S6 - E3 - Tripwire

[Ian Galloway]

[Captain's Ready Room - USS Challenger]

Ian sat at his desk without seeing. His mind's eye was on the damage he'd noted on space station Solaere. His jaw was clenched as he was angry. He would have loved to have stayed to hunt down those responsible, but he couldn't. He had new orders and the Challenger had to go. Sighing, he began to speak.

"Captain's Log, Stardate 78373.8. We are just about ta leave space station Solaere, havin' completed our escort of the USS Horizon ta the station where it will take on the role of guard ship. The station had been abandoned for a long time and while it was vacant a powerful criminal element had taken over the facility. When Starfleet showed up, bein' all about profits, they scattered like rats rather than defend what they saw as their territory.

"However, it was obvious they harbored resentment about this eviction and after assemblin' a surprisingly powerful force, returned with a vengeance and inflicted significant damage ta the station. Starfleet responded and a squadron of six ships were either on guard or patrollin' the area as they helped repair the damage.

"Our orders are ta return ta the coreward border of Romulan space ta assist the Romulan Free State deal with smugglin' which we had subdued, but has flared back ta life after the Frontier Day fiasco. We are ta be reassigned ta Starbase 153 again and in addition ta anti-smugglin' operations, we're ta keep an eye on the remnant of the Romulan Empire. This all most certainly means runnin' into our old friend Thelal and the Khranu again. On the positive side, we've picked up a small leavenin' of full Lieutenants ta supplement the cadets and first year ensigns we had ta take on when Challenger was looted for the senior officers we didn't lose ta the Borg plot.

"It is roughly ten days ta Starbase 185 as we have permission from the Free State ta transit their territory. We will have an escort, but that's a trivial price ta pay in the interest of time saved. Because time is the critical element here, throughout the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, piracy, smugglin', and as repugnant as this is ta say in the 25th Century, slavin' has increased due ta the staggerin' losses Starfleet has suffered. The Otorin Sector seems ta be a hotbed of this criminal activity and I aim ta shut it down again. End log."

Ian exited the ready room and found Kyan in the Command chair. When he entered the bridge, Kyan hopped down to yield command of the ship back to Ian.

"Lieutenant Jaeger. Plot a direct course for Starbase 153, warp 8 if you please. We will be enterin' Romulan Free State space for part of our journey and will be met by a RFS escort when we reach the border.

"Evan, full sensor scans. I nae wish ta be surprised by anything, but keep them passive, I don't want our Romulan friends ta think we are snoopin'.

"Execute."

[Ch'e N'ok Savyn]

[USS Challenger | Deck 11 | Main Sickbay | Medical Lab 02]

Savyn sat in silence, only half-paying attention to the crewman DNA sequences he was supposed to be inputting into the system. Watching the sequences load was akin to watching paint dry—an endless wait punctuated by brief moments of activity as the new data appeared on the monitor. Running medical data was a notoriously slow process, as the computer deliberately slowed itself to avoid errors—a task typical for lower-ranking officers. However, unlike he perhaps would on any other occasion, Savyn didn't mind the monotony today.

Setting aside the PADD he'd been reading, Savyn stood up and stretched his arms and his spine, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he checked his chemical monitor to ensure he hadn't missed any medical alerts on himself in his distracted state. He hadn't moved in some time, engrossed as he was in his newfound reading material: Dr. Alyssa Ogawa's Introduction to Pediatrics and Child Psychology.

It was peculiar, really. Savyn had always enjoyed his specialty in epidemiology, never showing much interest in pediatrics. But a lot had changed since his graduation from the Academy. Fvienn especially had been... Impactful. As a matter of fact, he'd almost tried to protest his transfer, just so that he wouldn't have to leave the boy, but that... That wasn't an option. Even if it had been, it wouldn't be professional. But still, he'd found in the past few days that he almost missed working with the little ones. They were... Intriguing.

In the past few days, Savyn found himself missing the interaction with the children, their innocence and curiosity presenting a unique challenge and intrigue. They seemed to gravitate towards him naturally, making him realize the importance of being prepared for such encounters, hence the decision to read Ogawa's book... and his quiet, unstated temptation to change his official specialty entirely.

[Ardyn Jaeger]

[Captain's Ready Room - USS Challenger]

Ian sat at his desk without seeing. His mind's eye was on the damage he'd noted on space station Solaere. His jaw was clenched as he was angry. He would have loved to have stayed to hunt down those responsible, but he couldn't. He had new orders and the Challenger had to go. Sighing, he began to speak.

"Captain's Log, Stardate 78373.8. We are just about ta leave space station Solaere, havin' completed our escort of the USS Horizon ta the station where it will take on the role of guard ship. The station had been abandoned for a long time and while it was vacant a powerful criminal element had taken over the facility. When Starfleet showed up, bein' all about profits, they scattered like rats rather than defend what they saw as their territory.

"However, it was obvious they harbored resentment about this eviction and after assemblin' a surprisingly powerful force, returned with a vengeance and inflicted significant damage ta the station. Starfleet responded and a squadron of six ships were either on guard or patrollin' the area as they helped repair the damage.

"Our orders are ta return ta the coreward border of Romulan space ta assist the Romulan Free State deal with smugglin' which we had subdued, but has flared back ta life after the Frontier Day fiasco. We are ta be reassigned ta Starbase 153 again and in addition ta anti-smugglin' operations, we're ta keep an eye on the remnant of the Romulan Empire. This all most certainly means runnin' into our old friend Thelal and the Khranu again. On the positive side, we've picked up a small leavenin' of full Lieutenants ta supplement the cadets and first year ensigns we had ta take on when Challenger was looted for the senior officers we didn't lose ta the Borg plot.

"It is roughly ten days ta Starbase 185 as we have permission from the Free State ta transit their territory. We will have an escort, but that's a trivial price ta pay in the interest of time saved. Because time is the critical element here, throughout the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, piracy, smugglin', and as repugnant as this is ta say in the 25th Century, slavin' has increased due ta the staggerin' losses Starfleet has suffered. The Otorin Sector seems ta be a hotbed of this criminal activity and I aim ta shut it down again. End log."

Ian exited the ready room and found Kyan in the Command chair. When he entered the bridge, Kyan hopped down to yield command of the ship back to Ian.

"Lieutenant Jaeger. Plot a direct course for Starbase 153, warp 8 if you please. We will be enterin' Romulan Free State space for part of our journey and will be met by a RFS escort when we reach the border.

"Evan, full sensor scans. I nae wish ta be surprised by anything, but keep them passive, I don't want our Romulan friends ta think we are snoopin'.

"Execute."

[Bridge]

Ardy was somewhat distracted as she plotted in the coordinates.  She and Alex had finally come up with a date for the wedding, but with that, came the litany of things they had to plan for for said wedding.  Neither she nor Alex had much in the way of family, but she was pretty sure that the friends they had made would insist. If only to see Maddy as a flower girl. (Which Maddy had insisted on in no uncertain terms when she had heard about it.)

Ardy  was perfectly fine with something fairly simple, but even an event as low-key as that had its' own  things to plan for.

She  was so lost in thought, she almost didn't hear the Captain talking about the escort.  No signs of anyone nearby from what she saw on the scanners, pirates or escorts aside.

"Could you say those coordinates  again, Boss?" she asked, getting back to the present.

[As Maddy]

[ Classroom → Cetacean labs]

Field Trip Day! Maddy jumped in excitement as she stood in line with the other kids of the Junior Class. Learning about all the different animals out there was really fun, and even though there weren't any more dinosaurs around (Something which Miss Byrnes didn't believe when she said she once had a pet dinosaur)  Animals were really cool, and they were gonna see some animals! Dolphins to be precise! "Woahhh! We really gonna see some dolphins on a spaceship? Don't they live in an ocean?"

"Yes they do, but these dolphins live in a special aquarium," said Miss Byrnes as she herded the gaggle of small kids down the halls to the labs. Maddy had never been down here before.  Almost immediately after going into the room, she ran to the floor-to ceiling windows  to look closer.

[Kyan Mackenzie]

[Lt. Commander Kyan Mackenzie | Bridge, USS Challenger]

"Lieutenant Jaeger. Plot a direct course for Starbase 153, warp 8 if you please. We will be enterin' Romulan Free State space for part of our journey and will be met by a RFS escort when we reach the border.

"Evan, full sensor scans. I nae wish ta be surprised by anything, but keep them passive, I don't want our Romulan friends ta think we are snoopin'.

"Execute."

As he deposited himself in his chair, Kyan recalled the last time they'd had dealings with the Romulans... on that forest planet. They hadn't heard much from them since then, though... having taken an epic arse beating like that he hadn't expected to. Challenger had dispatched no fewer than three, or was it four? warbirds that day all in the employ of some crazy lady whose cult preferred loincloths to pants. That had been a fun fight.

"An maybe we'll see them other ones again too." Kyan offered. "I'd nae mind it if we got tae blow up a few more ah their ships so. Prolly still mad at us the now over gettin beat so bad last time. Jobby gits."

Truthfully, Kyan was pining for a fight. He'd been in a fairly bad mood since leaving Starbase 185. Jalen and his lot had been called back to Miri's Planet to help with some an outbreak of the Rigelian Chicken Pox and Max had gone to Earth to finish his Cadet training. It would be at least six months til he got back. And it wasn't certain if Jalen and co. would get back at all. Knowing Starfleet, they'd be shuffled off elsewhere on the whims of some fat bureaucrat with a bald head and a stick up his arse.

Kyan had offered to go with them but was rebuffed. So now he was by himself again. Recalling that fact made him frown. Before Max showed up, and then Jalen and his brood, Kyan had been alone for most of his time in Starfleet. He'd gotten used to it. But it wasn't the same now.

Looking down at the display on his arm rest console he noticed the time. "Oh. I gotta go see Lieutenant Sunik the now an talk to him about engineering." he said absently. That was another one. Neva had been transferred too. And from the talk around engineering, Sunik was a stark departure from her, and not in a good way.

"I'll see ye later." the Onlie said to Ian as he hopped off his chair and headed toward the lift.

[Ian Galloway]

[Bridge]

Ardy was somewhat distracted as she plotted in the coordinates.  She and Alex had finally come up with a date for the wedding, but with that, came the litany of things they had to plan for for said wedding.  Neither she nor Alex had much in the way of family, but she was pretty sure that the friends they had made would insist. If only to see Maddy as a flower girl. (Which Maddy had insisted on in no uncertain terms when she had heard about it.)

Ardy  was perfectly fine with something fairly simple, but even an event as low-key as that had its' own  things to plan for.

She  was so lost in thought, she almost didn't hear the Captain talking about the escort.  No signs of anyone nearby from what she saw on the scanners, pirates or escorts aside.

"Could you say those coordinates  again, Boss?" she asked, getting back to the present.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian arched an eyebrow, but he moderated the tone his response despite their content. He knew everyone was slightly off their game from the time at Starbase 185.

"I'm sorry Lieutenant, I didna mean ta wake you. I didna give coordinates. I gave you a destination. Direct course ta Starbase 153." He looked at the display on command chair. "I make that out ta be 141 Mark 14 Chief of Flight Operations."

[As Maddy]

[ Classroom → Cetacean labs]

Field Trip Day! Maddy jumped in excitement as she stood in line with the other kids of the Junior Class. Learning about all the different animals out there was really fun, and even though there weren't any more dinosaurs around (Something which Miss Byrnes didn't believe when she said she once had a pet dinosaur)  Animals were really cool, and they were gonna see some animals! Dolphins to be precise! "Woahhh! We really gonna see some dolphins on a spaceship? Don't they live in an ocean?"

"Yes they do, but these dolphins live in a special aquarium," said Miss Byrnes as she herded the gaggle of small kids down the halls to the labs. Maddy had never been down here before.  Almost immediately after going into the room, she ran to the floor-to ceiling windows  to look closer.

[Cetacean Lab - Deck 8 - USS Challenger]

As Maddy reached the tank, one of the sleek forms swam up and surfaced.

"Hello Little Swimmer. I am Mirriam how may I assist you this fine day?"

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Mess Hall

Lahr was hungover. He'd been drinking the night before with his buddies from the Sec/Tac department. He was supposed to be starting his shift in an hour, but that wasn't gonna happen with the way his head was pounding.

The idea to have a coffee was a good one but Lahr at the moment couldn't hold any food - solid or liquid - down at the moment.

[Zhukdrashar Mrekrerhas]

[Captain's Ready Room - USS Challenger]

Ian sat at his desk without seeing. His mind's eye was on the damage he'd noted on space station Solaere. His jaw was clenched as he was angry. He would have loved to have stayed to hunt down those responsible, but he couldn't. He had new orders and the Challenger had to go. Sighing, he began to speak.

"Captain's Log, Stardate 78373.8. We are just about ta leave space station Solaere, havin' completed our escort of the USS Horizon ta the station where it will take on the role of guard ship. The station had been abandoned for a long time and while it was vacant a powerful criminal element had taken over the facility. When Starfleet showed up, bein' all about profits, they scattered like rats rather than defend what they saw as their territory.

"However, it was obvious they harbored resentment about this eviction and after assemblin' a surprisingly powerful force, returned with a vengeance and inflicted significant damage ta the station. Starfleet responded and a squadron of six ships were either on guard or patrollin' the area as they helped repair the damage.

"Our orders are ta return ta the coreward border of Romulan space ta assist the Romulan Free State deal with smugglin' which we had subdued, but has flared back ta life after the Frontier Day fiasco. We are ta be reassigned ta Starbase 153 again and in addition ta anti-smugglin' operations, we're ta keep an eye on the remnant of the Romulan Empire. This all most certainly means runnin' into our old friend Thelal and the Khranu again. On the positive side, we've picked up a small leavenin' of full Lieutenants ta supplement the cadets and first year ensigns we had ta take on when Challenger was looted for the senior officers we didn't lose ta the Borg plot.

"It is roughly ten days ta Starbase 185 as we have permission from the Free State ta transit their territory. We will have an escort, but that's a trivial price ta pay in the interest of time saved. Because time is the critical element here, throughout the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, piracy, smugglin', and as repugnant as this is ta say in the 25th Century, slavin' has increased due ta the staggerin' losses Starfleet has suffered. The Otorin Sector seems ta be a hotbed of this criminal activity and I aim ta shut it down again. End log."

Ian exited the ready room and found Kyan in the Command chair. When he entered the bridge, Kyan hopped down to yield command of the ship back to Ian.

"Lieutenant Jaeger. Plot a direct course for Starbase 153, warp 8 if you please. We will be enterin' Romulan Free State space for part of our journey and will be met by a RFS escort when we reach the border.

"Evan, full sensor scans. I nae wish ta be surprised by anything, but keep them passive, I don't want our Romulan friends ta think we are snoopin'.

"Execute."

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Mess Hall

Lahr was hungover. He'd been drinking the night before with his buddies from the Sec/Tac department. He was supposed to be starting his shift in an hour, but that wasn't gonna happen with the way his head was pounding.

The idea to have a coffee was a good one but Lahr at the moment couldn't hold any food - solid or liquid - down at the moment.

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

The newly christened Lieutenant Commander had taken his spot behind the Tactical console. To man it had been one of his first assignments when he had first joined the USS Challenger, and it was a duty he was quite fond of. That was not to say that he had not been enjoying his new posting as Chief of Security, training the recruits to prepare them for the trials that would certainly come. Thus far, he had determined that they fell well within his expectations, save for a couple of outliers. And that was considering his harsh andragogy regime, inspired by his experiences with the Romulans.

Yet, he had learned to be a fair instructor, balancing austerity with patience. He sought to support those unable to complete his courses, paying special attention to them so that they may do better next time. He knew that it was a fine line to travel, but thus far, he believed to had done a good job of being tough, but not cruel, toward his new Security team. Indeed, they had been happily celebrating with him and Lahr the night before.

Of course, he had made sure to avoid drinking too much to become hungover the next day. Much to his chagrin, he too was somewhat of a lightweight when it came to alcohol, but knowing one's weaknesses was the best way to avoid straining oneself. Thus, he remained with a relatively crisp and clear mind, dutifully monitoring the sensors, readying himself for a confrontation if the need arose. His ear swished as he overheard Captain Galloway speak about a possible confrontation with Romulans. A small smirk flashed in his visage for little more than a second, before disappearing. He did long to inflict more wounds on those who had mistreated him, long ago by this point. And it would also be an excellent time to test the Romulan's tactics against them.

He had learned them well after all...

Mrekrerhas also wondered if they would ever fight against more Orions. He too longed to shame them and make them crawl back to their systems. No longer would they prey on small Caitian kittens, or any other species for that matter. He would make sure of it.

[As Maddy]

[ Classroom → Cetacean labs]

Field Trip Day! Maddy jumped in excitement as she stood in line with the other kids of the Junior Class. Learning about all the different animals out there was really fun, and even though there weren't any more dinosaurs around (Something which Miss Byrnes didn't believe when she said she once had a pet dinosaur)  Animals were really cool, and they were gonna see some animals! Dolphins to be precise! "Woahhh! We really gonna see some dolphins on a spaceship? Don't they live in an ocean?"

"Yes they do, but these dolphins live in a special aquarium," said Miss Byrnes as she herded the gaggle of small kids down the halls to the labs. Maddy had never been down here before.  Almost immediately after going into the room, she ran to the floor-to ceiling windows  to look closer.

[Cetacean Lab - Deck 8 - USS Challenger]

As Maddy reached the tank, one of the sleek forms swam up and surfaced.

"Hello Little Swimmer. I am Mirriam how may I assist you this fine day?"

[Little Mo | Deck Eight | Cetacean Lab | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

The young Ferengi was teeming with excitement. He did not know what a doll-pheen was, but it sounded cool! Field Trip Days were always incredible, and he gladly reminisced how much he had enjoyed himself that time they had gone to the Holodeck. It was not too long until they arrived to the Cetacean Lab, and he saw Maddy almost immediately running towards the tank. He jumped back in surprise at seeing a peculiar, hairless creature, with a long, funny-looking snout, and a grayish color. His eyes went wide as the creature responded, however.

After a moment of hesitation, he too approached, waving at the being, "A-Ah, hello Mirr-iam! Are you a doll-pheen?"

[Ian Galloway]

[Little Mo | Deck Eight | Cetacean Lab | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

The young Ferengi was teeming with excitement. He did not know what a doll-pheen was, but it sounded cool! Field Trip Days were always incredible, and he gladly reminisced how much he had enjoyed himself that time they had gone to the Holodeck. It was not too long until they arrived to the Cetacean Lab, and he saw Maddy almost immediately running towards the tank. He jumped back in surprise at seeing a peculiar, hairless creature, with a long, funny-looking snout, and a grayish color. His eyes went wide as the creature responded, however.

After a moment of hesitation, he too approached, waving at the being, "A-Ah, hello Mirr-iam! Are you a doll-pheen?"

[Cetacean Lab - Deck 8 - USS Challenger]

As the other children closed around and Mo worked up the courage to speak, Mirriam tossed her head and slapped the water with her fins. Not enough to splash the children, but enough to get their attention and to draw her companions to surface.

"Yes indeed I am Lobling. I am specifically a Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin from the planet Earth. These are my sisters Sarah and Ruth."

"Welcome Little Swimmers we are happy to have you here and to explain our important role aboard the ship. Even though as little as 400 years ago we were considered to be nothing more than especially clever animals by the rather dense humans of that time, it only took a little modification of our DNA and a cybernetic implant that allowed us to prove which species was the smarter." Said Ruth.

At this point Sarah splashed the water hard enough to get Maddy and Mo wet as she whispered conspiratorially. "It's not the humans." She then laughed at her own joke.

Mirriam gave Sarah a dirty look and continued.

"Our function on the ship is navigation specialists. Because we evolved in a 3D environment we are far superior to humans in maintaining spatial away in space because it also involves three dimensions. We each hold the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. Now that's who we are, how about you tell us about yourselves and what you like to do. Impress use and we'll allow you to link with us in the navigation net and you get to see what it is like to swim through space like we do."

[Tora Zalos]

[Ensign Tora Zalos|Mess Hall|USS Challenger]

"Didja hear? We're off to the Romulan Free State? Yeah, yeah, we've got a lot of red tape to go through but isn't it worth it in the name of goodwill?" Ever since she'd heard that the Challenger would be heading into Free State space, Tora had simply not shut up about how Romulans had always fascinated her, what with their secretiveness and all that, to anyone willing to listen. Her victim for the afternoon: Kasey Jones the engineer, whom she'd met in the mess hall as a complete stranger. "I know it's a little naive to assume that they'll treat us as the good guys from the outset, but one can hope, right?" There had been extensive research into the Romulan people and their culture already, of course, but Tora was eager to make her own mark in that field. Which, of course, started with getting to know a Romulan - which was itself easier said than done.

[Ian Galloway]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

As the Challenger approached the old Neutral Zone border, they received a hail from their escort which was waiting and uncloaked for their arrival. Challenger dropped out of warp and after a short exchange of pleasantries, the RFS Harkma took up station on Challenger's port beam and both ships accelerated back to warp eight for the eight day trip to the closest point of the Free State border to Starbase 153.

As Zhuk stood at Tactical, he noticed Senior Chief Petty Officer Ryan Blackfeather enter the bridge, which was unusual. The Senior Chief usually avoided the bridge whenever he could. He moved next to his Security Chief and spoke softly, relying on the Caitian's acute hearing to keep his report quiet.

"Sir, there is a situation that has come to my attention. As embarrassing as this is, I believe we have a thief. Several crew members have reported small items missing. Nothing of extreme value, a silver hairbrush, a Tholian silk scarf, an Academy ring, among other things. These thefts have occurred only in crew quarters. Nothing from the ship's components, thing is, neither internal sensors or security scanners have detected anything. It is still small items, but there have been nine thefts since we left Starbase 185 and I figured you needed to know."

[Kyan Mackenzie]

[Lt. Commander Kyan Mackenzie | Main Engineering, USS Challenger]

"And thus, the logical course of action would be to run a level one diagnostic on the starboard EPS trunk, wherein the problem will be discovered and rectified. I anticipate this task taking no more than four hours."

There was something awry with the starboard power distribution system... that much Kyan understood. But Lieutenant Sunik had seen fit to give an impromptu (and unsolicited) lecture on the Trailblazer Class and her myriad engineering curiosities, followed by his detailed plans to address the most pressing one at the moment, which was the fact that the systems regulating power distribution were running more efficiently on the port side than their counterparts on the starboard side. To wit, "...a point zero five four three percent differential in efficiency."

Kyan wasn't any sort of engineer, unless you counted being able to make things explode which most people didn't. But he did know what a "level one diagnostic" meant for all those in the effected areas. It meant power reduction, outages, and headaches for the next four hours. It meant people calling him, or Lieutenant Wu, and complaining that they couldn't do their experiments or run their holodeck programs, or that their sonic shower cut out before they could wash behind their ears... which was a bigger problem for some people than others. In short, it was a hassle.

"Can we live with it fer a while, an den do the diagnostic on delta shift?" Kyan asked hopefully.

Sunik raised an eyebrow, which was basically the Vulcan equivalent to clutching one's pearls. "It is illogical to diagnose a problem and not solve it expeditiously." he noted evenly. "However, I do understand the Human need for creature comforts."

Kyan could almost hear the exasperated sigh. He'd heard that Sunik was a Vulcan's Vulcan. And on that front, the new Chief Engineer did not disappoint. He was exactly as advertised. Kyan nodded. "Good!" he smiled. "Sure an we dinnae want tae have rovin blackouts an them scientists be doing their experiments in the dark so.. Gamma shift it is!"

Sunik nodded. "Very well... Commander."

Oh! The pregnant pause. Grup language for "I can't believe I'm taking orders from [insert physical attribute here]. Vulcans were the masters of the pregnant pause. Some Humans could do it without sounding snarky, but they were amateurs compared to their pointy-eared counterparts. Had he been concerned with decorum and the like, Kyan might have said something. But he wasn't. He just wanted to finish up here and go do something else. Anything else.

"Good. Let Mister Wu know when yer gonna do it so he can tell everyone. Anything else ye need to tell me?" Kyan asked, Say NO. went unsaid.

"Not at this time." Sunik replied. "I will contact you if there is a change in status."

"Ok. By Mister Sunik."

With that, Kyan turned and left before the stoic grup could change his mind. He'd already been in engineering for almost half an hour. Neva would have explained it quicker. he mused. And her predecessor wouldn't have bothered. She'd have just insulted him and argued about it for an hour. Honestly, he'd have preferred the cantankerous Tellerite. At least that would have been fun.

Mulligatawny to security, we need you in the mess hall... there's a fight.

Kyan raised an eyebrow. That was interesting. He didn't answer but did head in that direction. After all, it wasn't every day that people threw down in the mess hall.

~A few minutes earlier... in the mess hall.

Rala Vass burst through the doors, anger etched across his face. After scanning the room for a moment the Bajoran Crewman found the object of his frustration. It was a fellow Crewman, Jeyshon, the Tamarian engineer who'd come aboard at Starbase 185. Rala stomped over to where Jeyshon and another new arrival were sitting.

"Jeyshon!" he nearly shouted. "You stole my earring!"

Jeyshon looked up from his meal, surprised. "Zinda, his face black, his eyes red?"

"Give it back to me!" Rala demanded. "You were the only one in there when I was on shift and now my earring is gone."

"I took nothing." Jeyshon replied in standard. "Zinrok, tilling his field in the spring... err.. stop shouting. Sit.. speak with me."

Rala shook his head. "I don't sit with thieves. Now give it back."

Jeyshon turned to his companion for help, but he only stared back and forth between them, shocked. "I do not take things." the Tamarian replied. "Zima at Anzo, Zima and Bakor."

"Speak standard!" Rala spat. "I know you can. Now where is my earring!?"

"Maybe you misplaced it." the Crewman across from Jeyshon spoke up. "We can..."

"That earring is three hundred years old. It's been in my family for generations. Give. It. Back."

"Kiteo, his eyes closed." Jeyshon muttered.

Apparently Rala took that as an insult because no sooner than Jeyshon had uttered the words that he found himself being dragged to his feet. Not one to allow himself to be bullied, the Tamarian threw a punch, staggering the Bajaoran, who replied in kind when he'd regained his footing. After that, the fight was on.

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Mess Hall

Given how poorly Lahr was feeling, he knew it would be irresponsible for him to show up for his shift in this state.  This meant a trip to Sickbay.  Lahr's antennae sagged even more than usual at the notion of others, especially his new Engineering Chief, learning that he couldn't hold his liquor. He doubted the Vulcan would have any tolerance for that sort of thing in his department.  It would be just his luck that he'd end up back doing auxiliary monitoring.  Lahr missed Neva.

As the hungover Andorian reflected on his poor choices, and even poorer options, he noted for the first time the presence of Ensign Jones, his DCT1 (Damage Control Team One) leader at one of the other nearby tables.  She seemed to be listening to the animated talking of the ship's token Cardassian. Maybe he could get her to cover for him until his hangover eased up a bit?  No harm in asking, right?

[Ensign Tora Zalos|Mess Hall|USS Challenger]

"Didja hear? We're off to the Romulan Free State? Yeah, yeah, we've got a lot of red tape to go through but isn't it worth it in the name of goodwill?" Ever since she'd heard that the Challenger would be heading into Free State space, Tora had simply not shut up about how Romulans had always fascinated her, what with their secretiveness and all that, to anyone willing to listen. Her victim for the afternoon: Kasey Jones the engineer, whom she'd met in the mess hall as a complete stranger. "I know it's a little naive to assume that they'll treat us as the good guys from the outset, but one can hope, right?" There had been extensive research into the Romulan people and their culture already, of course, but Tora was eager to make her own mark in that field. Which, of course, started with getting to know a Romulan - which was itself easier said than done.

Walking over slowly - because moving too fast gave him a bit of the spins - Lahr listened in on the topic of conversation.  The junior lieutenant really seemed to have an interest in Romulans.

"Well, if you're looking to make friends, you're on the wrong ship.  Cap'n Galloway is more known for fighting with them than making nice.  You should have requested Discovery." he offered up his two-cents to the two women.  He hoped the painful headache he felt, wasn't being shown on his face as he spoke.  "Rumor has it the Free State only came into being because Captain Tekin and his ship, uncovered a plot to break up the union of the two leading factions."  Lahr knew bits and pieces of the story because he was good friends with the Discovery's Ops officer at the time.

"She's also the ship that had the first Romulan Free State officer exchange program." he added as he helped himself to a seat across from Ensign Jones. He gave the woman an slow nod.  This placed him beside Tora.

"Heya, mind if I join in?" he asked even though he'd already sat down.

Kasey looked to him almost gratefully. "Don't mind at all. Lieutenant Zalos, have you met Chief Petty Officer ShranLahr ch'Verret?"
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[Lt. Commander Kyan Mackenzie | Main Engineering, USS Challenger]

"And thus, the logical course of action would be to run a level one diagnostic on the starboard EPS trunk, wherein the problem will be discovered and rectified. I anticipate this task taking no more than four hours."

There was something awry with the starboard power distribution system... that much Kyan understood. But Lieutenant Sunik had seen fit to give an impromptu (and unsolicited) lecture on the Trailblazer Class and her myriad engineering curiosities, followed by his detailed plans to address the most pressing one at the moment, which was the fact that the systems regulating power distribution were running more efficiently on the port side than their counterparts on the starboard side. To wit, "...a point zero five four three percent differential in efficiency."

Kyan wasn't any sort of engineer, unless you counted being able to make things explode which most people didn't. But he did know what a "level one diagnostic" meant for all those in the effected areas. It meant power reduction, outages, and headaches for the next four hours. It meant people calling him, or Lieutenant Wu, and complaining that they couldn't do their experiments or run their holodeck programs, or that their sonic shower cut out before they could wash behind their ears... which was a bigger problem for some people than others. In short, it was a hassle.

"Can we live with it fer a while, an den do the diagnostic on delta shift?" Kyan asked hopefully.

Sunik raised an eyebrow, which was basically the Vulcan equivalent to clutching one's pearls. "It is illogical to diagnose a problem and not solve it expeditiously." he noted evenly. "However, I do understand the Human need for creature comforts."

Kyan could almost hear the exasperated sigh. He'd heard that Sunik was a Vulcan's Vulcan. And on that front, the new Chief Engineer did not disappoint. He was exactly as advertised. Kyan nodded. "Good!" he smiled. "Sure an we dinnae want tae have rovin blackouts an them scientists be doing their experiments in the dark so.. Gamma shift it is!"

Sunik nodded. "Very well... Commander."

Oh! The pregnant pause. Grup language for "I can't believe I'm taking orders from [insert physical attribute here]. Vulcans were the masters of the pregnant pause. Some Humans could do it without sounding snarky, but they were amateurs compared to their pointy-eared counterparts. Had he been concerned with decorum and the like, Kyan might have said something. But he wasn't. He just wanted to finish up here and go do something else. Anything else.

"Good. Let Mister Wu know when yer gonna do it so he can tell everyone. Anything else ye need to tell me?" Kyan asked, Say NO. went unsaid.

"Not at this time." Sunik replied. "I will contact you if there is a change in status."

"Ok. By Mister Sunik."

With that, Kyan turned and left before the stoic grup could change his mind. He'd already been in engineering for almost half an hour. Neva would have explained it quicker. he mused. And her predecessor wouldn't have bothered. She'd have just insulted him and argued about it for an hour. Honestly, he'd have preferred the cantankerous Tellerite. At least that would have been fun.

Mulligatawny to security, we need you in the mess hall... there's a fight.

Kyan raised an eyebrow. That was interesting. He didn't answer but did head in that direction. After all, it wasn't every day that people threw down in the mess hall.

~A few minutes earlier... in the mess hall.

Rala Vass burst through the doors, anger etched across his face. After scanning the room for a moment the Bajoran Crewman found the object of his frustration. It was a fellow Crewman, Jeyshon, the Tamarian engineer who'd come aboard at Starbase 185. Rala stomped over to where Jeyshon and another new arrival were sitting.

"Jeyshon!" he nearly shouted. "You stole my earring!"

Jeyshon looked up from his meal, surprised. "Zinda, his face black, his eyes red?"

"Give it back to me!" Rala demanded. "You were the only one in there when I was on shift and now my earring is gone."

"I took nothing." Jeyshon replied in standard. "Zinrok, tilling his field in the spring... err.. stop shouting. Sit.. speak with me."

Rala shook his head. "I don't sit with thieves. Now give it back."

Jeyshon turned to his companion for help, but he only stared back and forth between them, shocked. "I do not take things." the Tamarian replied. "Zima at Anzo, Zima and Bakor."

"Speak standard!" Rala spat. "I know you can. Now where is my earring!?"

"Maybe you misplaced it." the Crewman across from Jeyshon spoke up. "We can..."

"That earring is three hundred years old. It's been in my family for generations. Give. It. Back."

"Kiteo, his eyes closed." Jeyshon muttered.

Apparently Rala took that as an insult because no sooner than Jeyshon had uttered the words that he found himself being dragged to his feet. Not one to allow himself to be bullied, the Tamarian threw a punch, staggering the Bajoran, who replied in kind when he'd regained his footing. After that, the fight was on.

Shouting from the next table over drew his attention and made the Andorian wince, his antennae leaned far back almost touching the top of his head, and he looked over sourly as the argument progressed.

At one point in time, Lahr would have been in there trying to break up the fight, now Lahr wanted nothing to do with it.  The most he would bother to do now, is call up to his friends in security to come an deal with the situation themselves.

Lahr tapped his comm.  "ch'Verret to Blackfeather. You might wanna send some of your team down to the Mess... a fight has broken out over some stolen property."

[Tora Zalos]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Mess Hall

Given how poorly Lahr was feeling, he knew it would be irresponsible for him to show up for his shift in this state.  This meant a trip to Sickbay.  Lahr's antennae sagged even more than usual at the notion of others, especially his new Engineering Chief, learning that he couldn't hold his liquor. He doubted the Vulcan would have any tolerance for that sort of thing in his department.  It would be just his luck that he'd end up back doing auxiliary monitoring.  Lahr missed Neva.

As the hungover Andorian reflected on his poor choices, and even poorer options, he noted for the first time the presence of Ensign Jones, his DCT1 (Damage Control Team One) leader at one of the other nearby tables.  She seemed to be listening to the animated talking of the ship's token Cardassian. Maybe he could get her to cover for him until his hangover eased up a bit?  No harm in asking, right?

Walking over slowly - because moving too fast gave him a bit of the spins - Lahr listened in on the topic of conversation.  The junior lieutenant really seemed to have an interest in Romulans.

"Well, if you're looking to make friends, you're on the wrong ship.  Cap'n Galloway is more known for fighting with them than making nice.  You should have requested Discovery." he offered up his two-cents to the two women.  He hoped the painful headache he felt, wasn't being shown on his face as he spoke.  "Rumor has it the Free State only came into being because Captain Tekin and his ship, uncovered a plot to break up the union of the two leading factions."  Lahr knew bits and pieces of the story because he was good friends with the Discovery's Ops officer at the time.

"She's also the ship that had the first Romulan Free State officer exchange program." he added as he helped himself to a seat across from Ensign Jones. He gave the woman an slow nod.  This placed him beside Tora.

"Heya, mind if I join in?" he asked even though he'd already sat down.

Kasey looked to him almost gratefully. "Don't mind at all. Lieutenant Zalos, have you met Chief Petty Officer ShranLahr ch'Verret?"
.
.
Shouting from the next table over drew his attention and made the Andorian wince, his antennae leaned far back almost touching the top of his head, and he looked over sourly as the argument progressed.

At one point in time, Lahr would have been in there trying to break up the fight, now Lahr wanted nothing to do with it.  The most he would bother to do now, is call up to his friends in security to come an deal with the situation themselves.

Lahr tapped his comm.  "ch'Verret to Blackfeather. You might wanna send some of your team down to the Mess... a fight has broken out over some stolen property."

[Ensign Tora Zalos|Mess Hall|USS Challenger]

Tora would've loved to go on about how yes, she'd met Shran before and the Chief's mad deejaying skills and how he killed it (figuratively, of course!) at the party she and Zhuk had organised and how cool he'd looked doing it. Like, really, not too old, not too bad looking and talented? Too bad enlisted and officers weren't supposed to fraternize, or she'd have been happy to chat him up and see where things went.

Or she might have deflated a bit hearing that goodwill and warm and fuzzy good relations with the Romulans were likely not on the menu. Like, okay, maybe she should've expected that might be the more realistic outcome, but still. Ouch. Way to crush a girl's mood, right?

But nooooooo. Before she could properly come up with sensible and witty replies to either of those topics the sound of arguing, and then fisticuffs, rent the air, and her hopes were tragically dashed. Again, way to crush a girl's mood. Ouch. A quick glance across the mess hall told her immediately who it was, and a sigh escaped her lips. "Oh, god. Jeyshon! Stop!" Tora was on her feet and walking towards the two in a heartbeat. She'd just met the Tamarian the other day and hit it off quite well with him and honestly, didn't really want to see him get trashed like that. You know, as a friend does. "Hey hey hey, why don't we take a moment-" was all she managed before Rala's fist connected with her nose at more or less full force, and she crumpled to the floor with a strangled groan.

"Beat it, spoonie, or you're next when I'm done with your friend here!" Rala snarled. He kicked her limp body once and aimed a haymaker punch straight at his actual opponent.

[Ian Galloway]

[Lt. Commander Kyan Mackenzie | Main Engineering, USS Challenger]

Mulligatawny to security, we need you in the mess hall... there's a fight.

Kyan raised an eyebrow. That was interesting. He didn't answer but did head in that direction. After all, it wasn't every day that people threw down in the mess hall.

~A few minutes earlier... in the mess hall.

Rala Vass burst through the doors, anger etched across his face. After scanning the room for a moment the Bajoran Crewman found the object of his frustration. It was a fellow Crewman, Jeyshon, the Tamarian engineer who'd come aboard at Starbase 185. Rala stomped over to where Jeyshon and another new arrival were sitting.

"Jeyshon!" he nearly shouted. "You stole my earring!"

Jeyshon looked up from his meal, surprised. "Zinda, his face black, his eyes red?"

"Give it back to me!" Rala demanded. "You were the only one in there when I was on shift and now my earring is gone."

"I took nothing." Jeyshon replied in standard. "Zinrok, tilling his field in the spring... err.. stop shouting. Sit.. speak with me."

Rala shook his head. "I don't sit with thieves. Now give it back."

Jeyshon turned to his companion for help, but he only stared back and forth between them, shocked. "I do not take things." the Tamarian replied. "Zima at Anzo, Zima and Bakor."

"Speak standard!" Rala spat. "I know you can. Now where is my earring!?"

"Maybe you misplaced it." the Crewman across from Jeyshon spoke up. "We can..."

"That earring is three hundred years old. It's been in my family for generations. Give. It. Back."

"Kiteo, his eyes closed." Jeyshon muttered.

Apparently Rala took that as an insult because no sooner than Jeyshon had uttered the words that he found himself being dragged to his feet. Not one to allow himself to be bullied, the Tamarian threw a punch, staggering the Bajaoran, who replied in kind when he'd regained his footing. After that, the fight was on.

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Mess Hall

Shouting from the next table over drew his attention and made the Andorian wince, his antennae leaned far back almost touching the top of his head, and he looked over sourly as the argument progressed.

At one point in time, Lahr would have been in there trying to break up the fight, now Lahr wanted nothing to do with it.  The most he would bother to do now, is call up to his friends in security to come an deal with the situation themselves.

Lahr tapped his comm.  "ch'Verret to Blackfeather. You might wanna send some of your team down to the Mess... a fight has broken out over some stolen property."

[Ensign Tora Zalos|Mess Hall|USS Challenger]

Tora would've loved to go on about how yes, she'd met Shran before and the Chief's mad deejaying skills and how he killed it (figuratively, of course!) at the party she and Zhuk had organised and how cool he'd looked doing it. Like, really, not too old, not too bad looking and talented? Too bad enlisted and officers weren't supposed to fraternize, or she'd have been happy to chat him up and see where things went.

Or she might have deflated a bit hearing that goodwill and warm and fuzzy good relations with the Romulans were likely not on the menu. Like, okay, maybe she should've expected that might be the more realistic outcome, but still. Ouch. Way to crush a girl's mood, right?

But nooooooo. Before she could properly come up with sensible and witty replies to either of those topics the sound of arguing, and then fisticuffs, rent the air, and her hopes were tragically dashed. Again, way to crush a girl's mood. Ouch. A quick glance across the mess hall told her immediately who it was, and a sigh escaped her lips. "Oh, god. Jeyshon! Stop!" Tora was on her feet and walking towards the two in a heartbeat. She'd just met the Tamarian the other day and hit it off quite well with him and honestly, didn't really want to see him get trashed like that. You know, as a friend does. "Hey hey hey, why don't we take a moment-" was all she managed before Rala's fist connected with her nose at more or less full force, and she crumpled to the floor with a strangled groan.

"Beat it, spoonie, or you're next when I'm done with your friend here!" Rala snarled. He kicked her limp body once and aimed a haymaker punch straight at his actual opponent.

[Bridge --> Mess Hall - USS Challenger]

When Blackfeather made his report to Zhuk, he had done so discretely enough that despite Tactical only being a few meters from his command chair, Ian had not heard what he had said. Given its method of delivery, it was clearly meant to be a security issue and thus he did not pry. However, the calls from Mulligatawny and Lahr came in all too loud and clear to ignore. He thought.

"A fight? On my ship? Security issue or not, I will not allow that sort of behavior. The Challenger was a Starfleet starship not a Hankow junk. This may not be my business, but it is my prerogative as Captain ta be wherever I choose."

Out loud he said.

"Senior Chief, I think the mess hall is due for a snap inspection. I will accompany you. Mister Mrekrerhas, you have the bridge."

[Ardyn Jaeger]

[Bridge]

Ardy shook herself out of her daze. "Sorry 'bout that boss. Been a bit preoccupied lately. Wedding stuff and all that drama, if you get my drift Heading to those coordinates now."

She plotted a course to the station, keeping an eye on the various systems. One of her navigations screens seemed to be off. Still a holdover from the hurried launch they had. It was slow enough now, so she figured it might be worth getting it fixed.  And she knew just the guy. She tapped her comms to Alex.   Hey there. If you have a moment, could you look at the nav systems? They're still off since the last update. Thanks." She had to keep things professional while on the job. at least, outside speaking. They were both the chiefs of their departments

With plots coordinated, and calls made, she set the ship on autopilot for now. Listening to the background gossip, it looked like there was a fight going on that had to be broken up.  "Seems like we're missing all the fun." joked Ardy to Zhuk as the Cap went down to break it up.

[Cetacean Labs]

[As Maddy]

Maddy giggled as she and Mo got splashed by the dolphin. Being so close to the tank, she got pretty solidly soggy, and she absolutely loved it. And hearing the dolphins talk about their jobs, she grinned. She had read books about dolphins with her dad and they were just as cool as she had thought.  "You really help the ship to find where to go My mommy helps fly the ship!" she asked, genuinely excited as she talked with the dolphins. "I'm Maddy! I love spaceships and Dinosaurs!" she blurted, as the other kids in the class gave their answers.