Capt. Karrod Niac - Smoothing Out The Carpentry

[Karrod Niac]

((OOC:  I'm removing Carpenters tags and amending the sim a bit to start re-balancing our teams, apologies for anybody who got lapped - it's no fault of yours! Any dialogue that got updated has a * before Niac for clarity.))

((Ready Room, Deck 3, USS Ronin))

Niac:  The Administrator wants an audience...she wants to see us squirming and begging...and I think that's something we can use against her.  We distract her while we enact our backup plan...which we're going to formulate right now.  The wave keeps accelerating so we've got less than sixty hours to figure it out and execute our plan.  Recommendations?  

Nemes/Evinrude: Response

O’Connor: =/\= Whole heartedly agree. Things seem relatively stable down here and I don’t think we are going to find much else out without being directly on the station. Right now the drone footage shows us that there really isn’t anywhere safe up there for us to be. What’s left is rubble or radiation interference would scramble any additional readings we could get. We could leave the drones behind though, to continue scans and additional data collection.=/\=

Raga: I feel I should point out that it’s likely she has more leverage. Tuck’s team basically is or possibly already has just walked into an ambush. If they can’t avoid it, she has some new hostages. If they can, then they’re still trapped on that train with a madwoman. I’d like to try and support them if we can, but I fear we have our hands full just trying to keep that wave from destroying two worlds.

A thought struck Karrod as Toryn was talking and the words all but tumbled out of his mouth.  

Niac:  She didn't gloat about them.  

He glanced around, realizing he'd vocalized his thoughts from the odd expressions he was getting.  

Niac:  Emzai...if she had our people in hand...she would've made a whole big thing of it.  Would've made sure to demonstrate how in control she was.  Could mean our people haven't crossed paths with her or have avoided her somehow...you're right Commander, they may be our key to solving this.  We have to get in touch with them somehow.  

Nemes/Evinrude: Response

Karrod could feel the tension boiling off Toryn's shoulders from clear across the room.

Raga: Do we actually have to worry about Alpha Sigma though? They still have a working station that could disperse the wave. And even if they couldn’t, couldn’t we do the thing the Enterprise-D did? Since that reflected wave she can cause with her devices wouldn’t have a passenger train riding it. So, we wouldn’t have any issues using torpedoes to disperse it, right?

He nodded and glanced back towards the terminal.  

Niac:  We received a garbled transmission from Alpha Sigma while you were on your way up from the flight deck.  Their station is gone.  A high yield antimatter detonation, from the sound of it identical to what destroyed the Proxima Sigma station.  Emzai really thought of everything.  And you're right, we could disperse the wave with a carefully targeted torpedo spread...but by the time we broke away from the train, chased down the other wave, got in front of it and fired...we'd never catch back up with the train before impact.  

He shook his head, frustrated by the maddening mathematics of it. He turned his attention back towards the screen.  

*Niac:  =/\= Lieutenant, unless you feel like there's more to learn there I want you to begin heading back at best possible speed.  I want you to rendezvous with Commander Raga so you can be in position to breach the train as soon as we locate Chief Tucker's team.  We'll send you intercept details en route.  Low profile approach Mr. O'Connor, I don't want to tip our hand before we're ready.  Understood? =/\=

O’Connor: =/\= Understood, Captain. You know my middle name is subtle right. =/\=

He offered the terminal a curt nod.  

*Niac: =/\= Commander Carpenter, I know it's asking a lot but I want you to remain on Proxima Sigma and liaise with the local government officials.  I don't want them to think we've abandoned them and I'm confident you can keep their evacuation efforts on track.  Good luck Kirsty...I expect you back home soon.  Ronin out. =/\=

He turned his attention back to Toryn and the two young officers on the other side of his desk.  

Niac:  I'd like to have a viable rescue plan in place before they get here..and there's someone aboard who may be able to help us with that.  ::His hand was on his commbadge a moment later:: =/\= Niac to Herbert. Counselor please join me in the Ready Room immediately. =/\=

Herbert: =/\= Of course, Sir. I’m on my way. =/\=

Raga/Nemes/Evinrude: Response

Niac:  He's a recent addition to the Counseling staff and I believe he may be able to give us some ideas on Emzai's next move.  While we wait for him to join us...Ensign Nemes, with Lt. Cmdr. Lorana incapacitated you're the ranking science officer.  I need you to tell me what happened with the experiment on the yacht...and if you still think the plan has a chance of success or not.  

Raga/Nemes/Evinrude: Response

Karrod was about to respond when the door chimed and a moment later the ships newest officer entered.  He seemed to pick up on the mood in the room immediately as he headed towards Karrod's desk.  

Herbert: Here as ordered… How can I help, Sir?

Niac: Thank you for joining us, Counsellor. I realise you may not have all the information about the ship's present situation but I believe you can offer us a valuable perspective. Commander Raga and Ensign Nemes here were part of the team trying to disperse the wave… but unfortunately they were only successful in immolating the Captain's yacht so far. Ensign Evinrude helped us uncover part of Administrator Emzai's plan but so far we're no closer to stopping her. Did I omit anything critical?

Raga/Nemes/Evinrude: Response

Herbert: Forgive my ignorance, Captain, and if you’ve already covered this, but is there some kind of motive behind this Administrator’s plan?

Niac: We were just discussing that very point and our conclusion at present is that, beyond some twisted version of revenge, we simply don't know.  Frankly Counselor until about ten minutes ago Commander Raga and I were fairly certain the woman was dead.  

The expression of concerned shock that played out on the Counselors features nearly dislodged his anachronistic eyeglasses but he recovered smoothly a moment later.  

Herbert: That’s… Unfortunate.

Herbert: I may be misunderstanding, but the man who fired on, and ultimately killed her partner - this “Kos”… Was he not a colonist? ::Beat:: This begs the question, why the vendetta against you, Captain? The rest of the Ronin’s crew? Starfleet and the Federation? Surely her anger is misplaced?

Karrod began to respond when a comm badge chirped from across his desk, the voice of their Chief of Operations clear on the line.  

Munro: =/\= Commander Munro to Ensign Evinrude =/\=

Evinrude: =/\= Response =/\=

Munro: =/\= Please meet us in the Flight Deck once you're finished with the Captain =/\=

The channel was closed before the young man could even respond and Karrod hid a small smirk behind his beard.  He was glad to see she hadn't changed much since their shared posting at Command, where she would famously get terse under stress.  He'd gotten good at judging her overall stress level based on total number of words used and based on that exchange she was feeling the heat of their situation just as much as he was.  He nodded towards Tess sympathetically.  

Niac:  Get going Ensign, Cmdr. Munro isn't one to waste time.  

Evinrude: Response

He offered the young man a nod as he turned and left before returning his attention to the Counselors question.  

Niac:  You're absolutely correct in that her anger is misplaced...she seems to have fixated on the Ronin and me personally, possibly because of some existing anti-Federation bias or possibly because the woman is more nuts than a bag of trail mix.  But that's why I called you here, Counselor, your psychological insights are a bit more...nuanced than mine.  

Herbert: I see. ::Beat:: Commander, if I may be so bold - what drew you to the conclusion that she had perished after your last encounter?

Raga: Response

Herbert: On the contrary - I’m not here to point the finger of blame at anyone, least of all yourself. You say that she used a gaseous form of maleconite in an attempt to subdue you… I can’t say I am familiar with the substance.

Raga / Nemes: Responses

Herbert: I assume you’ve made contact with Ms Emzai, hence your knowledge of her presence?

Karrod nodded towards his desk terminal.  

Niac:  That's correct.  A few minutes ago she made contact from the train, claimed to be a representative of 'The Grus Betans,' and all but twirled her mustache at us as she explained the severity of the situation.  It seems she manufactured this entire situation just to place us, specifically, in an impossible conundrum.  

Herbert: Would you be ever so kind as to arrange an archive copy of that transmission sent my way, Ensign? I’d like to at least have a chance to see what this individual is like for myself.

Niac: Actually Counselor I had something else in mind...I'd like you to join me on the bridge for my next conversation with the Administrator.  Perhaps some live observations will be informative.  

Their new Counselor seemed shockingly nonplussed by the idea and Karrod nodded, impressed by the mans rock solid Tongo face.  

Herbert: From what you’ve all described, and the impressions I’ve gained so far, it seems like there’s a distinct possibility that while she may be the architect of this scheme, there is also the possibility of someone, or something, larger which is pulling the strings. What I cannot say yet, but her misguided anger with us, the grief she must be feeling after the death of her partner? That kind of vulnerability is easily exploited, or manipulated into something else entirely.

Raga/Nemes: Response

Herbert: Perhaps, though not necessarily. It could be the result of an addiction to maleconite. She was exposed to it for a similar length of time to yourself, Commander, but without the aftercare of a Starfleet Physician. For all we know, her natural immunity was compromised due to a lifetime of exposure.

Niac:  That's a disturbing possibility, Counselor...all our research on the substance will be in the main computer but I don't know how far Lt. Cmdr. Alieth's team got in analyzing the psychological effects of the compound.  At the time we were more concerned with putting the fire out...oh and keeping an emergent Tholian alive.  

He turned his attention from the Counselor for the moment and glanced at Toryn, who'd never bothered to take a seat and still looked like he wanted to crush half the furniture in the room into misshapen lumps.  Karrod felt the same way but unlike Toryn, lacked the physical strength to actually do it.

Niac:  Commander, I want you to connect with Major Singh and intercept Lt. O'Connor's shuttle before he gets back to the wave.  The three of you will be responsible for extracting Chief Tucker and his people...as soon as we've managed to locate them.  I'll forward any information we manage to collect to your runabout.  And Toryn, remember....this woman will try to play mind games with you.  Don't let her get under you skin.  

Raga: Responses

He offered a small grunt of acknowledgment as his XO turned and left before returning his attention to the remaining members of his team.  Neither had been present for the fiasco on Grus Beta 3 and neither had any idea what Emzai was capable of yet he suspected that outside perspective was exactly what they needed.  

Niac:  Ensign, Counselor, I believe the solution to this crisis is locked away somewhere in the mind of a madwoman and I need your help to find it.  Are you up to the challenge?  

Nemes/Herbert:  Response

[Tags/TBC!]

((OOC:  Not adding a bunch of new tags as this is already pretty long, I'll transition my team to the bridge in my next reply.))

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Captain Karrod Niac
Commanding Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
V239509GT0