Swords and Insults - Part Two

Posted on Sun Jul 31st, 2022 @ 7:54am by Commander Yuri Denisov & Commodore Korelii MacRae & Command Master Chief Petty Officer Laurel Takashima

Mission: Mission 115: The Pale-Fac'd Moon looks Bloody on the Earth
Location: Various Locations - USS Hermes
Timeline: 1500Hrs - November 11th, 2393

Commodore Korelii MacRae was sitting in her command chair with a PADD in hand. "Alright, so we're just about finished with the reprovisioning," she commented to Denisov. He nodded in response. "It was awfully nice of command to send us just about everything we needed," he commented. "Except for the time off."

"I suspect they might make it up to us, especally if we succeed." Command Master Chief Laurel Takashima answered, she smiled as she regarded the two people she was addressing. "It'll be nice for a change," she added.

"Tell me about it, Master Chief." MacRae answered. "I'll be able to go surfing with my husband on a real beach and then have a chance to make new babies." she grinned at the prospect of the matter.

"Oh my," Takashima answered. "Sounds like fun," she added.

"This last tour has tested me in ways I didn't think it was possible to be tested in, much less survive them." MacRae smiled as she made herself comfortable in her chair. "Number one, what's our transit time to the Halanan system?" she inquired.

"At our planned sped of warp eight point four," Denisov answered. "Eleven hours," he commented.

"Okay," MacRae answered quietly. "We don't want to alert them we are coming with travelling at near maximum warp or zapping straight there at slipstream," she added. "No, nice and slowly is the order of the day."

Denisov noded his head. "It'll be done," he answered. "We'll arrive on site at about two hundred, ship time," he explained.

"Alright then. I'm going to go off watch now. Spend a couple of hours in the gym before I eat something and then go get some sleep. I suspect that this will require me to be in tip-top shape. Considering everything." MacRae commented. "Number one. Could you delegate things to whoever will look after matters for you and then do the same?. I suspect we'll need as many of our senior staff as well-rested as possible." she commented.

Denisov nodded his head. "Aye Captain," he answered. "It'll be done, once the provisioning is finished. The group will get underway." he paused. "Will warp eight suffice?" he inquired. "Our new arrival time will be about zero six hundred, ship time," he added.

"Yes," MacRae answered quietly. "I am in no rush, neither should my sister and I know she has some rather potent demons who hunt her, the same as they hunt me," she explained.

"Do I dare ask?" Denisov inquired of the woman sitting next to him.

"She was exiled for the same crimes as that I was," MacRae answered. "Having children with offworlders. Rather than petitioning the council of elders to hear our cases. They would have refused us both anyway. On the principle that Halanan's do not mix with offworlders for any reason, whatsoever." MacRae then shrugged with a soft sigh. "Regardless of their final decision. Torilla would never have abided with what she was going to be told. The Halanan government would then have sanctioned her husband. In short, he would never be permitted to lay foot on Halanan forever, even if he was dead." she explained. "It's the same with Daniel and myself. When I was exiled. I already have most of my parent's goods that they had intended to send to Torilla and I. The rest was seized when the family's estates were liquidated."

"Thats horrifying," Denisov answered quietly.

"Indeed. Yet it is what they do. Number one. My species is facing its own destruction. Now we have a cure for the issues... But the government doesn't want to use it because it means that they would lose out to the Federation, whom they hate on principle."

"Sounds like they come across as rather authoritarian," Takashima answered.

MacRae nodded her head. "Indeed, they are... Yet they make it clear that they expect the Federation to not interfere in the daily running of their government. Otherwise, the Federation would depose them." she commented. "Thats why they are rattling the sabre with the Federation. Thats why we're being sent to quell their anger... Except the government isn't angry. They are terrified."

That revelation caused a few heads around the bridge to turn towards MacRae. She smiled. "This mission is about fear, not anger... Oh, sure they want to shout from the rooftops that we're being the aggressors to them. But they fear us and will do anything to make us go away... While they buy time to continue their own efforts into whatever they plan to do." MacRae addressed her entire bridge.

"Thats the other issue... Isn't it." Denisov inquired.

"Indeed, number one," MacRae answered softly. "Time. The most precious commodity known to science... We're running out of time. Hell. I ran out of time." she paused as she took a moment to pull herself together. "I should have been dead two weeks ago, but, I'm still here because of the people on Starbase Vanguard. Their efforts allowed me to survive."

"We still owe them for that, skipper," Denisov answered.

"That debt will be paid, number one," MacRae answered quietly. "Alright. I'm going off watch... Number one, the mission is yours." with that, MacRae rose to her feet and departed her bridge in silence.