Athena Mission 2.10 The Last Directive

[Naira]

[USS Lirpa]

Kirok's image come up on the screen.  He was standing behind a hip level desk.  He stood behind it.

He paused for a moment before speaking.  And tilted his head slightly.  But then went straight into it.

"Commander.  It is acceptable to see you again.  I have a mission for your ship.  One that needs immediate attention" Kirok said.

"I assume we are on a secure channel.  But still, given the matter I am sending it to you threw encrypted message.  Then, with you permission, I would like to board your ship so that we can talk more privately" he said, before tapping a button on his desk that sent the encrypted message.

[XO's Office]

Naira offered the admiral a quick smile from her place in her chair. "It is nice to see you too."

She listened carefully as he spoke.

"Yes, this is a secure channel." Her smile faded as the conversation took a turn for the serious. "If you feel it is necessary, by all means. You are always welcome aboard the Athena. I can arrange to have a room made ready for you, when should we expect you?"

She decrypted the message while still on the line with the admiral. Her eyes drifted downward as she read over the text. Rogue group. Pre-warp civilizations. Illegally sharing of Federation technology. Shifting the balance power in fragile or developing systems. This was shocking. Who would do such a thing? Did they not understand the possible ramifications of their actions.

"Admiral, if this report you sent is accurate, we look forward to having you aboard and getting to the bottom of this."

[Katheryn Brighton]

[Personal Quarters]
Lieutenant Commander Brighton, this is Ezac. I will be en route momentarily.

Ezac reached for his PADD and watched the screen light up. Once he determined that nothing pressing required his attention, he returned the PADD to the desk and made his way to Brighton's office.

[Deck 4 - Main Security]

Ezac walked into the room and made a beeline toward his superior's office. While it may have been true that he wasn't one for small talk, it wouldn't have mattered; he was on duty, and his presence was requested by a superior officer.

He approached Brighton's office and stopped in front of the door. He knocked firmly twice and waited for permission to enter.

[Deck 4 - Main Security]

The response to her hail was soon acknowledged by Petty Officer Ezac and as she awaited his arrival finished eating the sandwich she had replicated for herself. Knowing how important is was for her to not skip meals and eat regularly to ensure that she and the twins remained healthy plus she didn't want Caleb to worry or be told off by Wendy for not looking after herself.

Depositing her empty plate and glass into the replicator, she returned to her desk taking a moment to look over the photos that adorned it including the most recent ones and smiled before she heard the knock at her door.

It was then she realised that this was the first time she would be meeting her Breen officer properly and looked forward to getting to know the newest member of her team. Returning her focus as she called out. " Enter", then settled herself properly into her chair as she waited for him to walk in.

[Ozu Saya]

Be there momentarily.

[Holodeck]
Saya didn't acknowledge the response, her mind already deeply engaged in the problem at hand.
She'd enlarged the holographic relay by twenty percent so she could see better and notice any anomalies.

He walked in briskly, nodding to the other crewman.

"So, what's your first idea?"

When the Andorian entered the holodeck and addressed her, Saya's head jerked up. She'd been absorbed and hadn't noticed the doors opening.

I am not entirely certain. It seems as if it should be a relatively simple repair; however, the solution is elusive. I see that you received a shock from the relay when you attempted to repair it, but why it did so is the issue. It may be as simple as needing to bypass and replace the entire relay, or there may be a problem elsewhere that is causing this junction to misbehave. That is what I am currently investigating. We might need to request permission to run a full diagnostic, level 2 or 3, to find the the actual instigator. At this point, I am tracing everything that connects to this relay so that a targeted diagnostic could be run and perhaps reduce the number of systems that would be effected by a high level diagnostic.

She pointed to the relay, which she had programmed to experience the same power spikes and dips as the original.

You see here? There is a small spark occasionally, corresponding to the power spikes. The fluctuations do not appear to be affecting any major systems, but the chief engineer wants it repaired lest it cause serious problems in the future.

[Kirok]

[XO's Office]

Naira offered the admiral a quick smile from her place in her chair. "It is nice to see you too."

She listened carefully as he spoke.

"Yes, this is a secure channel." Her smile faded as the conversation took a turn for the serious. "If you feel it is necessary, by all means. You are always welcome aboard the Athena. I can arrange to have a room made ready for you, when should we expect you?"

She decrypted the message while still on the line with the admiral. Her eyes drifted downward as she read over the text. Rogue group. Pre-warp civilizations. Illegally sharing of Federation technology. Shifting the balance power in fragile or developing systems. This was shocking. Who would do such a thing? Did they not understand the possible ramifications of their actions.

"Admiral, if this report you sent is accurate, we look forward to having you aboard and getting to the bottom of this."

Kirok dipped his head slightly when the greeting was returned.  "Given that the prime directive is possibly being broken, Star Fleet felt that an Admiral's presence was necessary" Kirok replied.  He used his right hand to tap out a message while she reviewed the information.

A response came to him quickly.  He looked up when she started talking again.  "If you can alter you course slightly our paths will cross more quickly.  I will send you the coordinates of the meeting point" he added as his right hand fingers started tapping away again.

"A room would be acceptable.  But please do no displace anyone on my account.  The Lirpa will follow closely behind and I have sufficient accommodations here" the half Vulcan said.

[Caleb Brighton]

[ Mess Hall ]

After reading Katheryn's note and stashing it away with a smile, he ate his meal and then recycled what was left over. He knew his wife would have loved a visit form him, but there was a few things that needed to be taken care of in medical. He decided to head back to medical to address his crew. There were a few new pieces of equipment that was bestowed onto the Athena that he wanted to begin researching how to use. He would have taken it with him while he ate, but the information was not on his desk just yet. He strolled his way over to the nearest lift and hummed to himself. He then pulled out the pendant his wife gave to him from under his uniform and kissed it.

[ Medical Bay ]

Caleb walked into the Medical Bay with a spring in his step. A renewed energy that showed a different side of him. He walked over and got the new manuals that were saved onto mini SD cards so that they could be added to his crew's PADDS. He gathered his group together to do their shift huddle. He explained that the new specs on the equipment were on the cards and to study them before there was any practice time. If needed a holodeck would be used to practice. He wanted his crew on top of things and he knew he could trust them. He then headed back to his office in order to begin studying the new equipment.

[Ezac]

[Deck 4 - Main Security]

[Deck 4 - Main Security]

[...]

It was then she realised that this was the first time she would be meeting her Breen officer properly and looked forward to getting to know the newest member of her team. Returning her focus as she called out. " Enter", then settled herself properly into her chair as she waited for him to walk in.

At the sound of Brighton's "enter," Ezac walked through the door and approached her desk. This wasn't the first time he saw his department head; even in the short amount of time that he had been aboard the Athena, he had seen her a couple of times.

He stood still in front of her desk and offered a quick, crisp salute.

"How may I be of service?"

[Naira]

Kirok dipped his head slightly when the greeting was returned.  "Given that the prime directive is possibly being broken, Star Fleet felt that an Admiral's presence was necessary" Kirok replied.  He used his right hand to tap out a message while she reviewed the information.

A response came to him quickly.  He looked up when she started talking again.  "If you can alter you course slightly our paths will cross more quickly.  I will send you the coordinates of the meeting point" he added as his right hand fingers started tapping away again.

"A room would be acceptable.  But please do no displace anyone on my account.  The Lirpa will follow closely behind and I have sufficient accommodations here" the half Vulcan said.

[XO's Office]

"We have guest quarters just for this very reason. Though I'm afraid that being so far out here, they often sit vacant for long periods at a time."

She received his message and quickly glanced over the coordinates. He was much closer than she had expected. Naira had been under the impression that the Athena had been the only Starfleet vessel in the region, but apparently that wasn't the case.

"We'll adjust our course and see you soon, admiral."

Naira waited until the transmission ended before getting up from her desk and making her way out of the office.

[Bridge]

Naira stepped off the turbolift onto the Bridge. A few of the officers looked bored sitting at their stations staring at screens repeatedly displaying the same information. While some of them attempted to look busy upon seeing her, she wouldn't hold it against any of them if their minds drifted a bit while they sat through a long and tedious shift.

"Listen up everyone," she addressed the Bridge. "We've been given an important mission from Starfleet. We'll be diverting our course to meet up with Admiral Kirok and he will coming aboard to brief us."

Naira walked over to the flight officer on duty and handed him a padd with the admiral's coordinates on it.

"Here are our new coordinates if you can adjust our heading."

Bridge

Suzie sat and thought for a moment, wondering what was going on. She assumed that, whatever it was would be passed down the chain soon enough.

Settling back into the chair, she hoped that whatever it was, was not as ominous as an eyes only message usually was.

She turned to smile at Lieutenant Venator sitting in the big chair. "Are you fine with remaining here a bit longer while I finish preparing for the admiral's arrival?"

Unlike some of the other officers, the lieutenant seemed comfortable sitting in the chair, overseeing things on the bridge. It was a duty taken with much responsibility, but one she handled nicely. It showed a good sense of leadership.

There was still much she needed to do. There were going to need to air out his room, make sure he had new bedding, they should bring in some some fresh flowers or plants to liven up the decor and they should prepare a special meal for him. It was too much for one person to do alone, but with a little help, she was sure they could pull it off.

Commander Naira to Ms. Morgaine, we're to expect to host Admiral Kirok later. Would you be available to prepare a special meal for him?        

[Jules Bash]

[Holodeck]
When the Andorian entered the holodeck and addressed her, Saya's head jerked up. She'd been absorbed and hadn't noticed the doors opening.

I am not entirely certain. It seems as if it should be a relatively simple repair; however, the solution is elusive. I see that you received a shock from the relay when you attempted to repair it, but why it did so is the issue. It may be as simple as needing to bypass and replace the entire relay, or there may be a problem elsewhere that is causing this junction to misbehave. That is what I am currently investigating. We might need to request permission to run a full diagnostic, level 2 or 3, to find the the actual instigator. At this point, I am tracing everything that connects to this relay so that a targeted diagnostic could be run and perhaps reduce the number of systems that would be effected by a high level diagnostic.

She pointed to the relay, which she had programmed to experience the same power spikes and dips as the original.

You see here? There is a small spark occasionally, corresponding to the power spikes. The fluctuations do not appear to be affecting any major systems, but the chief engineer wants it repaired lest it cause serious problems in the future.

Jules looked at the spark she specified.

"Yeah, that'd be the one that hit me. It's sporadic enough that I didn't notice it during my initial analysis. I tested the gel packs there, they all registered normal levels individually, when used with a alternate power source. "

"If we were to run the diagnostic, I'd go up two parent relays. If there's a faulty component that's beginning the problem, and it's only compounded by the time it gets to this synapse, there should be similar problems in the sibling relays, but it wouldn't show in the direct connections you've isolated."

Jules stopped for a second to look over the other crewman. It'd taken him a second to realize that she had mentioned him being shocked, and he wondered why. Jules preferred to be strictly business when working simulations, especially with others he didn't know. It wouldn't be until he felt more comfortable that he'd let his more whimsical behavior be directed at others. Him being shocked was obvious, and he became cautious that she was actually poking fun at him.

As he glanced over her face, he noticed the subtle Vulcan features. No wonder. In his opinion, Vulcans were considered smart only because they mentioned the obvious often. Jules preferred more in the way of discussive sparring when he worked with someone. All parts of a person or idea, intellectual, psychological, and physical, were part of a discussion and the greatest part of life was working all 3 better than anyone else in a discussion, proving superiority. If he thought about it, it was probably a concept bred out of his general arrogant nature, but he didn't particularly care.

Ignoring the fact that she quite obviously wasn't full Vulcan, he turned away as he rolled his eyes. Jules nature meant that he preferred to make snap decisions and judgements, and then act on them quickly, whether right or wrong. Obviously she had mentioned him being shocked because of that Vulcan behavior that he was rather cynical about.

[Susan Venator]

[Bridge]

Naira stepped off the turbolift onto the Bridge. A few of the officers looked bored sitting at their stations staring at screens repeatedly displaying the same information. While some of them attempted to look busy upon seeing her, she wouldn't hold it against any of them if their minds drifted a bit while they sat through a long and tedious shift.

"Listen up everyone," she addressed the Bridge. "We've been given an important mission from Starfleet. We'll be diverting our course to meet up with Admiral Kirok and he will coming aboard to brief us."

Naira walked over to the flight officer on duty and handed him a padd with the admiral's coordinates on it.

"Here are our new coordinates if you can adjust our heading."

She turned to smile at Lieutenant Venator sitting in the big chair. "Are you fine with remaining here a bit longer while I finish preparing for the admiral's arrival?"

Unlike some of the other officers, the lieutenant seemed comfortable sitting in the chair, overseeing things on the bridge. It was a duty taken with much responsibility, but one she handled nicely. It showed a good sense of leadership.

There was still much she needed to do. There were going to need to air out his room, make sure he had new bedding, they should bring in some some fresh flowers or plants to liven up the decor and they should prepare a special meal for him. It was too much for one person to do alone, but with a little help, she was sure they could pull it off.

Commander Naira to Ms. Morgaine, we're to expect to host Admiral Kirok later. Would you be available to prepare a special meal for him?

Bridge

Suzie, who had gotten up when Naira had entered the Bridge, shook her head.

"No problem Commander." She replied. "I'll inform you when we rendezvous with the Admiral's ship." She finished, sitting back down in the chair.

[Katheryn Brighton]

[Deck 4 - Main Security]

At the sound of Brighton's "enter," Ezac walked through the door and approached her desk. This wasn't the first time he saw his department head; even in the short amount of time that he had been aboard the Athena, he had seen her a couple of times.

He stood still in front of her desk and offered a quick, crisp salute.

"How may I be of service?"

[Deck 4 - Main Security]

Katheryn offered a friendly smile to the Breen officer as he entered before standing still in front of her desk and gave her a quick crisp salute as then asked how he may be of service. For a moment as she looked up at him unsure of the right protocol but with him still being a member of her department would offer a seat too him and refreshments.

" At ease Petty Officer, I need to discuss some things with you" she replied " But before we do is there anything I can get for you? and feel free to take a seat".

[Kirok]

[XO's Office]

"We have guest quarters just for this very reason. Though I'm afraid that being so far out here, they often sit vacant for long periods at a time."

She received his message and quickly glanced over the coordinates. He was much closer than she had expected. Naira had been under the impression that the Athena had been the only Starfleet vessel in the region, but apparently that wasn't the case.

"We'll adjust our course and see you soon, admiral."

Naira waited until the transmission ended before getting up from her desk and making her way out of the office.

[USS Lirpa - Ready Room]

"Your guest accommodations will be acceptable" Kirok simply replied.  Though his right eyebrow did rise a bit.  This had been his first visit to the Gamma Quadrant.  Perhaps he needs to pay more attention to it given the amount of activity seen in it recently.

"I will see you soon" the half Vulcan agreed.  "If you and the Captain should be busy when I arrive, It would be acceptable for Ezac to meet me in the Transporter Room.  He and I have known one another for quite some time and it would be highly acceptable for me to see him again" he added.

[Ezac]

[Deck 4 - Main Security - Lieutenant Commander Brighton's Office]

[Deck 4 - Main Security]

Katheryn offered a friendly smile to the Breen officer as he entered before standing still in front of her desk and gave her a quick crisp salute as then asked how he may be of service. For a moment as she looked up at him unsure of the right protocol but with him still being a member of her department would offer a seat too him and refreshments.

" At ease Petty Officer, I need to discuss some things with you" she replied " But before we do is there anything I can get for you? and feel free to take a seat".

Following Brighton's offer, Ezac noticed an empty seat adjacent to her desk and sat at the edge of the seat with his back erect. He laid his hands upon his thighs and made an attempt to appear more comfortable than he felt.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Commander, but I am not in need of anything. What would you like to discuss?"

[Katheryn Brighton]

[Deck 4 - Main Security - Lieutenant Commander Brighton's Office]

Following Brighton's offer, Ezac noticed an empty seat adjacent to her desk and sat at the edge of the seat with his back erect. He laid his hands upon his thighs and made an attempt to appear more comfortable than he felt.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Commander, but I am not in need of anything. What would you like to discuss?"

[Deck 4 - Main Security - Commander Brighton's Office]

Katheryn waited until her newest department member sat down, noting he was trying to be as comfortable as he could and wasn't one for long meetings so would try and keep this as brief as possible. In answer to his question, she looked at him directly before speaking in her usual polite and friendly way.

" With me being pregnant and speaking to the XO, we both agree that I need to take a more hands off approach when it comes to my duties until I give birth " she replied "I'll still be responsible for running drills, dealing with reports, inspecting equipment etc but when it comes to away teams and other physical confrontations I would like you to take my place, so in effect you would be my deputy and in charge of any teams that go with you" she said knowing she had made the right choice when selecting who she wanted to take over and hoped he would accept.

[Ozu Saya]

Jules looked at the spark she specified.

"Yeah, that'd be the one that hit me. It's sporadic enough that I didn't notice it during my initial analysis. I tested the gel packs there, they all registered normal levels individually, when used with a alternate power source. "

"If we were to run the diagnostic, I'd go up two parent relays. If there's a faulty component that's beginning the problem, and it's only compounded by the time it gets to this synapse, there should be similar problems in the sibling relays, but it wouldn't show in the direct connections you've isolated."

Jules stopped for a second to look over the other crewman. It'd taken him a second to realize that she had mentioned him being shocked, and he wondered why. Jules preferred to be strictly business when working simulations, especially with others he didn't know. It wouldn't be until he felt more comfortable that he'd let his more whimsical behavior be directed at others. Him being shocked was obvious, and he became cautious that she was actually poking fun at him.

As he glanced over her face, he noticed the subtle Vulcan features. No wonder. In his opinion, Vulcans were considered smart only because they mentioned the obvious often. Jules preferred more in the way of discussive sparring when he worked with someone. All parts of a person or idea, intellectual, psychological, and physical, were part of a discussion and the greatest part of life was working all 3 better than anyone else in a discussion, proving superiority. If he thought about it, it was probably a concept bred out of his general arrogant nature, but he didn't particularly care.

Ignoring the fact that she quite obviously wasn't full Vulcan, he turned away as he rolled his eyes. Jules nature meant that he preferred to make snap decisions and judgements, and then act on them quickly, whether right or wrong. Obviously she had mentioned him being shocked because of that Vulcan behavior that he was rather cynical about.

[Holodeck]

Saya tilted her head and raised one eyebrow as the Andorian crewman turned away. She felt she had missed something. Perhaps he had been embarrassed about not being able to fix the problem or that he had been shocked by the relay. That had been an extrapolation and it could have happened to anyone. She hadn't been able to see the sparks until she'd enlarged the element and watched it. She opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it. People, she had observed, rarely liked having embarrassment acknowledged. She'd best let it lie.

Your suggestion seems reasonable. Perhaps we should proceed? If we cannot find the problem in the immediate parent relays, we can always extend the diagnostic further until we find the issue. It doesn't seem likely that it can be too far removed from this relay or the ship would be experiencing problems in other areas. It must be localized. I suppose there is not much else we can do here.

[Ashlynn Ren Morgaine]

[Personal Quarters]

Ash dropped her bag on the floor and flopped backwards onto her bed, releasing a content sigh as she did. She had spent her time off visiting, and, due to a series of shuttle delays in her return journey, almost hadn't made it back in time to catch the Athena. Luckily, with some insistent nagging on her part, the Captain had increased speed just enough to make up for lost time.

As it was, Ash had barely made it, and her heart was still fluttering with residual stress from the thought of almost being left behind. At least I have a few hours yet before I need to report to the Mess Hall... The Mess Hall Manager's eyes drifted closed as she clumsily kicked off her shoes from her spot on the bed. A nap was definitely in order.

Commander Naira to Ms. Morgaine, we're to expect to host Admiral Kirok later. Would you be available to prepare a special meal for him?

Or not. Ash slowly propped herself up on her elbows and rubbed her eyes for a second before replying. "Ash to Commander Naira. That should be no problem." She finished sitting up and reached down for one of her shoes as she continued. "I'm actually on my way to the Mess Hall right now. I just need to know what he would like and when it needs to be ready by."=/\=