Lt Commander Jania Nis - Minor threat (resend)
Jania Nis
[[Holodeck]]
(( Main Bridge, USS Buffett ))
Ragh: This doesn't bode well. (To Rouiancet) Put us on yellow alert. My orders remain the same: we're here to talk. Any ideas where these new friends are broadcasting from? Surely not the comet?
Jania wondered if she would do as good of a job as she thought Ragh was doing. With her difficulty taking these sorts of immersion programs seriously, she had gotten into trouble more than once. Her first holodeck mission, right off the shuttle, she’d tripped and fallen in front of everyone.
Then there was the time Lhandon yelled at her for not taking Lia’s thing seriously. Was that her worst Starfleet memory? No, she could easily think of worse, but few that stung so bad.
But Ragh -sounded- like a captain. He seemed assured and ready. She was glad to have another leader in her department; since Miash had left, she hadn’t felt the same sense of support from any of her lower-deckers.
Nis: Trying to get a lock on it now.
But that was harder than expected. She knew the theory, but it wasn’t working in practice. The comms array was one of the most complicated features of the bridge, and one who wasn’t well-trained in it hit walls from time to time
Rouiancet: Wherever the speaker is, they're not on the comet. The signal's point of origin is far distant, probably even beyond any of the other comets.
Ragh: Interesting, that means there is the possibility of cloaked ships nearby.
Nis: Could be a subspace relay nearby that we’re not picking up.
Rouiancet: Call coming in, Captain. Receive?
Ragh: (Nodding) On the main screen.
Unknown: =/\= Hello Buffet, as promised.. =/\=
Rather than the large main screen she was used to, a holographic image of a Romulan appeared toward the center of the room.
Unknown Romulan: =/\= I'd prefer to keep our identities to ourselves, if you don't mind. =/\=
Ragh: =/\= That is acceptable. =/\=
At this, Jania did raise an eyebrow. It was not necessarily acceptable to her, but if the captain said so.
Unknown Romulan: =/\= I see you've discovered the comets. =/\=
Ragh: =/\= We have. Is it safe to assume they are a.. mutual discovery? =/\=
The Romulan man nodded.
Unknown Romulan: =/\= A good assumption. I must apologize, we detected these most interesting comets in a simple survey of our borders, and well, we had to investigate for our safety. You understand, I'm sure. =/\=
Ragh: =/\= Of course. Would you mind if we have a few moments to discuss this privately? The last thing I'd want would be for either of us to come to the wrong conclusions. =/\=
Unknown Romulan: =/\= If you wish. You know how to reach us, but Captain, don't keep us waiting. =/\=
The figure of the Romulan shimmered, then vanished.
Ragh: Thoughts?
Bakk: They seem peaceable enough. I suggest we maintain yellow alert solely to avoid complications with comets possessing guns.
Nis: So he was implying that the comets aren’t Romulan in origin? Can we believe that?
Rouiancet: Responses
Ragh: I think they're telling the truth about the comets. I also don't buy their story about why they were in the area but right now that's besides the point. As long as we have a mutual goal, we all get along.
Bakk: The comet doesn't appear to be Romulan technology, but we can't fully discount their involvement.
Rouiancet: Response
Nis: Or focus on figuring out the source of the call?
Ragh: No, for right now I don't want to do anything to give them reason to doubt us, even though I know for a fact they've scanned us.
Captain Ragh paused.
Ragh: We need something we can offer them, some bit of information, anything. Just to show them we mean to cooperate.
Bakk: If they know the source behind the comets, they might not choose to share. But from these scans, the systems we've detected so far are very rudimentary. This could be an incredibly advanced stealth drone operation, hiding in plain sight. Or we might be looking at work of a pre-Warp civilization.
Nis: What would they need guns in space for if they were pre-warp?
Although it would explain why the propulsion mechanics of the weaponry was so primitive.
Rouiancet: Responses
Bakk: I'm going to look up known pre-Warp civilizations near the borders of Romulan/Federation space. We have a Prime Directive; I am uncertain if the Romulans do. Even if this is a false lead, it is worth pursuing.
It was a fine idea. In the meantime, Jania waited for orders.
Ragh/Rouiancet: Response
Nis: Yes, sir.
She opened a new console window to start the task, but as she looked up, she noticed Bakk looking distracted. It was hard to read much of a difference in expression on the rock-man’s face, but the fact that he was looking up and out the window instead of down at his console was clear enough. He pointed to a comet.
Bakk: Did anyone else see that comet turn unexpectedly? Maybe I imagined it.
Nis: We did not notice it, but ….
This was something she could handle. She pulled up the scanner’s recent history … and sure enough, the comet had moved from its trajectory. She shared this info with the others.
Ragh/Rouiancet: Responses
Bakk: I'm not proposing we arm phasers, but what is your opinion on having some shields raised?
Jania’s opinions on whether shields should be raised was “yes, please,” and “always.” … especially after that time they’d hit an eldritch beast.
Ragh/Rouiancet: Response
Nis: It’s not as graceful as our targeting computers, but … we think it’s trying to lock onto us.
Ragh/Rouiancet/Bakk: Response
She pulled up the model of the comet that the ship had generated.
Nis: Well, here’s the weapon … and it’s turned exactly fifteen degrees so far, which would place the weapon … here.
Ragh/Rouiancet/Bakk: Response
Nis: We doubt it could harm us, but the aggressive behavior is not making us happy. Should we call our Romulan friend and see if they have experience with these comets attacking?
Ragh/Rouiancet/Bakk: Response
It was true -- they still didn’t have any data that the Romulans needed. Presumably anything they’d discovered, the Romulans already knew about, since they’d apparently been investigating these comets before Starfleet arrived.
Tags, TBC
Lieutenant Commander Jania Nis
Head of Health
USS Octavia E. Butler NCC-82850
O240108JN2