[sb118-khitomer] Lieutenant (JG) Ezra Zerva - Conference Room First Contact
BC Cooper
((Conference Room, Deck 1, U.S.S. Khitomer))
Ezra made his way from Transporter Room Two directly to the bridge. There was no time to go below decks to check on Foxy Lady in his quarters or for that matter grab something to eat. Both would have to wait. For now he resigned himself that Foxy was okay from the filaments and he’d find a way to get to the nearest food replicator and scarf something down after the conference room meeting.
Upon reaching the bridge he briefly spoke with Ensign Morda, reviewing everything that had happened thus far, making sure they had all the available data to share with the rest of security. Once that was completed the two entered the conference room with the other members of the senior staff. Ezra noticed as he walked in they had a new addition to the crew. An Andorain with a blue duty uniform. Science? Medical? Counseling? He wasn’t sure, but he’d made a note to get to know them at his earliest opportunity. He gave Lieutenant Jg. Michaels a nod as he took his seat next to one of the Velithari. He was thankful that she made it back safely along with the rest of the away team, including Matthews was safe and no longer a prisoner of the Velithari. When he got word of Richard’s capture, Ezra was ready to send his whole security team. Thank goodness for the away team, bridge crew and stellar cartography for bringing Matthews home.
Ensign Morda sat on the other side of the table. Ezra made a note that Morda was covering the door with one eye, while his seat where they sat, gave them easy access to the other Velithari if a problem should arise. Smart. The ensign was good. From day one, Ezra knew he could count on Morda.
This was the first time he met the Velithari. It wasn't his first contact mission however. That honor fell to the Emisans. His first mission after graduation and his first away mission as well. Lots of first for a young ensign at the time. But that was then, on the U.S.S. Arrow before they lost it. This was now, on the Khitomer with a different first contact species and he wasn’t some fresh-faced ensign straight out of the Academy.
Ezra eyed the Velithari with caution. Their insect-like appearance was different from most other alien species he’d encountered before or had read about in a computer file. Thankfully the rumors about them being man-eating predators appeared to be exaggerated. He wondered how these two female Velithari felt about being an equal with alien males.
Naxell: Captain Rana, I must apologize for our deception. I am Commander Nax-Ellarneii-Tellargo, “Naxell” to most, and I captain the starship Khitomer. When your people displayed hostility towards my second-in-command, Lieutenant Commander Dewitt ::gesturing:: we opted to lower the temperature, so to speak, by offering a more comfortable face. Lieutenant Semara, whom you know well, is actually my Intelligence Officer.
Ezra was curious as to how the Velithari would feel about this deception. He kept both his eyes upon the two women to see how they would react to this revelation.
Semara: I apologize for my part as well... :: lips twisting :: Like I said, I'm quite protective a' my crew. I understand if y'all have trouble trustin' us - or me... I pray you'll believe the impulse to conceal the truth was for their safety. :: Beat :: I'm afraid I ain't done a terribly good job of bein' an Intelligence Officer. What we knew 'bout you 'fore comin' here was basically nothin'. :: A contrite wince :: And I might'a overdone it with the embellishin' liberties I took…
Exactly what sort of embellished liberties was she talking about? Based on the away team's report, he assumed it was the ruse of being the ship's first officer.
Rana: I see...I must admit, in Velithari culture it is a great insult to send your males to speak to someone when you are capable of speaking yourself. Your lieutenant has informed me that ::holding in some mild disgust:: that males are able to perform the duties suited to levels far above them in Velithari culture.
It was not unlike the males of many cultures, including Humans who at one point had felt the same way about females of their own species. Perhaps the Velithari could learn something from the cooperation between the various species and genders of the Federation. Maybe one day they could see the value of working alongside males of their own species. For now, he’d settle for them willing to work with the males on the Khitomer.
Naxell: I’ve spoken with Dr. Ohnari about your people’s history with the “Takers,” was it? I assure you, we are not conquerors. We are explorers. Our laws—our Prime Directive—forbids us from interfering with your people and your culture. But it does not prevent us from defending you against outside aggression, as you have experienced against the Lattice Alliance. Your tactical assessment, Lieutenant Zerva?
All eyes turned upon him. His eyes landed on Rasha or rather Ras among them. Ras had gone to great lengths with help from the away team to look more feminine in order to blend in. Another thing for the crew to worry about in regards to the deception of the Velithari. More apologies incoming.
Focusing on the task at hand, Ezra brought up the tactical data on his PADD and uploaded it to the conference room's computer. It showed their place and the Jorogumos location within the cloud and that of the Lattice Alliance ship
Zerva: We’ve detected a large object heading our way. Further analysis indicates it’s a Leviathan Attack Vessel. The largest ship in the Lattice Alliance’s Fleet. This is the only vessel of theirs that has shown up on our sensors. There is the possibility of Alliance reinforcements, but if there is more than one of their ships present, we haven’t yet detected them. I recommend boosting our sensors as we did on our previous nebula mission. The nebula’s cloud should be able to give us enough cover and time to hide long enough to prepare and if at all possible give us the edge of surprise should we wish to engage them in combat. ::eyeing out the window in the room as if he could see the remains of the Alliance ship in the nebula before turning to Rana and Vidya:: Any assistance as to how you dealt with the previous Alliance ship before our arrival would be most appreciated.
Vidya: Response
Naxell: Our best guess, Captain, is that the Lattice see the Velithari as a thorn in the path of their conquest, and they want to smooth you out. They’re firing indiscriminately. It’s probable that they don’t see us, but their Sencha weaponry is especially dangerous to your cloud. Lieutenant El’Heem?
Ras lifted their chin and cleared their throat, tossing a lock of hair out of their face. He spoke like Ras but didn’t look like him. It didn’t really matter to Ezra. Ras was his friend and he accepted the look as a part of Ras’s away team effort to blend in.
El’Heem: Yes. ::turning to Rana:: Captain Rana, I hope my transgression won’t prevent you from trusting my analysis. ::beat:: Sencha radiation is a unique form of energy that interacts with subspace and in turn, temporal causation. It does not propagate strictly through normal spacetime. Part of the waveform appears to travel through adjacent non-Euclidean subspace domains, allowing it to disrupt temporal continuity at the cellular level, even those that exist primarily in subspace. If what you say is true, and the cloud is alive, then that is of particular concern to me. I have no doubt the Velithari have been able to hold their own against the Alliance, but they tend to escalate severity of incursion quite drastically when they are unsuccessful.
Vidya: Response
Naxell: I’m afraid it gets worse, Captain. As bad as the Sencha technology is for your cloud, it is even worse for organic life, especially life that communicates by means of telepathy. Fortunately, our doctors have come up with inoculations that have shielded our crew from the worst of these effects. If you accompany Dr. Ohnari, Lieutenant El’Heem, and Ensign Melville-Kilpatrick to sickbay, we can adapt our technology to your physiology and with any luck to Jorogumo itself.
Zerva: ::adding:: During Frontier Day, just one of their Leviathan ships was able to severely damage the Khitomer using Senha weapons. It took us almost three months to complete repairs at DS9.
Ohnari: ::wincing:: Even a rudimentary radiation protection would be preferable to none.
Rana: What do you have in mind, Doctor?
El’Heem: The formula that we have developed is a timed release compound that interacts with exposure to the radiation and has been formulated for almost all species in the federation. With a bit of tweaking, I believe we can make it compatible with the Velithari as well.
Melville-Kilpatrick: I agree. Dr. Ohnari's been pretty responsible about adjusting the injection for everyone on board. I'm sure it can be fixed for Velithari.
As long as it’s not Othin doing the butt jabbing. Do the Velithari have a gluteus maximus? Where would the good doctor administer said injection? Best not to think about it, he thought.
Naxell: While you are there, I would invite your technician, Vidya, to assist in the effort to free our ship from the cloud so that we may better defend you. My First Officer—my true First Officer—will personally oversee this effort in Main Engineering.
There wasn’t a better display of the capabilities and intentions of Starfleet than witnessing their approach to the multidisciplinary problems they faced in a crisis. Ras had no doubt, they could win the Velithari’s trust there and then better than any protracted diplomatic first contact proceedings.
Dewitt: ::to Vidya with a small bow of his head:: Lieutenant Commander Dewitt, ma’am. I understand you asked for a visit yourself? We will try to be worth it. If you would follow me once we are finished here to Main Engineering.
Valeris: Hopefully our systems aren’t too dissimilar to your own.
Vidya: Response
Michaels: Despite the differences, I am certain that we will be able to make good use of your talents... and make your time on Khitomer worth your time and effort.
Indeed, if anyone in engineering could do it, Michaels was the one.
Naxell: In the meantime, the rest of us will begin work on the tactical aspects. Lieutenant Semara will lead the effort. It’s at least two-to-one out there, so we’ll need to be creative.
Semara: Aye, sir. We'll come up with somethin'.
Indeed they would.
Naxell: Thank you for your trust, Captain Rana, Ms. Vidya. The rest of you, dismissed.
Ohnari: Captain, could I have a brief word?
While the CMO spoke to the Captain, Ezra got up from his seat and noted everyone who went off with whom. The two Velithari were talking to each other in the corner of the room. He made note of this and decided it would be best to check in with the various security shifts that had been posted to sickbay and engineering. He wasn’t about to take any chances. Matthews was a prisoner during his time on the Jorogumo. The last thing he wanted was there to be any trouble with their visitors. He wasn’t about to let anyone end up mostly nude stuck in a cage.
Tags/END (for Ezra)
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Lieutenant (JG) Ezra Zerva
Security Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
A240101EZ2