[JP][MISSION PROLOGUE] Lts Alira Venn & Serin Velis: Mission Specialists
Isara Aleron
(( Starfleet Command, Office of Starfleet Intelligence, Earth Station One, several weeks ago ))
Lieutenant Alira Venn made her way to Captain Anderson’s office. She knew the elderly Captain had quite the career, having been on a covert operation for well over a decade. She was actually surprised he was still serving after that. But apparently, his operation had been so successful that he’d actually been promoted to Captain last year. She wasn’t sure if the man had a family or not, but he spent a lot of time in these offices. Anderson was Deputy Chief of Intelligence Analysis, responsible for combing through all the intel reports and determining priority for them. Alira had a father in SFI as well, but he was attached to the covert operations division, and she hadn’t seen him in a few years. As for Alira herself, she was an analyst, but had always dreamt of fieldwork like her father. Covert operations just held a certain appeal for her, but analysis had its benefits as well.
She paused outside the doors to the Captain’s office and waited for the computer to announce her. She didn’t even need to press a comm panel to get a chime. The door, like everything else in this part of the station, was fitted with special sensors that would read biological data and determine who was standing there. While she waited to be admitted, she checked her appearance. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a regulation tail, her uniform crisp, and her gig line straight. After a few seconds, she heard the Captain’s gravelly voice admit her, and she thought he didn’t sound too happy. But then, he rarely sounded happy.
The doors parted, and Alira stepped inside, stopping about three feet from his desk and coming to perfect attention.
Venn: Lieutenant Venn reporting as ordered, sir.
The grizzled Captain looked up at her and nodded, then snatched one of the data padds from his desk and thrust it at her. How he knew which was to grab was a mystery, considering he had dozens of them stacked in neat rows on his desk, but he hadn’t even stopped to think about it. She stepped forward and took the padd from him with a puzzled look on her face.
Anderson: :: an annoyed look on his face :: Don’t just stand there, girl. You’ve been griping to your supervisor about wanting a field assignment. Well, there it is.
She thought griping was a bit overstated. She had mentioned it on a few occasions, but usually only in the context of “what do you want to do with your career” discussions. Still, it sounded like the Captain was offering her a field assignment.
Venn: A field assignment, Captain? May I ask what it’s about?
The Captain’s perpetually annoyed look seemed to take on an even more annoyed look as his bushy white eyebrows narrowed to such a degree that they threatened to merge into a single unibrow.
oO Not that they aren’t almost that already, but still… Oo
Anderson: Lieutenant, how did you get to be a Lieutenant in the Analysis Division if you can’t read? The information is all there. :: he signed in frustration, but set his stylus down and leaned back in his chair. :: That being said, there is probably something you should know that isn’t directly spelled out in the report. I would expect my analysts to be able to read between the lines in these kinds of reports, but since you seem to have trouble actually reading this one in the first place, I’ll be direct.
That stung, and she tried not to wince. However, she was certain she wasn’t entirely successful, just as she was certain the Captain’s comments were probably justified, if harsh.
Anderson: Starfleet Intelligence has analysed these reports and determined that this poses a significant threat to the security of the Federation. The USS Ronin is being dispatched to deal with the situation. You’ll be rendezvousing with them to assist and provide relevant data to their command team. Your job will be to assess the situation and determine if the Intelligence conclusion is valid, and to make the appropriate recommendations to Captain Niac based on your own observations.
oO So, real field work! Still as an analyst, but still field work. Oo
Anderson: There’s one more thing, Lieutenant. You’re being temporarily detached from Intelligence for the duration of this assignment. Your official role on the Ronin will be as one of two Mission Specialists assigned to handle this threat. The rest of the details are in the report and transfer orders. I suggest you brush up on your reading skills while you’re en route. The Forrester will depart tomorrow to rendezvous with the USS Goodall, where you will transfer to complete your trip to meet with Captain Niac and crew.
Venn: Understood, Captain.
He gave her a curt nod and picked up his stylus once more.
Anderson: Very good, then. You’re dismissed.
She gave him a sharp salute and departed his office. She was somewhat excited about receiving a field assignment. However, because she was being detached from Intelligence, this wouldn’t count toward her official Intelligence service record as fieldwork. Still, it was an assignment, and she was excited to be getting away from Earth for a while.
((Astrobiology Department, Starfleet Headquarters, several weeks earlier))
Lieutenant Serin Velis stared at the scans for a long moment before leaning back in her chair, sighing. The mug of tea sitting beside the monitor, once steaming, had grown cold and bitter.
No matter how many sensor readings they got, they had made minimal progress in learning anything about the creature. What had started out as a pet project was rapidly becoming an obsession for her. She hadn’t slept more than a few hours over the last few days, determined to find something that would give Starfleet a reason to send them out there.
th’Renn: Anything?
Serin’s glanced away, her vision taking a moment to adjust. The melodic whisper of the Aenar’s voice hadn’t completely registered, not until her gaze fell on the woman’s pale face.
Velis: ::grimaces:: Not yet. ::grunts in irritation:: There’s only so much we can learn from a distance. Why can’t Starfleet just send us out there already? Surely they can see the logic in gathering first hand data rather than scans sent halfway across the galaxy.
th’Renn: ::shrugs:: I just passed by the director’s office and it sounded like he was on the comm with someone really important. Maybe that’s what it was.
Serin’s expression shifted. Honestly? She’d be shocked if they got approval before the turn of the century the way Starfleet bureaucrats worked. PADDwork in triplicate, checking every inch of every form, then a form for every detail they checked. It was a wonder any research or exploration got done.
She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by the director’s sudden appearance in the doorway, as though the very mention of his title had summoned him.
Selvek: Lieutenant, may I see you in my office?
Her breath caught momentarily. He wasn’t one to be so vague and, being Vulcan, valued detail. The fact that he had yet to tell her and had requested the discussion be held in the privacy of his office didn’t bode well.
Velis: ::breathily:: Yes, sir.
The Vulcan man nodded sagely, his expression betraying no emotion.
th’Renn: ::whispers urgently:: What did you do now?
A grimace crossed Serin’s lips. Nothing. Well, nothing that she could think of anyway. She’d been toeing the line since the incident at last month’s conference where she’d virtually contradicted him in front of the entire department and visitors from another world.
Nope. She’d learned her lesson.
Velis: I have no idea. ::sighs:: But I guess there’s only one way to find out.
Trying to appear calmer than she felt, Serin rose from her chair and exited her office, turning once in the hall to head toward the director’s office.
th’Renn: ::whispers as Serin walks by:: Good luck.
(( Guest Quarters, USS Goodall ))
Alira Venn stood at the large window of her assigned quarters staring out as the Dakota class starship streaked through warp space. She’d always found the streaking stars fascinating, but perhaps she just hadn’t been in space enough to get used to it. They would be rendezvousing with the Ronin very soon and she’d have to give her briefing. Was the target truly a threat to the Federation? All the data said so, but her task was going to be to make an on site analysis and provide the appropriate recommendation to Captain Niac.
Alira was half-Rodulan, and while she’d been born and raised on Luna Colony, her father had rarely been around. She almost couldn’t even picture his face most of the time as she grew up. And so, her beliefs and values had been heavily shaped and weighed by her mother’s values and beliefs. By their nature, Rodulans were a peaceful people. True, they’d had their share of violence in their history, but that was in the past now. Dikkenism had replaced that violence with a love of peace and art. But some threats were just too large to be ignored.
She chuckled at her own joke and turned around to grab her duty jacket before heading out of the quarters. She had closed the jacket and was looking crisp and sharp as ever when she made her way toward the crew lounge at the front of the ship.
(( Crew Lounge, USS Goodall ))
Serin sat at a table near the viewport, staring at the PADD, not completely absorbing the contents as she sipped the mug of tea on autopilot. She’d read the documents and reports dozens of times on the smaller ship enroute to the Goodall and had them all but memorized. Despite this, the whole situation still felt surreal. The last thing she’d expected when she’d entered the director’s office was to learn that Starfleet had given the green light and she’d been selected to represent her team as a Mission Specialist.
It had taken Serin several hours of research to even begin to understand what that was. After all, she was a scientist, not a diplomat.
Tearing her eyes away from the PADD, Serin just happened to look toward the entrance where a semi-familiar face entered.
When she’d seen Venn’s record, she’d been immediately fascinated. Her recently acquired symbiont, with several lifetimes of experience, was no stranger to pretty faces and while Serin had never really paid the beauty of women much attention, there was no denying that Venn was an attractive woman. Gathering her courage, she drew in a breath and moved to greet her.
Alira entered the lounge and made her way over to the bar. She ordered a synthale and then moved over to one of the empty tables near the forward bay window which showed the tunnel of white stars streaking by. She was still contemplating the upcoming assignment when a voice spoke near her.
Velis: Lieutenant Venn?
She turned her blue eyes toward the newcomer, who she recognized as her fellow mission specialist for the Ronin situation, as she was coming to think of it.
Venn: Greetings, Lieutenant. Please, join me.
Doing her best to maintain her composure, Serin slid into the offered chair. Not for the first time since seeing the name, Velis had this strange sense that it was familiar…and not from the time spent staring at the woman’s profile.
Mentally shaking the thoughts away, she returned her attention to Venn.
Venn: I’m Alira. Alira Venn. And I presume you’re the Astrobiologist?
Velis: ::nods and offers her hand:: It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Lieutenant.
Venn: :: Alira smiled at her as she shook her hand :: Likewise. I’ve been studying up on the subject and I find it very interesting. What’s your take on it, based on the limited data we have?
She turned her piercing blue eyes on Velis and waited for her response.
Velis: ::brow furrows thoughtfully:: I’ve been pleading with the Brass for months for that very reason. Limited data. I don’t know how we’re supposed to make any plans to proceed without knowing more about the creature.
The woman had a valid point. They had limited data. But that was why her assignment was to assess and recommend, rather than just having the determination already made for her.
Venn: True enough. But we’re getting that data now. Hopefully, we can get enough to make a definite decision on how to proceed.
Velis: ::grimaces:: Hopefully the Brass will actually listen to our recommendations. They’ve been known to be immovable once their mind is made up.
Alira nodded and smiled in agreement.
Venn: That is so true. We’ll just have to see how this goes.
Lieutenant Alira Venn
Mission Specialist (Intelligence)
USS Ronin, NCC-34523
A239412S10
&
Lieutenant Serin Velis
Mission Specialist (Astrobiologist)
USS Ronin, NCC-34523
I23811RH0