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| ===== Stardate 49373.93, Tuesday May 16th 2372, 2038 hours ===== | ===== Stardate 49373.93, Tuesday May 16th 2372, 2038 hours ===== | ||
| ==== K'tral Forks Phillip ==== | ==== K'tral Forks Phillip ==== | ||
| - | As dinner continues, Jessa remains uncharacteristically silent, as she is embarrassed about the hallucinations. Thal’tirian keeps pumping Zug for more information, | + | As dinner continues, |
| Grateful to get away from the Andorian’s stream of questions, Zug quietly admits everything they know is second- or third-hand at best. There are no first-hand accounts as these ravagers don’t leave survivors, but from what the Tizit have been able to ascertain from N’Dari stories and Dai’Loq sensor scans, the ravagers are warp-capable but not especially fast. Their ships are so saturated with radiation that accurate sensor readings of their life-signs and technology are impossible. Ssleestak realizes these ravagers are like the Borg to the Federation; the Tizit – and presumably, the other local species – subconsciously treat them as an unknown boogeyman. | Grateful to get away from the Andorian’s stream of questions, Zug quietly admits everything they know is second- or third-hand at best. There are no first-hand accounts as these ravagers don’t leave survivors, but from what the Tizit have been able to ascertain from N’Dari stories and Dai’Loq sensor scans, the ravagers are warp-capable but not especially fast. Their ships are so saturated with radiation that accurate sensor readings of their life-signs and technology are impossible. Ssleestak realizes these ravagers are like the Borg to the Federation; the Tizit – and presumably, the other local species – subconsciously treat them as an unknown boogeyman. | ||
| - | K’tral also picks up on this undercurrent of fear and she realizes the Tizit are desperate for this alliance. She also hears the faint hum of machinery from under the table, so she drops her fork and crouches down to retrieve it. Zug moves to help her, but Thal’tirian pounces with more questions. K’tral sees a slim box attached to the underside of the table and suspects its communications equipment but wants another set of eyes. She reaches out and gently pokes the closest person’s leg with the fork. Phillip looks down suddenly, and K’tral crooks her finger and says, “I dropped my fork and then knocked it your way. Can you get it for me? | + | K’tral also picks up on this undercurrent of fear and she realizes the Tizit are desperate for this alliance. She also hears the faint hum of machinery from under the table, so she drops her fork and crouches down to retrieve it. Zug moves to help her, but Thal’tirian pounces with more questions. K’tral sees a slim box attached to the underside of the table and suspects its communications equipment but wants another set of eyes. She reaches out and gently pokes the closest person’s leg with the fork. Phillip looks down suddenly, and K’tral crooks her finger and says, “I dropped my fork and then knocked it your way. Can you get it for me?” Confused beyond measure, Phillip crouches down to retrieve the fork while K’tral gets to her feet. Phillip sees the equipment and realizes it is a communications hub, with a transceiver and a holo-matrix. He gets up and passes the fork back to K’tral; she eyes him with a penetrating stare and declares, “Thank you, ensign.” Phillip nods, which K’tral takes as confirmation of her theory, and sits back down. |
| - | + | ||
| - | Confused beyond measure, Phillip crouches down to retrieve the fork while K’tral gets to her feet. Phillip sees the equipment and realizes it is a communications hub, with a transceiver and a holo-matrix. He gets up and passes the fork back to K’tral; she eyes him with a penetrating stare and declares, “Thank you, ensign.” Phillip nods, which K’tral takes as confirmation of her theory, and sits back down. | + | |
| ==== Which 4A Has Lightning? ==== | ==== Which 4A Has Lightning? ==== | ||
| As this is happening, the server is clearing the dinner plates and soon returns with dessert, a collection of round orange pastries with a drizzled glaze, and glasses of pink wine. Zivan proudly announces, “This is //koril//, a native dish. Quite the delicacy.” Phillip and K’tral abstain, while Jessa skips the wine but tries the pastry. Fal digs in unabashedly while Mel samples both. Shan’taar, | As this is happening, the server is clearing the dinner plates and soon returns with dessert, a collection of round orange pastries with a drizzled glaze, and glasses of pink wine. Zivan proudly announces, “This is //koril//, a native dish. Quite the delicacy.” Phillip and K’tral abstain, while Jessa skips the wine but tries the pastry. Fal digs in unabashedly while Mel samples both. Shan’taar, | ||
| - | Zivan’s demeanor changes instantly and she starts flirting with several officers, especially Fal and Phillip – the latter because he’s inadvertently presented himself as a challenge. Phillip does his best not to respond, but Fal returns the flirting but doesn’t go further. Zug suddenly blurts out, “Captain Deline, I have a question about your ship, //NCC-72409 USS Solstice// | + | Zivan’s demeanor changes instantly and she starts flirting with several officers, especially Fal and Phillip – the latter because he’s inadvertently presented himself as a challenge. Phillip does his best not to respond, but Fal returns the flirting but doesn’t go further. Zug suddenly blurts out, “Captain Deline, I have a question about your ship, NCC-72409 |
| - | Mel’s smile turns brittle as she says, “Excuse me?” They then hear the reverberations and look up to the sunroof to see their ship zip over the mansion, heading for orbit! Mel jabs her combadge and practically snarls, “Deline to Saval.” Static mars the reply, but Saval states – through the Vulcan equivalent of gritted teeth – //“4A in progress. Stand by.”// Mel frowns as she trues to recall whatever a 4A is, while K’tral and Ssleestak have utterly no idea. However, Shan’taar groans as he immediately remembers his rule 4A: //If Ensign Kras’s eyes are a swirling blue when she’s staring intently at something, find the nearest Bajoran and smack him or her upside the head. It won’t solve the immediate problem, but it is cathartic.// | + | Mel’s smile turns brittle as she says, “Excuse me?” They then hear the reverberations and look up to the sunroof to see their ship zip over the mansion, heading for orbit! Mel jabs her combadge and practically snarls, “Deline to [[trek: |
| - | Saval adds dryly, //“At least, I think it’s a 4A. Whichever one also involves lightning.”// | + | Saval adds dryly, //“At least, I think it’s a 4A. Whichever one also involves lightning.”// |
| ==== In Which We Learn Vulcans Do Not Like Quantum Surprises. ==== | ==== In Which We Learn Vulcans Do Not Like Quantum Surprises. ==== | ||
| - | Phillip, K’tral, Ssleestak, and Mel start in shock as the // | + | Phillip, K’tral, Ssleestak, and Mel start in shock as the // |
| - | The Starfleet officers can hear Saval order her bridge crew to regain control of the conn by any means necessary, but it’s to late. They watch in shock as the // | + | The Starfleet officers can hear Saval order her bridge crew to regain control of the conn by any means necessary, but it is too late. They watch in shock as the // |
| - | Ssleestak exclaims, “It worked! Captain, it worked! Faster than warp nine-point-nine!” Mel drawls “I’m so happy for you,” but Zug interrupts to inform her, “We are now receiving a visual signal from //NCC-72409 USS Solstice// | + | Ssleestak exclaims, “It worked! Captain, it worked! Faster than warp nine-point-nine!” Mel drawls “I’m so happy for you,” but Zug interrupts to inform her, “We are now receiving a visual signal from NCC-72409 |
| ==== Honoring a Pact That Hasn't Been Sworn Yet ==== | ==== Honoring a Pact That Hasn't Been Sworn Yet ==== | ||
| - | Jessa edges away from the screen, still embarrassed by her earlier hallucinations, | + | Jessa edges away from the screen, still embarrassed by her earlier hallucinations, |
| + | |||
| + | To everyone’s surprise, Jen stops the lighting arc, turns to look Fal directly in the eyes, and utters, // | ||
| + | |||
| + | Fal begs, “O’ great Prophet, is there any way to communicate that bypasses my friend Jen Kras? So that she remains free of Your touch?” The Prophet replies flatly, // | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Disasters Both Natural and Dominion-Made ==== | ||
| + | Suddenly, Zug utters a string of Tizit profanities as he types furiously on his padd before looking at his mother in fear. He says hoarsely, "The N’Dari. The Dai’Loq are escorting four N’Dari refugee ships through the eddies now. They should emerge… right by the NCC-72409 //USS Solstice//. Each ship carries over one hundred thousand refugees. If something goes wrong on one of those ships…” Zivan swears as well, but then over the channel [[trek: | ||
| + | |||
| + | Saval snaps, //“Ops, whatever Jen did, activate it now!”// Aurora complies and charged tachyons fire from the main navigational deflector dish – and negate much of the gravitational pressure! Saval orders [[trek: | ||
| + | |||
| + | Phillip, Ssleestak, Shan’taar, | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== In Which Mel Tries to Kill Zivan and the Prophet Actually Does Something Useful ==== | ||
| + | Mel sweeps the holographic battlefield and she swiftly realizes the Dominion is using the fourth planet as a screen against Tizit orbital weaponry, and she says sweetly, “Zivan, my dear?” Jessa snarfs as Zivan retorts playfully, “Yes, my love?” Mel drops the banter and asks, “Can your weaponry reach the Dominion vessels?” Zivan also gets very serious as she replies, “No, I’m afraid not. Our orbital weaponry only reaches out to the fourth planet.” Mel frowns and asks, “What happens if we shoot the fourth planet then?” Zivan gapes at her and turns peach as the color drains from her face. She sputters, “No one… no one has ever considered to do such a //stupid// thing!” Mel offers, “What about a ricochet? | ||
| + | |||
| + | Zivan gurgles in shock but Fal starts running calculations. He frowns and reports, “Theoretically, | ||
| + | |||
| + | Everyone in the dining room and on the bridge suddenly goes very silent as they process what just happened, but the Dominion ships suddenly reappear in normal space – by the third planet! Mel snaps to Zivan, “Shoot them now?” Zivan jabs a button and snarls, “All citizens of Kordikar, the Dominion has flouted our neutrality, and as such has spurned our friendship! They are no longer welcome in Tizit space!” Suddenly a mass exodus of vessels rips free of the orbital docks and powers towards the Dominion vessels, weapons powering up!((Too many local species and organizations – legal and not – rely on Kordikar’s neutrality to see it threatened.)) | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Starfleet Annoys the Dai' | ||
| + | Simultaneously, | ||
| + | |||
| + | The // | ||
| + | |||
| + | Zivan happily transfers all the data they have on the N’Dari to the // | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Starfleet Learns of the N'Dari ==== | ||
| + | Now armed with data and an hour before the flotilla reaches Kordikar, the Starfleet officers settle in and start work. Everyone contributes, | ||
| + | |||
| + | Technologically speaking, the N’Dari are on par or even ahead of the Federation, especially in defensive systems. Their shields and hulls are a few decades ahead of Starfleet, but their engines are about five years behind. However, one aspect of their technology that is definitely ahead of the Federation by a generation is their EVA suits: N’Dari suits are flexible and fit seamlessly, and possess air, food, and power reserves that far outstrip current Federation technology. The suits also possess defensive shielding, powerful thruster engines, and even miniaturized tractor beams to lock on to whatever surface they stride across. Mel muses, “Not to generalize, but there’s definitely a reptilian streak here. Safety first, speed later.” Ssleestak agrees. | ||
| + | |||
| + | They learn that politically, | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Starfleet officers do pick up on a strain of ingrained condescension to mammalian species in N’Dari culture. Since the destruction of their homeworld and the splintering of their race, the N’Dari have an enclave in the Dai’Loq Sphere, a massive floating city set aside for their use here on Kordikar, and several smaller, scattered enclaves in local space. Unfortunately, | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ssleestak snickers but returns to his work. Together, the Starfleet officers come up with several plans to assist the N’Dari and relieve the burden on the Tizit. Jessa assists Fal in cataloging the data collected, while Phillip applies his experiences growing up on a starbase in designing new environmental systems. As her officers continue their work, Mel receives a private text message from Saval; it reads: //“We are not to land.”// Mel covertly texts back, //“Why not?”// The reply takes a few seconds, and reads, //“The// Solstice //must remain in orbit and the away team must remain on the surface. Further information is not forthcoming.”// | ||
| + | |||
| + | <WRAP hide> | ||
| + | =====Summary===== | ||
| + | A Prophet possesses Jen Kras, but this time They take direct action to control the // | ||
| + | ===== ===== | ||
| + | </ | ||
| + | |||
| + | ---- | ||
| - | To everyone’s surprise, Jen stops the lighting arc, turns to look Fal directly in the eyes, and utters, “No,” in a sepulchral tone that is her voice – and something else’s. Mel notes her ship’s master system display is riddled with blue, which is definitely not the normal colors. She asks the Prophet bluntly, “Why are you here?” Jen replies, “We are fulfilling the pact.” Mel blinks in surprise as the others try to figure out what’s going on, but she asks tersely, “Has this pact been sworn yet?” Jen cocks her head and stays silent for a few seconds before uttering, “No?” Mel grumbles, “Well, at least I was right,” as she realizes the Prophets don’t comprehend linear time. | + | <WRAP group> |
| + | <WRAP half column leftalign> | ||
| + | [[{}trek: | ||
| + | </ | ||
| + | <WRAP half column rightalign> | ||
| + | [[{}trek: | ||
| + | </ | ||
| + | </ | ||
| - | Fal begs, “O’ great Prophet, is there anyway to communicate that bypasses my friend Jen Kras? So she remains free of Your touch?” The Prophet replies flatly, “No,” and Fal sighs and mumbles, “Well, I tried.” Mel demands, “So what is this pact?” although she doesn’t really expect an answer. To everyone’s surprise, the Prophet replies, “The price demanded by The Kras to secure her assistance in this. To save one hundred thousand lives first.” The Starfleet officers look to each other is confusion, but Mel concedes dryly, “Yeah, that sounds about right.” | + | {{tag> |