Lt. JG Alidar Raedai - do you think he will let us carry out this plan so.... Bold?

[Alidar Raedai]

((Stellar Cartography, Science Lab Complex, Decks 10-11, USS Ronin, Outside the J-0922A System))

Raedai: It's going to fire, the emitter is huge, it can affect both ships.

Lorana: I think it's a false …

Niac: =/\= Bridge to Stellar Cartography. Lt. Cmdr. Alieth, break off your observations on the target system and launch a new series of probes aft...are there any ion trails or other signs of vessels departing the system in the last day? =/\=

Alidar raised an eyebrow. They didn't need the probes for that, the Ronin's sensors would be more accurate. They needed the probes to get ahead of the subspace bubbles.

Alieth: =/\= Confirmed, there are ion trails suggesting that at least a dozen large spacecraft departed the system approximately twenty hours ago. The trails are quite degraded, so I cannot be sure of the presence or not of smaller ships in the group. =/\=

Niac: =/\= Can you project their course? =/\=

The Holotank promptly displayed all the possible routes along which the convoy of Alliance starships could have headed. Given the time that had passed since the time of departure, the range was quite broad, but it was still possible to pinpoint the sector of the Isles where they were most likely to be headed.

Alieth: =/\= There is a 78.578% chance that the Flotilla is heading towards sector Alpha 113. =/\=

Alidar shook his head as he heard this, they were no longer the attackers, only the conned.

Niac: =/\= Understood, Commander. Refine your projections as much as you can, try to give us an approximate force composition based on the size of the signature. Bridge out. =/\=

Near the Romulan Luxa’s slender fingers pressed against the rounded edge until the pads acquired a greenish hue.

Lorana: Commander … we can't just leave … :: looks to the holotank :: This might be our only opportunity to learn more about what the alliance have done with Sencha Niac's research and how they got it in the first place?

Alieth: You have heard the captain. Our mission has changed, we must focus on analysing the trails of the vessels that have left the system.

The operations officer had studied his cousins well enough to notice some of their feelings. The commander didn't quite agree with the Captain's order, so the Romulan jumped in to support the Caitian.

Raedai: The possible failure of this mission will be due to lack of information. We are in a situation that makes it possible for us to avoid this problem in future encounters.

Since when would a Romulan refuse to take in new information. That had always been the Romulan Empire's strength and the lack of it, its destruction.

The young doctor, silent till that moment, had traversed her way down to the bottom of the lab, approached the Romulan Lieutenant and interrupted.

Syrex: You next, Lieutenant Raedai, May I proceed?

Raedai: Yes, no problem, doctor.

He said with a slight smile. Although, he was more attentive to the commander's possible response.

Syrex: Thank you, please hold still…

As the ensign worked, Lorana suddenly turn around to look up to where Alieth stood.

Lorana: This whole time we've done exactly what they expect, Commander! And I know that you agree with me … somewhere.

Alieth narrowed her eyes, the frown she wore impossible to deepen much more than it had so far.

Lorana: We can stay behind. I'll stay behind myself if that's what it takes!

Alidar remained silent, while Syrex injected the dose. And he let Lorana succeed or fail with her idea.

Lorana: This whole time we've done exactly what they expect, Commander! And I know that you agree with me … somewhere.

Alieth narrowed her eyes, the frown she wore impossible to deepen much more than it had so far.

Lorana: We can stay behind. I'll stay behind myself if that's what it takes!

Alieth: Lieutenant Lorana, it has been long enough since Olindra to have learned from the experience. You'll need a more elaborate plan if you want me to entertain such an option…

There was still a sharp edge in her voice.

Raedai: It's not the best situation, but there's enough radiation of all kinds out there to hide something small, which generates little energy.

And they had a lot of probes that they had to detonate or destroy in order not to give information to the Alliance. There were tools to work with.

Syrex: Apologies, Lieutenant. But it is your turn now, may I?

Luxa appeared as if to say "go ahead," and the young doctor, taking it as permission, pressed the hypo spray against Lt. Lorana’s neck, dispensing the inoculation.

Lorana: :: more focused :: I suggest we take the Rhine, and investigate that platform, we can use the subspace eddies created by the S-Wave radiation to mask our presence.

Alieth: Even so, we will be isolated. We would not be able to contact the Ronin or any other vessel without disclosing our position, and as much as the Rhine is able to withstand significant damage, she would not survive an encounter with one of these frigates, even less one of the stations. We might be able to get vital intel to save Deep Space Thirty-three, but we would not be in a position to deliver it.

Raedai: We can use the probes as a backup. Together they can be a more powerful antenna to send the information earlier. But this is not the only possibility.

There were many more methods than a cloaking device to make a ship difficult to detect. And the confrontation they had had favoured some of them.

Syrex: I’m done, if any of you begin to feel ill or strange in any way, please contact sickbay ::Looks towards Alieth:: Especially you Lt Commander.

There was a softness in the young doctor's words that spoke of someone truly passionate about her work, caring about her patients and trying to do the best she could.

Alieth: ::with a playful expression glinting in her eyes :: At your command, Ensign.

Alidar simply nodded in response.

Lorana: Responses

The young trill began to walk towards the door, but before she fully crossed the lintel, she paused, turning on her heels to look around at Luxa.

Syrex: Lieutenant, if you’re thinking of going over to that platform, I would recommend taking a medic, in case anything should happen.

Luxa: Response

With that sentence, the young Trill left Stellar Cartography, and Alieth seized the moment to head downstairs and join the other two officers on the lower deck of the lab.

Alieth: ::rubbing her chin:: With the shields set up as we did in Olindra and taking advantage of the Sencha Eddies we could hide from the stations' broad scanning surveys but... for how long? Could we disguise our signature so they could identify us with an LA transport or a natural element?

Raedai: With the right configuration of the power system, shields, thrusters... it will depend on us being extremely careful, except in the case where they go out to pick up the wreckage of their ships. Then they'll get a good look at what's around them, and we'll have a huge problem.

The Ronin and Khitomer were the biggest problem for those stations, and they would keep an eye on them until they were a safe distance away.

Lorana: Responses

The petite Vulcan continued pacing around the lab.

Alieth: This will be an infiltration mission. If we get caught, not only will we not be able to transmit the information to the Ronin, but most likely we can consider ourselves effectively dead. That or suffer the fate that Petty Officer First Class Gra'vel escaped from when she was taken prisoner on Grus Beta Three. :: She glanced earnestly at the two officers present:: Are you willing to face that prospect? If not, you can remain on the Ronin and I will seek other volunteers.

As she said this last, she paused, her gaze falling on Raedai.

Raedai: I am here to serve.

He used a calm, neutral tone and as he looked up at the Vulcan, he brought his left fist to his left breastplate, performing the old Romulan imperial navy salute. Until the Commander threw him through an airlock he could have a good laugh.

Lorana: Responses

Alieth: It is ready then.

The Romulan smiled slightly and turned back to his console to look for the ideal place to deploy a ship undetected, counting the Ronin's current route.

Lorana: Responses

The commander left for one of the labs, leaving the two lieutenants to work. Whether they left the Rhine or not, they still had things to do.

Raedai: Lieutenant Lorana, could you take care of the ion traces the Captain wanted? I'm gathering as much information as I can with the probes, so I can analyse it later. And to find a place to get out of the Ronin with the Rhine so they don't make us disappear in the first minute.

Alidar ended up trying to joke. Luxa was his superior and could order him to do anything else, but at the time it seemed like a good way to divide up the tasks. Besides, he was trying to make the Caitian's plan work.

Lorana: Responses (optional)

Raedai: Lieutenant, you have served the longest with the Captain, do you think he will let us carry out this plan so.... Bold?

He tried to avoid the words, crazy, suicidal, stupid, ridiculous, dumb and others of the same kind that in good part described it perfectly, however much he agreed to go along with it. They could not afford to work as blindly as they were doing.

[TAGS/TBC]

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Liutenant Junior Grade Alidar Raedai
Ops Officer
USS Ronin (NCC-34523)
Cpt.. Karrod Niac Commanding
E239702S10