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O'Dell's Debrief

Posted on Tue May 19th, 2020 @ 9:14am by Captain Enalia Telvan & Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Ensign Fiona O'Dell
Edited on on Tue May 19th, 2020 @ 12:38pm

Mission: Return to the Core
Location: Bridge Conference Room
Timeline: 2397

The Trill captain and mistress of the USS Hera sighed as she stared out the massive bay windows of the plush conference room behind the bridge. As she relaxed in the high backed chair and breathed in the aromatic Romulan tea she had prepared for the upcoming debriefing, she almost reconsidered moving her office to the much larger, curved room. It wouldn't even take that much renovation.

Still, she had gotten used to the smaller office and the close proximity to the bridge. Plus the side view of the ship was far nicer than the rear view with the pod and pylon dominating the scenery. Still, it felt wonderful being able to see stars again. She had slept through most of it, trapped in her nightmares, but even in the dreamscape there were no stars when she had looked out the viewports.

But soon she'd have to debrief not only Ensign O'Dell, but her new friend from the Freight Eagle that had been left behind as well so she composed herself and went over the records once more in preparation.

As they arrived on the bridge, O'Dell, was still talking to Garnak in hushed, excited tones. "She's a rum sort, but dinna call her 'sir, nivvir ivver, aye? She likes 'mum' or 'Captain', but she's nae formal s'long as ye show her respect, y'ken? And joost be honest wi' er- she can smell a lie like a three day old fish. Be yuirself, speak the truth and ye've naught to fear from the pirate que- ah, Starfleet captain, alreet?"

Nervously, the Romulan freight pilot in the simple, gray cargo jumpsuit glanced around him at the bridge, taking care to not let his eyes linger, knowing his actions were being well and truly watched by the ship's security. "Thank you for your... preparations, Fiona. I shall do my best to keep that all in mind. But so far, this vessel is even more unorthodox than the Persephone, it seems."

"Wahhhhl, we're a bit more cuttin' edge. Dinna worry though, Herself'll set ya right." As she spoke O'Dell approached the Hera's conference room, extending her finger to activate the door chime, only to have the door slide open at her approach, causing her to flinch slightly, before striding into the 'office' like a conquering hero.

"Ensign O'Dell, reportin back to command, Captain Telvan, mum. I believe ye know me associate Cap'n Garnak?" O'Dell grinned widely, mostly operating on bluff and bluster, as per normal.

"Jolan tru, Captain." Garnak said with a sharp bow.

"Jolan tru," the captain replied as she motioned towards the tea on the conference table. "Please, have a seat and help yourselves to some tea. We had some leaves from ch'Rihan in storage that I thought would be fitting for today."

"Right nice of ye, mum. So, as I'm sure ye gathered, I made Mr. Garnak a few promises aboot cooperation and protection and sooch. Ah knoow it was nae me place to speak for ye mum, but I know ye wouldnae fail to do right by an ally, and Cap'n Garnak here risked his life, his family and his future to help us oot there." While his contribution, up until anchoring the Persephone, could be argued as negligible, O'Dell's was a simple creed- one did not let innocent people perish by their own hand because they were fortunate. One also trusted in one's Captain to do the right thing, and care for those allies when their time of need came.

In this, O'Dell was surprisingly unconcerned. She had long observed the Captain, like a shark moving amongst minnows, and had seen the way she treated those who served under her, those who opposed her, and those who allied with her. Thus she had volunteered and done, in truth, what she felt her Captain would have done in her stead. A demonstration that Enalia Telvan's leadership was indeed inspiring the crew- at least this particular crew member.

For his part, Garnak was nervous and stayed quiet, following Fiona's lead. The two formed an unlikely trust out there in space for a few hours before the Persephone arrived, and while he was impressed with the Captain's knowledge of his culture, he wanted to see how the Trill woman responded to Fiona's statement.

"You did the right thing, Ensign," the Trill woman replied with a kind smile before sipping her own cup of tea. "One of the promises of Starfleet is that you're never alone. One of my promises is that we take care of each other and those that consider themselves our enemies as equals, should they ask for it. No strings attached."

"And Captain Garnak, you mentioned you are not a captain but something else... Something that I suspect my honor will not let go of." The spotted captain set her teacup aside and got down to business. "You and yours are slaves, aren't you?"

The tired-looking Romulan pilot was taken slightly aback and went tight as Enalia spoke. Then, he looked down at Fiona with a pained expression. Of all the things the two spoke of, this was the one detail he had worked hard to avoid. "Ie, Captain. I can speak not for the crews of the other ships, but... yes. I... have no house name or holdings. I am... conscripted into service to the Star Empire. As... is my family."

"I... apologize for not saying so, Fiona." He admitted, reluctantly, to the tiny test pilot he had befriended unexpectedly.

"S'nae yuir fault, why would ye apologize?" Fiona O'Dell asked, big green eyes looking up at the none-too-tall Romulan. Reaching over, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder and offered a mild squeeze. "Nae tellin me yuir a slave, well, who would say sooch a thing? Not that it sits right wi'me, but... that's nae me call to make, aye? Dinna ye worry, Garnak. I dinna think inny less of ye, cuz yuir a good man who did the right thing, and likely ye saved me from doin somethin stupid oot there, y'ken?"

While she did not say it, the understanding was there, at least for the Captain. Left to her own devices, O'Dell, ever the daredevil, likely would have tried following the Hera, which would most likely have been an unsuccessful venture which would likely have gotten her lost, killed, or both. But the Romulan who needed her help had restrained her from leaping into action with no plan or consideration, which she now acknowledged.

"You should never apologize for the circumstances of your life. However, being who I am, it would not sit well with me unless I did everything within my power to improve your lot, and at the very least gain you and your family freedom. Especially in light of the aid you've rendered us." The crimson-clad captain let a grin grace her face.

"Fortunately, we have quite a few options available to us. First and foremost, we count the granddaughter of a Romulan Senator among our crew, and that gives us an avenue of negotiation. As for your freedom, in my eyes at least, you've earned a name this day. In the Artan Empire, that would be enough to start a new life with your family if you so chose."

"Captain, you offer me much. But all I truly wish is to return to my home. To have it known that I did what I did to save lives." Garnak said, finally taking the offered seat, somewhat hesitantly, as he turned to O'Dell, "This Romulan. This is the woman you spoke of? Your... L-C?"

"Aye, that's the one... the Warbird herself, Lieutenant Commander Dox. Which," O'Dell turned back to the Captain, her body language apologetic and a bit pleading. "Ah know we're all hoosh-hoosh an' top secret and classified and alla that, Cap'n, but the circumstances were a bit extreme. Apparently, orders are if cut off from the fleet to self-destruct, so... Ah may have been a wee bit fast and loose aboot the LC and how Ah knoow a few Romulan swear words and sooch."

At that O'Dell looked around nervously. "Speakin a'which, should Ah actually report mum, professional-like? Or ye know what happened and you'll read me report later?"

"I read the initial reports from Captain Naraan, so I have the general outline of what happened," Enalia replied, composing herself and returning to her tea, leaving the prior matter unsettled for now, much to her chagrin. "But I'd like to hear any thoughts the both of you have on the proceedings of the entire mission, start to finish. And when I mean start, I mean the very start."

"We had poor intel. We dinna know them big warbirds were oot there, and while they were otherwise occupied, those battle cruisers coulda been right deadly." O'Dell piped up immediately, ignoring the security protocols to answer the Captain's question directly. "If I'da nae been scattered as Ah was, I woulda been sucked in too, and tis joost luck of the Leprechaun I wasnae and could be here to help ye all back. Tactically this one was an bit of a nightmare, mum. We might shoulda had better intel and we coulda formed a better plan than 'shoot the generators holdin open the wormhole so we can stop 'em. All due respect and because ye asked, Mum."

"A sound assessment and one I agree with. If the situation were less dire at the moment and if the situation on the warbirds scanned any less stressful, I would like to think I would have called it off." The Trill woman nodded solemnly, taking the picayune pilot's words to heart. "Unfortunately, the rogue agent Rendal still got away with the station and trapped us in that nightmare place for some time. Perhaps it would have been best to have called it off anyway. We were lucky, but not lucky enough."

"Rogue agent?" Garnak said with a look of surprise on his face. "Then... this was not an approved operation of the Senate?"

As the idea rolled around in his head, his heart sank slightly. "That... explains much. Including my involvement as a Freight Eagle pilot. I had long wondered to myself why better-trained officers were not at the helm. Why the Warbirds were crewed by those so young." Then, with a sigh, he shook his head. "We were fools, all of us."

"Which is why there's the need for negotiations with the Senate for you to return home," Enalia explained softly. "Because of your association with her, if you cross the neutral zone without approval, you will be attacked and imprisoned as traitors to the Empire. I would prevent that at all costs, and I believe the threat of all of your ships and crew falling into Federation or Artan Empire hands would be a considerable negotiating foothold."

"Do you have anything to add to the official report, Captain Garnak?" the Trill Captain inquired. "Your thoughts on the lead up to the mission, or perhaps during it? I understand you spent some time on the other side of the singularity as well. Were you there long enough to experience the nightmares?"

"As ye see things. Remember, she's me commandin' officer and I just told her the unvarnished truth. That's what she gives an' expects, aye? Joost be honest," O'Dell quietly encouraged the Romulan drone, for whom the past few hours had been a rollercoaster.

Looking down at Fiona in the seat next to him, Garnak took a breath and swallowed. It was clear he didn't want to speak, but knew it was important. "I was not. While securing the station and extricating it took many hours, we did so in under a day. Though the entire time within that... horror... I could feel... eyes upon me."

"But, in truth, my thoughts leading up to the mission we limited." He said, shaking his head. "I was given the most limited of information. Only what was required to perform the task provided of me. My vessel, as you know from Ensign O'Dell, was not equipped with the equipment to even return home without aid. In hindsight, I do not believe I was ever intended to survive. I, nor the crews of those Warbirds."

Then he paused. "But... if I may, Captain. You... discussed that there might be something you could do in regards to... my station?"

"Indeed, it seems likely that few were expected to return from this mission. As for your station, in the Artan Empire, you have a ship at your disposal and you've provided quite noble deeds to those that the queen of that empire consider to be..." Here, Enalia paused, trying to choose her words carefully as she was in her Starfleet uniform. "Irreplaceable to her. I have it on good faith that this would put you in an agreeable position to start your own name and company if you so chose."

"What aboot his family, mum?" O'Dell asked as the spotted commander's tablet pulsed, as a text message came across the PaDD of the captain.

From: LT IRONHOOVES, T
To: CPT TELVAN

FWD: MSG: Lt Ironhooves: Your search for Captain Telvan using the words 'Queen' 'Artan and 'Empire' in one sentence has yielded one result in the Hera sensor logs. Logs are secret and inaccessible by your level of access, however, your search has one positive result on Stardate 74319.67957255211

Quickly glancing over the message and silencing it, Enalia nodded. If she couldn't even talk about herself in the third person, Lieutenant Ironhooves was about to get a few extra sensor hits just for that. "That's where negotiations come into play. I believe the queen of the Artan Empire would never leave anyone's family behind. I've heard that she got her position as queen of the Artan Empire with promises of freedom and family and the like so even if she couldn't get her way diplomatically, she'd likely mount a rescue and no matter what it took, she'd rescue the families of every single person that joined her. Or at least, that's what I've heard about the queen of the Artan Empire."

In an appointment with Crewman Brobilox about their pending budding, the PaDD in the hooved healer's labcoat buzzed repeatedly, leading the cranky centaur to snicker as she continued with the consultation.

"Captain, all I wish for is my family's safety. My fear is that my compliance in assisting Ensign O'Dell in the rescue of this vessel and the Warbirds will mark me as a traitor, and that... my family would be punished." Garnak said with pursed lips. "However, if my actions are seen in service to the empire, it could grant me a measure of freedom and aid my family in my return. That is all I would ask. I would never ask for any to take action against my people or the hearthworld."

While it was clear that he was nervous, he was still a proud Romulan who feared his actions would be viewed negatively.

"Well, your actions were crucial in the rescue and recovery of three D'deridex class warbirds. The Federation was prevented in obtaining intel on quite a few Imperial vessels and in so doing, I would estimate that you would have a lot to be proud of, regardless." Enalia smiled reassuringly, hoping she could at least get him to relax just a bit. "I'll make sure to convey that to the Senate when I speak with them."

"Mum? Cap'n?" O'Dell leaned in a bit. "Sooo, it wasnae that long, and the federation report'll reflect alla the truth. Can we nae file our reports and have Starfleet Command contact the Federation ambassador to Romulus and..." the little lass faltered at that, until her eyes opened wide with the inkling of an idea. "We could maybe extend our formal thanks to Captain Garnak, if not for his heroic efforts all four vessels would have been lost. But with a cooperative effort from all parties, the ships were saved, through his heroic efforts?"

Stopping and sitting up, staring off to the left, O'Dell quirked her mouth in a peculiar little smile. "Be damned. salvation by press release. Ye think it might work, mum? If we make him famous enough the galaxy becomes invested in his heroic story. We give him full credit for the save, and we kin maybe pressure the Romulans into making nice for him?"

"Yeah that... might..." the spotted woman began before something struck her, her brows furrowing. "Computer, was there a time mismatch when we returned to normal space?"

The computer only took a moment to reply. "Affirmative. An adjustment of forty-four hours, seven minutes, and nineteen seconds was recorded against the standard galactic deviation and the internal stardate chronometers were adjusted accordingly. Approximately five hours, fourteen minutes, forty-seven seconds passed during our absence."

"Well, that's... criminy, mum, that's, ah... for the Science department to figure oot? Ach..." O'Dell was actually at a bit of a loss. The ship had been in another dimension where time flowed faster, apparently, which was a little more than she could really comprehend or address, so she redirected. "But... ye do think it might work, mum? Garnak's me friend. He trusted me oot there, and I think him bein there kept me calm by givin me something else- someBODY else to worry about. If ye think it'll work... are ye alright with it, Garnak?"

"I... I... if... if you think it can work... then I give my approval. Perhaps... Perhaps it can." Garnak was nervous, but Fiona's excitement gave him what her enthusiasm and optimism did for him out there in space when they were alone and he was preparing to destroy his own ship, hope.

"Time dilation issues aside, I agree. Where there is hope, there is life and a fighting chance at freedom." The smile returned to Enalia's face as she sipped at her tea. "And Ensign? I'm proud of you. That's a better idea than I had come up with. In fact, I think you'd be the perfect person for the Embassy and the Federation News Network to interview, should it come to that."

The little ensign puffed up subconsciously at the praise, and her eyes misted over a bit. When she spoke, her voice was a bit choked with emotion, which she was failing to suppress in a professional manner. "Thankye, mum. Ah joost... I did what you woulda done, cap'n."

It could easily have sounded like sucking up, or false flattery to her captain. But given her directness with the pirate queen turned starship captain was encouraged, so she had no need to gild the lilly, as it were. "Aye, I'll be happy to make statements or give interviews or whativvir's needed. As ye like, mum. I toldye she'd sort somethin' oot, eh Garnak?""

The Romulan pilot raised an eyebrow ever so slightly at his unlikely friend as she spoke. After all, the plan they were discussing was hers, more than her Captain's, but he didn't want to press the point, simply feeling an unexpected sensation of happiness again as he nodded and replied. "Indeed, Fiona. I am, again, in your debt."

"Nay, nunnathat. We helped each other oot there- that's what friends do, aye?" The warm smile she showed to the Romulan tug pilot was warm and genuine, and actually sold her stance more than anything else. "I'll have the full report for ye in the mornin, Cap'n, and I'll see aboot gettin somebody better with words than me ta get a press statement prepared, and I'll be sure to get a 'what to and not to say' from Commander Th-uh, Paris." The little pilot nearly used the colloquial nickname the curvaceous commander was referred to as on the flight deck's 'locker room' talk. She had leeway with the Captain, but not THAT much.

"All things considered mum, would it be alreet if I went to quarters? Ah'd like to see me pig and me cow agin, if tis all the same?" At the nod of understanding from the Captain, she turned to her unexpected Romulan ally in all of this. "Garnak, I'll be happy to introduce ye, but... if tis all the same, a wee bit of time alone, aye? Ah joost need to reach oot and make sure they're still there, if ye ken me meanin."

Replying with a legitimate smile, Garnak nodded. "Of course, Fiona. I'm sure the Captain will have more questions for me. But after your stories, I do... I would like to meet them."

"Well, I couldnae brag how cute me kid is and then not prove it, aye?" O'Dell grinned before turning back tot he Captain. "Mum? May we be dismissed?"

"Of course, Ensign. Go enjoy some time with your family," Enalia replied with a bright smile. "The R&D department is on official hiatus until your chief is off maternity leave anyway, so take all the time you need. Just try to get those experimental craft locked down and looked over sometime in the next week."

"As for you, Captain Garnak, you are correct. I have quite a few more questions for you. First and foremost being where and in what condition your family is in. Are they in any danger?"

"Garnak dipped his head slightly and nodded." My family is safe. My wife and daughter serve a fine and noble house, and enjoy the comforts of that station. They are well cared for and may one day be gifted the house's name, Captain. My wife is hru'hfe... the head of the servants for their house... which is a very honorable position."

"Then that is a very good thing." With a sigh of relief, Enalia leaned back in her chair. "I take it you would prefer going to work for this house if possible then? Especially now that you seem to be in possession of your own ship and have the starcharts to plot your own course?"

"They would have no use of my skills, Captain. I am a pilot and my family works for a Magistrate's house. Besides, if this idea of Fi... of Ensign O'Dell's bears fruit, the military will no doubt have far greater use for me," Garnak explained with a hint of pride in his voice. "But a rise in station would possibly allow me the privilege to see them with greater frequency. There are many possibilities, and I am choosing to focus on the positive ones for us all."

"That's the spirit!" O'Dell, mock punched the Romulan pilot who'd had the remarkable good fortune to be in the right place at the right time, to trust an alien from Starfleet. In one moment, his life was changed... for the better or worse had yet to be seen.

But for now, he was focusing on the positives.

 

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