Straight to voicemail

Posted on Thu Jun 8th, 2017 @ 11:22am by Captain Elijah Michaels & Lieutenant JG Elliot Keller & Commander Bertrand Cuprum & Commander Cor Cordale & Lieutenant Commander Christopher Evans & Lieutenant JG Scotty Kayne & Lieutenant Valeria Mordin

Mission: Awakening
Location: Bridge, USS Victory

Elijah stood at the back of Victory's Bridge with Mordin and Evans and Kayne either side of him. The four of them were monitoring the Cartography for the impending Scientific Excursion Starfleet had for them.

"That's going to be tricky to navigate." Elijah commented as he highLighted a chunk of the map. "A type 4 Gas Giant to the southwest and what looks an asteroid belt to the North."

"With diligence and respects, Captain, it never ceases to amaze me that your people can navigate a three-dimensional space and *still* use two-dimensional directions. North... Southwest..." though, the rabbitess giggled, clearly amused. "We could always plot a course through here, as the asteroid belt has formed something of a proper elliptical thanks to the gas giant's gravity." she motioned toward the 'southern' edge of the map.

Elijah nodded. "What do you guys think?" The Captain asked with a glance towards Commander Evans and Lieutenant Kayne.

"I think it's worth a shot" he paused "we could boost power to shields, just incase anything happens." Evans was fascinated about what the Rabbitess was saying.

"I'm in full agreement." Scotty said, looking at Evans, then the captain, "I'd be happy if you'd give the word."

Elijah nodded. "Alright then Mister Kayne begin to plot a suitable course and work with Lieutenant Mordin in doing so."

"Aye sir" his hands flew across the panel. "Alright, lieutenant, how am I getting her through this?" he asked

A few moments of silent thought, "Head to two nine five mark two for eighty eight seconds, then adjust by negative two degrees every seven seconds until your heading is two six three mark one. That should put us along the outskirts of the gas giant's gravitational field. Might even be able to use it to supplement the engines." a pause, then a soft smirk, "Might not need to with this much engine. It's an old Blink Fighter maneuver."

Evans was already seeing what he could do to supplement a little power to the engines.

Elijah turned to Evans. "Commander prepare all the relevant probes, it'll take us roughly a day to get there at Warp Five so that should be enough time to have them set up for the region."

"Aye Captain" he looked up from his console. "I'll have probes ready for launch upon arrival."

The Captain then looked around the Bridge. "The XO is in his Quarters and Commander Cordale is in Engineering so Commander Evans you have the Bridge I shall be in my ready room."

The Lieutenant Commander hadn't been left in charge of the bridge all that often and when he did, thing had proved to be uneventful. Hopefully this turn would also be uneventful.

Elijah took a stroll over to his Ready Room knowing that it was relatively quiet and the Crew had been given their orders. He proceeded to his Replicator and replicated some tea before he took a seat at his desk to check his messages.

The next ten minutes were relatively uneventful. Simple course corrections, the idle background hum of the starship's operations. The uneventfulness was eventually broken by the chime of an incoming communication. Valeria, closest to the comm panel, fielded the incoming transmission. "Sir." she started, official as necessary as she addressed Evans. "We have an incoming transmission from Starfleet's diplomatic branch."

Chris thought this might be something the Captain would want to address himself. "Let's patch that through to the Captains ready room" tapping a command into the center chair's small panel "Bridge to Captain Michaels."

"Yes Commander what is it?" Elijah asked over the Channel.

"We have an incoming transmission from the Starfleet diplomatic branch" he paused but only for a second "I thought you might want to take that in your ready room?" he asked waiting for the Captains instructions.

"Thank you." Elijah sat back in his chair and got comfortable, "Please patch it through when you are ready."

"Yes sir" Evans said patching the communication through to the CO's ready room. He was still manning his station, even though he was currently in charge of the bridge.

Elijah then switched channels to wait for the message from Starfleet.

The universally recognized symbol of Starfleet came on the monitor, soon to be replaced with a friendly looking male human. "Good evening Captain Michaels. I'm Daniel Ferada, head diplomat on duty. I'm sorry to have contacted you at such a late hour, but it is for a good reason. How familiar are you with Delta quadrant races? Specifically the Ts'usugi and the Dalacari?"

"I have a Ts'usugi serving in my Science Department and the Dalacari I don't know too much about." The Captain said as he took a sip of his tea. "I am aware that the two races have a treaty don't they? Something both races have maintained for some time?"

Daniel seemed visibly impressed, "That's right. You might actually be able to get more details about their treaty from your Science department then, but the treaty they have is an odd form of mutual benefit. The Dalacari depend on the Ts'usugi for defense abroad, while the Ts'usugi ... well, we're not entirely certain what the Ts'usugi gain from the agreement but we know it's important enough to uphold all this time." a pause from Daniel. "That's actually half the reason this call is coming in so late. We've recently received a request for aid from a Ts'usugi cruiser in this quadrant." He paused to let that sink in.

"They're on a scientific excursion with a Dalacari science vessel. Details are sketchy at the moment, but the Ts'usugi cruiser is requesting our aid and arbitration concerning a... and these are their words, 'Potential Emergence event'." Daniel paused to check his notes. "Though their message did state that this was a potential threat to their treaty. The entirety of their message will be forwarded to you, as well as their coordinates, after this communique."

Elijah nodded. "Seems fairly straight forward enough Mister Ferada, they want us to meditate whatever issue they have whilst operating within the remit of our Prime Directive?"

"That's right, though there's a bit of breathing room here. Both races have applied for and are in consideration for admission into the Federation as ally races, and mercy knows we need as many allies as we can get in the Delta Quadrant. So the Prime Directive really only applies as a suggestion. Pressure is coming heavy from up to find out as much as possible about our guests, including how they got here."

"And this will go a long way to deciding whether to approve or reject their admissions." Elijah commented as he nursed his cup and saucer.

"Officially I cannot comment on such a line of thought." Daniel was trained in the diplomatic arts, after all. "Any further questions before I send you the received communique and the coordinate data?"

"No I think that pretty much covers it." The Captain said with a nod to the Diplomat. "I think you've provided a suitable introduction."

"Thank you Captain. All the data we received to follow. I'll also include everything we have on these two races to help. I'd rather you not go in completely blind, despite the fact you have a Ts'usugi on your crew." there was a tinge of jealousy, though it was well hidden. When Daniel signed off, his image was replaced with the Starfleet insignia once again. Moments later, there was the chime of incoming files crossing the subspace distance. These files were the original communique, as well as the data files on the two races in question. Last, but not least, there was a reference to stellar cartography, indicating a particular point in space well within Federation boundaries at cursory glance.

Elijah downloaded them to a PADD. The Captain sat back in his chair as he waited for the download to be completed. Once it was done he got up and proceeded out onto the Bridge.

"Change of plan." Elijah said holding the PADD up. "It would seem our mission of exploration will have to wait as we have been called in to mediate a dispute with the Ts'usugi and the Dalacari."

He turned to Scotty. "Set a course for these coordinates if you'll please Lieutenant."

"Chris wake up the XO and get Cor and Lieutenant Keller up here." He said towards Evans.

Chris started making calls over the communication system "Commanders Curprum and Cordale to the bridge as well as Lieutenant Keller."

With a final glance he turned towards Valeria Mordin. "It would seem your people are in a spot of bother Lieutenant and we are going to have to mediate it."

The rabbitess put on a curious face, "I'm not sure what you mean, but if my people contacted *anyone* for aid or mediation, it must be serious. Doubly so if it involves the Dalacari as well. Can you provide any details, or will that wait for the briefing?"

"Details are sketchy at best but to the best of my knowledge it has serious consequences for the Treaty between your two species." Elijah commented.

That... worried her. It was rare to see the normally cheerful, or at the very least the normally unfazed rabbitess show concern let alone worry. "What do you need from me?"

"I've downloaded all the relevant files sent to us by the Diplomatic Corps, I'd like you to work with Cor, Chris and Elliot to make sense of it all," the Captain said as he handed her a PADD.

Chris gave a nod to the Captain. He was happy to do anything he could to help his crewmate.

"I'll get right on it." Valeria assured, then turned to Chris and gave him a nod to let him know that she acknowledged him.

Bertrand arrived on the bridge blinking. Had he actually slept? Or just passed out? Either way the strings of Morpheus were dragging on him.

"You called, Captain?" he asked moving to the XO chair.

Cordale arrived just a little behind Bertrand, adjusting something on his collar still as the doors swished open. "Shorter ride then I thought, Captain what's the call?" he asked, now no longer fidgeting with his collar.

"Gentlemen it would seem that our Scientific survey has been diverted due to a very odd request from the Diplomatic Corps." Elijah said with a look to Cor and Bertrand. "It would seem the Ts'usugi and the Dalacari have an urgent matter that needs mediation and since we have one of their species aboard we know more than most."

"The Dala-who?" Cordale asked in his usual diplomatic splendor.

"The Dalacari." Valeria offered from her huddle with Chris. "They're... the most unique people you're ever going to meet." she clarified, before returning to the huddle.

"So they've sent us all the information we need to know." Elijah said as he motioned to Valeria. "Val is taking lead on this one given that her species are involved and I'd like you and Chris to work with her and determine what exactly the problem is."

"Looking forward to the discussion." the Thux said with a smirk. Valeria just shook her head softly, "Captain, I'd like permission to use the conference room to organize the effort, and prepare any bridging as needed. I might also need to send a long range secure communication to secure permission to speak about certain topics. Critical technologies and such." She clarified.

"I can assure you at this moment sir, that the likelihood of this vessel acquiring tech from either race is Delta9 unlikely. Pretty much an impossibility." She paused, "Dalacari use systems that draw more power than the Victory comfortably generates, and my people don't use the same method of power generation as the Federation."

"And before you ask... I don't believe I'm cleared to be specific."

"Great," the XO mumbled. "Another race that is pathologically opposed to sharing."

Cor gave a nod, then turned to the Captain, "Mind if i raise Hel? I mean, call Hel up into this? She's clever, and we're probably going to need all the brain power we can get."

(Tag Elijah or Bertrand for the OK to include)

Evans was impressed how everyone knew who would be useful. He would learn his fellow crew eventually, as he hadn't been serving with them long. "What do you want me on?" he asked Val.

The rabbitess was quiet for a moment, both in thought and at Bertrand's retort, "Make sure our sensors are up to the task. Both the Dalacari and the Ts'usugi use fighters for military actions. Though, the Dalacari drone swarm will outnumber the fighter deployment up to three to one. Worst case, we're tracking multiple hostiles simultaneously. One thing you learn quickly in the Provincial Military Academy, is that every Dalacari craft is a carrier." a pause, "Every. One."

Bertrand took his seat, "Valeria, I need you to brief our Tactical on what potential threat both ships are capable of. Get whatever permissions you need. Don't look at me like that. If they are asking for our help we need the information ahead of time. I am not walking into a volatile situation without all of the story. Also any medical information you can get on either species for our CMO will be beneficial. If there are people hurt we don't want to waste time asking questions."

When he was finished, she gave a nod, "My medical records should be sufficient to cover the basics for any Ts'usugi injuries. I'm a pureblood Ts'usugi, after all." a pause, "I'll request any records possible for the Dalacari bioforms, though treating them will be slightly different for our medical section. I'll ensure that is clarified in the briefing."

"As for tactical, I'll need to brush up in case Dalacari technology has improved vastly over the past ten years, but it was my intent to disclose as much as allowed. I'll make certain that, before we even drop out of warp, this crew is as well informed as possible in any system that will be encountered. As for sharing, with respects, everyone has secrets sir." she countered, treading dangerously, "But whatever I cannot directly speak about, I will endeavor to find a Federation cleared parallel."

"There will be no omissions that can be avoided." she said with an air of conviction.

Bertrand let the matter drop but when attention was distracted he made his way over to the science officer and spoke quietly so only she could hear.

"Valeria, there may be a moment in this mission when you are asked to make a choice between disclosing things the Federation need to know and hiding things the Ts'usugi want secret. The Ts'usugi are not Federation, but you are. When that choice comes you will need to be aware where your truest loyalties lie. It is a hard call for anyone, and you should give it some consideration before the issue arises. I would appreciate it if you could let the Captain and I know of your decision as well."

Valeria didn't give the comment any outward acknowledgement. It was a statement meant for her alone, to give it a nod or a comment would draw attention to it.

Chris was already making sure the sensors were fine tuned and ready to adjust power settings as needed. Things were getting serious on the bridge and he thought he was ready for anything that would come flying at them.

The Captain looked around to see the vast majority of the Bridge Crew had gone about their duties in no time whatsoever. Elijah returned to his Chair and sat back with his Cup as he looked into the complicated nature of the their new assignment.