MSNPC Administrator Soldu tr’Kharis - A Matter of Allegiance (Part 1)
Teayl Thorn
((Habitat Dome “The Hab”, Moon Sigma, Ross 580 System))
tr'Kharis: Very well. Since subtlety has been rendered… obsolete. The Lattice Alliance are our investors. ::a small shrug, as if admitting an accounting error:: They are our masters. They control this station.
Soldu gestured sharply toward the distant bulkheads and the direction of The Lid.
tr'Kharis: They maintain a nest of Worker caste in the secondary dome. Engineers. Scientists. Tasked with assisting with reactor and other experimental projects. ::voice cooling further:: And three adult Warrior-caste Tholians remain on the moon. Enforcers. To ensure our obedience… and compliance.
Esot: Correct me if I am wrong, Captain Kel, but did the Tholians not attempt to deploy a Sencha-wave based superweapon against Starbase 33?
Solana: Not attempt, they actually fired the damned thing at us. Melted dozens on both sides and damned near split the station in half. I watched two Bolians, a Sheliak and a Tholian all meet an end I wouldn't wish on anyone, in the space of a breath.
Kel: That's correct Ensign. Apparently they think it's the "greatest thing since sliced bread" to borrow a Terran phrase.
Soldu’s eyes narrowed. He had received intel on the movements of major powers in the Alpha Isles, even though his contacts and influence were sorely degraded like his morals. He had heard that the Lattice and Starfleet had several engagements, but hadn’t realised that their research here would have been used in any significant way.
He glanced sidelong at Aduko, unexpectedly wondering if his second and project lead scientist had known. Aduko said nothing, and the administrator absorbed the implication.
tr'Kharis: ::hands folding behind his back, posture unnervingly still:: The prototypes for many projects are made here, tested, studied and then often placed in storage. I know not what they do with the research. oO And I don’t care. Oo
Princess Security gave him a thin lipped look.
Esot: Perhaps we have discovered the origin of that superweapon? Or at least something related.
Solana: We can figure that out, but right now we have to keep his place from ripping the quadrant apart with chroniton black holes.
Kel: So tell us. How is power to this reactor regulated? I might be mistaken but this looks to make use of singularity technology.
Aduko: Power to the Sencha reactor? Well, we do have a sustained reaction generating its own power...though not all of its capacity is going to power generation. :: After quick, sardonic laugh.:: Of course, that reaction is now runaway. ::After a beat, he continued.:: We do have two standard-pattern mid-size powerplants here, for auxiliary systems and redundancy.
Eyes drifted to Soldu and he shrugged off the pressure of them.
This strange Andorian, Captain Kel, was astute and so close to the answer that he didn’t even know.
Now was the time to tell them, the worse of it. The crime that they had committed, their sins against two or possibly several universes.
He took a deep breath and the console near the Cardassian Woman chirped.
Esot: Engineering has responded. They have established a link with the power grid and are beginning the transfer now. We are already seeing some improvement with the leak.
Solana: Good. ::she tapped her comm badge:: =/\= Security Alert. All teams be advised, we’ve encountered a Tholian scout and have been informed that multiple worker-class and three Warrior-class are on site. The former most likely in the hab dome. Ronin, we have one to beam directly to the brig. Advise all phasers set to setting six at minimum to stun. =/\=
Kel: =/\= Kel to Engineering. =/\=
Dohna: =/\= Dohna hear sir. =/\=
Kel: =/\= Lieutenant I want you to prioritize getting the warp drive back online and functional, we may need to beat a hasty retreat. =/\=
Dohna: =/\= Understood Sir.=/\=
While Princess took care of securing the watcher and issuing a security alert and Kel contacted his ship, Soldu took a moment to reconsider sharing the information he was holding back.
tr'Kharis: If you will not leave and abandon this place, at whatever impulse speed you can manage as I have repeatedly told you, then you will have to contend with the watchers.
Aduko: What do you intend to do about the Tholians, who are no doubt rallying to attack after that one got its message out? ::To emphasize, he jerked his head towards the immobilized tangle of crystal.::
Esot: In light of this new information, perhaps we should consider changing our objectives?
Solana: I don’t know if we can. As dangerous as the threat of Tholians being here is, if we don’t try and contain this then who knows what else will start popping out of those rifts. And I don’t know about you but I’d rather not watch any more of our shipmates get blasted to pieces again today if I can help it. Even if they weren’t from our universe.
Soldu’s pointed ears pricked. That was very interesting news, if he had heard right. They have encountered someone from another universe in regards to this situation. oO Is it connected? Oo
Kel communicated with his ship once more.
Kel: =/\= Kel to Rox. =/\=
Rox: =/\= Eh? What's up Captain Doc? =/\=
Kel: ::flatly:: =/\= Hilarious. The Ronin may have guests soon. We're going to need a space for wounded. You know the drill. =/\=
Rox: =/\= I do, his names Stanly. ::pause:: I'm on it Cap. =/\=
Aduko: ::Narrowing his eyes, he tried to tune out the comm call, responding to Solana.:: Nor would I enjoy watching more of our staff here die.
Soldu stood motionless for a beat, then slowly inclined his head as an idea started to form. He kept his voice as calm and exact as possible.
tr'Kharis: Perhaps a decoy or an ambush can be set for them.
He put forward the suggestion like dropping a tiny stone into a still pool and waited to see the effect of the ripples.
Esot: Response
Kel rejoined them.
Solana: Whatever we’re going to do I recommend that we do it in pairs. Even if they're not wearing their suits, with all this radiation it’ll be questionable how reliably we can track them with sensors.
Kel: What are your thoughts on evacuating the crew of this outpost to the Ronin, Chief?
The Romulan Administrator discreetly held his breath, that was what he had wanted all along, to get out of here, to get as many of his people out as possible.
Esot: Response
Solana: Well, if we can evacuate everyone then that’ll make things easier. But I recommend we also have the Ronin’s security on alert. Even one worker could cause some damage if it got on board. During the Siege they used workers for demolition and sabotage.
Kel: ::nodding to Solana:: See to it the security team Chief, I've notified sickbay to expect guests.
Blinking, Soldu felt a wave of almost relief upon hearing that. He turned his half ruined gaze to the Andorian. The corners of his mouth tightened in almost approval.
tr'Kharis: We…appreciate the…aid you render here, Captain.
Sincerity was like swallowing glass, but Soldu had done much more difficult things than show gratitude to survive.
Esot: Response
His second still seemed unconvinced.
Aduko: ::To Kel.:: Captain. I am growing anxious here, and it is not the radiation. What is your plan?
V'Len's attention returned to the various displays around the room.
Kel: So I have a team currently near what's left of your reactor. What systems should they prioritize repair to?
The Romulan Administrator froze for half a millisecond in dismay. If Starfleet had sent their people to the Lid, escape was becoming less likely by the minute. They would die here together. This moon would become their tomb.
Soldu took an unsteady step over to a console and sat heavily in the chair. Resting his forearms on his knees, he carefully plucked at a stray thread on his base uniform. He tugged at the thread and a hole appeared in his sleeve.
oO Weakness! Pull the lynchpin and the structure crumbles. Oo
To his side, Joakim heaved a sigh.
Aduko: ::Running his hands through his hair, he paced back and forth.:: The Lid has already blown its top, and we can't reseal it until we can slow down the reactor. I'm...not sure if that will be possible...but we should focus on the dampening system, the coolant. It had been overheating even before this latest incident, and it certainly isn't doing much to quench the reaction in its current state.
Solana: So what would? Surely there’s something that could help that you might not have had access to before now?
tr'Kharis: Your transfer of power will buy us some time, but I fear the situation has gone beyond that. We have access to nearly unlimited power. It’s just that containing or severing our connection to the source of that power is also part of the problem. The Tholians wandering around is an unfortunate complication.
Esot: Response
Kel paced once, then turned back, a commander in high energy, stark in contrast to Soldus' almost languid slump on the control chair. Had we once been so full of energy?
oO Yes, at the start, before the Lattice, I was excited for the riches this base and projects could bring to my people. That feels like a century ago. Oo
[Tags for Esot / TBC in part 2]
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Soldu tr’Kharis (he/him)
Station Administrator
The Lid
As simmed by
Writer for Lt. JG T'Fearne
Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14