Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 51:32
USS Peregrine, Captain's Ready Room - 14:01

The moment Tochi had entered, something had felt... off.  It was a mere split second before the first officer's declaration that Silas realized that his XO was no longer wearing rank insignia.

"... It has been our pleasure to serve under your command, Silas, and to call you a friend," the Trill's commentary trailed off.

As Drake glanced at the pips on his desk, then at the Trill's face, blood rushed to his ears, and the very room began to feel as if it were rotating the same way that three drinks too many might cause.  Silas swallowed, then choked out a reply.  "Tochi, have a seat."

The XO didn't immediately comply, and the hesiation fired off the Captain's well documented temper.

"I said, SIT YOUR SPOTTED ASS DOWN.  NOW," Drake followed up in an iron tone.  "That is a DIRECT order."

OOC: assuming complicance...

Silas closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose before fixing his gaze on the XO.  "First off, there is no way in any version of hell that I am accepting this resignation.  I won't let you do this to yourself, and selfishly, I NEED you, damn it."

The Captain sighed.  "It has been a pleasure?  What, that's it, and we aren't friends anymore?" Silas let the rhetorical question hang in the air for a moment, then his eyes narrowed.  "That's an awfully fatalisic proclomation," Silas observed.  "Resignation?  Goodbye?  You take your shuttle and leave?  We both know that you're planning to use that pretty shuttle of yours to destroy or derail that rock, ending your career - or your life - in the process." Drake shook his head.  "I think not.  This sounds far too much like some maudlin Vulcan 'the good of the many versus the good of the one' nonsense, and there is no need for anyone to sacrifice themselves to save these people."

Drake slammed his fist forcefully down on his desk.  "Did you know that they are begging for our help?  Have you heard the transmissions?"

OOC: assuming a response..

The Captain pressed a button, and the audio recording of the Calicans pleading for friendly aliens to save their children, save their species, played.  Drake's lips tightened.

"I'm done debating wheher or not we will interfere","Silas declared.  "That broadcast is enough jusification for me.  I will order the Peregrine to reposition close to the asteroid, within optimal firing range of a properly placed barrage of torpedoes.  If we don't come up with a better idea by tomorrow, I will order us to fire on the asteroid.  We will then repair the beacon and leave the system.  When they court martial me, I will play that broadcast for them.  If the powers that be side against me, I will accept my fate and lose no sleep over it.  Sorry, Tochi, but I will not be making my banquet table any longer - not to seat you, certainly not to seat an entire planet."

Silas leaned back and sighed, and his tone softened.  "You're too noble for your own good, Tochi.  And you're hurting - badly.  Your judgment is clouded with pain.  I bet if you ask some of your other personalities, they would agree with me."

Drake shook his head again.  "I frankly don't trust you right now to not kill yourself in some misguided attempt to do the right thing.  But the thing is - this isn't your choice to make."

Silas fixed Zai with a stony gaze.  "Effective immediately and until further notice, you are grounded, Commander Zai.  You will not pilot your Angel, any shuttlecraft, a worker bee - NOTHING.  You will not leave this ship except by my personal say so.  I will coordinate with Ensign Owen to divvy up your shifts until afer this crisis has passed.  Do you understand?"

OOC: assuming an affirmative response...

Drake nodded.  "Thank you. I trust that you will not behave in a manner that would require me to have you confined to quarters?  Don't think that I won't go as fas as to put you on a psyche hold or simply toss you in the brig for the duration, if that's what it takes."

OOC: a response...

Silas nodded again.  "Very well.  I am sorry if this offends you, Tochi, but I'd rather you hate me than you hurt yourself.  I need you.  The crew needs you.  Starfleett needs you."

The Capain paused.  "We have a plan and something of a justification.  If there's nothing better... well, it will be what it will be.  And that will be the right thing, regs be damned."

OOC: any response...

Silas nodded.  "Thank you for caring, for being willing.  But I cannot allow this to happen.  Dismissed."

OOC: assuming Zai leaves...

"Computer," Drake spoke, "Suspend all launch priviledges for Commander Zai.  He may not depart this ship except under my specific permission."

=/\=Priviledges suspended=/\= came the reply.

Next, he reached out to the aCFCO.  "Drake to Ensign Owen."

A hesitant voice replied.  =/\=Owen here.=/\=

"Ensign Owen," Dake spoke, "Commander Zai is temporarily incapacitated.  Until further notice, you will be responsible for all flight operations.  Please adjust the Flight Control schedule to compensate accordingly."

There was a bit of a delay, but the reply came.  =/\=Aye, Captain.=/\=

The Captain nodded.  "Very good," he replied.  "Drake out."

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 51:32
USS Peregrine, Captain’s Ready Room - 14:01

Silas’s gaze fell to the pips for a second and then, as his ears reddened and his eyes narrowed, lifted to frame the Trill’s face. “Tochi,” Drake’s voice seemed almost strangled, “have a seat.”

We will not, Zai thought, giving the chair only a cursory glance out of the corner of an eye before reclasping his hands at the small of his back and lifting his chin in a small gesture of defiance.

“I said,” the Captain reiterated, the heat of his anger becoming almost palpable, “SIT YOUR SPOTTED ASS DOWN! NOW! That is a DIRECT order.”

The Trill’s jaw tightened, his spine stiffened, and his own eyes narrowed a fraction as he indulged in another split-second of insubordination. He knew Silas well enough, though, to be assured that his resistance wouldn’t fly in this situation. Thus, before he provoked his CO and friend to round the desk and put him forcibly into the indicated seat, Tochi let an irritated puff of air skim past his lips. “Aye, sir,” he chuffed, settling not quite comfortably into the chair.

“First off,” Silas rumbled after massaging his exasperation into submission, “there is no way in any version of hell that I am accepting this resignation. I won’t let you do this to yourself and, selfishly, I need you, damn it.”

You may not have a choice in the matter, my friend, Zai thought, tightly pursing his lips in order to keep from saying the words aloud. His only answer in that moment was to chew his tongue and keep his gaze leveled at the man across the desk.

“It has been a pleasure?” Drake went on, a disbelieving tone tinging his voice, “What, that’s it, and we aren’t friends anymore?”

We will always be your friend, Silas. Again, he let the words go unspoken though he did heave something of a sigh to protest that assumption. A nearly imperceptible shake of his head followed and Tochi folded his hands in his lap. 

“That’s an awfully fatalistic proclamation…”  Drake went on, his eyes narrowing. He continued by laying bare Tochi’s plan as if he were privy to the Trill’s very thoughts. Silas’ interpretation was a bit more grim, however, than Zai’s true intent. This whole thing wasn’t presented as some sort of suicide mission. He wasn’t planning on sacrificing his life if it could be avoided, only the Angel was to be given over for the cause. “...I think not,” Silas said, shaking his head, “This sounds far too much like some maudlin Vulcan ‘the good of the many versus the good of the one’ nonsense, and there is no need for anyone to sacrifice themselves to save these people.”

Tochi lifted a brow and offered a shrug. “Sacrificing myself wasn’t the idea, Silas” he muttered in reply, “nor was it…”

The retort was interrupted by the boom of Drake’s fist slamming down on the desk. “Did you know that they are begging for our help,” Silas demanded, “Have you heard the transmissions?”

“I have,” Tochi nodded curtly, “and the urgency of those pleas are…”

Once more, the Trill’s response was interrupted, this time by Drake cueing up the aforementioned transmissions despite Tochi’s profession of having heard them already. It was all he could do not to squirm beneath the uncomfortable weight that the recordings pumped into the air. His stomach tightened, much like Silas’ lips, and he allowed a slow blink as his hands lifted from his lap and clutched at the arms of the chair.

“I’m done debating whether or not we will interfere,” Silas declared, stabbing the button again and putting a merciful end to the desperate pleas of the Calicans, “That broadcast is enough justification for me…”

For us, as well, Tochi scowled inwardly, again, offering only another clipped nod by way of response, Which is why I don’t understand why you’re so opposed to…

“...I will order the Peregrine to reposition close to the asteroid, within optimal firing range of a properly placed barrage of torpedoes,” Drake went on, causing Tochi’s eyes to widen a bit and his jaw to clench, “If we don’t come up with a better idea by tomorrow, I will order us to fire on the asteroid…”

The rest of what the Captain said was lost to the sudden ringing in Tochi’s ears. His face reddened and his eyes narrowed as he leaned forward and finally managed to loosen his jaw. “We have just laid a better idea before you, Silas,” he insisted almost angrily, “but, for whatever reason, you’re refusing to accept it for what it is!”

“You’re too noble for your own good, Tochi,” Drake sighed, his tone softer as he leaned back in his seat, “And you’re hurting - badly. Your judgment is clouded with pain…”

“And yours isn’t?!”

“...I bet if you asked some of your other personalities, they would agree with me,” Silas suggested, ignoring the Trill’s question.

“I’m sure that all of our personalities are of a mind where this is concerned, sir,” Zai scowled, on the verge of tearing himself out of the seat and storming out of the office.

“I frankly don’t trust you right now not to kill yourself in some misguided attempt to do the right thing,” Drake offered, shaking his head, “But the thing is - this isn’t your choice to make.”

That professed lack of trust, regardless of whatever perceptions may have prompted it, was a slap in the face. Tochi was both stunned and angered by it. His eyes widened as he rose out of the chair and his mouth fell open as if to offer some protest but, in the moment, he found that he had no words.

“Effective immediately and until further notice,” Silas intoned from behind his stoney gaze, “you are grounded, Commander Zai…”

“Are you frillin’ kidding me, right now,” Tochi demanded, gripping the edge of the desk as he glowered at Drake, “You’re frillin’ grounding me out of some misguided concern for our mental state?! You can’t…”

“...You will not pilot your Angel, any shuttlecraft, a worker bee - NOTHING,” Drake barreled on, unperturbed by the Trill’s rising ire, “You will not leave this ship except by my personal say so. I will coordinate with Ensign Owen to divvy up your shifts until after this crisis has passed. Do you understand?”

F*** you, Silas Drake, the curse reverberated through his skull three times as he fought to keep from letting it fly. His knuckles were white from his increasingly tight hold on the leading edge of the desk and, for an instant, he entertained the notion of flipping the thing over in offense and anger. That thought would only serve to bolster the Captain’s position, though, he realized and any expression of anger, verbal or otherwise, would be akin to throwing pebbles at a Bird of Prey. He was fighting a losing battle.

He relinquished his grip on Drake’s desk, his spine stiffening as he straightened up into a frustrated mockery of standing at attention. “Sir, aye, sir,” he snipped.

“Thank you,” Drake nodded (the words felt almost condescending), “I trust that you will not behave in a manner that would require me to have you confined to quarters? Don’t think that I won’t go as far as to put you on a psych hold or simply toss you in the brig for the duration, if that’s what it takes.”

Tochi’s brow furrowed and his hands balled into fists at his side. The curse rattled through his mind, again, and he scowled in the face of the threats but, in the end, he simply offered a short nod. “I will do my best not to be a nuisance,” he hissed through clenched teeth, “sir.”

“Very well,” Drake nodded, “I am sorry if this offends you Tochi, but I’d rather you hate me than you hurt yourself…”

I don’t hate you, Tochi bristled, but at the moment we’d really like to punch you in the face!

“...I need you. The crew needs you. Starfleet needs you.”

“We have a plan and something of a justification,” the Captain continued after a somewhat burdensome pause, “If there’s nothing better… well, it will be what it will be. And that will be the right thing, regs be damned.”

Which is exactly what I proposed, Tochi fumed, once more refusing to loft the retort out loud, but we suppose that only matters when it’s your decision. He sucked in a slow breath and offered a nod; “As you say, sir.”

“Thank you for caring,” Drake nodded, “for being willing. But I cannot allow this to happen. Dismissed.”

Dismissed… Tochi’s spine stiffened so much that he thought for a moment that it might actually snap …F*** you! He still managed to refrain from lobbing the curse, though, and instead rendered a stiff salute. “Aye aye, Captain,” he replied in a low tone that was dangerously close to a growl. He took a step back, performed a sharp about face, and strode stiffly from the Ready Room without another word - though there were many that he considered - leaving his pips on Silas’ desk.

“Grounded,” Zai grumbled under his breath as he stormed across the bridge, tearing his jacket off as he neared the turbolift, “Kiss my dappled ass!” He whirled around as the lift door began to hiss shut and, when the thing sputtered, he drove a fist into it to goad it closed.

=/\=Command not understood,=/\= the computer said in response to the assault and the string of half-muttered curses, =/\=Please state your destination.=/\=

“Deck Two,” Tochi snapped.

((Probably a decent place to stop for the time being. I figure that, since he’s been sidelined, Tochi’s heading for his quarters to strip out his reds and don civvies “in protest.” Might open things up a bit for other cast and crew to cross his path en route, although those interactions might not be as pleasant as Zai usually tends to be.))

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 51:32
USS Peregrine, Ensign Owen’s Quarters - 14:20

=/\=Drake to Ensign Owen.=/\=

Given that Megan had no duty shifts scheduled for the day, the Captain’s hail caught her off guard and she let out a surprised little squeak as she fumbled the PADD which currently displayed her Fractal Calculus lesson. “Oh, tha’ canna be good,” she frowned, recovering the PADD and reaching for her commbadge where it sat on the side table.

She pushed a heavy spill of copper curls from her face and tapped the badge in acknowledgement. “Owen, here.”

 =/\=Ensign Owen,=/\= the Captain’s flat voice intoned, =/\=Commander Zai is temporarily incapacitated. Until further notice, you will be responsible for all flight operations. Please adjust the Flight Control schedule to compensate accordingly.=/\=

“Incapacitated?” Megan blinked rapidly, Wha’ in th’ bloody hell’s that mean? Is he injured? Has his lack of sleepin’ finally caught up with him and landed him in sick bay? All sorts of scenarios chased through her mind in that moment, each worse than the last. It was only when she realized that she hadn’t yet replied to Captain Drake’s orders that she freed herself from those morbid musings.

She tapped the badge, again, swallowed the lump in her throat and responded; “Aye, Captain.”

=/\=Very good. Drake out.=/\=

“Fooksake,” she grimaced, unfurling her legs from beneath her and sliding off the couch as she dismissed her Calculus lesson and brought up the Flight Control schedule, “How’s he go an’ get himself incapacitated when the bloody ship’s jus’ sittin’ still?” She skittered from the living area into her bedroom, tossing the PADD onto the bed before retrieving her uniform from the closet. The thought continued to nag at her while she stripped out of her comfortable leisure wear and got herself into her reds. As she wrestled the mass of her curls into a ponytail, though, another more terrifying realization dawned on her.

“JaysusJosephan’Mary,” she gasped, her hands frozen to the back of her head, her eyes wide and unblinking as she gawked at her terrified reflection, “Tha’ means I’m in charge o’ th’ whole bloody department! Shyte…” Her tiny hands were trembling all of the sudden but she managed enough control of them to finish securing the ponytail before clasping them together and wringing them anxiously… “Shyte an’ bugger all!”

Her heart fluttered in her chest as she blinked at the schedule displayed on the PADD. None of the names and figures on the chart made the least bit of sense at the moment. “Calm yerself, Meg,” she breathed, forcing her fingers apart and busying them with the task of affixing her commbadge to her blouse, “Don’cha go havin’ a case o’ th’ vapors, lass… Ye c’n do this… Oh, bother!” 

She snatched the PADD from the mattress, tucked it under her arm and started for the door. Before the hatch could slide open ahead of her, though, she stopped, chewed her lower lip in nervous introspection and, finally, tapped two dainty fingertips to the Starfleet insignia on her chest; “Umm… Owen ta Commander Zai.”

The reply didn’t come as quickly as was typical for Tochi. There was a long moment of silence which only made Megan worry that her imaginings of him injured or sedated in Sick Bay were spot on. When her hail was, at last, acknowledged though, the relief she felt escaped her in a rush of breath that seemed too large for her lungs to have been holding.

=/\=What can we do for you, Meg?=/\= Zai’s voice was tight, far from the affable and almost casual timbre he usually affected. He sounded angry.

“Well, sir,” she began on the tail end of her relieved sigh, “I dunno that ye c’n necessarily do anythin’, sir. I… uh… I jus’ heard from Cap’n Drake that ye were incapcitated an’ it had me flummoxed so I wanted ta make sure ye were okay an’...”

=/\=Incapacitated?=/\= Zai’s voice came back in a derisive snort, =/\=Is that what he’s calling it?=/\=

Megan blinked, almost winced, at the clatter of noise in the background of Tochi’s transmission. Was he so angry that he was throwing things? That didn’t seem on par for the tranquil demeanor the XO usually presented. “Yessir. Incapacitated. Thatwastheexactwordheused,sir,” she answered, “ToldmeIwasresponsibleferFlightOpsan’taadjustthescheduleuntilfurthernotice.I’mnotsureI’mreadyferallo’that,sir... an’IdinnawannabotheryewithanyofetefyewereinjurederunwellbutIhadtaknowifyewerealrightan’…”

=/\=Take a breath, Megan. I’m fine. I am by no means ‘incapacitated,’=/\= he scoffed the word, =/\=save by our Captain’s own orders, at any rate. I’ve been frillin’ grounded!=/\=

“Grounded? You?!” The elfin woman’s mouth fell open and her ice-blue eyes went as wide as saucers. She was having a hard time getting her head around even the concept of such a thing. “Fergive me fer sayin’ so aloud, sir, but what in th’ actual fook?! Ye’ve been relieved o’ duty, then?”

=/\=In all but the most fundamental aspects, yes,=/\= he answered, chuckling a little at the indignance and disbelief in her tone, =/\=We’ve been forbidden from sitting at the helm of so much as a work bee until further notice and I am prohibited from leaving the ship without the Captain’s express permission. There were also threats of a psych-hold and/or confinement to the brig in order to ensure my compliance.=/\=

“Mary’s knickers,” Megan gasped after a long moment of her mouth working open and closed like a fish out of water, “Whatinnahelldidyado?”

Another soft snicker preceded his reply. =/\=We presented a solution to a problem that was less than well received.=/\=

“Well, that’s jus’ clear as mud, then, innit,” she frowned, “Would tha’ I could use that sort o’ ambiguity as answers on the exams for all o’ these bloomin’ classes ya got me toilin’ over!”

=/\=The less you know, the better for all concerned, Mr Owen,=/\= Zai returned, trying not to laugh.

“Sheep-shyte an’ boiled cabbage,” Megan shot back, her cheeks progressing through deepening shades of pink and red, “Ye’d’ve not said th’ same ta Vaela, Tochi Zai, so don’t ye dare try et with me, aye? I’m yer bloomin’ aCFCO, fer better er worse, an’ ye need ta start treatin’ me as such. I may not have th’ experience she had nor the relationship th’ two o’ ye shared but, ef I’m ta back yer plays an’ learn how ta actually run a department o’ me own, ye cannae go lockin’ me oota yer head!”

Silence.

It hadn’t occurred to her when the words were spilling from her but, in that all too pregnant pause, Megan realized with slow horror that she had just broken off a proverbial foot in the ass of her mentor and superior officer. Tensing, she bit down on her thumb and cringed as she awaited what was sure to be a blistering rebuke. When the response actually came, it was nothing like what she had prepared herself for.

=/\=You’re right,=/\= Tochi said, at last, the tone of his voice duly castigated, =/\=I’m sorry, Megan. You’re not the green Petty Officer I took on all those tours ago, any longer, and you deserve better from me.=/\= There was a lengthy, almost dejected sigh as punctuation, here. =/\=We are… I am just frustrated and you had the unfortunate luck of being the first voice I heard following my meeting with Silas. We are taking out our frustration on you and you don’t deserve it.=/\=

Wait… Megan blinked. Dared to let a satisfied smile start to tug at the Cupids Bow of her lips. Almost giggled and certainly blushed… What? Without thinking about it, she tugged the PADD from under her arm and hugged it to her chest as a curiously warm and empathetic sensation coursed through her. The last time she’d had the desire to wrap her arms this tightly around the Trill was when he’d informed her that she would be taking rotations at the CONN. “Tha’s okay, Toch,” she sighed once she found her voice, “I canna say I truly understand but… I get it,” she pulled her thumb from between her teeth and ran it over her lower lip, “Does… does this have anythin’ ta do with what I heard you an’ Lt Reid discussion’, by chance? Takin’ th’ Angel oot an’ forcin’ a core breach, I mean?”

=/\=It does,=/\= Tochi admitted. She could almost picture the sheepish smile that split his lips, now. =/\=You’re quite a bit more observant than you’re given credit for, Ensign. We knew you had potential.=/\=

Her cheeks warmed as they flushed a deep pink and she was glad that there was no one else in the room to see the goofy grin that spread across her features. “I’ve learned from the best Starfleet has ta offer, sir,” she demurred, “I’m truly sorry that Cap’n Drake shot ye down in such a fashion. From what I heard o’ et, et were a grand design.”

=/\=Not grand enough that Silas was willing to let it fly, I’m afraid,=/\= Zai returned, =/\=He prefers that the focus of any potential courts martial be leveled at him alone. We’re beginning to think it might be some sort of fetish.=/\=

“As ef there weren’t enough of those on this boat, a’ready,” she giggled softly, “What c’n I do, sir?”

=/\=You can send me those schedules, Mr Owen,=/\= the XO replied, =/\=I’ll update them according to the Captain’s wishes, send them back for your review, and you can sign off. I’m good for little else at the moment it seems.=/\=

“Aye, sir,” Megan said from behind a wan smile, “Thank’ee, sir. Anythin’ else?”

=/\=You tell me,=/\= Zai said, =/\=It’s your department for the duration.=/\=

Megan backed toward the sofa and sank into the cushions. “I were thinkin’ o’ callin’ a meetin’ in Flight Ops,” she said tentatively, “Lettin’ our people know th’ situation as much as ye’d like… From there, sir, I dunno.”

=/\=You’ll figure it out, Megan,=/\= he assured her, =/\=I have every confidence. This is why we picked you, yes?=/\=

“I appreciate that, sir,” she grinned, “Thank’ee. Where’re ya gonna be should I need ye?”

=/\=Just a hail away,=/\= he promised, =/\=If I’m not in our quarters…=/\=

“Ye’ll be in Bay 2 with Commander Kennedy,” she nodded, “Aye, sir.”

=/Precisely.=/\= Zai smiled. =/\=Fair winds and following seas, Ensign.=/\=

“Same ta ye, Tochi,” Megan sighed, “Should I have any questions…”

=/\=I’m here,=/\= he finished for her, =/\=Zai out.=/\=

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 51:34

USS Peregrine; Deck 4, Science Lab 1 – 14:00

“Computer, again”

Again, the small, coloured spheres on his screen went dancing about in their merry fashion, until again the sphere not set to a nominal aligned path crashed into a larger sphere as it slowly made its way around its pre aligned track.

=/\= Impact. Resultant debris field will impact Calican 2 within 25 years. Effect on atmosphere major, impact to life extinction level. =/\=

“Argh” he cried out in frustration, “Computer set power to 95% and set rogue object outwards angle up plane by 10 degrees.”

=/\= Parameters set =/\=

“Again”

The small spheres once again went around their pre-set paths with the rogue asteroid travelling between them. He saw it before the computer registered the impact, his hands came up to cup his face and he screamed wordlessly into them.

=/\= Impact. Resultant debris field will impact Starfleet mining operations within 20 years. =/\=

Why was this asteroid so intent on killing something?

Esel sighed heavily “Computer Captains location please”

=/\= The Captain is currently in his ready room =/\=

Best I deliver this news in person He thought to himself as he picked a PADD up from the desk next to him, taking a moment to compose and adjust his uniform, he started making his way to the bridge with a face of grim determination.  

USS Peregrine; Bridge 14:15

The doors to the turbolift opened and Esel stepped out onto the bridge, giving a quick nod, he made his way to the Captains ready room, as he approached, he noted the engaged lights on the door panel.

I guess it will have to wait a while longer he thought, though the knowledge of having to deliver these tidings to the Captain weighed on his shoulders. He made his way across the bridge to the Science Conn where Ensign Eilal was currently stationed, in the hope that with some discussion the two of them may improve the data to be presented, before the Captain became available.

Presently the sound of the ready room door opening caught his attention and his eye flicked up to be greeted by the XO storming out past them, across the bridge and into the turbolift, whilst removing his jacket the look on his face enough to deter any sort of intervention.

He cast his gaze around the stunned bridge and back to Eilal.

“Guess its my turn.” He murmured.

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 51:04

USS Peregrine; Bridge, Captains Ready Room – 14:30

Esel chimed the button on the door panel and waited of acknowledgement.

OOC: Assumed positive and the XOs pips have been moved.

“Captain” he started as he came to attention in front of the Captains desk “I have some dire news with regards to our current situation. Whilst we can safely redirect the asteroid without having to use explosive force upon it, we can’t do so undetected. With the Peregrine having to orbit the object to change its course we have calculated that no matter at which point we release to remain undetected, the object is still going to collide with other objects with the system and have a large effect.”

Quickly he passed the list of failed experimental data across to the Captains PADD.

“The only successful courses require the Peregrine to escort the object out to the edge of the system, but the object would come close enough to the planet that if not naked to the visible eye, we would definitely be detected by anything they have pointing towards the object as it passed.”

He then transferred the few successfully course plots across to the Captain.

“Depending on other solutions in the hat, we are definitely down to mitigation of post incident fallout during the subsequent inquiry.” He finished falling silent, waiting for the Captains response.

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 51:20
USS Peregrine- Deck 4; Flight Operations - 14:32

Her chair squeaked. A tiny frown molded itself onto her lips as she moved and the bolts holding the chair under her let out another long mew of protest. Everyone in the room was looking at her and it only further pushed her nerves toward the edge. Clearing her throat Ensign Owen pushed out of the chair, trying to hide the wince as it groaned even louder and came to her feet. 

The eyes in the room, belonging to the entire Flight Crew save for Chief Shabani who was manning the helm, and Commander Zai of course, followed her up. Giving another froggy cough she forced the frown off her face. 

“Afternoon everyone…” she began. The PADD in her hands felt heavy and ready to slip through her sweaty fingers, but she clutched it tightly and began to pull up the new duty schedule she’d gotten Tochi to help her configure. “As most of ye may be aware by now,” she said, her eyes lifting from the display to pan across the faces gathered around the table, “Commander Zai has been put on limited duty. His launch privileges have been revoked and, as yet, I’m no’ even certain tha’ he’ll be takin’ shifts at helm.”

A murmur of incredulity rose from around the table and, in some places, rose into the beginnings of questions or protests. Megan laid the PADD on the table before her and held up a hand to silence the drone. “I know ye’ve all got questions an’ comments,” she said, her lips tight across her teeth, “an’ I’ll be more’n glad ta address ‘em all after I’ve had my say, aye?” She bobbed her head as the susurrations abated and raised a slender brow as her gaze drifted from face to face. “Fer the duration o’ the Commander’s suspension, I’ll be headin’ up Flight Control - barmy as tha’ may sound - but dinnae think that’ll be changin’ the way we do things. I’ll be runnin’ this department jus’ as Tochi would an’ I expect the same outta the lot o’ you…”

A chorus of ‘Aye, sirs’ went up and, once more, she gave a faint nod of satisfaction, the mass of her ponytail thudding against her spine.

“...Now, then,” she continued, pacing a few steps away from her seat and clasping her tiny hands behind her back in an unconscious affectation of the Trill’s mannerisms, “as ye c’n imagine, Commander Zai bein’ grounded’s gonna call fer some shufflin’ o’ the duty roster.” She tipped her head to where the PADD lay abandoned at the table’s edge. “Those changes’ve been affected an’ sent ta each o’ ye for review. Ye’ll see tha’ many o’ us’ve picked up an extra shift er two an’, in some cases, duties beyond what ye may be used to. If ye’d all give the updated schedule a look an’ let me know if there’re any issues with th’ proposed changes, within reason I’ll see wha’ I can do fer ye. But…” she added, her eyes surveying her fellow crewmates, “I sae within reason, an I mean it. Commander Zai will be comin’ back an’ he won’t wanna hear dat any’o ye tried a take advantage o’ the situation.” 

It was, surprisingly to Owen, CPO Yasuo who rose his hand and inched up out of his seat a little as he addressed her directly, “Sir, I think the roster looks fine and all. However, if you don’t mind me asking, I’m just wondering what the Captain’s plan is with that asteroid, the rumor-mill is running like mad right now and I just really would like some answers, especially with the Commander being pulled.” 

“I canna say, Yas,” Megan frowned, her steps bringing her back to the empty chair, “I’ve heard th’ scuttlebutt, same as th’ rest o’ ye, an’ I’ve been privy tae overhearin’ a plan put forth by Lt Reid that Tochi himself seemed ta back…” She let go of a sigh and folded her arms across the back of the seat, “...Strange as et seems ta say, I dinna think th’ Cap’n saw eye ta eye, though, an’ likely et were th’ mention o’ tha’ plan tha’ got Commander Zai in his current predicament.”

“Would this plan of the Commander’s have anything to do with all the activity around that shuttle of his, lately,” SCPO Matthews probed, one sharp brow lifting higher on her forehead.

The less you know, the better for all concerned. Tochi’s own words to her on the matter rang through Megan’s thoughts and she very nearly found herself repeating them to the half-Romulan woman across the table. Rather than deflecting the question with such an ambiguous reply, though, Megan pursed her lips and offered a short nod in acknowledgement. “Aye, I believe et does,” she said, “er did, at any rate. I’d share th’ details with ye ef I thought et mattered but, seein’ as the Cap’n’s shut th’ thing down, I fear it’d be nought but a waste o’ our time an’ energy. We’ve all got other more pressin’ concerns ta tend, so let’s keep our focus where et belongs, aye?”

As the chorus of dutiful acknowledgements went up around the table, Ensign Owen couldn’t help but allow a small smile play on her lips. For all of her trepidation, this meeting had gone better than she had expected it would. It was a small step, sure, but her confidence in being able to manage a department of her own someday was bolstered by it all the same. “Marvy,” she chirped, pulling her arms off the seat-back and clasping her hands behind her back again, “Let’s get to it, then, shall we? Ye’ve all got jobs ta do an’ places ta be. Dismissed.”

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 50:34
USS Peregrine, Bridge 15:18

Ensign Eilal sat at the bridge science console, peering intently at the instruments.  As was typical for weekend shifts, the bridge was light on senior officers; between the duty rotation and the emotional weight of the current situation, no one had even as much as glanced his way, let alone questioned his work.

He frowned slightly as he reviewed the scanner data for the asteroid.  "Fascinating..." he muttered.

The rock was extremely dense for its size.  There appreared to be some widespread crystallized formations located on it, as well as a collection of heavy metals.  Furthermore, 2365 C41A3 DN17 projected an odd magnetic field that simply didn't quite line up with the rest of the composition scans. 
'
His mild frown deepened as he pondered.  "How very frustrating," he mused. "If only..."

The small woman in the command chair piped up.  "Wha's tha' then, Ensign Eilal?" Ensign Owen asked. 

The Deltan science officer bobbed his head in deference.  "My apologies, Ensign Owen; I did not intend to disturb anyone.  I was simply musing..." he paused.

"Well, g'wan then!" she exclaimed. 

"Yes, sir," Eilal replied.  "The readings for 2365 C41A3 DN17 do not fully make sense, given the data that we have.  While I recognize that such knowledge is immaterial to the larger situation, my scientific curiosity is piqued here.  Unfortunatey, I do not believe that I will be able to gather a more complete picture via sensor data alone.   If only there were some possibility to gather surface samples, I believe that we could unlock the mystery of the anomalous magnetic field that the asteroid possesses."

The bald alien wore a rueful expression.  "Again, I do understand that in the grand scheme of events, such purely academic concerns are of little general interest or importance.  Even so, I cannot apologize for my curiosity and desire here to know more."

OOC: some reply from Owen...

The Deltan nodded.  "I will continue with my duties, sir."  

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 48:28 

USS Peregrine - Shuttle Bay 2 - Aurora Angel - 1447

The raktajino was strong, very strong, and yet Calli found herself yawning as she walked back into the shuttle bay. She carefully bounced the hot mug in one hand while she balanced a small square box in the other. Wending her way through the Angel she set the box down on the console and slipped her mug onto the arm chair of the captain’s seat. All day she’d bounced back and forth between working on the Angel and trying to attend to her duties in engineering. With the replicators ‘not working’ currently all work on the satellite had stopped, so she’d found a variety of other tasks to delegate out to her crew. Perhaps someone would finally figure out the glitches on the turbolifts, and regular maintenance needed to be run on the life support system. Tasking these things out had given her the time to get things ready for the Angel. Now it was time to start getting the lady ready for her last flight. Hopefully she would hear back from Commander Zai, Tochi (she reminded herself with a smirk), soon on how the Captain was reacting to their plan. It really was the only plan that would work. 

She gave a small pause as she thought about the Captain. A frown tugged at her lips and she pulled a PADD out of the box she’d put down and settled into the Captain’s chair. A quick flash of her fingers across the surface and she had a brief message prepared to send to Drake: Replicator issue is being diagnosed and I expect repairs to be made by the end of the day. As soon as those are completed I can return to working on the satellite problem. Discussed this with the XO earlier.

It was the ‘paper trail’ that needed to be laid down, she thought. All the proper documentation in all the proper places so that later when an investigation came it might not go as badly. The last line, though, was more for Drake to possibly decipher, letting him know she was on board with what Zai had to tell him about the Angel. With the message sent to the captain she took a look back around the little ship and let out a long sigh. 

“Alright, darling… you and I got a little work to do.” She said to the ship, dancing her fingers across the smooth curved lines of the command console. “This part isn’t going to hurt, I promise… as for later… well darling you are just going to have to be brave, okay?” 

Commander Kennedy took a long sip of the coffee before she reached back into the box. She came out with a small pot containing a bright blue flower. A jagged golden seam ran the length of the pot from one lip down across the bottom and back up to the lip on the other side. The flower petals were gnarled and a bit droopy, but otherwise it stood erect and tall in its mended pot. 

“Kintsugi.” She explained as she put the pot on a ledge near the viewscreen. “An ancient technique from Japan. Finding beauty even in the broken things. Instead of throwing away broken bits of pottery they would fuse them back together and leave the cracks, filling them in with gold.” Carefully she adjusted the pot to just the right angle and lovingly coaxed one of the petals on the flower up. “They’d go back to using the broken item, with the strands of gold reminding them about the devastation it had gone through and delighting in the new beauty it now possessed.” 

“Like this pot you’ve got your own scars.” She whispered as she went to the console for engineering control. “Within the pot, though, is a gift I got. A Ferengi luck flower. Figured you needed a little luck today. This is a big mission you are being tasked with, and I do not envy you for it.” She whispered as she began to run through a list of commands that needed to be input into the system. “Not one bit. I shall miss you, even though we’ve only just begun to know each other. You know…” her voice trailed on as she worked, entering trajectories and timings for systems on the precious ship to begin failing, “...every machine talks to me. They each have their own language and their own voice in which to tell it, but you… oh my Angel, you didn’t speak to me. You whispered seduction right into my ear the moment I saw you. There was no way I was going to walk away without falling madly in love with you. Yes, mon cher, I shall miss you.” 

Her eyes moved up from the console and back to where the little potted plant rested, the gold reflecting the lights of the view screen in a rainbow of color across the floor of the bridge. “But I shall always remember you.” 

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 50:34

USS Peregrine, Bridge

"How very frustrating," he mused. "If only..."

The small woman in the command chair piped up.  "Wha's tha' then, Ensign Eilal?" Ensign Owen asked. 

The Deltan science officer bobbed his head in deference.  "My apologies, Ensign Owen; I did not intend to disturb anyone.  I was simply musing..." he paused.

"Well, g'wan then!" she exclaimed. 

"Yes, sir," Eilal replied.  "The readings for 2365 C41A3 DN17 do not fully make sense, given the data that we have.  While I recognize that such knowledge is immaterial to the larger situation, my scientific curiosity is piqued here.  Unfortunately, I do not believe that I will be able to gather a more complete picture via sensor data alone.   If only there were some possibility to gather surface samples, I believe that we could unlock the mystery of the anomalous magnetic field that the asteroid possesses."

The bald alien wore a rueful expression.  "Again, I do understand that in the grand scheme of events, such purely academic concerns are of little general interest or importance.  Even so, I cannot apologize for my curiosity and desire here to know more."

“I dinna think apologies’re necessary, Ensign,” Megan answered, a contemplative look coming over her features as she considered the Science officer’s words, “In fact, I think ye may be on ta somethin’ there. Could be tha’ a physical sample’d give us some insight t’ward alternative solutions, aye?” 

She leaned forward in the chair a bit and, resting her elbows on her knees, folded her hands in front of her lips to mask the vaguely mischievous smirk that had begun to tug at them. Et may be tha’ ye’ve facilitated puttin’ a truly viable solution back inta play wi’out even knowin’ et, she mused, her eyes sparkling as she blinked in the direction of the Science station. “Carry on wi’ what yer doin’ Elial,” she suggested with a bob of her head as she reclined back into the depths of the Big Chair, “an’ I’ll run yer request by the Cap’n. See if we canna get approval for a wee away mission b’fore things get too barmy.”

The Deltan nodded.  "I will continue with my duties, sir." 

“Vera good,” Megan nodded, again, “Thank’ee, Elial.” She blinked at the viewscreen, toying with an errant coil of copper hair that had escaped her ponytail, and studied the slowly tumbling asteroid. Gotta be tactful in th’ way ye posit this ta Drake, Meg, she told herself, Et canna s’much as give off a whiff o’ tryin’ ta skirt his nixin’ o’ th’ Commander’s plan.

Following another minute or two of quiet deliberation, Megan reached out a dainty finger to tap a display built into the arm of the chair. “Ensign Owen ta Cap’n Drake,” she said after the comm-tone chirped.

((OOC: Assuming a reply ))

“Sorry ta bother ye, sir,” the elfin ensign lilted, “but Sciences’ve presented the idea tha’ physical samples o’ 2365 C41A3 DN17’d go a long way as ta unravellin’ some o’ the mysteries where her EM field’s concerned. I b’lieve, sir, tha’ the ideas go’ merit an’, at th’ vera least’d provide us wi’ some fair bit o’ referential data should we encounter similar situations in th’ future. If ye dinna mind, Cap’n, I’d like ta give Ensign Elial th’ go ahead on this. I’ll make the necessary arrangements wi’ Flight Control an’ OPS.”

((OOC: Don’t want to assume Drake’s agreement, so I’ll cut this here and wait for a reply before going on. ))

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 51:10
USS Peregrine, Captain's Ready Room - 14:26

Silas sat at his desk, the blood no longer rushing is his ears.  No, instead, his fingertips trembled at the departure of the adrenaline in his system.

A dark cloud was settled across the Captain's visage; it hadn't seemed possible, but this unthinkably terrible situation had somehow grown even worse.

Damn his spotted hide.

For the tenth time, Silas replayed the encounter in his head.  Tochi had seemed taken aback, as if Silas had misunderstood.  Drake felt sick when he replayed that shocked expression in his mind's eye.   But no - even had he misread the Trill's general mental state, the fact remained that the Peregrine's XO was planning to unnecessarily throw at least his own career away.  Drake would not, could not stomach that.

Even if it did result in his best friend hating him for it.

Presently, the door chimed.  "Come," he half snarled at the door. 

Lieutenant Ch'ronnoss entered, then delivered news that essentially eliminated yet one more option.  "So what you are telling me, Lieutenant," Drake spoke, "is that it is simply not possible for us to move the asteroid without the Calicans knowing it."

OOC: assuming an affirmative response...

Drake nodded.  "That frankly makes perfect sense.  We know that the natives are observing the asteroid carefully, given that they have asked for help.  Even with very limited spaceflight, there's no way an object *this* large - on this type of intercept course with their planet - could be moved without their observation.  They clearly know enough to realize that impct is inevitible, so any intercept will be immediately noticable."

Silas sighed, pinched the bidge of his nose.  "There's simply no way for us to interfere without them knowing."

OOC: assuming another affirmative repsonse...

Drake cleared his throat.  That doesn't really preclude the existing plan, does it?

"Very well, Liuetenant.  Thank you for the report.  Dismissed."

****************************************

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 50:07
USS Peregrine, Captain's Ready Room - 15:29

Drake sat at his desk, toying with some notes on his PADD.  The decision had been made.  He was very comfortable with his reasoning, but was realistic enough to know that Sterfleet likely would not.  A grin played at the corner of his mouth; it was entirely possible (likely?) that one of the Admirals that didn't care for him had more intelligence on this situation than they had let on, and had arranged for Drake's ship to catch this repair job.  Anyone that knew Silas likely new that it would be difficult for him to abandon the Calicans - and thus, end his career. 

Even had he possessed warning that this trap that had been laid, Silas would not have chosen differently.  As he made that realization, the stress began to slide off of his shoulders.  This might be the last decision of his career, but it was the right choice. 

Just as he bgan to relax, the COMM chirped.  =/\=Ensign Owen ta Cap’n Drake.=/\=

Silas grinned a tad despite himself.  The bubbly helmsman's voice was not exactly unwelcome.

=/\=Sorry ta bother ye, sir,=/\= the elfin ensign lilted, =/\=but Sciences've presented the idea tha' physical samples o' 2365 C41A3 DN17'd go a long way as ta unravellin' some o' the mysteries where her EM field's concerned. I b'lieve, sir, tha' the ideas go' merit an', at th' vera least'd provide us wi' some fair bit o' referential data should we encounter similar situations in th' future. If ye dinna mind, Cap'n, I’d like ta give Ensign Elial th' go ahead on this. I'll make the necessary arrangements wi' Flight Control an' OPS.=/\=

Silas frowned.  The rock would be vaporized soon - either in killing the Calicans or by a torpedo barrage from the Peregrine.  What did an odd elecrtomagnetic field actually matter?

But he listened, and it did strike him as reasonable for the Peregrine to establish data that might help in similar future encounters that Starfleet might face.  And moving to convenient shuttle range would serve double duty of putting them into comfortable torpedo range, as well.  "Very well, Ensign," the Captain replied.  "Lay in a course to take us within half a million kilometers of 2365 C41A3 DN17, then proceed at one quarter impulse.  From there, you can make the necessary arrangements to conduct a survey flight."

OOC: assuming a positive response

Drake nodded.  "Very well.  Drake out."  

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 48:16 

USS Peregrine - Shuttle Bay 2 - Aurora Angel - 1459

“But I shall always remember you.” Commander Kennedy sighed.

“We didn’t peg you as being so… sentimental.” 

Commander Zai’s voice pitched into the bridge causing Commander Kennedy to jump in surprise. “Christ on a ****** cracker!” She exclaimed. 

Despite the events of the past few hours, a mildly amused smile crept onto Tochi’s face as he stepped into the bridge. After adding some finishing touches to Meg's roster he found himself rethinking what the sprite-like creature had said to him, Ye'll be in Bay 2 with Commander Kennedy. So he'd gone to Bay 2, Not much else for us to do right now anyway, and caught the commander waxing sentimental over the Angel. “Your earth expressions are always so… colorful.” 

Kennedy straightened out her shoulders and willed away the flush in her cheeks. There was something strained in his face and he was no longer in uniform, she noticed, but she supposed everyone was feeling the stress of the situation and so she let the banter continue. “By ‘your’ do you mean me specifically, or just human’s in general?” A thin brow rose. 

His head tilted to the side while he considered, moving across the floor toward where she was working. “Human’s in general we suppose, although you do have a flair for them I have noticed.” 

“‘A flair’... you should have written up some of the reprimands I’ve gotten over the years for my tongue, it would sound a great deal more appreciative of my talents.” She gave a small chuckle before she returned her eyes to the screen, trying to find her place in the lines of command she was entering. 

“We tend to give credit where it’s due, Kennedy,” he grinned as he peered over her shoulder at the code she was compiling, “Though I can’t seem to recall a time in which I’ve actually issued a reprimand over harsh language.” A soft sentimental chuckle escaped him, then, and he shook his head; “The knack Asovil had for butchering idioms, though, might have been dulled had I written her up for each one. I’d have gotten nothing done in a day other than writing those up, we imagine.”

Her head turned to glance up at him. “I pretty much gave a poor ensign a verbal whipping that would have made the devil himself proud.” She winked. “Kid probably didn’t deserve it, but he… well… bygones.” She gave a small laugh and a shrug. “Butchering idiom’s sounds cute at least.” Her fingers went back to the screen and she tapped it with a dull nail. “You might be making up your own curse words by the time I’m ready to beam you off this lady, though. Got you set up for a bumpy ride I’m afraid.” 

Zai shrugged, a mixed smile on his face as he rested his hands on the back of the chair in which she sat, “A few bumps are to be expected in situations like this, I imagine.” How to tell her that we’ve been grounded? She’s actually in a much better mood than she was earlier, hate to disrupt that.

“Again, you dare doubt me?” A playful set of eyes glanced over her shoulder at him once more. She leaned back in the chair and let him take a look at the codes. “So I’m trying to cover your a** a little here, alright? Got the trajectories and flight plans all laid out, as if you were just taking her for a cruise, hell if you want I can set it up so it looks like you were skipping out and running to Risa. Doesn’t really matter… you get to about…” she pointed out a spot on the map, “... say here… and things begin to go awry. Everything on this ship’s gonna start to fail, alright?” Another glance at him. “System after system, you’re going to need those fly boy skills you keep bragging about. Get the lady out to here before the timer goes off…” she indicated another point on the navigation system, this one marked with a small pink dot. “Then the fireworks begin. It’s all very precise though, no room for error. You gotta be on that dot when the proverbial **** hits the fan. I’m still working on the escape plan to get you out, but I will…” Confidently she craned her neck to look back at him again. 

“If anyone pokes around the remains later, the ship is just gonna say we screwed up putting her together and she malfunctioned, catastrophically.” 

He nodded his approval at the explanation of the trajectories and the cascading system failures. “I knew we had left this in good hands,” he said from behind a thin smile, and continued as if the plan hadn’t changed since talking to Drake, “and I don’t doubt that you’ll manage to get us out. Though, if you can’t, I suppose one life in exchange for seven billion others is a small price to pay.”

At this she rolled her eyes. “Playing the martyr? I don’t think it suits you. I said I’d get you out and I intend on doing just that. Hell I left you my wilting luck flower, what more can you ask for, huh? She’s getting sacrificed, not you. Just gotta set up a whole teleportation program as a back-up, because, like I said, this girl’s gonna flip. Be ready.” Grinning, she got up out of the chair and turned so she could face him a little more directly, leaning back against the console she’d just been working on. 

“You know, I’m almost starting to believe that this whole thing isn’t so bad…” 

Martyr? Tochi thought to himself as he watched her rise up from the chair. His hands dug into the back of the chair as she slunk away. They eased when she settled onto the console, though, and stared at him in the eyes, seeming to dare him with her observation. Curiously he leaned over the top of the chair and simply raised a brow back to her. 

“Honest.” She said, dragging her hands down the tops of her thighs as she spoke. “This crew needs a victory. We need something to celebrate. Saving an entire planet might just be enough. It might help to bring some cohesion to the crew too, right now there’s a firm line drawn in the sand; ‘Those That Survived What Happened,’ and ‘The New Guys’. As for the Angel…” Here her hands moved from her thighs and spirited across the smooth surface of the navigation panel, the tips of her fingers lightly passing over buttons without triggering them, “...I get the impression that she holds a great many bittersweet memories, especially for you. Blowing her up might just be…” she ran her tongue across her lips as she considered the right word, but her eyes went back to his as it came to her, “...cathartic.” 

“As sad as I’ll be to let her go, myself, I think I could enjoy the crap outta blowing something up right about now…” She grinned at him, leaning forward as her feet swung under the console. “And I’m bringing you back to enjoy the fireworks with me, alright? No one’s dying on this one, got it, Commander?” 

“I certainly won’t be,” Tochi agreed, the tense smile melting from his face as he let go of the chair and the ruse, “I’m afraid we’ve been grounded.” He trudged a few paces across the deck and propped himself against the console next to her. “Until we manage to figure away around that conundrum, I’m confined to the ship… not allowed to so much look at a shuttle or anything remotely similar.”

Her expression darkened and her lips pulled tight against her teeth at this admission. She took a moment, breathing in deeply twice before speaking. “And yet you are sitting here on the Bridge of your ship…” She turned her head to look at him, her lips coiling like a snake. “Drake didn’t like your plan, eh? And you let me continue to twiddle around on it nonetheless?” 

“It is still our ship,” Tochi shrugged faintly, “even if I’m not permitted to launch her. And, despite Silas’ opinion that our plan is equivical to a suicide mission, I believe it to still be a viable course of action…” A lop-sided grin tugged at one corner of his mouth as he regarded the woman then. “...Besides, I rather enjoy watching you twiddle. Who are we to stop you?”

Kennedy stretched out her arms behind herself and leaned back further into the curve of the console. Flirt… I’ve heard the stories about you, Tochi… she thought to herself as she gave him a long appraising look. “You’re right, I can’t find another solution to this problem that’s any better. And yet… he really grounded you? For just… suggesting it?” Her tongue ran across her teeth as she thought about it further. 

“I believe it was more than just the suggestion,” Zai answered, trying not to pay her tongue too much attention, “He may have taken some offense to my resignation and, like you, apparently, he got it into his head that I was playing the martyr despite our assurances to the contrary.” He sighed, shrugged, and folded his arms across his chest. “You’re too noble for your own good, Tochi,” he smirked, mimicking Drake’s inflection, “Your judgment is clouded by pain. I don’t trust you…” He shook his head to chase the remembrance of those words away and scowled as they continued to echo in his thoughts, anyway. “After all this time, after all we’ve been through together, he doesn’t trust us.” He rolled a hip and pushed away from the console. “That, I think, hurt more than being grounded.”

Kennedy sat up, a scowl beginning to eat at her own features. “That’s bull****!” She exclaimed, starting to scoot off the console herself. “Too noble? What in the actual…” Her head shook and she ran a hand through her cropped hair. “You’re a rogue, and you know what if you really wanted to risk your life for an entire planet full of people who the hell is he to stop you? Your judgment is clouded by pain? Hypocritical bastard! That’s it, this whole ship is insane and I just… I can’t… I’m going up there, he needs someone to shove a little truth down his gullet…” She said, pushing her uniform back into place a little as she took a few steps past Tochi toward the exit for the bridge. 

The smile played on his lips again when she referred to him as a rogue and there was something truly endearing about the way her indignance at his plight spilled from her. As she stomped past him, intent on seeking out Silas and giving him a piece of her mind, Tochi reached out and took hold of her arm to stop her. “I don’t know that that’s the best course of action, Calli,” he said softly, “It’s more likely that he’d confine us both to quarters as see the reason behind it all.”

Her feet stopped when he grabbed her arm and she turned her intensity back on him. “Then what are we supposed to do? I’m done walking on eggshells around everyone here, especially my Captain… I’m not just going to sit back and let all those people die because someone’s got their panties all bunched up and is too scared to do what has to be done.” She paused, staring at him as her chest rose and fell with her deep breaths. “God I hate the Peregrine sometimes!” She admitted with a long heavy sigh.

The Trill chuckled at that, his eyes searching hers as she whirled around to face him. He’d forgotten to let go of her arm once she stopped and, as he looked at her now, he found his other hand lifting to rest against her cheek. By the Ancestors, he mused, I can’t imagine your temper and Silas’ is the same room. A full spread of torpedoes might be less explosive. “No one is asking you to just sit back, Calli,” he assured her with a languid smile, “I’m just asking that you don’t confront him as full of fury as you are now. He’ll not take it well and I’d hate to see you mar your career for the sake of trying to defend my hon… er… roguishness.”

Under his touch her skin burned. “Screw my career, screw your honor. I have a plan running through lines and lines of code in that console behind you, and Captain Drake is going to hear about it, whether he damn well wants to or not. Seriously, I get that you all went through some ****, but this is getting ridiculous!” 

A scant nod was offered by way of agreement and, for some reason, he couldn’t help but smile at the fire that had been kindled inside of her. He almost chuckled when he imagined her and Drake butting heads, their respective temperaments only fueling each other and resulting in a conflagration that might reduce the Peregrine to ash if left unchecked. “Would you like to hear something truly ridiculous,” he asked, his voice little more than a whisper as he found himself pulling her closer.

She slid into his personal space, and found that her heart skipped a beat or two as in the wake of her anger he smiled. Instead of speaking, and risking another outburst she knew she was all too capable of, she merely narrowed her eyes and locked them onto his. 

“What’s truly ridiculous, especially in the midst of all of this,” he said, his whisper becoming something more like a purr, “is that, in this moment, all I can think about is kissing you, for some reason.”

“Rogue…” she said, her feet shuffling her half a step closer to him. 

“Powder keg…” he smiled as she stepped into him. The hand at her cheek slid around to cradle the back of her head and his lips pressed to hers, softly at first but more insistent as the seconds multiplied. His other hand, at last, let go of her arm and snaked around her waist, pulling her closer still. Oh, Tochi, what are you doing?

Whatever doubts plagued his thoughts disappeared as she let out a low moan and returned the kiss with a deep ferver. She never let anything but the moment get into her own thoughts, her hands wandering across his arms and down to his stomach, gripping at the edge of his belt buckle and pulling him in close even as she whispered, “Yes…” against their kiss. 

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 50:07
USS Peregrine, Bridge - 15:29

Megan held her breath as she awaited the Captain’s answer to her request. The span between her last words and his first was only seconds long but the impish ensign felt as if her lungs might burst before he replied.

=/\=Very well, Ensign,=/\= the Captain said, at last, sparing her from passing out, =/\="Lay in a course to take us within half a million kilometers of 2365 C41A3 DN17, then proceed at one quarter impulse.  From there, you can make the necessary arrangements to conduct a survey flight.=/\=

Ensign Owen’s spine stiffened, her eyes went wide, and a brilliant, excited smile spread across her lips. “Marvy… er… I mean… Aye, sir! Thank’ee , sir! I’ll be makin’ tha’ happen, right away.”

=/\=Very well.  Drake out.=/\=

It took every ounce of restraint she could muster to keep herself from bouncing out of the command chair. As an added measure, she grasped each arm of the seat with white-knuckled intensity as she grinned across the Bridge to where Elial stood at the Science Console. “Ya hear tha’, Mr Elial,” she beamed, “Looks as ef ye’ll be gettin’ yer wish, aye? Ye may be wantin’ ta coordinate wit’ Lt Ch’ronnoss.”

((OOC: Any response from Elial here… perhaps a cue for a convo between Essel and Elial?))

Her crystalline gaze flitted from the science officer to the tall, dark-skinned man who sat at the helm. “Chief Shabani,” she chirped, “Take us ta within a half-million kilometers o’ tha’ rock, ef ye’d be so kind. One quarter impulse.”

“Aye, sir,” CPO Shabani nodded, his fingers moving purposefully across the console before him, “Course laid in. Proceeding at one quarter impulse power.”

Megan’s smile brightened all the more as the Peregrine began to slide smoothly toward the asteroid and she bobbed her head in approval, setting the copper springs of her hair bouncing from her shoulders. She shoved herself deeper into the seat and let go of her death-grip on the chair’s one arm to stab a dainty finger at the comm button, again; “Ensign Owen ta Flight Ops.” 

=/\=Flight Ops,=/\= came the reply, =/\=Senior Chief Matthews, here. What can I do for you, Ensign?=/\=

“Afternoon, Rulana,” Megan grinned, “Th’ Cap’n’s authorized a survey flight fer Science ta gather up some samples from 2365 C41A3 DN17. I’ll be needin’ ye ta prep a shuttle ta support th’ mission, please. Also, coordinate with Engineerin’ on addin’ some EVA suits ta th’ loadout, an’ Sciences fer whatever else they may be needin’, aye?”

=/\=Right away, Ensign,=/\= SCPO Matthews returned, =/\=We’ve got the Eights and Tens undergoing their maintenance cycles, at the moment, however. Will a Type-18 suffice?=/\=

“I dinna know, Chief,” Megan answered, her smile fading a fraction, “the 18’s are a wee bit onna small side, I think. Perhaps ye might contact Commander Zai an’ see if he’d allow th’ use o’ th’ Angel?”

=/\=Aye aye, sir. I’ll do just that.=/\=

“Vera good, Chief Matthews,” Megan said, the smile brightening once more, “Keep me posted on th’ progress, ef ye will.”

=/\=Affirmative. Matthews out.=/\=

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 50:04
USS Peregrine, Bridge - 15:32

Ensign Elial waited bemusedly as Ensign Owen carried on her bubbly conversation with the Captain.  The AFCO's excitement was palpable when Drake gave his consent to her suggestion, and she happily relayed orders.

Were he being factual, Eilal could not deny that he himself felt joy.  While an odd electromagnetic field on a rogue asteroid was hardly worthy of some Starfleet science journal, a chance to determine why it was that way appealed to the Deltan on a fundamental level.  The science officer dearly loved learning and discovery, and the opportunity to solve a mystery - however small - held great appeal for him.

"Ya hear tha', Mr Eilal," Owen beamed, "Looks as ef ye'll be gettin' yer wish, aye? Ye may be wantin' ta coordinate wit' Lieutenant Ch’ronnoss."

Eilal nodded.  "Of course, sir," he replied.  "It would be improper for me to leave the Peregrine without my direct superior authorizing such activity.  And truthfully, the Lieutenant may prefer to be the science officer who actually takes those samples.  I will coordinate with him immediately."

The Deltan waited politely while the Bridge Officer made her own arrangements, contenting himself with mentally calculating their time of arrival to 2365 C41A3 DN17 while outwardly observing the changing background of the viewscreen.  Once Owen's discussions were complete, he keyed his own commbadge.

"Eilal to Lieutenant Ch'ronnoss," he spoke.

OOC: assuming a response...

"Sir, we have an interesting development.  I was musing over the electromagnetic field of 2365 C41A3 DN17, wishing to take samples of the asteroid so as to ascertain why it is so anomylous.  Ensign Owen has obtained Captain Drake's permission for us to take a shuttlecraft to the surface of the asteroid for the purpose of obtaining said samples; she has ordered the Peregine en route to the asteroid now.  While I would be eager to complete this duty, I understand that you may prefer to complete this task yourself, so I naturally bow to your seniority here.  Either way, however, I felt it seemly to update you as to this developing situation."

OOC: any response..

The Deltan science officer nodded.  "Very well, sir.  Eilal out."

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 50:24

USS Peregrine, Deck Four, Science Lab 1 - 15:12

                A frustrated sigh escaped his lips as he sat heavily back into his chair and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. His eyes where sore and his head throbbed from the near constant staring at his screen, unfortunately instead of an answers to the problem lining up neatly of the screen it had all just become a jumbled mess of numbers and symbols.

                His mind flashed back to his recent brief with the Captain and the brief that must have added more weight to the already burdened Captain. The fear and shame of failure sent a hot flush across his chest and up onto his face, which contorted in pain and anger.

                He pushed himself up from his chair and started to pace the room, he could feel it, the pent up frustration bleeding into anger, every fiber of his body was screaming to lash out, to release the tension within them. Had anyone observed this pacing they would have seen a dangerous predator trapped in a cage instead of a Star Fleet trained Officer.

                He looked across to the wall screen where he had a picture of his parents displayed both dressed in their military uniforms, both heavy with earned decorations after long successful careers and here he was his first ship, his first team, his first problem and his first failure. A bitter bile raised into his throat and it was all he could do not to wretch right there on the floor adding humiliation onto his shame.

=/\= Eilal to Lieutenant Ch'ronnoss =/\=

The sudden interruption made him start and it was all he could do not to tear into the unfortunate Ensign.

"Ch'ronnoss here" he voiced through tight lips, whilst secretly hoping that Eilal had discovered some magical cure all.

=/\= Sir, we have an interesting development.  I was musing over the electromagnetic field of 2365 C41A3 DN17, wishing to take samples of the asteroid so as to ascertain why it is so anomalous.  Ensign Owen has obtained Captain Drake's permission for us to take a shuttlecraft to the surface of the asteroid for the purpose of obtaining said samples; she has ordered the Peregine en route to the asteroid now.  While I would be eager to complete this duty, I understand that you may prefer to complete this task yourself, so I naturally bow to your seniority here.  Either way, however, I felt it seemly to update you as to this developing situation. =/\=

Esel lips formed a tight smile, as he listened to the ASO report and the easy formality it contained.

"Ensign, this is your train of enquiry it would be remiss of me to steal it from under you, though I do ask that you patch through your findings to myself in case there is something we can use to significantly improve our situation. Also if possible take Mister West with you this seems right up his preverbal alley, Misters Gaultier and Sharp are also available to assist you directly and I shall have Mister Crane come and man the bridge. If you require anymore from me please ask."

                As he ended his transmission he felt a slight relaxation settle over him, it felt good to have something pushing forward. Soreness started creeping up his back and shoulders, Im to tense, time for a stiff walk he mused putting one hand up and rubbing the base of his neck, as he strode out of the office and into the corridor, aiming for maximum laps before Eilal's next report.

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 50:09

USS Peregrine - Shuttle Bay 2 - Aurora Angel - 1527

“By the Ancestors,” he shuddered, his lips brushing her skin and his tongue licking away the trickles of sweat it found there, “If I could do that every day, I’d never need to fly again.”

Calli was still drifting, swimming even, in the luxurious wake of their shared moments when his words tickled at her neck. "Hmmm… hopefully Drake won't keep you grounded too much longer, in that case. If I did this every day I wouldn't have the strength to yell at the crew and the ship would fall apart." She giggled, curling her arms across his and sighing heavily as they sank back down into the helm’s chair. Goosebumps rose across her skin as his tongue and his warm breath moved across it. She closed her eyes tightly, trying for a moment to stave off the flood of reality, it didn’t work for long. “Speaking of…” she groaned a little and started to reverse the tangling of their bodies, “...um… crap, I’m late letting Milvov relieve me and giving him his report, and…” Her eyes opened slowly as she tried to get off his lap, “and I should get dressed again…” 

“Probably,” Tochi murmured in reply, his heavy-lidded eyes roaming over her slowly and his hands following behind, “but I’m not going to encourage it at the moment.”  

Calli twisted a little and she glanced over her shoulder, getting a good view of the flushed Commander and she blushed before tearing her eyes from the sight. “Easy for you to say, fly boy’s grounded… I’ve got a job to do.” She said as she managed to pull off of him, and even went the extra mile to use her own fingers to pull his from her hip. 

Despite the smile he offered in return, a sigh tinged with disappointment escaped into the air. “I suppose you do,” he conceded, his cool fingertips reaching out to trace along the intricate tattoo that adorned her spine before she managed to get much farther away, “I also imagine that we should find something to keep us out of trouble, as well.”

“We already did…” she muttered as she started to pad across the floor, although I don’t know that I like you using that term… and then it hit her, she bent over to pick up her pants before turning to look at him. “We as in you…” she let out a nervous laugh and shrugged as she went after the rest of her clothes. “That’s confusing at times, you know? But… yes you probably should keep your head down. I still think I should go talk to Drake, but… I feel a little calmer…” or at least shaken up about other things. 

“It confused me for months,” he chuckled softly, still rubber-kneed and reluctant to extricate himself from the chair, “but, after a time, we got used to it.” He gripped the arms of the chair and pulled himself forward though not completely out of the seat. At Cali’s mention of feeling calmer he smiled lazily and offered a slow nod. “Calm is a good frame of mind to be in when talking to Silas,” he offered, “Especially when he’s as tenacious about drawing the focus of Commands ire solely on himself as he is in this case. If that’s your plan, Commander,” he winked, the tip of his tongue dancing along his lips, “I’d be happy to help calm you all the more before you go.”

Kennedy hugged her ball of clothes to her chest with a layer of modesty that seemed almost comical at this point, she looked back at him and gnawed her bottom lip for just a second before she let out another small laugh and a shake of her head. “Rogue indeed, the rumors are true, but I believe you talk without putting much thought behind your words, Commander. You don’t look capable of walking, let alone anything more… athletic. And, Jesus… I am kind of still on duty, fraternizing with you just now was bad enough…” she let out a heavy sigh and turned to wander toward the hatch, intending on dressing in private. 

“Give me a glass of Altair water and five minutes,” he teased from behind a crooked grin as he finally managed to get to his feet, “I’ll be as athletic as you like.” The grin faded a fraction when she mentioned being on duty and he nodded as he allowed his gaze to let go of her and seek out his own hastily discarded clothes instead. “Fraternizing,” the word was muttered under his breath as he retrieved his jeans from where they had been flung over the OPS console, “I never did care for that word in that context...” Hopping on one foot as he tried to get the other through a pant leg, he lifted his eyes to her again and his grin brightened a bit… “We suppose it is accurate, though. Would I be able to talk you into some more fraternization after duty hours? Dinner in my quarters, perhaps?”

Her hand slammed on the button that opened the hatch, a little harder than she would have liked. While he muttered about fraternization she slipped into the little causeway before the bridge, it was darker here and she let her face fall in the shadows as she dropped her clothes and ran her hand through her hair, taking a long breath. Shaking off the tremors that threatened now she bent over and began pulling on her shirt. “You know, Commander, maybe we should talk about this after we break a bunch of rules to save a planet, huh? See who ends up in the Brig, before making too many plans, huh?” She started to yank on her pants and dipped her head back into the bridge to offer him a smile. “Just… I’m probably gonna be pretty busy…” Her eyes moved over him, and then moved back to the console and the little flower pot that was sitting on the edge. She threw her eyes back onto him and widened the smile. “So yeah, asteroid, and then… let’s see where we all end up…” 

“You’re right,” he said from behind a conciliatory nod, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” She pulled back into the shadows and began to right her uniform, tugging and tucking all the parts of it back into place. “Had an enjoyable time,” she offered before stepping back into the light. “If you wanted to look over my calculations, navigation wasn’t exactly my best subject at the academy… that might be helpful. I might go and at least snoop around up top, maybe someone else is smarter than us and has some other plan figured out, one that doesn’t trash this beauty.” 

Enjoyable? The Trill glanced back to where Commander Kennedy stood in the doorway, already dressed. We had a few stronger adjectives in mind for what just happened. Only enjoyable? His ego stitched up his brows a moment but as she moved forward with her words he gave a small nod to her. “Thought you were tutoring Meg’s on that subject…” He said instead. 

“Just gotta pass, I passed. Just not head of the class.” Calli drew a wink and he couldn’t help but smile back to her. 

“Good point. Sure I’ll double check your numbers.” He finished belting his pants before grabbing his shirt and pulling it over his head. “Say hi to Silas for me, huh?” 

“Thought you wanted to try and keep me out of trouble…” She gave a laugh and a brief wave of her hand before she turned on her heel. “I’ll be in touch, Commander Zai.” 

Stardate 2365.05.16 - Impact minus 49:59

USS Peregrine, Deck 1, Bridge - 1543

On the turbolift Commander Kennedy stabbed at her comm badge. “Ensign Milvov.”

There was a brief pause and the lights of the lift ran across her face in bright lines, illuminating the circles drawing under her eyes. =/\= Yes Commander. =/\= Milvov’s voice rang out clearly. She gave small puff of air that could have been a sigh before replying. 

“I assume you are in Engineering by now, everything seem in order down there? I have made up assignments for the evening, they should be on my desk.”

Another brief pause, during which she tapped her toe impatiently against the carpeted floor of the turbolift. =/\= Yes Sir. Got the assignments. Everything is quiet. =/\=

For the moment… She thought to herself then nodded. “Engineering is yours for the evening then. I appreciate your patience.” She did not give a reason for her tardiness, as the CEO she didn’t need to. “I am heading to the bridge now to check on the status of this asteroid, if you should run into any problems down there please don’t hesitate to call for me. That replicator problem should be fixed in a few hours at most.”

=/\= Understood sir. =/\= This time the reply came promptly, and she was pleased with this, there was hope for this engineering team afterall. 

Commander Kennedy paused in the turbolift as the door stuck midway open for a second, she gave a quick scowl and kicked it to get it to run the rest of the way on the track. As it finished opening she walked out onto the bridge. She gave her uniform a quick tug, feeling mildly self conscious over the wrinkles on her pants and a certain Trill-scent that wafted up from her collar. The wave of self-consciousness was accompanied by another sensation that was just as strong, though, and she used that to raise her chin and step confidently onto the bridge.

The only set of eyes that seemed to pay much attention to her arrival were the bright sparks coming from the Ensign sitting in the Command Chair. “Commander!” She bubbled over. 

Kennedy returned a small smile and a nod of her head. “Evening Ensign. How is the bridge tonight?” 

“Ship-shape. Ye seen the XO? Cap’n approved a flight ta th’ asteroid ta catch some samples, thinkin’ may’haps we could use th’ Angel for the mission.” The redhead asked. 

Yeah, I’ve seen him alright. Kennedy thought to herself, but quickly buried that line of thought and focused on what the girl was saying. Her head tilted a little to the side. “Approved a science mission, and you want to use the Angel. Umm…” the engineer paused here, the gears spinning in her head, she wondered just how much Owen knew. She knew that the girl and Zai were close, but did she know just what she was doing suggesting the Angel or was the sprite just as innocent as she looked? “You run that idea by the Captain yet?” Kennedy said, making her way across the bridge toward Owen. 

“Noh’yet. Thought I should get Zai’s permissions first, afore I stuck my foot in my mouth.” Owen beamed brightly. 

“You planning to pilot her?” There was the smallest hint of apprehension in Calli’s voice as she asked this. 

“If’n he’ll let me. Always wanted ta get a’hind those controls.” The Commander watched as the young excited girl almost bounced her way off the edge of the seat in anticipation of flying the Angel. 

That’s a ride that I am not sure you are up to yet, at least if my program gets set off, and why the hell shouldn’t it? This is exactly what we need. Outloud, though, Kennedy only bobbed her head and offered a smile. “I bet you are, she is a pretty ship. The Angel isn’t fully ready for any long term flights, she’s still got some bugs I am working out, but… I bet she could handle this mission. Captain in the Ready Room? Maybe I should discuss this with him, as I know the Angel so well and all…” Kennedy suggested. 

Owen bobbed her head. “Aye, Cap’n’s in the Ready. Wan’ me ta go wit’ ya? Seein’ as it’s my mission, I mean, kinda…” The young woman blushed furiously at that. 

Kennedy only sent her a confident smile, “No, you stay here, someone needs to run this bridge. I got it, we’ll call you in if there’s any questions I am sure.” And maybe we don’t need another witness to this conversation… Kennedy paused long enough to give Megan a gentle pat on the hand before she turned to head toward the Ready Room.

When she neared the door she stopped and tapped on her Comm Badge. “Commander Zai.” She didn’t wait for a response before she quietly spoke into the metallic arrow on her chest, “Owen has gotten a science mission approved to collect samples from the asteroid. She wants to use the Angel. I think that’s a great idea, but I’d prefer you at the helm… I’m going to talk to Drake.” Again she left half of what needed to be said unsaid, but figured he could fill in the blanks and get to the main point of what she wasn’t saying without any problem. Before he could offer any kind of argument or perhaps some caution about talking to the Captain she tapped the side of the badge and turned it off. 

Clearing her throat and adjusting the edge of her collar again, once more catching that whiff of Trill-scent, she pushed the Comm button on the frame of the Ready Room. “Captain Drake, Commander Kennedy here, are you available for me to take a few moments of your time?” 

((OOC: Assuming a positive response here))

The door slid open and allowed Kennedy to slide into the relative privacy of the Ready Room. She did not go for the chairs in front of the Captain’s desk, instead she maneuvered her way in until she faced the Captain and with the slightest tug of her uniform she cupped her hands behind her back and stood at near attention. Her eyes took on that cold steel look she’d given him in the briefing room earlier in the day. 

“Captain.” She said with respect as the door slid closed behind her. “I hear that Ensign Owen wants to run a science mission to the asteroid and is considering using the Aurora Angel.” She paused a moment. 

((OOC: Assuming a positive response here as well))

“May I speak candidly?” Her voice was clipped but not disrespectful. 

((OOC: Assuming another positive response, maybe an exasperated sigh lol))

“I have also heard that you have grounded Commander Zai. This science mission has the potential to be highly volatile, the Angel is a good ship, but she hasn’t been tested out in space very much. I believe you should have the best pilot you have on board at the helm for this mission. Zai’s ego says he’s the best you’ve got, and to be honest his record largely backs that up.” She took a deep breath before going on. “I recommend you unground the Commander and let him fly this mission. I will keep a close eye on the flight from here, make sure that the crew remains safe at all times. Perhaps this mission will provide us with a solution to the problem with the asteroid.” Behind her back her fingers dug into her own palm, and she kept imagining the little luck flower sitting in his pot, the flecks of gold running down its seam. 

“I realize that this is beyond my scope as CEO, but… sir… this is important and I wanted to make sure that you got my opinion on the matter.”

Stardate 2365.05.16 – Impact minus 50:06

USS Peregrine, Science Deck - 1530

 As he made his way around the science deck, he could feel the muscles in his arms and legs start to relax the familiar action of doing something helping to release his tension, though it was not enough to relax his aching shoulders or throbbing temples. He considered the science away mission, his main concern being for its discovery by the people of the planet below, and how quickly they could react to any new data presented by it. Running over the particulars in his mind again, he nodded to himself as he decided on a course of action. Tapping his comm he contacted the bridge.

“CSO to bridge, Ensign Owen”

=/\=Owen, here,=/\= came the lilting reply, =/\=Wha’ c’n I do fer ye, Lieutenant?=/\=

“I have a request for you if I may be so bold. I would like to have all the science team members with me in the labs so we can react to and analyse all the data being transmitted back to the Peregrine by the away team. The bridge is not normally staffed during a weekend beta shift but given the current situation I feel its right to ask your permission, and I understand if this is not a suitable scenario, and my team will be along shortly to staff the bridge, please understand there may be a delay due to time needed to organise and switch over. Thank you.

=/\=I dinna think there’ll be a problem wit’ tha’, Lt Ch’ronnos,=/\= Ensign Owen returned, =/\=Feel free ta put yer folk where ye feel they’d do the most good, aye? Coordinate wit’ OPS ta make sure ye’ve got th’ bandwidth ye need an’ make it so. 

“Thank you, Ensign.”

As he continued his walk around the science deck, his mind went to the away team and the equipment needed.

“Science to Engineering”

=/\= Milvov here, go ahead. =/\= The brusk business-like voice of the Vulcan engineer came through promptly in response to his query.

“There is a science away team due to launch soon, which bay and shuttle designation will be used, so we can get our equipment moved to the correct bay?”

There was a small pause. =/\= I have not heard anything about a science mission. I know two of the shuttles are being repaired at the moment. =/\= A small puff of agitated air blew across the speaker of his Comm Badge. =/\= I apologise. I was not fully briefed before taking my post for the evening. I am not sure we have a shuttle large enough to accommodate a full science mission that is not under repair at the moment. I will check in with Flight Operations, though, and see what they have in mind. In the meantime, please send me a list of items that you need, and we can make sure to have the proper containers sent down to you for safe transportation of the items. =/\=  

Esel paused mid stride, confusion briefly fliting across his brow.

“Thank you, Ensign, apologies for dropping that on you. Ensign Eilal will pass the list across once he has confirmed requirement, I just wanted to help grease the wheels.”

As he continued to walk through the corridors of the Science Deck, worried thoughts pulled at the edges of this mind. Does the Captain know the shuttles are all in repair? Did he purposefully ok the mission knowing it couldn’t go? Or does he actually not know about the shuttles or even the mission?

His thoughts were leading him down a dark path and he didn’t like where it was going.

How much information was Cmdr Kennedy keeping close to her chest with the state of Engineering? Replicators and Turbolift malfunctions and now none of the shuttles are operative. Was this a move to discredit the Cmdr by arranging the mission to fail thus bringing to light, the failing within Engineering by Ensign Owen? Or maybe make the Captain look incapable? Was there a deeper plan afoot, something bubbling just below the surface waiting?

He stopped and rubbed his temples Not enough pieces on the board, and to much information missing. He started to feel lightheaded and woosy and he realised he had not eaten since his breakfast with Anders. Changing his course to take him to the mess he pondered the predicament and whether there was a need to step in and stop the mission for the safety of his team?

“Computer locate Commander Kennedy”

=/\= Commander Kennedy is currently located in shuttle bay 2 =/\= Upon hearing this news he nodded to himself agreeably Obviously she is working with her team to work out which shuttle will be best utilised for the upcoming mission, no need to worry.

Making his way into the mess hall he grabbed himself something to eat, and made his way to a quiet corner to collect his thoughts making sure to give himself a suitable lambasting with regards to his previous thoughts regarding the crew, blaming it on his poor personal discipline for allowing himself to go hungry.