Look what the 'Karra dragged in

Posted on 24 Apr 2014 @ 4:15am by Cadet Sophomore Grade Alenis Taban & Captain Jonathan Holliday

2,378 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: Bridge, Xepolite Freighter Jian'Karra/Bridge, USS Galileo
Timeline: MD2 - 1445 hours

[ON]

"Solomon, I swear to you I'll cut your rum ration for a year if you and the kid don't get my comms back up before we hit orbit. I am not having the fleeties and spoonheads poking around my bilges when we're not even smuggling anything just because we failed to check in before arrival, alright?" ranted the increasingly irate Trill to his giant of a mechanic.

Raising himself up to his full seven feet and pushing his shoulders out to their full giant span, Solomon loomed over his long time boss with a wide grin spreading across his face. In his rich Trinidadian accent he began a booming reply. "Dere dere, bossman, now don't you go sayin' tings you don't mean and can't be enforcin' now. All 'dis stress will be the deat' of you some day. If I telled you once, I telled you a tousand times, mon, if you be skimpin' on 'dese repair bills 'dis bucket'o'bolts be fallin' apart."

The Trill huffed loudly and stood on his chair so as to raise himself up to just above the engineer's eye-level. "You're not complaining when I raised your wages 'mon'. How'd you like I cut them back until your repair budget is to your satisfaction?"

Solomon roared with laughter in reply.

On the far side of the bridge the burly, surly, Antaran helmsman couldn't help but guffaw at the exchange. "Bossman, come on... when was the last time you actually bought a genuine replacement part instead of some cheap-ass pile of rust which needs four adapters to even function and doesn't even fit properly? If it weren't for Solomon and the kid this rust bucket would have fallen apart donkeys' years ago."

Before Berant had the chance to reply the comm-system crackled into life and a, slightly hoarse Taban interrupted the merriment. =/\="I've managed to patch the internal comms through the environmental circuits. Give me a minute and I'll have the external lines going through the lateral sensors."=/\=

"Now THAT is the kind of attitude we need around here!" exclaimed Amblitsio triumphantly, slapping his mechanic hard on the back and in doing so making his chair spin around and nearly hurling him off it - if not for grabbing Solomon's shoulders for stability. Recovering himself he eased himself into the chair and activated the return comm-line =/\="Great work Taban, great work. Extra rum for you methinks!"=/\=

=/\="Don't thank me yet... Sol might kill me when he sees the bypasses."=/\= came the nervous reply.

The large Engineer laughed at the news. =/\="Don' worry, 'mon. I'm just glad I don't have to crawl up in 'dere."=/\=

The conversation over the comm with the cadet was interrupted by Rep from the helm. "Bossman, I'm detecting a Galor-class warship as well as the Galileo I take it you want the Galor given as wide a berth as possible?"

The Trill nodded. "Abso-bloody-lutely. Keep your distance - just don't make it look like you're trying to keep your distance. Just... fly casual."

"Suuuuuuuure..." muttered the Antaran, rolling his eyes at the less than helpful advice.

====

=/\="This is the Xepolite freighter Jian'Karra, hailing USS Galileo. Come in please Galileo."=/\=

The viewscreen flickered a moment before the image of a Starfleet captain appeared. John had been more than a little busy coordinating the efforts of his crew on the situation planetside, and hadn't expected to have to deal with errant freighter captains at the same time. Nevertheless, it was his job to deal with.

=^=This is Captain Jonathan Holliday of the Galileo. Can I be of some assistance to you? And please don't try to convince me to purchase anything - I haven't the time nor the inclination."

=/\="Captain Holiday, a pleasure to meet you, Sir." began Berant with an excellently-faked 'sincere' smile across his face. "I can promise you the thought had hardly entered my mind. I'm here fulfilling Starfleet Materiel Supply Command Transit Orders Alpha-Gamma #117312-NCC-80010,Galileo and Beta-Kappa #312117-UFP/CU-JC-Lyshan-III. I also have a passenger for yourselves - a Cadet, Serial Number: SB-117-312, Alenis, Taban. I believe he's joining you for field study from Starfleet Academy Beta Ursae Minor II Annexe. Ah yes: Starfleet Academy Field Study Temporary Personnel Transfer 311712-SB-117-312/NCC-80010. I believe the Cadet has all the relevant paperwork."=/\= The Trill smiled after delivering the withering tirade of non-sensical bureaucratic nonsense. On the other hand... it probably had earned him his entire pay for the trip just in the looks of surprise his entire crew at hearing such bilge emerge from his mouth.

Before Captain Holiday could reply, Amblitsio added, in a tone much more befitting him. =/\="Oh... and if you're worried about that old warrant for my arrest - I wouldn't. The whole thing was Captain O'Dwyer's idea - he just needed to fake a kidnapping and nearly get me and mine killed. He, or Admiral Uvar, or Admiral O'Dwyer, or Admiral Hurin, or Commodore Damian, or Commodore H'Rhar will be able to confirm it if you like. I can keep name-dropping if you would prefer, or I can get on with delivering my passenger and cargo to you, cargo to the planet, and uplifting the next job from there... for Starfleet Operational Support Services, I believe."=/\=

After a moment Holliday had no choice but to hold his hands up, palms down in a show of surrender. He had never been one for the armada of numbers and requisitions that were required to run a Starship. There was a reason that he had joined the Tactical and Command divisions rather than pursuing a career in Operations. The freighter captain seemed to have the gift of the gab, and if anything, John was looking forward to closing the channel.

"Very well Captain. If you could liaise with our Operations division to transfer your supplies they will deal with the appropriate paperwork. As for the Cadet - please pass along the message that Transporter Room 1 awaits and I want him in my Ready Room within the hour."

John stepped back from the viewscreen and returned to the command chair of his ship, he felt a little safer knowing his back was to something and there was less chance of another requisition popping up from behind. He had been given his fair share of paperwork as XO and had no intention of allowing himself to get tied up in ship requisition storage.

Looking back up at the screen, the Captain remembered quite how chatty the freighter captain had been and with a look of nervousness and impending frustration, turned his head towards the Ops station and nodded before the channel closed and the viewscreen returned to darkness.

"What a disagreeable little man..." mused Berant idly to his helmsman with a smirk growing on his face. "It's just rude when the fleeties don't let me take the mickey of their bureaucratic mumbo jumbo." He sighed. "Right then... if he can't be bothered talking to a fellow ship captain and wants to palm me off on his lackeys then I'm just going to do the same. Sol! Come here and talk turkey with your kind"

"And what's my kind supposed to be then, bossman?" replied the hulking human.

Before Berant could reply the exchange was interrupted by Rep at the helm. "Errr... boss... I can't raise the colony. Getting some automated message that they're not loading supplies until further notice and that all questions should be addressed to the ships in orbit. It certainly is trying to dissuade us from heading down there too..."

Amblitsio groaned. "What bloody mess have the fleeties stirred up this time..." he groaned as he re-hailed the Galileo. =/\="Captain Holliday, please come in. Would you care to explain why our hails are not being returned by the planet and they're refusing to allow us to make our pick-up? We're under charter from the office of the Deputy Director for Operational Support Services and I'm sure Admiral O'Dwyer will not be happy to hear our progress has been delayed by your ship's actions - or lack thereof."=/\=

John sighed once again as yet another hail came in from the freighter. He had more than 80 people aboard ship that had a hundred different duties to attend to, and responsibility fell to the Captain alone to keep everything ticking along smoothly. Not wanting to restore visual communication he tapped the control panel alongside his chair and opened an audio channel.

=^=Supply vessel. You will have to stand by before delivering your cargo. There has been an..incident..on the surface and incoming goods are being held back at this time.=^=

The Trill almost had an apoplectic fit - first at being called a supply vessel and secondly that the arrogant fleeter hadn't thought to mention this before. In a suitably irate yell he replied. =/\="Listen, pal. I ain't no supply vessel. My name is Captain Amblitsio of the Freighter Jian'Karra and you can address me as such. If you don't explain to me what's going on, what you're doing about it, and when you anticipate it's going to be fixed I swear to the Bajoran prophets I'll have more brass crashing down on your head than you can imagine. Let's just say my contracts have some rather hefty clauses in them for delays caused to me by inept, incompetent, idiotic Starfleet personnel, alright pal?" He paused to take a breath and, before Holliday could interrupt, added "And, pal, trust me when I say that if I don't like your answers I'm going down anyway and your pea-shooters aren't gonna have a hope in hell of stopping me."=/\=

John had no idea how freighter captains became quite so anally retentive. It seemed that every one he met had their own view on how Starfleet should operate and how easy it apparently was to simply flout Federation law and act in a manner that suited only their own interest. After a moment's delay, the Captain opened the visual communication link and stared down the civilian who had dared to challenge him.

"Very well Captain Amblitsio of the Freighter Jian'Karra allow me to make myself perfectly clear. The colony is currently off limits by their own volition and as such all Federation vessels, civilian or otherwise are expected to abide by those rules. Now, if you feel that you wish to ignore my orders and attempt to proceed, make no mistake that I will not hesitate to use this vessel's tractor beam to delay you for further questioning."

The Martian took another deep breath before continuing. He had no intention of having unauthorised personnel on the planet in the middle of an investigation.

"That combined with the fact that I have a Starfleet Commodore on board with a direct line to Headquarters should make it abundantly obvious that if you attempt any further activities I deem as hostile, I will have your cargo licence withdrawn faster than you can even try to mention any of those lovely regulations you are so fond of, and your vessel impounded."

Looking down at the console to his side, John followed up with a short data transmission showing the technical capabilities of the Galileo. Whilst not a warship per se, she was still more than capable of holding her own against ships far larger, and was not about to be bullied by a freighter captain.

"And for your own further records - I would hardly resort to calling Type VIII phasers and quantum torpedoes peashooters. This vessel's basic schematics are available for your review. I trust we have an agreement Captain Amblitsio of the Freighter Jian'Karra or do I need to have my security teams conduct an unscheduled inspection of your vessel and crew?"

Rep and Solomon were sniggering away to themselves on the far side of the bridge, but were quickly silenced by a sideways glare from the wily old Trill. =/\="Captain Holliday, all you needed to do was say so: thank you. Now I not only understand, but can inform the Admiral's office about the delay, and thus am more than willing to comply. If you had just told me so initially we could have avoided all this unpleasantness and sabre-rattling. I know you've got to put on a good show for the brass, but let's not be silly and insult each-other now: I guarantee you I am the person least fond of regulations this side of the Paulson nebula." He smiled as he maneuvered the freighter into a geo-stationary orbit on the Galileo's starboard-aft quarter. "I'll have your cargo and Cadet Alenis ready to transport over in five minutes' time. If there's anything whatsoever we can be of assistance with during this situation please don't hesitate to ask. Oh - and if your bar is running dry I'd certainly be most happy to extend an invitation to yourself and the Commodore to accept my hospitality."=/\=

John felt both a sense of victory and also annoyance at the remarks from the Trill captain. He had no intention of meeting with the freighter captain unless the mission required him to, but would keep that particular thought to himself.

"I look forward to receiving your delivery. Galileo out."

Turning his attentions to his crew - still snickering in the corner - Berant shot them a cutting glare. "Quit lollygagging you inbred bunch of ingrates: got work to do."

The internal-comms crackled into life again. =/\="Err... boss. Think I may need some help getting out of here."=/\= mumbled the voice of the Cadet in a fairly pathetic tone. This was greeted by uproarious laughter by the Jian'Karra crew. =/\="On the way, kid. Just sit tight."=/\= the response eventually came once the Trill and his crew had recovered themselves sufficiently.

'I'll be waiting.' thought the cadet to himself as he lay in the tiny crawlspace - his shoulders wedged tight-in against the wall and an over-sized relay. This was not how he wanted to start his field study assignment.

OFF:

CAPT Jonathan Holliday
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

&

Cadet (Sophomore Grade) Alenis Taban
Operations Officer (provisional)
USS Galileo

NPCs by "Moose"
Crew of Xepolite Freighter Jian'Karra:
Berant Amblitsio, Captain
Solomon, Mechanic
Rep, Helmsman

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