Checking in with the Cap-i-tan

Posted on Sun Jul 21st, 2024 @ 8:16pm by Lieutenant Commander Kelly Kerrigan & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami

814 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Lacertae Mortis

The new Chief of Comms decided to poke her head around the door to physically introduce herself. She straightened her uniform and brushed off a non-existent piece of lint and knocked on the open door frame. "Cap-i-tan," Adrianna offered a welcoming smile, "Sorry I'm late boarding."

Lieutenant Commander Kelly Kerrigan flashed a brief fleeting smile at the woman. "No apology necessary, lieutenant," he replied briskly. "You haven't missed much and yet everything" he added before proceeding into an explanation. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Kerrigan, First Officer. Our Captain is missing." It was not exactly the welcoming that he wanted to give, but it was the one she needed to hear.

"Captain Morelli left by shuttle to rendezvous with the USS Cayuga on a trip to Parnassus Beta," prefaced the man. "If you aren't up to speed on that, Parnassus Beta has been attacked presumably by the Gorn. We haven't heard from the Captain and I don't believe the Federation has had any recent contact with the Cayuga. Last I heard, they were sending starships to respond. We were not assigned."

Adrianna nodded, "I assume that we will be investigating?" She sat down and continued, "I'm sure I can dig up something useful from contacts or otherwise."

"Officially, no. We have orders to continue as planned with a shakedown cruise, make sure all this new tech works" he said. "Unofficially, the navigational sensors may be a bit faulty. That would be a shame."

"Understood," Adrianna knew the concept - the unofficial was always the priority. She would inevitably help any way she could. It was admirable. She smiled, "let me know what you need from me- on and off the books. I'll do what I can."

"I understand you have a background in intelligence work and linguistic skills" Kelly stated with a very brief highlighting of her established service history. "Tap into your network of resources. If anyone has heard anything, I'd like to know."

Adrianna nodded, "I can think of at least two that may know something, or of something. So I'm sure I can try and shed some light on the subject."

"A Federation colony gets attacked by the Gorn without so much as an utterance of risk or alarm? That does not sit well with me. Someone knew something."

"With all due respect," Adrianna shrugged a little, "it is not about the whispers. It's about the consequences because of the whispers. I'd suggest something bigger would be a play and silence is being bought or bartered with."

"I don't see strategic value in taking Parnassus Beta," stated Kelly. He was not exactly a tactically minded person though. He had been a career communications officer, but did not have the intelligence history to fall back on like Adrianna. "Was it to draw a Federation response like the Cayuga, or was this simply a slap across the face that they could cut into our territory whenever they felt like it?"

"There's only one way to answer those questions, I'm afraid," she replied, "personally, if it were me- I'd assume that the federation would respond, so I'd take the 'curiosity killed the cat' tactic. Federation would investigate- lure them into a trap because they're predictable. But that's me."

Kelly nodded. "That is you, but that doesn't make you wrong" he stated. "I plan on making our way out soon. This shakedown cruise may happen to follow the Captain's shuttle's flight path. I'd like to be in the vicinity in case there's clues to find."

He thought if Calliope. "I have two officers on an away mission via shuttle handling a matter. We can rendezvous and pick up the shuttle en route."

"I have already finished up with my business on the base, so I will be happy to get underway," Ade replied with a nod, "my contacts discussed - they are all 'by writing' only at the moment, so I will contact them as soon as I am settled in my office."

"It sounds like your contacts like to be as concealed as they can be" commented Kerrigan. "I can't say that I blame them. It's a difficult life, and a much shorter one if things get in the wrong hands."

Adrianna smiled, "you know how it is. It is a difficult life for either side of the fence. For myself, I know both sides, from being undercover."

Kelly smiled nervously. Foreign world he thought to himself. "I'm afraid that is your expertise. I had the tongue and ears for linguistics and communications, but I never did any intelligence work. Definitely nothing undercover."

"It had it's fun moments, but I'm glad to be on this side of the tables now," Ade chuckled, "did you need anything else, capitan?"

Kelly stood his head. "No. No, Lieutenant. I think that about covers everything. Thank you. That will be all" he said parting ways with the woman.

 

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