Lieutenant Ras El'Heem - Doveryay, no Proveryay
Ras El'Heem
((Conference Room, Deck 1, USS Khitomer))
There was a measured tension in the air as the anticipation of time travelers welled up inside of them. Ras sat at the end of the table furthest from the empty seats that would soon be filled with the salience of every person in the room. His hands were folded on the table and he quietly observed each officer in the room. Charged speculation buzzed from the lips many, guarded hesitation for less. Ras’ eyes flicked to Amelia, who he had not yet had the chance to confer with. From what he understood, her namesake was one of the trio and it put a degree of stress on her that did not fall to the others. He lifted his hand to catch her attention before waving her over.
Semara: Response
He wasn’t sure but he thought he detected a jitter in her hands as she spoke.
El’Heem: First and foremost, are you okay?
Semara: Response
El’Heem: A unique…situation to say the least. Outside of work…I’m here if you need me. ::pausing:: secondly, I am cautious of them, but I haven’t seen evidence to the contrary of their claims. The data you sent me matches hypothetical temporal travel like they claim and in the same time parameters. Depending on what they tell us, there will be much more to confirm.
Semara: Response
El’Heem: Trust but verify. ::pausing:: Lieutenant Matthews ::looking past Amelia at Charles:: is less hospitable. ::looking around the room, eyes landing on Talia:: There’s a spectrum of opinion here. I’m curious what you think, Lieutenant?
It was a charged question. Amelia was likely more emotionally invested than she should be, but he couldn’t blame her, nor would he fault her for it.
Semara: Response
El’Heem: I’m apprehensive to put the cart before the horse in either direction.
A lull developed in the room and the XO took the opportunity to gather a semblance of unity.
Hobart: How long until we reach Deep Space 33, Lieutenant Korras?
Korras: Response
At least there was the relief that they’d not been hanging around in that traumatic place for an extended period of time. The comforts of DS33 would make everyone less jumpy and keener on logic, he’d hoped.
Hobart: No lingering effects on the ship?
Lingering how, exactly? Did butterflies in the put of your stomach count as lingering?
Connor / Michaels / Banks: Response
Despite the check-in, Hobart’s grasp on their attention was waning. Little murmurs gophered here and there. Ras lifted his folded hands to his mouth and rested his elbows on the table as he scanned the room.
Hobart: Any insight as to where the runabout came from, yet?
His eyes bounced back to Hobart without turning his head and then to the other two in blue.
Semara / Richard: Response
Ras suspected the jargonful answer was a defense mechanism. And there was a lot to defend against. Ras dropped his interlaced hands back to the table before he spoke.
El’Heem: Well ::pausing:: Yeah. Yeah…forty years into ::lifting his hands palms up and dropping them onto the table:: the future.
It wasn’t sarcasm, though he realized it sounded like it after he said it. Instead, it was a sort of floaty disbelief in what he was saying paired with the forced jargonless answer his first officer was looking for. Hobart didn’t look like he was satisfied but rather like he was playing it cool. Ras relaced his hands in front of him.
Hobart: And, how's everybody feeling?
He was stalling.
Ohnari / Harford / Ayemet: Response
A lot to unpack in those suspiciously clipped answers. His left hand turned upright with his fingers curled lightly. His thumb rubbed the tips of his fingernails awkwardly as he looked at the medical officers, paying particular attention to the invisible wall that was erected between Talia and Ayemet.
Hobart: Any… threats?
His eyes ping ponged again, from Ayemet, to Hobart, to Charles, then went exaggeratingly large and pink as he prepared for the tactical officer to punction just how reckless he thought this all was.
Charles / Zerva: Response
And saved by the bell. The door whooshed open and the soviet atmosphere from the turbolift acquiesced in before the cortege of captain, armed guards, and VIPs. There was a stilted hush, and butts were in seats in an instant. All eyes watched the three interlopers find their own.
Hobart: Oh, thank goodness. All present and accounted for, sir.
Was he nervous? Was it because of the elephant in the room?
Kael: I hope you’ll hear us out Captain Shayne.
The man did possess the mannerisms of Connor and the tongue of Talia, after all he was the one who threatened Ezra. Ras compared the visage of the couple and then let his eyes goes blurry as the two faces became one with Kael. Highly plausible.
Admiral: He wouldn't have brought us here otherwise, Kael.
And that was unmistakably Lacy. The sly shape of her lips both softened and hardened by age at the same time. Ras brought one hand to his chin and rested it between his thumb and middle finger while his index laid on his cheek.
Shayne / Tori: Response
If they were here for some grand breach of causality to alter the timeline, they were doing a terrible job of instilling that trust in them. The future representatives were far more combatant than you’d expect. Perhaps, diplomacy was less figuratively dead and more actually dead in forty years time.
Kael: :indicating Ayemet: What’s her problem?
The Kressari leaned back in his chair and flicked his eyes to Ayemet, waiting to see how much patience she had today.
Admiral: She's not your mother. Let's focus.
Ayemet / Hobart / Shayne / Tori: Response
A lot, apparently. Their introductions felt underwhelming to him and their lack of decorum felt grating. Ras flexed his jaw, waiting for some kind of control to be taken by either the captain, the first officer, or the Admiral.
Kael: My apologies :pause: We’ve been through alot, and it’s important that you listen to us. That you give us a fair hearing.
Hearing was an interesting word to use. Did this feel like a tribunal to them? Ras took note of the casual clothes they wore. The fabric was very lived in and the uniforms the officers wore stood in stark contrast. It did feel like they were on trial, but it wasn’t undue.
Admiral: We are your legacy. I'm Imogen Lacy, who you all call “Ginny.” Forty years from now, give or take, nobody does that anymore. This is Tori Semara, my best science expert, carrying on the work of her mother, Amelia. This is Kael Ohnari-Dewitt, our… technical specialist. ::clears throat:: We've come to hold back the tide in the war against the Alliance.
It wasn’t lost on him that there was an anagram for legacy in her name. His eyes met Charles’ as he leaned forward. Too convenient. Charles was right of course, but an impending escalation with the Lattice Alliance couldn’t be overlooked so he waved the silly thought away.
Any: Response
Kael: Captain It’s not just the Isles. That’s just the starting point of what happens. The Admiral and Tori :pause: They have a plan that could change all of that.
There was still no actual reason for the hesitation he felt in his gut. What good reason could they be feeding them auguries of the Lattice gaining strength? Nothing was jumping out at him, and his gut flora wasn’t the most reliable, he could be dead wrong and had only let Charles’ paranoia sway him.
Admiral: The Lattice Alliance was, at this moment, losing. It may not feel like it to you, but they are. They were spread too thin, and cracks were forming. I saw classified reports that units were beginning to turn on each other. That's why, a week from now, they're going to raid a POW camp on Alpha Trionus II.
It was hard to believe that could lead to a regrouping large enough to warrant sending someone into the past.
Any: Response
The eggshells that covered the floor of the conference room were being ground to dust. Ras had nothing to add.
Admiral: They used overwhelming force, and it took six months before Starfleet figured out where they launched from. No survivors, orbital defenses completely destroyed. High ranking military official was the target, but that wasn't what mattered.
He supposed it was worth it to prevent a loss of life that big.
Any: Response
Admiral: A lowly quartermaster, a Tholian. Captured at the Siege of DS33, he proved to be a… unifying and stabilizing figure. Eventually, Supreme Leader. Unified the alliance, and conquered the Quadrant within a decade.
There was a question he could ask. Ras inhaled and cocked his head to the side.
El’Heem: Great man theory? You want us to kill baby Hitler?
Any: Response
El’Heem: What made ::pausing:: uhh makes this…Tholian so formidable?
Any: Response
TAGS/TBC
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Lieutenant Ras El’Heem
Science Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
K240106RE3