Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek: Concern For A Friend
Lael Rosek
(( Bridge, Deck 3 Primary Hull, USS Chin’toka ))
Rosek: ::gaze flickers to Serala:: Orders, Commander?
Serala: =/\= Serala to transporter room one. Lock on to the Captain’s away team and prepare to transport on my command. =/\=
Lael was so focused on her task that she almost missed what Serala was saying.
Serala: --need transporters. Please tell me we can transport the team back?
She grimaced, her fingers flying over the console as she got to work, aware in the corner of her mind of the ship hovering nearby. Even if they did find a way to break through the interference, they’d have to drop their shields for transport. They’d be vulnerable for those precious seconds it took to evacuate the entire team and the other two in the room. It likely wouldn’t be possible in one cycle, which would mean double the vulnerability or leaving someone behind. The latter would be so much worse.
Rosek: ::nods:: I think so. If that device they found really was scrambling our systems--
Tal’Aura: Response
As she minimized the current screen on her console to begin work on the transporter systems, Mei’s voice came through the comm.
Mei’konda: =/\= Commander Serala, now would be a good tiime for those traansporters. =/\=
Serala: =/\= We just about have it, Captain. =/\=
It took a concentrated effort not to pound her fist against the console in frustration. Whatever had been causing the interference was still in the computer’s buffers. They were going to need to flush the system, which would likely mean a complete reboot. Thankfully, she’d needed to do a hard start to the system on more than one occasion when repairing it and knew a shortcut subroutine that would cut the time in half drastically without damaging the integrity of the system itself.
Mei’konda: =/\= Good. As soon as you’re ready, traansport Grand Admiral Dels’an and Mr. Strin directly to her flagship. =/\=
Serala: =/\= Understood, Captain. =/\=
Tal’Aura: Response
With the system shut down, she entered the command that would reboot it, quickly entering the coding for the subroutine before it got too far into the process. She nodded in satisfaction and grinned when the restart countdown displayed what she’d been anticipating. As each line of code appeared on the screen, she checked it to be sure there were no glitches or errors within it that would prevent transport.
After several long moments once she was satisfied that there were no glitches, she looked up.
Rosek: Looks ready to go, ma’am.
McKnight: =/\= Chin'toka, McKnight. Lock onto my commbadge and beam it somewhere far away from us. We've encountered a device. It might be another bomb. =/\=
Mei’konda: =/\= Somewhere far away from anyone, Chin’toka. As soon as you’re done, beam us back aboard. We haave injured. =/\=
Serala: =/\= Acknowledged, Captain =/\= Perfect timing, you two. :: tapping her commbadge :: =/\= Transporter Room, lock on to Captain McKnight’s signal and energize. Beam it out into space. =/\=
She heard the momentarily pause in Serala’s voice with that last sentence and had to suppress a smirk. More than likely, that hadn’t been what the woman had wanted to say. Her gaze flickered to the screen that showed the sensor readings of the vessel currently sitting not far beyond an arm’s reach. Thankfully, they hadn’t moved an inch since coming back into sensor range.
Rosek: oO Let’s hope it stays that way. Oo
Serala: :: to Tal’Aura :: Report.
Tal’Aura: Response
It sounded as though they’d gotten the device out of there just in time. Shame they hadn’t had the time to disarm it. She’d have loved to get a look at the inner workings. But that was the Engineer in her. Studying it would also likely have helped protect them from similar devices in the future.
Serala: Very good. :: turning her face to the ceiling to speak into the comm system :: =/\= Transporter Room. Lock on to the Captain’s team and beam them back to the ship. Then lock on to Ambassador Dels’an and her aide and transport them to their ship. =/\=
Transporter Room: =/\= Acknowledged. Energizing now. =/\=
With the task out of her hands, Lael returned her attention to the damage reports coming in from Engineering. It looked like her team was on top of them. Lephi’s return would allow her the opportunity to debrief the Assistant Chief before they joined the repair efforts.
Callahan: Commander, we are being hailed by the runabout Amazon coming from Deep Space 26. They are requesting permission to dock.
Her brows furrowed at the news of the runabout arriving. She hadn’t heard anything through the grapevine. But she supposed that was FO’s privilege. They knew about any new officers coming aboard before nearly everyone else, by virtue of the paperwork it entailed. She was hit by a bout of nostalgia, remembering from her time in the FO’s chair.
Serala: Very well, Ensign. They are clear to dock. I will go down to meet our new arrivals.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Serala stand to leave only to pause part of the way to the turbolift.
Serala: Commander, the Captain should be on his way up, but the bridge is yours until he gets here.
Rosek: ::nods sagely:: Yes, ma’am.
As Serala stepped into the turbolift, she moved from behind the console toward the center of the bridge and slid slowly down into the first officer’s chair. Before long, she’d have to vacate it, giving the Conn back to Mei. Her hands slid over the armrests and she grinned. It had been far too long since she’d enjoyed this view and she was determined to soak it in.
(( Bridge, USS Chin’toka ))
{{Mini Time Jump}}
As Serala had predicted, Mei arrived on the Bridge several moments later and she instantly rose out of habit more than anything and turned in his direction.
Rosek: Captain on the Bridge.
Mei’konda: Commander Rosek, report.
Rosek: We took a bit of damage, sir, but nothing my team can’t fix up relatively quickly. I believe we’ve resolved whatever was causing the transporter interference.
The report was vaguer than she usually gave, but she didn’t want to give specifics about the damage without a chance to read the reports more closely. Her gaze flickered to Tal’Aura. They’d worked well together. She’d have to make a note for the future.
Tal’Aura / Any: Responses
Mei’konda: Understood. Where’s the XO?
Rosek: From what I understand, she went downstairs to greet the arriving runabout.
Mei’konda: Very well. Glaad to hear it. Helm, move us to a synchronous orbiit over the archaeological site that Commander Kiax’s team is studying.
Helmsman: Aye, sir.
She was grateful that there didn’t seem to be any issues with their engines, though she still wasn’t sure if the Valcarian vessel had missed on purpose or if they’d just gotten lucky. Unfortunately, the tactical data could only provide them with an educated guess. She mentally shook the thought from her head and returned to the Engineering station, continuing her previous work.
(( Short time skip ))
She had most of the reports sorted and had checked in over the conn with as many of the repair team leaders as she could. It looked as though repairs were well underway and were expected to be completed within the next several hours. Not bad for a day’s work. An amused smirk crossed her lips. She was tempted to overestimate the time the repairs would take, but she had the feeling Mei would teasingly call her on it.
Suddenly, the doors to the turbolift opened and she lifted her gaze, arching her eyebrows at the sight of Serala striding onto the Bridge with a Caitian who Lael assumed was their newest addition.
Mei’konda: Thank you for taaking good care of the ship duriing my absence, Commander Serala. This is Ensign Azorius, I assume?
Serala: Anytime, sir.
Azorius: Yes Sir, Ensign Freki Azorius, reporting for duty Sir.
By the looks of the ensign’s collar, they were either medical or counseling. She supposed she’d find out one way or another when she went for her next check-up and session. She’d lost track of how many counselors she’d gone through over the years, mostly due to reassignments. Transfers were a regular feature of Starfleet life. She’d learned to accept them as not punitive, but based on fleet need. Her experience made her valuable in a great many places.
Mei’konda: Welcome aboard then, Ensign. Commander, have you received any recent communicaation from the archaeology team? Commander Kiax informed me that they expected to be out of communicaation due to the depth they were traaveling underground.
Serala: Negative to that, sir. But as you said, I wasn’t really expecting them. Though I believe the pilot should still be onboard the Holana.
Mei’konda: I see. Commander Rosek, please do your best to estaablish contact with the team and get a status report, even if it is just the security deployment in the runabout on the surfaace.
Rosek: ::nods:: Aye, sir.
Any: Responses
She got to work on opening the comm line, entering a series of commands to latch onto the nearest signal to the team’s designated landing site and another series to amplify the signal and eliminate any possible interference.
Serala: Ensign, why don’t you take the seat on the other side of the Captain for now. Lieutenant Commander Raga is not here at the moment, so he won’t be needing it.
Azorius: Response
Looking up from her task, she nodded.
Rosek: I’ve got a signal, sir. Patching it through the comms now.
A voice she’d never heard before filtered through.
Zarax: =/\= Ensign Zarax here, Commander. Go ahead. =/\=
Mei’konda: Response
She said nothing, simply listening to the exchange and alerting the Transporter Room in case another beam up or beam down was needed. It never hurt to be proactive.
Any: Response
Zarax / Serala / Mei’konda: Response
As the conversation continued, she began compiling her report based on earlier conversations she’d had with her team. Any details could be added once she had a chance to personally inspect the diagnostics. Unfortunately, her report on the encounter with the Valcarian ship would have to wait. There was still a great deal of data to review and, of course, Tal’Aura’s final report.
Zarax / Serala / Mei’konda: Response
Any: Response
((OOC: Continue as needed.))
At that precise moment, Crewman Ravesa arrived to take the Engineering station. Lael nodded and stepped aside to allow the woman at it. She then turned her attention toward the center of the Bridge.
Rosek: Sir, ma’am. With your permission I’d like to return to Engineering to debrief Lieutenant Lephi regarding the device.
Mei’konda: Response
Rosek: ::arches her eyebrows:: Oh. Is she all right?
Mei’konda: Response
She nodded. Medical treatment for injuries was always a first priority. But there was nothing wrong with checking in on her right-hand. Besides, the teams had things well under control.
Rosek: Understood, sir. ::to Serala:: By your leave, ma’am?
Serala: Response