Season 16: Episode 2: A Night at the Opera

[Don Damien Addams]

[Erewhon | Reception Area]

Kalem walked over to the man that he knew as Don. However, Kalem knew that he needed to respect the rank that the man had gained. His thoughts of the current situation ran through his mind. The engineers and scientists had problems they were trying to solve and Security had people who were afraid of the future, which can always lead to degrading morale.

Kalem stood next to Lieutenant Addams and spoke softly

"Lieutenant, I just wanted to let you know that the doctor over in the emergency medical area appears to be the highest I can find in the chain of command. He wants to get an update on how things are going. I believe that includes our security situation and how the rest of the crew is settling in. He would like to meet in a few minutes but I do not believe it is required. I'm doing my best to get updates but unless someone shows up from the command staff I have no idea what needs to be done. Do you have any suggestions?"

[As Don Addams |Erewhon | Reception area]

Thank the Bajoran spiritual guides that Kalem came to him. He remembered him, though sadly, it was like a memory on the tip of his tongue—there but just out of reach, impossible to fully grasp.

"For the crew, staying calm seems steady now. We're keeping them focused on working together and putting each other first," he explained. Great leaders support their people without believing they're above them. He had encountered his share of arrogant leaders who ignored the small people—the ones who work hard and make you look good. "By focusing on teamwork, they know it should help the Captain. It's the best we can do."[/color

"For our fellow crew, the Commander knows... By the stars, may the Captain sort it out. Knowing him, it'll take a lot of diplomacy—something I'm not good at. Good thing that's his job."

"We need to ensure we have enough rations for the crew, prioritize those in most need, and..." Don looked around, spotting a few crew members nearby. "We need leaders within each group to help organize their people as a unit. That way, we can communicate and see if anyone has specific needs. Once that's settled—if it gets settled—we'll wait. Oh, and we must get a clear headcount to keep track of everyone." Then Don was figured they could come up with something added a little later as time moved on. "We need to work medical see if there are any crew or civilian they are aware should be prioritized?"

[Lauren Devereaux]

[Ensign Rajagopalan]
[Erewhon Station | Reception Area]

Rajagopalan his agreement at the the question and they started to snake their way through the crowd. "I don't know how much inspection of alien environments or tech you've gotten to do before Ensign Devereaux, but I can recommend to try and keep an open mind. I guess the most useful readings will come from close proximity to a shield emitter--the trick is figuring out what their emitters might look like. Better to rely on the tricorder than your eyes," he suggested even as they started to make their way along the Discovery towards her aft (and the station's edge). They were coming up on a group of medics clearly trying their best to reorganize triage without traditional facilities, and he deliberately didn't steer them around the group. He left it to Devereaux to actually seek care, but he did scan the gathering of patients in search of an unused tricorder--he hadn't exactly had one to hand on the bridge that he could take with during evacuation....

[Erewhon | Reception | Casualty Collection Point]

Lucien watched as his handshake was denied as the flight officer darted towards the Lieutenant in the middle of the room.

"Right." Lucien said, straightening his jacket. It was time to get to work! Lucien took a quick breath, mentally preparing himself. With this he immediately turned around and began moving...

...only to immediately collide with a small packet of officers who were weaving their way through the triage center.

"Agh! Sorry! Sorry!" Lucien called out in embarassment as he backed off the poor soul he slammed in to.

Wait, he actually knew some of these people! Ensign Devereaux and Lieutenant M'Nia he had met when he was introduced to the Engineering staff upon arriving.

"Oh! Lieutenant M'Nia...!" Lucien exclaimed, immediately jumping into his train of thought.

"Do any of you know where some of the senior officers are? Commander Lek? Y'know because it's so chaotic someone's gotta take charge right?" Lucien spoke fast, almost to the point of being difficult to understand.

[Erewhon Station | Reception Area]

Nodding as she walked along with Ensign Rajagopalan, Devereaux continued fiddling with her tricorder, adjusting the settings to display information on any nearby shielding fields. "Right, good point. This is my first posting on a starship. My cadet field rotation was on a starbase, so I'm a bit new to the whole "unidentified alien technology" thing. I'll start by filtering out any interfering readings from the Discovery," she said. After a few more button pushes, the crowded display cleared up considerably as the closest set of shield patterns was hidden from view. "Right, that's much better. I'm definitely getting readings on their shields now, this looks nothing like any Federation tech I've seen."

"Okay, now that I've got a signal, it should be relatively trivial to trace it. We'll just keep heading in whatever direction the graviton pattern gets stronger, and it should lead us to some sort of emitter, no matter what the bloody thing looks like." She continued to walk along the length of the Discovery with Rajagopalan, head down and eyes trained on the display of her tricorder. She was so focused on the readouts that she failed to notice her crewmate until she walked headlong into him. Taking a step back and blinking in surprise, she immediately recognized him as one of the few members of the crew who was familiar with, being from her own department. "Dupont! No worries, I should have been watching the road, so to speak," she replied with an apologetic smile.

"Actually, I haven't seen the Commander since he left for the away mission some time ago. I've been helping out with the radiation issue, there's a group of us back that way working on some plans to modify Discovery's shielding so we don't get cooked alive on the way out of here. Ensign Rajagopalan and I were..." As she turned to motion to her companion, she trailed off as yet another wave of dizziness hit her.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she muttered "Ah... Sorry...", pausing for a moment and waiting for the issue to pass. Wiping her forehead, she noticed for the first time the slight layer of perspiration that had likely been there for some time at this point. "Sorry," she apologized again, "Speaking of the radiation, I think the exposure we had back on the ship is getting to me more than I thought." Looking around, she realized suddenly that they were in some sort of makeshift triage area, medical personnel buzzing around them as they attended to various patients. Whether by good fortune or Rajagopalan's surreptitious steering, she was at least in the right place now to get some attention.

Deciding she couldn't put it off any longer, she signalled a passing nurse, a human she didn't recognize. "Excuse me. Is there something that Medical has been giving out for the radiation exposure? I've been getting these waves of nausea and dizziness ever since the evac." "Ah, yes. One moment Ensign," came the reply, and the nurse quickly moved to a nearby surface holding several hyposprays. Grabbing one of them, he returned to Devereaux. "Hyronalin. Should take care of the symptoms and any minor damage to your cells." Devereaux offered an arm, and he administered the drug. "That should help for now, but once things calm down and we're back aboard you really should report to sickbay for an actual examination for more extensive cellular damage."

"Understood. Thank you," she replied, as the nurse returned to his duties. Beginning to feel some measure of relief already as the drug entered her system, she turned back to the others once again. "Now, then, sorry about that. As I was saying, Ensign Rajagopalan and I were just going to gather readings on this station's shield emitters to help with our own modifications. They might be able to use another set of engineering hands back there. Though, you wouldn't be able to spare a tricorder, would you? We seem to only have one between the two of us at the moment."

[James Ramort]

[Ensign Kedan]
[Erewhon | Reception Area | Makeshift terminal]

Sitting on the floor, he lost track of time. Calls and conversations all round him blurring into a background mumbling, Numbers and models forming in his head, taking the shapes of wave functions forming and collapsing. Their frequencies borrowed from the systems central star, their power still visible all around him in the crewman that fell sick from its effects on fragile humanoid biology.

Slowly, the correct grid took form on the screens in front of them. A series of interlocking and overlapping shields. Their frequencies attuned to adapt to the input of a direct sensor link, skipping most computing steps by channelling a single inverted frequency parsed through simple wavelength modulations, resulting in each shield presenting a slightly altered shield frequency to cushion against all incoming energons and all the particles that had been caught in their wake. Over time and as they would travel through the interstellar medium, they would collect minor particles of various make trapped in between the shield layers, providing an additional layer of protection against the incoming radiation.

As the uplink to the ship finally went online, they could run the numbers. Satisfyingly it proved their calculations reasonably correct, even if minor alterations would need to be made on the fly, this would provide them with a far better cover than their normal shields.

Taking stock of their remaining emitters concluding that, even if the situation might be tense, they should have just enough parts to construct the shielding.

Based on the nature of the shields as a dynamically oscillating shield array build to counter exotic quantum particles, they dubbed it a Quantum Resonance Shield Array.

Proud of their progress, Kedan addressed the small crowd of experts that had built up all around the console, aiding in finishing the final blueprints:

"Team, I think we got it. Even with limited resources we overcame the odds. Lets get this thing build in the ship so no one else has to suffer the effects of radiation poisoning."

"Kedan to any Command Officer. We have finished plans for an experimental quantum resonance shield grid. It should protect us from the stars radiation. Asking for permission to integrate the system into Discoveries Shield Array as soon as Decon is finished."

[M'Nia]

[Erewhon | Reception | Casualty Collection Point]

Lucien watched as his handshake was denied as the flight officer darted towards the Lieutenant in the middle of the room.

"Right." Lucien said, straightening his jacket. It was time to get to work! Lucien took a quick breath, mentally preparing himself. With this he immediately turned around and began moving...

...only to immediately collide with a small packet of officers who were weaving their way through the triage center.

"Agh! Sorry! Sorry!" Lucien called out in embarassment as he backed off the poor soul he slammed in to.

Wait, he actually knew some of these people! Ensign Devereaux and Lieutenant M'Nia he had met when he was introduced to the Engineering staff upon arriving.

"Oh! Lieutenant M'Nia...!" Lucien exclaimed, immediately jumping into his train of thought.

"Do any of you know where some of the senior officers are? Commander Lek? Y'know because it's so chaotic someone's gotta take charge right?" Lucien spoke fast, almost to the point of being difficult to understand.

"Easy Ensign. Not sure where everyone is! Things have been a little hectic! I'd try sick bay first and then maybe what functions as the bridge of command central for this place. Or you can even try asking the computer where they are. Computer, where is Lt. cmdr Lek?" she said tapping her combadge.

[Tekin Nevir]

[Erewhon | Reception | Exiting the Facility Manager's Office]

It was a longer negotiation that he expected, but the results were good for both parties. The Captain finally left the office to join with his command offices.

"Prepare the crew for departure.  I have to go visit the station's security office." he stated, as he was directed to where he was supposed to go.

{Erewhon Station|Holding Cell}

Vila was equally unmoved. With a fire in her eyes, she shot back.

"Tell him, with due respect-which isn't much right now-that I will NOT allow him to sacrifice himself. And if he makes any more "suggestions," I will airlock him myself," she said. She had a feeling her words would not be delivered in that way. "Unless it's a direct order, he's to stand down. You can do with me whatever you wish-and it's your funeral if you touch me-but he has a family, a job, a life. I don't." She said. "So he can take his "wishes" and shove them down his throat," she said.

"So what'll it be, Hologram Man?" She asked, meanly.

[Erewhon Station - Holding Cell]

"You should thank Hologram Man, and the Erewhon in general. You lucked out for both of our sakes," he stated, showing up from the doorway.  He walked over and stood in front of her, his arms crossed.

"I gave you one order, Lorut.  Just one.  Keep the crew safe and together. And while I am trying to get our remaining senior staff released I get told that you have broken both my order and the rules of the facility.  Do you have any idea what kind of position that puts me into?  Especially in a First Contact situation?" he stated, nodding to the hologram.  The imprisonment was disabled.

"Miss Lorut, you are confined to your quarters until we exit the system.  I will have to have a talk with you later about this incident.  Luckily for you, I am also able to leave.  You are dismissed." he stated, solemnly.

Back with the rest of the crew, the hologram that first greeted the crew appeared at the airlock to Discovery.

"Greetings crew of the Discovery.  I am pleased to report that your ship has been fully repaired and clear of the hazards of this system.  While normally we would urge you to stay until the solar cycle wound down, I have been cleared by the administration and your Captain to allow you to return to your ship. We hope you enjoyed your stay!"

[Lek]

[Mian Engineering - USS Challenger]

Lek entered his office and flopped into his seat. He didn't know what the Captain had said to get the crew back to the ship, but he had and it was unimaginable how amazing it was to be back on the ship.

"I hope we use Slipstream to leave this dump.The faster we put this planet behind us, the better. I want to be on the other side of the Federation as fast as possible."

Lek was aware of the radiation that worked its way through every defense the ship had. That was bad because someone was going to find out and figure out a way to turn it into a weapon. He picked up his PADD with the intention of figuring how to defeat this highly specialized radiation. He had his stylus in his hand, but before he could put any thoughts down, he hesitated.

"I think I will wait until I am en route to my new assignment, Discovery isn't my home anymore. If I figure something out. I will transmit the modifications to wherever they are from wherever I am."

Lek put his PADD away with a sad expression as it struck him that as long as he'd been assigned to the ship, that with the loss of two relationships, he didn't have enough connections to want to stay.

[Lorut Vila]

{Erewhon Station|Holding Cell}

You should thank Hologram Man, and the Erewhon in general. You lucked out for both of our sakes.

"Thank him for what?! Stopping me from rescuing the others? Not everyone is out there, Captain," she said.

I gave you one order, Lorut.  Just one.  Keep the crew safe and together. And while I am trying to get our remaining senior staff released I get told that you have broken both my order and the rules of the facility.  Do you have any idea what kind of position that puts me into?  Especially in a First Contact situation?

"I was TRYING to get the rest of the crew. The others are safe. They call it...what's the word? Relegation? Delegation!" She said, snapping her fingers. "I think they put some kind of gas or something in here. My head hurts..." She sighed. "I am sorry."

Miss Lorut, you are confined to your quarters until we exit the system.  I will have to have a talk with you later about this incident.  Luckily for you, I am also able to leave.  You are dismissed.

She nodded. She understood. She would've been much harder on her, actually.

"Understood. May I see medical first? I'll take a guard," she said. She followed him out to the main holding area, and then to the ship.

She knew things had gone wrong. She had started out so well, but she didn't know how to STOP the overwhelm. She was just...stuck in the cycle. 

[Kalem Michael]

[As Don Addams |Erewhon | Reception area]

Thank the Bajoran spiritual guides that Kalem came to him. He remembered him, though sadly, it was like a memory on the tip of his tongue—there but just out of reach, impossible to fully grasp.

"For the crew, staying calm seems steady now. We're keeping them focused on working together and putting each other first," he explained. Great leaders support their people without believing they're above them. He had encountered his share of arrogant leaders who ignored the small people—the ones who work hard and make you look good. "By focusing on teamwork, they know it should help the Captain. It's the best we can do."[/color

"For our fellow crew, the Commander knows... By the stars, may the Captain sort it out. Knowing him, it'll take a lot of diplomacy—something I'm not good at. Good thing that's his job."

"We need to ensure we have enough rations for the crew, prioritize those in most need, and..." Don looked around, spotting a few crew members nearby. "We need leaders within each group to help organize their people as a unit. That way, we can communicate and see if anyone has specific needs. Once that's settled—if it gets settled—we'll wait. Oh, and we must get a clear headcount to keep track of everyone." Then Don was figured they could come up with something added a little later as time moved on. "We need to work medical see if there are any crew or civilian they are aware should be prioritized?"

Kalem stood there listening to the lieutenant. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Sure thing lieutenant. I'll get right on-"

"Greetings crew of the Discovery.  I am pleased to report that your ship has been fully repaired and clear of the hazards of this system.  While normally we would urge you to stay until the solar cycle wound down, I have been cleared by the administration and your Captain to allow you to return to your ship. We hope you enjoyed your stay!"

"Well that changes everything."

Kalem looked around and saw several people gathering their things and heading to the ship.

"At least things are getting back to normal."

[T'Rea]

"Understood. Thank you," she replied, as the nurse returned to his duties. Beginning to feel some measure of relief already as the drug entered her system, she turned back to the others once again. "Now, then, sorry about that. As I was saying, Ensign Rajagopalan and I were just going to gather readings on this station's shield emitters to help with our own modifications. They might be able to use another set of engineering hands back there. Though, you wouldn't be able to spare a tricorder, would you? We seem to only have one between the two of us at the moment."

[Ensign Rajagopalan]
[Erewhon Station | Reception Area]

Thankfully, they didn't have any trouble finding a tricorder for Rajagopalan to commandeer, and after that they wasted no time heading to far edge of the accessible space at the stations edge. In this circumstance the experienced Science officer mostly deferred to Devereaux's Engineering expertise. She located a curiously shaped object that they suspected to be a transmitter and then they worked together to collect scan data at different frequency bands simultaneously. "What do you think, should you take the data we've learned so far back to the group or keep hunting for more?" he asked her as he peered down at the screen of his tricorder, trying to understand if it was tell him any new information or not.

Proud of their progress, Kedan addressed the small crowd of experts that had built up all around the console, aiding in finishing the final blueprints:
"Team, I think we got it. Even with limited resources we overcame the odds. Lets get this thing build in the ship so no one else has to suffer the effects of radiation poisoning."
"Kedan to any Command Officer. We have finished plans for an experimental quantum resonance shield grid. It should protect us from the stars radiation. Asking for permission to integrate the system into Discoveries Shield Array as soon as Decon is finished."

[Crewman T'Rea]
[Erewhon Station | Reception Area]

T'Rea felt a distinct bust of satisfaction as she sat with Kedan and watched the results of their work pour
across the screen. It seems like the situation around them had finally started to calm and stabilize, and now, they seemed to have made a real break through with the shielding. Now it was just to work out how to implement that plan, and Kedan already seemed to be on top of that. Until...

Back with the rest of the crew, the hologram that first greeted the crew appeared at the airlock to Discovery.
"Greetings crew of the Discovery.  I am pleased to report that your ship has been fully repaired and clear of the hazards of this system.  While normally we would urge you to stay until the solar cycle wound down, I have been cleared by the administration and your Captain to allow you to return to your ship. We hope you enjoyed your stay!"

The announcement that their 'hosts' had declared the ship safe to reenter spread like wildfire---but could it be trusted? With the captain's earlier statements of mistrust of the station and its operators the question couldn't be overlooked. She glanced uncertainly at Ensign Kedan, "Is there a way to independently confirm that it's safe to return to the Discovery?" But even as she spoke she was standing to help start packing up their equipment.

[Lauren Devereaux]

[Ensign Rajagopalan]
[Erewhon Station | Reception Area]

Thankfully, they didn't have any trouble finding a tricorder for Rajagopalan to commandeer, and after that they wasted no time heading to far edge of the accessible space at the stations edge. In this circumstance the experienced Science officer mostly deferred to Devereaux's Engineering expertise. She located a curiously shaped object that they suspected to be a transmitter and then they worked together to collect scan data at different frequency bands simultaneously. "What do you think, should you take the data we've learned so far back to the group or keep hunting for more?" he asked her as he peered down at the screen of his tricorder, trying to understand if it was tell him any new information or not.

[Erewhon Station | Reception Area]

Devereaux watched as her tricorder display filled with information on the fields being generated by the object before them. After a few moments, she moved over to Rajagopalan, whose own tricorder had been collecting data on another wavelength. She held her tricorder next to his, comparing the readings. "This is fascinating! That's definitely some short of shield emitter, though it's too small to be covering this whole station. It looks like they have some sort of decentralized shield array, likely stringing together several emitters at different locations. Look, you can see the quantum resonance on both frequencies..." She was interrupted mid-sentence by an announcement by one of the station's holograms.

"Greetings crew of the Discovery.  I am pleased to report that your ship has been fully repaired and clear of the hazards of this system.  While normally we would urge you to stay until the solar cycle wound down, I have been cleared by the administration and your Captain to allow you to return to your ship. We hope you enjoyed your stay!"

Sheepishly realizing she had been on a bit of a rant, Devereaux coughed. "Erm, right. Well, that's a good sign. Long story short, yes, this is great data. I'm sure Kedan, T'Rea, and the others have made some progress; we should get these readings back to them." And with that, they began making their way back to the group.

After a short trek back to the others, Devereaux saw what looked to be a complete shielding solution displayed on the portable terminal the group had set themselves up around. "Well, you lot have been busy! We have some good readings on the station's shielding system. Though, it looks like you've got a great solution already! As soon as command gives us the green light, we can get to the shield emitters and work on the modifications. I'll help in any way I can. Our readings are here for supplementary data if you need them." She joined the others in gathering the equipment from their makeshift work station, eager to be back onboard.

[Tekin Nevir]

{Erewhon Station|Holding Cell}

"Thank him for what?! Stopping me from rescuing the others? Not everyone is out there, Captain," she said.

"I was TRYING to get the rest of the crew. The others are safe. They call it...what's the word? Relegation? Delegation!" She said, snapping her fingers. "I think they put some kind of gas or something in here. My head hurts..." She sighed. "I am sorry."

She nodded. She understood. She would've been much harder on her, actually.

"Understood. May I see medical first? I'll take a guard," she said. She followed him out to the main holding area, and then to the ship.

She knew things had gone wrong. She had started out so well, but she didn't know how to STOP the overwhelm. She was just...stuck in the cycle.

[Erewhon Station - Holding Cell]

The Captain held his composure to what his officer was saying but was firm in his decision.  He didn't reply to her, but nodded, following her out until a security officer was able to take over and walk with her.  Finally, he headed for the airlock... choosing to avoid the transporter this time.  He needed the time to walk and mull over how he would deal with this situation.

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Main Bridge]

He couldn't avoid a check with the medical team as they somehow found him after he boarded, so he at least made it to the Bridge fully whole and intact.  He walked over to his chair and sat down, looking over the displays.  It would see that the Erwhons were indeed good to their word, as Discovery was 100% across the board.  The ability to make such microscopic repairs on a ship they had never encountered before was fascinating, if a little disturbing.

Nevir waited for the engineering team to board, and then ordered their new design to be connected and engaged.  He then ordered the ship to prepare for departure and had the helm pull them away from the station, making sure to pick up the shuttle.  Then it was time to exit, and luckily for them, the engineering team's idea did in fact work.

~~~~~~~~~

Captain's Log, Supplemental.

We are set course for the nearest starbase to make sure there are no lasting effects from the unusual stellar radiation the ship sustained. This new shielding technology will be thouroughly tested and refined, but what my Engineering team did was nothing short of a miracle.  I only wish my Chief Engineer could have been part of this development.  Instead, while we head off to the unknown, I have to deal with disciplinary actions... and transfers....

[Epilogue]

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Captain's Ready Room]

The Captain was standing behind his desk, holding a PADD in his hand, as he addressed the two senior officers in his room.

"There are no more fragile eggshells to walk than in a First Contact situation. Normally in such a situation, I would have handled it personally, but in my absence I expected my senior officers to know how to act, no matter how intolerable or disgusting the environment they are exposed to.  The Prime Directive is not just about not interfering with pre-warp development, but also respecting and not interfering with the cultures of other worlds.  Now maybe those things were human beings, or maybe they were not, that was never for us to decide, and certainly not our place to pass judgment.  That goes to the Federation Council; we just submit the report, and wait to hear instructions after their own assessment. You saw how advanced their technology was, Lek, did you consider that you could have put the ship in danger? And you, Lorut, didn't know what they were dealing with, and your actions jeopardized negotiations to get us out of this situation. A Captain who can't control his senior officers, let alone his crew."

He sighed and slumped back in his chair.  "You two have something very much in common.  You come from cultures where distrust was essential for survival. Assume the other side has ill intent and prepare for it, or you lose everything you have.  You're both cautious, and I respect and support that, but when to action and when to hold it in is essential for being Starfleet officers."

"Now, Commander Lek... before I could even finish my report you send me this." he held up the PADD.  "I understand there have been some... personnel... issues since the recovery, and I know a lot of officers are feeling it.  You've been a fine Chief Engineer, and I hope you can realize that.  We have disagreed, we've butted heads, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.  So if this is what you truly want, I will grant it with full recommendations for any assignment you are looking for. This will be in your record, but I don't want this last mission to define your service to this ship and crew."

"Lorut... you have potential.  Prophets you have potential.  And I know you are haunted even more directly by the past than most Bajorans going into Starfleet. I feel like we were making progress.  But I understand if you too want to leave the ship."

[Lek]

[Erewhon Station - Holding Cell]

The Captain held his composure to what his officer was saying but was firm in his decision.  He didn't reply to her, but nodded, following her out until a security officer was able to take over and walk with her.  Finally, he headed for the airlock... choosing to avoid the transporter this time.  He needed the time to walk and mull over how he would deal with this situation.

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Main Bridge]

He couldn't avoid a check with the medical team as they somehow found him after he boarded, so he at least made it to the Bridge fully whole and intact.  He walked over to his chair and sat down, looking over the displays.  It would see that the Erwhons were indeed good to their word, as Discovery was 100% across the board.  The ability to make such microscopic repairs on a ship they had never encountered before was fascinating, if a little disturbing.

Nevir waited for the engineering team to board, and then ordered their new design to be connected and engaged.  He then ordered the ship to prepare for departure and had the helm pull them away from the station, making sure to pick up the shuttle.  Then it was time to exit, and luckily for them, the engineering team's idea did in fact work.

~~~~~~~~~

Captain's Log, Supplemental.

We are set course for the nearest starbase to make sure there are no lasting effects from the unusual stellar radiation the ship sustained. This new shielding technology will be thouroughly tested and refined, but what my Engineering team did was nothing short of a miracle.  I only wish my Chief Engineer could have been part of this development.  Instead, while we head off to the unknown, I have to deal with disciplinary actions... and transfers....

[Epilogue]

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Captain's Ready Room]

The Captain was standing behind his desk, holding a PADD in his hand, as he addressed the two senior officers in his room.

"There are no more fragile eggshells to walk than in a First Contact situation. Normally in such a situation, I would have handled it personally, but in my absence I expected my senior officers to know how to act, no matter how intolerable or disgusting the environment they are exposed to.  The Prime Directive is not just about not interfering with pre-warp development, but also respecting and not interfering with the cultures of other worlds.  Now maybe those things were human beings, or maybe they were not, that was never for us to decide, and certainly not our place to pass judgment.  That goes to the Federation Council; we just submit the report, and wait to hear instructions after their own assessment. You saw how advanced their technology was, Lek, did you consider that you could have put the ship in danger? And you, Lorut, didn't know what they were dealing with, and your actions jeopardized negotiations to get us out of this situation. A Captain who can't control his senior officers, let alone his crew."

He sighed and slumped back in his chair.  "You two have something very much in common.  You come from cultures where distrust was essential for survival. Assume the other side has ill intent and prepare for it, or you lose everything you have.  You're both cautious, and I respect and support that, but when to action and when to hold it in is essential for being Starfleet officers."

"Now, Commander Lek... before I could even finish my report you send me this." he held up the PADD.  "I understand there have been some... personnel... issues since the recovery, and I know a lot of officers are feeling it.  You've been a fine Chief Engineer, and I hope you can realize that.  We have disagreed, we've butted heads, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.  So if this is what you truly want, I will grant it with full recommendations for any assignment you are looking for. This will be in your record, but I don't want this last mission to define your service to this ship and crew."

"Lorut... you have potential.  Prophets you have potential.  And I know you are haunted even more directly by the past than most Bajorans going into Starfleet. I feel like we were making progress.  But I understand if you too want to leave the ship."

[Captain's Ready Room - USS Discovery]

Lek stood at the position of attention and did not speak. He knew thus was not a two-way conversation. This was a 'take your lumps and enjoy it' situation. However, he could still express his thoughts silently.

"Thing is, Captain's pretty much on the latinum regarding how I had behaved, but I not a diplomat and that was a well known fact. He should have followed his lobes and stayed on the ship, which was where he was actually needed given what happened while he was gone."

When the Captain finished speaking, Lek risked a short reply.

"I believe it is best for me to go. Excelling at anything requires you love what you do and I can't honestly said I love being here any more. It has been an honor to be your Chief Engineer. I hope my replacement serves you better than I could."

[Tekin Nevir]

[Captain's Ready Room - USS Discovery]

Lek stood at the position of attention and did not speak. He knew thus was not a two-way conversation. This was a 'take your lumps and enjoy it' situation. However, he could still express his thoughts silently.

"Thing is, Captain's pretty much on the latinum regarding how I had behaved, but I not a diplomat and that was a well known fact. He should have followed his lobes and stayed on the ship, which was where he was actually needed given what happened while he was gone."

When the Captain finished speaking, Lek risked a short reply.

"I believe it is best for me to go. Excelling at anything requires you love what you do and I can't honestly said I love being here any more. It has been an honor to be your Chief Engineer. I hope my replacement serves you better than I could."

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Captain's Ready Room]

The Captain sighed.  It was obvious he was disappointed, but nevertheless, he nodded.  "I respect Rule of Acquisition number 58: There is no substitute for success.  If you no longer feel you can succeed on Discovery, then I won't stop you from finding that path. Alright, then Lieutenant Commander Lek, I hereby approve your request to transfer effective immediately.  You can disembark when we reach Solaere station and from there decide where the winds take you. May the Prophets guide your path." he added, invoking his own culture.

"You may either resume duty until we reach Solaere, or appoint your temporary successor.  I would also request a list of candidates to fill your role if you have any personal recommendations.  Its been an honor serving with you, and being your Captain. Mr Lek, you are dismissed."

With that, he turned to Lorut, the last one he needed to make sure was addressed.

[Lek]

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Captain's Ready Room]

The Captain sighed.  It was obvious he was disappointed, but nevertheless, he nodded.  "I respect Rule of Acquisition number 58: There is no substitute for success.  If you no longer feel you can succeed on Discovery, then I won't stop you from finding that path. Alright, then Lieutenant Commander Lek, I hereby approve your request to transfer effective immediately.  You can disembark when we reach Solaere station and from there decide where the winds take you. May the Prophets guide your path." he added, invoking his own culture.

"You may either resume duty until we reach Solaere, or appoint your temporary successor.  I would also request a list of candidates to fill your role if you have any personal recommendations.  Its been an honor serving with you, and being your Captain. Mr Lek, you are dismissed."

With that, he turned to Lorut, the last one he needed to make sure was addressed.

[Captain's Ready Room - USS Discovery]

Lek had to admit, he was sorry things had come to this. He'd always be partial to Challenger as the first ship on which he was chief engineer, but Discovery had been a comfortable assignment.

"Thank you Sir, there is only one name I would recommend as my replacement and that is Lieutenant M'Nia. With your leave, I will return to my quarters and pack so that I will be ready for immediate departure."

[Lorut Vila]

{USS Discovery|Captain's Ready Room}

She sat there, a look of defiant indifference on her face. She listened to the Captain talk to Lek first, but didn't pay too much attention. Frankly, she disliked the Ferengi, BUT she had to admit that she was a bit impressed by his actions-it's the same thing she would've (and DID) do. Sometimes, the rules needed to be broken when people-or a whole planet of them-were being suspect, first contact or not. She did her best to not interrupt, though she would need to stand up-or pace around-soon because if she didn't, the meeting would not go well. She was glad that the Fleet was moving more towards standing-stations-it helped the kinetic Bajoran to stay a bit more calm on the Bridge.

You two have something very much in common.  You come from cultures where distrust was essential for survival. Assume the other side has ill intent and prepare for it, or you lose everything you have.  You're both cautious, and I respect and support that, but when to action and when to hold it in is essential for being Starfleet officers.

She nodded once. She wasn't "cautious"-or at least, she didn't think so. She was reckless, uncaring. That wasn't true-she cared. A lot. More than people might expect, but it was just hard for her to express it in healthy ways.

Lorut... you have potential.  Prophets you have potential.  And I know you are haunted even more directly by the past than most Bajorans going into Starfleet. I feel like we were making progress. But I understand if you too want to leave the ship.

She looked at him, hard.

"Unlike the Ferengi here, I don't see the need to quit when the going gets tough," she said. "I will stick it out here. But thank you for acknowledging that I was making progress. I don't MEAN to cause problems. I just...well. I figure, you better get ahead first before they hurt you..." she said. As he'd noted. "But also...I DO like the crew and I think I understand more than most that it's more important to bring your comrades home than it is to make a good impression. Frankly, sir...I will blow any planet out of the sky if it means that the rest are safe, and I don't CARE what the Fleet thinks about it. I also struggle to understand your own loyalty to a group of people who were fine with ours dying, and, though they COULD do something to help, chose to land on some moralistic high ground rather than get their hands dirty. Which, in the end, isn't moral at all, if you ask me," she said. "You know why I joined Starfleet? My ex-husband said I couldn't. Tell me I can't, and I WILL if it kills me," she said. "All I want is to ensure that no person ever has to go through what I and our people did. No one deserves that, not even the Cardassians," she said. "And if that means that I need to break rules to do it, so be it. I'll resign or whatever," she said. "But they need to know...the wrongs of the past WILL BE righted, even if I am the only one righting them," she said.

Finally, she stopped. She let out a breath, and settled back. She'd needed to get that out.

"I'll be in my quarters until you say otherwise," she said. "As you said," she said. "I don't expect to be rewarded-I understand I disobeyed an order, and put myself in danger, but you gotta know...something strange was happening out there. I wish there was time to free others, but I hope you at least make a report so it can be checked out," she said. She tapped her foot against his desk. She would need to move around soon, or she'd vomit. Or die. Whichever.