>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Mission: You Can't Go Home Again Day: 23 Stardate: 2444.06.23 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< (USS Wraith - Personal Quarters of Lt. Mikhailovna - Security Officer Ens. Svend Saarsgard - 0234) (USS Wraith - Shuttlebay, Shuttle DeVoy - Security Officer Ens. Svend Saarsgard - 0445) (USS Mystique - Personal Quarters - Ensign JG Erin Cortez - 0931) (USS Mystique – Bridge – aACEO – Ensign JG Keira Merek – 0953) (USS Mystique, Bridge, Intelligence Ensign Jaelle Foxglove, 0955) (USS Mystique - Bridge - Science Officer Jaton Alyl - 0955) (USS Mystique - Bridge - CO - Admiral Remae Ktell - 0957) (Kir Kumari - Bridge - Kumari CO - Kera Sheia - 0958) (USS Mystique – Tactical Information Center- Deck A – TAC. Ensign jg Ravok – 0958) (USS Mystique – Forward phaser Control TAC. Ensign jg Garek Darpeg – 1000) (USS Mystique - Bridge - ENS jg Counselor Ariel Trei - 10.00) (USS Mystique –TIC- Deck A- TAC. Ensign jg Ravok – 1001) (Shuttle DeVoy - Cockpit - Ens Svend Saarsgard - 1001) (USS Mystique - Bridge aASEC, Ens(jg) Carson Peters - 1001) (USS Mystique, Bridge, Tactical Ensign Taya, 1002) (USS Mystique –TIC- Deck A- TAC. Ensign jg Garek Darpeg – 1003) (USS Mystique - Bridge - Intelligence Officer, Ens(jg) Jaelle Foxglove- 1005) (USS Mystique - Bridge aASEC, Ens(jg) Carson Peters - 1006) (Shuttle DeVoy - Cockpit - Ens Svend Saarsgard - 1007) (USS Mystique - Tactical Control; TAC/SEC, Ens(jg) Garek Darpeg - 1009) (USS Mystique- Shuttlebay - Petty Officer, Steven Hammons - 1010) (USS Mystique - Shuttlebay - Ens. Svend Saarsgard - 1010) (USS Mystique - Shuttlebay - Petty Officer, Steven Hammons- 1011) (USS Mystique - Shuttlebay - Petty Officer, Steven Hammons- 1013) (USS Mystique - Shuttlebay - Ens. Saarsgard - 1013) (USS Mystique - Shuttlebay - Ens. Saarsgard - 1014) (USS Mystique - Bridge - aASEC, Ens(jg) Carson Peters - 1015) (Kir Kumari - Deck 1, Conference Room- Kumari CO, Kera Sheia and FO, Tesha - 1100) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< (USS Wraith - Personal Quarters of Lt. Mikhailovna - Security Officer Ens. Svend Saarsgard - 0234) “No, and stop asking.” Svend growled deep in his throat as he took the last of his belongings off the shelf and put them in a small container. The lid slid closed with the small sigh of escaping nitrogen, thus leaving his belongings in a state that would guarantee their preservation for however long retrieval took. He ran his eyes over the small room one last time, eyes pinched and lips tightly compressed. Off to one side, the engineer whom he’d lived with for the last six months was looking at him hard. “It better not be to Trill, you bastard. They’re all trollops there anyway.” Svend rubbed the crease that had formed over the bridge of his nose. She was great fun, this woman, but the good Lord above was she the jealous type. He half turned to face her, “Tatiana, I can’t tell you where I’m going. I can’t hint as to where I’m going. I can’t mime it, write it down, or spell it out on an Ouija board.” That answer didn’t suit her, naturally. Her browns furled even further. Somewhere, the ghost of some Czar was laughing his imperial ass off at the stubborn beasts the Russian people had become all these centuries later. His eyes darted to the chronometer, then back to her. “That said, I don’t have to leave this second...” “You bas...” her words were cut off as he picked her five foot frame up by the shoulders and smothered her in a kiss. (USS Wraith - Shuttlebay, Shuttle DeVoy - Security Officer Ens. Svend Saarsgard - 0445) “I hate flying. I hate flying. I hate flying.” Such was his mantra as he tapped a couple of buttons on the control panel, and flipped a switch off to his left. “I hate small shuttles, I hate cramped spaces out in the middle of an open void, and I most certainly hate flying.” =^=Tell me, Ensign, do you hate flying?=^= The voice was dry, almost amused, and Svend nearly had to chew on his tongue to stop the sarcastic reply that came to mind. “Sorry Sir, didn’t realize the mic was open.” =^=I just opened it. Status?=^= Svend looked around with a frown. He wasn’t carrying anything but himself, there was no cargo. Ops knew that, so... was this a hint he should get moving? Probably. He couldn’t wait too long or this bucket’s max warp wouldn't make the rendezvous in time. Svend had probably stalled long enough anyway. Or if not enough, at least as much as he was going to be allowed. The hatch behind him closed as he settled deeper into the seat, “I’m ready for departure bridge.” =^=You are clear for departure, Shuttle DeVoy. Safe Journey. Oh, and one more thing. There’s plenty of cosmic dust around us, you’re not quite in a cramped shuttle in the middle of a open void.=^= ~Funny, you ass.~ “Roger, I’m in a sardine can amidst a *nearly* perfect void. Shuttle DeVoy departing.” He tapped a few buttons and let the automated sequence lift and guide him out the doors before Operations could get another quip in. His previously programmed autopilot took over a couple hundred meters from the stern, and jerked him around in a course that would take him parallel to the Trill system. This was going to be a relatively short trip, but the term ‘relatively’ left a lot of room for leeway. He closed his eyes as the stars stretched into warp, and distracted himself by running his orders through his mind once again. Report to the Admiral, deliver a PADD. There’d been no word on how he’d return, or when. What had been made perfectly clear was that, besides handing the padd to the admiral, he wasn’t to say one word about the status of the Wraith or what she might have discovered around Trill. Odd orders, but he’d already heard stranger in his time. He took the PADD from the inside of his uniform and thumbed it unconsciously as he inspected it. It was locked tight, he could see that. What’s more, it had a destruct mode should he be captured. And *that* was what had caught his attention when it was handed to him. You didn’t give sealed documents with destruct codes out every day, and the order ‘destroy if captured’ hadn’t been heard in... well, decades? That was a standard wartime order, and the Federation wasn’t at war. Not that he was aware of, anyway. “Acknowledged.” Svend slid the PADD back into his uniform and pulled back his dirty blonde hair, just one millimeter short of regulation, into a tail. Doing so exposed the nasty mess that the left side of his face had become, but he’d learned to ignore that. He still couldn’t remember what had blown up, be it bomb or microwave, but the results were painfully obvious to see. The doctors had almost literally had to reattach his face from scratch. He supposed that the result was fine. Scars draped in security yellow were usually looked upon well. The fact he couldn’t remember getting them didn’t matter, a lot of people on Earth at the time couldn't even say that. In the end, he’d been supremely lucky. He hadn’t been turned into cosmic jello. “G’damn, this sucks.” He leaned back in the chair to watch the starlight. (USS Mystique - Personal Quarters - Ensign JG Erin Cortez - 0931) Having spent a restless night, tossing and turning, Erin finally sat on her sofa with a cup of coffee in her hands, trying to go through the recent events. ~ Should i have sent that report to Starfleet? I have no clue but, if i hadn’t sent something there would have been questions. Am i loyal to the Admiral? Well, yes, he is my commanding officer. Do i think he is stable enough for the job? That is another question entirely. The man has been through a lot, most of which remains unprocessed by him. That much i can tell. Mental block or not, whatever happened to him needs to be uncovered. For him and for us. If he is to continue leading us, he needs to be clear of this, to process it. Only then will he be able to truly lead without any impingement. Ugh, i don’t know if i am ready for this. I shouldn’t be doing this level of evaluations and decision making. I’m barely qualified. But i know one thing, this decision has fallen to me and i will deal with it to the best of my ability and i will not be rushed. By the Admiral, by Starfleet, hell even by the god damn president. If i am going to do this, it needs to be the right decision, backed up and quantified. That and i need to be prepared that, should i recommend his removal, i am going to be hated by everyone here. That said, haven’t made myself many friends as it is. Well, apart from billy…. I wish i could tell him…. What was bothering me, why i am so on edge right now but i can’t. ~ Taking a long sip of her coffee, Erin sighed heavily, “Well, Trei is on the bridge, it’s not my duty roster time yet, so i might go for a walk around the ship, try and clear my head.” (Reply no-one) (Posted by Jackie) (USS Mystique – Bridge – aACEO – Ensign JG Keira Merek – 0953) Most of the days for the mission had blended together. A lot of the same things happening shift after shift. Power allocation, warp field stability checks, fusion generator checks, warp core checks, and other systems that had to be ready that the crew had hoped to never use, like the phasers or the photon torpedoes. The Mystique had now crossed into Trill space, and the ship had been placed on Yellow Alert. Tensions were running higher. The shields were placed on standby, but not raised. Keira believed that was to keep us ready for anything but to not declare hostile intent. The young Romulan woman had a lot to learn about diplomacy. Keira received a message from Main Engineering indicating that an Andorian Cruiser had appeared on sensors. As she was about to report the information the keen eyed Andorian woman at tactical had already spoken up, because that ship, was hailing the Mystique. "Admiral, the Andorian ship is hailing us," said Taya. At Remae's order, she played it. "Unidentified Federation vessel. This is Kar Kera Sheia of the Andorian Planetary Alliance ship, Kir Kumari. Identify yourself and state your intentions." Came the voice from the viewscreen. (Reply Admiral Remae) As the Admiral spoke, Keira sent to main engineering a message. [Acknowledged. Maintain Alert status. I don’t expect escalation, but we need to be ready for it, depending on how this new ship acts.] Keira stood at her post ready to give direction to damage control crews and aid in allocating ship’s power. (Reply any on Bridge, Main Engineering) (Posted by Todd) (USS Mystique, Bridge, Intelligence Ensign Jaelle Foxglove, 0955) The bridge came to life as they entered Trill space and for good reason. The Andorian battle cruiser made the situation more complex but several things started to come into focus for Jaelle. She nodded as she pondered the implications of there next moves as the Adrmial answered the hail. Things were going like she figured they would. The Andorians held a higher leverage in the negotiation, by Allowing the Federation to make its presence known it would allow Trill to make demands and level the playing field between the two factions. The main piece of the puzzle would be how the Federation would fit in these negotiations,and what impact could the Federation make. The Andorians would not be concerned on playing nice with the Federation a faction the already considered inferior. The Andorians would no doubt press the issue that they have a far greater military might and far technologically superior to the Federation and as such better able to protect Trill. I was a upward hill that would be difficult to climb and if the Federation was gonna make any headway they needed leverage of their own. Then there was the circus. Since before they left every counselor was hunting down personnel for psychiatric evaluations. So far intelligence had been left alone for which she was glad. Not having to dig up her past was one thing Jaelle considered a benefit of her section being small and commonly overlooked. Then there was the reporter, why the Federation saw the need to place a reporter on a sensitive mission like this was beyond Jaelle's ability to fathom. From another life Jaelle knew of this person's renown having been interviewed by her before as Hatsune Miku. She knew good and well that she had an army of researchers looking into the past on everyone they got there hands on. She hoped her past would remain secret. The last thing Jaelle wanted was to be dragged into the middle of the circus when she needed to concentrate on the mission before her. She sighed, turned to the console before and monitored the communication between each ship looking for hidden comms. It like reading between the lines sometimes you never knew what would turn up. (Reply None needed by always welcome) (Posted by Matthew Locke) (USS Mystique - Bridge - Science Officer Jaton Alyl - 0955) "We are 2 hours from Trill.", reported Operations. Remae ordered sensor scans of Trill and the data, although not complete, allowed them to see what was ahead. "Ensign Jaton Alyl, what can tell us?", Ensign Alyl had already shown his expertise of Trill and interpreting the sensor data of his home planet seemed like a logical use of his skills. Jaton turned from his station. "If I may address the whole crew, admiral?" (reply Remae) Jaton turned back to his station to open a shipwide channel. "To all hands, this is Ensign Jaton Alyl. We are two hours out from Trill and will be approaching the system's bow shock and officially crossing into Trill space approximately 20 minutes before that. With Ambassador Macaulay's presence we should have no problems with crossing the border. With the permission of Admiral Remae, I am addressing you all for a preliminary briefing. The Trill homeworld is called Kyoko in the native language, so if you hear that at all you know what people are talking about. The planet is largely covered in tropical rainforests that reach almost to the arctic and antarctic circles, as well as modest deserts in the middle latitudes, but nothing compared to what we're used to on Mars. It is nearing the end of autumn in the northern hemisphere, so most people should be comfortable in that hemisphere, but be sure to check with local weather reports before going somewhere in case the heat is too overwhelming for your species. "The thing that separates the Trill from other warm and idyllic worlds like Risa is the culture. Whereas Risa is warm and welcoming and known for their love of recreation and pleasure, traditional Trill society is much more reserved and dedicated to intellectual and cultural pursuits. That is not to say that the people will not be welcoming; it's just that you're more likely to encounter a literary salon than you are a fertility ritual. And with that in mind, it's also important that you remember to be polite and deferential when in doubt as the Trill are traditionally a hierarchical society. In modern times it is very much a flat hierarchy such as that found on Earth, but it is still there. "The government is based on representative democracy, and the Trill senate is based on representatives of each member state, similar to Earth's European Union. The president of the senate serves as the head of government and is appointed by the representatives of the member states and governments. According to the research I've been doing, the most contentious issue politically speaking has been the withdrawal of Trill from the Federation, and there have been many protracted debates and protests on the issue ever since the withdrawal was approved via referendum. Be aware of that fact when on the surface. "However, much of this may well be brushed under the rug for the solstice festival, which will be taking place in four days. Traditionally this is the time to set aside all issues and problems in order to get a clean start to the new year. People will likely be travelling away from the major cities to spend time with their families in their traditional hometowns. But that doesn't mean that everything will be peaceful while we are there." (reply any) (posted by Spencer) USS Mystique - Bridge - CO - Admiral Remae Ktell - 0957) "If I may address the whole crew, Admiral?", asked the Trill Officer and then presented the overview of Trill, it was concise and efficient and Remae was impressed with the officer. The information was going to be invaluable and the Admiral nodded in approval as the channel was closed. The Bridge was buzzing with activities as the crew put their skills into action, the days of practice didn't go to waste. "Admiral, I'm detecting an Andorian battle cruiser in orbit around Trill.", reported Ensign Carson. ~ What? ~ "Admiral, the Andorian ship is hailing us," said Taya. Things were moving quickly. After so many days of nothing, it took the Admiral a quick moment to change gears. The report on the Andorian ship was already flashing on his mini-terminal and a quick look showed him they were not a match. They could fire their phasers or fire their torpedoes all they wanted but it wouldn't make a dent. "Alert status of the ship?", he asked, and it was clear, their shields were down, their weapons were not armed but, they'd be a foolish to think they weren't ready for an engagement. "Open a channel.", he ordered, and the screen changed to show a Female Andorian. =^= Unidentified Federation vessel this is Kar Kera Sheia of the Andorian Planetary Alliance ship Kir Kumari. Identify yourself and state your intentions. =^= Remae stood up and walked to the viewscreen, if being an Admiral had any impact, he wanted to show it. There seemed to be other commotion going on, he blocked it out and spoke to the CO. "Kar Sheia, this is Admiral Remae Ktell, commanding the Federation Starship Mystique.", Remae didn't know what a Kar was, but it was the rank being used and he was going to use as much respect as he could muster. "Our intentions are peaceful.", he said and left it at that. =^= I see you are being escorted by a Trill ship; I trust interactions between our two vessels will be on a peaceful footing. =^= "We are here at the invitation of the Trill government but I'd like to think peaceful stances from both of us would be in the best interests of all.", he said sitting back down before adding, "We're two hours away from Trill. I'd like to speak to you again when we arrive." (Reply from Sheia) After their conversation had ended, Remae turned to Ensign Carson, "Ensign, throw every scanner we've got at their ship, I want detailed scans, down to the deck plates." Someone reported to the Admiral that during the exchange, a shuttle had docked with the Mystique. Remae wanted to ask how that was possible, they were at warp, after all. Whoever had come onboard, the Admiral would have to see them later. "Open a channel to the Ambassador, scramble the communications, I don't want anyone listening in.", he ordered before an image of MacCaulay appeared. "I take it you heard that, Ambassador? Any idea what the Andorians are doing at Trill?", he asked. wondering if they had been invited, it didn't look like Trill was overly worried at their presence so what were they doing there? (Reply from Sheia, MacCaulay, Carson, Any) (Posted by Anthony Keen) (Kir Kumari - Bridge - Kumari CO - Kera Sheia - 0958) =^=We are here at the invitation of the Trill government but I'd like to think peaceful stances from both of us would be in the best interests of all.=^= Sheia watched as the StarFleet admiral turned away from the view screen then returned to the command chair and sat down where he continued his line of conversation. =^="We're two hours away from Trill. I'd like to speak to you again when we arrive.=^= She responded crisply. "I accept. We will speak again after you arrive. Kumari out." The screen blanked as the transmission ended but she did not return to her seat. "Helm move out of standard orbit and set us up in a high orbital vector, give them maximum clearance to enter orbit." "Kar I must protest!" Her tactical officer blurted out from his station where he had been stewing during the exchange. She whirled on him, her eyes flashing. "You fool! You are relieved of duty and confined to quarters for forty eight hours to allow you time to come to your senses. After that time is expired we will have a 'conversation' before I will allow you to return to MY bridge!" She motioned to one of the guards who had arrived due to the alert. "Take him." The Andorian responded crisply. "Yes Kar!" She watched as the crest-fallen tactical officer was escorted off the bridge. He had deflated perceptibly and gave no protest. She then made a show of looking around at all of her officers, those who met her eyes immediately dropped their gaze. After completing the circuit she spoke. "We are Andorians, warriors born with a rich tradition of victory and pride. We have enriched this quadrant with our indomitable spirit and expertise. We are Andorians, we are courageous, we are warriors but we are not buffoons! We were called here under a banner of peace and we will not violate it unless that peace is torn asunder by another. Have I made myself perfectly clear?" The reply was unanimous. "Yes Kar!" "Good!" She turned to Tesha. "I will need another tactical officer, please see that a suitable replacement is summoned." (Reply: Tesha) Sheia then cast her gaze to helm. "Has the new orbital vector been plotted?" "Yes Kar." His voice was properly deferential. "Then engage it now." As the Kir Kumari shifted orbit the tactical officer's replacement arrived. She took three steps toward his station and addressed him as he took his seat. "This ship will remain under yellow alert until I order otherwise. Shields will remain down and weapons will not be energized except on my order. Is this understood?" "Understood Kar." She gave a sharp nod of satisfaction. Only then did Kera Sheia return to her seat to await the arrival of the Federation ship, there was much to consider during that time. (Reply: Tesha) (Posted by Charles Gatling) (USS Mystique – Tactical Information Center- Deck A – TAC. Ensign jg Ravok – 0958) Ravok was monitoring all Tactical systems. Since Ravok had spent more time familiarizing himself with the TIC than Ensign Taya had. They both agreed it was best for her to be on the bridge while he manned the TIC as they approached Trill under yellow alert. Weapons systems were powered down but they were at full standby at all times. Ravok had his Tactical team fully manning the torpedoes bays. Ready for anything at a moments notice. On the display in front of him were the readouts from every terminal down on the bridge. He turned to Crewman Willams...no relation to Trip or Ire. " Crewman Willams. I want a full tactical analysis of the Andorian vessel ." " Yes Sir" Crewman Willams responded. Ravok looked at the tactical analysis as they approached its position the andorians weren't trying to hide their impressive payload . He felt a cold chill run down his spine as he saw the first initial sensor readings. Ravok read them outloud for all to hear in the TIC. " 22 Type XIII Phaser arrays, 21 photon torpedo launchers 13 Quantum Torpedo launchers. Primary, and secondary shields. 14 External Shield distribution modulation arrays 14 back up modulation arrays " Crewman Willams looked at Ravok " So that's good? Or..no" he asked very confused Ravok looked at him like he was stupid and shook his head " No ,no it's not good. To put it to you simply, if we fired a photon torpedo at them at optimal range they wouldn't even notice we hit them. Their shields would be unaffected ." Ravok sent the initial report to the bridge to confirm reading with Ensign Taya. ( reply any) ( posted by Davis) (USS Mystique – Forward phaser Control TAC. Ensign jg Garek Darpeg – 1000) Darpeg listened to the report that Crewman Williams gave to Ravok over the tactical intercomm. He had an idea, and quickly did some calcultions on his padd.. He then said to Ravok, "I have an idea as to how we can hit the Andorian if we have to." (Reply Ravok) "If we combine the beams from three different ship phaser emitters, we can hit them. But, after seventeen seconds of total use, the emitters will burn out." (Reply Ravok) ((Posted by Gary Dupree) (USS Mystique - Bridge - ENS jg Counselor Ariel Trei - 10.00) She felt the shock and surprise coming from Taya. The Andoran on the screen was familiar somehow. Her father worked with one named Tesha. Could this be her? She walked over to Taya to assess her situation. "She is familiar to me somehow. What is the problem Taya?" (Reply Taya) (Posted by Edward) (USS Mystique –TIC- Deck A- TAC. Ensign jg Ravok – 1001) Ravok walked over to Ensign Darpeg and looked at his numbers. " That would theoretically generate enough power to cause their shields in the targeted area to become unstable for a moment, but not long enough then we are left with a burnt out phaser emitter "Ravok said as he thought for a moment and tapped his foot " Any attempt on them would be absolutely futile and these are just the preliminary scans of the Offense and defensive capabilities. This could however be enough to cause a momentary upset in their power distribution and warp response times. If we need to take off in a hurry in the event of a hostile exchange. We could hit them with this and jump to maximum warp that momentary delay on their part would be enough time for us to possibly become lost to their sensors by the time they located us we would already be well on our way back into federation space. Atleast then we would be in familiar territory. " Ravok said with a smile and a glimmer of hope. ( reply Darpeg) " Hopefully we wont come to that. But I do beleive you have provided us with an escape route " ravok said as he patted the klingon vulcan hybrid on the shoulder. " Good work my friend" ( reply Darpeg) ( posted by Davis) (Shuttle DeVoy - Cockpit - Ens Svend Saarsgard - 1001) “Thank God, Odin and all the little gods of the Void.” Svend muttered as the shuttle dropped out of warp and veered to port, giving him a full profile view of the Mystique. “Wow... what an ugly wench.” The transition into normal space had been timed perfectly, the shuttle’s arrival would probably be hidden from any potential enemies’ sensors by the magnetic passage of the Mystique through the bow-shock of the Trill system. Yet more paranoia. It was almost enough to make him think something important was going on. Almost. He studied her a moment longer as he stroked his beard, before tapping on his communications panel. “USS Mystique, this is the Shuttle DeVoy off your starboard bow, with a communique for Admiral Remae. Request permission to dock.” (reply: any) (posted by Trout) (USS Mystique - Bridge aASEC, Ens(jg) Carson Peters - 1001) As the ship had began to near the Trill planet the Bridge had all of a sudden gotten busier than it had been since they launched. Carson noted the entry of each member of personnel, as well as himself there were several other security personnel present. 1 each at the doors to the Bridge, 1 members of team at Ensign Vex'ahlia's command and 1 of the members of the team assigned to be with the documentary crew. The Journalist, Elsie Biers was stationed on the Bridge with a camera waiting for the inevitable first contact, he assumed the Producer was off on a different portion of the ship. All of the Bridge stations were filled up, Taya stood near him at the Tactical Station and he knew Ravok was also on shift either in the TIC or elsewhere ready to spring into action if needed. The Admiral and Vex'ahlia sat in the middle of the Bridge, the Admiral clearly keeping a view and listen on everything going on- Vex as Carson had come to know her was in a now familiar position in the seat next to the Admiral with her eyes closed communing with the being known as Luma'Lenai. "We are 2 hours from Trill.", reported Operations. The Admiral then ordered sensor scans of Trill and the data, although not complete, allowed them to see what was ahead. Carson backed up Taya looking through the Tactical reports to make sure she hadn't missed anything. "Ensign Jaton Alyl, what can tell us?" The scans on Carson's panel began to alarm him, he looked up to see Taya clearing seeing the same thing as she reported, "Admiral, I'm detecting an Andorian battle cruiser in orbit around Trill." Carson verified the scans, stayed quiet but send a command to the TIC to begin moving Security personnel into more defensive positions just in case. (Reply Remae) The Bridge was a wash with activity, everyone was moving in and out, talking in term, it came to him that to an outsider such as the reporter it may look like some elaborate dance. Taya seemed to have frozen up a little, still staring at the scans which showed that those of her own race, in a Battleship at that were so close. Carson began sifting through Tactical scans to cover for her whilst she pulled herself back into the moment. "Admiral, the Andorian ship is hailing us," said Taya as the beeping on the console brought her back to the Bridge. Once the Admiral gave the order the Andorian's ships bridge came onto the viewscreen. "Unidentified Federation vessel. This is Kar Kera Sheia of the Andorian Planetary Alliance ship, Kir Kumari. Identify yourself and state your intentions." Carson left the Admiral to respond as he began searching the Federation information banks on the ships name, he quickly sent a message to Foxglove asking her to do the same within SFI's framework. (Reply Foxglove iyw) "Shreva!' said Taya rather loudly. Carson's head whipped up and his hand instantly went to this phaser. He could see how shocked Taya was, with what though we wasn't sure- she was staring at the screen. "She is familiar to me somehow. What is the problem Taya?" The counsellor which had been stationed on the Bridge asked Taya. ~Probably not the best time to ask,~ Carson thought to himself. They were still in communication with the Andorian ship, best not to show their inexperience in front of them, not to mention that the ship they were facing looked far superior to the Mystique. Carson glared a little at the Counsellor, "What's wrong Taya?" he asked in a hushed tone, hoping not to interuppt the conversation the Admiral was having with Andorian Commander. (Reply Taya, Any on Bridge/Andorian Bridge, Admiral) (Posted by Jono Bradley) (USS Mystique, Bridge, Tactical Ensign Taya, 1002) Taya was so distracted by the shock of seeing her shen mother on the Kir Kumari, her gaze was transfixed on her parent. Shreva Tesha's expression was strong and serious, clearly committed to her duty. She looked special in her Imperial Guard uniform. Taya was filled with warmth and pride. "She is familiar to me somehow. What is the problem Taya?" Taya was startled at the voice behind her. She had been so focused on the view screen, she hadn't sensed someone approaching. She quickly glanced at the person. "Ariel." It wasn't a question or an exclamation. It was a statement of who it was. "What's wrong, Taya?" said Peters. Now a second person had noticed her mistake. Taya was shaming herself while at her post at an important time. Inwardly, she severely chastised herself. Looking back at Trei for a moment, Taya whispered. "I'll tell you later." She turned her attention, her full attention, back to the matter at hand. No more mistakes now, even if the Water Guardian herself was on that ship. NRPG: The shen gender was guided by the Water Guardian. The Guardian’s attribute was Blood. The shen was the giver of life, the gender that produced the egg from which the Andorian was formed. During the season of the worst storms, the shen would paint the icon of her gender on the gates of Clan Keep in her own blood as a sacrifice to the Water Guardian and in preparation for the Spring Water Festival. This period of prayer, fasting, and sacrifice was to plead with the Guardian for protection against the storms. Once this rite was performed and the Andorians were assured of the Water Guardian’s protection, feasting, dancing, and celebration followed. (reply Peters iyw, Trei iyw, any) (posted by Rob B.) (USS Mystique –TIC- Deck A- TAC. Ensign jg Garek Darpeg – 1003) Ravok walked over to Ensign Darpeg and looked at his numbers. " That would theoretically generate enough power to cause their shields in the targeted area to become unstable for a moment, but not long enough then we are left with a burnt out phaser emitter "Ravok said as he tapped his foot . " Any attempt on them would be absolutely futile and these are just the preliminary scans of the Offense and defensive capabilities. This could however be enough to cause a momentary upset in their power distribution and warp response times. If we need to take off in a hurry in the event of a hostile exchange. We could hit them with this and jump to maximum warp that momentary delay on their part would be enough time for us to possibly become lost to their sensors by the time they located us we would already be well on our way back into federation space. At least then we would be in familiar territory. " Ravok said with a smile, looking hopeful. "I did not mean it as a getaway method, but as an emergency attack pattern." replied Darpeg. " Hopefully we wont come to that. But I do believe you have provided us with an escape route " ravok said as he patted the klingon vulcan hybrid on the shoulder. " Good work my friend" Darpeg felt his Klingon anger rising. He felt that his idea were wasted in cowardice, but Ravok saw it differently, so he used his Vulcan half's logic in his response.. "No thanks is necessary since it was a logical calculation." (Reply Ravok) ( posted by Gary Dupree) (USS Mystique - Bridge - Intelligence Officer, Ens(jg) Jaelle Foxglove- 1005) As Carson left the Admiral to respond as he began searching the Federation information banks on the ships name, he quickly sent a message to Foxglove asking her to do the same within SFI's framework. Jaelle acknowledged the message and nodded it was sound advice. She started to run the Andorian ships name though the intell. database looking for a match, anything that could help tell them who or what they were dealing with. From what they were getting from passive scans a head to head fight was out of the question. So in situations like these you at alternate avenues. Where could she be weak, or what assets could you exploit. With the amount of ground chatter the Andorians more than likely already had a Ambassador on the surface of the Trill homeworld. The potential loss of an Ambassador could be enough to say the Andorians not to open fire. I would also likely open Earth to an retaliatory attack, and Jaelle did not want to feed into that scenario. The plain and simple fact was they had to be smart about how there next moves were gonna be. They pushed and left Mars before they were ready it was like starting a chess match without your queen. So now they had to make up for it with what they had. They had to leverage a tactical and diplomatic advantage over the Andorians. When they already had a chance to establish themselves. The Trill did invite the Federation into there space so in that aspect. The crew of the Mystique were guest and if nothing else should be protected by the Trill. It was simple ship to ship was out of the question. Now Diplomacy had to prevail, and that had to be done face to face. She wrote her finding in a response to Peter's before sending it back to him. She hoped he came to the same conclusion, as she did. (Reply Peter's, iyw) (Posted by Matthew Locke) (USS Mystique - Bridge aASEC, Ens(jg) Carson Peters - 1006) Carson had continued to research the Andorian ship and came to the conclusion that any sort of firefight with them would end extremely badly for the Mystique. Their only hope if it came to fisticuffs would be to strike hard and first, hopefully disable their shields and beam security teams across to neutralise and take the ship from the inside. Foxgloves note back to him very much confirmed his own thought process. He pushed the information back to the TIC and asked them to organise boarding teams just in case. The computer alerted him to an incoming communication on an encrypted Starfleet channel. The Admiral was still dealing with the Andorians, so it would be best dealt with without allowing them to acknowledge the separate communication. He keyed it through to his station, =^=USS Mystique, this is the Shuttle DeVoy off your starboard bow, with a communique for Admiral Remae. Request permission to dock.=^= Carson turned his face away from the screen and replied to the Shuttle, “Shuttle DeVou this is Ensign Peters on the Mystique. Acknowledged receipt of communication. A surprise to see you for sure but Welcome, please proceed to dock when available.” (Reply Saarsgard) Once he’d finished double checking the IFF and communicating with the shuttle, he tapped his comm. badge, “Ensign Darpeg, please take a Security team to Welcome the Shuttle Devoy. Escort the Ensign onboard to the Bridge once we’re off screen with the Andorians.” (Reply Darpeg) Once arranged with Darpeg, Carson returned his attention to what was happening on the Bridge. (Reply Saarsgard, Darpeg, Any on Bridge) (Posted by Jono Bradley) (Shuttle DeVoy - Cockpit - Ens Svend Saarsgard - 1007) =^=Shuttle DeVoy this is Ensign Peters on the Mystique. Acknowledged receipt of communication. A surprise to see you for sure but Welcome, please proceed to dock when available.=^= “Roger Wilco, DeVoy Out.” He turned back to his control panel as the channel closed. “No more surprised than me, buddy.” he muttered in a less businesslike tone while he selected the Mystique’s primary shuttle bay beacon, and instructed the computer to auto-pilot into docking using said beacon. While Svend could pilot a shuttle, it was hardly his strongest skill. The shuttle moved forward on maneuvering thrusters, leaving Svend with a couple of minutes to get ready. Which meant, naturally, that he had a couple of minutes to sit and fret that the computer was going to slam him nose-first into one of the warp pylons, as some sort of cosmic joke. “Right, going to see an Admiral.” He stood and used the viewing screen as a mirror, making sure his uniform was as fresh as it could be after a long shuttle trip. Type 8 shuttles were not meant for comfort, after all. He ran his hand down the front of his uniform to verify the PADD was still in place, and nodded in satisfaction. “I wonder...” he mused as he ran his hand up to his tail, wondering if he should drop the hair to cover the scars. With a grunt and shake of the head, his hand dropped away. Loose hair wasn't exactly regulation, though it wasn't specifically banned either if it was within proper length. He’d just have to ignore the looks he was sure to get, he’d gotten good at that, too. After another minute, which Svend used to pace the few feet from cockpit to hatch while hunched over due to his 6’4 height, the shuttle thumped against the deck. “Computer, open hatch.” The back of the shuttle began to open, and it showed several people converging on his position. Not entirely surprising, but he was suddenly glad he’d decided not to break the phaser out of its storage locker. There were more people here than he might have expected. Two large strides brought him onto the hatch, that now doubled as a ramp. “Ensign Saarsgard, USS Wraith. Requesting permission to come aboard.” He looked from face to face, wondering which was the Officer of the Deck, and which would be his tail for his short duration on the ship. (reply: any) (posted by Trout) (USS Mystique - Tactical Control; TAC/SEC, Ens(jg) Garek Darpeg - 1009) Carson's voice came over Darpeg's Commbadge, =/\=Ensign Darpeg, please take a Security team to Welcome the Shuttle Devoy. Escort the Ensign onboard to the Bridge once we’re off screen with the Andorians.=/\= "Acknowledged." Darpeg then tapped his commbadge off and said to Ravok, "I'll return after my escort duty, and work out the details of the escape plan." (Reply Ravok) Darpeg then tapped his commbadge and called a group of security officers to the shuttle bay. When he arrived at the hangar bay staging area, the passenger of the Devoy was just entering entering it. Darpeg then turned on the viewscreen that was sending a relayed transmission of the meeting with the Andorians. "We will go as soon as the conversation with the Andorians is over." (Reply any) (Posted by Gary Dupree) (USS Mystique- Shuttlebay - Petty Officer, Steven Hammons - 1010) Hammons was flanking Darpeg on the left as they strode toward the shuttle that had just landed, his now familiar newish sidearm riding on his right hip. With the ship on yellow alert and anti-boarding measures initiated having a shuttle suddenly appear into a tense situation was almost unheard of and they were going to do this by the book. The ramp lowered and a human well north of six feet tall and sporting a beard appeared at the top of the ramp and announced himself. “Ensign Saarsgard, USS Wraith. Requesting permission to come aboard.” (Reply: Darpeg) Hammons remained silent and allowed the senior officer to handle the situation while his eyes were constantly on the move, he didn't allow them to linger on the man of nordic looking descent very long except to note that he was wearing tactical colors and had no visible weapon on his person. The scar on the left side of the guys face which wasn't hidden by his hair was nasty and Steven didn't doubt that the beard he cultivated probably hid more but tell the truth he didn't look any more bizarre than the officer he was in station behind who had pointed ears and understated brow ridges due to his hybrid ancestry. As Darpeg was welcoming the guy aboard Steven stepped out from behind him then moved forward and passed Saarsgard as he came down the ramp, giving him a welcoming nod as he did so. (Reply: Saarsgard iyw) He walked up the ramp and into the shuttle while scanning the interior, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The conveyance appeared to be clean and well buttoned up so he made his way to the cockpit and verified that it was powered down. After the short inspection he tapped his combadge as he made his way back aft. "Ensign Darpeg. Shuttle is clear sir." (Reply:Darpeg) He stepped down the ramp and followed the officers three strides behind which gave him plenty of room to react in case things went sideways, not likely but you could never be too careful when you were in unfamiliar space and staring down the throat of a warship that could swat you like a fly. (Reply: Saarsgard, Darpeg) (Posted by Charles Gatling) (USS Mystique - Shuttlebay - Ens. Svend Saarsgard - 1010) “Ensign Saarsgard, USS Wraith. Requesting permission to come aboard.” "We will go as soon as the conversation with the Andorians is over." Svend blinked at the... klingon?... and nodded once in acknowledgement. That was certainly not the reply that he expected. He beat back a hot flash of irritation and let his eyes roam the bay while a crewman who had come with the group nodded at him and entered the shuttle to begin looking it over. Standard procedure, for an alert situation. Several unpleasant thoughts were starting to float behind his eyes. The ship was on alert, and the security forces were armed. Svend had only seen that in drill, previously. Add that to the ‘conversation’ with the Andorians that the Ensign let slip the Admiral was having, and the secret message he himself carried, and things were starting to look decidedly ugly. Just what in the hell had Captain Bell landed him in? He was starting to wish he’d armed himself, even if doing so would have led to more than just a dozen words with this sharp eared... whatever he was, Klingon with Romulan blood maybe?. That would certainly explain the gruffness to an official messenger. "Ensign Darpeg. Shuttle is clear sir." ~Of course it is, did you expect me to try hiding a torpedo under my seat?~ Yup, he was definitely becoming irritated. Not good. He half turned his head to look at the crewman. ‘I have a time sensitive message for the Admiral. I can’t cool my heels here for hours, as pleasant as the conversation is, while events are afoot.” He looked back at the Ensign, who hadn’t introduced himself. “Now that it is established I'm not armed or carrying a bomb, please send a private message to the Admiral informing him of my arrival and the reason for it. If *he* wishes me to wait here while he plays intergalactic checkers with a warrior race, I will wait without further complaint.” (Reply: Darpeg, Hammons, any) (Posted by Trout) (USS Mystique - Shuttlebay - Petty Officer, Steven Hammons- 1011) ‘I have a time sensitive message for the Admiral. I can’t cool my heels here for hours, as pleasant as the conversation is, while events are afoot.” Hammons, who had rejoined the group gave a wry smile as he who had named himself Saarsgard directed his attention toward him. His ugly scar had turned beet red, a sure sign of irritation since they always flushed before the surrounding skin did as he had learned some time ago. Scars were a dead giveaway in that department. ~A hot headed Ensign with an inflated sense of self-importance. How fun.~ But that was par for the course, an old golf term for meeting expectations. Hot-heads and ego always went hand in hand. ~I could have fun with this.~ “Now that it is established I'm not armed or carrying a bomb, please send a private message to the Admiral informing him of my arrival and the reason for it. If *he* wishes me to wait here while he plays intergalactic checkers with a warrior race, I will wait without further complaint.” ~And sarcastic too. Yes I'm definitely going to have fun with this. I couldn't live with myself if I passed up the opportunity.~ "Now sir..." he began, "...while I'm sure that you and the information you carry are of the utmost importance you surely understand correct procedures in this instance. Our orders were to wait until the ADMIRAL finishes his conversation with the Captain of the Andorian ship before escorting you to the bridge." He grinned. "Of course if the news you carry is more important than a possible battle or giving your sensitive information to the Admiral in front of the Captain of the Andorian ship we could always barge right in and have at it. What do you say? Shall we try?" (Reply: Saarsgard) Hammond's grin got bigger. He knew when to have fun and when to back off so he tapped his combadge. "Chief Peters this is Petty Officer Hammons. Our guest in the shuttlebay would like to be informed immediately once the Admiral is available. With your permission sir I would like to take him to ten forward so that he can have a drink and cool off. It appears the temperature in the shuttlebay is a little high and he's getting overheated." (Reply: Peters) Steven then turned a smile on Saarsgard. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait your turn sir. Care for a drink?" (Reply: Saarsgard, Darpeg, any) (Posted by Charles Gatling) (USS Mystique - Shuttlebay - Petty Officer, Steven Hammons- 1013) The wait had been tense as the security group had attended to keeping an eye on the newcomer. Saarsgard hadn't said much and neither had they. After his needling of the Ensign this was a good thing since in Hammons' opinion continuing to do so would have been setting a match to an accelerant and that was something they didn't need right now. After the all clear came through from the bridge he nodded his head as he disconnected the comm and looked at the officer. "Looks like you're good to go Ensign, if you will follow us please? By the way my name's Hammons, Steven Hammons." (Reply: Saarsgard) Hammons waited until the others had passed through the heavy doors into the ship proper and took the "six" position. Probably not the term Saarsgard would have been comfortable with at the moment but at least he was on the move. Steven considered asking what an officer from the Wraith was doing in a shuttle near the Trill homeworld then decided he probably wouldn't like the answer, if he got an answer at all. That's one thing about guys carrying around sealed messages for Admirals, anything attached to them was most likely above his pay grade. (Reply: Saarsgard, Darpeg, any) (Posted by Charles Gatling) (USS Mystique - Shuttlebay - Ens. Saarsgard - 1013) "Of course if the news you carry is more important than a possible battle or giving your sensitive information to the Admiral in front of the Captain of the Andorian ship we could always barge right in and have at it. What do you say? Shall we try?" Saarsgard’s eyes narrowed slightly as the PO decided to show his sarcastic side. At that moment, he thanked whatever norse gods which might actually exist that this wasn’t his duty station, and he didn’t have to deal with these people for more than a few hours. “No, Petty Officer, I have no need to barge in.” he said in a low, almost dangerous, tone. “I would prefer the admiral know I am present with a message from the Wrath, which has been here far longer than you have, gathering intel. It is critical, this fact was impressed upon me with the utmost sincerity.” The PO’s grin got bigger as he tapped his comm badge. The idiot probably thought he was on an ego trip. That thought made Svend genuinely angry, and his face melted into an emotionless mask he’d learned to adopt in potentially hostile environments. “...It appears the temperature in the shuttlebay is a little high and he's getting overheated." (Reply: Peters) Steven then turned a smile on Saarsgard after his condescending conversation with the bridge was over. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait your turn sir. Care for a drink?" “No, Petty Officer, I would not.” His voice was still low, but even. “I will remain here until I am to meet the Admiral.” He turned and eyed the security Ensign, apparently named Darpeg. “I’m tired of playing cute games with you, your crew, and the bridge. This information is above both our heads; contact the admiral privately and let him know - I insist. I would prefer he give the orders regarding its, and my, disposition while this... conversation... is happening.”. (reply: Peters, Darpeg, Hammons, any) (posted by Trout) (USS Mystique - Shuttlebay - Ens. Saarsgard - 1014) "Looks like you're good to go Ensign, if you will follow us please? By the way my name's Hammons, Steven Hammons." “Very well.” Saarsgard, who had basically been standing still but looking around, unclasped his hands from behind his back and began to follow Darpeg out of the shuttlebay. Once they were out, the PO fell in behind, leaving him neatly surrounded in a diamond formation. He was an unknown on a ship at alert, he understood what they were doing - but he sure as hell didn’t like it much. He kept his eyes roaming, like any good security officer, as they made their way to the turbolift. There wasn’t all that much to see, it was a short trip. And once in the turbolift, it was an even shorter jaunt to the bridge. ~Thank. You. God. What a monkey show this place is. Getting off this hellhole soon... won’t be half soon enough.~ When the doors opened and he was escorted onto the bridge, he stopped and came to attention once he’d seen the Admiral. “Admiral Remae. Sir. I have a private message from Captain Bell of the Wraith.” He deliberately moved his hand into his uniform slowly, so as not to spook his babysitters. He pulled out the PADD he had been given and held it in plain view, waiting for either permission to approach, or for someone to take it from him. (reply: Ramae, Hammons, Darpeg, any) (posted by Trout) (USS Mystique - Bridge - aASEC, Ens(jg) Carson Peters - 1015) =^=Chief Peters this is Petty Officer Hammons. Our guest in the shuttlebay would like to be informed immediately once the Admiral is available. With your permission sir I would like to take him to ten forward so that he can have a drink and cool off. It appears the temperature in the shuttlebay is a little high and he's getting overheated.=^= Carson sighed, nothing was ever as easy as it seems, "Acknowledged, assuming the guest has passed Security protocols and Ensign Darpeg is happy, he's free to do as he wishes. I'll let him know when the Admiral is free and to report to the Bridge then." (Reply Hammons iyw) He turned the comm. off just as the screen went blank and the Admiral finished conversing with the Andorians, "Ensign, throw every scanner we've got at their ship, I want detailed scans, down to the deck plates." Remae said as he turned his head towards the Security & Tactical consoles. Carson nodded, he knew the scans and searches had already been put in place whilst the Admiral had been talking, "Will do, we have a docked shuttle with a Security Ensign awaiting to talk with you, Sir." Ramae acknowledged what he had said but didn't respond to that point, Open a channel to the Ambassador, scramble the communications, I don't want anyone listening in." Carson opened the channel and encrypted it using second and third level encryptions to try and make it as secure as possible. An image of the Ambassador appeared upon the viewscreen. "I take it you heard that, Ambassador? Any idea what the Andorians are doing at Trill?", The Admiral asked. As the Admiral discussed what was going on with the Ambassador, Carson tapped his comm. badge once again, "Ensign Darpeg, the discussion with the Andorians is complete. If he so wishes, your guest in the shuttle bay can make his way to the Bridge. Though I can't guarantee the Admiral will be ready for him upon arrival." (Reply Darpeg, Any on Bridge) (Posted by Jono Bradley) (Kir Kumari - Deck 1, Conference Room- Kumari CO, Kera Sheia and FO, Tesha - 1100) Kera Sheia nodded to her first officer as she entered the room. "Have a seat, Commander. I have also called the Ambassador and he will be arriving shortly, there is much we need to discuss before the Mystique arrives in an hour." Tesha nodded and sat in her usual seat to Sheia’s right. Sheia gave a sigh and crossed her chest with her arms as she settled back comfortably in the chair. This day had already revealed too many surprises and she was sure more were to come. "As you know the whole process of negotiation has been unutterably strange since we arrived and now something the ambassador and I have discussed as a possibility has proven itself. I hope between the three of us we can arrive at some clarifications that will help us going forward." “The Federation wants Trill to rejoin,” said Tesha. “Perhaps the fact they sent a ship so out-of-date, will work in our favor.” Tesha was feeling something inside her she never felt before. Serving in the Imperial Guard, she was completely loyal to her people, but knowing a Starfleet vessel was on its way, brought back fond memories of her time in Starfleet. She found herself wondering if things could go back to the way they were. Of course, that was something she would keep to herself. Sheia nodded. "This is not unexpected, what IS unexpected is the timing. According to reports we received StarFleet has just begun stirring again. Their ships, their technology and their military capabilities depending on our technology were stripped decades ago and they have floundered since. How they managed to bring a working ship this far out this fast is an unknown." She frowned. "As a matter of fact they seemed to show little appetite for advancement, seeming to hope by keeping themselves defenseless that they would be overlooked by any enemies." She gave a derisive snort. "As though that would have worked. They have been a weak and impotent entity, surviving only by placating their enemies and ripe for plunder by any group who could cobble together a fighting force. It's a wonder Earth wasn't conquered in the interim." Tesha agreed with Sheia. They both had enough experience to know weakness was an invitation for others to take advantage of you. Galactic history was filled with the strong taking from the weak. Being one of the strong, was the key to survival. "What seems suspicious to me," said Tesha, "is the Trill ship escorting the Mystique. We didn't detect any Trill vessels going to meet a Federation ship. They must have gone to Earth and asked the Federation to send a delegation. Waiting for Starfleet to arrive, could explain why the Trill government has delayed us for so long." The Kar nodded her agreement. "This has to have been started weeks ago and that calls into question why we are here which is why I have asked Sei Lara to attend." Sheia looked toward the door as it opened and Ambassador Lara entered. He stepped in and nodded to them both. "Kar, Commander I have come at your summons." Sheia gestured to the seat to her left. "Please sit Ambassador we have much to discuss." He walked to the proffered seat and took it. "I assume this is about the Federation vessel that has entered the system." "Escorted by the Trill yes. It seems we have identified our competitor." Sei sighed. "Yes, we had discussed this possibility. So ask any questions you have and I'll answer them to the best of my ability." "All right, the obvious question is why we were called here in the first place. It took days for me to get any assurances for your safety on the surface. So much time in fact that I made the decision that talks should take place here until some advancement was achieved." Sei smiled grimly. ,"Yes I remember we had quite a lively row over that decision" His smile disappeared. " Every delegation that has come to the ship have been in minor positions. There hasn't been a true Ambassador in the group much less someone who could speak for the government or make concessions. In my opinion we were in fact called in by a minority party who hold little sway over policy." "You are saying that they have been wasting our time deliberately?" Something else they had spoken about came to mind. "If the leadership did not sanction this then why were we even called here?" A grim smile returned. "I didn't say they have NO sway, I said they have little. Enough at least to get us here. What they hoped or expected beyond that is unclear." Tesha was intrigued. She had been on bridge duty during all the talks, so this was new information for her. "Since we were asked to be here by a minor faction," said Tesha, "why didn't the majority government just tell us to leave? It makes me wonder who really has the power. What is the true Trill agenda? If they simply want protection and help from a strong ally, why contact Earth? If they want weapons technology, why Earth?" A thought struck her like a blizzard wind on the Jarzesh plains. "What if the Trill brought us both here at the same time, because they're going to try to get us to reconcile our differences? What if they're trying to restore the Federation?" Sei gave her a wry smile. "All pertinent questions to which answers are scarce. As for your first it would be incredibly bad form to ask a peaceful delegation to leave once it had arrived. While they have had no interest in dealing with us to have done so would have been a grave insult and the Trill know this. I believe it's safe to assume that as long as we have shown no interest in threatening them they have been content to allow our visit to continue." He then leaned forward and cackled with laughter for an instant. "Pardon me, I mean no offense but the thought of the Trill trying to draw us into a whirlwind romance with the Federation…", he shook his head, "... the intricacies of such negotiations would be daunting." He waved his hand. "Consider this. Merely to agree to such negotiations would take days of communications with the home office before I would expect them to agree to such talks and after that perhaps weeks before I was given the terms to seek. After the Federation withdrew leaving us who were severely weakened by the war alone to protect ourselves emotions have run high among our people as you well know and the concept would not be agreed to easily." He stood up. "Pardon me, my mouth runs dry when I do a lot of talking which is why negotiations always include voluminous amounts of liquids." The ambassador walked to the replicator and ordered a pitcher of water and glasses then returned to the table and set them out at a precise distance from everyone's right hand. After pouring himself a glass and taking a drink he filled their glasses as well then returned to the subject. "Diplomats are creatures of habit and precision and our moves are calculated well in advance. While the idea of watching the debate raging among our government officials over talks with the Federation would be intriguing the chaos of it would be off-putting." "So you are saying the Trill would not dare such a thing." Sheia had been silent for several minutes before speaking. "Of course not." Sei shook his head. "But it would be naive on their part and the Trill are not known for their naivete. It is much more likely that in such an instance they would be looking to "break the ice" rather than foster full blown negotiations is my point." "About restoring the Federation though…" Sheia let the question hang in the air." "Now that would be the epitome of long term thinking on their part since they themselves have not yet rejoined but as I mentioned the Trill are masters of it. I do not discount the possibility." He took another sip from the glass then returned his attention to Tesha. "Your point about strength versus weakness is a good one. In orbit they have the Kir Kumari, state of the art and pride of the Fleet against … what did the Federation send?" "An Akira class which was mothballed decades ago." Sheia interjected. "Hmmm." Sei considered the dichotomy. "The Trill know the state the Federation has been operating under. I consider it more likely it is not military prowess they are interested in but a return to happier times. But if a group was interested in protection then to invite Andoria to talks, that makes much more sense. Perhaps our invitation was extended by such a group and they have kept us here in an effort to drive home this point." Tesha remained silent as the ambassador prattled. He clearly enjoyed the sound of his own voice. This was a meeting to discuss the current situation, so she had offered possible explanations. She didn't appreciate his dismissive tone. She wondered what her punishment would be if she told him off and threw her water on him. "Since we've posed unanswerable questions," said Tesha, "and since we can't know what the Trill have planned until the Mystique arrives, what do we do next, other than wait?" Her antennae were moving in slow circles. Sei thumped the table with his index finger. "Another excellent question!" He looked at them both with a gleam in his eyes. "Surprisingly enough we can use this to our advantage to leverage a meeting with someone in a position to make it worth our while." “And how do we do that?” said Tesha. "Simply put we express our dissatisfaction at their underhanded dealings and the insult we've been shown as though the President had issued the invitation himself. They will be forced to respond. I was already in the preliminary process of drafting up a suitably outraged missive when the Kar called me to this meeting." Ambassador Lara then leaned forward over the table with a smile . "Once our foot is in the door I will do everything in my power to make sure they don't shut it again." “You’re the ambassador,” said Tesha. She had her doubts. Surely the Trill would see that for what it was. It’s not easy fooling a being that’s lived many lifetimes, with all the memories and experience that comes with that. He nodded. "Just so. I will have it completed and sent by this evening and then we wait for a reply." He leaned back and relaxed into the chair. "I should hear something within a couple of days if I'm right." "And how will my meeting with the Federation Admiral impact things?" Sheia asked. "I don't want to undercut your efforts." He waved his hand dismissively. "As long as you don't swear undying fealty to the Federation it won't have any effect. Meetings between faction leaders are common and it doesn't concern me." He crossed his legs and his right leg moved idly. "Is there anything else?" "Thank you Ambassador that should be all." Sheia said. "Very well, I shall have an early lunch and get back to work." He stood to his feet and gave a small bow then swept out of the room. Sheia sat back with a sigh. "What an insufferable ass." Her antenna moved languidly about in response as she relaxed. "Our talks have been anything but pleasant. Nice yes, talkative yes but also arrogant." Tesha chuckled, the tips of her antennae bouncing slightly. "You saved me from saying it. Whatever is happening here, it's going to be an interesting time." She was also looking forward to meeting the Starfleet personnel. It had been weeks since she last heard from her shei Taya, so Tesha hoped one of them could tell her how she was doing. Sheia sighed. "Yes, interesting can be double edged however. It has been very much so already." She stood to her feet. "It's time to return to the bridge. When I meet with the Admiral you will accompany me. Highly unusual I know but I expect no duplicity and Lieutenant Juran can handle the ship during the meeting." Having given the directive Sheia moved to the door. (Reply: None) (Posted by Charles G. and Rob B.)