PO2 Lohkina: The Escape

[Tony Colella]

(( Corridors, Deck 5, USS Octavia E. Butler ))

Not that Lohkina was a stranger to operating under her own authority, but she couldn't deny that her doing so in a violet Starfleet uniform was a new sensation. She'd supported Captain Rouiancet in any number of ways for the better part of a year, much of which had required her to act on the CO's behalf -- to say nothing of her long years before she'd come to the Federation -- but this was different. Or, rather, it had the capacity to be different, and she treated it as such. The new uniform meant that she was a direct diplomatic representative of the Federation Starfleet, and that was not a responsibility that she took lightly.

With Lieutenant Commander Nilsen off-ship, C3 Shyvo wrapped up with the mercenary talks, and the other diplomatic personnel unavailable, Lohkina had been tapped to continue an interrogation (a friendly interrogation, imagine that) with a senior Zet functionary after the captain and her party had been called to the bridge for the current yellow alert. Lohkina had a good idea what she was going to find, and the security duo outside VIP stateroom three seemed glad to see that someone was going in.

Security 1: He seems to have tired himself out.

Security 2: He wouldn't stop shouting for a while, about how we were "running out of time" and that "he would kill us all." 

Security 1: Cheerful guy.

Lohkina: But he isn't yelling now.

It was almost a question, except that the answer was self-evident, since he -- Ehths, the Zet -- clearly wasn't. Why not? Reasonably, he might have been shouting at the captain, but the security personnel told her that he'd continued for several minutes after the captain, Commander Katsim, and Lieutenant Lahl had left. 

So Lohkina would simply have to go in and ask.

They unlocked the door for her, and she walked in to find -- nothing. Well, a very well-apportioned stateroom, but not an occupied one. She searched for a few moments, uncertainly and then verging towards anxiously, before she returned to the personnel at the door.

Lohkina: He's not in there.

One remained at the door while the other ducked in immediately to retrace all of Lohkina's steps and, likely, come to the same conclusion: that these quarters were empty, and the Zet they were supposed to contain -- or imprison, if they weren't being polite about it -- was not there. But if he wasn't there, then where was he?

Lohkina's comm badge chirped, and she tapped it without thinking.

Ehths: =/\= Response =/\=

Her eyes widened almost imperceptibly.

Lohkina: =/\= Ehths, I presume? (beat) Where have you run off to? =/\=

Ehths: =/\= Response =/\=

Lohkina: =/\= No, I suppose not. But I will find you. =/\=

She had decades of experience projecting confidence, but -- again -- nothing like for this situation specifically. Nevertheless, she knew what to do.

Ehths: =/\= Response =/\=

Tags! and TBC!

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PO2 Lohkina

Diplomatic Aide

USS Octavia E. Butler

V238208LV0

she/her/hers (this character)