Season 1 - Misison 11: Nowhere to Run

Conor Terell wrote:

[Corridors]

Kids? Conor thought, one brow raising slightly.  Leela looked barely older than him, but...well, she was Trill, after all.  He couldn't even imagine what it must feel like to have multiple lives crammed in your head.  Did she remember them all concurrently, like a logjam of frequencies?  Honestly, Conor had never really put that much thought into Trills.  Perhaps it was time to do so.  And she's attractive, to boot.  Win-win?

"Yeah...I heard you all got pretty banged up down there," he quietly replied, a little of his earlier bluster deflating.  Conor never had trouble smiling or having fun in life, but he took his job very seriously.  "The bridge wasn't a pretty sight, either.  Bastards really pantsed us."

[Corridors]

Leela's demeanor quickly changed at the mention of the invasion force. It was a distraction that had likely gotten her into sickbay in the first place. But she still couldn't shake the feeling of loss, ever since the incident memories of Nantia's death were close to the surface of her mind. She tried to focus on other things but failed at every attempt. "Yeah, it was pretty rough down there. I saw the repair schedule for the bridge. You're right, it took one hell of a beating." Her tone had become somber and she lost some of the zest that she had become infamous for. "If you don't mind; I would prefer to talk about something else. Bad memories. I hope you understand." She knew he couldn't truly understand but she hoped that he would respect her wishes.

Leela Kaz wrote:

Leela's demeanor quickly changed at the mention of the invasion force. It was a distraction that had likely gotten her into sickbay in the first place. But she still couldn't shake the feeling of loss, ever since the incident memories of Nantia's death were close to the surface of her mind. She tried to focus on other things but failed at every attempt. "Yeah, it was pretty rough down there. I saw the repair schedule for the bridge. You're right, it took one hell of a beating." Her tone had become somber and she lost some of the zest that she had become infamous for. "If you don't mind; I would prefer to talk about something else. Bad memories. I hope you understand." She knew he couldn't truly understand but she hoped that he would respect her wishes.

[Corridors]

"Sure thing," Conor replied, with what he assumed was a smooth transition. The Vidiians had, indeed, caught the ship off-guard and had, for a brief moment at least, done what they wished. Stuff like that was an embarrassment for any security force, no matter what was truly to blame. It still bugged him. And, apparently...it bugged her.

As they drew closer to the turbolift, Conor turned and smiled, spreading his hands with a friendly gesture. "Looks like duty calls. Uh..." he trailed off, suddenly feeling a bit awkward and scratching behind his ear. "We should continue this. Like, some time. Over coffee in the crew lounge."

Leela moved forward when Conor gestured that she should go first. She contemplated his intentions. Struggling to decide if he was interested in a date or if he was merely seeking friendship she began to nod. "I think... that could be nice." She replied with trepidation in her voice. "I'm off at 1700. How does 1730 sound?" She wasn't sure what she was getting into, but it could be an interesting diversion.

Buris had already said his piece about the way this bridge was laid out, so all that Rellek would see in response to her order would be the back of his head as he nodded. His eyes didn't come off the board in front of him. It was horribly dismissive, but totally within regs - especially since he had just been told to monitor (not that he hadn't been already). "Aye, sir. Captain, Torpedo Bay reports ready to launch Class-Two Probe on your mark."

He was done with this transwarp tube - it had been enough trouble once already. If there was ever a shift he wanted to be anywhere but this Bridge it was this one. Hell, sitting in his quarters would have been nicer... actually, even the benches in the Brig would be more comfortable than this duty chair felt right now.

When something happened - and like everyone else on the Bridge he felt the shiver that it would be a when, not an if, he'd much rather be anywhere but here. Anywhere that he could get to do something real. He tapped a few buttons, switching over to ships' systems. Given the repairs they'd recently undergone, it only made sense for him to look again when they were worried about a combat scenario. The shields had been repaired properly, and while it felt like there was a slight signal lag, Buris wrote it off to still being accustomed to bio-neural interface with the ODN system. Forward section SIF and hull read all-clear as well. Chief Callan herself gave him an all-clear from Transporter Room 1, as well as a note to stay calm - it would be clear to everyone who got the standard-looking status request that his cross-check wasn't just an Ops officer silently doing their job, but someone slightly nervous about what was going to happen; trying to make all the variables go in their favor - while providing no details to the rest of the ship about what they were seeing from the Bridge. While he technically outranked the woman, she was his superior in both position aboard ship and experience. But he considered it horribly telling how the Captain esteemed the Operations department when her Chief of Ops was an NCO - technically outranked by even the grunts of other departments, able to be ignored and stepped on by other departments at all times. That should have set off alarm bells in his head from the first.

Crewman Keldar was in Shuttlebay 1, and along with the Flight Control officer there he reported all-clear, and that the shuttles would be worth their weight in pure latinum if called for.

Satisfied with the status reports, he made a few notes in his shift log and put that aside, watching the sensors with a passive expression. Let Pardek handle it, since the two Romulans seemed to get on so well. She was the Captain's superhero, let them keep that arrangement.

Kejal Buris wrote:

Buris had already said his piece about the way this bridge was laid out, so all that Rellek would see in response to her order would be the back of his head as he nodded.  His eyes didn't come off the board in front of him.  It was horribly dismissive, but totally within regs - especially since he had just been told to monitor (not that he hadn't been already).  "Aye, sir.  Captain, Torpedo Bay reports ready to launch Class-Two Probe on your mark."

[Bridge]

As a science officer and previously a researcher, Julia was accustomed to a dismissive attitude. But for some reason it really got to her this time. As the party responsible for evaluations and discipline, she was keenly aware of how the Bajoran felt about operations on the bridge. She let out a slight glare nada then turned her focus to the Helm.

"Helm, all stop." She then turned her attention back to Ensign Kejal. She decided to glare over the fact he had said captain, she was obviously not in the mood to deal with his, for lack of a better word, foolishness. This crew had been tested time and time again. Julia hated watching this individual de-value their abilities. "By all means Ensign. Launch the probe." Her usual warm smile was gone and had been replaced with an uncharacteristic straight face.

Julia Rellek wrote:

"Helm, all stop." She then turned her attention back to Ensign Kejal. She decided to glare over the fact he had said captain, she was obviously not in the mood to deal with his, for lack of a better word, foolishness. This crew had been tested time and time again. Julia hated watching this individual de-value their abilities. "By all means Ensign. Launch the probe." Her usual warm smile was gone and had been replaced with an uncharacteristic straight face.

[Bridge]

As a Caitian, it was easier to pick up on the tension on the bridge between some of the officers than a standard human. Persephone was highly aware of it, but chose to ignore it in favour of making sure that the ship stayed on course.

"All stop," she acknowledged, her paw-like hands dancing over the panel to bring the Phoenix to a stop. "Holding position one hundred kilometres off the event horizon, compensating for the gravity well."

[Bridge]

The encounter with the vidiians had left a sour taste in everyone's mouth. Safefta was no exception. The fact that they were already off and rolling to yet another anomaly when they'd hardly put the ship back together was... unnerving, at the least. In keeping with her nature, she'd kept her protestations to herself on that matter, and gladly avoided any inclination that she was anything but neutral as she stood at the bridge's tactical station.

She'd already had enough of the interpersonal drama on the bridge itself. A transwarp conduit was just a lovely start to another lovely day. I do not believe this ship is enough of a good shape to handle any confrontation.

As a probe was being set to launch, the Romulan scanned over the sensors. What caught her eye was a cloud-like cluster of... something around the edges of the conduit.

"Captain, I am detecting debris approximately twenty Kilometers outside of the conduit. We are at too great a distance to determine its origins, but its constitution is keeping with an obliterated ship. I recommend a closer look, if such a thing is feasible."

Leela Kaz wrote:

Leela moved forward when Conor gestured that she should go first. She contemplated his intentions. Struggling to decide if he was interested in a date or if he was merely seeking friendship she began to nod. "I think... that could be nice." She replied with trepidation in her voice. "I'm off at 1700. How does 1730 sound?" She wasn't sure what she was getting into, but it could be an interesting diversion.

[Corridors]

"Seventeen thirty," Conor agreed, inclining his head with a grin as he stepped into the 'lift. The rest of the trip was passed with pleasant, light chit-chat. He couldn't tell if Kaz was just humoring him or not, but...Conor had plenty of questions to ask the Trill. And he genuinely was curious, too. The fact that she was lovely was just an added bonus. "See you around, ma'am," Conor grinned again as Leela stepped off into Engineering.

[Bridge]

Safefta Pardek wrote:

"Captain, I am detecting debris approximately twenty Kilometers outside of the conduit. We are at too great a distance to determine its origins, but its constitution is keeping with an obliterated ship. I recommend a closer look, if such a thing is feasible."

Conor made his way into the bridge area, quirking an eyebrow at Lieutenant Pardek's report. It was a little strange, reporting directly to her instead of Deela. He could still remember the day the Bajoran woman had been shot down right in front of it.

As Captain T'Koris' yeoman, one of his duties was the filing of the endless bits of paperwork that went with the CO's job, even here in the middle of nowhere. However, it seemed that things had picked up while he was completing his physical. He edged closer to Pardek, dropping his voice lower. "Should we push for full red and bring weaponry online?"

Julia Rellek wrote:

"Helm, all stop." She then turned her attention back to Ensign Kejal. She decided to glare over the fact he had said captain, she was obviously not in the mood to deal with his, for lack of a better word, foolishness. This crew had been tested time and time again. Julia hated watching this individual de-value their abilities. "By all means Ensign. Launch the probe." Her usual warm smile was gone and had been replaced with an uncharacteristic straight face.

Safefta Pardek wrote:

"Captain, I am detecting debris approximately twenty Kilometers outside of the conduit. We are at too great a distance to determine its origins, but its constitution is keeping with an obliterated ship. I recommend a closer look, if such a thing is feasible."

[Bridge]

For some one who came up through the engineering ranks, accustomed to feeling the moods and vibrations of the ship coming up through her boots, Archangel didn't need the helmsman or the viewscreen to tell her that they had come to a stop, nor the slight jerk of the ship as a probe was launched. She watched the tiny vessel as it appeared on the viewscreen, shooting toward the aperture and disappearing into it.

Her attention turned to Safefta as the other Romulan spoke, a slight frown furrowing her upswept eyebrows. Debris? By the opening of the conduit?

"All stations, report on possibility of getting closer to that thing?"

Zero Alpha wrote:

Walking over to the replicator, she put in the commands for a cup of Raktajino and a glass of water, taking the two recepticles over to where Kintiss had just finished with one of the new crewmembers.  She handed the coffee to him without a word, knowing that his caffeine intake was rather high and hoping that he would appreciate another dose.  She was still learning about interpersonal interactions and the thought of taking care of others outwith her job specifications, but Leela was trying to help her make progress on that front.

[Sickbay]

The familiar scent of a freshly-prepared Raktajino caught Kintiss by surprise. He hadn't ordered one yet, so who...

Ah, it was Zero. She knew him surprisingly well. Maybe it was her getting to know him after her Romulan encounter, but it felt like he was getting to know her a little better. He didn't see her as the icy, detached medic that the crew probably saw her as. He knew her better than that.

"Thank you," he said as he took the Klingon coffee and sipped it. "Mmm, cold and sssweet. You know me well."

Kintiss wrote:

The familiar scent of a freshly-prepared Raktajino caught Kintiss by surprise. He hadn't ordered one yet, so who...

Ah, it was Zero. She knew him surprisingly well. Maybe it was her getting to know him after her Romulan encounter, but it felt like he was getting to know her a little better. He didn't see her as the icy, detached medic that the crew probably saw her as. He knew her better than that.

"Thank you," he said as he took the Klingon coffee and sipped it. "Mmm, cold and sssweet. You know me well."

[Sickbay]

Although a faint pink blush crept over Zero's pale face, she inclined her head to him, acknowledging his thanks. It pleased her greatly that she had apparently made a good decision. Social cues were so confusing at times. Kintiss was the only one on board who she considered to be a friend who didn't know that she wasn't exactly human.

"I was observant," she replied, shrugging her shoulder slightly. "Over the past seven days, you have ordered an identical beverage from the replicator on 52 separate incidences. It was not unreasonable to believe that you would wish the same for a 53rd occasion."

Zero Alpha wrote:

Although a faint pink blush crept over Zero's pale face, she inclined her head to him, acknowledging his thanks.  It pleased her greatly that she had apparently made a good decision.  Social cues were so confusing at times.  Kintiss was the only one on board who she considered to be a friend who didn't know that she wasn't exactly human.

"I was observant," she replied, shrugging her shoulder slightly.  "Over the past seven days, you have ordered an identical beverage from the replicator on 52 separate incidences.  It was not unreasonable to believe that you would wish the same for a 53rd occasion."

[Sickbay]

That many? Kintiss surprised even himself. He didn't really think that his caffeine intake was that high. Still, he needed it more than the rest of the medical staff did. He had a special prescription from Starfleet Medical and everything. It was all to keep up his low natural energy in the high-energy environment of the medical bay. No doubt any other Selay in the service had similar prescriptions. Besides, if he had to regularly ingest caffeine, why not have it come from a source he enjoyed? These Raktajinos were brilliant.

"I ssssuppossse that'sss true," he shrugged as he calmly sipped the Raktajino again, feeling its caffeine content infuse him with vigour.

Kintiss wrote:

That many? Kintiss surprised even himself. He didn't really think that his caffeine intake was that high. Still, he needed it more than the rest of the medical staff did. He had a special prescription from Starfleet Medical and everything. It was all to keep up his low natural energy in the high-energy environment of the medical bay. No doubt any other Selay in the service had similar prescriptions. Besides, if he had to regularly ingest caffeine, why not have it come from a source he enjoyed? These Raktajinos were brilliant.

"I ssssuppossse that'sss true," he shrugged as he calmly sipped the Raktajino again, feeling its caffeine content infuse him with vigour.

[Sickbay]

Over the time that the Selay had been her primary care physician after her Romulan encounter, Zero had had a lot of time to observe his reactions and learn a few of the facial expressions unique to him and his race. It had been a necessary element for her then, so that she would know if and when Kintiss was going to hurt her, or when he had bad news for her. So, she was able to tell that he was surprised about something, whether it was the fact that she had been observing his behaviour again or whether it was the amount of caffeine he had been taking in with his Klingon coffees, she didn't know.

"My apologies," she said, looking into her water. "My observations of you were perhaps not something that is acceptable in polite society. I did not intend to intrude."

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

[Bridge]

For some one who came up through the engineering ranks, accustomed to feeling the moods and vibrations of the ship coming up through her boots, Archangel didn't need the helmsman or the viewscreen to tell her that they had come to a stop, nor the slight jerk of the ship as a probe was launched.  She watched the tiny vessel as it appeared on the viewscreen, shooting toward the aperture and disappearing into it.

Her attention turned to Safefta as the other Romulan spoke, a slight frown furrowing her upswept eyebrows.  Debris?  By the opening of the conduit?

"All stations, report on possibility of getting closer to that thing?"

[Bridge]

Julia moved down the bridge and looked over Ensign M'Rai's shoulder to help analyze the feasibility of getting closer. "Captain, Ensign M'Rai is fighting the gravitational pull already. I'm not sure we can get closer." She looked back towards T'Lara and Kejal. "Ensign Kejal, partner with engineering. See if we can adjust our shielding. Crewman T'Lara, explore using the main deflector to counter the forces coming from that conduit."

Buris glanced up momentarily from his board and launched the probe with a single touch - but this debris field bothered him. He swept the scanners again, looking for any sign of life, any comm beacons, even an emergency log. Nothing. It was dead, and it looked picked-clean to him. The situation was rather grim.

And now the Captain wanted them closer? He knew they didn't get along, but he'd always thought she was sane. This, on the other hand... wasn't.

He finally turned his chair and looked at Rellek. Well, he decided he'd talk today. Now was as good a time as any. "Aye, sir. But based on what I'm reading over here - and I think Engineering will agree with me on this - allowing this vessel to get one meter closer is a very bad idea. We're already seeing SIF fluctuations all across the forward section of the ship from the gravity field. And, uh - that wreckage Lieutenant Pardek reported on? There's no comm unit, no transporter buffer, no log beacon, no computer... Even the Pakled aren't that thorough."

He turned back in his chair, and before he tapped the call button to Engineering, he stopped. "I could be wrong, sir... but it feels like an old Maquis trap to me."

He tapped the comm button on his panel. =/\="Engineering, this is Ops. Can you interface with my panel here so we can optimize the shields to get us closer to this anomaly? Or can you send a shield tech up here, and we can run it at the back of the Bridge?"=/\=

Kejal Buris wrote:

=/\="Engineering, this is Ops.  Can you interface with my panel here so we can optimize the shields to get us closer to this anomaly?  Or can you send a shield tech up here, and we can run it at the back of the Bridge?"=/\=

[Engineering]

"Aha," Gabriel said, smiling slightly as Leela re-entered Engineering. The Trill girl was one of his top officers, and he'd taken it hard when she had been so injured. "I guess that explains why the ship's been protesting like the proverbial donkey on the cliff's edge."

=^="Engineering here. We can do it from down here. Interfacing..."=^=

Gabriel brought up the main Ops panel on his main Engineering systems display, calling up the various readings. He keyed commands to the newly-reinstalled shield generators, drawing forth power from a dispersed state to a more localized one, piling up on the forward ones.

"Leela," Gabe said, turning to her. "We're about to put out extra heat with the fields jammed up on one another like that. "Keep a very close eye on the coolant loops. The last thing we need is any of the generators overheating."

=^="Arthur to Bridge...forward shielding reinforced. She's not a battering ram, though..."=^=

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

[Engineering]

"Aha," Gabriel said, smiling slightly as Leela re-entered Engineering.  The Trill girl was one of his top officers, and he'd taken it hard when she had been so injured.  "I guess that explains why the ship's been protesting like the proverbial donkey on the cliff's edge."

=^="Engineering here.  We can do it from down here.  Interfacing..."=^=

Gabriel brought up the main Ops panel on his main Engineering systems display, calling up the various readings.  He keyed commands to the newly-reinstalled shield generators, drawing forth power from a dispersed state to a more localized one, piling up on the forward ones.  

"Leela," Gabe said, turning to her.  "We're about to put out extra heat with the fields jammed up on one another like that.  "Keep a very close eye on the coolant loops.  The last thing we need is any of the generators overheating."

=^="Arthur to Bridge...forward shielding reinforced.  She's not a battering ram, though..."=^=

[Main Engineering]

Leela walked into the engine room, a smile filled her face. She was so happy to be back on duty. In her hand was a PADD for Commander Arthur from Zero releasing her back to work. Gabe grabbed her the moment she walked back through those doors.

"Aye sir." She walked up next to him and set the PADD down beside him and then moved over to the station to monitor the coolant temperatures. "Damn bridge! First day back and they want more and more." She chuckled as a colleague set a welcome back coffee next to her. "Thanks, I think ill need that." She nodded. "You know what, Gabe, one day I'm going to make them come work down here." The Trill let out a chuckle and took a sip and while laughing she continued her rant. "Aren't you happy I'm back... Did you miss me?"

Buris watched on his panel, pushing a few reinforcements of his own through, but shaking his head as his fingers worked the board in tandem with Engineering below. His voice was 'Ops Officer on Intraship' calm now, a sort of half-urgent tone that everyone knew meant nothing - but hey, it was the training. If T'Koris, M'Rai, or Pardek thought about it, they would realize that the voice they were hearing now was in fact the same one that had guided them home from Enyo III. =/\="Engineering, Ops again. That shield generator blew last time with less pressure on it. Y'know what, you guys have a better picture down there, and working with this delay isn't going to work out. Stand by."=/\=

He turned and looked at Rellek and the Captain, straightening his shoulders. "Unless you have an objection, sir, I'm going down there. Crewman Joval can replace me here."

Kejal Buris wrote:

Buris watched on his panel, pushing a few reinforcements of his own through, but shaking his head as his fingers worked the board in tandem with Engineering below.  His voice was 'Ops Officer on Intraship' calm now, a sort of half-urgent tone that everyone knew meant nothing - but hey, it was the training.  If T'Koris, M'Rai, or Pardek thought about it, they would realize that the voice they were hearing now was in fact the same one that had guided them home from Enyo III.  =/\="Engineering, Ops again. That shield generator blew last time with less pressure on it.  Y'know what, you guys have a better picture down there, and working with this delay isn't going to work out.  Stand by."=/\=

He turned and looked at Rellek and the Captain, straightening his shoulders.  "Unless you have an objection, sir, I'm going down there.  Crewman Joval can replace me here."

[Bridge]

Julia wasn't exactly sure why Ensign Kejal thought he needed to go down to Engineering but she made the decision to see where he was going with this. She was afraid of what would happen when Commander Arthur and Ensign Kejals personalities met, but, Gabe was a fine leader and capable of handling himself. "Very well, Ensign, if you feel you can offer assistance go ahead. Report to Commander Arthur for direction."

[Bridge]

Hearing the reports coming in from various stations about the impracticality of getting closer to the aperture, Archangel nodded her head once to acknowledge them.  If Persephone was having doubts about keeping the ship safe, she wasn't about to push it.  This was, after all, a look-and-no-touch mission.

"Persephone, back us off if you need to.  Science, coordinate with helm if you need a better angle for the sensors."  

She watched as Kejal left the bridge, quietly glad to see the back of him.  The kid had been nothing but trouble since the first mission he had been assigned to the ship.  As much as she hated to foist him off on Gabriel, at least the Bajoran would be out of her hair and Gabriel was perfectly capable of handling him.  Perhaps he would be more receptive to a male human than a female Romulan.

Leela Kaz wrote:

Leela walked into the engine room, a smile filled her face. She was so happy to be back on duty. In her hand was a PADD for Commander Arthur from Zero releasing her back to work. Gabe grabbed her the moment she walked back through those doors.

"Aye sir." She walked up next to him and set the PADD down beside him and then moved over to the station to monitor the coolant temperatures. "Damn bridge! First day back and they want more and more." She chuckled as a colleague set a welcome back coffee next to her. "Thanks, I think ill need that." She nodded. "You know what, Gabe, one day I'm going to make them come work down here." The Trill let out a chuckle and took a sip and while laughing she continued her rant. "Aren't you happy I'm back... Did you miss me?"

[Engineering]

"Of course," Gabriel lightly teased back. "It just doesn't seem right to have the ship falling apart around my ears without you to share in the misery." He grinned at her coffee. Apparently, she'd had Crewman Dieter well-trained. "At least Arch is a former engineer, herself. She'd never ask for anything we're not capable of."

Kejal Buris wrote:

=/\="Engineering, Ops again. That shield generator blew last time with less pressure on it. Y'know what, you guys have a better picture down there, and working with this delay isn't going to work out. Stand by."=/\=

Gabe quirked an eyebrow as the Ops officer announced that he'd be joining them. =^="Granted, last time it was being specifically targeted by weapons fire...but, yes. Anything we can do to prepare. Arthur out."=^= He sighed a little, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. Archangel had filled him on the Bajoran's proclivity to overstep his authority, and his outright disrespect. On a personal level, Gabriel resented the hell out of the man for that. However, his wife was a big girl, and more than capable of skinning someone that needed it. He also wondered just what the issue was. The generators had already been backed up with extra power, and to the recommended levels for a non-emergency situation.

Quote :

=^="Granted, last time it was being specifically targeted by weapons fire...but, yes. Anything we can do to prepare. Arthur out."=^=

[Engineering]

Buris walked into Main Engineering, and felt the stress of the Bridge dissolve completely. He'd been feeling better the farther away from there he got on the Turbolift, and now looking at the warp core, it was like coming home. He walked in and stretched his shoulders, looking around. Instinctively, he fell into the pattern around Engineering - and saw exactly where the Lieutenant Commander was standing, walking over. "Commander Arthur? Ensign Kejal, from the Bridge. Can I show you why I thought it'd be better for me to come down here rather than work from the bridge?"

He gestured at the main shield console and its flanking terminals, with the kind of comfort that only came from knowing an engine room. But this wasn't his engine room, instead it felt more like the one aboard the Wellington, where he'd spent most of his time measuring magnetic containment fields and EPS tap pressure.

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

[Engineering]

"Of course," Gabriel lightly teased back.  "It just doesn't seem right to have the ship falling apart around my ears without you to share in the misery."  He grinned at her coffee.  Apparently, she'd had Crewman Dieter well-trained.  "At least Arch is a former engineer, herself.  She'd never ask for anything we're not capable of."



Gabe quirked an eyebrow as the Ops officer announced that he'd be joining them.  =^="Granted, last time it was being specifically targeted by weapons fire...but, yes.  Anything we can do to prepare.  Arthur out."=^=  He sighed a little, rubbing at the bridge of his nose.  Archangel had filled him on the Bajoran's proclivity to overstep his authority, and his outright disrespect.  On a personal level, Gabriel resented the hell out of the man for that.  However, his wife was a big girl, and more than capable of skinning someone that needed it.  He also wondered just what the issue was.  The generators had already been backed up with extra power, and to the recommended levels for a non-emergency situation.

[Engineering]

Leela sat at her station chuckling at the back and forth between her and Gabe. The pair had developed unite the rapport over the past several months, much to his wifes chagrin. She watched the readouts come across the screen as Gabe dealt with the bridge. As he wrapped up Leela picked up the conversation right where it had left off. "Well, I'm glad to know you think of me when the ship starts to fall apart around you." She laughed and took a sip of her coffee. She then lowered her voice and her smile grew mischievous. "Let's keep your wife up on deck one, I get the impression that she doesn't care for me. Its either that or her natural Romulan charm. Either way, I prefer to keep her at a safe distance."

As she wrapped up her commentary she noticed an unfamiliar face enter the engine room. Great, the bridge has saved us. Us poor engineers down here. How could we ever manage without their assistance. She thought. In her mind her eyes were rolling at the notion.

Julia Rellek wrote:

[Bridge]

Julia stood over T'Lara's shoulder at science 2 and watched the telemetry come in from the probe. The data scrolled across the screen. "It's definitely Borg," Julia whispered to herself. "Look at those particles." She pointed to the screen. "See the displacement, T'Lara? This has been used recently. But I don't see any Borg signatures. Study the data, crewman, see what else you can find." With a slight pat on T'Lara's shoulder Julia made her way back to the center of the bridge. "Lieutenant Pardek, Ensign Kejal; keep an eye out for company. We don't want any unexpected visitors."

She leaned in close to T'Koris, so that only she could hear her words. "This is definitely how the Vidiians are coming into the Alpha Quadrant. I'll be interested to see what the data reveals, but following a cursory glance. I would say we're talking dozens of vessels. We might have a problem?"

"Aye, Commander." T'Lara barely flinched when Rellek touched her, but she ignored the discomfort she felt and proceeded to analyze the data.

Julia Rellek wrote:

[Bridge]

Julia moved down the bridge and looked over Ensign M'Rai's shoulder to help analyze the feasibility of getting closer. "Captain, Ensign M'Rai is fighting the gravitational pull already. I'm not sure we can get closer." She looked back towards T'Lara and Kejal. "Ensign Kejal, partner with engineering. See if we can adjust our shielding. Crewman T'Lara, explore using the main deflector to counter the forces coming from that conduit."

T'Lara nodded and pushed a series of buttons, trying to find the right formula to deflect the conduit.

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

[Bridge]

Hearing the reports coming in from various stations about the impracticality of getting closer to the aperture, Archangel nodded her head once to acknowledge them.  If Persephone was having doubts about keeping the ship safe, she wasn't about to push it.  This was, after all, a look-and-no-touch mission.

"Persephone, back us off if you need to.  Science, coordinate with helm if you need a better angle for the sensors."  

She watched as Kejal left the bridge, quietly glad to see the back of him.  The kid had been nothing but trouble since the first mission he had been assigned to the ship.  As much as she hated to foist him off on Gabriel, at least the Bajoran would be out of her hair and Gabriel was perfectly capable of handling him.  Perhaps he would be more receptive to a male human than a female Romulan.

"Acknowledged, Captain." She initiated passive scans on the aperture. Information was coming in, and she began analyzing it.

Leela Kaz wrote:

Leela sat at her station chuckling at the back and forth between her and Gabe. The pair had developed unite the rapport over the past several months, much to his wifes chagrin. She watched the readouts come across the screen as Gabe dealt with the bridge. As he wrapped up Leela picked up the conversation right where it had left off. "Well, I'm glad to know you think of me when the ship starts to fall apart around you." She laughed and took a sip of her coffee. She then lowered her voice and her smile grew mischievous. "Let's keep your wife up on deck one, I get the impression that she doesn't care for me. Its either that or her natural Romulan charm. Either way, I prefer to keep her at a safe distance."

As she wrapped up her commentary she noticed an unfamiliar face enter the engine room. Great, the bridge has saved us. Us poor engineers down here. How could we ever manage without their assistance. She thought. In her mind her eyes were rolling at the notion.

[Engineering]

Gabriel opened his mouth to respond, but wisely decided to just not crack his teeth on that particular issue. He knew that, for some reason, Archangel and Leela just...didn't get along. It really didn't seem to be any one particular issue, but Gabriel had his suspicions - which he found both endearing and slightly annoying. Kaz was a fine officer, and his trusted second in Engineering. She also had the somewhat-odd position of being like both a kid sister and an older one at the same time.

Kejal Buris wrote:

Buris walked into Main Engineering, and felt the stress of the Bridge dissolve completely. He'd been feeling better the farther away from there he got on the Turbolift, and now looking at the warp core, it was like coming home. He walked in and stretched his shoulders, looking around. Instinctively, he fell into the pattern around Engineering - and saw exactly where the Lieutenant Commander was standing, walking over. "Commander Arthur? Ensign Kejal, from the Bridge. Can I show you why I thought it'd be better for me to come down here rather than work from the bridge?"

He gestured at the main shield console and its flanking terminals, with the kind of comfort that only came from knowing an engine room. But this wasn't his engine room, instead it felt more like the one aboard the Wellington, where he'd spent most of his time measuring magnetic containment fields and EPS tap pressure.

He was saved further introspection by the arrival of Kejal from the bridge. The Bajoran seemed to be another potential interpersonal minefield, but that was his wife's problem, not his. While Gabriel and Archangel were very obviously married, they both went out of their way to not let their personal lives interfere with the running of the ship.

"Ensign. Welcome to Engineering." The junior officer seemed to almost visibly relax upon entering the main bay. It was a feeling Gabriel could definitely appreciate. "If you have a suggestion, go right ahead. I'd hate to have made you walk all the way down here for nothing."