Terminus

Posted on Wed Jan 26th, 2022 @ 2:25pm by Captain Nycolas Temple & Mauricio Arnaldo & Commander Mindo & Lieutenant Farizah Alani & Lieutenant Kalin Brennan-Griffin PhD & Lieutenant Commander James Smith & Lieutenant Krysia Kaleri-Smith & Ensign Breena Powell & Ensign Aenardha Sh'vastarth & Cailus Griffin & Admiral Gordon Francis

Mission: The Gauntlet
Location: Deck 1 - Bridge

ON:

"Exit from the Nebula in ten minutes." Came the call from Ensign Milkovich on the helm.

“Confirmed, sir,” Aenardha spoke up. Her fingers were dancing across her PADD. “Average nebular gas density has dropped another 10%.”

Temple was sat in the big chair with Executive Officer Mindo by his side. The Pandora was about to finish their journey through the Rentara Nebula and come out on the other side within the Carnwennan Corridor, not too far from the border of the Inconnu Expanse with Federation territory. It had been a tense, but ultimately positive trek through the thick gases of the nebula. Ensign Sh'vastarth's idea had worked; the Pandora had cut through the spatial nimbus in record time, bringing them close to home in a matter of days. The ship had been plunged into a constant cold but Mindo's preparations had ensured the crew were still protected and the ship remained relatively undamaged.

"Acknowledged." Nyx nodded, pressing the commms button on his chair. "Attention all hands, prepare to exit the Nebula and return to normal space. We will need to return the ship to standard operations immediately after exiting the Nebula. I don't expect there to be any Alrakis forces, we should have left them behind, but as soon as we can - we will jump to warp. I hope Admiral Milne has organised enough ships to greet us and escort us back home safely." He paused and sighed, "I don't know what to expect when we reach Carnwennan Station, but I know we have the truth on our side. Bridge out."

"Mindo to Engineering," said Lieutenant-Commander Mindo, sitting next to the Captain. "How soon will it be warm once we're out of the nebula?"

Chief Zo's reply came over the speakers. "We can't just go from zero to seventy in a flash. These engines and other vital systems need time to adjust. I'd estimate about thirty minutes until it's time to take off the parkas."

Aside from the flames lapping over the hull and the constant turbulence, Aenardha rather enjoyed the ride, mostly in part because of the lowered temperature of the ship. Even with her specially made moisture wicking uniform, this was the second day she opted to leave the undershirt of her uniform in her quarters, just another degree or two cooler. Without close inspection, no one would have been the wiser. Per regulations, she was technically out of uniform. Again, no one was the wiser. But, as this stretch of the journey was coming to an end, the moment she could catch a break, Aenardha was going to get the undershirt back on.

"When will warp speed be ready?" Mindo asked.

"I'm working on bringing them back on right now," Zo replied. "If I time this right, you'll have enough power for warp speed as we make our exit."

"If we don't detect any enemy ships, we can take the time to get ourselves back to normal first." Nyx suggested.

Sitting next to Nyx, Krysia could only hope that once they reached the station Owen could receive extra medical care. Aeryn had worked wonders, but Owen needed extra medical help. She looked towards Nyx. “I just hope the doctors at the station can help Owen.”

"Me too." Nyx said softly.

Ahead of them on the main view screen, a wide gap amongst the swirling gases appeared. Beyond it - the deep dark of normal space. For the first time in days, the crew had something else to look at apart from the flames and the Nebula surrounding them. Normality was just ahead of them now.

"Five minutes." Came the call.

"Long range sensors picking up anything on the other side?" Nyx asked, leaning forward. This was the moment of truth; to find out whether their ruse to hide away from the Alrakis Pact and take this dangerous - but far shorter - route through the Nebula had actually managed to allow the Pandora to escape their determined pursuers.

"Sensors are still getting interference from the nebula." Ensign Milkovich's hands danced over his console. "But..." He couldn't help but smile. "No other ships detected."

Understanding this leg of the journey was coming to an end meant another leg was coming into being. Aenardha already knew that the Pandora was going to go back to Carnwennan station but now that the time for them to go there was in the immediate future, a wave of panic came upon her to a degree that she temporarily lost control of her thoughts. Any telepath in the vicinity would have been able to sense it.

Aenardha and Mauricio were smuggled off of Carnwennan. Now they were going right back. An investigation was certainly done and there were going to be many asked questions.

Aenardha calmed herself believing her captain would stand in the way of any force headed her way, though she was still but new to the ship and crew. Still, she could not help but to wonder what lied ahead for her and Mauricio upon returning to Carnwennan.

"Exiting the nebula." Came Ensign Milkovich's voice, the relief evident in his tone.

The gap in the nebula ahead of them had drawn closer and closer - bigger and wider - as the Pandora slowly approached. The ship passed through effortlessly and they were once again "outside" into normal space. The flames lashing the hull washed away like a cloak being drawn back, leaving a short trail of particles in the Pandora's wake. The ship stopped rumbling and a sense of calm fell upon her and the crew.

Nyx blinked as he took in the view of normal space, a few white stars dotting the distance around them. "Raise shields, but drop to Yellow Alert."

Ensign Milkovich followed through and pressed the required buttons on his station. The Red Alert lights dropped back to Yellow and the ship was cocooned once again in her protective barrier.

"Anything on long-range scans?" Nyx asked again, not wanting to find themselves walking into another trap.

"Nothing, sir," Came Tactical's response. "There's nothing between us and Carnwennan Station."

Nyx leaned back in his chair, trying to hide the smile. "Alright then, run a full ship scan to determine any damage that needs looking at before we jump to warp. We have the time to wait to allow the ship to warm up again. Engineering, start the thawing process if you will."

=/\= Aye, Captain," Zo replied, as the ship began to gradually return to an acceptable temperature.

Lieutenant Farizah Alani exited the turbolift as it came to a stop having reached her destination - the bridge. The starship's illumination had transitioned from the critical red alert conditions to the softer alter status of yellow, a cautious glow. She had found that her Operations station was in capable hands, tactical was likewise manned, and she was left shaking her head.

"You boys are always having the fun," Farizah commented. "Hazardous cargo containers have been secured, Sirs," she said to Captain Temple and Lieutenant Commander Mindo.

Farizah walked over to them, flanking Mindo's side with a small flash of a smile. "Commander," she said handing over a PaDD to verify which cargo had been secured.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Mindo said as he matched her smile. He took the PADD and quickly read through the report, resisting the urge to say some kind of double entendre about the "junk" in her "trunk." The two of them had enjoyed a casual flirtation over the last week, but with Mindo's new position it was hard for them to actually interact socially. There was also the issue of consorting with junior officers. Mindo hated that part.

The Bolian looking longingly into Mindo's eyes. As Chief Engineer, he had been far more receptive to her advances. Taking over as Executive Officer aboard the Pandora, a shielding was erected that Farizah was not overly fond of. "Mmmhm," she replied with a sing-songy tone. "Just doing my part, Commander," she added with a smirk. "Deuterium can be be awfully tricky. If you don't give it the proper attention or handle her properly, she may just burst, and not in a fun way."

Mindo glanced around the room. While everyone appeared to be focused on their various jobs, Mindo didn't need Aenardha's telepathic powers or Krysia's empathic abilities to know everyone was listening for his reply. He also knew it wasn't just Aenardha or Krysia who could sense what he was feeling. He looked back into Farizah's beautiful eyes, at her gleaming blue skin, and the usual vertical center ridge that made Bolian lips particularly interesting to kiss. Now there was an Angel Mindo and Devil Mindo on either side of him debating a course of action, and it was up to him to choose.

Mindo cleared his throat and looked down at the PADD again. "You are correct, Lieutenant," he replied. "Judging from your data, I believe taking a closer look at your figures may be necessary. Perhaps I should see to this personally... later, of course."

Devil Mindo was the winner.

Krysia couldn’t help but grin as she looked in Mindo’s direction, making sure no one else was looking she offered a playful thumbs up.

Nyx sighed loudly, "Lieutenant Alani, can you work on restoring our long-range comms? It looks like we're still getting interference from the nebula and I'd like to know if we're getting a cavalry to help escort us home."

The Bolian nodded and looked at Nyx. "Captain, I'll get right on that. I will need to get into the maintenance chutes and jefferies tubes on deck nine to have a look at the communications array."

"Do it." Nyx replied emphatically, "Call me paranoid, but I don't like sitting out here alone."

Mindo tapped his console. "Chief Zo, send a team to assist Lieutenant Alani with long-range comms. I expect a report by the time we've thawed."

=== 30 Minutes Later ===

The ship was now completely thawed, the crew thankfully able to remove their winter clothing and heavy uniforms as the internal temperature returned to normal. Civilians Raven Mattel and Ignatius worked with Operations to collect and store the clothing from every deck as quickly as they could. Meanwhile, full ship scans had revealed no significant damage to the hull - though external cameras had shown the Pandora's markings had been stripped from her exterior. The "USS Pandora - NCC 80114" once proudly displayed across the outer saucer bow had been burnt off by the flames of the nebula.

On the Bridge, Temple was receiving an update from Lieutenant Alani.

=/\= Lieutenant, can we contact Carnwennan yet? =/\= Nyx asked.

=/\= Zo to bridge. We should have long-range comms up momentarily. =/\=

“Captain” Krysia looked towards Nyx. “If you stop to think about it no one will know this ship is the Pandora, not without the markings across our hull. We could slip by anyone looking out for us practically unnoticed now.”

“In fact,” Aenardha spun at her station to face the captain, “we may actually appear more like a Ravager vessel. If we were to broadcast the ‘Stop the Pandora’ message, LT Kaleri-Smith and I projecting it mentally as well, we could sail right by anyone hostile toward us without even a second look.”

“A handy development.” Nyx agreed. “Though I’m concerned that Carnwennan is not responding. Now that we are back to normal, we will need to proceed on our own once more. I guess we should be used to it by now.”

"And I was hoping for a welcome home reception," Mindo remarked.

‘A welcome home reception,’ Aenardha thought. Knowing what was in store for her, heading back home was not really of any interest to her. The moment, the Pandora would find its way back to Earth, she was certainly go to find a way to head out again whether it meant transferring to another vessel, volunteering for another outing, whatever came open. Either way, she wanted to be on Earth for as little time as possible.

"We're getting something, sir." Ensign Milkovich called out. "From Carnwennan."

"On screen." Nyx nodded as he stood.

Admiral Audra Milne appeared larger than life on the Bridge's main viewscreen, sitting in her office with a stoic expression on her face.

"Pandora. It's good to hear from you." She said jovially, her tone light. "We were starting to fear the worst when you disappeared."

"We had to, Admiral," Nyx replied, "Ensign Sh'Vastarth had a brilliant idea which cut our travel time down considerably, but it meant using an unconventional path."

"I'm sure I'll hear all about it on your debrief, Captain." Audra said with a nod, quickly dismissing the topic. "I see you've appeared not far from us? How is your ship, will it make the journey?"

"Lieutenant Commander Mindo's team has, once again, fixed us up and we'll be able to reach Carnwennan at full warp." Nyx said. He was noticing a lack of candor in the Admiral's phrases, her sticking to general pleasantries when he expected something - anything - to acknowledge the urgency of the Pandora's situation. "Will you be sending an escort in case of any last minute surprises?"

Audra was taken aback, tilting her head slightly. "If your ship is operating normally, Captain, I should not need to send ships into the Expanse to help you reach home. Should I?"

Krysia looked at Nyx offering a quizzical frown. Something was feeling off but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.

Aenardha, of course, did not have to look at the viewscreen as she was utilizing public vision. Her hand stopped dancing about her PADD and she sat in a contemplative manner. Something felt off and, from the cryptic salutations, she reached out in an attempt to read the admiral. Despite the admiral’s image on display, not fifty feet away, the admiral herself was still a great distance away. Aenardha was getting nothing and she did not want to overextend herself again.

For now, she was going to follow her captain’s lead and be mindful of events as they unfolded.

As the exchange continued, Ensign Milkovich was starting to receive more information from Carnwennan. He frowned at the data coming through and silently transferred the readings over to Lieutenant Commander Mindo's console. It showed Carnwennan had no raised shields, no active patrols, and none of the station's security measures were in effect. Unusual given the impending return of the Pandora and the current situation within the Expanse, not to mention the recent Section 31 infiltration on board. And yet - from outward appearances - the station was completely at ease.

"We look forward to seeing you." Milne replied casually, "But I wouldn't expect an extended stay, Pandora. Starfleet Command has new orders for your ship once you've completed a brief rest stop."

"A brief rest?" Nyx baulked at the suggestion. "Admiral, we have much to discuss. We are not ready to be moved on yet!"

"It is out of my hands, Captain." Milne shook her head, "You are to be resupplied, transfer all departing personnel, and initiate your next mission as soon as possible." She took in a breath and shrugged, "We will see you shortly, then? Carnwennan Station out."

The screen went blank as the Admiral did not wait for a response.

"'Departing personnel'." Nyx complained loudly to the Bridge. "They are taking Thac and burying Pithos."

“They’re just going to sweep it under the rug? Like nothing ever happened!?” Krysia shook her head in disbelief. “If they do that then Sasha died for nothing!!”

"I would not be so certain of that," came the cryptic response from the Science station. The Chameloid Science Officer turned stiffly in her seat, feeling overly exposed and vulnerable on the Bridge; hypervigilance is what the trauma counselor on Starbase 242 had called this feeling, this need to put her back to a corner and assess possible exits all while viewing even her closest of friends as possible enemy combatants, but she hadn't felt it this strongly in years, and now that they were finally returning to Carnwennan, this feeling was almost unbearable. "Admiral Milne is playing a different game than we are... It would be shortsighted of us to doubt her just because we cannot comprehend the moves that she has in play across the board. She has something planned, of that I am sure, so we must do our part so that she can do hers," Shae said softly, neither her composure nor her softly lilted voice betraying the inner struggle roiling underneath the surface.

Krysia looked towards Shae as she spoke, she could sense the emotional struggle the Chameloid was hiding, she had read Shae’s file as sent across from the Starbase 242, she needed to talk to Shae further but up until now she hadn’t pestered her to talk.

Nyx smiled over to the Science station, appreciating Shae's calmer approach. "I hope this is the case, because it looks like Starfleet are expecting us to roll over." He sighed, still feeling uneasy and not convinced by the Admiral's words, "But even if Milne is still working for us, I can't take the risk that Section 31 - or Starfleet, even - will try to take control of the situation once we return. If we hand over Thac, I have no idea what will happen to him or the case we have built from the Pithos disaster. No, we've come too far to let that happen." Nyx returned to the Captain's chair and sat down firmly. "Ensign Milkovich, ahead to Carnwennan at full warp. Raise shields to maximum and return to Red Alert."

Milkovich slowly turned back around to his station and executed the orders, sending out the necessary commands for the Pandora to jump to warp. He felt a cold chill run down his back and he knew it wasn't from the ship's internal temperature any more.

There was a silence in the Bridge now, a sense of the seriousness falling upon them. Nyx noticed this and chose to voice his reasoning.

"If someone wants to take Thac, they'll have to come get him." He said resolutely. "For the people of Hesiod Green, for the officers who perished within Pithos, for the Expanse drawn into a war over the 'Stop the Pandora' signal, and for the gauntlet of terror we have experienced just to make it back here - we must see justice prevail... Or all of this was for nothing." He shook his head, "No. I swear by the badge and the uniform I put on every single day, and by the oath we all swore to when we became Starfleet officers, that we must champion the truth and the values of the Federation first. That is our mission. That is what we must do."

The Pandora's engines powered up as the Captain's speech concluded and in a blue flash, the Lunar Class vessel disappeared from outside of the Nebula, heading directly towards Carnwennan. What would come next, they had no idea, but if there was anything to have learned from their travels within the Expanse, - it was to never underestimate the Pandora.

OFF