JP (Commodore V'Airu Commander Etan Iljor Lt Promontory Lt Kessler Ltjg Cabrillo) Kessler's Gambit - Thresish PART 1
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Kessler’s Gambit - Thresish
((Kessler’s Quarters - Deck 4, USS ‘Oumuamua)) - PART 1
With their last mission finally wrapping up and news of shore leave coming on the heels of such a crazy and bizarre rescue Jack had wasted no time getting back to his quarters, cleaned up and a fresh uniform on. Lilou had been extremely excited to see Jack and he to see her as well. From childhood Jack had always loved dogs and his parents always seemed able to have one around whether it be on a ship or Starbase. As Jack walked out of his room Lilou jumped off his bed, ran over to a small table by the entry door and crabbed a small device off the table. Turning she sat right in front of the door, device in mouth and tail wagging from side to side in a very excited wip back and forth.
Jack grabbed a PADD off his work desk and then stepped over to the dog and knelt down to one knee. Petting her across the forehead, he smiled and gently removed the device from her mouth.
Kessler: ::activating the small device and shoving it in his pocket:: Yes you can come with me. ::beat:: You can help me convince our Intelligence officer to break some rules.
As Jack stepped to the entryway the doors to his quarters hissed open and Lilou took up her position on Jack’s left side. He made his way through the ship's corridors with Lilou trekking right alongside him as if she was out for a prancy walk. In fact the Tervuren canine loved her walks with Krystal, Jack’s sister and her runs with Jack himself. The turbolift to Deck E was a short ride and Jack soon found himself outside the doors to the Intelligence Officer’s office. Jack depressed the door chime and waited for the doors to hiss open, which they did a few seconds later. Stepping inside Lilou followed Jack and as he stopped she automatically sat in place. This was something she had developed on her own and ironically never had to have been taught to set by her master.
((Intelligence Suite, Deck E, USS ‘Oumuamua))
Kessler: Avander ::looking around the office and realizing this was his first time in this office:: Nice office. I need to get one of these.
Promontory: Gemma Flinch is your best friend–there’s plenty of space on this ship, just put in a requisition to her team and if it’s approved, they’ll get you something in no time. Can’t have the Chief of Tactical without an office!
Kessler: Actually, I probably have an office somewhere. I use the mission pod for most of my Tactical meetings with the team. Feels more at home there than in an office somewhere.
Jack, half-laughed at the thought and then stepped forward reaching out and offering the PADD he had brought from his quarters to Promontory.
Kessler: I need your help with this.
As Avander scanned the text, he raised an eyebrow. This was some high-level intelligence. And it didn’t seem exactly a tactical matter, although a case could be made.
Promontory: How’d you come about this?
oO Great question. Classified intelligence files I am not supposed to have. Yep, that will go over nicely. Oo Jack glanced down at the PADD and then back up to Avander.
Kessler: There is an encrypted file on there that only you and the Commodore can open. I need the data in that file, it has information about my parents location.
Jack paused as he studied Avander’s face and body language. The Intelligence officer did not like the notion of what Jack was asking. His body language said that but Avander dropped his eyes from Jack to the PADD and then back to Jack without saying anything. Jack was not sure how to read that and jumped in before Avander could reply.
Kessler: Full disclosure. I trust you to make the right decision here and if you say no then I will respect that. ::beat:: My aunt, Captain Anderson has been working within Starfleet trying to track down the true whereabouts of the Caboto and the crew. This Intelligence file she said contained data from a Zet communication about the Caboto and a prisoner named Kessler. The file should have the data I need to track the location and potentially ::beat:: potentially do what I need to rescue my parents.
Promontory: oO There it was! Oo So this is a personal request, not an official one?
Kessler: What would it hurt if you looked at it? I won’t. You decide if the information is actionable and if it is ::beat, looking around:: If it is we take it to the Commodore.
Jack looked down at Lilou as Avander seemed to look at the dog with a humorous expression. Lilou was looking up at Jack as if she knew he was not going to the Commodore, he was launching this rescue with or without permission. Was it that obvious that even the dog was picking up on his thought process? oO Great, can’t even convince the dog. Avander won’t go for this now. Oo
Avander watched his friend carefully. While the intelligence officer couldn’t literally read minds, with Jack’s lack of poker face on issues relating to his parents, it wasn’t necessary. Avander could read everything on Jack’s face. He was in pain and one step away from doing something… unwise. Avander needed to tread carefully.
Promontory: ::tapping the datafile:: Why don’t you leave this with me. I’ll see what I can do.
Jack should have known that Avander would need to think about or perhaps it took more time to decrypt than Jack understood. Starfleet Intelligence was not a department Jack had really developed an interest in so he really was not sure why level of security they had.
Kessler: Ok, I guess. ::beat:: How long do you think it will take?
Promontory: Not long, I’ll get right on this. (beat) I know it’s important to you. Just let me verify a couple things. (beat) I’l let you know as soon as I have something.
Jack nodded, turned and headed out of the Intelligence Officer’s office. Lilou was right on his heels but Jack’s mind was churning on the impossible. How to get the data from that file if Avander couldn’t or would not help? How to actually start the rescue plan? Who to ask for help. Jack paused and grinned to himself, he knew the first person he was going to ask.
Avander fired up his connection to Blacknet and inserted Kessler’s file. As he read, he raised both eyebrows. This required immediate action.
((A short time later))
((Captain’s Ready Room, Deck 1, USS ‘Oumuamua))
Promontory: So you see, this could be the break we needed.
For the second time in just a few days, Ossa found herself on the receiving end of an entreaty to look the other way during an unsanctioned mission. Promontory had come alone, unlike the pair of Arlill and Nilsen, though she wasn’t sold any more immediately than she had been with them.
V’Airu: It could be. (beat) But this is such a fraught situation, or at least it has the capacity to be. What would your plan be?
Promontory: I think we need to take immediate action. A small team, nothing officially filed in the logs, so you’d have plausible deniability..
That phrase again! Ossa was beginning to question how plausible it was that she was so unaware of her crew abandoning ship like Vulcan sandrats from a sinking cargo hauler. Nevertheless, as with Arlill and Nilsen, she could see the merit in this approach.
V’Airu: You’re not seeking my permission so much as my approval. (beat) I do approve, but…
She surveyed him. Her telepathic and empathic abilities were still nascent and completely untrained, but she didn’t need them to see that Promontory was hesitating on the edge of telling her something else.
V’Airu: What is it?
Promontory: One other thing. (beat) It’s Lt Kessler. I think he’s too close to this.
Ossa nodded. She could understand that, too. She knew that Greaves had thought – even if he hadn’t said as much – that she’d taken leave of her senses when she’d assigned Kessler to command in the immediate aftermath of the Caboto’s disappearance. She had hoped, had known, that he would rise to the occasion – but this was not then, and the immediacy of his loss had scabbed over – or perhaps become a permanent scar.
V’Airu: Undoubtedly so. I believe that may be an asset. (beat) Unless you want to suggest to him that he remain behind?
Promontory: ::shifting uncomfortably:: No, I think he should be part of the effort… he’d go crazy if he was on the sidelines. (beat) It’s just…
V’Airu: (flatly) He may make imprudent decisions, as in the immediate aftermath.
Promontory: Yeah. Something like that.
V’Airu: (with a nod) It is a risk. But if you’re there to provide counsel – and perhaps others as well…
She trailed off, thinking. She could see clearly that Kessler wasn’t going to stay behind, but if he couldn’t be kept, perhaps he could be watched. She couldn’t go herself – that would ruin the plausibility of her deniability, of course – but perhaps she could send a high-ranking officer she trusted. She didn’t want to ask Etan, so soon after sidelining him to deal with Hartmann – and who else on the crew had a high enough rank that Kessler would need to respect them? She came on it a moment later: Rouiancet, of strategic ops.
V’Airu: You have my (beat) approval to proceed, Promontory. But I would ask that you invite along Rouiancet. I expect, after I have a few words with her, that she will be amenable to accompanying you.
Avander considered his interactions Rouiancet–particularly her supervision of Commander Etan’s exam that Jack and Avander had participated in. She was a capable and experienced officer.
Promontory: She’ll be a great asset.
V’Airu: (another nod) Then go safely, and with all speed. Dismissed. (beat) Is what I would say, if you had been here in an official capacity. You were not. Yet you may take your leave. (another bead) And Promontory? Thank you for bringing this to me.
Ossa didn’t believe, really, that she could have convinced Kessler not to proceed, beyond locking him away without due process, but she wanted to think that she could at least give him the greatest chance of success, now that she knew.
Promontory: ::nodding:: “You’re welcome.” (beat) Is what I’d say if I had been here.
Lieutenant Jack Kessler
Chief Tactical Officer
USS Oumuamua
T239901JK1
Lt Avander Promontory
Intelligence Officer
USS Oumuamua
O239910AP4
Lieutenant jg TK Cabrillo
Engineering Officer
USS Oumuamua
T239901JK1
Commodore Ossa V'Airu
Commanding Officer
USS 'Oumuamua
V238208LV0
she/her/hers (this character) & he/him/his (player)
Commander Etan Iljor
Executive Officer
USS Oumuamua
NCC 81226
C239203TW0
Lieutenant Jack Kessler
Chief Tactical Officer