Lt. Cmdr. Alieth - Of Mice and Monsters
Alieth
((OOC: I needed to do some retcon to make it work with what has been simmed by the bridge crew, sorry for the delay!))
((Stellar Cartography, Science Lab Complex, Decks 10-11, USS Ronin, Outside the J-0922A System))
Once, during her
kahs-wan,
Alieth had stumbled into the lair of a wild Sehlat. The animal had
reacted with a mixture of surprise and rage to the intrusion and,
thanks only to a quick mind, sheer irrational courage and what she
might illogically consider luck, the young Vulcan had managed to
survive the encounter. The scars left from the event had faded thanks
to modern Vulcan medicine, but the visceral memory had remained
forever with her. In some ways, that conversation with the Captain,
that madcap proposal she was trying to pound into the hard skull of
the oversized Trill, somehow felt the same way.
Despite
everything, she kept pressing, using logic as she had been taught: to
achieve what she needed. So, she kept insisting.
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. =/\=
There was a pause on the other end of the line, one filled with deep breaths that spoke of poorly contained anger. The Sehlat again, about to strike, mouth agape, fangs glinting at the external light just like metal daggers.
Niac: =/\= Standby Commander. I'll take your proposal under advisement. =/\=
The petite Vulcan
nodded, and released the combadge, severing the communication. With a
calmness that belied the growing anticipation in her racing
heartbeat, she rested her hip on the console and settled back to
wait.
Further inside Stellar Cartography, Lorana and
Raedai were still working. Almost shoulder to shoulder, their backs
turned towards her, just enough to give her the intimacy that the
conversation she'd been having required. She caught their lips
moving, but tried hard not to listen to the words they uttered to
each other. After all, she owed them the same intimacy they were
giving her, as much as she distrusted the Romulan's sly ways.
Just
as she had almost made up her mind to the fact that Karrod wasn't
going to answer again until they had jumped to WARP, and was about to
return to the core of the lab, her combadge let out a cheerful chirp
once more.
Niac: =/\= Niac to Alieth. Away mission...approved. Get your team into the Rhine and launch in the next....six minutes or you're coming with us. =/\=
The science chief took a few seconds before answering. Just long enough to turn the protest she had been working on into a more appropriate response.
Alieth: =/\= Understood sir, we will depart before then. =/\=
Niac: =/\= Commander, it may not be possible for you to link back up with the Ronin even if your mission is a success. =/\=
There was a pause in the communication, one long enough for Alieth guessed what was on the grumpy Trill's mind. Even in the unlikely event that the small Rhine team succeeded in their endeavour, the chances of the Ronin and Khitomer being successful against the flotilla moving towards DS33, even without Lattice Alliance reinforcements arriving from other positions, were rather slim. That realization brought a knot to her throat, but she failed to vocalize it before the captain kept talking.
Niac: =/\= With that in mind I'm ordering a copy of the ships logs and sensor records transferred to the Rhine's computers. In the event...in the event we cannot rendezvous, you are ordered to proceed at best speed to Cait Spacedock. Flt. Admiral Washington will know what to do. Good fortune, Commander. =/\=
Alieth: =/\= Understood, sir. Dif-tor heh smusma1 =/\=
The commline closed, the petite Vulcan took a deep breath and then stepped briskly towards the other two officers.
Alieth: Sirs, prepare to depart on the Rhine, time for departure in five minutes, get EVA suits ready for four officers. Dvun'uh2!
The two officers wasted no time in relaying the research they were doing to the main laboratory of the science complex. A pair of beeps signalled as two other scientists took over, proof, as they had so often proved to the petite 2O, that despite the diversity and eclecticism of their science team, they were a well-knit and efficient unit.
With that covered, Alieth squeezed her combadge once more.
Alieth: =/\= Ensign Syrex, your request to participate in an away mission has been granted. Report to the Rhine, on shuttlebay one in four minutes, medkit at the ready. =/\=
Syrex: =/\= Response =/\=
The slanted eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly, but in the end won the gentle tug at one corner of her mouth, a mischievous expression that in no way translated into the tone of her words.
Alieth: =/\=The security department will take care of it, I have every confidence that Miss Carpenter can handle that Changeling on her own. =/\=
And she was deadly sincere about that fact, since the human had proven time and time again a zeal for her position and duties, paired with an unyielding stubbornness that Alieth had come to respect.
Syrex: =/\= Response =/\=
Alieth: =/\= Meet me in the Rhine, ensign. :: Menacingly:: Do not even think of being late. =/\=
((Five and a half minutes later, Main Level, Shuttlebay 1, Decks 9, USS Ronin, Outside the J-0922A System))
The Rhine's engines were running. In fact, the ship, which Lorana helmed, hovered a few centimetres above the shuttlebay's floor panels, stirring up small swirls of dust. The flight deck officers had left the area a minute ago, ready to lower the hangar door shield with the consequent loss of pressure and oxygen. And yet, the young doctor had still not appeared.
The Vulcan waited, hanging on the rear door of the Volga Class, clinging to the lintel, her myopic eyes looking at the different doors of the shuttlebay, in search, unsuccessfully, of the last person missing to complete her team.
Finally, she averted her gaze and glanced behind her, within the
cargo bay of the runabout. There were four EVA suits ready to be used
in case the ship's shields couldn't withstand the amount of Sencha
radiation they were going to deal with, so they might need an extra
layer of protection, at least, to leave the area. Apparently, they
were going to have one to spare.
Alieth began to raise a
hand, ready to give the order to leave, when a voice interrupted her.
Syrex: Response
The spark of a smile lit up the Vulcan's eyes as she used a gloved hand to help the young Trill onto the vessel.
Alieth: You are definitely going to have to check that punctuality of yours, Ensign.
Syrex: Response
The Vulcan said nothing, but let the muscles of her face loosen a bit, not into an expression, let alone a smile, but into something that was less severe than the imperturbable mask she always wore on her face.
Seconds later, the runabout left the hangar and was illuminated by
the Ronin's engines as the massive Akira (at least in comparison to
the Rhine) jumped to WARP and left them alone before an enemy that
had them outnumbered and outgunned.
The cat and
mouse game had just begun, and Alieth was unable to lie to herself
saying she wasn't excited about it.
[[Tags/End Act 1 for Alieth! ]]
1Dif-tor heh smusma → Vuhlkansu, “live long and prosper” traditional greeting or farewell
2Dvun'uh! → Vuhlkansu, “Move!” exorting one to move
Lieutenant Commander Alieth
Chief Science Officer & 2O
E239702A10
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