Carpathia IV: Episode 29 - Commodore
Space, NCCS Shadowdancer
Ducking damaged conduits, weaving around replacement parts, and zig-zagging between repair crews, Quenya rushed to deliver a pile of diagnostic tablets to Minnie. This was her life for the past several days, shuttling diagnostic tablets between repair teams due to damage to several of the computer terminals. Now, life was not much more than working, eating, and sleeping for her and everyone else, all to get the back-up engine core online. She had very little interaction with Minnie other than curt orders to deliver and retrieve this or that, for which Quenya was grateful. Minnie was not in the best of moods, surely because of the severe damage to the engines, but also, Quenya guessed, because she did not care for having her rival's engineers swarming around her space.
Spotting Minnie hunched over a conduit checking the seals, Quenya rushed up to announce that she had more tablets for her.
Quenya: I have more diagnostics, Chief.
Minnie stood and hastily brushed her uniform as she loomed over Quenya, quickly scanning the tablets Quenya held out haphazardly in her hands. Finding the one she was looking for in the middle of the disheveled pile, she pulled it out and read it intently. Once she was done, Minnie dropped the tablet unceremoniously onto the console and called out to the crew.
Minnie: Final check complete! Everyone to stations! Ramei, initiate cold start protocols!
Ramei: Understood! Initiating cold start protocols.
Without anything to do, Quenya could only watch the flurry of activity as everyone rushed to their stations to begin the startup sequence.
Minnie: Start the intermix in the reaction chamber at 10%.
Ramei: Setting intermix at 10%.
Again, with nothing to do, Quenya merely observed as Minnie and Ramei continuously checked the systems and called out gradually higher intermix numbers. Soon, she realized that she did have something to do and she was already doing it. Without a specific duty, her task now was to observe and learn, which she did with total concentration and copious note-taking. This continued until Minnie suddenly called out her name.
Minnie: Cadet Vayhama!
Quenya jumped, nearly dropping her tablet.
Quenya: Yes, Chief!
Minnie: Open plasma injectors one and two.
Quenya froze, but only momentarily, eyes wide with excitement. This was the final step to getting the engines online, diverting power from the core to the drive nacelles, and she knew that Minnie was doing her a grand favor by letting her have the honor.
Quenya: On it, Chief!
Quenya rushed to the first injector, tossing her tablet onto a nearby chair as she went. Arriving at the injector console, she tapped in several commands to bring up the injector controls.
Quenya: Ready, Chief!
Minnie: Now, Cadet!
With shaky hands and sweaty palms, Quenya slid her fingers across the console, opening both injectors. Right away, the entire engine apparatus, from the core to the main conduits, came to life ferrying their energy to the nacelles. Though having done little of actual substance, Quenya smiled heartily, having been at least a small part of the process.
Nearby, Minnie tapped the communication control on her console.
Minnie: Engineering to bridge.
A few seconds later came the reply.
Adell: Go ahead, Minnie.
Minnie: Backup core is online. I can give you up to Q4.
Adell: Understood. After we've run the engines a bit, give your team a break. They've earned it.
Minnie: Will do. Engineering out.
Weary from four straight days of 16-hour shifts, Amenaru trudged slowly up the narrow, metal staircase, each step clanking noisily under his boots. Exhausted as he was, Amenaru managed to enjoy the last four days, for Captain Amaranth had generously ordered him to work with Kit on repairs to the communications systems and now both were on their way to the bridge together to deliver their report. Climbing the stairs with increasing difficulty, Amenaru gripped the handrail tightly, using his arm to pull himself up the stairs.
Amenaru: Whew. I know it's not a priority, but I would rather like the lifts repaired.
Amenaru looked behind to Kit, who betrayed no hint of exhaustion at all, seeming to climb the stairs with ease, leaving Ameanru to wonder where he got all his energy.
Kit: I've only gone this way a few times. I forgot how far it is.
Amenaru: Two more flights to the officer quarters deck and then we take the ladder to the bridge.
Amenaru climbed a few more steps before he paused.
Amenaru: The Captain said he would give us all some extended time off now that we're underway again. I think some are already off-duty. What do you plan to do with your time?
Amenaru swivelled his left ear in Kit's direction, hoping for an answer that he might find pleasing.
Kit: I have some personal projects I'd like to catch up on.
Amenaru's ears sagged, though he yet remained hopeful that some less work-intensive time together might be possible.
Amenaru: I see. I um... I mean... if you have some extra time... um... I was wondering if you...
*Mreyow!*
To his profound annoyance, clatter and a bang interrupted Amenaru as something large evidently slid down the stairs from the deck above. Amenaru and Kit rushed to the landing where they found Teren, flat on his back, and clutching a large, red, bouncy ball in all four of his paws.
Amenaru: Commander?
Teren shuddered and the ball slipped from his grasp, bouncing around on his paws for several seconds before he brought it under control.
Teren: Ensign!
Amenaru: Do you need any help, Commander?
Teren's eyes darted all around, looking everywhere except directly at either Amenaru or Kit.
Teren: Um... No, thank you. I... um... found this ball in the hallway and... thought I should get it before someone tripped over it. I suppose... um... it got me first.
Amenaru squinted one eye skeptically.
Amenaru: I see.
In an instant, Teren righted himself started to climb back up the stairs.
Teren: I shall see you on the bridge later!
Amenaru sighed, his moment lost. He began climbing the stairs again, hoping that another moment might present itself.
Bridge, NCCS Shadowdancer
Largely restored and functional, the bridge felt like one of the few normal places on the entire ship and, if one were to glance, everything appeared perfectly normal with Teek at the helm, Amenaru finishing up his report at his station, Kit on communications, and Adell and Aire consulting quietly in their chairs.
Teek: We are at Q3 now. No sign of instability.
Adell: Good. Bump it up to Q3.5. We'll cruise there for the time being.
Teek: Increasing speed to Q3.5.
Adell leaned back in his chair and glanced at Aire.
Adell: Best to run the engines a bit before we go to max, I think.
Kit: Captain, incoming communication from Lord Anai. It's for you and Commander Valro.
Adell and Aire stood immediately.
Adell: Finally. After this, we can take a little rest ourselves. Put it through to my ready room, Kit.
Sitting opposite a large screen in the ready room, Adell and Aire made themselves comfortable. On the monitor was a split screen with Lord Anai Keita, leader of Carpathia and Kuro, leader of the dragons, on one side and Admiral Teri Zhang, Commander of Polaris Deep on the other.
Lord Anai: I have received your report, Captain. I understand that you have initiated Omega Protocol from a mere mention of Lazmaedia?
Adell nodded.
Adell: That is correct, Lord Anai.
Lord Anai: You don't think that may have been a bit rash? After all, it was just a mention. We have no evidence that this is the actual demigod Lazmaedia.
Adell paused to consider his words carefully, while Anai's ears twitched.
Adell: To look at it another way, imagine if someone wanted to introduce you to their King Satan. That would take anyone aback.
Anai pressed her finger to the corner of her mouth while tapping the desk with her other hand.
Lord Anai: It's a fair point.
Teri: It is also the reason why we have levels. Omega level 3 is for a mention. Level 9 is an actual encounter.
Anai put her elbows on her desk and rested her chin on her hands.
Lord Anai: In light of what we know, what do you recommend?
Adell answered immediately, having waited for this exact question.
Adell: Captain Yoshida and I discussed the possibility of deploying a sensor net. There's another ship out there that might be friendly to us and this would help us find it. We've relayed the plan to Admiral Zhang.
Teri: I concur. We already have the resources to do this quickly and it would be very beneficial.
Suddenly, Anai looked to her side, seeming to converse with someone off-screen.
Lord Anai: I'm in an important meeting! Alright, fine.
Anai turned back and addressed the attendees.
Lord Anai: I'll be right back.
Meanwhile, Kuro appeared to be deep in thought during the entire conversation and now deigned to speak.
Kuro: It's curious. We put Lazmaedia's name on the list because we couldn't be sure if we had actually destroyed her in the Dragon Wars. Still, by now, she would likely have died of old age anyway, unless...
Kuro suddenly stopped and her eyes grew wide. Adell knew this was not good at all.
Kuro: There was a rumor before the Dragon War that Lazmaedia had a daughter. If she has taken up the mantle of her mother, then she would be right in her prime now.
Adell: The news just keeps getting better, doesn't it? At least we have a fleet of ships to fight this one, unlike last time.
Kuro: Your fleet would have made quick work of Wishmaster, given the state he was in. Lazmaedia might be a more significant threat, even to your ships.
Lord Anai returned to her chair next to Kuro with a grim expression on her face. Everyone remained silent, waiting to hear what she learned.
Lord Anai: A few hours ago, two Tokkastran ringships encountered an unknown vessel matching the description of the Vashta ship. They transmitted friendly greetings, to which the other ship responded by opening fire. One of the ships was destroyed and the other escaped. Admiral Zhang and Captain Amaranth, you will have your sensor net and you may begin work on it immediately. I'll leave the rest to you, Admiral Zhang. I must now go to meet with the Tokkastran ambassador to share what we know.
With that, Anai picked up her tablet and rushed away. Adell and Aire both bowed their heads, knowing that a ringship held close to 10,000 tokki.
Aire: That could have been us if you hadn't acted quickly.
Adell: Small comfort.
Teri: Aire's right. You did well. You both did well. We have to work quickly, though. I'm already quadrupling the number of engineers working on the Furious Spectre refit and it should be ready for Captain Yoshida to take command again when you get back in a few weeks. Then we'll start on the Shadowdancer refit.
Admiral Zhang suddenly sat up straight in her chair.
Teri: As for you, Captain Adell Akseli Amaranth.
Teri paused and Adell sat up straight in his chair as well, quickly noting the use of his full name and title.
Adell: Yes, ma'am!
Teri: By consensus of the Admiralty, I hereby promote you to the rank of Commodore in charge of the Polaris Deep fleet. You and your team will take command of the Sentinel upon your return while we refit the Shadowdancer and begin deploying the sensor net.
Adell: Understood! And Admiral...
Teri: Yes, Commodore?
Adell: Permission to give my bridge crew Security Level 11 access. They deserve to know what's going on.
Admiral Zhang nodded before Adell even started on his second sentence.
Teri: I will consult with the Admiralty and get an answer for you as soon as I can. I'm in favor, but we need approval first. In the meantime, enjoy your trip back and keep your sensors on full. Zhang out.
Admiral Zhang disappeared from the monitor, leaving only Kuro.
Kuro: Good luck to all of you.
And then Kuro disappeared as well, leaving Adell and Aire alone in the room. Adell reached for his desk and tapped the comm button.
Adell: Kit, please report to my ready room and bring Nalma with you.
Kit: Understood, Captain.
Adell leaned back in his chair and turned to Aire.
Adell: I want to tell them myself before they see it on the news.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
Jenova87
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
