Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek: Hoping For Peace, Expecting A Fight
Lael Rosek
((Corridor, Deck 6, USS Montreal))
::They were headed into a risky situation. Pirates laid in wait on the surface, coveting the Starfleet technology they’d snatched from the hands of the Artemis crew. Her lips formed a thin line. Good officers had paid the price trying to protect the technology with their own blood. That thought didn’t sit well with Lael at all. Too many lives had been lost already to the Tholians much less to a band of greedy mercenaries looking to turn a quick strip of latinum or two.::
::She highly doubted the Shoals pirate factions had the knowledge or the leadership among their ranks to put the technology to use themselves. No. They were cowards and avoided conflict at all costs. The Orions would be a likely buyer, but Lael didn’t intend to let them get that far.::
((Transporter Room 1, Deck 6, USS Montreal))
::When she entered the transporter room, she was pleased to see that her team was gathered waiting. They had a decent-sized group which meant they stood a bit better of a chance against the enemy waiting for them. It was certainly a fairer fight than it would have been before she’d suggested each department head bring along two more personnel.::
Tel-ar: Is everyone ready? :: Tal asked in his cool, unemotional tone even as he nodded slightly in Ensign Elzizabath’s direction. ::
Fergus: Ensign Greywin Fergus from medical reporting in, sir.
Cullin::nods and inclines his head:: Commander.
Harkrow / Cattan / Any: reply
Rosek: ::nods:: Good. We’re going to need all of the hands we can get for this. From the sounds of it, we’re not going to win in a one to one fight.
::In that moment, she was thankful for her hand to hand combat skills and, thanks to extra time on the range, her marksmanship was improving. While small weapons weren’t her talent like they were for some, she was confident that she would be able to watch her team’s six in a fight and give better shooters cover fire.
Galven: There’s new information, ma’am.
::She arched an eyebrow. As if things weren’t already difficult enough.::
Rosek: Oh?
::The swish of the doors opened, momentarily distracting her from the conversation. She turned, noting Padix entering and eyed the crewman sternly before turning back toward German, motioning for him to continue.::
Galven: Crewmen Borq has informed me that there’s not as many pirates as I thought there were. Apparently, there’s survivors from the former Montreal crew being held prisoner by the pirates.
Rosek: ::grins unamusedly:: Good news, then. I thought with our luck that you’d found another camp of them hiding somewhere.
::It was a pessimistic view of the situation, something she’d have to work on. Her team depended on her to boost their spirits, not dampen them. Her hand went to the cross that hung about her neck, covered by the fabric of her uniform, pressing it against her chest.::
Rosek: o0 God, give me strength and wisdom. 0o
::The prayer was so simple, but in that moment she felt some of her confidence return. As dangerous as the situation was that they were walking into, she knew she was surrounded by the best and that they’d see each other through. What they did was inherently risky. It was all part of the job.::
Galven: ::shows her his PADD:: It’s an equal number divided. 27 officers being held captive by 27 pirates, ma’am.
::As Lael studied the PADD Galven showed her, she noted how the new arrival seemed to tense at Tel-ar’s movement and it took some restraint for her not to chuckle. Even at her unusually tall for a woman height of 5’11, the Andorian stood over half a foot taller than her. The solid wall of blue Andorian muscle likely intimidated most people Tel-ar met. She suspected it would be a deterrent for ship-board mischief. She couldn’t say she wasn’t glad for that on a few levels, the first and foremost being that it meant fewer disciplinary reports for her to file.::
::She returned her attention to German and nodded, seeing the conclusions in black and white. Though she had no idea how injured the prisoners were and how able they were to rebel against their captors, the fact that they had 27 trained Starfleet officers and crewmen on their side was definitely a bonus.::
Rosek: o0 Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. 0o
Elzizabath: Do we know there condition. :: She asked wondering if maybe they would need more specialized medical supplies. ::
Fergus: It sounds like a problematic circumstance all around. Worst case scenario is they're all dead when we get there. Maybe we can try talking to them first. The pirates, I mean.
Tel-ar: May I see that for a moment.
::Her attention wandered momentarily as Tel-ar took the PADD that Lael had been studying not moments before. Though Lael herself had taken courses at the Academy in tactical strategy, she recognized that the security chief had more specialized expertise than she did and likely would see the situation from a unique perspective.::
Galven: Yes, you may, sir.
Padix: I sure hope none of them are dead.
::This time, Lael failed to cover her reaction to the matter of fact statement, though she was successfully able to turn her unnoticeable humor into stern disapproval quickly enough that she was certain no one would see her initial reaction. It wasn’t that the statement was amusing in anyway, but more how matter of factly it had been said.::
Rosek: One problem at a time, Crewman.
Cullin: ::grimaces:: Either way, these pirates are looking at some serious charges...likely serious enough to land them the majority, if not all, of their lifetimes at a penal colony in some deserted star system on the edge of nowhere.
Harkrow / Cattan / Any: Response
::Lael nodded. She would be surprised if, given the 11 deaths that the pirates’ actions had resulted in, first degree murder charges didn’t stick on the leader of the group and at the very least accessory to murder didn’t stay with the rest of the band of misfits. Not even the best lawyer in the universe would save them from what lay ahead for them.::
Tel-ar: I believe we are dealing with the Luzat, the dregs of the pirates operating in this region.
Fergus: I believe in multiple options. If a peaceful way can be found, we should try that first.
Galven: How would we talk sense into pirates?
Rosek: ::sighs:: As much as I want peace to be the way, Mister Fergus, Mr. Galven might be right.
Cullin: ::nods:: Once a Klingon warrior has their mind set on battle, it’s hard to dissuade them.
::And there it was. No matter what other races might be involved, they’d confirmed that the leader was Klingon and likely prescribed to that value system. The others would be cowards when it came to conflict, but the leader would stand firm and those that feared her wrath would be more afraid of what she’d do to them than any conflict she’d lead them into.::
Rosek: o0 Hell hath no fury like a Klingon woman scorned. 0o Not to say that we won’t try to end this without spilling any more blood. But I’m not willing to trade any of your lives for it if it comes down to it.
Harkrow / Cattan / Elzizabath / Any: Response
Tel-ar: They are a minor group who have enjoyed a few unexpected successes lately. I believe that may be to a change of leadership, especially considering the radical improvement in their success rate.
::It was ironic how she’d thought Jilor so awful for his ways, and yet here they stood about to face an enemy that almost made Jilor look like a naughty school boy pouting because the teacher took away his favorite toy. That posed its own dangers.::
Rosek: ::grins wryly:: From what I understand of Jilor, he was a true warrior for his cause. He seemed to mostly want attention.
Cullin: ::nods:: Agreed. Something tells me this new leader sees the loss of lives as collateral damage and a means to an end. Based on the pattern, he or she places no value on life.
::In other words, he or she had nothing to lose. That element of unpredictability usually resulted in a high fatality rate. She looked around at each face, her heart sinking at the thought that she could lose any one of them to this apathetic, jaded warrior. The pattern of behavior...this was cold, even for a race like the Klingons who were bred and raised to think nothing of putting up a fight when they felt it necessary.::
Harkrow / Cattan / Fergus / Elzizabath / Any: Response
Tel-ar: I would say to expect the unexpected, they seem willing to take big risks lately, operating in a manner completely at odds with their past and logic.
Rosek: ::nods:: If Commander Tel-ar and Mr. Cullin’s assessments are correct, we’re looking at a very callous individual. It wouldn’t be beyond the scope of possibility that she’d leave her followers to rot if it meant her freedom.
Harkrow / Cattan / Fergus / Elzizabath / Any: Response
Padix: Well, we need to be ready for them, sirs. Also as I was doing more research, I noticed there’s barely any atmosphere on the decaying planet. We need to be wearing environmental suits.
Galven: She’s right. I remember the Captain saying the same thing.
::Lael scowled. Yes. She’d heard Mei’konda, too. That didn’t mean she had to like it. Attempting to put on a brave face, she disguised the anxiety creeping in with a huff of irritation and rolled her eyes. It was all part and parcel. She only needed to get through a short time in the EV suit and really that was the least of her worries considering that they were about to face a group of ruthless pirates bent on keeping the stolen Starfleet technology for themselves.::
Tel-ar / Harkrow / Cattan / Fergus / Elzizabath / Any: Response
::Forcing herself to focus on keeping her breathing even, Lael removed her uniform jacket, tunic, and boots before donning the suit itself followed by the specialized boots and gloves. With the suit on, she cradled the helmet under her arm for a moment, then slid it on, the echo of her breathing causing a slight spike of discomfort. She quickly suppressed the feeling, staying focused on the task at hand. The moment took her back to her Academy training and officer mode kicked in as instinctively as breathing.::
::Lael stepped up to join the first group to beam down, unwilling to send her team into any situation which she wouldn’t willing enter herself first. The familiar blue light followed by the tingling sensation of her limbs and other parts of her body signalling the dematerialization process took hold. The planet’s surface soon replaced the sight of the transporter room, the second half of the team appearing beside her moments later.::
((Unknown Planetoid))
Galven: ::soft spoken:: What’s next, Commander Rosek?
::She’d heard those words in a number of different contexts over the last year, but somehow this seemed different. She was in charge and ultimately every choice was her responsibility.::
Rosek: ::to Tel-ar:: Thoughts, Commander?
Tel-ar: Response
Rosek: ::nods:: I feel we’ll cover more ground if we split up, but stay in close contact. Preferably open comm lines.
Tel-ar: Response
Galven / Harkrow / Cattan / Fergus / Elzizabath / Any: Response