I must become a borrower of the night
For a dark hour or twain.
(Macbeth)
[USS Charon, Transporter Room Three]
She was barely aware she still wore the amaranth red robes when she entered the rather small transporter room, chosen for the very reason no one would be on duty at this time of ship's night. The sealed doors parted willingly to the authorization code of the second officer and Sakarra caught her reflection on a dark panel. A perfectly serene face, even now, a deceptively small frame clad in heavy fabric adding dignity to her already regal posture and eyes that kept the burning anger concealed under a black, unreadable surface.
It seemed a strange irony, this stark reminder that things were not always as they appeared.
The scent of roses and Vulcan herbs still lingered on her hair and clothes, but the young woman felt as if she had left the peace of the arboretum behind an eternity ago. She had taken the first step towards the abyss, and now she would take the second that would send her falling.
With calm determination, she powered up the transporter, at levels so small it would go unnoticed for a while. Just long enough would do.
For the rest, she would need an engineer who was not only resourceful but able to think quickly.
Standing behind the illuminated panels in the steady, unmoving posture of a Vulcan at rest, she waited for the people whose evenings she might just have ruined.
D'Vana had been hoping to get a nap, but the urgent and confusing message from the Second officer of the ship had her leaving her quarters instead of snuggling into the warm bed and wishing Ch'Tan was there with her. Padd still in hand she made her way to the transporter room stretching slightly. She was still in uniform and looked to the the Vulcan standing where the Transporter Chief normally would. "Isn't it a little late for using the transporter?" D'Vana asked with a soft growl...
Dylan was having one of those days where he wondered why he had ever accepted that third pip. He had spent most of the day already dealing with a rather odd issue with Alice. It would seem that the Security AI was developing her own personality. He wondered if she was much different than Data or the EMH Mk 1 from Voyager at this point. He pushed the thoughts from his head. It was late and the idea of a Computer Program with true emotions was far outside of his comfort zone at the moment.
He entered the Transporter room just after D'Vana. "If this is a party Lieutenant, there better be some booze hidden in here somewhere." he said only half joking.
Party? Ah, if only.
Sakarra slowly shook her head and looked at the two officers who had walked down here, trusting she had a good reason to interrupt their free time.
"No, Commander, unfortunately I did not think to bring a beverage. However, I suspect you may be in need of one later, so if you would kindly tell Mr Tisdale in Eris deck I sent you I am certain he will be able to provide you with something satisfactory."
The young Vulcan briefly turned her completely expressionless features towards the engineer and exhaled.
"And yes Miss Xavier, it is rather late but I shall endeavor to not impose on you for too long."
Hands clasped behind her back, she remained still for a long second. There was no hesitation, she had made a decision and would see it through. But a brief moment of melancholy still overshadowed her anger and resolve, lending a softer shadow to her eyes that had been as hard as gemstones since her unplanned encounter with the other Vulcan.
"Commander, Lieutenant, I will presently order you to assist me in an activity which will violate a number of laws and regulations. If you wish to object to those orders, and I suggest you do, it will be noted so in my report. However, I also require you to refrain from questions at the moment. Miss Xavier, if you would please modify the transporter so a site-to-site transport may be executed without being detected by ship's systems, the designation coordinates have already been provided."
The young Vulcan lifted her face to the Security Chief and sadness mingled with just a spark of humor surged and dispersed when she saw the brief, but clearly bewildered expression on his face.
"I am aware you outrank me, Commander, and would be well within your rights to arrest me right here and now. As the ship's second officer I inform you that for the moment my orders stand, however I will not object to being taken into custody later. Please arrange for security measures around the quarters of the Vulcan delegation to be disabled and stand by to reactivate them upon request."
D'Vana was very uncertain about what was transpiring here, however she was also curious. "you can add my objections to your report, however leave out my curiosity, but I think you owe me bloodwine after this." D'Vana growled however hoping that Ch'Tan won't be over wrath with her for following the Second officer's orders after all she believed the Vulcan outranked her, but couldn't be sure. She looked to Dylan before making her way to the console to set up the site to site transport.
It was rather odd for a Klingon, but she had a rather bad feeling about what was going on here. and it caused her to hesitate at the last second in finishing the preparations for the site to site transport. She swallowed and scowled at the console then at the Vulcan as she finished the work. Dammit can't even ask questions and my curiosity is killing me. D'Vana thought to herself...
"As security Chief, I would go on record as stating that I do not condone illegal acts." He said. "However, I have grown to have a measure of trust in most Vulcans; so I shall reserve the right to assess the subsequent actions at a later time." He finished before tapping his comm badge.
"Alice, disable all security measures around the Vulcan delegation quarters." he said.
{Sir, I must...} Alice started to protest.
"That's an order Alice." he said. "My authority, do it." He turned to Sakarra. "I hope this is worth the risk your asking us to take on."
The young woman nodded gravely.
"You may be certain I do not take these actions lightly, Commander. As for the risk, I assume full responsibility for any consequences that might ensue."
She stepped onto the transporter platform, long robes billowing around her lithe frame, and turned to nod at the half-Klingon engineer when the doors opened rather unexpectedly to reveal another security officer.
Jade had been sitting in main security, feet propped up lazily on the top of the desk, half glaring at the readouts with a glazed look over his eyes. He had spent the whole shift thinking about the regular days. Those days that no one ever talks about, where everything is excruciatingly normal with absolutely nothing interesting ever transpiring from the start of the day to its finish. Well, as the sensor indicators on one of the less important monitoring screens lit up, it turned out, thought Jade, that this was not one of those regular days that no one ever talks about.
Feet on the ground, all attention shifting from nothingness to the tipy blips of light indicative of a discrepancy in one of the transporter rooms. He rolled his jaw in contemplative thought - as opposed to his uncontemplative thought, of course, and made a decision. He stood from his seat and, after a quick stop at the small arms locker, set off to discover the source of this oddity. You can never be too careful, and after the recent invasions and other...oddities...that he had been exposed to in recent time, he thought to take the situation irrationally cautiously.
It wasn't hard for him to get into Transporter Room 3 once he had arrived. What caught his sight was a rather suspicious collection of people, one being his department superior. "Hi," he said, breaking an awkward silence that had settled over the room, "how are you all doing?"
[To be continued … ]
Commander Dylan Marcus
Chief Security Officer
Commander Jade Falcon
Assistant Security Officer
Lieutenant Commander Sakarra Tyrax
Chief Helm
Lieutenant D'Vana Xavier
Assistant Engineering Officer
USS Charon
