Traces

Posted on Fri Jan 10th, 2025 @ 5:24pm by Commander Mindo & Lieutenant Commander Greep & Lieutenant Zo & Ensign Aenardha Sh'vastarth

Mission: The Only Thing Left Was Hope
Location: Starfleet Academy, San Fransisco
Timeline: current

ON

==== Caesar's Palace Arcade, San Fransisco ====

Mindo had been enjoying a deep conversation with the owner of Caesar's Palace, Mindo's favorite dive located near the Academy campus. It had been a long time since he'd seen the owner, a man nicknamed Big Sal.

Approaching the bar were Zo, Lieutenant-Commander Greep, and Ensign Aenardha Sh'vastarth, in full uniform. Mindo hopped off the bar stool and approached them.

"I take it you're here with a report," Mindo said. "Let's go outside."

Going round the street corner and finding a secluded part in the small park area of the Academy campus, the three officers gave their report.

Zo spoke first.

"I received the data we needed from Admiral Milne and the band is working on an algorithm to track down the Pandora's trail as we speak."

"Excellent," Mindo replied. He turned to Greep and Aenardha. "How was your success in finding us a ship?"

"It's practically a schooner," Greep squawked. "Not very fast, and hardly any weapons, shields, or long range sensors, and no tractor beam or transporter!"

"How bad is it really?" Mindo asked Aenardha, knowing Greep's tendency to exaggerate.

"He is not far from the truth, sir," she said. She realized she was standing at attention as she started and recalled Mindo enjoyed things being a little more casual. She relaxed her stance but did not allow herself to fall into complete casualness. "The ship is an older class vessel. Technically it is retired and has been decommissioned from service. The tractor beam and transporter have both been removed per the regs when it comes to decommissioning vessels. Starfleet corps of engineers stopped the process as Starfleet saw fit to grant us access to utilize it. As it is technically decommissioned, there will be no orders or record of it being deployed. It does have hull polarization, which is all the shielding that will be available to us. Phasers and torpedoes are available but they are of a design that is about 20 years old. The computer cannot be upgraded any further than the release of a decade ago, not without upgrading the entire computer core and stripping out all the circuitry to bring it up to today's standards. I recommend NOT getting into many shootouts with it, sir." Aenardha concluded her report. She admired her crew, especially ZO and Greep with whom she had been travelling for some time now. She only had a few days to get to know Mindo and found herself already admiring the man too. He seemed almost to enjoy her report. Either it was her delivery or the fact that the ship is practically a classic and collector's item or an engineer's dream. She felt it was primarily her honesty. Recalling the cabin vision during their telepathic connection from before, she theorized, quickly then stopped, that he might have been admiring her in return. She added, "As Greep pointed out, it is practically a schooner."

"You made me smile, Ensign!" Mindo said to Aenardha. "Are you cracking jokes now? There's hope for you yet!"

Zo smiled. Greep, naturally, stood there.

"I am...trying..." Aenardha said, "to read the situation better and to be more cordial when it seems to fit."

"How fast?" Mindo asked Zo.

"I think I have some connections who can get us up to warp five in a couple of weeks, but barely," Zo said confidently. "They won't ask questions."

"Good," Mindo said. "I want warp six by Friday."

"But it's Tues..." Zo started, but one look from Mindo and Zo simply said, "Aye, sir." Mindo was a Commander now, but he would always think like an Engineer.

"So I assume we have a name for this vessel?" Mindo asked. Zo and Greep exchanged looks.

"We... do," Zo said, looking over at Aenardha. "Ann, er, Ensign Sh'vastarth picked it out."

"And?" Mindo asked.

Greep did something akin to a shrug, squawking, "It's... appropriate." Now all three were looking at Aenardha.

Aenardha smiled. Though she was astonishingly white and nearly albino, she blushed and turned a shade of red. Her antenna remained erect. "Seeing that the transponder and hull plating with the name had also been removed...I thought..." and she felt a little embarrassed about it but nobody knew the truth, that she had performed a near physical telepathic connection with the man and said connection left her almost constantly thinking about him; a side effect of such a powerful telepathic connection. The side effects had been easing up over time and would take a while yet to subside completely. "...I thought that, seeing how much he had helped us...I mean we would all be dead if it was not for him. And his sacrifice needs to be remembered. So I named the ship...the M.S.S., that is Mindo's Star Ship...Qaraq."

Mindo grinned and clapped his hands. "That is definitely appropriate!" he said. "Well done, Ensign!"

"Thank you, sir," she said still blushing. She received a congratulatory shoulder grab and shake from Zo and smiled all the same. She had been unsure if she would have gotten immediate approval or gratitude from Mindo and admired him all the more in the wake of receiving just that.

"Now," said Mindo, "we need technology. Phasers, tricorders, medical equipment... none of these items will be provided by Starfleet, according to Admiral Milne. You have my permission to pillage and plunder. Also, let's install the most state-of-the-art replicators we can into our schooner. The Qaraq should not leave us hungry."

"Whatever we cannot find here, sir," Aenardha said, "we should go visit the Starfleet museum at Athan Prime. It may be a museum but it is also a...little known...stockpile of equipment and weapons that Starfleet keeps off the books in case of emergencies."

Mindo nodded. "Just be sure they're without Federation or Starfleet markings. If we're flagged or caught in the Neutral Zone, they might wonder why we're carrying Starfleet equipment."

"If we don't have official orders, sir," Aenardha spoke up, "and are flying what is obviously not and never has been a Starfleet vessel, complete with a transponder that is clearly not Starfleet, then we can claim the equipment is..."

"Stolen," Greep squawked.

"...strategically acquired," Aenardha finished. "And if we are going to be in the Neutral Zone a fair bit, then might I suggest uniforms that are also clearly not Starfleet." Aenardha was beginning to scare herself. Being from a race that is famous for being pacifistic and honest, she was feeling right at home here, among Warp 9. The past couple of years had really freed her, she felt. "And I am sure we have the engineering expertise to make any strategically acquired Starfleet tech work with our ship."

"Good thinking," Mindo said.

"That's not even the best part," Zo said.

Mindo heard a bit of pride in Zo's voice, and even Greep seemed to be impressed with the Ensign's work, in his own way. Mindo couldn't deny it. The last three years had been good to the Ensign's confidence. She no longer seemed the hesitant, somewhat nervous young intelligence officer. She's one of us now, Mindo thought. It made him shiver again. He remembered his conversation the day prior, with Dr. Lauda, Stazy, who had given him strangely ominous advice about helping her make good choices. Did "strategically acquiring" items count as a good choice? Was their cause actually a good one? How close to each other do bad and good choices get?

"Ann," said Zo, "tell him about the uniforms."

Aenardha looked between them all; a bit taken aback by all the attention. She had learned, in the past couple of years, to use her anxiety and nervousness to her advantage, but on mission and in front of adversity. In front of her friends, she was still anxious and nervous at times, though to a far less degree now than previous. "These uniforms are Romulan, sir; the last Romulan uniforms that were mass produced before Hobus destroyed the empire. The uniforms are made with a fabric from a plant that was known to grow only on Romulus. This fabric throws off sensor readings and any form of automation. Automated phase turrets have a high chance of missing should you be targeted while wear this uniform. Sensors will pick up life signs, but will not be able to acquire accurate readings of race. Teleporters that are uncalibrated to the uniforms will be unable to lock on. So, no forced teleportation by any adversaries. These uniforms were made in secret to be used against the Federation, but Hobus had other plans. Now all the Romulan factions are using this uniform against each other as they vie for dominance. With Zo's help, we were able to extend the functionality of the plant fabric. We are also working on a micro implant to be sown in to enhance resistance to sensor scans, even make sensors pick us up as Klingons, Vulcans, Breen, whatever we want. Our cover will be blown if they see us with their eyes. And since Romulus is no more, this plant is now extinct. These uniforms come at a premium."

"Sounds good," Mindo said, nodding with approval. "We need to customize each one. If we all look alike it will only add to suspicion." He looked to Zo. "What would you think if we went under the cover of Warp Nine on tour?"

Zo glanced at Aenardha and grinned. "We've toured the Neutral Zone before," he said, thinking of the several Intel missions the band had been a part of, along with Greep and Aenardha. "I think that cover story could still work."

"And, sir," Aenardha added with a sense of uncomfortable urgency. "Each time, in the Neutral Zone, that Warp 9 was encountered, Greep," she looked to the Ontarion, "was our CO. If we were to encounter some select individuals, it may be wise to maintain that facade. It may not be advantageous if some of our connections see that we suddenly have a new CO."

Mindo smiled. "I suppose I'll be the band's new groupie!" he said.

OFF