S:5 E:10 - The Galloway Gambit

[Ian Galloway]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

As soon as Randell made his report, Ian responded quickly.

"Battlestations! Tactical, you are weapons free with phasers only. We will nae fire torpedoes until the hand count is finished, less the three we just used ta flush that freighter, we better bloody have 117 torpedoes remainin'. Ops, drop the tractor. Helm move us ta shield that freighter."

He then faced the Vaxian captain.

"Look, I have no idea who you are, but I do ken, you're in more danger than we are. Whatever plot you are involved in, you are now a loose end. The Khranu is here ta make certain you dinnae talk. I suggest, you set your ship ta run at maximum speed and make for your escape pods. We'll send a shuttle ta pick you up."

Ian then signaled for the channel to be closed without waiting for a response. Seconds later, the Khranu fired and the Challenger shook from the hammer blow of a full Alpha-Strike by the Norexan-Class Warbird. Ian had to hang onto the arms of the command chair as the ship shuddered from the staggering impact of so much energy. Fortunately, the point-of-impact shielding has already proven it was able to withstand such a blow, but even with the added shielding, it was only the structural integrity field that spared the Challenger damage.

Davenport at Tactical fired the phasers as quickly as they could cycle, but without the added punch of her photons, the Challenger couldn't hurt the Khranu either. The Federation ship did provide one critical function though, she kept the Warbird from getting a clear shot at the Vaxian freighter, which was accelerating at best speed toward the Federation end of the Safe Transit Corridor. As he saw the freighter attempting to escape, Ian added.

"Flight, I want a powered down shuttle launched via thrusters only."

"Sir?" Lieutenant Espada at the Helm questioned.

"The idea is for them ta remained unseen as the Khranu deals with us and the freighter, so they can grab those Vaxian with no one the wiser."

"Aye Sir."

Ian then tapped his combadge.

"Commander T'Kel, we'd like that bloody photon count done sooner rather than later."

"It is underway Captain and will take 4.3 minutes to complete."

"Understood, but I wee bit faster would be much appreciated. Bridge out."

[The Lounge - USS Challenger]

T'Lara, Buck, Lahr, Evan, and T'Prith each had had their own close call with flying objects and the unprepared scientists as the ship lurched from the powerful blow struck by the Khranu; the actions of which were clearly visible from the many windows of the Lounge. This was a double-edged sword in that it was clear the Romulan ship was the aggressor, but it also let a large number of already rattled civilians see the Challenger taking fire. This had the advantage of stopping requests about room decor or questions about poisons, but replaced them with screams and a panicked rush for the doors of the Lounge.

[Brig - USS Challenger]

One of the few areas of the Challenger when it was upgraded to the Trailblazer-Class not to receive major changes was her brig. As with any Excelsior hull, she had eight double occupancy cells, which contained beds, a retractable table and chairs, a water dispenser, and a toilet. The cells were further secured with a level 10 forcefield emitters built into each doorway that had their own independent power source. In addition to the standard forcefield, Ian had ordered both a secondary one around the entire brig as well as transporter inhibitors within the compartment. When the ship staggered, Thelal, unaware of these additional precautions, who was in a cell across from Nirreen, jumped to his feet and crowed.

"The Khranu is here! Soon we will be free!"

Nirreen rolled her eyes and remained silent, no where need as confident in Thelal's boasting or his crew.

[T'Lara]

[Lounge]

Evan nodded sharply, first making his way over to the bar to reach behind the counter for the standard medkit that was usually placed there in case of emergencies such as allergic reactions or heated arguments. No sooner did he have the kit in hand than Commander Nira had redirected him elsewhere. The poor gentleman who had been punched would have to wait his turn to have his face seen to. Triage demanded that a more serious condition be resolved first.

Kneeling down beside the patient, Evan cracked open the kit and pulled out the tricorder. The utter lack of movement and absent rise and fall of the chest already told him that the patient was clinically dead. His tricorder confirmed this, making it clear there was no shockable rhythm with which to bring the man back to life. Evan presented this information to the first officer, bobbing his head in agreement with her suppositions. "œI suspect it was digoxin," he told her, "œa slow acting poison, which means it could have been administered at any point within the last 30 minutes to 2 hours."

Evan jerked at the sound of a whistle. With all heads turned in one direction, it was easy to find the source. Briefly bowing his head over the deceased, he murmured, "œEs ist hart zu leben; aber hÁ¤rter ist es noch zu sterben. Gott sei mit Ihnen." Rising to his feet, he made his way over to the Vulcan officer. "œI'm Doctor Buehler, the new medical officer," he told her. "œWe will need to move the body to the morgue, but is there anything else I can do to help?"

[USS Challenger - Lounge]

Despite their best efforts, it seemed that people began to raise their voices again and any attempts in calming the crowd was fruitless. He flinched when the sharp trill of a whistle had broke through the room, and all eyes turned to Commander T'Lara, the deputy chief science officer who made the attempt in controlling the crowd; raising her hand and gesturing for the other crew of the Challenger present in the room to do the same.

Buck raised his hand. "Ensign Buck McNair, operations." He introduced himself to the members closest to him as T'Lara continued to speak. Of course a few voices had began to jump in as soon as she had stopped speaking - some wanting their requests to be made to their own accommodations, or ensuring that the luggage they had brought on to the Challenger. "Yes, yes - I'll sort that - okay, could one person at a time please -"

He attempted to make some space for himself. "You want a - what? A new plant for your decor? Okay, I'll make a note of that, ma'am." He was certain that there were going to be a few odd requests, but as someone in charge of ops, he would have to adjust to.

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret[USS Challenger-A - Deck 8 - The Lounge]

Lahr secured the Lounge door after Nirreen's escort left then turned his attention the Vulcan commander after she whistled for attention.  Her words of reassurance were... less than reassuring at least in Lahr's opinion.  Someone had just died in their midst from a heart attack, and the Doval had just been fired on and destroyed.  Nothing about this scenario seemed like the officers had any clue what was going on.

When prompted to self-identify as a crewmember, Lahr raised his hand and almost immediately got swarmed by a 'department' of Romulan scientists.  This bunch had been near the body when examined so their questions to Lahr were a bit less easy to answer.

"What happened Dr. Sunik? Was it a heart attack?"
"I overheard their doctor say it was poison."
"Poison!? What about the rest of us?  What if we were poisoned too?"

The clamoring amongst that group rose and Lahr could understand why.   He waved over McNair to watch the door since most of the security team had left with the prisoner escort.   "I'll be right back.  Am gonna see if the doctor can do a scan of the other to help settle them." he informed Buck quietly.

The Andorian hurried through the crowd until he found the new doctor at the Commander's side.

The Andorian, still dressed in his tuxedo answered for the Commander.  "Sure is, Doc.  We got a bunch of folks that are concerned they are next on the assassin's hit list.  Think you can do a scan of each for whatever poison killed the Romulan?  It'll help settle them down some....maybe keep them from rioting.  After that, if you need someone to take the body to the morgue, I'm sure McNair or T'Prith from Ops can arrange for that."

[Lounge - USS Challenger - A]

A dead doctor, spoiled party, destroyed science vessel, and ne'er-do-well Romulans making trouble. There were no words she could say to lighten the situation. T'Lara knew this, and she knew that if everyone in this room were a Vulcan, these issues would be dealt with so much more quickly and easily. But of course this was not the case, and the whole room was in total uproar. She gave words of approval and direction to Buehler, wondering briefly why she needed to. Sure she was a commanding officer, but her orders came from Commander Said. She expected all the officers in here to go about their duties without taking the time to go through the chain of command. They were in a bit of a crisis situation, after all.

However, it was time to focus on the matter at hand, which was returning order to this space.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

As soon as Randell made his report, Ian responded quickly.

"Battlestations! Tactical, you are weapons free with phasers only. We will nae fire torpedoes until the hand count is finished, less the three we just used ta flush that freighter, we better bloody have 117 torpedoes remainin'. Ops, drop the tractor. Helm move us ta shield that freighter."

He then faced the Vaxian captain.

"Look, I have no idea who you are, but I do ken, you're in more danger than we are. Whatever plot you are involved in, you are now a loose end. The Khranu is here ta make certain you dinnae talk. I suggest, you set your ship ta run at maximum speed and make for your escape pods. We'll send a shuttle ta pick you up."

Ian then signaled for the channel to be closed without waiting for a response. Seconds later, the Khranu fired and the Challenger shook from the hammer blow of a full Alpha-Strike by the Norexan-Class Warbird. Ian had to hang onto the arms of the command chair as the ship shuddered from the staggering impact of so much energy. Fortunately, the point-of-impact shielding has already proven it was able to withstand such a blow, but even with the added shielding, it was only the structural integrity field that spared the Challenger damage.

Davenport at Tactical fired the phasers as quickly as they could cycle, but without the added punch of her photons, the Challenger couldn't hurt the Khranu either. The Federation ship did provide one critical function though, she kept the Warbird from getting a clear shot at the Vaxian freighter, which was accelerating at best speed toward the Federation end of the Safe Transit Corridor. As he saw the freighter attempting to escape, Ian added.

"Flight, I want a powered down shuttle launched via thrusters only."

"Sir?" Lieutenant Espada at the Helm questioned.

"The idea is for them ta remained unseen as the Khranu deals with us and the freighter, so they can grab those Vaxian with no one the wiser."

"Aye Sir."

Ian then tapped his combadge.

"Commander T'Kel, we'd like that bloody photon count done sooner rather than later."

"It is underway Captain and will take 4.3 minutes to complete."

"Understood, but I wee bit faster would be much appreciated. Bridge out."

[The Lounge - USS Challenger]

T'Lara, Buck, Lahr, Evan, and T'Prith each had had their own close call with flying objects and the unprepared scientists as the ship lurched from the powerful blow struck by the Khranu; the actions of which were clearly visible from the many windows of the Lounge. This was a double-edged sword in that it was clear the Romulan ship was the aggressor, but it also let a large number of already rattled civilians see the Challenger taking fire. This had the advantage of stopping requests about room decor or questions about poisons, but replaced them with screams and a panicked rush for the doors of the Lounge.

[Brig - USS Challenger]

One of the few areas of the Challenger when it was upgraded to the Trailblazer-Class not to receive major changes was her brig. As with any Excelsior hull, she had eight double occupancy cells, which contained beds, a retractable table and chairs, a water dispenser, and a toilet. The cells were further secured with a level 10 forcefield emitters built into each doorway that had their own independent power source. In addition to the standard forcefield, Ian had ordered both a secondary one around the entire brig as well as transporter inhibitors within the compartment. When the ship staggered, Thelal, unaware of these additional precautions, who was in a cell across from Nirreen, jumped to his feet and crowed.

"The Khranu is here! Soon we will be free!"

Nirreen rolled her eyes and remained silent, no where need as confident in Thelal's boasting or his crew.

When it rains, it pours. A colloquial adage to Murphy's Law, which was certainly being carried out at this moment in time. When the Khranu hit their ship, plates of food, carts of hors d'oeuvres, and whole tables were flung right and left. The more instinctive members of the crowd jumped out of the way of incoming objects and brought people with them to the ground, tumbling like dominos. As a heavy chair came straight for her at full speed, T'Lara quickly leapt out of the way and kept a wary eye out for any more disturbances.

She had seen the attacks out the windows of the Lounge, and steeled herself for the hysteria she knew would arise. Taking a mental count of the officers at her disposal, she sought each one out to make sure they were okay.

"Doctor Buehler, begin triage on the injuries here. Ensign T'Prith, assist him. McNair and ch'Verret, secure this room." She knew her orders, but it was quickly becoming evident that she would not be able to carry them out in this room for much longer. A group of terrified people could not be successfully subdued without using force, but she wasn't about to threaten their guests. Tapping her comm badge, T'Lara stepped toward the door, feeling all eyes on her. In this emotional state, she knew they were all losing the already poor trust they had in her as she was now about to disobey the orders she'd previously given. But she had no choice.

Commander T'Lara to Commander Said. Report Bridge status. Request permission to beam injured to Sickbay and others to their quarters? 

She was fairly certain her request would be denied, but it was all part of the social etiquette. By voicing what everyone in the room was thinking, at least one of the heightened emotions permeating this room would lessen simply because their concerns were being listened to. Such a strange and complex game the emotional mind had to play, and T'Lara was just beginning to learn how it was done. Once her correspondence was returned, the Vulcan would have to make her next move. Perhaps the meditation session would be useful after all...

[Zhukdrashar Mrekrerhas]

[Ensign Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | The Lounge | Deck Eight | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck 8 - The Lounge]

Lahr was grateful when Security reinforcements arrived.  With the added personnel Nireen gave up her scheming plans and seemed placid as she was beginning to be escorted away.  Lahr had a bad feeling about that.

He leaned over towards Zhuk as the Caitian made to join the escort.  "You might want to stun her anyways and check her over for hidden weapons and that transporter inhibitor." he advised sagely eying the Romulan warily.

As Zhukdra'shar escorted Nireen to the bridge, he managed to perceive Lahr's voice as he whispered at him. He considered the advice given for a moment, before nodding. _{"Duly noted, esteemed friend"} He muttered back, before heading off. It really didn't hurt to be cautious with such a dangerous individual like her. And he was glad Lahr could add to his expertise so that he could be better.

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | The Lounge | Deck Eight | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Nira was worried. Despite the security, she wanted to make sure about Nirreen. In fact, the fact that Nirreen came quietly bothered her.

She found T'Lara among the crowd while Doctors Gong and Surith were taken to the bridge. "Commander," she told her, not caring momentarily about that it was the first time she saw her in a week, "can you handle things here, keep the crowd cool-tempered? I'm heading for the bridge."

She knew that T'Lara was the ranking officer after her, at least to be found. But she found Lahr, McNair, T'Prith, Savar and Buehler and told them the same thing and to help T'Lara soothe the crowd.

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Brig | Deck Twelve | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Nira caught up with the security team a moment later and followed them all the way to the brig. Nirreen was finally locked. It still bothered Nira; there was a good reason for her to come quietly. Nira was satisfied that Nirreen was given a good frisking and found not just the very syringe with filled with poison, complete with a needle that was as thin as a snowflake (Nira, with her careful observation, spotted it and made sure the needle was pointed away from a person), but also a few small daggers. But she warned Security not to remove the transport inhibitor, given her subtle threat earlier. She stared hard at Nirreen as she was put into a cell and a force field erected. Nirreen didn't look at all bothered to be there, and that was all enough to make Nira suspicious further.

"Well?" asked Nirreen after a moment.

"Funny, I would've expected you to break free from your guards," said Nira.

Nirreen only sneered in amusement. "My purpose at the party was already served. Thelal's captivity, however, that was unexpected, but it was a good thing I had this," she added, tapping the transport inhibitor disguised as a belt.

"You knew Captain Galloway would try to beam a suspect to the brig," said Nira.

"Why not?" shrugged Nirreen. "I'm always prepared. Besides, even with my slight...alterations, I figured that if there was somebody who looks like you was found at the party, then there would be a means to remain."

"And your purpose," said Nira uneasily. "You were stirring up tempers at the party, weren't you?"

"The very thing to get them going," said Nirreen. "They'll only flare tempers themselves. Especially those delegates in the Federation. Like the Tellarite, it's easy to get them angry."

"Well, you're in here now, so you'll do no further harm," snapped Nira, but she was still nervous. It must've showed because Nirreen retorted, "Oh really?"

Nira pursed her lips and turned to T'Kel, "Double the guard on her. Keep a constant eye on her..."

Her eyes then fell on Zhuk...she was bothered by the way he was looking at Nirreen, and she could feel the infatuation from him. She was worried that Nirreen would prove too much a distraction.

"Zhuk, you're with me," she said, ordering Zhuk at her side. Might be well, he'll be needed on the bridge with T'Kel there.

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

Nira and Zhuk have arrived in time to see a terrified Vaxian on the viewscreen and the news that the Khranu has decloaked. Nira recognized the name instantly...

"Well, so Thelal may be behind this after all," said Nira. But her attention was long and hard on the terrified Vaxian. She could make a good guess: He's the captain of a ship that destroyed the Doval. And he has been caught. And his terror was definitely a far cry from the two Vaxian scientists part of the Romulan delegation.

[Ensign Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Brig | Deck Twelve | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Though not expecting Lieutenant Commander Nira to accompany them to the Brig, Zhuk was nonethless thankful for it. It meant that there were more bodies to pile onto her in case Nireen attempted anything. Unlike what he was expecting, however, she didn't attempt to escape, and instead allowed herself to be searched without much issue. He was amazed at how many knives she had absconded within herself, and was thankful when a syringe with poison was found before it could be injected into someone. Still, he didn't felt completely satisfied on the job he and his fellow security officers had done, considering he was warned by Niranot to remove the transport inhibitor she carried. He wondered if the device held something more than just that, but he decided to respect the decision of his superior. She probably had a good reason for it.

Perhaps, he had also meant to do a more thorough body search, but he knew that he had to find a balance between being professional and paranoid. _{Maybe wasn't the only reason, but then again...}

Once Nireen was safely placed within a cell, and the force field activated, did the Caitian take a moment to rest. He still listened intently as Nira and Nireen talked to each other, animosity felt in the air as the latter explained her reasoning behind what she had done. At the order of augmenting the Security, Zhuk proceeded to offer a nod, ready to assume position as a zealous guardian of the Romulan. However, Nira suddenly looked over at him.

And he was ordered to follow her. He quirked an eyebrow, but as he always did, he obeyed, heading towards the bridge. He wondered, for a moment, if she knew more than she was letting on. A cold sweat ran down his back, as he remembered that her species could pick up emotional cues from others. But surely she didn't knew, did she?

He decided not to bring it up.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

When Gong and Surith entered the bridge, Ian rose to face them.

"Doctors. Please grant me the forbearance of a few minutes of your time. First, regardless of appearances, the Challenger did not fire on the Doval. We are still in the early stages of our investigation, but I assure you, we will discover how this happened.

"I say how, because I am sure of the who, namely, the two individuals that infiltrated your delegation Doctor Surith. Not that I assign any blame ta you, this whole thing has the feel of a very high level Tal Shiar plot about it. At this moment, Commander Thelal is in the brig and Nirreen is bein' escorted there ta prevent any further trouble from them.

"We are currently conductin' a very intense sensor scan for cloaked ships as I am certain at least one is out there and responsible for the destruction of the Doval."

"You would blame the victims Captain?"

Surith asked coldly.

"I do not Sir. However, whether it was a Romulan ship or some other party with a cloakin' device, I dinna ken at this moment, but that is what we are scannin' for Doctor."

It was at this point that Lieutenant Randell at the Science One Station spoke up.

"Sir, I've found multiple ion trails, which is no surprise given the heavy traffic of the corridor, but there is also a residual tachyon signature as well."

"Excellent Evan. Lieutenant Davenport, arm three photon torpedo warheads with their yields reconfigured ta high energy burst level six."

"Sir? At that setting, they won't do any damage."

"Aye Lass, they won't but they will reveal just who's out there."

"Are you now covering your tracks Captain by disturbing the local space particles with weapons fire?"

"Nae Doctor Surith, I may not hold advanced degrees in the sciences, but I do ken starships and how they work. Watch and learn Sir."

"Ready to fire Sir."

"Mister Randell, feed the coordinates of that tachyon trail ta Tactical, as soon as you are ready Mister Davenport, fire."

There was a pause of perhaps thirty seconds before the three glowing red orbs lanced out from the Challenger and burst. When they did, the outline of a cloaked ship, a civilian model of Romulan design became visible.

"Ops, snag them with the tractor!"

Lieutenant Commander CatalÁ¡n acted quickly and snared the lurking ship before it could flee and this made Ian smile.

"Hail them."

Unable to escape or hide, the ship dropped its cloak and the image on the viewscreen surprised everyone, the crew were Vaxian! However, before the terrified captain could speak, Randell interrupted.

"Captain, a ship is decloaking 100,000 kilometers of the port beam! It's the Khranu!"

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

As soon as Randell made his report, Ian responded quickly.

"Battlestations! Tactical, you are weapons free with phasers only. We will nae fire torpedoes until the hand count is finished, less the three we just used ta flush that freighter, we better bloody have 117 torpedoes remainin'. Ops, drop the tractor. Helm move us ta shield that freighter."

He then faced the Vaxian captain.

"Look, I have no idea who you are, but I do ken, you're in more danger than we are. Whatever plot you are involved in, you are now a loose end. The Khranu is here ta make certain you dinnae talk. I suggest, you set your ship ta run at maximum speed and make for your escape pods. We'll send a shuttle ta pick you up."

Ian then signaled for the channel to be closed without waiting for a response. Seconds later, the Khranu fired and the Challenger shook from the hammer blow of a full Alpha-Strike by the Norexan-Class Warbird. Ian had to hang onto the arms of the command chair as the ship shuddered from the staggering impact of so much energy. Fortunately, the point-of-impact shielding has already proven it was able to withstand such a blow, but even with the added shielding, it was only the structural integrity field that spared the Challenger damage.

Davenport at Tactical fired the phasers as quickly as they could cycle, but without the added punch of her photons, the Challenger couldn't hurt the Khranu either. The Federation ship did provide one critical function though, she kept the Warbird from getting a clear shot at the Vaxian freighter, which was accelerating at best speed toward the Federation end of the Safe Transit Corridor. As he saw the freighter attempting to escape, Ian added.

"Flight, I want a powered down shuttle launched via thrusters only."

"Sir?" Lieutenant Espada at the Helm questioned.

"The idea is for them ta remained unseen as the Khranu deals with us and the freighter, so they can grab those Vaxian with no one the wiser."

"Aye Sir."

Ian then tapped his combadge.

"Commander T'Kel, we'd like that bloody photon count done sooner rather than later."

"It is underway Captain and will take 4.3 minutes to complete."

"Understood, but I wee bit faster would be much appreciated. Bridge out."

[The Lounge - USS Challenger]

T'Lara, Buck, Lahr, Evan, and T'Prith each had had their own close call with flying objects and the unprepared scientists as the ship lurched from the powerful blow struck by the Khranu; the actions of which were clearly visible from the many windows of the Lounge. This was a double-edged sword in that it was clear the Romulan ship was the aggressor, but it also let a large number of already rattled civilians see the Challenger taking fire. This had the advantage of stopping requests about room decor or questions about poisons, but replaced them with screams and a panicked rush for the doors of the Lounge.

[Brig - USS Challenger]

One of the few areas of the Challenger when it was upgraded to the Trailblazer-Class not to receive major changes was her brig. As with any Excelsior hull, she had eight double occupancy cells, which contained beds, a retractable table and chairs, a water dispenser, and a toilet. The cells were further secured with a level 10 forcefield emitters built into each doorway that had their own independent power source. In addition to the standard forcefield, Ian had ordered both a secondary one around the entire brig as well as transporter inhibitors within the compartment. When the ship staggered, Thelal, unaware of these additional precautions, who was in a cell across from Nirreen, jumped to his feet and crowed.

"The Khranu is here! Soon we will be free!"

Nirreen rolled her eyes and remained silent, no where need as confident in Thelal's boasting or his crew.

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

Zhukdra'shar walked into the bridge to gaze over at a terrified Vaxian having been caught red-handed with a cloaked ship, it seemed. And they seemed to be the culprits behind the destruction of the Romulan ship. Yet things got even more interesting, once Randell revealed that there was another ship nearby. The Khranu.

Just great.

At the orders from Captain Galloway, Zhuk quickly made his way to the Tactical station, alongside T'Kel, making sure that the 117 torpedoes were remaining, as instructed. He quickly tapped with his clawed fingers, eyes darting across the screen as he remained solely focused on the task. Even as the ship shook from the impact from the Khranu he used his tail and digitigrade legs to find balance, keeping himself steady.

4.3 minutes... he really admired T'Kel's penchance for math and being so accurate. He wouldn't have been able to reach such a precise time. It did made him wish the systems of the ship helped to compute this faster, though.

[Buehler]

[Lounge - USS Challenger - A]

A dead doctor, spoiled party, destroyed science vessel, and ne'er-do-well Romulans making trouble. There were no words she could say to lighten the situation. T'Lara knew this, and she knew that if everyone in this room were a Vulcan, these issues would be dealt with so much more quickly and easily. But of course this was not the case, and the whole room was in total uproar. She gave words of approval and direction to Buehler, wondering briefly why she needed to. Sure she was a commanding officer, but her orders came from Commander Said. She expected all the officers in here to go about their duties without taking the time to go through the chain of command. They were in a bit of a crisis situation, after all.

However, it was time to focus on the matter at hand, which was returning order to this space.

[Lounge]

Medicine was easy, making decisions was not. With no clear task set before him, Evan would be at for what to do, so he was grateful when the commander gave him an order. Every ship should have a Vulcan, he mused, trying not to miss his own half-Vulcan wife. They had such a clear head even in the most chaotic of situations.

When it rains, it pours. A colloquial adage to Murphy's Law, which was certainly being carried out at this moment in time. When the Khranu hit their ship, plates of food, carts of hors d'oeuvres, and whole tables were flung right and left. The more instinctive members of the crowd jumped out of the way of incoming objects and brought people with them to the ground, tumbling like dominos. As a heavy chair came straight for her at full speed, T'Lara quickly leapt out of the way and kept a wary eye out for any more disturbances.

She had seen the attacks out the windows of the Lounge, and steeled herself for the hysteria she knew would arise. Taking a mental count of the officers at her disposal, she sought each one out to make sure they were okay.

"Doctor Buehler, begin triage on the injuries here. Ensign T'Prith, assist him. McNair and ch'Verret, secure this room." She knew her orders, but it was quickly becoming evident that she would not be able to carry them out in this room for much longer. A group of terrified people could not be successfully subdued without using force, but she wasn't about to threaten their guests. Tapping her comm badge, T'Lara stepped toward the door, feeling all eyes on her. In this emotional state, she knew they were all losing the already poor trust they had in her as she was now about to disobey the orders she'd previously given. But she had no choice.

Commander T'Lara to Commander Said. Report Bridge status. Request permission to beam injured to Sickbay and others to their quarters? 

She was fairly certain her request would be denied, but it was all part of the social etiquette. By voicing what everyone in the room was thinking, at least one of the heightened emotions permeating this room would lessen simply because their concerns were being listened to. Such a strange and complex game the emotional mind had to play, and T'Lara was just beginning to learn how it was done. Once her correspondence was returned, the Vulcan would have to make her next move. Perhaps the meditation session would be useful after all...

Evan moved to carry out the task set to him when suddenly the ship lurched as he was mid-stride. Caught unawares, he found himself thrown, hard, against a sharp edge. Even on the best of days, he didn't have the best of balance and would often find a random bruise or two at the end of the day. Evan rose, dusting himself off. He winced at a sharp pain starting to radiate in his side. At best, he bruised some muscle, at worst a cracked or broken rib. Either way, there was little he could do for it. Might as well see to the others worse off than him.

The crowd, which had already been uneasy, rushed for the door like a spooked horse. With some effort, Evan clambered onto a chair. "œEVERYBODY FREEZE!" he bellowed, hoping to stem the stampede and prevent any further injuries, or deaths. To those that complied, he added, "œIf you would all be so kind as to form a line so that we can either pull you aside for treatment or release you to your quarters, I would be most grateful. Thank you."

He scanned the sea of faces, quickly picking out a few members of the crew that were unharmed. "œYou," he said, beckoning to a young petty officer in yellow, "œplease coordinate with the morgue regarding the late doctor." To another ensign in red, he added, "œIf you could please help me maintain the queue, I would greatly appreciate that." And finally, to a young lady clad in blue, he said, "œIf you could grab the extra medkit behind the bar, two sets of hands are better than one." And with that, they began to treat the various cuts, scrapes, and more severe injuries suffered by those in attendance.

[Nira Said]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

As soon as Randell made his report, Ian responded quickly.

"Battlestations! Tactical, you are weapons free with phasers only. We will nae fire torpedoes until the hand count is finished, less the three we just used ta flush that freighter, we better bloody have 117 torpedoes remainin'. Ops, drop the tractor. Helm move us ta shield that freighter."

He then faced the Vaxian captain.

"Look, I have no idea who you are, but I do ken, you're in more danger than we are. Whatever plot you are involved in, you are now a loose end. The Khranu is here ta make certain you dinnae talk. I suggest, you set your ship ta run at maximum speed and make for your escape pods. We'll send a shuttle ta pick you up."

Ian then signaled for the channel to be closed without waiting for a response. Seconds later, the Khranu fired and the Challenger shook from the hammer blow of a full Alpha-Strike by the Norexan-Class Warbird. Ian had to hang onto the arms of the command chair as the ship shuddered from the staggering impact of so much energy. Fortunately, the point-of-impact shielding has already proven it was able to withstand such a blow, but even with the added shielding, it was only the structural integrity field that spared the Challenger damage.

Davenport at Tactical fired the phasers as quickly as they could cycle, but without the added punch of her photons, the Challenger couldn't hurt the Khranu either. The Federation ship did provide one critical function though, she kept the Warbird from getting a clear shot at the Vaxian freighter, which was accelerating at best speed toward the Federation end of the Safe Transit Corridor. As he saw the freighter attempting to escape, Ian added.

"Flight, I want a powered down shuttle launched via thrusters only."

"Sir?" Lieutenant Espada at the Helm questioned.

"The idea is for them ta remained unseen as the Khranu deals with us and the freighter, so they can grab those Vaxian with no one the wiser."

"Aye Sir."

Ian then tapped his combadge.

"Commander T'Kel, we'd like that bloody photon count done sooner rather than later."

"It is underway Captain and will take 4.3 minutes to complete."

"Understood, but I wee bit faster would be much appreciated. Bridge out."

[The Lounge - USS Challenger]

T'Lara, Buck, Lahr, Evan, and T'Prith each had had their own close call with flying objects and the unprepared scientists as the ship lurched from the powerful blow struck by the Khranu; the actions of which were clearly visible from the many windows of the Lounge. This was a double-edged sword in that it was clear the Romulan ship was the aggressor, but it also let a large number of already rattled civilians see the Challenger taking fire. This had the advantage of stopping requests about room decor or questions about poisons, but replaced them with screams and a panicked rush for the doors of the Lounge.

[Brig - USS Challenger]

One of the few areas of the Challenger when it was upgraded to the Trailblazer-Class not to receive major changes was her brig. As with any Excelsior hull, she had eight double occupancy cells, which contained beds, a retractable table and chairs, a water dispenser, and a toilet. The cells were further secured with a level 10 forcefield emitters built into each doorway that had their own independent power source. In addition to the standard forcefield, Ian had ordered both a secondary one around the entire brig as well as transporter inhibitors within the compartment. When the ship staggered, Thelal, unaware of these additional precautions, who was in a cell across from Nirreen, jumped to his feet and crowed.

"The Khranu is here! Soon we will be free!"

Nirreen rolled her eyes and remained silent, no where need as confident in Thelal's boasting or his crew.

[Ensign Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | The Lounge | Deck Eight | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

As Zhukdra'shar escorted Nireen to the bridge, he managed to perceive Lahr's voice as he whispered at him. He considered the advice given for a moment, before nodding. _{"Duly noted, esteemed friend"} He muttered back, before heading off. It really didn't hurt to be cautious with such a dangerous individual like her. And he was glad Lahr could add to his expertise so that he could be better.

[Ensign Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Brig | Deck Twelve | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Though not expecting Lieutenant Commander Nira to accompany them to the Brig, Zhuk was nonethless thankful for it. It meant that there were more bodies to pile onto her in case Nireen attempted anything. Unlike what he was expecting, however, she didn't attempt to escape, and instead allowed herself to be searched without much issue. He was amazed at how many knives she had absconded within herself, and was thankful when a syringe with poison was found before it could be injected into someone. Still, he didn't felt completely satisfied on the job he and his fellow security officers had done, considering he was warned by Niranot to remove the transport inhibitor she carried. He wondered if the device held something more than just that, but he decided to respect the decision of his superior. She probably had a good reason for it.

Perhaps, he had also meant to do a more thorough body search, but he knew that he had to find a balance between being professional and paranoid. _{Maybe wasn't the only reason, but then again...}

Once Nireen was safely placed within a cell, and the force field activated, did the Caitian take a moment to rest. He still listened intently as Nira and Nireen talked to each other, animosity felt in the air as the latter explained her reasoning behind what she had done. At the order of augmenting the Security, Zhuk proceeded to offer a nod, ready to assume position as a zealous guardian of the Romulan. However, Nira suddenly looked over at him.

And he was ordered to follow her. He quirked an eyebrow, but as he always did, he obeyed, heading towards the bridge. He wondered, for a moment, if she knew more than she was letting on. A cold sweat ran down his back, as he remembered that her species could pick up emotional cues from others. But surely she didn't knew, did she?

He decided not to bring it up.

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

Zhukdra'shar walked into the bridge to gaze over at a terrified Vaxian having been caught red-handed with a cloaked ship, it seemed. And they seemed to be the culprits behind the destruction of the Romulan ship. Yet things got even more interesting, once Randell revealed that there was another ship nearby. The Khranu.

Just great.

At the orders from Captain Galloway, Zhuk quickly made his way to the Tactical station, alongside T'Kel, making sure that the 117 torpedoes were remaining, as instructed. He quickly tapped with his clawed fingers, eyes darting across the screen as he remained solely focused on the task. Even as the ship shook from the impact from the Khranu he used his tail and digitigrade legs to find balance, keeping himself steady.

4.3 minutes... he really admired T'Kel's penchance for math and being so accurate. He wouldn't have been able to reach such a precise time. It did made him wish the systems of the ship helped to compute this faster, though.

[Lounge - USS Challenger - A]

A dead doctor, spoiled party, destroyed science vessel, and ne'er-do-well Romulans making trouble. There were no words she could say to lighten the situation. T'Lara knew this, and she knew that if everyone in this room were a Vulcan, these issues would be dealt with so much more quickly and easily. But of course this was not the case, and the whole room was in total uproar. She gave words of approval and direction to Buehler, wondering briefly why she needed to. Sure she was a commanding officer, but her orders came from Commander Said. She expected all the officers in here to go about their duties without taking the time to go through the chain of command. They were in a bit of a crisis situation, after all.

However, it was time to focus on the matter at hand, which was returning order to this space.

When it rains, it pours. A colloquial adage to Murphy's Law, which was certainly being carried out at this moment in time. When the Khranu hit their ship, plates of food, carts of hors d'oeuvres, and whole tables were flung right and left. The more instinctive members of the crowd jumped out of the way of incoming objects and brought people with them to the ground, tumbling like dominos. As a heavy chair came straight for her at full speed, T'Lara quickly leapt out of the way and kept a wary eye out for any more disturbances.

She had seen the attacks out the windows of the Lounge, and steeled herself for the hysteria she knew would arise. Taking a mental count of the officers at her disposal, she sought each one out to make sure they were okay.

"Doctor Buehler, begin triage on the injuries here. Ensign T'Prith, assist him. McNair and ch'Verret, secure this room." She knew her orders, but it was quickly becoming evident that she would not be able to carry them out in this room for much longer. A group of terrified people could not be successfully subdued without using force, but she wasn't about to threaten their guests. Tapping her comm badge, T'Lara stepped toward the door, feeling all eyes on her. In this emotional state, she knew they were all losing the already poor trust they had in her as she was now about to disobey the orders she'd previously given. But she had no choice.

Commander T'Lara to Commander Said. Report Bridge status. Request permission to beam injured to Sickbay and others to their quarters? 

She was fairly certain her request would be denied, but it was all part of the social etiquette. By voicing what everyone in the room was thinking, at least one of the heightened emotions permeating this room would lessen simply because their concerns were being listened to. Such a strange and complex game the emotional mind had to play, and T'Lara was just beginning to learn how it was done. Once her correspondence was returned, the Vulcan would have to make her next move. Perhaps the meditation session would be useful after all...

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

It made sense to Nira to not use the torpedoes. As T'Kel pointed out, a physical count had to be made, something for the eye to see. Still, it made absolute sense for T'Kel to do so. In fact, Nira began wondering if the databanks indicated launching torpedoes...but then, it wouldn't; if Nirreen had more than one infiltrator, he or she or they never had a chance to get to the bridge, let alone to go on tour with the rest of the Romulan delegation.

All the same, the fact that torpedoes seemingly launched still bothered Nira: if the Challenger didn't fire, then was it possible either the Vaxians or the Khranu were hiding...? But then again, supposing they had cloaking capabilities to make use of their offensive systems even when cloaked? It wouldn't be surprising, the amount of secret weapons and secrets, period, the Tal Shiar had could easily make a unique new orbit around Sol if all their outlines were downloaded on PADDs and made a keychain link.

And speaking of the Khranu, Nira easily recognized the Norexean-class warbird easily enough; something about the ship made it easily distinguishable from other Norexean warbirds. Maybe there was some slight scorching; in any case, it was going to get singed again when the Challenger pulled off another Alpha Strike. Naturally, Nira held on for dear life.

Once done, Nira replied, "I have to admit, even an orbital skydive wouldn't match the roller coaster thrill and drop of an Alpha Strike, Captain."

Nira perked up when T'Lara called her, that there were some casualties. The request to go to Sickbay, well...

"Bridge is all right for now, Commander," said Nira. "As to the request to get casualties to Sickbay, particularly from the party, especially from the Romulan delegation, that's up to the Captain, I'm afraid."

She looked to him for what to do. He did have a good reason for the party to be contained. Besides, how would they know Thelal and Nirreen weren't the only ones infiltrating the Romulan delegation?

[Trinam Nirreen | Brig | Deck Twelve | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Nirreen had expected Thelal to react sharply at her the moment she walked into the brig and was given a cell across from him. The moment Nira left with the Caitian, Thelal called out to her, "Really, Nirreen? I expected better of you!"

"I've served my role at the party, Thelal," she said. "I can do my best to help you, help fan the flames, but aside from that, I can do nothing," she added with a shrug.

"Oh, you'll get me out alright, but how the hell will you do it from in there?"

"You'll see," Nirreen retorted with a chuckle. One or two of the security officers chuckled with her, but it was a chuckle to translate into "I'd like to see you try to get out of there." So she sat and watched pensively, although she was taking note of the layout of the cell.

Then came an unexpected tremor. Thelal, naturally, whooped in delight. Nirreen merely rolled her eyes and remained silent. Oh, how he lost faith in her so fast. How much he hoped his ship would save him. Clearly, the whole damn crew shared Thelal's taste in egotistical desire in delivering payback to the Challenger as much as they could. She highly doubted that the Khranu would be a match for the Challenger even if it was attacking only with phasers; the Khranu was stripped of its Borg-based beam weapon before the mission, and not just as punishment. It was still feeling hangover-like effects from using the damn thing; Nirreen was surprised it was still spaceworthy, given how she remembered how sluggish the ship systems were after using the beam weapon.

Besides, Thelal wasn't even aware of the multiple security arrangements on their cells; Nirreen's keen eyesight caught the secondary forcefield around the whole brig in addition to the usual level ten forcefield blocking the cell doorway. Each with their own power source.

Nirreen could figure out multiple ways of getting out of the cell. She'd simply destroy the power source if she struck in the right place. Or...in fact, her mobile transport inhibitor wasn't just a transport inhibitor. With the right configuration, Nirreen could subtly adjust the inhibitor to generate a small electromagnetic pulse that would effect a radius of half a dozen meters, but it would at least knock out the force fields and maybe create a small hole in the Challenger's shield bubble if she was lucky. However, her increased disdain for Thelal, regardless of his plan (which was now falling apart), prompted her to just simple sit there and do nothing. She might even leave Thelal to rot in a Federation prison...yes, that was looking extremely appealing right now.

[Buck McNair]

[Lounge - USS Challenger]

And there went any hope or chance of keeping people calm.

Buck found himself staggering off somewhere unknown to him as the ship rocked and items flew past his head, one knocking off the top of his head as he attempted his best effort to ground himself onto the one of the few bolted on items to the ground in hope that he could regain some dignity in front of the science people. And his crew. Though judging by how everyone had began screaming around him, not many would have taken the time to acknowledged the downed or embarrassed ensign as he made his way to his feet. "Woah, woah, woah! Hold your horses people!" He shouted, trying to sound louder than the combined force of screams as he saw Lieutenant Buehler take the high ground and find a better solution to being heard.

His head throbbed but there were bigger issues that needed to be dealt with. The delegates for the time all needed to be triaged.

McNair to the bridge, we're getting on top of the scientists. They're all a bit rattled and crowd control is being performed as we speak, some may need transporting to sickbay. What's the situation? 

He thought it was better to convey what was happening so that they were all in the loop. Perhaps it was unwarranted but there was need for manpower down in the Lounge just as much as he presumed was needed upon the bridge and any major department all needed to tackle the combatant vessel.

Buck staggered over to one of the scientists, taking a knee with a grimace as he felt something twinge in his side. He'd deal with that later. "Ensign McNair. Introduced myself earlier. Firstly, do you have any injuries? How are you feeling? Are you able to move your arms for me?"

He observed as the scientist coughed, propping themselves up on their elbow and staring right at him.

Answered that question then.

"Alright, with your permission, I'm going to get you up onto your feet and get you checked out by one of the medical crew, okay?" With some effort, the both of them rose to their feet and Buck looped the arm around his shoulders to keep them balanced as he walked them over to the doctor. "Capable of basic movement, shaken up, isn't speaking to me. Probably in shock." Buck described, checking on his 'patient' as he delivered him to the med team. "Looks like a couple of scrapes and knocks from what I can currently see but perhaps a 360 wound check might be necessary here."

[Buehler]

[Lounge - USS Challenger]

Buck staggered over to one of the scientists, taking a knee with a grimace as he felt something twinge in his side. He'd deal with that later. "Ensign McNair. Introduced myself earlier. Firstly, do you have any injuries? How are you feeling? Are you able to move your arms for me?"

He observed as the scientist coughed, propping themselves up on their elbow and staring right at him.

Answered that question then.

"Alright, with your permission, I'm going to get you up onto your feet and get you checked out by one of the medical crew, okay?" With some effort, the both of them rose to their feet and Buck looped the arm around his shoulders to keep them balanced as he walked them over to the doctor. "Capable of basic movement, shaken up, isn't speaking to me. Probably in shock." Buck described, checking on his 'patient' as he delivered him to the med team. "Looks like a couple of scrapes and knocks from what I can currently see but perhaps a 360 wound check might be necessary here."

[Lounge]

Chaos still reigned within the lounge, but it had simmered down just enough for Evan to be able to work. The ensign he had requisitioned to assist him was not actually from his department but was in fact herself a scientist. Like many in her field, Alexandria Windsor had a good grasp of biology and knew how to work a tricorder, and that was really all he needed from her. Anyone presenting a more serious injury would be referred to sickbay, where the staff had access to more specialized equipment. So far only one man had needed to be transported via a "œfirefighter carry" to be assessed for severe head trauma.

Although it wasn't the clear, orderly line he had been hoping for, Evan was grateful not to have everyone rushing the doors all at once. All the same, when one of the crew made his way to the front, supporting a beleaguered scientist, he furrowed his brow with concern. Evan gestured to one of the empty chairs, pulling out his tricorder while the patient got settled. He listened to the report, nodding to show he understood. "œIt was good of you to bring him straight to us, Ensign," Evan said. The tricorder showed an elevated blood pressure and respiration rate. "œCan you tell me your name and what happened?" he asked the scientist?

"œHeinrich Krebs," the man gasped between shallow breaths. "œI collided mit someting. I don't know vat."

Evan arched his brow in surprise. It was the German scientist. "œNa ja, Herr Krebs," he replied. "œIt looks like you were extremely lucky. Nothing appears to be broken, but you probably bruised a rib. I'll give you something to ease the pain and relax the muscles. All you need is a little rest." Reaching for his hypospray, Evan pressed it to the man's neck, releasing the medication with a soft hiss before turning back to the officer who had brought him. "œYou look like you could do with a once over yourself, Ensign," he commented, noting the small scrape just below the hairline. But Evan was one to talk. It took every bit of meditation he had learned from his wife to not wince with every breath.

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck 8 - The Lounge]

[The Lounge - USS Challenger]

T'Lara, Buck, Lahr, Evan, and T'Prith each had had their own close call with flying objects and the unprepared scientists as the ship lurched from the powerful blow struck by the Khranu; the actions of which were clearly visible from the many windows of the Lounge. This was a double-edged sword in that it was clear the Romulan ship was the aggressor, but it also let a large number of already rattled civilians see the Challenger taking fire. This had the advantage of stopping requests about room decor or questions about poisons, but replaced them with screams and a panicked rush for the doors of the Lounge.

When the ship lurched, Lahr was thrown to ground in front of the Lounge doors.  Anything not bolted down was a projectile and Lahr hunched and covered his head until the worst of it settled.  The Andorian from his position by the doors had seen through the 'windows' the flash of weapons fire incoming a split second before it struck.  And unfortunately, it wasn't likely to be the last.

Lahr cautiously got to his feet as the crowd began to make for the doors.  Idiotically, Lahr placed himself in front of the doors in a barring stance.   What he wouldn't do for phaser at that moment.

[Lounge]

Medicine was easy, making decisions was not. With no clear task set before him, Evan would be at for what to do, so he was grateful when the commander gave him an order. Every ship should have a Vulcan, he mused, trying not to miss his own half-Vulcan wife. They had such a clear head even in the most chaotic of situations.

Evan moved to carry out the task set to him when suddenly the ship lurched as he was mid-stride. Caught unawares, he found himself thrown, hard, against a sharp edge. Even on the best of days, he didn't have the best of balance and would often find a random bruise or two at the end of the day. Evan rose, dusting himself off. He winced at a sharp pain starting to radiate in his side. At best, he bruised some muscle, at worst a cracked or broken rib. Either way, there was little he could do for it. Might as well see to the others worse off than him.

The crowd, which had already been uneasy, rushed for the door like a spooked horse. With some effort, Evan clambered onto a chair. "œEVERYBODY FREEZE!" he bellowed, hoping to stem the stampede and prevent any further injuries, or deaths. To those that complied, he added, "œIf you would all be so kind as to form a line so that we can either pull you aside for treatment or release you to your quarters, I would be most grateful. Thank you."

He scanned the sea of faces, quickly picking out a few members of the crew that were unharmed. "œYou," he said, beckoning to a young petty officer in yellow, "œplease coordinate with the morgue regarding the late doctor." To another ensign in red, he added, "œIf you could please help me maintain the queue, I would greatly appreciate that." And finally, to a young lady clad in blue, he said, "œIf you could grab the extra medkit behind the bar, two sets of hands are better than one." And with that, they began to treat the various cuts, scrapes, and more severe injuries suffered by those in attendance.

[Lounge - USS Challenger]

And there went any hope or chance of keeping people calm.

Buck found himself staggering off somewhere unknown to him as the ship rocked and items flew past his head, one knocking off the top of his head as he attempted his best effort to ground himself onto the one of the few bolted on items to the ground in hope that he could regain some dignity in front of the science people. And his crew. Though judging by how everyone had began screaming around him, not many would have taken the time to acknowledged the downed or embarrassed ensign as he made his way to his feet. "Woah, woah, woah! Hold your horses people!" He shouted, trying to sound louder than the combined force of screams as he saw Lieutenant Buehler take the high ground and find a better solution to being heard.

His head throbbed but there were bigger issues that needed to be dealt with. The delegates for the time all needed to be triaged.

McNair to the bridge, we're getting on top of the scientists. They're all a bit rattled and crowd control is being performed as we speak, some may need transporting to sickbay. What's the situation? 

He thought it was better to convey what was happening so that they were all in the loop. Perhaps it was unwarranted but there was need for manpower down in the Lounge just as much as he presumed was needed upon the bridge and any major department all needed to tackle the combatant vessel.

"Remain where you are," the Andorian called out, furthering what Evan and Buck had attempted, and still he held his ground, blocking the doors.

A few of the more panicked scientists ignored all reasonable attempts to get them to stop, and Lahr's 2 years in Security prepared him well for how to deal with such a situation.  The first to reach him was grabbed and turned around with their arm locked behind their back, and then used as a shield against the others as he continued to block the door.  It helped ease his conscience a little that the scientist he was using as a shield was a Romulan one.  Maybe they weren't in on the plan but then again... maybe they had been.

"You all heard the Lieutenant! Form an orderly line!"  Only after a few failed attempts to get past him did the crowd at the door dissipate.  Most moving to join the queue and hopefully get the opportunity to leave.

As Lahr dusted off his tux from his fall earlier, he looked to the young and pretty Ops petty officer, Clara Brown, the Lieutenant had tagged to contact the morgue.  She seemed flustered so he offered some assistance.

"Give a call down to Dr. Rashar.  He's our resident coroner, when he's not playing doctor during emergencies like this.  He might be busy but at least let him know that we will need a retrieval team to pick up the body and do a forensic scan."

Clara nodded appreciatively and made the call.  Lahr continued to stand guard over the door until someone more suited to the task was willing to take over, or he got word from one of the officers that the scientists could be released out of the Lounge.

[T'Lara]

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

It made sense to Nira to not use the torpedoes. As T'Kel pointed out, a physical count had to be made, something for the eye to see. Still, it made absolute sense for T'Kel to do so. In fact, Nira began wondering if the databanks indicated launching torpedoes...but then, it wouldn't; if Nirreen had more than one infiltrator, he or she or they never had a chance to get to the bridge, let alone to go on tour with the rest of the Romulan delegation.

All the same, the fact that torpedoes seemingly launched still bothered Nira: if the Challenger didn't fire, then was it possible either the Vaxians or the Khranu were hiding...? But then again, supposing they had cloaking capabilities to make use of their offensive systems even when cloaked? It wouldn't be surprising, the amount of secret weapons and secrets, period, the Tal Shiar had could easily make a unique new orbit around Sol if all their outlines were downloaded on PADDs and made a keychain link.

And speaking of the Khranu, Nira easily recognized the Norexean-class warbird easily enough; something about the ship made it easily distinguishable from other Norexean warbirds. Maybe there was some slight scorching; in any case, it was going to get singed again when the Challenger pulled off another Alpha Strike. Naturally, Nira held on for dear life.

Once done, Nira replied, "I have to admit, even an orbital skydive wouldn't match the roller coaster thrill and drop of an Alpha Strike, Captain."

Nira perked up when T'Lara called her, that there were some casualties. The request to go to Sickbay, well...

"Bridge is all right for now, Commander," said Nira. "As to the request to get casualties to Sickbay, particularly from the party, especially from the Romulan delegation, that's up to the Captain, I'm afraid."

She looked to him for what to do. He did have a good reason for the party to be contained. Besides, how would they know Thelal and Nirreen weren't the only ones infiltrating the Romulan delegation?

[Trinam Nirreen | Brig | Deck Twelve | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Nirreen had expected Thelal to react sharply at her the moment she walked into the brig and was given a cell across from him. The moment Nira left with the Caitian, Thelal called out to her, "Really, Nirreen? I expected better of you!"

"I've served my role at the party, Thelal," she said. "I can do my best to help you, help fan the flames, but aside from that, I can do nothing," she added with a shrug.

"Oh, you'll get me out alright, but how the hell will you do it from in there?"

"You'll see," Nirreen retorted with a chuckle. One or two of the security officers chuckled with her, but it was a chuckle to translate into "I'd like to see you try to get out of there." So she sat and watched pensively, although she was taking note of the layout of the cell.

Then came an unexpected tremor. Thelal, naturally, whooped in delight. Nirreen merely rolled her eyes and remained silent. Oh, how he lost faith in her so fast. How much he hoped his ship would save him. Clearly, the whole damn crew shared Thelal's taste in egotistical desire in delivering payback to the Challenger as much as they could. She highly doubted that the Khranu would be a match for the Challenger even if it was attacking only with phasers; the Khranu was stripped of its Borg-based beam weapon before the mission, and not just as punishment. It was still feeling hangover-like effects from using the damn thing; Nirreen was surprised it was still spaceworthy, given how she remembered how sluggish the ship systems were after using the beam weapon.

Besides, Thelal wasn't even aware of the multiple security arrangements on their cells; Nirreen's keen eyesight caught the secondary forcefield around the whole brig in addition to the usual level ten forcefield blocking the cell doorway. Each with their own power source.

Nirreen could figure out multiple ways of getting out of the cell. She'd simply destroy the power source if she struck in the right place. Or...in fact, her mobile transport inhibitor wasn't just a transport inhibitor. With the right configuration, Nirreen could subtly adjust the inhibitor to generate a small electromagnetic pulse that would effect a radius of half a dozen meters, but it would at least knock out the force fields and maybe create a small hole in the Challenger's shield bubble if she was lucky. However, her increased disdain for Thelal, regardless of his plan (which was now falling apart), prompted her to just simple sit there and do nothing. She might even leave Thelal to rot in a Federation prison...yes, that was looking extremely appealing right now.

[Lounge - USS Challenger]

And there went any hope or chance of keeping people calm.

Buck found himself staggering off somewhere unknown to him as the ship rocked and items flew past his head, one knocking off the top of his head as he attempted his best effort to ground himself onto the one of the few bolted on items to the ground in hope that he could regain some dignity in front of the science people. And his crew. Though judging by how everyone had began screaming around him, not many would have taken the time to acknowledged the downed or embarrassed ensign as he made his way to his feet. "Woah, woah, woah! Hold your horses people!" He shouted, trying to sound louder than the combined force of screams as he saw Lieutenant Buehler take the high ground and find a better solution to being heard.

His head throbbed but there were bigger issues that needed to be dealt with. The delegates for the time all needed to be triaged.

McNair to the bridge, we're getting on top of the scientists. They're all a bit rattled and crowd control is being performed as we speak, some may need transporting to sickbay. What's the situation? 

He thought it was better to convey what was happening so that they were all in the loop. Perhaps it was unwarranted but there was need for manpower down in the Lounge just as much as he presumed was needed upon the bridge and any major department all needed to tackle the combatant vessel.

Buck staggered over to one of the scientists, taking a knee with a grimace as he felt something twinge in his side. He'd deal with that later. "Ensign McNair. Introduced myself earlier. Firstly, do you have any injuries? How are you feeling? Are you able to move your arms for me?"

He observed as the scientist coughed, propping themselves up on their elbow and staring right at him.

Answered that question then.

"Alright, with your permission, I'm going to get you up onto your feet and get you checked out by one of the medical crew, okay?" With some effort, the both of them rose to their feet and Buck looped the arm around his shoulders to keep them balanced as he walked them over to the doctor. "Capable of basic movement, shaken up, isn't speaking to me. Probably in shock." Buck described, checking on his 'patient' as he delivered him to the med team. "Looks like a couple of scrapes and knocks from what I can currently see but perhaps a 360 wound check might be necessary here."

[Lounge - USS Challenger - A]

T'Lara heard Said's message and began to think of other options since the one she had suggested was declined, at least for now. What she heard told her that Sickbay may not be the easiest to get to right now, without jeopardizing the safety of their guests. Nira could be telling her that it was the captain's decision because the situation really hadn't gotten any better yet.

When the Vulcan overheard McNair's call to the Bridge, she was mildly irritated. The Bridge could be communicating with the Khranu right now for all she knew, and he had just told the whole Bridge that a group of Challenger officers were struggling to deal with a panic situation. She understood the need to ask for help, but she also knew that the medics here would handle things and that chaos would eventually subside. There also seemed to be a general disregard for the chain of command by most of the officers in this room, but she supposed that could be ignored given the circumstances. Realizing she needed to make a response to Said, she deliberately chose not to comment on McNair's comm.

"Understood, Commander. Please let the captain know that the situation here is reaching critical. We have a body needing to be moved to the morgue, and casualties of varying degrees. Those uninjured are restless. Please advise."

That done, T'Lara walked around and nodded as Lahr put Brown in charge of the body. She didn't know if the morgue or sickbay were even cleared to accept anyone from the Lounge, but it didn't hurt to ask those on duty there. Because of her aforementioned appalling bedside manner, she tended to steer clear from providing medical assistance. Those uninjured or with minimal scrapes and bruises were in line doing anxious ticks such as twiddling thumbs or tapping feet. Being the highest ranking officer in the room, she knew that nothing she could say would make them reassured by her close proximity. Luckily this did not offend her in the slightest, so she silently passed out cups of water and took requests for food and beverages while they continued to wait.

[Ian Galloway]

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

It made sense to Nira to not use the torpedoes. As T'Kel pointed out, a physical count had to be made, something for the eye to see. Still, it made absolute sense for T'Kel to do so. In fact, Nira began wondering if the databanks indicated launching torpedoes...but then, it wouldn't; if Nirreen had more than one infiltrator, he or she or they never had a chance to get to the bridge, let alone to go on tour with the rest of the Romulan delegation.

All the same, the fact that torpedoes seemingly launched still bothered Nira: if the Challenger didn't fire, then was it possible either the Vaxians or the Khranu were hiding...? But then again, supposing they had cloaking capabilities to make use of their offensive systems even when cloaked? It wouldn't be surprising, the amount of secret weapons and secrets, period, the Tal Shiar had could easily make a unique new orbit around Sol if all their outlines were downloaded on PADDs and made a keychain link.

And speaking of the Khranu, Nira easily recognized the Norexean-class warbird easily enough; something about the ship made it easily distinguishable from other Norexean warbirds. Maybe there was some slight scorching; in any case, it was going to get singed again when the Challenger pulled off another Alpha Strike. Naturally, Nira held on for dear life.

Once done, Nira replied, "I have to admit, even an orbital skydive wouldn't match the roller coaster thrill and drop of an Alpha Strike, Captain."

Nira perked up when T'Lara called her, that there were some casualties. The request to go to Sickbay, well...

"Bridge is all right for now, Commander," said Nira. "As to the request to get casualties to Sickbay, particularly from the party, especially from the Romulan delegation, that's up to the Captain, I'm afraid."

She looked to him for what to do. He did have a good reason for the party to be contained. Besides, how would they know Thelal and Nirreen weren't the only ones infiltrating the Romulan delegation?

[Lounge - USS Challenger]

And there went any hope or chance of keeping people calm.

Buck found himself staggering off somewhere unknown to him as the ship rocked and items flew past his head, one knocking off the top of his head as he attempted his best effort to ground himself onto the one of the few bolted on items to the ground in hope that he could regain some dignity in front of the science people. And his crew. Though judging by how everyone had began screaming around him, not many would have taken the time to acknowledged the downed or embarrassed ensign as he made his way to his feet. "Woah, woah, woah! Hold your horses people!" He shouted, trying to sound louder than the combined force of screams as he saw Lieutenant Buehler take the high ground and find a better solution to being heard.

His head throbbed but there were bigger issues that needed to be dealt with. The delegates for the time all needed to be triaged.

McNair to the bridge, we're getting on top of the scientists. They're all a bit rattled and crowd control is being performed as we speak, some may need transporting to sickbay. What's the situation? 

He thought it was better to convey what was happening so that they were all in the loop. Perhaps it was unwarranted but there was need for manpower down in the Lounge just as much as he presumed was needed upon the bridge and any major department all needed to tackle the combatant vessel.

Buck staggered over to one of the scientists, taking a knee with a grimace as he felt something twinge in his side. He'd deal with that later. "Ensign McNair. Introduced myself earlier. Firstly, do you have any injuries? How are you feeling? Are you able to move your arms for me?"

He observed as the scientist coughed, propping themselves up on their elbow and staring right at him.

Answered that question then.

"Alright, with your permission, I'm going to get you up onto your feet and get you checked out by one of the medical crew, okay?" With some effort, the both of them rose to their feet and Buck looped the arm around his shoulders to keep them balanced as he walked them over to the doctor. "Capable of basic movement, shaken up, isn't speaking to me. Probably in shock." Buck described, checking on his 'patient' as he delivered him to the med team. "Looks like a couple of scrapes and knocks from what I can currently see but perhaps a 360 wound check might be necessary here."

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian gave Nira an irritated look that said "Deal with the guests" without saying a word as he simply didn't have time for it as CatalÁ¡n reported.

"Sir, the Mjolnir reports they've transported six Vaxians aboard."

"Thank you Commander."

Ian then began issuing new instructions.

"Okay Hector, time ta see how good an actor you are. When Khranu comes about, come ta 147 mark 20, but be sloppy about it."

"Sir?"

"I want us ta look damaged and slewin' about like a wounded boar, rather than a crisp smooth turn, let her shudder a bit."

"Won't that expose the freighter to fire?"

"Aye Lad, good eye! That's the point, I want ta distract them by givin' them a wee bit of bait for what I want ta do next."

"Understood Sir."

It was at that moment that Ian got the word he'd be waiting for since the attack started.

"T'Kel to Bridge. All torpedoes scanned and logged. The count is 117."

"Thank you Commander."

Ian smiled ferally as the Khranu began her run.

"Now Hector!"

The Challenger lurched through her turn like a drunken sailor and while some of Khranu's fire spattered across the Federation ship's shields, the bulk of the weapons hit the fleeing freighter. The Vaxian ship actually bent in the middle as the shields flared and the plasma torpedoes brought the freighter to a halt, leaving it a shattered hulk.

Espada's turn had left the Challenger pointed away from the Khranu and Ian called out.

"Helm, inclination up ninety degrees and carry through until we're inverted, then roll us level.

"Tactical, as soon as we're level fire every bloody thing ta include a full spread of burst fire quantums."

As the crew replied with a chorus of "Aye Sirs", Ian waited his eyes narrowed like a hawk about ta strike and he said softly.

"Bet ye have nae seen an Immelmann before ya pointy eared boogits."

Ian knew burst firing the torpedoes was a risk, it allowed each tube to fire four torpedoes at once, but it tended to overload the launchers. It was a desperation move, as while the Challenger could take anything the Khranu could dish out, the Norexan-Class was a powerful ship and while a Trailblazer was not a weak ship by any means, it wasn't an Akira or a Sovereign either. The only way Challenger could breach the shields of the Khranu was to cheat and burst fire was like hiding a horseshoe inside your boxing glove, dirty, but very effective to an unsuspecting foe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[The Lounge - USS Challenger]

The calls for security had not gone unheard and two full squads arrived to assist in bringing order. Behind security came a full medial team led by Doctor Jessica Fellows, the Challenger's Chief Medical Officer.

"Lieutenant Davies triage. Lieutenant Buehler report!"

[Nira Said]

[Lounge - USS Challenger - A]

T'Lara heard Said's message and began to think of other options since the one she had suggested was declined, at least for now. What she heard told her that Sickbay may not be the easiest to get to right now, without jeopardizing the safety of their guests. Nira could be telling her that it was the captain's decision because the situation really hadn't gotten any better yet.

When the Vulcan overheard McNair's call to the Bridge, she was mildly irritated. The Bridge could be communicating with the Khranu right now for all she knew, and he had just told the whole Bridge that a group of Challenger officers were struggling to deal with a panic situation. She understood the need to ask for help, but she also knew that the medics here would handle things and that chaos would eventually subside. There also seemed to be a general disregard for the chain of command by most of the officers in this room, but she supposed that could be ignored given the circumstances. Realizing she needed to make a response to Said, she deliberately chose not to comment on McNair's comm.

"Understood, Commander. Please let the captain know that the situation here is reaching critical. We have a body needing to be moved to the morgue, and casualties of varying degrees. Those uninjured are restless. Please advise."

That done, T'Lara walked around and nodded as Lahr put Brown in charge of the body. She didn't know if the morgue or sickbay were even cleared to accept anyone from the Lounge, but it didn't hurt to ask those on duty there. Because of her aforementioned appalling bedside manner, she tended to steer clear from providing medical assistance. Those uninjured or with minimal scrapes and bruises were in line doing anxious ticks such as twiddling thumbs or tapping feet. Being the highest ranking officer in the room, she knew that nothing she could say would make them reassured by her close proximity. Luckily this did not offend her in the slightest, so she silently passed out cups of water and took requests for food and beverages while they continued to wait.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian gave Nira an irritated look that said "Deal with the guests" without saying a word as he simply didn't have time for it as CatalÁ¡n reported.

"Sir, the Mjolnir reports they've transported six Vaxians aboard."

"Thank you Commander."

Ian then began issuing new instructions.

"Okay Hector, time ta see how good an actor you are. When Khranu comes about, come ta 147 mark 20, but be sloppy about it."

"Sir?"

"I want us ta look damaged and slewin' about like a wounded boar, rather than a crisp smooth turn, let her shudder a bit."

"Won't that expose the freighter to fire?"

"Aye Lad, good eye! That's the point, I want ta distract them by givin' them a wee bit of bait for what I want ta do next."

"Understood Sir."

It was at that moment that Ian got the word he'd be waiting for since the attack started.

"T'Kel to Bridge. All torpedoes scanned and logged. The count is 117."

"Thank you Commander."

Ian smiled ferally as the Khranu began her run.

"Now Hector!"

The Challenger lurched through her turn like a drunken sailor and while some of Khranu's fire spattered across the Federation ship's shields, the bulk of the weapons hit the fleeing freighter. The Vaxian ship actually bent in the middle as the shields flared and the plasma torpedoes brought the freighter to a halt, leaving it a shattered hulk.

Espada's turn had left the Challenger pointed away from the Khranu and Ian called out.

"Helm, inclination up ninety degrees and carry through until we're inverted, then roll us level.

"Tactical, as soon as we're level fire every bloody thing ta include a full spread of burst fire quantums."

As the crew replied with a chorus of "Aye Sirs", Ian waited his eyes narrowed like a hawk about ta strike and he said softly.

"Bet ye have nae seen an Immelmann before ya pointy eared boogits."

Ian knew burst firing the torpedoes was a risk, it allowed each tube to fire four torpedoes at once, but it tended to overload the launchers. It was a desperation move, as while the Challenger could take anything the Khranu could dish out, the Norexan-Class was a powerful ship and while a Trailblazer was not a weak ship by any means, it wasn't an Akira or a Sovereign either. The only way Challenger could breach the shields of the Khranu was to cheat and burst fire was like hiding a horseshoe inside your boxing glove, dirty, but very effective to an unsuspecting foe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[The Lounge - USS Challenger]

The calls for security had not gone unheard and two full squads arrived to assist in bringing order. Behind security came a full medial team led by Doctor Jessica Fellows, the Challenger's Chief Medial Officer.

"Lieutenant Davies triage. Lieutenant Buehler report!"

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

Captain Galloway's expression indicative that he didn't have the time to deal with the guests meant Nira had to deal with the guests herself. At least T'Lara will have her permission.

"Said to T'Lara, you have permission to take the injured to Sickbay," she replied. "But be careful, there's a good chance one or two of the attendees are infiltrators."

Well, given Thelal's and Nirreen's presence, it felt like a good precaution.

Upon hearing word that the other Vaxians are en route, Nira arose and said, "Well, then, time to go back to the party," said Nira. "Zhuk, you're with me."

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | The Lounge | Deck Eight | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Once back at the Lounge, Nira began thinking of what to do next. She could see Doctor Fellows had arrived to help. She still had the thought that there were more infiltrators. She approached T'Lara and said, "You're doing a good job here, Commander," she said. "But there's still a chance that there will be infiltrators among the Romulan delegation. We got two: the ringleader, Thelal, also the captain of that warbird, and a Tal Shiar agent. By the way, you should get a look at her sometime, she impersonated me back at the Tryka system, if you remember when Captain Tekin was framed and you proved his innocence. Now, excuse me a moment, I have some rooting out to do."

In spite of the tense crowd, the malestrom of emotions she's feeling, and the battle going on with the potential for quakes and spills, she approached the Vaxian representatives.

"What do you want now, Commander?" the Vaxian spokesman snapped.

"Just coming to let you know that you have a few more friends coming," said Nira. "Unless you're seeing what's going on outside."

"In those two ships?" the Vaxian sneered. "I'm not sure what you...would I know anybody aboard them?"

"Just the smaller one," said Nira. "And they're all Vaxians."

Not waiting to see the reactions of the Vaxians or anybody within earshot, but keeping a firm eye on the Vaxians, Nira continued, her voice a little louder.

"And, yes, we have them coming and they know what's going on, sneaking around us," said Nira, although she hoped the Vaxian crew the Mjolnir captured would; it was a bluff and she knew it.

"Then how do you account for the warbird?" snapped a Romulan. Nira looked at him and recognized the white flowing robe at once; it was identical to Nirreen's and so it meant that he could be another one of the deceased Doctor Sunik's aides...and it occurred to Nira that if the Tal Shiar knew about Sunik's condition, that would've made him easy to include some "aides" not knowing they were anything but.

"Because they know what the Vaxians know," said Nira, "And they don't want them finding out."

Nira then turned back to and kept staring intently at the Vaxians. One of them was bound to know at least, and either one of them or both or none will have to start feeling fearful, perhaps sweating nervously, by now. But Nira focused on them to see their reactions. They would have to be exceptionally brave if they didn't quail under Nira's cold, hard expression with those black eyes that would be equally cold.

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck 8 - The Lounge]

[The Lounge - USS Challenger]

The calls for security had not gone unheard and two full squads arrived to assist in bringing order. Behind security came a full medial team led by Doctor Jessica Fellows, the Challenger's Chief Medial Officer.

"Lieutenant Davies triage. Lieutenant Buehler report!"

Lahr was relieved to have actual security reinforcements arrive.  With a moment free, he contacted Ensign Jones - his superior for Damage Control Team One, reporting in his situation.

"Remain helping out at the Lounge.  So far, we have little to nothing to repair at the moment." she commented wryly, even as the ship shook under a barrage of more weapons fire that still didn't make it through the Point of Impact shielding.   Bless the Ferengi that came up with it!   She then made a gasping noise as the view from the Observation Lounge on Deck 2 - where DCT1 met - suddenly lit up with the explosive destruction of the smaller (Vaxian) ship.

"Damn..   she muttered in hushed amazement that the Challenger had let another ship be destroyed... though at least from her perspective this one was caused by the Khranu and not them this time.   Lahr had a similar view from his position 6 decks below.

"Yeah, just wait for it.. the Captain has a plan no doubt."   Lahr commented before  signed off the comm.   Moments later, as the Commander was arriving with Zhuk in tow, the view out the 'windows' inverted and Lahr grinned recognizing the Immelman maneuver from the Flying Tigers program.

"Give 'em hell, T'Kel!" the Andorian cheered on the Vulcan eight decks up.

NPC Lieutenant JG Chloe Davies, Head Nurse
[USS Challenger-A  - Deck 8 - The Lounge]

"Yes sir" Chloe acknowledged Dr. Fellows order to begin a triage of the patients being held in the Lounge.   She moved through the queue quickly, scanning each briefly, looking for serious medical conditions and assigning them to Dr. Fellows and other senior doctors' care immediately while those with barely bumps and bruises she had queue up once more to be seen by junior personnel.

Her attention was briefly caught by the goings on outside the ship when the explosions flared, but she quickly returned her attention to her task.  Not even the Commander's arrival and Nira's discussion with the Vaxian's kept her from completing her triage.

[Buehler]

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck 8 - The Lounge]
"You all heard the Lieutenant! Form an orderly line!"  Only after a few failed attempts to get past him did the crowd at the door dissipate.  Most moving to join the queue and hopefully get the opportunity to leave.

As Lahr dusted off his tux from his fall earlier, he looked to the young and pretty Ops petty officer, Clara Brown, the Lieutenant had tagged to contact the morgue.  She seemed flustered so he offered some assistance.

"Give a call down to Dr. Rashar.  He's our resident coroner, when he's not playing doctor during emergencies like this.  He might be busy but at least let him know that we will need a retrieval team to pick up the body and do a forensic scan."

Clara nodded appreciatively and made the call.  Lahr continued to stand guard over the door until someone more suited to the task was willing to take over, or he got word from one of the officers that the scientists could be released out of the Lounge.

[The Lounge - USS Challenger]

The calls for security had not gone unheard and two full squads arrived to assist in bringing order. Behind security came a full medical team led by Doctor Jessica Fellows, the Challenger's Chief Medical Officer.

"Lieutenant Davies, triage. Lieutenant Buehler, report!"

[Louge]

As a few additional crewmembers appeared out of the fog to help corral the masses, Evan was really able to get into a groove. Tuning out the bustle of noise around him, he focused on the patient in front of him, a young lass complaining of a bump to the head. A quick scan with the tricorder failed to show anything serious and a quick series of questions showed she still had her wits about her. "œI can see a small bruise starting to form on your temple," he told her, "œbut I think we can rule out a concussion for now. However, I would like you to check in with sickbay in a few days for a follow up, unless you start to feel worse. In that case, you should come see us immediately." The girl nodded timidly before going on her way.

Before the next person could step forward, they were suddenly interrupted by the arrival of the CMO and a team of fellow doctors. While Evan was beyond grateful for the reinforcement, the unexpected appearance of his boss sent a shiver down his spine. He knew the feeling was unnecessary and somewhat irrational, but he had a job to do.
"œWe've mostly been treating minor bumps and scrapes, Chief," Evan replied, arching a brow as he worked through his memory of what he had treated so far. "œWe've had one serious case of head trauma, as well as a scientist with a suspected bruised rib." What else... "œOh, we do have one fatality believed to be the result of digoxin poisoning." That more or less covered it, he thought, not wanting to add his own aching side to the list.

[T'Lara]

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

Captain Galloway's expression indicative that he didn't have the time to deal with the guests meant Nira had to deal with the guests herself. At least T'Lara will have her permission.

"Said to T'Lara, you have permission to take the injured to Sickbay," she replied. "But be careful, there's a good chance one or two of the attendees are infiltrators."

Well, given Thelal's and Nirreen's presence, it felt like a good precaution.

Upon hearing word that the other Vaxians are en route, Nira arose and said, "Well, then, time to go back to the party," said Nira. "Zhuk, you're with me."

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | The Lounge | Deck Eight | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Once back at the Lounge, Nira began thinking of what to do next. She could see Doctor Fellows had arrived to help. She still had the thought that there were more infiltrators. She approached T'Lara and said, "You're doing a good job here, Commander," she said. "But there's still a chance that there will be infiltrators among the Romulan delegation. We got two: the ringleader, Thelal, also the captain of that warbird, and a Tal Shiar agent. By the way, you should get a look at her sometime, she impersonated me back at the Tryka system, if you remember when Captain Tekin was framed and you proved his innocence. Now, excuse me a moment, I have some rooting out to do."

In spite of the tense crowd, the malestrom of emotions she's feeling, and the battle going on with the potential for quakes and spills, she approached the Vaxian representatives.

"What do you want now, Commander?" the Vaxian spokesman snapped.

"Just coming to let you know that you have a few more friends coming," said Nira. "Unless you're seeing what's going on outside."

"In those two ships?" the Vaxian sneered. "I'm not sure what you...would I know anybody aboard them?"

"Just the smaller one," said Nira. "And they're all Vaxians."

Not waiting to see the reactions of the Vaxians or anybody within earshot, but keeping a firm eye on the Vaxians, Nira continued, her voice a little louder.

"And, yes, we have them coming and they know what's going on, sneaking around us," said Nira, although she hoped the Vaxian crew the Mjolnir captured would; it was a bluff and she knew it.

"Then how do you account for the warbird?" snapped a Romulan. Nira looked at him and recognized the white flowing robe at once; it was identical to Nirreen's and so it meant that he could be another one of the deceased Doctor Sunik's aides...and it occurred to Nira that if the Tal Shiar knew about Sunik's condition, that would've made him easy to include some "aides" not knowing they were anything but.

"Because they know what the Vaxians know," said Nira, "And they don't want them finding out."

Nira then turned back to and kept staring intently at the Vaxians. One of them was bound to know at least, and either one of them or both or none will have to start feeling fearful, perhaps sweating nervously, by now. But Nira focused on them to see their reactions. They would have to be exceptionally brave if they didn't quail under Nira's cold, hard expression with those black eyes that would be equally cold.

[Lounge - USS Challenger - A]

It was pleasing to see that they were finally receiving the help they needed, and T'Lara spent the next few minutes receiving some reports from security personnel, most of them being given out of habit. With the presence of the CMO, the medical personnel were reporting to her. There was finally a sense of structure. The science officer found herself fitting back into her old role of supervising the goings on. That is, until Commander Said entered the room with the Caitian security ensign she had yet to formally meet. Maybe she would finally get an update on what was happening on this ship.

Meeting up with Nira, she listened and gave a nod. T'Lara had an idea of what she should be looking for already, but having it spelled out for her didn't hurt. The comment about Nira's doppelganger was interesting, but not surprising. The Vulcan had experienced plenty of similar games in her day; the ability of toying with emotions and morals through use of clones or lookalikes, and the exploration of parallel universes. Presence of the uncanny never ceased to elevate unwanted reactions. She would keep a wary eye out, and it was helpful that they had full security now in case the Romulans decided to try anything.

[Zhukdrashar Mrekrerhas]

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

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian gave Nira an irritated look that said "Deal with the guests" without saying a word as he simply didn't have time for it as CatalÁ¡n reported.

"Sir, the Mjolnir reports they've transported six Vaxians aboard."

"Thank you Commander."

Ian then began issuing new instructions.

"Okay Hector, time ta see how good an actor you are. When Khranu comes about, come ta 147 mark 20, but be sloppy about it."

"Sir?"

"I want us ta look damaged and slewin' about like a wounded boar, rather than a crisp smooth turn, let her shudder a bit."

"Won't that expose the freighter to fire?"

"Aye Lad, good eye! That's the point, I want ta distract them by givin' them a wee bit of bait for what I want ta do next."

"Understood Sir."

It was at that moment that Ian got the word he'd be waiting for since the attack started.

"T'Kel to Bridge. All torpedoes scanned and logged. The count is 117."

"Thank you Commander."

Ian smiled ferally as the Khranu began her run.

"Now Hector!"

The Challenger lurched through her turn like a drunken sailor and while some of Khranu's fire spattered across the Federation ship's shields, the bulk of the weapons hit the fleeing freighter. The Vaxian ship actually bent in the middle as the shields flared and the plasma torpedoes brought the freighter to a halt, leaving it a shattered hulk.

Espada's turn had left the Challenger pointed away from the Khranu and Ian called out.

"Helm, inclination up ninety degrees and carry through until we're inverted, then roll us level.

"Tactical, as soon as we're level fire every bloody thing ta include a full spread of burst fire quantums."

As the crew replied with a chorus of "Aye Sirs", Ian waited his eyes narrowed like a hawk about ta strike and he said softly.

"Bet ye have nae seen an Immelmann before ya pointy eared boogits."

Ian knew burst firing the torpedoes was a risk, it allowed each tube to fire four torpedoes at once, but it tended to overload the launchers. It was a desperation move, as while the Challenger could take anything the Khranu could dish out, the Norexan-Class was a powerful ship and while a Trailblazer was not a weak ship by any means, it wasn't an Akira or a Sovereign either. The only way Challenger could breach the shields of the Khranu was to cheat and burst fire was like hiding a horseshoe inside your boxing glove, dirty, but very effective to an unsuspecting foe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[The Lounge - USS Challenger]

The calls for security had not gone unheard and two full squads arrived to assist in bringing order. Behind security came a full medial team led by Doctor Jessica Fellows, the Challenger's Chief Medical Officer.

"Lieutenant Davies triage. Lieutenant Buehler report!"

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

Captain Galloway's expression indicative that he didn't have the time to deal with the guests meant Nira had to deal with the guests herself. At least T'Lara will have her permission.

"Said to T'Lara, you have permission to take the injured to Sickbay," she replied. "But be careful, there's a good chance one or two of the attendees are infiltrators."

Well, given Thelal's and Nirreen's presence, it felt like a good precaution.

Upon hearing word that the other Vaxians are en route, Nira arose and said, "Well, then, time to go back to the party," said Nira. "Zhuk, you're with me."

As T'Kel managed to get an accurate count of the torpedoes remaining, Zhukdra'shar saw in awe as the ship was skillfully maneuvered by Lieutenant Hector Espada, under Captain Galloway's orders. He took a moment to determine what was the plan, as the Khranu was seemingly given the advantage at this point in time, but soon enough, it was all revealed, with the apparent name of this maneuver being an Immelmann. Peculiar.

It did help to seemingly give the Challenger an edge, if a momentary one, considering that the Khranu was still a powerful vessel on its own, and could certainly give the Challenger a bad time. But he was confident on the Captain, and the rest of the officer's experience. When he got prepared to fire the torpedoes, however, he was caught with an unexpected development: he was summoned to follow by Lieutenant Commander Said.

Allowing T'Kel to fully take over, he nodded, dutifully joining Nira in aiding the Security team on dealing with the current happenings of the Lounge.

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | The Lounge | Deck Eight | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Once back at the Lounge, Nira began thinking of what to do next. She could see Doctor Fellows had arrived to help. She still had the thought that there were more infiltrators. She approached T'Lara and said, "You're doing a good job here, Commander," she said. "But there's still a chance that there will be infiltrators among the Romulan delegation. We got two: the ringleader, Thelal, also the captain of that warbird, and a Tal Shiar agent. By the way, you should get a look at her sometime, she impersonated me back at the Tryka system, if you remember when Captain Tekin was framed and you proved his innocence. Now, excuse me a moment, I have some rooting out to do."

In spite of the tense crowd, the malestrom of emotions she's feeling, and the battle going on with the potential for quakes and spills, she approached the Vaxian representatives.

"What do you want now, Commander?" the Vaxian spokesman snapped.

"Just coming to let you know that you have a few more friends coming," said Nira. "Unless you're seeing what's going on outside."

"In those two ships?" the Vaxian sneered. "I'm not sure what you...would I know anybody aboard them?"

"Just the smaller one," said Nira. "And they're all Vaxians."

Not waiting to see the reactions of the Vaxians or anybody within earshot, but keeping a firm eye on the Vaxians, Nira continued, her voice a little louder.

"And, yes, we have them coming and they know what's going on, sneaking around us," said Nira, although she hoped the Vaxian crew the Mjolnir captured would; it was a bluff and she knew it.

"Then how do you account for the warbird?" snapped a Romulan. Nira looked at him and recognized the white flowing robe at once; it was identical to Nirreen's and so it meant that he could be another one of the deceased Doctor Sunik's aides...and it occurred to Nira that if the Tal Shiar knew about Sunik's condition, that would've made him easy to include some "aides" not knowing they were anything but.

"Because they know what the Vaxians know," said Nira, "And they don't want them finding out."

Nira then turned back to and kept staring intently at the Vaxians. One of them was bound to know at least, and either one of them or both or none will have to start feeling fearful, perhaps sweating nervously, by now. But Nira focused on them to see their reactions. They would have to be exceptionally brave if they didn't quail under Nira's cold, hard expression with those black eyes that would be equally cold.

[Ensign Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | The Lounge | Deck Eight | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

The journey to The Lounge was uneventful, but their arrival seemed to be rather important, considering that things were currently quite chaotic. After informing Commander T'Lara about the potential presence of more infiltrators besides Nireen and Thelal, Zhuk squinted his eyes and began to look around for any suspicious behavior. An ear, though, remained pivoted towards Nira, picking up the information to fill in the blanks as to what Nireen had done. Truly devious. It did made him wonder why she had tried pulling off a similar plan with the Challenger, though.

As she approached the Vaxians, Zhuk remained with her, not speaking a word, however, he did seek to prove a tad intimidating by crossing his arms and staring down the group, showing the faintest hint of his own teeth, especially his slightly-larger than average upper canines.

Things seemed to be progressing well, as Nira proved to be far more scary than Zhuk was at that point in time. He was confident that if the Vaxians knew anything, they would spill the beans sooner than later. That said, a Romulan did seem to butt in the conversation, which caused Zhuk to shift his attention towards him instead of the Vaxians, staring him down as he did find his clothing to be rather similar to what Nireen was using.

He wondered if he would attempt to pull something.