Spreading Security Thin (But what is new?)

Posted on 10 Dec 2023 @ 6:24pm by Lieutenant Aria Rice & Marcus Mulder & Lieutenant JG Zara Ghemora & Ensign Amanda Turell & Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark & Petty Officer 1st Class Lysander Octavio & Lia Quil & Petty Officer 3rd Class T'Paaru

1,667 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 19 - Tomorrow's Galileo
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 3, Security Office
Timeline: MD 01, 1507 hrs

[ON]

…As the doors to the Security office whooshed open, one didn't need to be a Betazoid to realize that the Cardassian deputy was annoyed with how the briefing had gone…though seeing Petty Officer Octavio did cause Ghemora's emotional state a moment of blankness before the woman approached the NCO with an outstretched hand. Feigning stoicism, "I don't believe we have met. Deputy Ghemora," she introduced herself. Taking note of Vulcan - a stark contrast to the Betazoid - the Cardassian repeated the procedure with T'Paaru.

Lysander gave Ghemora's hand a firm shake, "A pleasure to meet you, sir," he inclined his head in a respectful gesture, his winning smile still glinting and his hair once again coiffed despite the dishevelment of the rough ride they'd recently endured.

Now that she'd introduced herself, Ghemora's arms fell to her side, one hand coming to rest on the holstered phaser on her hip, as she turned back to the office's doors in anticipation, "Chief Rice will be here shortly to brief us on our assignments. I don't believe we'll need any additional equipment, but one never knows what their commanding officer might order." It was clear in her tone that she was exasperated, but was doing her best to conceal her dismay in front of the enlisted…as well as the detainees she'd momentarily forgotten were still locked in the brig cells.

T'Paaru looked at her, raising a perfectly formed eyebrow. "One would hope that we would not need any additional equipment. Seeing as our additional equipment tends to...incapacitate others."

The Vulcan's comment caused Ghemora to pause in thought a moment as she weighed the ramifications of what she could or should reveal about the briefing she'd just left. As her eyes passed over the few Security members in the room, they stopped on the two detainees held behind the forcefields in their cells. Turning her gaze back at T'Paaru, she held up a finger, "One moment," as she walked over to the brig controls and caused the forcefields to turn opaque as well as initiating an auditory lock on them. There was no reason for them to be privy to the details of the briefing, after all.

With that done, Ghemora turned back to the petty officer, "I think it will depend on how much 'faith' the chief has in those we've been briefed and the situation we now find ourselves in…" While she felt it prudent not to add such, if the Cardassian had been the department head, she was sure the captain would not have appreciated either her suspicions nor her penchant for precaution.

"So how many years in the future are we?" Gabriel asked lightly from where he was perched on his usual crate, his feet placed wide enough apart for his hands to tap a rhythm unconsciously against the side of it. "It's woken the younger scientist up a bit, she's writing incessantly."

The comment from Gabriel had caused Ghemora to turn in the direction of the no-longer see-through cells as a realization came to her. Still, she was quickly turned away from commenting on the situation with the detainees as the Security office's doors opened as Chief Rice and Ensign Turell walked in.

"25," Aria Rice said as she walked in, looking at the members of her department. She looked at them all, considering it for a moment. Best way to say it. "We've been taken out of our time, 25 years into the future. Now, there's a lot of discussion going on about the best approach, but for now we have orders. There's a war on, the Federation are losing and there's a Klingon-Romulan alliance going on. Your orders are to look into this alliance, any strategic or tactical advantage. I am going to be going to the Praxis to inform the Klingons about this."

"And yeah, we're all already dead in this timeline." Amanda added. "Hope I took a lot of Klingons or Romulans with me when it happened."

"I'm sure you did..," the Cardassian commented lowly having read the ensign's history. Realizing her comment wouldn't go unnoticed, the deputy cleared her throat as she stepped forward to announce, "Stark, Octavio; you two, Ensign Turell, and myself will report to the captain at 1600 in the conference room to evaluate what data is provided to us."

Ghemora paused as if her thought had wandered off as she gave the brig cells and then Aria a glance before looking back to the trio of NCOs, "Before that, let's have you three escort our…'guests' back to their quarters. Be sure to initiate all available lockdown measures, as I'm sure we don't need them figuring out anything more than they already have. T'Paaru, monitor them and take note of anything they say that might be out of the usual. If anything troubling or pressing comes up, send word."

Momentarily forgetting her station in the department, Ghemora glanced to Aria in slight concern, asking, "Anything else, chief?" To the deputy, her directions had seemed like the best course of action, given that Rice would be off-ship and needed to be more focused on her diplomacy with the Klingons than what her people were doing back on the Gal.

Aria was watching Ghemora as she spoke, but honestly her mind was on other things. "I want you all to know this," she said, her voice gentle. "The Galileo-A was destroyed with all hands. Not in our tomorrow, but years ahead. Knowing the turnover of personnel on a standard and even non-standard Federation Starship, don't count on you having gone down with this ship." She made the point of looking at each of them as she spoke. And a small smile came to her. "I am sure there are many other ways I'd be able to get myself killed out here." Like perhaps, within the next couple of hours if Kuran decided that he'd rather join the other Klingons. She had no illusions.

Lysander stood very still, attempting an air of stocism, with his usual charm of course. So he was dead? He wondered what it had taken to kill such a daring individual as himself. He must have had quite the end. Perhaps his holonovels had taken off in popularity? They do say that true art is only appreciated after the death of the artist. He would have to check up on that.

Aria had said something about a war but he had not really been paying attention. Perhaps he had died a war hero? A fitting end. Something about... Klingons and Romulans. Usual nonsense. He'd caught the final order though, reviewing intel was his forte though the grunt work of moving prisoners was obviously beneath him. He sighed. Needs must. He gave a professional nod to the Cardassian and stood ready to move when given the go ahead.

Aria looked around before she gave a nod. "You got your orders," she said, a small smile coming to her. She watched them, for a moment longer than she needed to. In case the Klingons decide that they'll join the others and kill me. That too is a possibility. "Carry on."

Given the almost surprisingly quick briefing, as far as Aria seemed concerned, Ghemora stepped close to the woman to request subtly, "Could I have a moment of your time, privately, to discuss a departmental matter? Once the others head out and have the detainees on their way, of course."

Aria raised an eyebrow with surprise before she nodded, taking a breath. "Of course," she said before she looked at the tinted forcefields. "Ah, yes...our guests. Forgot about them."

"Oh, you won't when you see the inside of her cell..." Gabriel assured with a slight roll of his eyes...because he had no doubt it would be his job to clean it up when they got a moment. He went to lower the forcefields to the brig cells, moving to Mulder and letting one of the others deal with Lia, whose cell now had equations and notes written in charcoal on one of the walls, with her having run out of paper at somepoint.

Aria watched as T'Paaru opened the cell for Lia, her eyes widening at all the scribbles. She let out a breath, her eyes going to the Deputy. "Maybe you should let Saalm know about these two. If anyone has the brains to figure out something, it will be these two."

Surprised by not only the scribbles on the wall but their nature, Ghemora gave Aria only a glance before stepping forward to relieve Lia of what paper she had, assisting T'Paaru as needed, but mostly focused on the evidence that had been left. Once the woman was secured, Ghemora took out her tricorder and began to scan both the papers and the walls of the cell, calling over, "I'll record these and see what the captain recommends, chief," to Aria, not wanting to slip around the chain of command to speak to the future admiral without proper clearance.

"Of course," Aria said before she let out a breath. She watched the others go before she looked at Ghemora. "You wanted to talk?"

Watching the others gradually exit with Mulder and Quil to escort them back to their secured quarters, the deputy didn't speak up until after the door to the office had finally closed and she was sure the others wouldn't hear. "Chief, I..," she started but glanced to the woman's desk, "Perhaps we should take a seat for a moment?" Ghemora wasn't sure how Rice was going to take this particular conversation...

[OFF]

Lieutenant Aria Rice
Chief Security Officer
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Zara Ghemora
Deputy Security Officer
USS Galileo-A

PO1 Lysander Octavio
Security Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Vala]

Ensign Amanda Turell
Security Officer
USS <>Galileo-A
[PNPC Mimi]

PO1 Gabriel Stark
Security
USS <>Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

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