S:5 E:14 - Conflict of Interest

[Kaniehtiio Denton]

[USS Challenger-A | Tiio Denton]

The Security Chief had made a mistake by provoking the pilot. Even more so since she found herself with idle time as the ship traveled to its next point. While she was confident she could stand a chance squaring off with the Onlie, he had wanted to play games; to make jokes during less-than-ideal times. It was hardly the first time Tiio had dealt with such, but the first she'd dealt with since joining Starfleet. Elva had certainly characterized her older sister in a way that would lead the Security Chief to think she took herself entirely too seriously. What her little sister had probably forgotten to mention was how ingeniously retaliatory Tiio could be when it came to practical joking.

After checking in with Elva, who had commented on the display her sister had put on with bringing the Jyn Vessel in, and learning of the Commander's position serving on the Bridge, the idle pilot glanced out the window overlooking the shuttle bay and immediately formed a counteroffensive in her head, causing a sly grin to come to her face.

Making her way down to the docked shuttles, she'd doffed the EV suit but had left the mag boots on, knowing they would be needed but probably overlooked. Holding a PADD and looking very much like any other junior officer doing maintenance and inventory checks on the small vessels, she entered through the back of one, closing the hatch behind her before approaching the small transporter unit affixed in the rear of each. Having studied the Challenger's plans well, it didn't take her long to locate Commander Mackenizen's quarters on the deck plans. Setting the transporter up for a 'routine diagnostic test', Tiio would only have five minutes to do what she'd planned.

Stretching her neck by quickly swinging her head back and forth, the Ensign activated the diagnostic test, focused on herself, and dematerialized in a shimmer"¦

"¦So this was Commander Kyan's quarters. They were much better than hers, even before she'd taken the necessary step of downgrading to share a double-room setup with Elva. Her sister had made the mistake of talking about her Chief's exuberance when it came to his collection of 1701 Action Figures, so it didn't take her more than a second or two to spot them displayed proudly on a shelf. What she did take special notice of was just how Kyan had arranged things to make it easier for his short-statured Onlie body to reach. While Tiio wasn't terribly tall herself, she'd worn the mag-boots for a reason.

The first step was to gather all but specifically two of the Commander's Action Figure collection before activating the boots and taking a quick walk up the wall next to the tall stack of inset shelves. Crouching as she neared the ceiling while oriented horizontally, Tiio placed all of the Klingons and most of the 1701 Crew sitting atop the highest items she could. If nothing else, Kyan would have to build a tower of furniture to reach them, but that was nothing compared to the 'piÁ¨ce de rÁ©sistance' of her counteroffensive prank.

Coming back down the wall, she snickered as she looked at the Kirk and Spock figures she'd left alone on the shelf. It only took her a few moments to pose each action figure in the necessary postures before finally balancing them against each other front and center on Kyan's prized display area. While never substantiated, but often joked about in some way, the plastic Spock was cradling a dipped Kirk in his loving embrace, with the two's faces pressed together as if sharing an intimate kiss. Ensuring they would hold the inflammatory posture, Tiio's chronometer chimed its warning as she took a step back to admire her work just before the shuttle's transporter beamed her back into its hold.

Marking the system off as being good, Tiio was grinning as she exited the shuttle, knowing for certain she would hear about the Security Chief's shock when he finally made it back to his quarters. While he may not know immediately who had committed such a crime against his prized collection, Tiio knew it wouldn't take much for him to discover it had been her. She didn't care. He'd brought it upon himself with that playful shot back on the Satra. Securing the shuttle before heading back up to the control room to relax and wait for orders once again, the woman muttered to herself, "Your move, Commander"¦" He'd started a war with an enemy he clearly had underestimated"¦

[USS Challenger-A | Deck 9 | Armory | Elva Denton]

"¦Momentarily puzzled by her sister's very brief communication, Elva didn't have time to think about it as the Chief of Security suddenly came over her comms, telling her and the Lieutenant she was standing next to to report to the Armory. She was quick to tap her commbadge and respond back, "Aye, aye, Chief," before quickly moving off to arrive, hopefully, before the Onlie. Offering the Caitian superior officer a surprised look and a dismissive shrug, she followed Zhuk to the Turbolift to take the short trip down to Deck Nine before moving off to the Armory.

Upon their arrival, which Elva certainly let the officer enter first given she hadn't the credentials to just come and go from such a secure area as she pleased, they found that quite a few Security Members had been called in for this, with all seemingly getting geared up for service. Glancing at the Caitian Officer for a moment, the young Cadet stepped over to snatch up one of the smaller protective vests, tossing it over her head before securing it in place around her torso. There was clear excitement on her face as she pulled one of the Type-3 Phaser Rifles from the rack and quickly checked it to make sure it was primed and ready to wield.

Kitted up, Elva looked back over to Lieutenant Mrekrerhas to inquire, "What'cha think the Chief has planned for us?" knowing, of anyone, the Caitian would probably have some clue. He'd already proven to be a perfect example of an officer to model herself after, and someone to look to for guidance in even the most hectic or unusual of times.

[Feel Free to Use Elva as Needed. If you'd like me to write her, just let me know, but she is meant to be a 'Free Use' NPC so there's not a need for my input.]

[Zhukdrashar Mrekrerhas]

[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Armory | Deck Nine | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

[Lt. Commander Kyan Mackenzie | Bridge | Jyn vessel Satra]
~ Later, back on Challlenger...

Kyan nodded. "Aye boss. I'll go get'em ready."

Of course he'd be taking Zhuk, and probably Koroz too. And since it wasn't a sure bet that there'd be trouble... he figured Eva Dentom could do with some wet feet herself. He tapped his com badge. Mackenzie tae Mrekrerhas and Cadet Denton. Meet me in the armory.

With that he turned over the tactical console and made for the lift.

[USS Challenger-A | Deck 9 | Armory | Elva Denton]

"¦Momentarily puzzled by her sister's very brief communication, Elva didn't have time to think about it as the Chief of Security suddenly came over her comms, telling her and the Lieutenant she was standing next to to report to the Armory. She was quick to tap her commbadge and respond back, "Aye, aye, Chief," before quickly moving off to arrive, hopefully, before the Onlie. Offering the Caitian superior officer a surprised look and a dismissive shrug, she followed Zhuk to the Turbolift to take the short trip down to Deck Nine before moving off to the Armory.

Upon their arrival, which Elva certainly let the officer enter first given she hadn't the credentials to just come and go from such a secure area as she pleased, they found that quite a few Security Members had been called in for this, with all seemingly getting geared up for service. Glancing at the Caitian Officer for a moment, the young Cadet stepped over to snatch up one of the smaller protective vests, tossing it over her head before securing it in place around her torso. There was clear excitement on her face as she pulled one of the Type-3 Phaser Rifles from the rack and quickly checked it to make sure it was primed and ready to wield.

Kitted up, Elva looked back over to Lieutenant Mrekrerhas to inquire, "What'cha think the Chief has planned for us?" knowing, of anyone, the Caitian would probably have some clue. He'd already proven to be a perfect example of an officer to model herself after, and someone to look to for guidance in even the most hectic or unusual of times.

[Feel Free to Use Elva as Needed. If you'd like me to write her, just let me know, but she is meant to be a 'Free Use' NPC so there's not a need for my input.]

Zhukdra'shar found himself craving a drink, even if it was not with a pretty Jyn 'pirate' Captain. Of course, because he was still on duty, he opted for an alcohol-free drink. His choice? A Cookies n' Cream milkshake. Ever since he had gone over to San Francisco to study at Starfleet Academy, he had been introduced to several food items that he had become enamored with. But those that held a special place in his heart were pizza and milkshakes.

The cheesy goodness of a slice of pizza was unparalleled, with its tasty flavor that mixed tomato, bread, and all sorts of simply scrumptious ingredients that created a burst of flavor in his mouth every time he had one. And that creamy goodness of a milkshake, oh my gosh. He of course preferred the natural thing made with real ingredients, nothing could top that. It would be hard to make him admit it, however.

It seemed as if the milkshake would need to wait, just as he was about to propose it to Cadet Denton, as his ears flicked at receiving a set of orders from Kyan. He immediately responded on his comm-badge, "Acknowledged, Commander Lieutenant Mackenzie. I shalt head there at once."

To Elva's gestures, he could only shrug back, as he did not expect to be called into action so soon. He took the lead, however, heading over to the Turbolift, and instructing it to take them to Deck 9, the Armory. Once they arrived, Zhuk moved in first once more, allowing her entry into the secure area, though he was surprised to gaze upon a rather bustling nest of activity, with several Security Officers gearing up. At her gaze, he motioned over to the wall that held the Type-3 Phaser Rifles. She was quick to get ready, with Zhuk only limiting himself to acquiring his own Type-3 for himself.

He activated it, and slung it over his shoulder, before taking a look over at Cadet Denton, nodding as she showed expertise with readying her own weapon. At her question, he hummed for a moment. He hadn't been outright told what was transpiring, of course, but he had a pretty good guess about what was happening.

"Well, Cadet Denton, I believe that we are about to obtain the piece of the puzzle I alluded to before. I do think that we have located the USS Burke, and now we are being sent to determine what caused it to send a distress call. I am somewhat surprised though, that they have gathered so many of us to investigate. Must be a large ship, in that case... or the Captain may be expecting resistance within. We may also be required to escort the Engineering team for it to return to operational levels. No matter, we shalt be successful."

He stated, with a clear decision. He was glad he had inquired before about their mission here within the Ioto Thelonis IX. It was good to know what they may be facing in the near future.

"Now, I expect you to carry on with confidence as you did today in Sickbay. Understood?"

Elva proceeded to offer a small smile and a nod, "Yes Sir!"

"Excellent. Now, let us determine what other information may Lieutenant Commander Mackenzie offer to us."

[Cole Shepard]

"Mister Shepard. You're ta be ready for hard maneuverin'. I'm nae so sure where the trouble will come from, but if'n happen, it will happen quickly."

Helm, take us in, full impulse.

"Understood, Captain." Cole said.

As he entered the new coordinates, he could feel his heart starting to race. His pulse quicken. He hadn't thought he'd be in such a situation so soon out of the Academy. But this was what he had been trained for.

The ship spun on it's axis and began the journey to their destination.

[Nira Said]

[ Satra ---> USS Challenger - Bridge ]

Despite their efforts to double check everything, nothing new was found on his next rotation. No outlying crates or other energy signatures caught his interest. Aside from everything floating around from the ship-damage, the most abnormal thing on the ship was the new Ensigns choice of fashion and announcement over comms. After reporting in once again to Nira, the group beamed back to allow the Satra to be docked.

Though the findings of the Kemocite were interesting, it didn't answer many questions. With that, they would have no choice but to release the Jyn. Though the man hadn't gotten much from the Captain, even hearing her speak, he didn't imagine this would be the end of it. After all, they were here to investigate possible Jyn pirates, and here they were facing them down with nothing to show for it.

Returning to the bridge for the remainder of his shift, he reclaimed his console with a thanks to the Lieutenant, and the Challenger resumed on her way. As his gaze fell over the scans that came in during his absence, nothing piqued his interest. Fingers gliding across he screen, he brought up his earlier configuration, which allowed him to both monitor the scans while filtering through them for anything abnormal, and ignoring everything else. They could finally focus on locating the Burke, or so he thought before another hail came to the bridge.

This one, unlike the others wasn't a distress signal or a choppy-interference laden message. Unfortunately, it was from the leader of this system. Sucking in a breath, Jettis immediately began searching through the scans more avidly. The news that the Klingons were sending reinforcements wasn't something he wanted to hear. Though their anger should be directed toward the Jyn this supposed 'violation' of the treaty was sure to instigate some trouble for them. Once the communication was closed, he confirmed Galloway's command, and increased the scan levels a bit so he could search for anything out of the ordinary.

After a long few minutes of nothing, and cranking the scans up further, Jettis once again piped up. "Sir, I found Burke. Her power systems are offline though..." His brow furrowed, letting that announcement sink in before continuing. "The ship is near Ioto Thelonis IX. That's as much as I can pick up about it from this distance, no signs of other ships nearby."

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian perked up at Jettis' report. The whole thing between the Klingons and the Jyn, amplified by Governor Kras had left him feeling decidedly conflicted, especially as he technically didn't have the authority to do anything about the situation.

"Excellent Mr Jyur! Helm, take us in, full impulse. Tactical, keep us at yellow alert with shields up. Someone attacked the Burke and I'd nae like us ta follow in her footsteps. Mister MacKenzie, I want three security teams ready ta beam over as soon as we're in transporter range."

He then tapped his combadge.

"Engineerin' and medical, stand by with away teams for rescue and recovery."

Kyan nodded. "Aye boss. I'll go get'em ready."

Of course he'd be taking Zhuk, and probably Koroz too. And since it wasn't a sure bet that there'd be trouble... he figured Eva Dentom could do with some wet feet herself. He tapped his com badge. Mackenzie tae Mrekrerhas and Cadet Denton. Meet me in the armory.

With that he turned over the tactical console and made for the lift.

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

As the Challenger proceeded, in a course to head for the Burke, Nira had been contemplating which team to lead when they get to the Burke. Her mind was still buzzing in regard to the Klingons, but the buzzing was moved to the background. But then, she perked up as Aarwendil called in, Commander Catalan having gone to his quarters for a sonic shower and change of uniform. There was a new distress call was detected on the Ops station. It was in audio, so Nira could hear the voices of desperation when Aarwendil put it on.

"œThis is is station.... Iota Thelonis IX. We are .... attack ...... shields are ..... Request immediate ..... Repeating..."

But then the distress call got cut off. Nira narrowed her eyes, suspicion warming up. When Aarwendil indicated that the transmission was being deliberately jammed, Nira's suspicions were aroused significantly. "Where was this, Ensign?" Nira asked.

The call was of Jyn Faisha origin, and it was from a station orbiting Iota Thelonis IX. Nira hummed in pondering. A Jyn Faisha station, when the Jyn were reputed to be wanderers? It had been clear to Nira that the Jyn were mining kemocite. This had to be the mine.

"What are we going to do, Captain?" Nira asked Captain Galloway. "I know we have to find the Burke, but these people...I think this is where the Jyn are getting their kemocite, but somebody's preying on them..."

Her investigative mind was rolling, and she said, "With your permission, Captain, I'd like to take some officers on the Mjolnir and investigate this matter. That way, you and the rest of the ship can keep on going to help the Burke."

She waited to see what Captain Galloway would say. She wondered if he would accept the idea or not, given the situation with the Klingons.

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck Twelve - Upper Engineering Support Area]

After a much-needed break from being on call to do repairs during Alert, Lahr returned to his usual work station tucked away in the far back corner of Deck 12.  He glanced to his personalized name plate attached to his station and smiled.  Power Overlord.  It had a nice ring to it.

As he settled into his chair, squirming once or two to get comfortable, he wondered if he could sneak replicator time to make himself a nice automated back-massager or maybe those beaded-seat covers?  Hmm.... maybe.

[Abas Th'vyrrol]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]
"Engineerin' and medical, stand by with away teams for rescue and recovery."

[Sickbay]

Since the crew of the waylaid vessel had left, things had been a battle of hurry-up-and-wait in the sickbay. The crew was still on an alert status, and there was a defined tension in the air. The surgery had apparently been completed, and the ship was back under power toward wherever they were heading. Some of that had started to deflate when the room chimed as a message from the Captain filtered in.

With the instructions, all eyes turned to the CMO, who quickly indicated a number of the staff to form up the away team. PO3 T'Varn, Ensign Nathaniel Rashar, one of the other doctors, and Abas himself rounding out the team. A small crew of four, if properly equipped, could likely handle anything they came across - or at least stabilize enough to get further crew onboard or return to the Challenger.

The Sickbay team indicated their ready status, and headed to the transporter room just in case they needed to get somewhere in a hurry.

[Ian Galloway]

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

As the Challenger proceeded, in a course to head for the Burke, Nira had been contemplating which team to lead when they get to the Burke. Her mind was still buzzing in regard to the Klingons, but the buzzing was moved to the background. But then, she perked up as Aarwendil called in, Commander Catalan having gone to his quarters for a sonic shower and change of uniform. There was a new distress call was detected on the Ops station. It was in audio, so Nira could hear the voices of desperation when Aarwendil put it on.

"œThis is is station.... Iota Thelonis IX. We are .... attack ...... shields are ..... Request immediate ..... Repeating..."

But then the distress call got cut off. Nira narrowed her eyes, suspicion warming up. When Aarwendil indicated that the transmission was being deliberately jammed, Nira's suspicions were aroused significantly. "Where was this, Ensign?" Nira asked.

The call was of Jyn Faisha origin, and it was from a station orbiting Iota Thelonis IX. Nira hummed in pondering. A Jyn Faisha station, when the Jyn were reputed to be wanderers? It had been clear to Nira that the Jyn were mining kemocite. This had to be the mine.

"What are we going to do, Captain?" Nira asked Captain Galloway. "I know we have to find the Burke, but these people...I think this is where the Jyn are getting their kemocite, but somebody's preying on them..."

Her investigative mind was rolling, and she said, "With your permission, Captain, I'd like to take some officers on the Mjolnir and investigate this matter. That way, you and the rest of the ship can keep on going to help the Burke."

She waited to see what Captain Galloway would say. She wondered if he would accept the idea or not, given the situation with the Klingons.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian winced when yet another distress signal came in as it seemed like this entire sector had chosen this very day to come apart at the scene. He listened to Nira's suggestion, which was basically a good idea, but he had an different take on how it should be implemented.

"The Mjolnir, is a braw brawler, but she's no match for a starship, nae even a wee one. As the Burke is driftin', odds are she's either completely dead in the water or abandoned. This station is under attack and still resistin' that means ta me, there are still people ta save. Here is what we will do. We'll send the Mjolnir ta investigate the Burke, the Challenger will head for the station."

Ian turned toward the science station.

"Lieutenant Jyur, you will command the Mjolnir. You will need a pilot, take two medical and two engineers with you. Launch as soon as you are ready and Godspeed Lad."

Turning toward the helm, Ian added.

"Mister Shepard, full impulse ta Iota Thelonis IX. Commander, assemble your away team, go heavy with security, medical, and engineers. The attackers may still be there and if'n they're Klingons, as they are likely ta be, be ready for a fight."

[Jettis Jyur]

[ USS Challenger - Bridge ]

As the ship raced towards the Burke, the announcement of yet another hail incoming made Jettis wince. It felt like someone was playing bingo with worst case scenarios. Only a matter of time before they had five in a row. Pulling up his readings, his eyes scanned, identifying the deliberate jamming once again. Either the Klingons were as dumb as bread and chose to launch another attack right in front of the Challenger, or whoever had stranded the Burke was feeling especially ambitious today.

As Galloway turned to address him, Jyur gave a nod of affirmation. "Aye, Kapitan." There wasn't a moment to waste - if they had lost life support and were adrift, there was no telling what state they would be found in. Swiftly, his fingers moved across the screen to pull up a crew roster, followed by swiftly tapping his commbadge.

"Lieutenant Jyur to Ensign Denton, please report to the main Shuttlebay and prepare the Delta flyer MjÁ¶lnir for launch within 20 minutes. We shouldn't have a fight on our hands, but we will need to get there in a hurry. I will elaborate further when I get down there, Jyur out."

As he relayed his message, his eyes finished scanning his list, and with that he logged himself out and gave a nod to N'Jeer to take over for him. With that, he strode to the turbolift, tapping his combadge once again.  "Commander Tharn, Ensign Cordon, Lieutenant Davies, Petty Officer T'ealc. Please report to the main shuttlebay for an away team as quickly as possible, within 20 minutes. Prepare for heavy ship damage and many casualties, equip yourselves with type two phasers as a precaution."

[ USS Challenger - Shuttlebay ]

The brief stopover to retrieve two phasers still left Jettis as the first to arrive at the Shuttlebay. The Burke, more or less appeared to be in one piece, and at least had not suffered a major breach. As such he had opted to forgo a full vac suit, but was curious if the Ensign would opt for one as caution once again.

When the woman would emerge from her work, Jettis offered the phaser. "Ensign, how are we on preparations?"

[Kaniehtiio Denton]

[USS Challenger-A | Deck 10 -> Deck 9 | Shuttlebay Control -> Armory]

"Lieutenant Jyur to Ensign Denton, please report to the main Shuttlebay and prepare the Delta flyer MjÁ¶lnir for launch within 20 minutes. We shouldn't have a fight on our hands, but we will need to get there in a hurry. I will elaborate further when I get down there, Jyur out."

Tiio's posture of having her ankles crossed and feet propped up on the edge of the console didn't change as her commbadge bleeped and the Lieutenant's voice came through. Listening to the orders, it wasn't until Jettis suggested they 'shouldn't' have to be ready for a fight that the woman's eyebrow raised in concern. She knew better than to ask him outright, but even mentioning such was cursing them to have to face such. Glancing at the chronometer around her wrist, she was about to answer back when Jyur quickly bleeped out. Offering a silent shrug instead, she thought twenty minutes was an exceptionally long time, but she now had to make a quick stop along the way.

Swinging her feet off the console, she put a hand on the Petty Officer's shoulder as she leaned down to casually order him, "Can you move the"¦" but was left with the look of the word in her head without the tongue to say it. Shaking it off quickly, the officer continued, "...the Delta Flyer out to be ready to launch? Thanks," with a firm pat on the man's shoulder before heading off out of Shuttlebay Control. She'd only been there because they had the comfiest chairs she had access to in an area where she could 'officially' be considered 'on-duty' anyway.

Luckily, the Armory was only one deck up and was conveniently located almost directly above by way of a set of stairs. Even with twenty minutes being a lengthy amount of time in her mind, Tiio did hustle up the stairs, knowing it was going to take a good bit of hustling to get the Petty Officer in the Armory to allow her to sign one out. It might have been the casual confidence she showed or the way she quickly rattled off a bunch of regulations about 'expedited mission circumstances' which may or may not have been factual, but soon she was strolling onward to the Turbolift with a rifle strapped to her back, signed for by her, to take a ride down several decks to the Main Shuttlebay...

[USS Challenger-A | Deck 19 | Main Shuttlebay]

"¦Stepping into the Main Shuttlebay, Tiio grinned as she saw the"¦Delta Flyer sitting right where she'd wanted it. Walking right up to the back, since it had thankfully been set nose towards the shuttlebay airlock - which wasn't always a given depending on who was manning Shuttlebay Control - Tiio hit the control to open the rear hatch and stepped in to start her pre-flight checks, not that she was concerned she'd find any issues.

As the most recent addition to the Flight Control Team and the most junior of the Officers in the department, supervising and double-checking the readiness of all of Challenger's various shuttlecraft fell on her shoulders, and she'd had been made to do the checks and file the reports every day since reporting from Starbase 153. While sure she would find no problems with the shuttlecraft, there were always a few things to ready before a trip, and, given what the Lieutenant had said, a few settings adjustments to make. Hence why, just as she started, she was surprised to notice the Lieutenant emerging onto the Main Shuttlebay Deck far earlier than she had expected. Getting up quickly to emerge from the back of the shuttle, Tiio had forgotten to stow the rifle that was draped across her back, but not in any way concealed.

When the woman would emerge from her work, Jettis offered the phaser. "Ensign, how are we on preparations?"

One didn't need to be a Betazoid to notice the woman was a little surprised by the Lieutenant's hasty appearance. Glancing at him, and then down to the offered Type-2 Phaser, Tiio's right hand came down to rest on the one holstered on her hip as her eyes came back up to meet Jettis' gaze. "...As expected," she answered, which wasn't a lie but certainly wasn't illuminating in any way. The moment of silence that followed was short, though the awkwardness certainly made it seem longer before she was able to comment, "I still have the one from when I went to move the Satra earlier. 'Primary Shuttle Pilot Duty'," she offered with a shrug before turning back towards the hatch of the Delta Flyer; as if that was enough to explain why she already had the weapon strapped to her hip.

Tiio said nothing about the rifle strapped across her back as she seemed by all appearances to be returning to continue her pre-flight checks as if nothing was amiss and they just were waiting on the other Away Team members to arrive.

[Jettis Jyur]

[ USS Challenger - Main Shuttlebay ]

Jettis' gaze scanned from Denton, to the phaser, to the rifle, and back. A few moments of silence passed, as Jettis pursed his lips, brows twitching up. The surprise at the flight officer's not one, but two phasers made her first statement glaze past him. He wasn't sure which factor to address first, the apparent lack of a start on preparations, or the phaser rifle she had somehow procured. Before he'd even had time to collect himself and respond, she'd already vanished back inside the MjÁ¶nir without waiting for him to speak.

Ah, one of those new recruits. He stood still for a moment longer, before deciding to give himself a few moments to parse his thoughts. Rather than immediately calling her again, he twisted on his heel to return the now-extra phaser to the locker within the shuttle bay. The deep breaths he took on the way there and back unfortunately didn't seem to help much.

Returning to the MjÁ¶lnir, he stared blankly at the open hatch. "Ensign Denton, step out here for a moment." He gave her ample time to halt whatever checks she was doing to do so, hopefully with a bit more haste than usual.
"I'm going to ask a few questions before I decide whether or not to brief you on the mission, I'd like you to only answer the questions I ask, if you would." While the words themselves were foreboding his voice was more casual out loud than it was in his head.

"Firstly and perhaps most pressingly, why the f[spoiler]lol[/spoiler] do you have a phaser rifle while performing routine pre-flight checks?"

He paused, giving her a moment to stammer for an answer to the accusatory question. It was unlikely that any of the answers she had would qualify as good necessarily, but at least knowing what her thought process was might shed some light. Given her earlier incident with the flight suit, it seemed she was a precautionist. Always attempting to be one step ahead of the danger and having a tool in her pocket to solve the problem. It was admirable, and a quality he liked. That is, it would've been if said precaution wasn't an ensign barely aboard a week, checking out a phaser rifle without learning what the situation was.

"Now, I applaud your readiness for duty, however I only asked you to prepare the shuttle for an away team, you haven't given me the chance to ask you to be on it yet." He couldn't fault her assumption, it was logical enough, but one didn't just operate on assumptions. "I said I would be down to elaborate further with the details, and from that point on you could suggest that perhaps type three phasers might be more appropriate gear. As it stands you currently have a phaser rifle without orders, without reasonable cause."

He let that sink in, though he had a feeling that it wasn't going to, before continuing. "Now, second question - what is the name of the officer who gave you this rifle? I'll need to have a conversation with them after this. Especially on ensuring all personnel who requisition T3s have the necessary knowledge of protocol beforehand." It can be so easy to assume that everyone on the ship knows what they're doing simply because they're here. Unfortunately easy was sloppy, that would need to be addressed.

"To be honest, I don't really have the energy, or the time to address walking away before I've even briefed you. I will however take the phaser rifle now, thank you. You can however keep your type 2 phaser." The request was punctuated by his moving to accept the rifle, provided she willingly handed it over without throwing a fit. "Any questions before I continue?"

[Cole Shepard]

[Bridge]

"Mister Shepard, full impulse ta Iota Thelonis IX."

Cole entered the appropriate coordinates and, once again, felt the Challenger make the adjustments. He then slightly held his breathe as he waited for the science officer to make the choice for his away team. He then released it when he heard him call for another pilot. It wasn't that he didn't want to join an away team. He was just happy to be where he was for now.

[Kaniehtiio Denton]

[USS Challenger-A | Deck 19 | Main Shuttlebay]

Hearing her name being called, Tiio stopped in place as she had just dialed in one of the numerous adjustments she knew would help fulfill the mission objective of getting to wherever he wanted to as quickly as the shuttlecraft would allow. Taking in a deep breath, already knowing this interruption was only going to delay things longer, she pushed herself up out of the pilot's chair and made her way back through the Delta Flyer to stop in front of the Lieutenant.

While she probably should have shifted some more formal posture, the Ensign seemed to just stand relaxed as she answered, "Yes, L.T.?" His instructions seemed fairly clear, so she kept quiet, just staring at the man, as she waited for him to ask a question.

"Firstly and perhaps most pressingly, why the f[spoiler]lol[/spoiler] do you have a phaser rifle while performing routine pre-flight checks?"

While some might be bothered by the officer's use of language, it paled in comparison to the slurs her father had hurled his children's directions when they were first learning their laundry list of responsibilities on their family ship. As he paused after, the woman's head twitched slightly as if asking the question was more offensive than his choice of language. Appraising him briefly with her eyes, Tiio's answer came almost too casually, "It is against Starfleet Regulations to leave a weapon unsecured." as if it was an answer the Lieutenant should have already known. If that was the question he had, Tiio had no issues answering it, even if it seemed like a ridiculous question to ask.

"Now, I applaud your readiness for duty, however I only asked you to prepare the shuttle for an away team, you haven't given me the chance to ask you to be on it yet." He couldn't fault her assumption, it was logical enough, but one didn't just operate on assumptions. "I said I would be down to elaborate further with the details, and from that point on you could suggest that perhaps type three phasers might be more appropriate gear. As it stands you currently have a phaser rifle without orders, without reasonable cause."

He let that sink in, though he had a feeling that it wasn't going to, before continuing. "Now, second question - what is the name of the officer who gave you this rifle? I'll need to have a conversation with them after this. Especially on ensuring all personnel who requisition T3s have the necessary knowledge of protocol beforehand." It can be so easy to assume that everyone on the ship knows what they're doing simply because they're here. Unfortunately easy was sloppy, that would need to be addressed.

"To be honest, I don't really have the energy, or the time to address walking away before I've even briefed you. I will however take the phaser rifle now, thank you. You can however keep your type 2 phaser." The request was punctuated by his moving to accept the rifle, provided she willingly handed it over without throwing a fit. "Any questions before I continue?"

The way the woman stared at him, with a coldly precise gaze that seemed to track his own gaze almost too easily, might have intimidated others in the past, but only reflected Tiio's own unflinching nature as the Lieutenant asked his second question but then didn't give her a chance to answer it. Besides blinking, the Ensign didn't move, didn't shift, didn't even seem to be really breathing as she continued to watch Jettis as he rambled on, moving beyond his second question to arrive at his third, which was only proceeded by him moving towards her to take the phaser rifle from her, for which Tiio only offered a shrug before easily slipping it off over her head and holding it out for the Scientist to take.

When he finally stopped to let her answer, she could only answer with a question of her own, "Do you plan to repeat your briefing for each member of the Away Team you assembled, or would it be smarter to wait for all of us to arrive before doing it?" While it was certainly an inflammatory question compared to what was being leveled against her, her words had come as steady as her steely gaze, albeit flavored in her more natural accent. She didn't need an answer. The Lieutenant's reaction was enough to answer it for her, allowing her to continue, since he'd opened the floor to Her asking Him questions.

Tipping her chin up to him sharply, the Ensign asked, "You Scientist, yeah? You know of Space? Of Her rules? You act like you know Starfleet's, but then you treat me like you not invite me to your team? An officer of another department can only directly request the involvement of another department's officer if they intend to conscript that officer to their mission. That mean you picked me for your Away Team. Otherwise you would have contacted through proper channels to have the shuttle readied.

"You told me two more things when you contact me directly. This first is that the shuttle needs to get somewhere fast, but you get upset when I prioritize pre-flight checks over being individually briefed. If time is so valuable, why you waste it by briefing each member individually?" Tiio didn't give much more than a breath's worth of pause before continuing,

"The second was how you told me you are no real Spacer, because you cursed the mission by saying something 'shouldn't' happen. Any real Spacer knows if you say something shouldn't happen, then it will definitely happen. You say we shouldn't expect a fight, but you order most heavily armed shuttlecraft Challenger has to be readied, and then question the pilot you chose why she brought a rifle? Why?

"To answer your question you didn't let me answer, I don't know their name. Some Petty Officer," she stated with the slightest of dismissive shrugs. "Challenger has over five hundred crew, and I've been aboard less than a week. You expect me to know all five hundred crew in less than a week? By requesting a shuttle ready in under the three-hour regulation, the request is then considered 'Expedited' which allows for the crew chosen to make expedited requests, such as requisitioning equipment," she said, motioning slightly with her brow towards the rifle the man was holding, "they deem necessary for the success of the mission outside of normal channels. That rifle has been signed for by me; your chosen pilot, because I deem it necessary.

"But, Sir, you don't need to answer my questions. You're a Scientist, right? You know all the regulations before contacting me, so you know that I have only acted in best way to ensure the success of your mission. So, really, I only have a single question. Can I have my legally acquired rifle back so as to continue my pre-flight checklist while we wait for the rest of the team to arrive so you can brief us all at one time and stop wasting time on this conversation? Can you answer that question for me, Lieutenant? I'd like to have the shuttle as ready as possible so that we may depart as soon as possible, so as not to waste time."

Tiio had said her piece, though she wondered how much of it the Science Officer had understood given how easily she'd slipped back into her colloquial manner of speech. She had worked very hard to train it out of her when at the Academy, but there were always moments; causes that would bring it out in her. The Lieutenant's interruption of her duties to complain about wasting time, which in her previous world was much more valuable and had a tangible cost, had done so. If time was so valuable to the Science Officer, his smartest, most efficient course of action was to hand her back the rifle and let her return to her duties. Otherwise, Tiio was happy to return the rifle properly and skip the Away Team. Jettis had already ensured Space would enact its toll by bringing a fight to the mission. The pilot had been ready for that inevitable fate. The true question was whether the Lieutenant was prepared to face that fate or not?

[Kyan Mackenzie]

[Lt. Commander Kyan Mackenzie | Armory | USS Challenger]

When the doors to Challenger's main armory parted with their trademark mechanical "œswish" Kyan entered to find the room packed to the bulkheads. Lieutenant J.G. Trova (Benzite female) and Crewmen Thompson and Masters (Human Males) were hustling to get weapons and equipment assigned, and the others were in various stages of kitting up. Kyan had met Chief Blackfeather (Human male) on his way to the armory and between them had come up with the three teams that the Captain ordered. Half of Challenger's Security Department were either new to the ship, or new in general. For most of them this would be their first real away mission.

"œAll right. Mouths shut and ears open." Blackfeather called out as he walked in behind his pint sized boss.

"œAt Ease!" came a shout from the back of the room, followed by a series of confused looks and chuckles from around the room.

"œShut up Slater!" (Crewman Roscoe Slater, Human male) someone answered and was followed by several shouts of "œyeah" and "œwhat she said".

Blackfeather's eyes narrowed. "œStow it." He bellowed. "œFirst off, There's two officers in here already.. second, Commander Mackenzie is right in front of me. Pay attention to your surroundings Slater!"

This time no one piled on. Blackfeather waited a moment for the chatter to die completely before continuing. "œOk. Commander Mackenzie's gonna give the briefing. So listen up."

Kyan took a look around, ensuring everyone was present before he began. "Ok." he began when he was satisfied that he had everyone. "A Jyn mining station above Iota Thelonis IX was attacked so it has, probably by some Klingons. Not regular Klingons, the sadness of it, but the pirate kind."

Petty Officer Koroz shook his head. "Honorless Pe'TaQu!" he grumbled.

Kyan nodded. "Yep. So we're gonna beam in there and see what's what the now. We'll be splitting up intae tree teams. Chief Blackfeather here.." he indicated the Chief with a nod, and Mister Mrekrerhas will lead two of the teams. And Cadet Denton, you'll be in charge of the third. I'll be going with your team, but you'll be in charge of it."

After a moment he continued. "The Klingons are probably gone so they are, but they might not be. And if they're still there, then we're tae clear em out and take the station." Kyan held up a padd. "The rosters is on this padd here, so after we're done here, finish gettin yer gear an look tae see what team yer on. Any questions?"

Team Rosters

Pos.	Species	Name	Rank	Gen	Age
Team A
Chief of Security	Onlie	Kyan Mackenzie	LTCDR	Male	450
Team Leader	Human	Eva Denton	Cadet	Female	21
Security Officer	Bolian	Sahri Arat	CRN	Female	24
Security Officer	Klingon	Kolkris, Daughter of L'Gor	CRN	Female	19
Security Officer	Human	Roscoe Slater	CRN	Male	18
Security Officer	Human	Manilla O'Sullivan	CRN	Female	21
Team B
Team Leader	Human	Ryan Blackfeather	SCPO	Male	46
Security Officer	Klingon	Koroz	PO1	Male	32
Security Officer	Ithenite	Pyzak	PO3	Male	32
Security Officer	Human	Callahan Rega	CRN	Male	28
Security Officer	Bolian	Taxa Choss	CRN	Female	20
Team C
Team Leader	Caitian	Zhukdrasher Mrekrerhas	LT	Male
Security Officer	Efrosian	Savliv Si-Okrei	PO3	Male	20
Security Officer	Ferengi	Zala	CRN	Female	18
Security Officer	Human	Sharen Anchors	CRN	Female	19
Security Officer	Human	Rasalie Beaux	PO3	Female	25

[Ian Galloway]

[Bridge - USS Challenger arriving at Iota Thelonis IX]

The Challenger arrived, shields up, weapons hot, and looking for trouble. Lieutenant Randell at Science One was making intense scans of the area and reported.

"The station is heavily damaged as are the ground installations. No signs of any ships....wait...wait...I'm picking up three possible ion trails two leading out of the system, one leading further in. Let me see if I can get better resolution..."

Ian found himself holding his breath as Randell scanned, ready to issue orders to take the ship to battle.

"Sir, I have more information. Two of the trails are consistent with lithium-fueled anti-matter drives, the third, the one heading inward is consistent with deuterium fuel."

Ian picked up Randell's thought.

"And the Federation, the Jyn, along with most other warp powers use deuterium. While our friends the Klingons have a preference for lithium fuel. Well, seems we've got a couple of cloaked ships nearby. Alright, let's run these lithium trails down."

Ian turned to face Tactical.

"Lieutenant Davenport, keep us at red alert and the weapons ready. This is likely ta be Captain Kharn again and this time, he may nae be so willin' ta back down as before."

Ian's thoughts were racing as he tried to cover all the pieces that were in play at the moment.

"Mister Cheizex, hail the station and find out what help they need."

Today was already a complex one and certainly seemed as if it was going to get more complex before it was over.

[Jettis Jyur]

[ USS Challenger - Main Shuttlebay ]

Despite Jettis giving her every opportunity to come up with some sort of reasonable explanation, he was sorely disappointed. Somehow every explanation only undercut his expectations, which was saying a lot. Still though, he managed to mostly keep his expression in check, merely raising his brows at her intense stare and blatant disrespect of authority. A look he'd often directed toward his daughter when she decided to throw a particularly bratty insult his way, as loudmouth teenagers often do. Unfortunately it seemed Starfleet hadn't quite mastered teaching the loudmouth teenagers to be reasonable adults yet, he would need to keep that in mind before Theresa went off to the academy.

"It is indeed against Starfleet regulations to leave a phaser rifle unattended and unsecured, which is why it should be in the Armoury where it belongs."  He pursed his lip at her counter-question, giving him even further attitude about his effort to brief her.

"As you may have noticed, Denton, when I contacted you, I strangely did not refer to any other officers. That would be because the other officers were briefed separately as they would need time to prepare supplies to beam over. That is also why you were given 20 minutes to complete your preflight checks - Not so you could run around acquiring  weaponry, but so they would have time to pack their kits." He held up a hand to halt her from talking over him before tacking on: "I also requested you only answer the questions I ask you."

When he opened the floor for her to ask questions, she had a lot to say, and not a lot he was interested in hearing. He didn't stop her though, allowing her to get it off her chest in the hopes she would eventually relax. "I'll remind you again that unless you are secretly a telepath, you have no knowledge of who else was or was not contacted, what they were informed of, or evidently much of anything."

"I've been a 'spacer' since before your great, great grandfather was born, and I've been in Starfleet long enough to know that your superstitious, hyper-paranoid survival instincts do not justify breaking the protocol you have spent four years of your life learning. If you disagree with something, take it up with your superior. If your superior disagrees, get over it or consider a new career path. If you take issue in participating in this cursed mission due to religious or spiritual reasons, I will happily contact Lieutenant Espada to provide you a new assignment and have someone else prepare and man the shuttle." He paused a moment, if she dared to respond to that much of his speech, before pushing on once again.

"To answer your question, no, you will not be getting your improperly acquired phaser rifle back, and your returning to your duties depends entirely on whether you understand that simply thinking something is a good idea is not justification for making decisions above your pay grade. I'd like to not be concerned you may also decide it beneficial for the Mjolnir to have a cloaking device installed as well, or the arrays to be modified for 'efficiency'."

Jettis would be keeping the rifle aboard, however he needed to properly return it and have whoever stupidly gave it to Denton removed from duty so all of the day's logs could be checked properly. Unfortunately, his report to Mackenzie would have to wait until after the away mission was completed. "Now, will you be completing your assignment of going through the Starfleet provided preflight checklist and reporting any issues to me? If so, I will briefly elaborate on the information I have currently for this mission, and you can continue with your work after that."