S:5 E:9 - The Naked When

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck 1 - Bridge]

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

"Admiral on the bridge," somebody said, prompting her to whirl around to see him come in from a different turbolift...

"At ease, all," drawled the admiral. "We're closing in on Starbase 153 noo, are we?"
..
"And I understand the latest EMH model has been of crucial help," he said.

"Oh, he has," said a stuffy voice and the admiral turned to see the EMH Mark Eight making final rounds. "Oh, don't mind me, wanted to make things thorough, that planet was damn near ready to crack and make us a bit woozy, I wanted to make sure you all were healthy."

"Well, I don't blame him for the paranoia," Nira told Gillespie with a shrug. "Overly concerned about us. Still, we owe the Mark Eight for that..."

"The Mark Eight?" asked the admiral in surprise. "That's not the Mark Eight, that's the Mark Twelve."

The EMH paused and turned in surprise.

"Uh...I beg your pardon?"

"He was introducing himself at the Mark Eight," said Nira.

"Well, what the hell kind of bug is this?" muttered Gillespie.

Nira looked around at Lahr and McNair at their bridge stations. "Lahr? McNair? Would you mind if you ran a diagnostic on this EMH, please?"

Lahr was thrilled to be back on the bridge.  Sure, he was no longer sitting front and center alongside helm, but rather tucked away to the side -  almost the farthest possible seating from Ruth's science console on the opposite site of the bridge.  But it was still tons better than being in the pit with Commander Tharn.  He swore the Tellerite had it in for him.  Nothing he did seemed to please her - and yeah, while complaining was the standard with Tellerites; with him it had seemed she had gone out of her way to give him the worst tasks.  It was like she was testing his resolve to stay in Engineering.  A bit more of her sourness and that resolve would've cracked, so yeah Bridge time was a good thing.

The Andorian was 'vibing' to his tunes via an earbud in his right ear (he used the right ear because that's the side that faced the wall and dedication plaque, so it was less likely to be noticed that he was using it during work hours) when Admiral Gillespie entered the Bridge. Prompting someone to announce his presence.  The call out required non-essential staff to stand at attention.  Lahr had barely begun to rise out of his seat to do so when the Admiral called for an at ease.  Perfect.  Lahr settled back into his seat, his head imperceptibly bobbing to the beat in his ear.

Of course, even as he enjoyed his tunes, the Andorian was still listening to Commander Said's conversation with the admiral as he watched his engineering console.  His antennae flicked in surprise at the Admiral's statement that their EMH was a Mark Twelve and not the Mark Eight that he'd been assumed to be.  Not surprisingly, he and McNair were called on to run a diagnostic on the EMH.

Lahr looked over his shoulder towards the Commander and nodded.  "Yes ma'am. On it."

Lahr called up the EMH program ran it through the standard gambit of diagnostics and sent the results to McNair for interpretation.   While Lahr technically could interpret it himself, McNair was the senior so reporting results was his role.

Deciding on a change of subject, Nira turned to Lahr and McNair and said, "Report."

"Good timing," the EMH said, looking up. "You won't believe what they found."

Lahr looked to McNair.

[Buck McNair]

[Brig - USS Challenger-A]

Ruth dragged herself to her feet and regarded McNair with a lopsided grin.  "Spoil my fun why don't you,McNair!" she said and grimaced.  "Ugh damn head still isn't right."  She stumbled over to the wall by the forcefield and tilting her head on one side said. "You think I need beauty sleep?! You'd think my hair would make me look not like this charming bunch!"

The Commander handed a random Security officer the rifle she'd instinctively picked up again since she'd lent it against the console when she was trying to activate beaming controls.  "From the Bridge weapons locker.  Are the replicators working? I could murder a Ratkajino!"

[Brig - USS Challenger]

The best Buck could do was his imitation of a gulping fish before it cracked into something akin to bemusement. "Not at all, I was, uh, speaking to this lot." He waved a hand at their intruders. "I forgot to specify who to beam." It was not the greatest apology in the world but Buck would imagine it'd have to do as they found their way out of the Brig.

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Nira was talking with Lieutenant T'Kel when she saw Zhuk enter the bridge and man his position next to her at Tactical.

"Ah, there you are, Zhuk," she said. "I was just talking to T'Kel about you. You did excellently. I was making a recommendation to T'Kel for you to be a deputy..."

"Admiral on the bridge," somebody said, prompting her to whirl around to see him come in from a different turbolift...

"At ease, all," drawled the admiral. "We're closing in on Starbase 153 noo, are we?"

When he got the affirmation, he nodded in understanding. "Very good, all. Hope you'll handle the two CSOs, then."

"You've enjoyed your visit, then, Admiral?" asked Nira.

"Swimmingly," he said. "It was good to meet yeh again, lassie," he added to Nira. "First time we had to meet when there weren't a desk within the vicinity of us."

Nira nodded in understanding; once or twice, the admiral, as a high ranking member of Starfleet Security, had pulled her out for some covert assignments. Of course, she recalled meeting Jael Sherem on an undercover assignment the admiral assigned her, so she recognized the Admiral in a way when Jael mentioned who sent her.

"Unless you count a ready room," said Nira, indicating either hers or Ian's around the bridge.

"And I understand the latest EMH model has been of crucial help," he said.

"Oh, he has," said a stuffy voice and the admiral turned to see the EMH Mark Eight making final rounds. "Oh, don't mind me, wanted to make things thorough, that planet was damn near ready to crack and make us a bit woozy, I wanted to make sure you all were healthy."

"Well, I don't blame him for the paranoia," Nira told Gillespie with a shrug. "Overly concerned about us. Still, we owe the Mark Eight for that..."

"The Mark Eight?" asked the admiral in surprise. "That's not the Mark Eight, that's the Mark Twelve."

The EMH paused and turned in surprise.

"Uh...I beg your pardon?"

"He was introducing himself at the Mark Eight," said Nira.

"Well, what the hell kind of bug is this?" muttered Gillespie.

Nira looked around at Lahr and McNair at their bridge stations. "Lahr? McNair? Would you mind if you ran a diagnostic on this EMH, please?"

"I think I've taken enough of your First Officer's time for noo, lad," the admiral said to Ian. "Granted, I'm not going to wait for the Galaxy's refit, I'm going to need to take transport back to Starfleet Command as soon as possible, bloody paperwork's boond to stack up while I'm away. But first, shall we?" he asked, nodding to the Captain's Ready Room.

He took Ian into the ready room, no doubt to debrief the Captain. It left Nira in charge of the bridge. So she took the chair, though she strictly reminded herself that this was hers only temporarily. She looked around the bridge and saw Commander Catalan man the first officer's chair, though he looked glad he didn't have to take the big chair again.

Nira let out a sigh. She had hoped that either Ruth or T'Lara would be at the bridge and take the seat with her, but neither were currently present on the bridge. She was sure Ruth still needed recuperation time and T'Lara needed time to get to know the ship as Nira herself had. Still, she kept from being amused at the fact that Ruth was beamed to the brig along with McNair's security team. Nira was especially impressed at how McNair was hiding his current limp, but to those with keen observation to take in even the smallest details, the limp wasn't lost on Nira; she was sure Ruth still hadn't forgiven McNair for beaming her to the brig, regardless of her attitude.

Deciding on a change of subject, Nira turned to Lahr and McNair and said, "Report."

"Good timing," the EMH said, looking up. "You won't believe what they found."

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

It had been a while since Buck had known the gentle hum of the ship. Or at least it certainly felt that way after the Romulans had beamed aboard and their encounter with Commander Said's double. He had managed to inventory the remaining items that were noted down so that when they docked back at Starbase 153, they wouldn't miss anything being repaired or restocked whilst they had the little downtime he supposed they would get. He had just been going over something in his head when the announcement of an admiral came across.

Buck whipped up just as quickly as the others did. Ingrained in him from the Academy to respect rank. Though just as quickly, the Admiral had called them at ease, so Buck sank back down at his station; carefully and warily watching the Admiral.

Which ran into having a sneaky listen in on a conversation regarding the EMH being a mark 12 rather than the mark 8 it had introduced itself as prior. He massaged his leg, feeling the after effects of being in the Brig with Ruth, knowing that his limp was one of those things he had to deal with until he fully recovered. He had been with Lahr when they ran the diagnostic, and curiously it seemed they had indeed found something worth reporting.

"Uh, it's quite curious actually. Whilst we'd all be led to believe that the EMH was a Mark Twelve in design...someone's still not updated the systems so that they were up to date with them. Still has Mark Eight systems installed even if we did activate the EMH protocol..."

His brow furrowed in response to this, glancing over at Lahr. His knowledge of sciences was rather limited, even with Academy training and such would defer over to his junior in rank but someone with a more technical based background. "Is this something that's possible, Lahr?"

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck 1 - Bridge]

He had been with Lahr when they ran the diagnostic, and curiously it seemed they had indeed found something worth reporting.

"Uh, it's quite curious actually. Whilst we'd all be led to believe that the EMH was a Mark Twelve in design...someone's still not updated the systems so that they were up to date with them. Still has Mark Eight systems installed even if we did activate the EMH protocol..."

His brow furrowed in response to this, glancing over at Lahr. His knowledge of sciences was rather limited, even with Academy training and such would defer over to his junior in rank but someone with a more technical based background. "Is this something that's possible, Lahr?"

Having McNair toss the 'ball' back to him, Lahr discreetly turned off his earbud and gave the officers his full attention.  "Yeah.. obviously it is." he answered before realizing that the Ensign probably was asking more HOW it was possible.

Lahr turned a moment back to his console and called up the program's last install details.

"Well, Challenger got this version of the EMH while we were at Starbase 153.  It's signed off and installed by Commander Tharn herself."

Their time in at Starbase 153 was when Lahr was just settling into his role as an engineer and there was one major thing he recalled that might explain the situation.

"I know, at the time, that there was a lot of pressure from the Starbase staff to upgrade our systems while we were docked for repairs.  But the Captain declined every offer put forward.  The Engineering department got a lot of flak from the station staff and the Inspector for not doing more to convince the Captain.  Commander Tharn in particular was in sour mood the entire time we were there."

Lahr smirked a moment.  "I wouldn't put it past her to have taken the program just to shut them up and then swapped out the base program but kept the skin so that when the Inspector came through it looked like we complied with the new ship standards."

Lahr's respect for the Tellerite engineer rose at the idea of her being so sneaky. 

[Zhukdrashar Mrekrerhas]

[Ensign Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Deck One | Bridge | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

First Officer's Log, Stardate 77488.81. What a hectic week. After the battle to save a Free State system and shutting down a weapon of mass destruction, our task force have gone our separate ways. Subcommander T'Vaan has taken prisoners back to Free State space while the bulk of the task force has towed the disabled flagship back to Federation space for analysis. Meanwhile, the Challenger has taken the liberty of towing the Galaxy back to Starbase 153, the flagship having burnt out its engines in getting there.

As we speak, we have two commanders now in the Science Department. Ruth Sigurdsdottir's condition shows she has fully recovered, though she has been advised to take shorter shifts until she can recover fully. Meanwhile, we have a second commander in a returning old friend, Commander T'Lara. As I understand, the two are going to split the position of CSO between each other. Shift assignments are going to prove interesting.

As we tow the flagship back to Federation space ourselves, we're graced with Admiral Gillespie's presence, especially as we're getting a debrief from him.

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Nira was talking with Lieutenant T'Kel when she saw Zhuk enter the bridge and man his position next to her at Tactical.

"Ah, there you are, Zhuk," she said. "I was just talking to T'Kel about you. You did excellently. I was making a recommendation to T'Kel for you to be a deputy..."

"Admiral on the bridge," somebody said, prompting her to whirl around to see him come in from a different turbolift...

"At ease, all," drawled the admiral. "We're closing in on Starbase 153 noo, are we?"

When he got the affirmation, he nodded in understanding. "Very good, all. Hope you'll handle the two CSOs, then."

"You've enjoyed your visit, then, Admiral?" asked Nira.

"Swimmingly," he said. "It was good to meet yeh again, lassie," he added to Nira. "First time we had to meet when there weren't a desk within the vicinity of us."

Nira nodded in understanding; once or twice, the admiral, as a high ranking member of Starfleet Security, had pulled her out for some covert assignments. Of course, she recalled meeting Jael Sherem on an undercover assignment the admiral assigned her, so she recognized the Admiral in a way when Jael mentioned who sent her.

"Unless you count a ready room," said Nira, indicating either hers or Ian's around the bridge.

"And I understand the latest EMH model has been of crucial help," he said.

"Oh, he has," said a stuffy voice and the admiral turned to see the EMH Mark Eight making final rounds. "Oh, don't mind me, wanted to make things thorough, that planet was damn near ready to crack and make us a bit woozy, I wanted to make sure you all were healthy."

"Well, I don't blame him for the paranoia," Nira told Gillespie with a shrug. "Overly concerned about us. Still, we owe the Mark Eight for that..."

"The Mark Eight?" asked the admiral in surprise. "That's not the Mark Eight, that's the Mark Twelve."

The EMH paused and turned in surprise.

"Uh...I beg your pardon?"

"He was introducing himself at the Mark Eight," said Nira.

"Well, what the hell kind of bug is this?" muttered Gillespie.

Nira looked around at Lahr and McNair at their bridge stations. "Lahr? McNair? Would you mind if you ran a diagnostic on this EMH, please?"

"I think I've taken enough of your First Officer's time for noo, lad," the admiral said to Ian. "Granted, I'm not going to wait for the Galaxy's refit, I'm going to need to take transport back to Starfleet Command as soon as possible, bloody paperwork's boond to stack up while I'm away. But first, shall we?" he asked, nodding to the Captain's Ready Room.

He took Ian into the ready room, no doubt to debrief the Captain. It left Nira in charge of the bridge. So she took the chair, though she strictly reminded herself that this was hers only temporarily. She looked around the bridge and saw Commander Catalan man the first officer's chair, though he looked glad he didn't have to take the big chair again.

Nira let out a sigh. She had hoped that either Ruth or T'Lara would be at the bridge and take the seat with her, but neither were currently present on the bridge. She was sure Ruth still needed recuperation time and T'Lara needed time to get to know the ship as Nira herself had. Still, she kept from being amused at the fact that Ruth was beamed to the brig along with McNair's security team. Nira was especially impressed at how McNair was hiding his current limp, but to those with keen observation to take in even the smallest details, the limp wasn't lost on Nira; she was sure Ruth still hadn't forgiven McNair for beaming her to the brig, regardless of her attitude.

All the same, she can't help but be concerned; Nirreen and Thelal were still on the loose and so were their apparent accomplice-in-chief, Nakir. A warlord with ambitions enough to call himself Praetor, even if he was part Reman, even without a weapon of mass destruction of any size, even without a copycat assassin at his side (egotistical Thelal didn't worry her at all), it was enough to be of huge concern.

She wondered what was going on between Ian and the admiral. She respected the admiral, but he did have a reputation to be intimidating; given his wide eyes, he used to be nicknamed "Cisco" Gillespie, because he certainly looked like a wizened fish with wide eyes that could stare into the soul. Of course, this was long before one Benjamin Sisko came onto the scene of fame, prompting Gillespie to drop the nickname, especially since his middle name was Benjamin.

Deciding on a change of subject, Nira turned to Lahr and McNair and said, "Report."

"Good timing," the EMH said, looking up. "You won't believe what they found."

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck 1 - Bridge]

Having McNair toss the 'ball' back to him, Lahr discreetly turned off his earbud and gave the officers his full attention.  "Yeah.. obviously it is." he answered before realizing that the Ensign probably was asking more HOW it was possible.

Lahr turned a moment back to his console and called up the program's last install details.

"Well, Challenger got this version of the EMH while we were at Starbase 153.  It's signed off and installed by Commander Tharn herself."

Their time in at Starbase 153 was when Lahr was just settling into his role as an engineer and there was one major thing he recalled that might explain the situation.

"I know, at the time, that there was a lot of pressure from the Starbase staff to upgrade our systems while we were docked for repairs.  But the Captain declined every offer put forward.  The Engineering department got a lot of flak from the station staff and the Inspector for not doing more to convince the Captain.  Commander Tharn in particular was in sour mood the entire time we were there."

Lahr smirked a moment.  "I wouldn't put it past her to have taken the program just to shut them up and then swapped out the base program but kept the skin so that when the Inspector came through it looked like we complied with the new ship standards."

Lahr's respect for the Tellerite engineer rose at the idea of her being so sneaky.

After being treated by Head Nurse Davies, and one week later, Ensign Zhukdra'shar felt much more capable to resume his usual duties at the bridge. As he made his way towards the Tactical console, after arriving via the Turbolift, he was surprised to meet Lieutenant Commander Nira. As he took position, he was even more astounded to learn that she had been speaking to Lieutenant T'Kel about a promotion to deputy.

He blinked a few times, yet the signature look of happiness couldn't be denied as his tail began to swish slowly behind him. A promotion? He couldn't believe it. He was ready to listen further to Nira, but then Admiral Gillespie made himself known within the Bridge, momentarily halting the information being provided to him. Still, Zhuk was in the presence of an Admiral, so he soon stood upright, remaining completely stoic with his hands to his back while he spoke with Lieutenant Commander Nira. The only thing that made him move even an inch of himself was the notice that the EMH wasn't a Mark VIII but a XII, his ear swishing in the direction of Gillespie.

He remained attentive to the answer while it was investigated by Buck and Lahr, though he visibly relaxed once the Admiral and Nira head into the Captain's ready room. He glanced momentarily at Lieutenant T'Kel, but reached the conclusion that whatever information he would need to be provided about his probable change in rank would need to wait. In the meanwhile, he busied himself with the Tactical console, making sure everything was running smoothly.

When news came that Commander Tharn had made the adjustments to install the new version, apparently under everyone's nose. She really was something, wasn't she? He figured that maybe attempting to strike conversation with her when she was available could be an interesting endeavor. For now, he remained silent, chuckling to himself at the situation. She had indirectly saved everyone's lives, most likely.

[Ian Galloway]

First Officer's Log, Stardate 77488.81. What a hectic week. After the battle to save a Free State system and shutting down a weapon of mass destruction, our task force have gone our separate ways. Subcommander T'Vaan has taken prisoners back to Free State space while the bulk of the task force has towed the disabled flagship back to Federation space for analysis. Meanwhile, the Challenger has taken the liberty of towing the Galaxy back to Starbase 153, the flagship having burnt out its engines in getting there.

As we speak, we have two commanders now in the Science Department. Ruth Sigurdsdottir's condition shows she has fully recovered, though she has been advised to take shorter shifts until she can recover fully. Meanwhile, we have a second commander in a returning old friend, Commander T'Lara. As I understand, the two are going to split the position of CSO between each other. Shift assignments are going to prove interesting.

As we tow the flagship back to Federation space ourselves, we're graced with Admiral Gillespie's presence, especially as we're getting a debrief from him.

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Nira was talking with Lieutenant T'Kel when she saw Zhuk enter the bridge and man his position next to her at Tactical.

"Ah, there you are, Zhuk," she said. "I was just talking to T'Kel about you. You did excellently. I was making a recommendation to T'Kel for you to be a deputy..."

"Admiral on the bridge," somebody said, prompting her to whirl around to see him come in from a different turbolift...

"At ease, all," drawled the admiral. "We're closing in on Starbase 153 noo, are we?"

When he got the affirmation, he nodded in understanding. "Very good, all. Hope you'll handle the two CSOs, then."

"You've enjoyed your visit, then, Admiral?" asked Nira.

"Swimmingly," he said. "It was good to meet yeh again, lassie," he added to Nira. "First time we had to meet when there weren't a desk within the vicinity of us."

Nira nodded in understanding; once or twice, the admiral, as a high ranking member of Starfleet Security, had pulled her out for some covert assignments. Of course, she recalled meeting Jael Sherem on an undercover assignment the admiral assigned her, so she recognized the Admiral in a way when Jael mentioned who sent her.

"Unless you count a ready room," said Nira, indicating either hers or Ian's around the bridge.

"And I understand the latest EMH model has been of crucial help," he said.

"Oh, he has," said a stuffy voice and the admiral turned to see the EMH Mark Eight making final rounds. "Oh, don't mind me, wanted to make things thorough, that planet was damn near ready to crack and make us a bit woozy, I wanted to make sure you all were healthy."

"Well, I don't blame him for the paranoia," Nira told Gillespie with a shrug. "Overly concerned about us. Still, we owe the Mark Eight for that..."

"The Mark Eight?" asked the admiral in surprise. "That's not the Mark Eight, that's the Mark Twelve."

The EMH paused and turned in surprise.

"Uh...I beg your pardon?"

"He was introducing himself at the Mark Eight," said Nira.

"Well, what the hell kind of bug is this?" muttered Gillespie.

Nira looked around at Lahr and McNair at their bridge stations. "Lahr? McNair? Would you mind if you ran a diagnostic on this EMH, please?"

"I think I've taken enough of your First Officer's time for noo, lad," the admiral said to Ian. "Granted, I'm not going to wait for the Galaxy's refit, I'm going to need to take transport back to Starfleet Command as soon as possible, bloody paperwork's boond to stack up while I'm away. But first, shall we?" he asked, nodding to the Captain's Ready Room.

He took Ian into the ready room, no doubt to debrief the Captain. It left Nira in charge of the bridge. So she took the chair, though she strictly reminded herself that this was hers only temporarily. She looked around the bridge and saw Commander Catalan man the first officer's chair, though he looked glad he didn't have to take the big chair again.

Nira let out a sigh. She had hoped that either Ruth or T'Lara would be at the bridge and take the seat with her, but neither were currently present on the bridge. She was sure Ruth still needed recuperation time and T'Lara needed time to get to know the ship as Nira herself had. Still, she kept from being amused at the fact that Ruth was beamed to the brig along with McNair's security team. Nira was especially impressed at how McNair was hiding his current limp, but to those with keen observation to take in even the smallest details, the limp wasn't lost on Nira; she was sure Ruth still hadn't forgiven McNair for beaming her to the brig, regardless of her attitude.

All the same, she can't help but be concerned; Nirreen and Thelal were still on the loose and so were their apparent accomplice-in-chief, Nakir. A warlord with ambitions enough to call himself Praetor, even if he was part Reman, even without a weapon of mass destruction of any size, even without a copycat assassin at his side (egotistical Thelal didn't worry her at all), it was enough to be of huge concern.

She wondered what was going on between Ian and the admiral. She respected the admiral, but he did have a reputation to be intimidating; given his wide eyes, he used to be nicknamed "Cisco" Gillespie, because he certainly looked like a wizened fish with wide eyes that could stare into the soul. Of course, this was long before one Benjamin Sisko came onto the scene of fame, prompting Gillespie to drop the nickname, especially since his middle name was Benjamin.

Deciding on a change of subject, Nira turned to Lahr and McNair and said, "Report."

"Good timing," the EMH said, looking up. "You won't believe what they found."

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian returned to the bridge after being debriefed by Admiral Gillespie and flopped into the command chair. Gillespie had asked for and was beamed from Ian's ready room directly to Starbase 153. Now that he no longer had senior brass looking over his shoulder, even though Gillespie was not a bad sort, Ian could finally relax. He decided to post an update to his log.

"Captain's Log, Stardate 77488.84. The crew has earned some shore leave as the Challenger undergoes some inspections, repairs, and upgrades. All necessary as the rump Romulan states continue to cause chaos in this sector.

"Even though we stopped Thelal and his Siursach pet assassin, they are still on the loose and I'm positive they are plottin' revenge against a certain dashingly handsome Starship captain that bested him yet again. As much as Thelal is a flamin' pain in the arse, it is the Reman 'Praetor Nakir' that presents the bigger threat. That he mentioned 'Praetors' is a serious concern. The remnant of the Romulan Empire was an issue, but was nae a major threat, but if'n they have pulled allies into their sphere of influence, then that changes the equation. I suppose, time will tell, we'll just have ta be extra vigilant goin' forward. End log."

Ian stood, stretched and turned to Lieutenant Commander CatalÁ¡n.

"Fernando you have the bridge. I shall be spendin' a wee bit o' time with my three favorite ladies in the Cetacean Lab on Deck 8."

"Aye Sir."

[Ruth Sigurdsdottir]

[Brig - USS Challenger]

The best Buck could do was his imitation of a gulping fish before it cracked into something akin to bemusement. "Not at all, I was, uh, speaking to this lot." He waved a hand at their intruders. "I forgot to specify who to beam." It was not the greatest apology in the world but Buck would imagine it'd have to do as they found their way out of the Brig.

[Brig - USS Challenger - A]

Ruth waved away the apology with a bemused grin.  "Relax McNair, we've all done it.  And time was of the essence.  Bloody good job you did what you did, when you did, as it happens, I was only on the deckplates where you couldn't see me due to the fact I'd collapsed in a ... well |I don't think it was exactly 'drunk' but symptoms were similar, and well... I| couldn't remember my override codes so just as well.  But that one is our little secret ok... I won't say anything about beaming errors and you don't say that Commander Siggy was drunk and couldn't remember codes! Deal?"

The Commander winked as the Captain's message came thru.

[Auxiliary Control --> Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian kept his expression carefully neutral as he was technically being called on the carpet, but he simply didn't feel any remorse for his actions. He did however reply in a tone that implied chagrin.

"Aye Sir. I ken it was an extreme maneuver, but the circumstances seemed ta warrant doin' summat extreme seemed ta be the thing ta do at the time."

The battle actually ended in a bit of an anticlimax, but the threat to the Free State was over and that was a win to Ian. As the battle wrapped up, Ian had the bridge crew beamed back to the main bridge.

"Secure from red alert. All Department Heads report current status. T'kel, ask the Galaxy If'n they want our prisoners."

"I think that's my cue to report my status as 'alive'... mind if I tag along?"

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

It had been a while since Buck had known the gentle hum of the ship. Or at least it certainly felt that way after the Romulans had beamed aboard and their encounter with Commander Said's double. He had managed to inventory the remaining items that were noted down so that when they docked back at Starbase 153, they wouldn't miss anything being repaired or restocked whilst they had the little downtime he supposed they would get. He had just been going over something in his head when the announcement of an admiral came across.

Buck whipped up just as quickly as the others did. Ingrained in him from the Academy to respect rank. Though just as quickly, the Admiral had called them at ease, so Buck sank back down at his station; carefully and warily watching the Admiral.

Which ran into having a sneaky listen in on a conversation regarding the EMH being a mark 12 rather than the mark 8 it had introduced itself as prior. He massaged his leg, feeling the after effects of being in the Brig with Ruth, knowing that his limp was one of those things he had to deal with until he fully recovered. He had been with Lahr when they ran the diagnostic, and curiously it seemed they had indeed found something worth reporting.

"Uh, it's quite curious actually. Whilst we'd all be led to believe that the EMH was a Mark Twelve in design...someone's still not updated the systems so that they were up to date with them. Still has Mark Eight systems installed even if we did activate the EMH protocol..."

His brow furrowed in response to this, glancing over at Lahr. His knowledge of sciences was rather limited, even with Academy training and such would defer over to his junior in rank but someone with a more technical based background. "Is this something that's possible, Lahr?"

[Bridge - USS Challenger-A]['b]

"Was quicker to come than comms, Captain.  I tried to take the Romulans to the Brig myself but Mr. McNair beat me to it..." she gave Buck a significant look, then turned to Lahr and gave him a significant look of a different kind of 'Whatever you do, don't fuss!'. "I don't know what the hell I was doing but I woke up in Engineering of all places.  Those who know me, know I avoid the place like the plague unless I'm going to meet Mr ch'Verret!"

A worrying thought passed through the mind of Ruth and she groped for then sat down heavily on the seat at Sciences 1.

"I caught the end of the thing about the EMH... given I'm hopeless at most engineering things, so people wouldn't suspect me, and I woke up with a head like the hangover from Niflheimr, I wonder if I was knocked out and made to do it?"

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck 1 - Bridge]

Having McNair toss the 'ball' back to him, Lahr discreetly turned off his earbud and gave the officers his full attention.  "Yeah.. obviously it is." he answered before realizing that the Ensign probably was asking more HOW it was possible.

Lahr turned a moment back to his console and called up the program's last install details.

"Well, Challenger got this version of the EMH while we were at Starbase 153.  It's signed off and installed by Commander Tharn herself."

Their time in at Starbase 153 was when Lahr was just settling into his role as an engineer and there was one major thing he recalled that might explain the situation.

"I know, at the time, that there was a lot of pressure from the Starbase staff to upgrade our systems while we were docked for repairs.  But the Captain declined every offer put forward.  The Engineering department got a lot of flak from the station staff and the Inspector for not doing more to convince the Captain.  Commander Tharn in particular was in sour mood the entire time we were there."

Lahr smirked a moment.  "I wouldn't put it past her to have taken the program just to shut them up and then swapped out the base program but kept the skin so that when the Inspector came through it looked like we complied with the new ship standards."

Lahr's respect for the Tellerite engineer rose at the idea of her being so sneaky.

"Tharn... yeah that smacks of her, and well... it's a relief.  Well, I'm alive but I think I'll get checked over by Medical... real, live Medical that is!"

[One week later....]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian returned to the bridge after being debriefed by Admiral Gillespie and flopped into the command chair. Gillespie had asked for and was beamed from Ian's ready room directly to Starbase 153. Now that he no longer had senior brass looking over his shoulder, even though Gillespie was not a bad sort, Ian could finally relax. He decided to post an update to his log.

"Captain's Log, Stardate 77488.84. The crew has earned some shore leave as the Challenger undergoes some inspections, repairs, and upgrades. All necessary as the rump Romulan states continue to cause chaos in this sector.

"Even though we stopped Thelal and his Siursach pet assassin, they are still on the loose and I'm positive they are plottin' revenge against a certain dashingly handsome Starship captain that bested him yet again. As much as Thelal is a flamin' pain in the arse, it is the Reman 'Praetor Nakir' that presents the bigger threat. That he mentioned 'Praetors' is a serious concern. The remnant of the Romulan Empire was an issue, but was nae a major threat, but if'n they have pulled allies into their sphere of influence, then that changes the equation. I suppose, time will tell, we'll just have ta be extra vigilant goin' forward. End log."

Ian stood, stretched and turned to Lieutenant Commander CatalÁ¡n.

"Fernando you have the bridge. I shall be spendin' a wee bit o' time with my three favorite ladies in the Cetacean Lab on Deck 8."

"Aye Sir."

[Bridge - USS Challenger-A]

The CSO saw the retreating back of Captain Galloway entering the turbolift as she stepped out of it and muttered an "Ian" with a quick bow of her head as he left.

ieutenant Commander CatalÁ¡n was already in the command chair and she gave him a nod, followed by a little shake of the head to indicate he should stay exactly where he was, after all, Bridge Officers got little enough 'practice' in the big chair before it was a necessity rather than an option.

"What I wouldn't 3 weeks on the piste right now!" she said clicking her neck.

[Nira Said]

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret

Lahr looked over his shoulder towards the Commander and nodded.  "Yes ma'am. On it."

Lahr called up the EMH program ran it through the standard gambit of diagnostics and sent the results to McNair for interpretation.   While Lahr technically could interpret it himself, McNair was the senior so reporting results was his role.

Lahr looked to McNair.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

It had been a while since Buck had known the gentle hum of the ship. Or at least it certainly felt that way after the Romulans had beamed aboard and their encounter with Commander Said's double. He had managed to inventory the remaining items that were noted down so that when they docked back at Starbase 153, they wouldn't miss anything being repaired or restocked whilst they had the little downtime he supposed they would get. He had just been going over something in his head when the announcement of an admiral came across.

Buck whipped up just as quickly as the others did. Ingrained in him from the Academy to respect rank. Though just as quickly, the Admiral had called them at ease, so Buck sank back down at his station; carefully and warily watching the Admiral.

Which ran into having a sneaky listen in on a conversation regarding the EMH being a mark 12 rather than the mark 8 it had introduced itself as prior. He massaged his leg, feeling the after effects of being in the Brig with Ruth, knowing that his limp was one of those things he had to deal with until he fully recovered. He had been with Lahr when they ran the diagnostic, and curiously it seemed they had indeed found something worth reporting.

"Uh, it's quite curious actually. Whilst we'd all be led to believe that the EMH was a Mark Twelve in design...someone's still not updated the systems so that they were up to date with them. Still has Mark Eight systems installed even if we did activate the EMH protocol..."

His brow furrowed in response to this, glancing over at Lahr. His knowledge of sciences was rather limited, even with Academy training and such would defer over to his junior in rank but someone with a more technical based background. "Is this something that's possible, Lahr?"

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck 1 - Bridge]

Having McNair toss the 'ball' back to him, Lahr discreetly turned off his earbud and gave the officers his full attention.  "Yeah.. obviously it is." he answered before realizing that the Ensign probably was asking more HOW it was possible.

Lahr turned a moment back to his console and called up the program's last install details.

"Well, Challenger got this version of the EMH while we were at Starbase 153.  It's signed off and installed by Commander Tharn herself."

Their time in at Starbase 153 was when Lahr was just settling into his role as an engineer and there was one major thing he recalled that might explain the situation.

"I know, at the time, that there was a lot of pressure from the Starbase staff to upgrade our systems while we were docked for repairs.  But the Captain declined every offer put forward.  The Engineering department got a lot of flak from the station staff and the Inspector for not doing more to convince the Captain.  Commander Tharn in particular was in sour mood the entire time we were there."

Lahr smirked a moment.  "I wouldn't put it past her to have taken the program just to shut them up and then swapped out the base program but kept the skin so that when the Inspector came through it looked like we complied with the new ship standards."

Lahr's respect for the Tellerite engineer rose at the idea of her being so sneaky.

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Nira pursed her lips at the news. She had a good idea...

"I think I can understand how Tharn feels," she said. "But I feel it's more likely the Corps of Engineers at the starbase. They must really have it in for us to deny them an inside and outside overhaul of the Challenger. I'm sure they allowed the Mark Twelve to be installed with Mark Eight systems to spite us."

"How insulting of them," muttered the EMH.

"I'm going to have a few words with them and see to it that you get your proper systems installed," Nira said. "We're likely to have plenty of time for that once we get to the Starbase, especially with that battle we had. However, I won't be surprised if the Captain decides to keep your systems, he wouldn't want further upgrades."

The EMH only scowled further, but at least was prevented from retorting when Ian emerged.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian returned to the bridge after being debriefed by Admiral Gillespie and flopped into the command chair. Gillespie had asked for and was beamed from Ian's ready room directly to Starbase 153. Now that he no longer had senior brass looking over his shoulder, even though Gillespie was not a bad sort, Ian could finally relax. He decided to post an update to his log.

"Captain's Log, Stardate 77488.84. The crew has earned some shore leave as the Challenger undergoes some inspections, repairs, and upgrades. All necessary as the rump Romulan states continue to cause chaos in this sector.

"Even though we stopped Thelal and his Siursach pet assassin, they are still on the loose and I'm positive they are plottin' revenge against a certain dashingly handsome Starship captain that bested him yet again. As much as Thelal is a flamin' pain in the arse, it is the Reman 'Praetor Nakir' that presents the bigger threat. That he mentioned 'Praetors' is a serious concern. The remnant of the Romulan Empire was an issue, but was nae a major threat, but if'n they have pulled allies into their sphere of influence, then that changes the equation. I suppose, time will tell, we'll just have ta be extra vigilant goin' forward. End log."

Ian stood, stretched and turned to Lieutenant Commander CatalÁ¡n.

"Fernando you have the bridge. I shall be spendin' a wee bit o' time with my three favorite ladies in the Cetacean Lab on Deck 8."

"Aye Sir."

Nira looked up to see Ian exit his ready room, but the Admiral didn't emerge. When she stood, she looked in the Captain's ready room and could see he was gone. That much was obvious, he beamed out.

Nira decided she was more in the mood to be in her own ready room, and she went there while Ian went off to see his dolphins, passing Ruth...and looked at her.

"Hey, Ruth," she said. "Glad you're up and about. You missed a lot, though in some cases, it's best to forget that we lost control. I'll be in my ready room."

Much as there was paperwork, Nira's mind was abuzz. She was sure there was a prime issue that Admiral Gillespie discussed with Ian, and she had that in the back of her mind. A part-Reman calling himself Praetor, and the mention of more than one Praetor...something big was in the offing somewhere among the remnants of the old Romulan Star Empire. Some warlords with strong memories of the old empire were up to something.

Of course it was much concern, Admiral Gillespie was a top member of Starfleet Security.

[Admiral Hamish B. Gillespie | Transporter Room | Starbase 153]

Even as transported in, the Admiral couldn't help but mulling over the same concerns Nira was thinking herself. He knew what he had to do, of course. That was why, after his debrief with young Ian, he asked to be beamed aboard. This had to be the first Starbase to be put on alert and to keep a weather eye out for these new lunatics.

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Deck One - Bridge]

[Bridge - USS Challenger-A]

[One week later....]
"Tharn... yeah that smacks of her, and well... it's a relief."

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Nira pursed her lips at the news. She had a good idea...

"I think I can understand how Tharn feels," she said. "But I feel it's more likely the Corps of Engineers at the starbase. They must really have it in for us to deny them an inside and outside overhaul of the Challenger. I'm sure they allowed the Mark Twelve to be installed with Mark Eight systems to spite us."

"How insulting of them," muttered the EMH.

"I'm going to have a few words with them and see to it that you get your proper systems installed," Nira said. "We're likely to have plenty of time for that once we get to the Starbase, especially with that battle we had. However, I won't be surprised if the Captain decides to keep your systems, he wouldn't want further upgrades."

The EMH only scowled further, but at least was prevented from retorting when Ian emerged.
Nira looked up to see Ian exit his ready room, but the Admiral didn't emerge. When she stood, she looked in the Captain's ready room and could see he was gone. That much was obvious, he beamed out.

Lahr shrugged at the Commander's 'feeling'.  "Maybe..."   The program file showed it was Tharn who'd installed it not one of the Engineering Corps...  but Lahr supposed it didn't really matter - since in the end they got what the Captain wanted - a not upgraded Mark Eight.   So what if it looked new and shiny in the form of a Mark Twelve?

Lahr turned back to his work.

Nira decided she was more in the mood to be in her own ready room, and she went there while Ian went off to see his dolphins, passing Ruth...and looked at her.

"Hey, Ruth," she said. "Glad you're up and about. You missed a lot, though in some cases, it's best to forget that we lost control. I'll be in my ready room."

Hearing the Commander address Ruth, Lahr's antennae perked up and he glanced over his shoulder to see her speaking to Lieutenant Commander CatalÁ¡n.

"What I wouldn't 3 weeks on the piste right now!" she said clicking her neck.

Lahr couldn't help but chime in.  "Can't guarantee 3 weeks but I can probably score 3 days in the holodeck with that kind of program.  Just say the word."

[Nira Said]

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | First Officer's Ready Room | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Finally, mind buzzing, Nira pulled up files on Thelal. Naturally, he had quite the history with Challenger. But he was too egotistical to be considered a big security risk - that is a security risk enough to be a menace to other borders. Instead, she shifted to Nakir.

There wasn't much, however. What there was were just reports of criminal activity. He had been banished from Reman space, she could see...and he wasn't alone. Chances were, the Remans captured on that big drone ship were a fraction of Nakir's followers, but it was significant to Nira: A handful of Remans could mean a lot of drone ships.

She was a little disturbed at his face. It was handsome for a Reman, but all the same, she was reminded too much of the T'hunga. She even shuddered, given Reman telepathic abilities; would he subject her to some kind of mind control if they met face to face...?

A chime came and Nira looked up. "Come in," she said. Savar entered.

"Are you alright, Imzadi?" he asked.

She nodded and elaborated: "I'm definitely bothered by this Nakir, and the mention of Praetors. Praetors, plural. Something's coming that's going to be a threat to the Free State."

"Well, I know what you are like when your mind is full like that," he said. "Let's retire to the holodeck for the day, shall we?" he added flirtatiously. "The bridge is in good hands."

Nira smiled. "Well, certainly, given how many times I gave the conn to Commander Catalan."

And hand in hand, the couple left the office.

[Praetor Domitian | Domitian's Base | Outer Unroth System | Former Romulan Star Empire territory]

Domitian could feel Nakir coming long before he entered the room. The boy had quite a presence, he had to admit. Perhaps a byproduct of...well, a Reman trooper under Shinzon boarding a Dominion ship to rescue Betazoid prisoners, only for him to go too wild around a beautiful Betazoid woman...Nakir would still have remained unusual, but Shinzon certainly had more prominence in the spotlight. A few hints even in terms of romanticism, even when Shinzon was long dead. Nakir could never resist displaying his presence, he could depict himself very handsome for a Reman.

But Domitian was more than a hundred years his senior. More experienced. More cooler. A pale former scholar imprisoned a hundred years in the pits of Remus before he himself helped in the Dominion War. And he was experienced in war, and attained enough profession to hide himself in the shadows of the Star Empire...until its collapse.

The drone center was on the other side of the outermost Unroth planet - where the dark suited them both excellently - but Domitian could tell something had happened.

Nakir was brilliant, but he was certainly dangerous. A series of satellites to alter a planet's gravitational field enough to crush a planet. Naturally, one of many plans of the Tal Shiar acquired by Shinzon, but his favorite being the Thalaron weapon integrated into his flagship. He had to admire the Tal Shiar's propencity to create weapons of mass destruction with the intent to fear them. And Nakir admired Shinzon in turn...

"Praetor Domitian," said Nakir. "I'm sorry to disturb you..."

"There is no need, Praetor Nakir," Domitian reassured him, speaking in an unctuous voice. "I'm aware that the plan has failed."

"I wasn't expecting this much attention..."

"A weapon of mass destruction like this," said Domitian coolly, though it would've sounded better to Nakir if he shouted, "was bound to attract this much attention sooner or later. I'm surprised neither the Federation nor the Free State has sent more ships."

"They're growing complacent," Nakir sneered. "Even that fleet of replicants sent against Oh would be mere toys compared to us."

"That, boy," said Domitian, with a hint of impatience, "is why we need to exercise more caution with the resources we have in the future. Even with all the Borg salvage we can get."

"Quite. And I'll be glad to punish Thelal and Nirreen most...severely," said Nakir, trembling with pleasure. Domitian only scowled further. He knew how much time Nakir and Nirreen had spent together, and when Nakir was in a bad mood towards her...

"You and your hormones, boy, even after all these years," he sneered. "They're both useful. Well. Thelal certainly reminds me plenty of those pompous windbags over the years."

"Then...?"

"Focus your efforts on the fleet," Domitian ordered. "And be careful with our resources."

"Gladly," said Nakir with a smile. "Still, the animals the Orions often send aren't nearly as satisfying..."

"And how many times must I tell you that the Syndicate is for me to deal with?" said Domitian gently but threateningly. "Especially with our trade route going through two nebulae?"

"And what of the hidden Dominion-based...?"

"That's a matter for the other Praetor in the Triumvirate," Domitian said, hand held. "At least her deals with this Gul Sherem are coming into fruition. Pro-Dominion exiles with Romulans of Pro-Dominion sympathies...they work excellently together. But we are not yet strong enough to even attempt conquest on the factions."

"Regardless of unifying to the Free State," retorted Nakir. "Even members of the Tal Shiar are joining with them."

"No. The best we can do is reach out from the shadows. The exiles and the criminals will do for allies for now."

"As long as we're not pushed out of the quadrant, let alone the galaxy," said Nakir cautiously, knowing the lengths the Triumvirate are bound to go to remain, let alone retreat into the shadows.

"Only if this calls for a retreat," Domitian retorted himself. "But as long as we don't draw any more attention. And if you still desire to inflict punishment, choose one of our allies from the Star Empire of Rota and...let him know how...dissatisfied we are. Maybe that will advise them to remain silent and in the shadows in the immediate future. And I know how anxious you are to get going. Jolan Tru."

"Jolan Tru," Nakir replied back, his cool demeanor shaking, his smile wide and predatory. He was already gone, leaving Domitian once again with his plans and his memories.