Magenta

Posted on 13 May 2020 @ 2:30pm by Lieutenant JG Matthew Plumeri & Commander Scarlet Blake & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Commander Marisa Wyatt & Petty Officer 3rd Class Constantin Vansen & Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kala Gorvel & Crewman Draia Thero & Crewman George Ruktah
Edited on on 29 Jun 2020 @ 12:48pm

4,336 words; about a 22 minute read

Mission: Episode 17 - Crystal of Life
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 5, Shuttlecraft Maintenance
Timeline: MD 04

[ON]

Security crewman George Ruktah was not overly pleased with how the duty roster had played out. His security duties were being wasted. Utterly and completely. He was half-Klingon for Fehk’lar’s sake! He was battle ready and he was prepared to fight Tholians. It would be far-fetched for the Tholians to board the ship here. On Deck five, in the shuttlecraft maintenance bay. He walked into the maintenance bay looking thoroughly disgusted.

He was a Security crewman, not a delivery boy! He was a combat tactical specialist; not a babysitter to keep crew from using the holodeck. He was grumpy and he just wanted to get the Galileo into action. In his hands, he held a large piece of equipment. It was a semi-charged phaser canon that was being transferred from the ship’s armory. Most crew would need an anti-grav sled; but not George. He carried it with both hands like a human might carry a foot-long hoagie.

The shuttles were being outfitted for combat in case they were needed. Ruktah walked over to a group of people standing near a shuttle, “Someone ordered an energized phaser canon?”

Kalola looked up and cocked her head and with that one raised eyebrow. "I am not sure, guess the higher ups don't know what they want. Asked me to install a full science sensor pack in the thing as well. Either going to blow something up or study it to death. I swear more subterfuge than one half of my family side." She made a face and a gesture which if anyone was familiar with Romulan ways was something indicating something very nasty and sexual.

Ruktah grunted. Hard to tell if it was in agreement or in jest. Probably the first. Yeah. Definitely the first.

From up above came a feminine voice that sounded like the epitome of unbothered. "Yoohoo, up here," declared Crewman Draia Thero. The young Cardassian was perched atop the type-six personnel shuttle, Virginia, and was swaying the palms of her hands above her head from side to side. "According to this work order," Draia said, leaning towards the edge of the shuttle's roof, "that cannon has my name on it."

The half-Klingon security crewman said with annoyance, "Remain there, I will bring it to you."

"I'd like to see how that would turn out..." Crewman Athena Delenn said, straightening her mustard uniform jacket that marked her as part of engineering. Her long red hair was tied up in a bun that had become somewhat messy and her hazel eyes observed the others for a moment. She herself was tucked around aft of the shuttle, a toolkit by her booted feet. She looked over at Ruktah and smiled, a smile that seemed a little too wide for her face, as if she wasn't quite used to it.

The young man beside her tilted his head in her direction at the comment, but didn't actually look her way. Dean Winter would have been confused by the statement at one time, because the likelihood of it being true was...doubtful. But over the last months, he had started to learn when sarcasm was in play. He still didn't always get it right though. He moved his attention back to the panel in front of him, his dark hair falling onto his face with the decisive movement.

Jemima saw a group gathering and had to go over and see what was going on. She was a cheerful, bouncing black woman with long dreadlocks. "Hi, everybody!" she said, looking around, raising an eyebrow at the canon. "I'm not sure if you're starting a party or a war."

"I think it is more the former than the later they way some of these people are acting," Kalola made the comment to Jemima with a sour look. "Think Draia up there is trying to do a dance of seduction."

"Really?" Jemima looked at Draia with surprise. "Is that what that's called?" She lowered her voice. "Looks more like Vodun to me."

"Vodum?" Kalola questioned looking between Jenima and Draia. "What ever is that?"

"You might know it better as Voodoo. From Cajun Country in Louisiana," Jemima said. "Like she's trying to put a spell on 'em or something."

Kalola just nodded like she knew. She had not a clue but would look it up later. "Looks like we got a party going hear," she deflected by pointing with her chin.

That successfully distracted Jemima, who turned to see what was going on now.

Ruktah proceeded to walk over to the access ladder to the top of the Virginia. He looked at the other crew that were here and figured that none was thrilled. Perhaps only Draia, Kalola and Jemima George thought. George grumbled, "Captain Saalm would not be so indecisive. It is not honorable that we go into battle and are ill-prepared." He put the partially energized phaser cannon over his shoulder and climbed the ladder. Reaching the top he stepped onto the roof of the Virginia. "This was requisitioned from the ship's armory. Do you require further assistance?" It was clear from the way he said it that the only right answer was, 'no'.

Famously lacking in the empathy or emotional intelligence necessary to read nonverbal cues, Draia took the offer at face value. "Be a darling, Ruktah," Draia pleaded, as an opening gambit, "and lower the cannon into this port here?" Between both hands, Draia pulled away the final panel that revealed where the shuttle was most compatible to receive the input of the phaser cannon's base.

There was a low growl from George. The kind of face one would make when offered brussles sprouts or an egg salad sandwich. Ruktah, however, assisted with the phaser cannon. He aligned it with Draia's help and then eased into into the conector base and it 'clicked' into place. A green series of base lights illuminated as if to confirm the hard seal. "Easy enough done" he said and then looked at the shuttle, "Why is the Virginia being outfitted for combat?" he asked aloud.

Swiping her tricorder from the holster on her belt, Draia shrugged at Ruktah, but he didn't hold her attention more than something in need of a fix. She waved her tricorder over the new connection between the phaser cannon and the shuttle, running a quick diagnostic with the device. "Because that's what the work order said?" Draia answered. The sheepishness in her tone revealed she could imagine that answer wouldn't be satisfying. "Why do you think?" she asked.

George glanced at her, "You speak your mind plainly. It is refreshing. What I think about our orders is inconsequential. We have a job to do. I would prefer less talk and more action if I had been asked." He looked at her again, "No one asked."

Kala had been mostly minding her own business, having been sent down to the lower decks to repair some of the Galileos subsystems which ran adjacent to the Jeffries tube on this level. Of course, she had been listening who wouldn't, after all, they weren't been quiet about it. Finally finished she picked up her tool kit and pulled the strap over her messy hair and walked over to the oddly large group for what seemed to be a routine shuttle reconfigure. As Kala looked at the group of crewman she recognized at least two of them. "I'm not sure if you've noticed but Captain Saleem hasn't been around lately, and I'm sure you've all heard the rumors."

Dean's head perked up slightly at the words, his head tilting towards the voice, but not looking away from his work. The longish dark hair half covered his face with the tilt, making it hard to tell whether he was looking or not. He was curious by nature, even if it wasn't always easy to tell.

Athena gave a small shrug, moving closer to the others. "Rumours, yes..." she said before she bit her lip for a moment. "But there are so many rumours nowadays. I feel like assassinations are likely to happen."

Dean's head lifted a few inches higher at that...the main difference was that he actually looked away from his panel though, over to the group gathering. He didn't look directly at them, but the alarm on his features from the words was genuine.

George came down from the ladder and let out a single, loud, hoot. "HWA!" he said at Athena's comment. "That'll be the day. Galileo is an honorable crew. And Captain Saalm is still out there and will be recovered. A ship cannot be without her Captain." Ruktah spoke in certainties. As if it was a foregone conclusion.

Athena gave a small shrug, but there was a small smile on her lips now. "A ship needs a Captain, yes. It does not have to be the same Captain..." she pointed out before she held her hands up. "It's just one of the rumours floating around at the lower deck, is all. I suppose...we don't really know what is going on. So anything can happen." She lowered her hands and glanced away. "We are strapping a glorified canon to a shuttle...how safe are you feeling right now?"

"Pretty terrified actually. " Kala giggled, she had decided to stick around it wasnt often she had company reparing the lower decks and she wasnt to eager to get back to thier new slave master from the La Grange. She was intelligent enough to know a jobs worth when she saw one. "Has anyone even thought about the power that cannon you're attatching will need and do to this poor shuttle. Or is it one of those 'do as youre told' type jobs"

"Virginia's plama manifold can handle it," Draia replied, petulantly calling down from her perch atop the shuttlecraft. However, she double-checked the diagnostic results on her tricorder's display, just to be sure. Slapping the roof of the shuttle beneath her, Draia added, "Yeah, this one's tough as old boots!"

"Sure she is, just wait until it drains all her power, her shields drop, she takes one hit at that cannon and it rips her apart..." Athena said with a weak shrug, taking a moment to raise her arms up and stretch, standing on her toes as much as she could before lowering down again. "I am not a structural engineer, but even I know that there's only that much modding you can do before something gives. And it won't even be 'personnel' error, it will be stupid officers trying to get more enlisted people killed stupid error."

Jemima looked around as people talked, her eyes widening once again at the comments. The officers she knew would never act that rashly. Well, not the scientists, anyway, but she still couldn't believe what they were saying. Mostly.

"12.7%" Dean chipped in, his voice soft, but without any other reference to what he was talking about amongst their discussion points. The young man was looking back at his work now though, with the talk of assassinations passed over.

Kalola was finishing the sensor upgrade and got around to listening in.
Officers bumping each other off was not unknown in her Romulan heritage, happened all the time her mother said, so it did not phase her much.

She leaned up against the shuttle and waited and then when there was a lull she quipped, "Got a friend in ops says they just beamed over some tricobalt torpedoes. If it is true somebody is planning on something big."

George's eyes lit up, "Maybe we'll be boarded!" he said with obvious glee. Then the next thought was even better, "Or, form a boarding party and take the Genesis technology from the Tholians."

"How do we even know they have it?" Jemima asked. "Far as I know, nobody's ever taken anything from the Tholians and lived to tell about it."

"Hard headed is right if what I have heard is correct. Supposed to be some sort of weird silicon creature," Kalola was still propping up the shuttle.

Ruktah looked at Jemima a moment. She was one of those people that eluded him. He didn't understand why she was fascinated by Science and all of the assorted 'what-not' that went with it. The whole idea of experimentation would just wear George down. When he was on his first enlisted cruise his training officer once remarked to George that, "There's the right way, the wrong way and the Starfleet way." The rest of the enlisted nodded in agreement. Ruktah said to the instructor, "There is a fourth way; the Ruktah way." Which got a surprised gasp from the other enlistees. Without missing a beat the Security officer responded, "No, that's the same thing as the wrong way; just faster." Jemima reminded him of those situations where all the careful planning seemed for not. And, at least it seemed to George, the direct approach was far better than all this 'thinking'. "I have seen the damage Tholians are capable of. And I think we all know what happened to the Trial and her crew. As long as I am on watch that won't happen here."

"I sure hope not. I was on the bridge..." Jemima shook her head. "It wasn't pretty. I still think we need more information. More science." She shrugged. She was only a cadet and didn't have access to that sort of data.

"Welcome to the social club, were discussing our current situation." Kala smiled at the arrivals, "On that note, I'm sure as hell sleeping better knowing we have officers like Commander Wyatt even if he is a bit rouge in his method. I've not been around the Galileo crew long but he's been here almost as long as the Captain and they've survived all kinds of things I think we can handle some Tholians. As for the Trial... We never saw them actually explode for all we know they're still out there" The last part was more of a hopeful wish than anything based on fact, she'd be happy to make it out of this in one piece.

Jemima had to agree. She'd watch Commander Wyatt on the bridge and thought he was one of the good ones.

Athena let out a breath as she picked up her tools and settled on the ground, removing a panel to check something on the shuttle. "The battle with the Tholians will not be easy. And when all this is over..." she gestured around before she looked at the group, tilting her head slightly to the side. "The strongest may be left standing, but Starfleet decides it all in the end. And even should the ship blow up, well...Starfleet will decide if we were honourable or not..." she gave a small shrug and leant closer to the panel, narrowing her eyes. "Sometimes, I just wish we could settle things on the holodeck..."

Ruktah crossed his arms and said, "Hope and wishes are not a strategy.
It will not be easy that is a fact. But we cannot show weakness or confusion in the face of an enemy like the Tholians. I have worked with Commander Kohl before as well as Commander Wyatt. They will not run. We will fight." George's world seemed so black and white. He spoke as if things were so clear. But in those words he hid his doubt. Sure, he had his doubts too. But the Klingon side of him had the stronger voice.

Athena looked at him and put down the tools and stood. She walked over to Ruktah, shoulders squared as she held his eyes. "We will fight," she echoed, her jaw tight. "Which is why we strapped that cannon onto the shuttle, even if there is a chance that one direct hit against it will rip it apart. We will not see the face of the enemy unless they come onboard here. All they will see is the hull of this ship, without ever looking into our eyes or fighting us directly. We will not be on the bridge, shouting orders, making things happen. We will not aim the cannons. We will not be monitoring the torpedos, manoeuvre the ship, check the phaser banks. We will be at our red alert stations, which in my case will be a hole in Engineering..." she let out a breath and stepped back. "Wishes and hopes may not win wars. Neither will blindness. All our work of making this work out for us all? It happens now. Before battle. Because during it, we are either trying to keep the ship running or floating out in space with the latest hull breach. So when it comes to strategy...what's yours, except hoping and wishing that Wyatt or Kohl won't get us killed?"

Ruktah felt a surge of adrenaline as he watched the fire in Athena's eyes. It was impressive and his sour, smug face grew a grin. "There is conviction in your words. And fire in your voice. You are almost Klingon in your passions. I respect your opinion for it is well spoken. We will endure whatever is given us; but I will not lie down for it. If we cannot trust our officer corps then more than our strategy has broken down. We must remain united." And in a nod to Athena he said, "And endure the costs of those in command the best we can. My strategy is to live another day, another hour...another minute."

Athena chuckled and nudged Ruktah hard, but it was friendly. "We must remain alive," she agreed and gave an answering grin in return, because some of her blood felt a similar need for action.

"Isn't there anything we can do but fight?" Jemima asked. "Sometimes, living another day means finding a way around a problem instead of through it."

Kalola just listened. Her Romulan mother had taught her that sometimes being a bit more 'sneaky' was a way to go forward than outright confrontation. What was it she said, 'Lay the trap and then slowly slowly catchee the waragil."

Just then, a new person arrived. Ruktah heard the door swish open and in walked...

George said, "Have any of you ever encountered a Tholian before? I have only seen the simulations on the holodeck. If we are destined for battle then we must know their weaknesses?" he asked.

"They have weaknesses?" Dean asked quietly with a frown, but without looking up from his work. It was so quiet that it was uncertain if he was speaking to the group or himself, but the words escaped all the same.

Ruktah's eyes spoke volumes, "They do! The environment suits that they use; while formidable and well armored are also keeping them alive at a temperature they can exist."

"So puncture that, disable that..." Athena said before she smiled and looked over at Dean. "Would maybe take a while to truly kill them, but slowing them down until we get a chance...yeah...could work." She studied how Dean worked before moving over...but only to offer tools when she thought he might need it.

"Vhvvvv......." Kalola made a depreciating noise. "Did any of you bother to look at the medical base on them? They can survive for quite a bit of time outside a suit even make radiation blasts at least that is what it says." She held up a PaDD with a picture of a Tholian, spindly legs and all displayed.

Athena looked up, at the legs, before she almost smirked. "I feel like I should pack an axe or a rope and get those legs tied up..." she said, but it was all bravado. She never really thought they'd survive long enough to get face to face with something like that.

George said, "I have taken and been certified by Starfleet Security to deal with intruders in the event we are boarded. The Trial was unprepared; we are not."

"Do you think anyone can truly be prepared for a Tholian boarding party?" Jemima asked. From all she'd heard--which wasn't much--Tholians were terrifying.

Ruktah answered, "We must be prepared. The patient that escaped, Elegy Reiko, I heard from a reliable person that he was being...transmutated...into a Tholian form. If the Tholians have found a way to alter our genetic structure we must act to stop them. I do not envy living in perepetual summer conditions."

Dean dropped the tool he'd been using, looking to the man with a mixture of horror, shock and disbelief on his features. He hadn't heard any such rumour. He didn't belong to a clique or a club, his life pretty much revolved around work and then his own interests in his room. Any scuttlebutt he heard was only from his duty time, and even then he didn't hold a particular interest in gossip. He usually tuned out the voices around him to concentrate on his work and projects.

Athena frowned and picked up the tool, gently putting it into Dean's hand. "That won't happen to us," she said aloud...but maybe more for Dean, because she had seen the emotion on his face as that was as much of a reaction as she had ever seen in the man.

"You are most correct," smirked Kalola still propped against the shuttle. "They will most likely slice and dice us from afar. You notice the Trial did not come back."

"We must assume that it is lost. The Tholians are the agressors here. Our mission is clear. That being said, I would still feel better if we had our own Captain and XO back. I respect the Doctor, she is a fine medical professional. But the ship and this crew need someone who has dealt with the Tholians before. And I trust Captain Kohl." George stated as he activated a PaDD to see what his next Tasks were.

"You'd trust someone from another crew over our own? You do realise that between Commanders Warraquim and Wyatt they have faced the Borg, Klingons, Romulans, Dominion and who knows what else. And you'd put your faith in someone from another ship?" Kala said a little defensively, she was completely loyal to the crew of the Galileo and to think that one of their own would rather someone else seemed... Outrages!

Ruktah, however, towed the party line with, "I do not question their experience or that they will do the 'right thing' when the time comes. Starfleet Command often asks us to do things we do not like or agree with. Sometimes our orders require us to set aside our 'feelings' and do what we are told without hesitation."

"When did Kohl ever face off with Tholians?" Kalola jumped in responding to George. "It is our own Wyatt and Warraquim that have and it was not pretty the last time we were here!"

"Are you even listening to yourselves?" Athena stood and shook her head, folding her arms across her chest. "As if who has faced what has any bearing on our present situation? This is Starfleet. We have orders and we follow whoever owns that chair at the time. Simple as. So we follow our orders...and we do our best because that is why were are here. To be our best, in Starfleet. If we wanted to follow who we liked we would have been mercenaries or joined a nice civilian fleet or stayed wherever the hell we came from. But we joined Starfleet because...actually, I have no idea why you all joined..." she paused and then gave a shrug as if she was on a roll now and might as well continue. "I just didn't fit in on Earth or my home planet. Anyway. Maybe we will get boarded. Maybe we will be blown plain up. Or maybe we will get through it. It doesn't really matter right now...we got a job, which I think right now is one of the most stupid ideas we have been told to do but we will do it to our best ability. Now..." she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Could we just check that the...monstrosity of a cannon is secured to the shuttle and do calculations of speed and hits before we risk the hull integrity?"

"Right and when as the defense, 'I was just following orders', ever done anyone any good. Still," Kalola shrugged. "Let's get her done."

"If we're not supposed to follow the bad idea orders, why are we fixing a canon on to that shuttle?" Dean didn't look up from his work as the soft words were spoken...spoken with all the honesty of the young man going about his job. There was no barb or humour in his tone, only sincerity.

Kala chuckled "Because its not a bad order it's kickass and cool one, and technically I'm not doing anything you guys are" She teased with a smile before letting out a sigh "On that note, I better be off, this ship isn't going to fix itself. Drinks in the lounge later if anyone is interested, be there or be square!"

"Kala is right. We have our orders. With all of this speculation we are behaving like the three old Gumder Billhilly's. I have my security rounds to do and the rest of us have our orders. I look forward to seeing everyone for drinks later on." George said so matter-of-factly. He looked around the group and felt uneasy too. Nodding to Draia he asked, "I will report to the Armory that the cannon is satisfactory."

[OFF]

--

Creman George Ruktah
Security
USS Galileo-A
[NPC Plumeri]

Chief Petty Office Kala Gorvel
Engineering
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Wyatt]

Crewman Dean Winter
Operations
USS Galileo-A
[NPC Blake]

Crewman Draia Thero
Engineer's Mate
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC ir-Llantrisant]

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