Lt.JG T’Fearne - A Thorny First Contact
Teayl Thorn
((Circular Corridor/Turbolift, Deck 03, USS Compass Rose))
The Compass Rose had made a series of uncomfortable jerks, the thrusters engaging in random directions since they came aboard. Now the jerking had mercifully ceased, though the dim sounds of weapons systems discharging through the eerie quiet of the ship could still be heard.
T’Fearne: My recommendation is that Om-Zora’s with me. We’ll clear the path to the lift, and then you follow us. :: Looking at Alyndra and Roop for approval :: We leapfrog anywhere we go, and we go down in the lift together.
Roop: Lieutenants, keep in mind we have four Duotronic Enhancers and one emergency power cell with us. With them, we can potentially take control of any four rooms or subsystems, but we can only power one.
Syrex: Thanks for the reminder, Ensign, I’ll keep that in mind. ::Looks over to T’Fearne:: Go for it, but be careful, and keep the comm-line open.
Phaser in hand, T’Fearne took point. She nodded to Om-Zora, and she swept the starboard corridor, trusting Om-Zora to handle the port. A dimly lit corridor curving swiftly out of sight in both directions met her eyes. No movement. No sound. No sign of anything that could scream. There wasn't much to see.
She gestured to Om-Zora, and they headed cautiously towards the turbolift doors several meters along the corridor. Padding softly as they could in their booted feet. T’Fearne reached forward and triggered the turbolift. It responded sluggishly to her touch, indicating it was thinking about sending a car to their location.
T’Fearne: :: quietly over internal comms, glancing back at the cargo bay doors :: Clear so far, come to the turbolift.
Syrex: On our way…
Alyndra’s voice quietly chirped back over the comm, and T’Fearne watched carefully as the duo made their way around the curve of the corridor to the turbolift, their EV suits’ illumination cutting thin beams through the eerie gloom.
Roop: The turbolift is reading emergency power mode. It will take a moment.
Syrex: Well… It’s moving, so that already makes our lives easier.
Om-Zora: At least there is that.
The lift rattled closer. T’Fearne angled her EV suit’s beam toward the doors, her phaser following the line of light.
oO I need a phaser illumination attachment for situations like these. Oo
Syrex: Remember, whatever’s behind there. We tread carefully.
The Aurellian made a quiet sound of agreement.
T’Fearne: Always, but there is a high probability it’s empty.
oO But I’m ready if it's not. Oo
Kel: =^= Compass Rose personnel, this is Lt. Cmdr. V'Len Kel of the USS Ronin. We are here to assist. Respond please =^=
The shipwide comm momentarily crackled to life with a now-familiar voice of Commander Kel. It reminded T’Fearne of the responsibility to report to Kessler when she had something. He was likely with Kel on the team that had entered the Rose via transporter.
Her attention was wrenched back when the turbolift doors shuddered open…revealing a tall insectoid figure, carapace glinting in the beam, a phaser rifle clutched in its digits.
Syrex: T’Fearne!
T’Fearne: STARFLEET SECURITY! CEASE MOVEMENT AND DROP YOUR WEAPON!
The Vulcazoid announced in her best crowd control voice at almost the same moment as Alyndra spoke. Voice cracking from the EV suit's speakers as her phaser pistol tracked and locked onto a vital section of the creature's abdomen, but she held off stunning what she recognised clearly as a Compass Rose officer.
The insectoid stepped out of the turbolift, a phaser rifle levelled square at T’Fearne’s centre mass. She let it approach, knowing that the closer the other being was, the easier it would be for her to grab or redirect its weapon. She would let it take one more step closer…
Naledi: CLICK SNAP POP STUT!!!!... State your name, rank and serial number.
The voice came in harsh bursts, translated a heartbeat later by the combadge into Federation Standard. T’Fearne recognised the odd sounds and cadence as Xindi Insectoid species.
Syrex: You tell us. Look at our uniforms, we’re all Starfleet here.
T’Fearne’s eyes narrowed. oO I’m not playing that game with you. Oo
She reached out empathically as the others spoke. The creature was just close enough within her intermittent range. She tried to gauge its emotions or glean anything from its empathic aura, but the Insectoid’s mental emissions were too different, too alien and unlike for her senses or mind to translate. She smelled burned chemicals and tasted an almost electrical acid at the back of her throat at the attempt. She choked a little and withdrew quickly, attempting to mentally barricade herself from this officer's strange mind.
Blinking away the distraction, T’Fearne tried to focus on the conversation, acutely aware that her team was at risk here, exposed in the corridor while her attention was held by the Rose’s officer.
Naledi: Creek Snap Pop Trickle, Snap Crack, Tweak, Snap… You boarded our ship, altered our internal dampeners, affected our tactical systems. Why the hell should I trust you?
Syrex: We only want to help, we hailed to no answers. Can we start again? I’m Lieutenant Alyndra Syrex, Serial Number FE-097-002.
Om-Zora: She speaks the truth. And I am Lieutenant Om-Zora.
T’Fearne: :: clearing her throat, motioning to the team :: We are a rescue team from the USS Ronin. You sent a distress call several hours ago. We are offering assistance and aid. Please, lower your weapon.
She tried to put reassurance into her voice, but also a tone that brooked no argument. As she slowly lowered her other hand.
Roop: [=/\=] need the Xindi Insectoids' name, rank, and any commendations [=/\=]
Ronin Ops: =/\= Response =/\= or [=/\=]
Naledi/Syrex: Response
Mentally, the Vulcazoid swore in all her favourite Betazoid curses and a few in Vulcan as the Insectoid officer seemed to begin thrashing or convulsing.
She leapt forward, snatching the barrel of the phaser rifle and pushing it up and away from the team in case the Xindi depressed the trigger. Better to let a stream of energy bolts stitched up the wall and into the ceiling instead of her team. The Xindi collapsed to the floor, going weak and limp in T’Fearne’s grasp.
Lieutenant Om-Zora came to the Xindi’s other side and swiftly checked its vitals.
Om-Zora: Life signs are somewhat erratic. Or perhaps they are normal, I’m not overly familiar with insectoid biology, but they are alive.
Just then, the Roses' internal lights blinked back on with a dim, almost hollow illumination. In the increased light levels, T’Fearne noticed a slight visual distortion from the turbolift, where the Rose’s officer had emerged. A concentration of nearly invisible vapour poured from the atmospheric systems to pool close to the ground.
T’Fearne: What is that, behind you, coming from the lift?
Roop/Naledi/Syrex: Response
Om-Zora: ::he glanced very specifically to Lieutentant Syrex:: What are your orders here, Lieutenant?
Syrex: Response
Roop/Naledi: Response
The lift doors slammed shut. T’Fearne hooked an arm under the insectoid’s thorax, with some help from the others they carried the Xindi away from the turbolift and further down the corridor toward relative safety and clearer air.
T’Fearne: Stay with us. :: gently shaking the officer :: Quick thinking to close the lift doors :: Nodding in approval :: Alyndra, they need help! :: slanted brows scrunched together :: Do you think this was sabotage or someone on their own ship may have just tried to gas them?
Om-Zora/Syrex/Roop: Response
T’Fearne reached to the front of the Xini’s uniform and tapped their comm.
T’Fearne: =/\= Lt. T’Fearne to Ronin Bridge. Do you read? Lock on to this comm signal and transport an Xindi officer to the bio-hazard containment chamber. =/\=
The comm made a sad little chirp, and the security officer frowned. She looked around, her gaze flicked from Om-Zora to Roop.
T’Fearne: Ensign Roop. Do you have anything in your gear to boost this signal slightly, or do you have something else we could use?
Om-Zora/Syrex/Roop: Response
T’Fearne nodded in approval as the ensign worked skillfully, and soon the Xindi officer’s form sparkled on the deck for a moment, then disappeared in the transporter beam, hopefully taken off to the Ronin’s secure bio-hazard containment. She straightened from her crouch on the deck, looked up and down the corridor, and then at the turbolift.
T’Fearne: I think it would be better to take the Jeffreys tubes as Roop suggested earlier. Unless…Ensign, you mentioned duotronic enhancers. Could you splice into the turbolift system from here and secure the network for us to travel safely? Or would you need to be at a control station?
Om-Zora/Syrex/Roop: Response
[Tags / TBC]
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Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14