Lieutenant Alira Venn: Here We Go Again
Isara Aleron
The man clasped his hands behind his back and seemed to consider his response. She appreciated that fact, because an emotional response wasn’t going to serve them right now.
Kessler: Let's just say I have a bad history with Starfleet Intelligence. It will not affect this mission if that is what you are worried about Lieutenant.
She thought about that for a moment, nodding. She’d suspected as much, and while she wasn’t aware of the details, she really didn’t need to know either. As long as he was assuring her it would not affect his professionalism, she really didn’t need him to like her.
oO But just once, I wish someone could see beyond my job. Oo
Venn: To a large degree, yes, it is. I appreciate you saying that, sir. Although I don’t need you to like me, I do need to work with you and it will be a whole lot easier if we agree to set aside personal issues up front.
Kessler: Rest assured Lieutenant, I will give nothing more than my absolute best during this mission.
She turned her head back toward the doors and waited. Just as the lift came to a stop, she turned back to him once more.
Venn: We’re not all bad, you know. And I hope that by the time we’re done here, I can redeem Starfleet Intelligence in your eyes. Even just a little bit.
The doors slid open and she stepped out, waiting for him to guide her to their destination. He stepped out as well, turning to face her, his eyes locking on hers.
Kessler: ::in a lower voice:: I hope you do prove me wrong Lieutenant. I really do.
He didn’t wait for her response, but started down the corridor tapping his combadge.
Kessler: =/\= Kessler to Lieutenant T'Fearne, Esign S'tek. Report to the Security Complex immediately. =/\=
T'Fearne: =/\= Acknowledged, Chief. =/\=
Alira managed to keep pace with him and turned th corner alongside him even as he closed the channel on his combadge. She was now more determined than ever to show him that Starfleet Intelligence wasn’t the enemy.
((Security Complex, Deck 11, USS Ronin))
She entered the security complex a half step behind Lieutenant Kessler. The size of it was impressive, for a starship. There were several large monitors on the wall, along with seating. Two other officers were already present and waiting. The female appeared to be Vulcan, or at least Vulcanoid, and had curly brown hair. Alira could sense something else, but without opening her telepathic abilities she couldn’t know for sure what she was sensing.
Next to her was a Vulcan male, but again, she sensed he wasn’t fully Vulcan either. It was neither here nor there, at any rate. She was here to do a job, not to analyze her colleagues.
Kessler: Lieutenant T'Fearne, Ensign S'tek this is Lieutenant Venn. She has been tasked with working with the Ronin on this assignment. ::beat:: Lieutenant Venn, this is Lieutenant T'Fearne, my right hand in Security and this ::gesturing to S'tek:: is Ensign S'tek. He just came aboard before we shipped out but I feel he will be a valued addition to this collaboration.
T'Fearne/S'tek: Responses
Venn: It’s a pleasure.
Kessler: Lieutenant ::gesturing to Venn:: If you would please, let them know what exactly we are dealing with.
As the Security Chief stepped back to give her the floor, she nodded at him and turned to the other two. This was going to be a much abbreviated version of the briefing she’d given the Captain and his team, but it would be enough to give them the idea.
Venn: Thank you, sir. :: She quickly connected her datapadd to the nearest terminal and brought up the image of the object they were going to examine. :: We have no name for this object or creature yet, but this is our objective. We’re fairly certain it is biological, but that has yet to be conclusively proven. If it is, it would be a massive cosmozoan.
She paused and looked at Kessler before continuing. She’d already pressed her luck once, so she decided to keep her opinions on the possible outcomes to herself for the moment. Kessler knew them, so if he chose to share, then that would be his decision, not hers.
Venn: Starfleet has several concerns. Firstly, nearly every cosmozoan we’ve encountered has had dangerous qualities to it. A few have proven to be relatively harmless, if undisturbed. But more have proven to be extremely hazardous; some even hostile. We’re to assess the threat, if any, and make recommendations on tactical situations as needed. To quote Captain Niac, we’re to consider a full range of scenarios from “'big space fish wants a hug' to 'it just ate a nacelle and it still looks hungry.'”
She nodded at Kessler again and stepped back a bit to let him have the floor again.
T'Fearne/S'tek: Responses
Kessler: This is a great scientific discovery for sure, but as mentioned the safety of the ship and crew falls to us. With a power that this thing must project we need to know we can defend the ship even if it is from just the creatures natural biology versus a weapon. T'Fearne, has the Ronin ever encountered a biologic lifeform like this before?
T'Fearne/S'tek: response
Kessler: Ok, then we are starting at square one. ::beat:: options? Through them out no matter how crazy they sound. We'll weed through them one by one.
He began handing out PADDs and she took one from him to make her own notes on. Unfortunately, without more data about this creature, she really didn’t have many ideas on what they should do. But she was an analyst in SFI, so her job was speculation based on data, no matter how improbable that speculation may seem.
oO Okay, here goes nothing then. Oo
T'Fearne/S'tek: Responses
She was already laying out several scenarios on her PADD. Most of them were along the lines of, “it’s a huge humpback whale in space, and look how badly that almost ended for Earth.” But just enough were along the thought of, “it’s Gomtuu. It just wants to be left alone.”
Venn: I have no more data than I’ve shared, but considering that we’re tasked with tactical options, I think I’d personally like to start with something that let’s us get this thing away from the possible hands of the Consortium or the Lattice Alliance. Like, how do we move it?
Kessler/T'Fearne/S'tek: Responses
Venn: It’s massive. We’re not even sure how massive yet, but early speculation is on the order of kilometers.
Kessler/T'Fearne/S'tek: Responses
Lieutenant Alira Venn
Mission Specialist (Intelligence)
USS Ronin, NCC-34523
A239412S10