around like he’d heard something moments before he spoke.
Savel: It may be wise to find a place to hide. Whatever, or whoever, made that noise is currently headed towards us.
Dakora: It might just be the crew battening down the hatches, but let’s not take chances. Find a hiding spot and hunker down.
Sadar: U-Understood Sir.
Gnai/Savel: Response
Severely handicapped by her towering size, Gila hurried towards the stacked crates, climbing over them and behind into a small nook where she’d be able to hunch over and be out of sight. It was only when she heard footsteps and a voice, that she realized the fact that she was completely hidden also meant she was utterly incapable of seeing what was going on.
Guide: S-s-see? There's nothing down here! Just some basic tools and spare parts. Just like I said!
NIC Pirate: Then why's there life signs detected down ‘ere?
oO Oh, by the currents! Oo
Noted: Find some way to mask their lifesigns if this stealthy spelunking needed to continue.
Guide: I d-d-don’t know. I told you– other than the passengers– it's just me, the pilot and our engineer. And all of us were on the upper deck when you… well… arrived.
At that moment, a loud noise echoed throughout the maintenance bay, and though Gila couldn’t see the Bolian crewman or his abrasive companion, she felt the tension in the room like a physical pressure upon her body.
NIC Pirate: Who’s there!?
Savel/Dakora/Gnai: Responses?
Gila heard a small yelp and whimper, as the Pirate’s voice moved slightly further ahead of where she was.
NIC Pirate: Surrender yourselves, nice and easy, or this blueberry gets it!
Savel/Dakora/Gnai: Response
Gila frowned. She detested violence in all its forms, but it was something she’d come to anticipate as a reaction from aliens. There were other ways to enter into a negotiation than pointing a bloody weapon on the nearest innocent lifeform!
She wasn’t sure who had made the noise that had triggered, or how far away from the pirates her fellow officers were, but surely, she could do something to assist. But what!? It’s not like she was particularly good at sneaking, and even if she was able to sneak up on anyone, she would be of as little use as floppy seaweed.
Eyeing the crates stacked before her, Gila’s brain concocted an idea. Every ounce of self-preservation and good sense in her body that had survived the Starfleet indoctrination screamed at her to not go through with it - that her fellow Officers, who were far more competent and capable than she, would be able to handle this without her interference - but Gila had grown quite adept at ignoring herself. Whether this was a good or bad thing remained to be seen.
Utilizing what little room she had to prepare herself, she roughly - and rather clumsily, let’s be frank - hammered her shoulder into one of the top crates concealing her form. Her plan had been to just topple over the top crate, thus keeping enough equipment for her to hide behind, but evidently, the stacking of this equipment relied on a very sensitive sense of equilibrium, and what was supposed to be just a mild distraction turned into regular mayhem as multiple crates went tumbling down, crashing into the other equipment around it and starting a minor domino effect that was - at this point - impossible to stop. Gila’s startled at the sheer volume of the cacophonous reaction to her fairly innocent action, even as she heard the Guide screech in surprise before she saw him.
NIC Pirate: What in blazes-
Seeing the reptilian pirate turn about to point his weapon in her direction, Gila raised her arms in panic, hoping to showcase just how non-threatening she was.
Savel/Dakora/Gnai: Response
TAGS/TBC
LtJG Gila Sadar
Medical Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240006GS1