S6 E6 - What's in it for Me?

[Neva Cordon]

[Shuttlebay 2]

Ardy gave Calindra a smirk and laughed. "Definitely a nice thought, you found 'er though.  I'm just helping make it the fastest. I've done a fair bit of souping up on shuttles in my day, and don't tell the captain, but I've already upgraded the shuttles we have as well. This is a nice challenge, if you ask me," she grinned, hefting a set of tools into their bag. She'd love to get her hands on a sweet set of thruster accelerators, but that was something you'd more find in the backrooms from some Ferengi's shop than in the replicator catalogue, and they weren't anywhere near a station, much less one who had unscrupulous back rooms.   "Sounds good. I'll keep an eye on the numbers as you fire her up,"  she said, looking at the PADD she had running that gave the readings. 'Lemme know when you're ready."

[ACEO Lt.JG Neva Cordon|Neva's Quarters-> Shuttlebay 2]

Neva slowly wiped the water from her face with a towel, eyes glued to the mirror above the sink. She looked like hell-her eyes seemed sunken & darker than usual, cheeks a patchy pink & white, lips a thin line. She was thankful she could put her hair up in a simple ponytail, but even that seemed an effort. She wasn't in uniform, however. She wore denim-looking pants, a long sleeved black V-Neck top, and her black work boots. Since the news of her mother's passing, Neva felt like a walking zombie.

She'd let both the Captain and Lt. Sunik know, and given time off to grieve and make arrangements for her to perform her mother's Death Ceremony.

She'd heard Ardy & Calindra needed help with the shuttle from the Ferengi debacle, so she was on her way to see if she could lend a hand. She'd wanted to see the thing up close and see how She ticked. The thought brought a small lift of a smile and Neva quickened her steps.

[Shuttlebay 2]

Neva walked through the doors and stopped to find her target. She realized she really didn't need to, since she could hear uncharacteristic noise coming from one area. Giving a decisive nod, she headed over.

Neva found the ladies standing outside the shuttle, heads bent over  PADD's, wrong wavering sounds coming from the ship. Covering her ears and face screwing into one of deep distaste, she called out to them.

"Please! Turn that thing off! The sensors are so out of tune its Chronic!"

[J.B Dersch]

[Ensign Alhanjhu Jei'Jendak | Main Engineering Corridors | Deck Thirteen | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Alhanjhu only scoffed and scrambled after the child. She was fast, but to Alhanjhu, it was no different from chasing down wild animals. Like the Mungarr, those scampering little furballs back on Andgarr. They were similar to bear cubs, but tended to be as lithe as weasels. And they were plenty fast. Alhanjhu used to hunt them, either to capture them for pets or food, and he was experienced with chasing them down.

As such, chasing the little girl brought back memories. It was like chasing a Mungarr again. She was just as big as a juvenile Mungarr, was just as fast, and was just as stubborn. The only difference was the the lack of hair.

Besides, Alhanjhu spent enough time in the Andgarr wilds that he had quite the endurance about him. He participated in the Academy Marathon and made champion for the year, but regretted not taking more, on account that he had only a year at the Academy. Some of his Academy friends even dared him to chase some deer, and bets were taken on whether or not he could catch them, and six out of ten times, he was able to - although he let them go every time he caught one.

As such, while the little girl gave a good chase, Alhanjhu was eventually able to catch her. Like with catching Mungarr, all he simply did was scoop her up and drape her over his shoulder. Some people were nearby when he caught her and he said, "Excuse me. Caught a little truant, and I'm bringing her to school."

And he took her away.

[ NPC Katie Dersch | Main Engineering Corridor | Deck 13 | USS Challenger]

Katie thought she was pulling away then she was high in the air and up and over his back. "I'm not a truant" With that Alhanjhu got a good kick in the chest from Katies boot, enough to at least leave a mark for a little bit. Dang it! Well....Guess I'm gonna need to work out more often...Or just trick him.... She wiggled a bit trying to get loose, It did not help. "alright alright Put me down, I can walk by myself!" Katie hated being seen like this, Yea she was really smart but she was still a kid. "Gonna have to crack dads padds open again to see who is on shift and whos not...Oh crap" Katie said out loud, She had pretty much just told this Security officer what she had done. Well, I'm for sure theres no proof of me tampering, But still I said it out loud...Argh! This is gonna be a heck of a day.

[Shuttlebay 2]

Ardy gave Calindra a smirk and laughed. "Definitely a nice thought, you found 'er though.  I'm just helping make it the fastest. I've done a fair bit of souping up on shuttles in my day, and don't tell the captain, but I've already upgraded the shuttles we have as well. This is a nice challenge, if you ask me," she grinned, hefting a set of tools into their bag. She'd love to get her hands on a sweet set of thruster accelerators, but that was something you'd more find in the backrooms from some Ferengi's shop than in the replicator catalogue, and they weren't anywhere near a station, much less one who had unscrupulous back rooms.   "Sounds good. I'll keep an eye on the numbers as you fire her up,"  she said, looking at the PADD she had running that gave the readings. 'Lemme know when you're ready."

Cali and Ardyn both glanced over the PADD as Ardy ran through the preliminary readouts. Calindra's Dream was humming to life, its systems showing a bit of that cobbled-together charm. "If only we were near a Ferengi's backroom shop, eh? They'd probably try to charge us a fortune for thruster accelerators... but I'd love to see what this beauty could do with them," Calindra mused, her eyes glinting with mischief.

After the test was completed, Cali went to fetch a box of what looked like old toys. Among the items was a plastic t-rex, a bauble head of some pirate type, fuzzy dice, and some vintage film posters. "I think we're at the embellishment stages, what do you think?" she asked with a grin.

[ Lt. JB Dersch | Bridge ---> Shuttlebay 2 | Deck 1 ---> Deck 20(Might Be Wrong, 19 and 20 have Shuttle bays| USS Challenger]

JB finished with the diagnostics, All were good, Now he wanted to check on the Ship in Shuttle bay 2 to see how it was going, Plus see if they could get some personnel weapons, if not some kind of weapons on board if all were to go to Hell he wanted who ever was aboard to be able to defend them selves. When he arrived he noticed quite a few known faces from the last mission.

"Ardyn, Calindra, Hows things going, Wanted to ask, would there be any space to add some small weapons for the crew, Or even ship to ship weapons? If not Its all good, I'm just wanting who ever is gonna crew this ship to have able defenses in case of something going wrong, Which seems to always happen" JB asked the two women in a casual manner, He wasn't really keen on playing rank or even last name when it came to these two, At least not after the latest mission.

[USS Challenger - Deck 7 - Sickbay]

Like most of his peers, Alex wasn't a big fan of visiting the doctors, but he also didn't have the luxury of youthful resilience to rely on anymore. After another night spent mostly awake in the fruitless quest for a comfortable position, trying to stay quiet so not to wake Ardyn or Maddy, he had been forced to admit defeat. The terakine he'd been using, a fairly low dose out of the common replicators, did help but Alex was reluctant to keep relying on medications to make it through the day.

Walking through the doors into the main patient area, Alex stopped infront of the reception station. "Hi there," He greeted the crewman sitting behind the table. "I was wonder if it'd be possible to see someone about some back pain."

[ NPC Freya Dersch | Medical Bay | Deck 7 | USS Challenger]

Freya was busy rechecking the last system when she heard the door open to sickbay. She turned to see Mr. Wu, The one who JB had talked about during their Gladiator match. Freya walked over right as he begun speaking to the crewmen busy with a update on the surgical bot.
"Hi there," He greeted the crewman sitting behind the table. "I was wonder if it'd be possible to see someone about some back pain."

"Its good Crewmen, I can take it from here, Finish up with that, We're gonna want that pristine and ready to roll if needed" Freya then turned to the computer and type up Wu and pulled her tricorder.

"So backpain? Hey we all get it at some point, Take a seat on this bed, Now how long has it been like this, And where dose it hurt?" Freya asked preparing the tricorder to scan the area of pain.

[Calindra Hejaran]

[Shuttlebay 2]

Neva walked through the doors and stopped to find her target. She realized she really didn't need to, since she could hear uncharacteristic noise coming from one area. Giving a decisive nod, she headed over.

Neva found the ladies standing outside the shuttle, heads bent over  PADD's, wrong wavering sounds coming from the ship. Covering her ears and face screwing into one of deep distaste, she called out to them.

"Please! Turn that thing off! The sensors are so out of tune its Chronic!"

Calindra was still holding the box as the test was being done, the dampening field erected between the ship and the rest of the crew inside the shuttle bay, protecting them from the noises within. When she noticed Neva stumbling on the other side of the field, she quickly dropped the box of toys, put on some protective gear over her ears, and went to fetch Neva before the woman's ear drums split from the noise.

Calindra placed an extra pair of ear protectors over Neva's head, giving her a sympathetic smile before steering her further from the noise. As they moved toward the quieter side of the shuttlebay, the dampening field's steady hum dulled the freighter's shrill, off-key wails.

When they reached a more peaceful spot, Calindra removed her own ear gear, glancing at Neva with concern. "You alright?" she asked, her tone soft. The lieutenant must have been distracted. The state of her attire hinting that she was dealing with personal issues.

Calindra's lips curved in a sheepish smile. "We're working out the bugs, but this ship's been temperamental since day one." She chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck.

[Ardyn Jaeger - Wu]

[Shuttle bay 2]

Ardy smirked as the engines started running. "You sure you're not a mind reader? Because I was thinking the exact same thing. A set of those bad boys would really make her run like a charm.

She picked up the little dinosaur from Calindra's stash. It wasn't a velociraptor like Steve was, but it was pretty adorable nonetheless. The thought flashed through her mind reminding her of her tiny dinosaur Last she heard, he was stationed on Solaere with Garrison while she had her hiatus. Probably having the time of his life.

"Definitely. All we need is an Orion hula dancer bobble and it'll be perfect," She said, double-checking the measurements. "Might try to snag one  when we eventually have our honeymoon on Risa...." She mused.

When Dersch came up to her asking about the weapons compartments, she gave him a grin. "You're in luck, we've got plenty of room to get in a compliment of weapons for the ship.  We can put them in the - "

The engine was running, going faster and faster, suddenly giving a shrieking, grinding noise, as if someone had been scraping nails on a chalkboard, as the old saying went.  Seeing Calindra run out to help Neva, Ardyn barked to the other crew working on the ship  "Abort the engine test!" as she saw Neva come down.  With the engine winding down to safe levels, she came out of the testing area.  "Hey there. You doing alright?  Sorry about catching you in that. I think that sounded like the dilithium modulators there. Maybe? Might have to pull up the hood again"

She could tell that emotionally, Neva had been through the wringer, and she did not blame her. Losing a parent was rough enough.  Ardy hoped the distraction would be enough to help her through.

"So, strike that on the flight test for now, I guess?"

[Avarak]

[USS Challenger | Dr. Avarak's Quarters]

Though the room was dim, illuminated only by a few candles spread over a neatly arranged desk surface, the atmosphere within would have been indistinguishable from the arid heat of a Vulcan day. Avarak sat quietly within this place of repose in solitary meditation, adorned in a robe traditional of his people. In his hands sat a lute, its wood marked by the knots and checks of age, yet otherwise remarkably well preserved and cared for. The tones it produced were also as clear as the day it had been bestowed upon him by his late father many years prior.

Dr. Avarak had been in this state for quite some time - in fact, he had not seen duty since the Ferengi "delegates" had sprung their devious scheme on the ship's crew in the form of anesthizine gas. His recollection of the events immediately following the attack were nonexistent, and it was only through the assistance of the physician who had attended to him, Dr. Freya Dersch, that he had come to the attention that he had experienced a severe physiological reaction to the anesthetic that had placed him into a coma for several days. At his request, hypersensitivity and genetic testing was conducted after he made his recovery, however only nonspecific results were obtained, and it had been postulated that his body had most likely suffered from an acute reaction to a dangerously high dose of anesthizine, as his unconscious form had been found not far from the canisters that produced the sleeping agent.

The following days were spent in quiet contemplation of the events that had occurred, in part due to Dr. Dersch's insistence that the Vulcan "take it easy" for a little while. As beneficial as it was to spend this time in convalescence, he thought it all the more essential to return to his station as soon as his faculties were deemed fit once more - of which that day would be today.

[USS Challenger | Deck 7 | Sickbay]

Dr. Avarak passed through the doors of the Main Sickbay, now no longer in a patient's gown but once again properly adorned in his Starfleet uniform. He had been apprised of the casualties that the crew had suffered since the Ferengi raid, and this had included a report of the major trauma cases that had been suffered by a disproportionate number of the Challenger's command staff. Apparently, the Ferengi slavers had forced many of the ship's highest ranking officers into a primitive gladiatorial arena to fight for their lives while increasing their own potential of earning a profit off of the barbaric spectacle in turn. The report did state that many of these officers did respond well to medical intervention, however Sickbay logs indicated that there was still ongoing utilization of medical services for these wounds.

As Avarak checked through the panel of patients currently being administered to in the main ward, his eyes rested on Lieutenant Wu, of whom he had been informed was now Lieutenant Commander Wu, and Dr. Dersch, who was standing beside him.

"Dr. Dersch, I have completed my course of reduced physical activity pursuant to your recommendations and now stand ready to resume my duties in Sickbay, if it is seen fit for me to do so."

He looked over at Alex and gave a slight nod to him as well.

"Lieutenant Commander, I read a report on the situation with the Ferengi raiding party, and noticed that you had sustained several combat wounds while in active defense of the crew. Your commendation for such actions is appropriate and rightly placed."

It wasn't much, but it was the best a Vulcan could do to compliment Alex's bravery and his subsequent promotion.

[Autumn]

USS Challenger | Autumn's quarters

The challenger was on route to Starbase 153 and the crew was getting ready for their next assignment. Being a junior officer, Autumn didn't know much about what that assignment would be, but she'd heard from some acquaintances in engineering that they were busy getting the new freighter, Calindra's Dream ready for  a new assignment.

Autumn on the other hand had been told to prepare a detailed report on the scientific properties of several unusual elements and substances. Lt. Randell had not specified why she was to look into these specific elements but the list was intriguing. Kemocite, which once refined had multiple applications. Bio-mimetic gel which was important in genetics research and medical practice. Kovalium alloys which were the main raw material of Romulan mind probes. Enolian spice wine, which had no other uses other than as a recreational beverage. A strange and disparate group of substances apart for one commonality: all of those were restricted and rigidly regulated substances in Federation Space, and often targets of contraband carriers. Starbase 153 was on the edge of the neutral zone... That gave Autumn an idea of what kind of mission waited ahead of the Challenger.

That being said, she had finished her report several hours ago – far sooner than the time frame Lt. Randell had originally stipulated, and now she was using her personal computer station to run some diagnostics in the ship's sensor array. Autumn had been trying to boost the capacity of the sensors for several days now, and these diagnostics would tell her if her latest attempt had been successful. While she worked, little Luka was asleep on her lap, and she could feel the dog's breathing as his little chest cage moved up and down.

She was interrupted by the bleep of the internal communicator. Luka lifted his head immediately.

"Lt. Randell to Ensign Autumn," Randell said over the comm. He'd already gotten into the habit of calling her by her first name only, as was the custom on Vulcan and as she generally preferred to be called.

"Autumn here, " she replied

"When you're finished with the report, take it to the XO's office right away. Randell out."

Just as he signed off, the diagnostic finished running on Autumn's computer screen. She smiled.

[USS Challenger |XO's Office]

Autumn rang the bell before walking into the XO's office.

"Sir, Lt. Randell asked me bring you the science report on the least of restricted substances," she said, offering the first officer her PADD. "I have also included the result of my latest experimental algorithms designed to boost the ship's long range sensors efficiency. You will see I was able to increase it by 1.73%."

[Malik Grippen]

USS Challenger | Autumn's quarters

The challenger was on route to Starbase 153 and the crew was getting ready for their next assignment. Being a junior officer, Autumn didn't know much about what that assignment would be, but she'd heard from some acquaintances in engineering that they were busy getting the new freighter, Calindra's Dream ready for  a new assignment.

Autumn on the other hand had been told to prepare a detailed report on the scientific properties of several unusual elements and substances. Lt. Randell had not specified why she was to look into these specific elements but the list was intriguing. Kemocite, which once refined had multiple applications. Bio-mimetic gel which was important in genetics research and medical practice. Kovalium alloys which were the main raw material of Romulan mind probes. Enolian spice wine, which had no other uses other than as a recreational beverage. A strange and disparate group of substances apart for one commonality: all of those were restricted and rigidly regulated substances in Federation Space, and often targets of contraband carriers. Starbase 153 was on the edge of the neutral zone... That gave Autumn an idea of what kind of mission waited ahead of the Challenger.

That being said, she had finished her report several hours ago – far sooner than the time frame Lt. Randell had originally stipulated, and now she was using her personal computer station to run some diagnostics in the ship's sensor array. Autumn had been trying to boost the capacity of the sensors for several days now, and these diagnostics would tell her if her latest attempt had been successful. While she worked, little Luka was asleep on her lap, and she could feel the dog's breathing as his little chest cage moved up and down.

She was interrupted by the bleep of the internal communicator. Luka lifted his head immediately.

"Lt. Randell to Ensign Autumn," Randell said over the comm. He'd already gotten into the habit of calling her by her first name only, as was the custom on Vulcan and as she generally preferred to be called.

"Autumn here, " she replied

"When you're finished with the report, take it to the XO's office right away. Randell out."

Just as he signed off, the diagnostic finished running on Autumn's computer screen. She smiled.

[USS Challenger |XO's Office]

Autumn rang the bell before walking into the XO's office.

"Sir, Lt. Randell asked me bring you the science report on the least of restricted substances," she said, offering the first officer her PADD. "I have also included the result of my latest experimental algorithms designed to boost the ship's long range sensors efficiency. You will see I was able to increase it by 1.73%."

[USS Challenger, XO's Office]

Malik took the padd and reviewed its contents, the report was meticulously detailed and exactly what he needed.

"This is excellent work, ensign. Take a seat."

Malik studied the report further nodding with approval.

"Sensor efficiency is more Lieutenant Randell's territory, if you bring those to him. I'm planning an away team for our pending operation. I heard good things about you on our last mission. Tell me, if you were a smuggler, what would you try to bring over our side of the border into Romulan territory? Secondly, what would be a maximum sensor range to detect those items?"

[Ian Galloway]

[Bridge - USS Challenger --> Starbase 153]

Ian sat in the command chair, antsier that usual. As he waited for the docking umbilicals to be made fast, he gave a quick update to his log.

"Captain's Log Supplemental. We have arrived at Starbase 153. We have been given 72 hours of shore leave as we may be in space for some time for this anti-smugglin' mission. It's been a long haul from Ferenginar and the crew could use the break, Especially those workin' ta get that rattletrap freighter even close ta bein' serviceable. Once our leave is over, our mission proper will begin. Trackin' down the source of the smugglin' is goin' ta dangerous for the away team. Challenger's roll will be ta act as the cavalry should they get themselves in too deep. End log."

Ian was anxious to leave the ship which was unusual as he typically was one of the last to leave the ship whenever they docked at a starbase. He wanted to give the junior members of the crew the most time possible of the 72 hours they had before beginning their anti-smuggling mission. However, what motivated Ian to leave the ship earlier than usual was an unusual private message he had received. Whoever sent it knew how to remain anonymous. The text only message, which came directly to him and bypassed the usual communications channels.

All it said was "Meet at the Starlight Lounge as soon as you dock. Come alone."

The mystery of it all was enough to get Ian to go, but while the message said come alone, it didn't say anything about telling anyone about it and even though he was curious, he wasn't about to meet some unknown person without someone knowing where he was going. Thus he informed his chief of security Rachel Davenport, who was not pleased that he was going to go alone. Ian had to order her not to assign a tail because she was so concerned.

Ian wasn't the first off the ship, he waited until at least a hundred of the crew had gone before he exited the airlock. The starbase directory steered him to the Starlight Lounge and he walked into what seemed to be a very nice club. As he entered, the bartender signaled to him and handed him a single malt scotch. He said.

"The person you need to see is in booth four and that you would need this."

Now even more mystified and curious, he made his way to the indicated booth and the the figure masked by shadows. When he reached the booth, the person sitting their leaned forward into the light and an utterly dumbfounded Ian learned this mystery person was Jessica Fellows...

[J.B Dersch]

[Shuttle bay 2]

Ardy smirked as the engines started running. "You sure you're not a mind reader? Because I was thinking the exact same thing. A set of those bad boys would really make her run like a charm.

She picked up the little dinosaur from Calindra's stash. It wasn't a velociraptor like Steve was, but it was pretty adorable nonetheless. The thought flashed through her mind reminding her of her tiny dinosaur Last she heard, he was stationed on Solaere with Garrison while she had her hiatus. Probably having the time of his life.

"Definitely. All we need is an Orion hula dancer bobble and it'll be perfect," She said, double-checking the measurements. "Might try to snag one  when we eventually have our honeymoon on Risa...." She mused.

When Dersch came up to her asking about the weapons compartments, she gave him a grin. "You're in luck, we've got plenty of room to get in a compliment of weapons for the ship.  We can put them in the - "

The engine was running, going faster and faster, suddenly giving a shrieking, grinding noise, as if someone had been scraping nails on a chalkboard, as the old saying went.  Seeing Calindra run out to help Neva, Ardyn barked to the other crew working on the ship  "Abort the engine test!" as she saw Neva come down.  With the engine winding down to safe levels, she came out of the testing area.  "Hey there. You doing alright?  Sorry about catching you in that. I think that sounded like the dilithium modulators there. Maybe? Might have to pull up the hood again"

She could tell that emotionally, Neva had been through the wringer, and she did not blame her. Losing a parent was rough enough.  Ardy hoped the distraction would be enough to help her through.

"So, strike that on the flight test for now, I guess?"

[ Lt. JB Dersch | Shuttlebay 2 | Deck 20 | USS Challenger]

When Dersch came up to her asking about the weapons compartments, she gave him a grin. "You're in luck, we've got plenty of room to get in a compliment of weapons for the ship.  We can put them in the - "

JB nodded then Neva came in and sounded like she was pissed or upset about something, Possibly both. JB now went into quick thinking wondering if there something he should be aware of, But nothing was in his inbox this morning, So he finally assumed it was personnel and not something the Security Department should get into. So he turned back to Ardyn.

"Thats Good, I still have the Romulan Rifle and Ferengi pistol from the mission, So I can get those added to the list, To be honest, I rather not have any Star fleet weapons on board, Not even a simple knife or Phaser, Just in case it gets searched, I will have some security officers  get to work in getting some Pirate like Weapons Made" With that JB pulled out his PADD and begun to type.

TO: All Security Personnel
From:Lt. JB Dersch

Starting Now, Get a Weapons Supplement Made, Featuring Anything or any weapons pirates are known to have, Have them made and brought to shuttle Bay 2, as soon as possible, If there's any issue Please contact me.

Sincerely
Lt. JB Dersch

JB then hit sent and looked to Ardyn. "If there's anything else weapon wise we can fit, Please let me know, I have no idea who's gonna man this thing, But who ever it is, I want them ready, Most likely, If they select Crew, I'm gonna ask to go, I have some Experience as a Pirate, Or at least dealings with them" JB then turned and walked to the exit, But then stopped and pulled the PADD out again and sent another message
TO: Commander Malik Grippen, Captain Ian Galloway
From:Lt. JB Dersch

Hello Captain, Commander, with us now back at Star Base 153, I have a feeling the Calindra Dream will be used to fight the now growing Pirate problems, If the Challenger is chosen to Crew this vessel, I would like to volunteer my self, Due to my experience with handle pirates, I ran a Cargo Ship for a few years before Star Fleet, And I feel my experience will best used on the Calindra dream, Thats if I am Correct on the mission

Sincerely
Lt. JB Dersch

JB put the PAdd away and walked out heading to the Family Quarters to get the Weapons from the Gladiator match. On his way he pulled his PAdd out once more to check location of all the on duty security officers. And Ensign Jei'Jendak was heading towards the school. Odd. JB tapped his comm badge.

Dersch to Jei'Jendak, Is everything okay, Location has you heading towards the school, Did a Student Escape?

Oddodd

[USS Challenger | Dr. Avarak's Quarters]

Though the room was dim, illuminated only by a few candles spread over a neatly arranged desk surface, the atmosphere within would have been indistinguishable from the arid heat of a Vulcan day. Avarak sat quietly within this place of repose in solitary meditation, adorned in a robe traditional of his people. In his hands sat a lute, its wood marked by the knots and checks of age, yet otherwise remarkably well preserved and cared for. The tones it produced were also as clear as the day it had been bestowed upon him by his late father many years prior.

Dr. Avarak had been in this state for quite some time - in fact, he had not seen duty since the Ferengi "delegates" had sprung their devious scheme on the ship's crew in the form of anesthizine gas. His recollection of the events immediately following the attack were nonexistent, and it was only through the assistance of the physician who had attended to him, Dr. Freya Dersch, that he had come to the attention that he had experienced a severe physiological reaction to the anesthetic that had placed him into a coma for several days. At his request, hypersensitivity and genetic testing was conducted after he made his recovery, however only nonspecific results were obtained, and it had been postulated that his body had most likely suffered from an acute reaction to a dangerously high dose of anesthizine, as his unconscious form had been found not far from the canisters that produced the sleeping agent.

The following days were spent in quiet contemplation of the events that had occurred, in part due to Dr. Dersch's insistence that the Vulcan "take it easy" for a little while. As beneficial as it was to spend this time in convalescence, he thought it all the more essential to return to his station as soon as his faculties were deemed fit once more - of which that day would be today.

[USS Challenger | Deck 7 | Sickbay]

Dr. Avarak passed through the doors of the Main Sickbay, now no longer in a patient's gown but once again properly adorned in his Starfleet uniform. He had been apprised of the casualties that the crew had suffered since the Ferengi raid, and this had included a report of the major trauma cases that had been suffered by a disproportionate number of the Challenger's command staff. Apparently, the Ferengi slavers had forced many of the ship's highest ranking officers into a primitive gladiatorial arena to fight for their lives while increasing their own potential of earning a profit off of the barbaric spectacle in turn. The report did state that many of these officers did respond well to medical intervention, however Sickbay logs indicated that there was still ongoing utilization of medical services for these wounds.

As Avarak checked through the panel of patients currently being administered to in the main ward, his eyes rested on Lieutenant Wu, of whom he had been informed was now Lieutenant Commander Wu, and Dr. Dersch, who was standing beside him.

"Dr. Dersch, I have completed my course of reduced physical activity pursuant to your recommendations and now stand ready to resume my duties in Sickbay, if it is seen fit for me to do so."

He looked over at Alex and gave a slight nod to him as well.

"Lieutenant Commander, I read a report on the situation with the Ferengi raiding party, and noticed that you had sustained several combat wounds while in active defense of the crew. Your commendation for such actions is appropriate and rightly placed."

It wasn't much, but it was the best a Vulcan could do to compliment Alex's bravery and his subsequent promotion.

[ NPC Doctor Freya Dersch | USS Challenger | Deck 7 | Sickbay]

Freya was in the middle of waiting for a response from Wu when Avarak had entered.

"Dr. Dersch, I have completed my course of reduced physical activity pursuant to your recommendations and now stand ready to resume my duties in Sickbay, if it is seen fit for me to do so."

Freya smiled and nodded at him. "Welcome back And I do see fit, We are just seeing where the pain was on Mr. Wu, My guess is it is from the Gladiartor Match my husband, Wu and others were thrown into" Freya turned to see what other officers that were busy and who was not. There a few just milling around not doing anything.

"If you would like, See what has been checked off on the list of checks on all our Equipment and get those Crew over there" Freya said nodding to the 4 officers milling around. "And have them complete the list, I haven't seen the Chief today, To be honest, I'm not surprised,  Hes most likely enjoying some leave or something after the Ferengi incident"

[Neva Cordon]

Calindra was still holding the box as the test was being done, the dampening field erected between the ship and the rest of the crew inside the shuttle bay, protecting them from the noises within. When she noticed Neva stumbling on the other side of the field, she quickly dropped the box of toys, put on some protective gear over her ears, and went to fetch Neva before the woman's ear drums split from the noise.
Calindra placed an extra pair of ear protectors over Neva's head, giving her a sympathetic smile before steering her further from the noise. As they moved toward the quieter side of the shuttlebay, the dampening field's steady hum dulled the freighter's shrill, off-key wails.
When they reached a more peaceful spot, Calindra removed her own ear gear, glancing at Neva with concern. "You alright?" she asked, her tone soft. The lieutenant must have been distracted. The state of her attire hinting that she was dealing with personal issues.
Calindra's lips curved in a sheepish smile. "We're working out the bugs, but this ship's been temperamental since day one." She chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck.

]
[ Lt. JB Dersch | Bridge -� Shuttlebay 2 | Deck 1 -� Deck 20(Might Be Wrong, 19 and 20 have Shuttle bays| USS Challenger]
JB finished with the diagnostics, All were good, Now he wanted to check on the Ship in Shuttle bay 2 to see how it was going, Plus see if they could get some personnel weapons, if not some kind of weapons on board if all were to go to Hell he wanted who ever was aboard to be able to defend them selves. When he arrived he noticed quite a few known faces from the last mission.
"Ardyn, Calindra, Hows things going, Wanted to ask, would there be any space to add some small weapons for the crew, Or even ship to ship weapons? If not Its all good, I'm just wanting who ever is gonna crew this ship to have able defenses in case of something going wrong, Which seems to always happen" JB asked the two women in a casual manner, He wasn't really keen on playing rank or even last name when it came to these two, At least not after the latest mission.

[Shuttle bay 2]
Ardy smirked as the engines started running. "You sure you're not a mind reader? Because I was thinking the exact same thing. A set of those bad boys would really make her run like a charm.
She picked up the little dinosaur from Calindra's stash. It wasn't a velociraptor like Steve was, but it was pretty adorable nonetheless. The thought flashed through her mind reminding her of her tiny dinosaur Last she heard, he was stationed on Solaere with Garrison while she had her hiatus. Probably having the time of his life.
"Definitely. All we need is an Orion hula dancer bobble and it'll be perfect," She said, double-checking the measurements. "Might try to snag one  when we eventually have our honeymoon on Risa...." She mused.
When Dersch came up to her asking about the weapons compartments, she gave him a grin. "You're in luck, we've got plenty of room to get in a compliment of weapons for the ship.  We can put them in the – "
The engine was running, going faster and faster, suddenly giving a shrieking, grinding noise, as if someone had been scraping nails on a chalkboard, as the old saying went.  Seeing Calindra run out to help Neva, Ardyn barked to the other crew working on the ship  "Abort the engine test!" as she saw Neva come down.  With the engine winding down to safe levels, she came out of the testing area.  "Hey there. You doing alright?  Sorry about catching you in that. I think that sounded like the dilithium modulators there. Maybe? Might have to pull up the hood again"
She could tell that emotionally, Neva had been through the wringer, and she did not blame her. Losing a parent was rough enough.  Ardy hoped the distraction would be enough to help her through.
"So, strike that on the flight test for now, I guess?"

[ACEO Lt. Neva Cordon|Shuttlebay 2|Calindra'sDream]
Neva felt a wave of relief when Cali put the earphones on her and let herself be pulled to a safer area. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the gear off her head and gave a wan smile.
"Yeah, much better! Thanks."
Standing up on her own again, Neva put her kit down on a nearby cart as she heard Ardy call out to her. Giving a thumbs up and a grin, she called back. "Yeah! No flying Her yet, m'dear!"
Neva looked down at the box Calindra had dropped then back up at her friend. Raising an eyebrow, she squatted and started picking through them. "What've you got in mind with these?"
Without waiting for an answer, Neva picked up a part and stood, twisting it around in her hands. She walked over to her kit and opened it up without looking. Her fingers walked over the contents, finally picking up a tool. She brought it up to the part and touched it to various points before putting the tool away, not looking at anything but the part she held.
Neva began mumbling incoherently under her breath, once again rolling the part in her hands. She bee-lined it for the shuttle's interior, totally engrossed in what she carried. The whole time, she moved around everyone without bumping into a soul.
Stopping dead and pulling a panel off near the cockpit, Neva fiddled with the interior a moment before thrusting the part into place and threw the panel back into place. A whoosh of power flooded the controls, and readings and buttons burst into place. Her fingers danced along, grunts and growls interspersed with words of what sounded like encouragement. Suddenly, she punched a button and spun around in the chair with hands cradling her head.
Wearing a satisfied and cocky grin, Neva scanned the area before yelling out. "Hey Ardy! You got you functioning flight controls!" She spun back around to look over the panel and grumbled unintelligibly a moment. She then reached down and smacked the underside a moment and the control panel went dark then back to normal. With a satisfied grunt, Neva turned back to towards Ardy's direction. Seeing she was no longer there, Neva shrugged and got up to go find her.

[Lira Meval]

[Ensign Lira Meval • Starbase 153]

The journey to Starbase 153 had been calm, but Lira felt her heart race as she approached her destination. The Challenger. Soon, she would be on board, officially part of a Starfleet crew — a step she had always imagined but which now felt real in a way that took her breath away.

As soon as she disembarked, Lira looked for the terminal to check the Challenger's exact arrival time. There was a focused stillness within her as she waited, trying to calm her excitement and take in every second. Then, finally, the ship appeared in the dock, its imposing silhouette standing out against the starry backdrop. Lira watched it approach, almost as if she were meeting someone she'd heard about countless times but was now seeing for the first time.

Knowing she would have 72 more hours before the official departure, Lira didn't waste any time. She quickly secured authorization to explore the ship's corridors. She walked through the decks, letting her fingers lightly trace the walls, as if wanting to memorize each texture and detail. The science labs welcomed her with a calmness that made her smile — soon, that would be her workspace, her home among the stars.

After a brief exploration, she returned to the base, feeling satisfied and excited for the days ahead. She already felt a special connection to the Challenger and knew this was just the first of many journeys she would share with her new crew.

[Aarwendil Cheizex]

[ USS Challenger | Deck 3 | Mess Hall]

"This is why I like Romeo & Juliet." Aarwendil said to Nekab, who was seated in front of him at the other side of the table. The two were having lunch and talking in the Mess Hall like how they do everyday. This time the conversation had been about books, specifically old literature from Earth. The Betazoid had spent the past minutes explaining why he liked that story, while the Romulan stared at him with his typical emotionless face.

"I think that this story is instructive and logical." Nekab said, placing his fork on the plate. "It shows that excessive feelings can cause premature death. The human way of loving is one of the most dangerous that I ever see, it can make them dumb." it wasn't what Aarwendil was expecting the other to say.

"I like it because it's only a tragic love story." Aarwendil wondered if the Romulan said these things because it was what he really understood or it was some type of bizarre sense of humor. Now he was curious to what Nekab would think of Moby Dick.

[Calindra Hejaran]

[ACEO Lt. Neva Cordon|Shuttlebay 2|Calindra'sDream]
Neva felt a wave of relief when Cali put the earphones on her and let herself be pulled to a safer area. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the gear off her head and gave a wan smile.
"Yeah, much better! Thanks."
Standing up on her own again, Neva put her kit down on a nearby cart as she heard Ardy call out to her. Giving a thumbs up and a grin, she called back. "Yeah! No flying Her yet, m'dear!"
Neva looked down at the box Calindra had dropped then back up at her friend. Raising an eyebrow, she squatted and started picking through them. "What've you got in mind with these?"

[Calindra Hejaran - Shuttlebay 2 - USS Challenger]

Calindra tilted her head, watching Neva rummage through the box of random trinkets she'd brought, mostly small items she thought could add a touch of personality to Calindra's Dream—if the ship was going to carry her name, it might as well feel a bit like home. Just as she was about to explain, Neva suddenly snatched one of the pieces and walked off, clearly on a mission of her own.

With a half-smile, Calindra shrugged. "Guess she found some inspiration," she murmured to herself, amused by Neva's sudden enthusiasm.

Her eyes scanned the bay, and she finally spotted Lieutenant Dersch, who was already focused on his PADD, heading away in the opposite direction. She must have missed him talking to Ardyn in the commotion of the ear-splitting noise and pulling Neva to safety. Calindra walked back over to where Ardyn was still working on the freighter's systems, gesturing toward Dersch's retreating figure.

"So, what did he want?" Calindra asked Ardyn, still a bit curious about the lieutenant's visit and if it had anything to do with their current project. "Was he looking in to make sure we weren't about to blow the place up?" Cali laughed out loud, then glanced at the freighter with a fondly exasperated expression.

[Alexander Wu]

[ NPC Freya Dersch | Medical Bay | Deck 7 | USS Challenger]

Freya was busy rechecking the last system when she heard the door open to sickbay. She turned to see Mr. Wu, The one who JB had talked about during their Gladiator match. Freya walked over right as he begun speaking to the crewmen busy with a update on the surgical bot.
"Hi there," He greeted the crewman sitting behind the table. "I was wonder if it'd be possible to see someone about some back pain."

"Its good Crewmen, I can take it from here, Finish up with that, We're gonna want that pristine and ready to roll if needed" Freya then turned to the computer and type up Wu and pulled her tricorder.

"So backpain? Hey we all get it at some point, Take a seat on this bed, Now how long has it been like this, And where dose it hurt?" Freya asked preparing the tricorder to scan the area of pain.

[USS Challenger | Deck 7 | Sickbay]

"Dr. Dersch, I have completed my course of reduced physical activity pursuant to your recommendations and now stand ready to resume my duties in Sickbay, if it is seen fit for me to do so."

He looked over at Alex and gave a slight nod to him as well.

"Lieutenant Commander, I read a report on the situation with the Ferengi raiding party, and noticed that you had sustained several combat wounds while in active defense of the crew. Your commendation for such actions is appropriate and rightly placed."

It wasn't much, but it was the best a Vulcan could do to compliment Alex's bravery and his subsequent promotion.

[USS Challenger - Deck 7 - Sickbay]

Leaning against but not quite sitting on the edge of a biobed, he was about to reply when another doctor, this one in uniform, came up. Dr. Dersch was apparently quite highly in demand but Alex was happy to wait if it meant more time before he got poked and prodded. "Doctor...Avarak, right?" He remembered seeing the Vulcan's file while reviewing Challenger's newest onboardings which had taken place during his wedding day. His department had genernously taken over some of his duties, including greeting the new arrivals, but Alex generally considered that the best part of his job. "Thank you, even if I don't think I deserved a promotion any more than the others. Who knows though, maybe third time's the charm." He jested goodhumouredly, reflecting on his tumultuous history of past jumps to the senior ranks.

"I do apologize for not meeting with you earlier when you first came onboard, and yourself, Doctor Dersch. I was a bit distracted with personal matters, and then that little adventure with the Ferengi really threw a hyperspanner into the workings. If you have any concerns with your quarters or anything else that you think I might be able to help with, please let me know. I have an open door policy, I just ask that you knock first before entering." Alex gave both what he hoped was a welcoming smile. "And to answer your question, it's mostly lower back, it's just constantly sore and achy, been that way for a while. But since that fight, I'm also getting spasms down the back into my left leg when bending down to pick stuff up. Feels a bit like like electric shocks."

[Ardyn Jaeger - Wu]

[Shuttlebay 2]

Ardy nodded. They still had a lot to do with that to make it safe enough to dly first, much less flying fast.

"Works for me. The less we look like Starfleet the better. Our uniforms might look pretty, but they put a big target on us. Anything Federation made, really. I don't want them to trace it back to us and do what they did to us in the Arena " She shuddered as she remembered the fight in the Pits. The doctors had painstakingly gotten all the microscopic, nearly invisible splinters from the sharp Targ-fur out of her hands, but sometimes, the reminders of the splinters were enough to feel like they were still there, despite everything.

That last time, they had gotten lucky. Plain and simple.   She knew the underbellies of these sorts of places, at least during her youth.  They didn't seem to like the ever-watchful eyes of Starfleet. And they would scrabble back if they weren't too careful. The thrill of evading the authorities had long-since soured for her,  but she still couldn't deny that some old habits that she had picked up never really died, and she now had Maddy who was already showing some of Ardy's more... reckless tendencies.

"Once we get 'er up and running, I'll show you where we've gotten a good spot already rigged to put weapons. It's really well hidden if we need it to be."  she said,

Ardy grinned as Neva figured out what was wrong with the ship. "Looks like we're ready to test her after all!" she said, heading over to Calindra to report on what Dersch said.. "He was wondering about the weapons storage. We've got a lot of that in the hull plating. Probably not enough to blow us up, if you ask me." she grinned.