Lt. Cmdr. Kirsty Carpenter - House Mother
Justin Partridge
((Bridge, Deck 3, U.S.S. Ronin, Outside the J-0922A.))
Kirsty broiled with rage and embarrassment from her terminal, leaning like an animal in the wild on the balls of her knuckles. Growing bloodlessly white as they held almost her full weight up and aloft the top of her terminal. This had been a punishment sometimes in Basic. Planking for a superior's determined amount of time with as little limb support as possible. Often times she would have her toes to help, but this was a different sort of deal.
They had been had. AGAIN.
Even with the increased Security drills and patrols. Even with the constantly updated sensor maps before, during, and after their arrival to J-0922A. Even with their renewed vigilance and their preparedness and their iron will to protect their patch of space and carry out their mission to the best of their abilities, STILL, STILL....The Lattice Alliance had played her for a fool. AGAIN.
She hammered her right hand suddenly and sharply down from the close position, shifting her weight back onto her feet, and felt ghoulish grateful for the dry pain followed by the thrumming pulse of her returned circulation. They would pay. And with continuing compounding interest that had started with Grus Beta Three.
But more important than her revenge was protecting their people at DS33. She was about to say as much when Chief Alieth's voice snapped through the Bridge.
Alieth: =/\= Alieth to Captain Niac. I have a proposition to make before the Ronin leave the system. =/\=
She seemed to...pause? Since when did Alieth take a pause, she wondered from her position. And was that...some heavy breathing maybe coming through the line? Was she alright? Kirsty listened intently after her peer and (hopefully) friend.
Niac: =/\= RESPONSE =/\=
Alieth: =/\= Leave me and my team behind, with a small runabout. The Rhine for example can fly undetected for longer than any larger vessel and will allow us to gather enough intel to learn more about Alliance technology, the science behind their weapons and how to combat them. The rest of our department can collaborate with the Khitomer science team to design a diffuser for Sencha weapons with what we have already shared with them, so our presence will only be of advantage to this mission. =/\=
Kirsty blinked hard at the Vulcan's speed and tact through the request.
oO No frakkin' way. Oo she thought after a beat. Even if the Captain skewed toward granting the away request, Kirsty would challenge it. As much as the idea brought nervous bile to her throat; she had told off many'a non-com, non-Starfleet CO and law enforcement liaison who deemed it necessary to question her old Captain, sure. But she had never had any real reason to with Karrod Niac. He was decisive. He was progressive. And best of which, he was fair. One of the rare commanding officers Kirsty had had throughout her career that she was more than proud to follow.
But the savagery of the L.A.'s "ground troops" the RoLFs, coupled with the seemingly gleeful cruelty they showed to Gra'vel during her brief capture...the thought of Chief Alieth and her people being even near subjected to that...it rose a gall of white hot tears in her brow (ones she quickly pivoted and wiped from her nose, the crimson of her cheeks hopefully covering the runnels of their passing).
She couldn't, WOULDN'T allow the L.A. to get their hands on them. Not Aleith or Luxa or Rendai or any of their people. Any. Single. One. of Them.
But like the good(ish) soldier she was, she deferred to her Captain, holding now a tight stance behind her Tac/Security console.
Niac: =/\= RESPONSE =/\=
Alieth: =/\= Ensign Syrex, in fact, volunteered herself. That will cover any problems that might arise. =/\= :: Without letting the captain retort:: =/\= We will be able to relay the information to the Ronin before you reach Deep Space Thirty-Three and then hide until it becomes safe to return. =/\=
Niac: =/\= RESPONSE=/\=
The line cut and Kirsty was almost in awe of the Vulcan's gumption. She might have even developed a deeper sort of crush (oO She didn't even let him REPLY!Oo) on the diminutive Vulcan, if she wasn't truly madly deeply burning with opposition to the idea. She finally loosened her stance, stepping out slightly from the alcove to join the impromptu conference that was breaking out across the Center platform.
Tucker: I swear, if they so much as put a scratch on that ship, they’ll be the ones doing the repairing. I mean she’s all but brand new for Cripe's sake.
Niac: RESPONSE
Carpenter: Sir, I have to strongly, strongly advise against the away action...
Beck: RESPONSE
Before she could start into the million and one reasons why she didn't want to send Alieth and her teams into a hellhole, Marty's consoles and terminals started to squeak reports from across the ship. He acknowledged many of them with a swipe of his fingers and then finally turned to regard them all once more once he had deemed it dealt with for the moment.
Tucker: Repair teams are underway, and they’re still having problems with the aft shields, has to do with the generator in the mission pod; my crews are spread pretty thin as it is. But I’ve redirected specialist repair groups to the mission pod. So the inertial dampers might be a bit iffy, as I pulled them off that project. There was a phase fluctuation in the dampers I was trying to stamp out before it became an issue; we’ll just be tossed around a bit if it gets dicey.
Niac: RESPONSE
She frowned slightly, though impressed with The Captain's ability to delegate and side-step all at the same time.
Carpenter: Yes, sir, risen now to 80% and holding thanks to Mister Tucker's teams, but sir, again, I gotta caution-
Beck: RESPONSE
Kirsty almost swore blackly and with a depth of knowledge befitting an ancient coal miner when the deck-to-deck comm system chimed once more. But it was a voice she didn't recognize.