#45 U-Turn At the Next Star, Please

Posted on Wed Jun 19th, 2024 @ 12:03am by Captain Tore Bjorgo & Lieutenant Commander Billi & Lieutenant JG Griffon Resch "Nazgul" & Lieutenant JG Ainkara "Kara" & Lieutenant Sheyla

Mission: TALES FROM THE MIDDLE STARS
Location: USS NAZGUL
Timeline: current

ON:

After travelling at warp four for no more than twenty minutes, Resch looked over at his Bjorgo, sitting in his chair and tapping a PADD as the CO was adding final touches to his logs. "Captain, we have an incoming transmission--from behind us."

"Behind us," Bjorgo asked, putting his PADD away and looking to his officer. "Is it the General?"

"No, Sir." Resch said. "It's the Gola, using the frequency it was using to speak to the Peel."

"What?" Tore got up and descended his center dais and ascended to the outer Bridge, looking over Griffon's shoulder. "It wants to chat?"

"Apparently." Resch responded, not too sure what that chat was going to be like.

"Open the channel and put it on speakers." Bjorgo odered.

Billi came to stand near to the Captain. Resch felt like he was under cadet review with the two command officers now standing around his station but he did as ordered. "You're on, Captain."

"Gola, this is Captain Bjorgo of the USS Nazgul. Is everything going well?" If those people were going after the Gola after Nazgul and Peel had departed then there would be hell to pay.

"All is agreeable," the Gola responded. "I call to thank."

"Thank?" Bjorgo said, askance. "There is no need to tha..."

"Not you." Gola said. "The one who touch."

Billi got a look from Tore as she responded quietly. "Ainkara."

"Yes, that is the one." Gola said. "Meet offspring she must."

"One moment, Gola." Bjorgo replied, then looked to the center Bridge. "Helm, secure from warp, all stop." The orders were repeated and followed.

Billi decided to let Tore handle this part as she walked over to Qeritas, the new communications officer. "Why didn't you see to the transmission, Lieutenant?"

Qeritas brought her eyes up from her station, which appeared to have nothing going on. "I was running a diagnostic, Number One. Mister Resch knew about it and covered me while I did so. I had just finished when the call came in."

"Fair enough," Billi replied. "Tell Doctor Sheyla to bring Ainkara to the Bridge, please"

"Aye, aye." Qeritas turned back to her console and did as ordered while Billi went back over to Tore.

Tore wanted to get moving, and then figure things out. "Miss Jazmin, set course for the Gola's last known position, warp four." He angled his voice upwards once the orders were given. "Gola, we are heading back to you. Ainkara will be ready to meet with you upon our arrival."

"Gladness." Gola said. Then, all of them heard the distinct sound of a transmission cutting off.

Resch looked at Bjorgo as that happened and answered before he could ask. "Gola cut the connection, Captain."

"Do you blame it?" This query came from the other side of the Bridge, a female voice belonging to this new officer, Qeritas. Every eye on the Bridge was looking at her after she said that. Good, she thought, I have their attention. "Look what we have done. Out of misunderstanding the species of this galaxy have pushed this being to extinction. Ignorance is never an excuse for cruelty. Just because we don't understand a creature or being does NOT mean it deserves to die." Her anger was apparent on her face and was unmistakable in her tone.

"Lieutenant Qeritas, I understand you're upset over the history of this being, but you just came dangerously close to insubordination." Bjorgo chided. "You best get some respect back in that tone of yours or I will have you removed from both the Bridge, and your duties. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal clear, Captain." Qeritas answered. "My apologies."

Tore visibly relaxed his shoulders. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Smart choice. Your input is welcome but your attitude is not."

Billi gave her a sidelong glance, shaking her head ever-so-slightly to tell Qeritas not to keep pushing the Captain's buttons. It seemed to work as Qeritas herself visibly relaxed.

~I wonder if Earth still has the Oscars~ Qeritas thought to herself ~I know I just earned one with this performance~ Internally she was smiling and even giggling. It was so easy to play these people.

Ainkara and Sheyla entered the Bridge from the starboard lift. "You called, Number One?" Sheyla asked.

"Yes, Doctor. The Captain will explain." Billi said.

Bjorgo was glad to see his CMO and CSO. Ainkara looked better than ever, and her hands were back to normal, it appeared. "The Gola just called and wants to thank you personally, Lieutenant Ainkara. By personally, I mean in person. We are heading there now."

Ainkara found this news unexpected. But, with what she had endured when melding with the Gola it was understandable that it would offer to apologize. It had been anxious over the loss of its young and had thought she was in league with those determined to harm them. "I will gladly meet with the Gola again, Captain. I would be honored to meet the young."

Seeing Ainkara was back to normal, Bjorgo looked at Sheyla. "Doctor. Is she medically fit to return to duty?"

"She is, Captain." Sheyla reported. "Her hands were a simple matter and since she was the only patient in Sickbay at the time, she got the salon treatment. Attendants on all sides." She smiled. "Also, the meds for her concussion and electric shock treatments should have her back to full health in about two hours."

"Excellent. Good job, Doctor." Bjorgo kept glancing between the two. "Are you ready to return to duty, Lieutenant Ainkara?"

"I am, Sir."

"Take your post then." Bjorgo ordered in a pleasant tone, glad that she was okay and would recover in no time. "Until we get to the Gola, people, I want everything Peel sent us looked over. Make sure our T's are crossed and we don't miss even a single comma, period, or anything else. Carry on." Going back to his chair Tore sat down and leaned back. Now, it was time to wait and read until they got to the Gola for the reunion.

Billi stood alone and aloof as she appeared to be looking at the forward viewport with the streaking white of a wormhole swirling passed them. Her first concern was this Qeritas. Try as she might she had found no discrepancies with Qeritas, nor her record. Secondly; this whole Gola situation just seemed to get stranger and stranger. She had a bad feeling about this but said nothing as she wanted to see if there would be any signs of her uneasiness before she started to sound paranoid to her Captain.

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