Delays, Diplomacy, and a Diplomatic Departure
Posted on Thu Mar 9th, 2023 @ 2:47pm by Lieutenant Callan Armidale & Christine Graham & Fleet Captain Maxwell Culver & Commander Vianola Paxidor & Lieutenant Rowena "Rena" Campbell & Lieutenant JG Evelyn Stewart & Lieutenant JG Aurora House of Kor & Director Roman s'Lovok PhD & Colonel Galen s'Khev
Edited on on Thu Mar 9th, 2023 @ 4:15pm
1,857 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Mission One: Goodwill Tour [Part One]
Location: Triton Seabase
Timeline: MD10: 1400 hours
Max paced the floor of the bridge, ready to start through engineering himself. Effectively slamming himself into his command chair, he checked the updates via the holographic display.
“Let me get this straight,” he asked and paused, “we’re “stuck” to the locking device on Golden Towers because this is our first docking at a temporary dock locking mechanism?” he asked his Chief Operations Officer.
Callan turned to look at the commanding officer. He had that same deadly, angry look Jonah had when he appeared ready to move mountains for their safety. “We’ve got teams on both sides who say they can’t find a thing wrong, sir,” he said apologetically.
Max didn’t like being late for launch. It was very un-Romulan of him. He leaned into Galen and quietly asked, “How do we navigate being stuck here when we’re already eight hours late? I know Senator Killik is going to hold it over my head if we don’t get to Mountain Home on time.”
"Simple... We blame his engineers for screwing up the docking mechanisms. I mean they were built on this planet. And his constituency is the hub of manufacturing on this world. So who is to say it wasn't them who screwed this up." Galen spoke off handedly. The tactic of passing the blame was something that all Romulans practiced.
Max tilted his head, letting the idea ruminate with a sly smile. It wasn’t much of a decision, really. “Thank you, Colonel. We do have a timetable to meet as well.”
Vianola watched the exchange between the Captain and the other officers. She couldn't help but wonder why a brand new, state of the art station and all its technology would become stuck. That's why she chose security and tactical, it was simpler. Point, shoot, protect.
Her mind moved to the Romulan side of things. She agreed this would be long held over Max's head. If there was anything that the Romulans loved, it was lauding the failings of others over their own heads with a hint of a smirk as they did so, well most Romulans.
Stewart tapped her console a few more times in frustration before finally giving up that the thrusters could possibly help and spun in her chair to face the bridge. “Well I suppose we could always get out and push,” she said sarcastically.
“Well then,” Max said. “Commander Paxidor, target the docking mechanism. Give it a clean shear right between it and the hull. Don’t do any structural damage, if you can avoid it.”
He wasn’t about to wait around all day on a temporary docking mechanism that clearly didn’t work. “Once we’re clear, we can jettison the remnants of the clamp, of possible. Oh!,” he remarked loudly. “Get me Senator V’trel before we do any shooting, please and thank you.”
He sat in his command chair with a smile as he waited for the open channel.
"Contacting their office now..." Vi spoke as she powered up the phaser bank that would break them free. She never thought for a second that the first time she used the phasers, it would be on themselves. "Are you sure you want me to fire on us? I mean I'm an excellent shot... but the shifting of the water can be unpredictable."
Max shrugged. “Target closer to their side then. The entire clamp system needs a redesign or we’ll just have to wait until the permanent docks are installed,” Max responded. “Not my fault the Romulan Senate rushed subpar docking clamps.”
"Alright. Target is locked and Senator V'trel is responding," Vi reported as she waited to bring the Romulan on screen.
“Screen on,” Max said, hiding none of his amusement as the Romulan scowled at him. “I’m afraid we’re shearing the defective docking mechanism, Senator. Starfleet will be here in about three weeks to install the correct device. Due to the nature of the problem, I’m afraid we’ll be cutting it closer to your side. The Corps can buff out any phaser scorching.”
The Romulan absolutely sputtered and went apoplectic. He couldn’t form a single word as his face burned green.
“My apologies, Senator V’trel, but I’m bound by a Senatorial timetable that absolutely requires me to keep perfect time and now I’m stuck here. Since there appears to be no malfunction, we have to assume the dock is incompatible with the seabase at this time.
“We’ll be firing as soon as my Tactical chief has lock.” Max paused the line himself.
“Lieutenant Commander, fire at will,” he said as casually as if he’d just ordered a chicken caesar salad.
Rena was sitting primly between Paxidor and Stewart, listening intently. She looked at the screen, and, without missing a beat, she tried to calm the room, aiming the brunt of her attempt at Max. Her eyes moved to the screen. That was one MAD Romulan. She was going to curse loudly, but stopped herself in time. "Oh, shoot," she said, a little louder than she intended, and then quickly ducked her head. She nearly fell out of her chair trying to hide from that embarrassment.
So glad to have finished his report about the various additional trips to the tidal pools around the area of the Golden Tower's land bridge, Roman had filed it and logged it with the computer to send it to the Captain's office once processed. He was now late for their launch to continue this Goodwill Tour.
He entered the bridge wearing his blue lab coat and holding an PaDD in one hand, Roman watched the officers.
Vi wasn't worried about targeting the clamp. She knew she'd hit it with no problems whatsoever, she just wanted to make sure it was what Max wanted but put more professionally.
Locking on, there was a short burst from the station towers phasers. A short rumble and a quick jolt freed them from their stationary position. "Consider us free from defective machinery," She stated with no care for the Senator still holding on screen. Vi didn't even bother looking up from her console, instead checked to see where the debris had went just in case it was to cause a further problem.
Aurora was disappointed at the sudden and unprecedented departure - at least Aurora thought so. "So...uh...never mind!" Aurora giggled as the shot was fired and Triton was freed.
Flipping his attention to the controls on his chair, Max almost unpaused the channel before Callan informed the bridge the docking clamp remainders had just ejected themselves. He shrugged.
“Senator,” Max said after turning the channel to open. “You’ll be happy to know that the seabase has cleared the remainder of your defective dock. Again, I apologize for our actions, but our timeline requires us to have set sail at zero eight hundred hours.
“As we’re now significantly behind schedule, we must make haste.”
“Now you wait a minute, Captain. This is…is…” the Senator turned the greenest Max had ever seen a Romulan. Damned near Orion green. “This is outrageous!”
An alert chimed at Max’s station and his smile grew broader. “Well sir, you see, Colonel Galen and I had a conversation with the Senate this morning when we started having mechanical problems. I asked them for a deadline and the debate must have been intense.
“Either way, the Senate responded in majority of my solution. It just took subspace a little longer to deliver it to you than us,” Max essentially fibbed. “You may want to check your receiver, sir.
“As I’ve said, we apologize for the inconvenience and are looking forward to our return to your beautiful city soon. Triton Seabase out.” Max thumbed off the com channel.
“Lieutenant Stewart, let’s take her out manually. Once at depth, set our sail planes to forty degrees downward trim for minimal exposure aspect and ramp us up to thirty knots. We have time to make up, so let’s haul ass.”
Roman felt it was a pity to leave, as the science teams had only just started exploring the tidal pools, it would have been good to investigate the ocean near the city. Roman wondered if they'd ever be allowed to return considered what just happened.
He walked casually over to the navigation console where the Lieutenant Stewart was. Roman observed, the Seabase was quite sizable so he was interested in how the pilot worked.
Roman hovered just beside and watched both Stewart as well as the great view of the city that quickly became a seascape.
Max watched as the science director showed interest in piloting the ship. “Director s’Lovok, would you care to take one of the secondary consoles so you can watch Lieutenant Stewart’s piloting in real time and more closely?"
“I value our officers who show interest in interdepartmental training,” Max asked, then offered.
Well he didn't have much to do at the moment and so nodded. "Sure," Roman replied and since the station was empty he sat at it and watched Stewart. He glanced back at Max with an 'I'm-not-an-officer-though' expression, but then a half smile appeared.
Galen remained in his seat and watched as Triton pulled away from dock. He was amazed at what Max did, but he also understood it was par for the course for the Captain.
Now, Galen would be left to clean up the mess with the Romulans. Despite the logistical nightmare that this incident will cause, Galen knew that it was the best answer. He was slightly impressed that Max had the balls, as they say, to pull it off. Although he would not show the fact that he was impressed.
Stewart did her best to hide her smirk and soft chuckle of amusement at the Captain’s deft handling of the diplomatic crisis as she nodded. “Aye, sir,” she said as she tapped the controls. “Engaging maneuvering thrusters,” she called out as her hands moved across the console fluidly, she was relieved to finally have something to do on this base aside from turning on engines and calling out speeds and directional headings all day. She eyed the sensors and readings as she maneuvered the massive base from its stationary position, minding the dock area to minimize the damage already caused.
After a few minutes, “We’ve cleared the dock, moving into open waters,” Stewart informed the bridge. There was a noticeable difference in the sound of the base as the engines hummed to life. “Engaging main engines, course laid in. Estimated time of arrival, nine days, three hours and seventeen minutes, Captain.”
“Well done everyone,” Max said, meaning the sentiment. He tried to push that feeling out to everyone on the bridge, but wasn’t sure his El-Aurian gifts worked that way. “Can’t say it was a textbook departure, but we’ll keep working toward improving together.”
“Lieutenant Stewart, full speed ahead!”
Stewart nodded as she lightly tapped the controls to bring the engines to full. “Aye, sir.”
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