Lt. Commander Yogan Yalu — Evolving state of play
Yogan Yalu
(( Captain’s Ready Room, Deck 1, USS Artemis ))
During the months he was stationed on Deep Space 224, buried in reports about Alien Politician So-and-So’s controversial sacking and Alien Government Such-and-Such’s secret negotiations with an organized crime syndicate, Yogan often stared out the window of his quarters or his office and watched the ships come and go from the station. He wanted to be back out in the Borderlands, where he could be part of fixing problems, rather than just reading about them.
Then came the transfer orders. Excalibur was departing the region and Artemis had taken her place. Although the new ship was impressive, it still felt weird. As if they were now in a parallel universe where everything was the same-but-different. Weird as it may be, Yogan was delighted to return to ship life.
Yalu: Thanks for having me. DS224 was a nice job for a while, but you know how it is there. After a while you just want to go somewhere else—anywhere else.
MacKenzie: A little too much routine?
Yogan nodded. MacKenzie knew him well enough. His life on 224 was, by all measurable metrics, great. He put in an honest day’s work every day, had something of a social life, and even got a few of his more radical recommendations thumbs-upped by his superiors. But there was a difference between doing things yourself and simply causing things to be done by others. Given the evolving situation in the Borderlands, Yogan was no longer content with the latter.
Yalu: I was surprised when I heard that Starfleet was withdrawing Excalibur from the Borderlands. I’m sure you know that things aren’t exactly de-escalating around here.
MacKenzie sighed. No doubt she was on the receiving end of endless briefings and reports in preparation for Artemis to strike out on her own. Things weren’t always as bad as they looked on PADDper, but it wasn’t exactly going to be a pleasure cruise, either.
MacKenzie: It’s a bit of a mess, isn’t it?
Yalu: In a word? Yes. In three words? Yes, it is. ::beat:: To be honest, I’m curious what the powers in the region will make of Artemis taking over for Excalibur as Starfleet’s lead ship. It sends a message. But not the one I think we want.
MacKenzie acknowledged the transfer orders and handed the PADD back to Yogan.
MacKenzie: All the more reason to have an experienced strategic operations officer on board. While the Luna class doesn’t typically call for an officer in this position, I think our campaign region certainly warrants it.
Yalu: I do wish everyone in the Borderlands could just live peacefully ever after. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to be rejoining your crew. ::beat:: I think we’ll be kept busy.
Yogan’s new captain gave a curt nod.
MacKenzie: So what’s your take on the current state of the Borderlands?
Yogan leaned forward and steepled his hands on the desk. Twas a big question. He had enough information in his head to speak for an hour or longer on the subject, but he distilled it into bullet points for the captain.
Yalu: ::draws a deep breath:: In the last few months, there’s been a 30% increase in ships diverting from their flight plans along the Celendi Trade Route. Agent provocateurs in the Obruli system are hijacking what started out a peaceful environmental protest against a terraforming project. Oh yeah, and the Klingons have decided to revive an old, abandoned claim to the Oreen system, where the Federation recently allowed some Romulan refugees to settle.
MacKenzie: It just gets better and better, doesn’t it? (beat) You’ll want to speak with Lieutenant Sydin. She’ll be joining us as a mission specialist, and I think it would be helpful for you two to refer the latest data.
Yogan nodded. A mission specialist would be an invaluable addition to the senior staff.
Yalu: I’ll get on her calendar as soon as everyone’s aboard. Some statecraft will come in handy out here.
MacKenzie: response
Yalu: I heard some of what went on between you and Lieutenant Dakora and the Klingons. It was grim. How are you doing?
MacKenzie: response
Yogan knew few Humans as tough as Addison MacKenzie. But even the toughest Human had a breaking point. The Borderlands had seen their share of bad Klingons doing stupid and dangerous things.
Yalu: I’m worried that all of these so-called “rogue” Klingons are indicative of a changing state of play in the Empire. Out here on the fringes, these Klingons don’t seem to care that they’re supposed to be our allies. And if Qo’noS isn’t able or willing to police them, it leaves us with few options, all of them bad.
MacKenzie: response
Tag / TBC
Lieutenant Commander Yogan Yalu
Second Officer & Strategic Operations Officer
USS Artemis NCC-81287
D238804DS0