Lighting a Candle in the Window

Posted on Mon May 4th, 2020 @ 8:43am by Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Ensign Fiona O'Dell
Edited on on Tue May 19th, 2020 @ 12:36pm

Mission: Return to the Core
Location: Conference Room of the U.S.S. Persephone.
Timeline: 2397

Captain's log, Stardate 72373.72. U.S.S. Persephone. Naraan Seria, commanding.

Under orders from Admiral Meowlith, the Persephone has arrived at the Galornan system, only to find that not only has the U.S.S. Hera vanished, but that there is no sign of the Romulan vessels we were sent to intercept. All we have now are three experimental Starfleet vessels from the Hera and their pilot, one Ensign Fiona O'Dell. And a Romulan Freight Eagle and ITS pilot, a man named Garnak.

Ensign O'Dell and this... Garnak were beamed aboard the Persephone and, while O'Dell is free to move about the ship, the Romulan has been appointed a security detail. While the unorthodox officer from the Hera made the somewhat infuriating promise that the Romulan would be free to come and go as he pleases, I want more answers from them both. However, I know full well that the Hera's Captain, Enalia Telvan, has some kind of extraordinary pull with the Admiral, and so I am deferring to her persistent officer, for now. I shall lodge my issues at a later date.

That said, Ensign O'Dell has insisted on the Romulan sticking close to her, and the two had collected a significant amount of sensor scan data on the spatial anomaly that they claim to have taken the Hera, along with three additional Romulan D'deridex class Warbirds, into some form of alternate space. The Freight Eagle had been WITHIN this alternate space, and has provided its limited scans.

If I had my way, the Romulan would be in the brig and my engineers would have already dismantled his ship for all the information we need, but I am choosing to trust this Ensign O'Dell, as Captain Telvan must have, to have put her in control of the rather remarkable vehicles we have in our docking bay. All in all, I am extremely uncomfortable with the current situation, and have no intention of taking orders from an Ensign that barely comes up to my chest. However, my Chief Science officer Lieutenant Jharan says their scan data is sound and, as such, will be joining myself, Commander Garan, Ensign O'Dell, Chief Engineer Raquel and the Romulan Garnak in the conference room to discuss some sort of... plan that O'Dell and the Romulan have.

I sincerely hope I don't regret allowing this latitude.

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Stepping into the Intrepid-Class starship's conference room, Captain Naraan Seria did not look amused. The tall, stern-looking Cervan woman in Command crimson had a half-lidded, judgemental expression and her long, dark hair was pulled back to show the slight points of her ears, coming from an offshoot of the Vulcan people. But her expression was enough to reveal that her particular people had no compunctions with showing their emotions.

Already at the table was the Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Commander Christine Raquel, a curly-haired human woman with a stack of PaDD's in front of her and a few more pounds around her middle than the Captain would prefer of a command officer. But she was an efficient officer who knew her engines and got results. Across from her, the ship's First Officer, Commander Garan Taa was pacing at the window by his seat. The burly, barrel-chested Bajoran man didn't like the current situation any more than Captain Naraan did, but was doing his best to keep those feelings to himself.

A good officer that will one day make a fine Captain, She thought. Once he learns to govern his passions. Typically Bajoran and hotheaded, but it has served this ship well.

The chief science officer was also reviewing a data PaDD as they sat in the far corner, as usual preferring to keep a bit of distance from the others. It was an eccentricity of her race, who avoided touching others quite religiously, that the Captain found irritating. "Lieutenant Jharan, please join the group. Thank you. Now..."

The skittish young man, a lean-built, tall Va'Norian covered in a thin teal fur blinked a few times before hesitantly getting up and sitting next to the Chief engineer. "Aye, Captain."

Looking around the mid-sized room, the Captain narrowed her eyes. "...where are our... guests?"

At that moment, striding in came the diminutive O'Dell in the lead, followed by Garnak and his two security officer detail. "... so I get her all worked up to talk to her dream girl, aye? And she promptly threw up on her shoes!"

Turning to greet the assemblage as they entered, O'Dell offered a broad wave as Garnak chuckled at her story. As defensive of the Romulan pilot as she had been, it seemed O'Dell was not letting him out of her sight. Nor was she doing anything less than working hard to put the man at ease. He was alone in enemy territory, at the mercy of his captors, and he knew it. Only O'Dell's threadbare promise to him was keeping him going at this point, but she had defended him at every turn, had worked to keep him at ease and to stay beside him. All of which went quite a ways toward insuring his cooperation, which was now proving invaluable. After all, only he had scans of the singularity from the other side, and only he had been where the Hera had gone. Thus what he brought to the table was significant.

Aside from all of that, Fiona O'Dell had given the alien pilot her word. She had convinced him not to destroy himself, she had convinced him to cooperate. Now all they needed to do was rescue the starships trapped in the twilight lands beyond all reason and sanity that existed in the void with no stars, and he could get back home to his wife and child. That was all Fiona wanted right now, and she knew the Romulan pilot felt the same. Worlds apart, they had found common ground, and O'Dell would make good on her promise to him, she was determined.

"Alreet, Cap'n, Commander, Lieutenant Commander, Lieutenant. Ye've had time to review our data and our plan- to flood the area where reality still looks a bit thin after that spacewarp with Gravitons, to try to light a candle in the window to give the Hera something to lock onto and navigate home. So, I assume this is the meetin' where ye tell us tis too dangerous and untested and it might reactivate the warp or suck us all in too or any number of hazards?" While she delivered the entire diatribe with good cheer and a smile, it was clear that the seemingly harmless moppet with the untamed mane of crimson curls had both an agenda. It also seemed clear that she seemed accustomed to dealing with superior officers who were more cautious than the diminutive daredevil.

Standing at the end of the table, Captain Naraan raised an eyebrow and gestured to the two empty seats between her own and Lieutenant Jharan. "Ah, welcome to the meeting, Ensign. Please, have a seat. You as well, Mister Garnak, and we can begin to go over this idea of yours."

Standing to wait for O'Dell to comply, the Persephone's mistress was purposefully ignoring O'Dell's set up for a moment.

Looking back to nod at Garnak, O'Dell slipped nimbly into a seat and folded her hands before her, sitting up straight- presumably, because not much of her cleared the tabletop sitting in the chair adjusted for a normal-sized humanoid. A close-lipped smile on her face, those big green eyes opened wide, and blinked once or twice as O'Dell sat in silent, rapt attention.

As Garnak slowly sat next to Fiona, he mirrored her posture somewhat nervously. He was as out of his element as could be imagined, and it showed. Meanwhile, the Cervan Captain looked down at the Romulan pilot and took her seat as her First Officer did the same to her left.

"I have had my Chief Science Officer, Lieutenant Jharan, and my Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Commander Raquel, look over your data, Ensign O'Dell. We have all reviewed the details of your plan. Lieutenant, if you will?" The Captain said, sitting ramrod straight in her seat.

"Aye Captain." The blue-furred young man said as he swiped on his PaDD and the data appeared on the large screen across from the table. "With the data provided, we have been able to make a gravimetric map of the region, including the left-over effects of the collapse of the artificial singularity. Unfortunately, that collapse did have the effect of completely distorting and obscuring the ion-trail of the escaping Romulan vessel and the remains of Starbase 336 that were removed from the fissure. BUT we do have quite solid frequency data from the sensor records of the Silver Banshee when Ensign O'Dell destroyed one of the Romulan Graviton Generators."

Sparing a light smile for the red-curled test pilot next to him, the reserved Va'Norian continued. "And scans of Mister Garnak's hull have a residue of the vibrational frequency of wherever it was that his ship was occupying. That, combined with the frequency data means we may be able to not only implement Ensign O'Dell's idea, but with even greater efficiency towards the goal of recovering the lost ships on the other side." 

At which point, the Cervan Captain interjected. "Excellent, Lieutenant. Thank you. Now... Mr. Garnak, what can you tell us further about these other Warbirds that are on the other side of this spatial rift?"

Glancing slightly at Fiona, Garnak cleared his throat as he replied anxiously. "M... my knowledge is limited. The nature of this mission required a high degree of secrecy. I was transferred into my new mistress' service specifically for this mission, and assigned the vessel I was piloting. The High Command is not in the habit of sharing sensitive data with those that need not know such things."

"Indeed. Illuminating." Captain Naraan said flatly as she crossed her fingers in front of her. "And Ensign O'Dell, as pilot of the three craft we recovered you in, you engaged one of the initial four D'deridex craft in question and destroyed one of them, did you not? What would you consider the potential odds that the Hera is still intact on the other side against three additional Warbirds? I have... concerns that all we will be doing if we enact your plan, is inviting three enemy ships an open opportunity to attack us."

"Aye, wahhl, if ye reviewed me logs, ye know they were vastly unmanned- skeleton crews at best. While Garnak's experience might be unique, I dinna think so. Seems like someone pulled a fast one to get those ships oot there to do this magic trick 'a hers, but dinna care mooch aboot them. I mean look, me wee little fleet of experimental fighters oot there- they are brilliant designs, make no mistake. But they couldnae hae destroyed a D'deredix class with full offensive capability, not... wahhhl, mebbe acuz it was me at the stick. But overall, this fine starship here would have a reservation against goin' toe to toe we' one of those battlewagons."

"Point bein, they weren't mannin the guns, just the shields. If they ended up on the other side o' the universe with the Hera, ye kin guarantee Cap'n Telvan made peace with 'em right quick, the Starfleet way. To put aside our differences and work together for a common goal. That's the message 'a Starfleet, aye?" While not the most professional response, it was at least an accurate summation of her perspective, complete with supporting arguments in data, not opinion.

"Thank you, Ensign." Captain Naraan said nodding towards the diminutive test pilot, the stern expression on her face lightening ever so slightly. "Now, to respond to your earlier statement, yes. I have significant concerns that if we begin pumping gravitons as you suggest into the exact spot where that spatial rift closed, that we risk being pulled in should your ship pick up on our intended purpose and try reopening that rift from the other side."

"As it stands, Captain, we don't have the engine power to open a rift like that on our own." Lieutenant Commander Raquel said, leaning slightly over so that Fiona could see her unencumbered as she spoke. The somewhat portly human with slightly carmel skin was talking with her hands as she continued. "But trusting what Ensign O'Dell is saying... that the Hera will be working WITH three ships ALSO equipped with Graviton emitters, they should have more than enough power to open the hole... so long as we show them where it is."

"It's like a pinhole in a black curtain. Tiny and invisible under normal circumstances, but our graviton beam would act like a flashlight on the other side. The big problem is that to have the best result, we would have to be close. Very close. And with our power strengthing the rift from THIS side, we do run the risk of being pulled in, ourselves."

As the Chief Engineer finished, she acted out the scenario with her hands as starships and the rift, respectively, making wooshing noises as she made the unintentionally suggestive gesture of sticking her fingers through the circle she was making with her other hand. While she blushed slightly, biting her bottom lip, the Captain rolled her eyes slightly. "Yes, thank you for the elaborate detail, Lieutenant Commander."

"The question NOW, is how do we light this proverbial candle in the window without being burned, ourselves." The Captain asked, leaning forward. 

The eyes of the picayune pilot darted about as she considered a way for the starship to ensure its safety. In the end, she had only one answer. "I'll take the helm, mum. I'll keep her from gettin' sooked in, and keep 'er on the right side of the rift. I know tis dangerous and all, but 'tis what the Hera'd do for us, aye? Can we do no less?"

"I could... secure this vessel, like an anchor, with my ship?" Garnak volunteered, getting into the spirit of cooperation. These people were willing to endanger themselves for their people on the other side. Who they assumed were working with his people as well. Maybe he was just buying into their Starfleet propaganda, and maybe when they betrayed him he would have regrets. But for now, he was starting to feel something reasonably alien to the Romulan pilot.

Hope.

"That's dead brilliant, Garnak! Aye, yuir wee tugboat is the perfect thing to anchor us from gettin' sucked in, along wi' me pilotin' skills, no disrespect to your flight control department, as I'm sure they're all quite outstandin pilots and sooch, joost voilunteerin' ta help oot is all, mum, aye?" O'Dell grinned a somewhat rictus grin at that one, hoping her first idea hadn't rubbed the Persephone crew the wrong way.

At this point, the gruff-looking Bajoran First officer wh had been quietly taking the scene in piped up, "Well, I do think Mr. Pickins would be a little put out at losing his job, Ensign O'Dell." There was a bit of a thoughtful expression with the hint of a grin on his chiseled face as he tapped two fingers on the table. "That SAID, I would like you to consult with him while we're preparing the science side of things. You've FLOWN ships in the kind of gravimetric shear we can expect and your expertise should not be wasted."

"You are assuming that we're committing to this plan, Commander Garan." The Cervan Captain raised an eyebrow and smirked ever so slightly.

"No, I am not, Captain. I am simply working towards acting on the decision I know you've already made, or you wouldn't have asked for the how." The burly Bajoran said with a rakish grin as he sat back in his seat. 

"Indeed. We are doing this, people. It is a sound plan, and we have ships on the other side that don't know they need us, but who I have no doubt will know what to do once we do our part. That said, there is one wrinkle left to be ironed out." Captain Naraan said as she looked back to Garnak.

"Your ship, Mister Garnak, is in need of repair before it would be capable of handling the task that you have rather graciously offered." She said, eyebrow raised. "Would you consent to my sending an engineering team over to effect repairs?"

Swallowing, the anxious Romulan's eyes went wide. The Cervan Captain was right. But repairs by a Federation Starship would be proof of his complicity with the enemy. Proof that he worked with them and let them aboard his ship. But he had already made that step by sending over his sensor logs. Nervously, he looked over to Fiona, wanting to trust these aliens he had been raised and trained to view as the enemy. 

As he did, Captain Naraan leaned back in her chair, nodding slightly to O'Dell. "If I do that, my people will know I allowed... The consequences could be... I do not know what to do."

Turning to face the mistress and commander of the Persephone, the little leprechaun's eyes widened. "Might we be able to effect repairs from ootside, mum? Make Mr. Garnak the inside man, while we work from the ootside? This way he could still tell the Romulan command that he dinna let inny Feds aboard his ship?" It was a longshot, and would not only make the job more difficult, but somewhat hazardous to the engineering crew doing so. But it was a compromise Fiona had to ask for her fellow marooned pilot.

Instead of answering, Captain Naraan thought for a moment, then leaned slightly towards the rotund engineer with the large, brown curls on her head. "Lieutenant Commander Raquel, would this be a workable solution, and more importantly, possible in the timeframe we have, which is as soon as is possible?"

"Wellll..." The portly engineer said, looking at one of her PaDD's, "The Freight Eagle blew a coil and our scans show that the power conduits are fused. Normally, my teams could have that sussed out in about two hours, max. Part of it would actually work EASIER in EVA suits for the conduit leading to the port nacelle. Otherwise, I could walk Mr. Garnak through the rest... pretty easy, I would say. It shouldn't be too tricky. Especially if I holopresenced in. There's nothing I could see that our sensors couldn't scan, and I could set the holographic for projection only, so I couldn't touch anything."

"That way... we could get it all done in... 4 point 5 hours, tops. Would that work, Mr. Garnak?" Raquel leaned over and smiled as the Romulan officer pondered his options. As he did, the Persephone's Captain cleared her throat and tented her fingers.

"Mr. Garnak. I appreciate the situation you find yourself in, and understand the weight that your decisions make, but I swear to you on my honor, that we will honor the promises Ensign O'Dell made. When this is over, you will not be held. Your ship will remain your ship. And my vessel played a part in the retrieval of Ensin O'Dell's fellow Romulan officer from the Tal'Shiar, and as such I believe her Ship and Captain may even have some pull to relay that you maintained your honor as a Romulan to your superiors. To make a long story short, we need your help and your offer is extremely appreciated. And in return, we will help you."

"Then... then I accept and give... my permission. Thank you Captain." Garnak said, nervously but with a growing resolve.

"Excellent." Naraan said with a nod and a somewhat mild, but almost warm smile. "Commander Garan, oversee preparations. Lieutenant Commander Raquel, you and Lieutenant Jharan, I want that graviton generator working and ready by Oh Thirteen Hundred hours, and the Freight Eagle up to full specs in half that time. Use personnel from beta shift if needed. Dismissed."

As the officers of the Persephone got up and left, the Captain turned to O'Dell and Garnak with a raised eyebrow. "As you understand, the security escort must remain in place, as is standard protocol. Ensign O'Dell, I would like you to meet with our helm officer as Commander Garan suggested, and make sure he is tutored in what you learned flying in these conditions. Aside from that, the both of you are invited to join me for drinks in my ready room."

"Sooo is that drink in the ready room before or after the... ah, after the tutorin, aye mum. Well, we'd be more'n happy to take ye oop on that, right neighborly of ye mum, tis indeed. We'll get yuir man a few tips an' tricks an' we'll meet ye in say twenty minutes or so, and we'll bring along yer slabs a beefcake too, aye gents?" O'Dell turned to grin up at the rather beefy security officers, one of whom chuckled slightly as she hop[ed off her chair and headed for the door.

"Alreet, c'mon Cap'n Garnak, we've some explainin aboot surfin gravitic waves to offer to some poor sod who's g'win ta think we're daft..."