MISSION END - Fenris Rangers Reconnection

Posted on Wed Sep 21st, 2022 @ 10:23am by Indigo (*) & Captain Rueben Gregnol & Taev Mirok & Krynn & Captain Kaylin Jaal
Edited on on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 @ 6:20am

Mission: Mission 15: Adrift
Location: Free Cloud
Timeline: MD07 08:00
1622 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Gregnol was pacing back and forth across the apartment as the Fenris Rangers watched on. It had been days since they had freed the millions of credits from the slave traders but the man had not heard anything back from his ship yet which was unusual, to say the least. They had been in touch daily as requested but that had stopped the day of the Heist. The worst thoughts were running through the man’s head about it all but none of the Fenris Rangers had said anything for an hour other than watching the man.

“Still nothing?” Indigo asked coming out of the bathroom towel, drying her hair as she took in the continued silence.

Krynn made a low grunting noise that indicated in the negative.

"It's only been a few hours," Kaylin sighed, half-bored as she twirled an old but sharpened blade on the table next to her. Of course, she hated waiting too but was far less invested as the human was. "It's not like your friend has stolen your ship and eloped with your wife, has he?" she smirked. "If so, bravo to him."

Reuben glanced at Indigo in a confused look as to why the Romulan was quite so aloof over the subject. "She is just very jealous if your wife did that. She was hoping to seduce Ford but Jeassaho would not have done that."

Kaylin frowned at the comment but said nothing.

"It has been more than a few hours," Gregnol admitted making everyone turn to look at him. He scrubbed at his face and "They did not check in before our adventure. I did not mention so anyone chickened out." He explained making Indigo frown as she stopped towelling her hair.

"Fine..." Kaylin relented and touched her comm device. "Taev? Do you still have that subspace transceiver access? Captain Gregnol is worried about his ship. Perhaps you can put those fears to rest?"

"I'll see if they feel like answering." This time Taev added to himself. He'd tried a couple times over the last week and gotten nothing but silence in reply. It wasn't something he felt like sharing, since Indigo was certain to make comments. Pulling out the access code, he brought up the transceiver. ""Taev Mhirrok of the Thrai to the Mary Rose, please acknowledge."

He waited for two beats, three... the silence stretched longer than subspace delay could account for. "Your Captain is requesting status, please respond."

Gregnol was more than requesting status but the man did not need more pressure when the tension could be cut in the room with a simple butter knife.

ffzztt "A burst of static sounded through the transceiver, then "Thrai this is Mary Rose. Status is operational -" fzzzttt "...mostly."

Gregnol felt himself visibly relax and Indigo watched as the man grabbed the device from the Romulan's hand and ask the burning question that everyone she supposed would be wondering. "What do you mean mostly?" He demanded his thick accent showing as he worried.

"Engines back to..." fzztzt "...and systems powered up, but finding a few bugs after..." fztzt zzfftzt zzzt "...like comms, obviously."

Every word was like a knife in his heart as he tried to listen and take it what Liha from the tone of things was saying. "Position?" He demanded quickly before turning to Indigo to take note with a gesture. The woman frowned but pulled out a PADD from the pile to take the details. The credits they had acquired really could not come quick enough to fix the ship by the sounds of it all.

Kaylin's eyebrow raised, her gaze turning towards the human Captain. "Well. Sounds like they merely broke the ship rather than stole it. I suspect you'll be needing a ride?"

“Of course he will.” Indigo commented as she waited for the coordinates. There was no way if they were anywhere near where they were delivery cargo would he be able to get a transport.

"Sending... zzzztt ...coords."

“That is near that weird planet with the medieval stuff from Earth.” Indigo mused. “They act like the 24 century is not a thing.”

“Aren’t you from Earth?” Gregnol commented taking his chance to question what the blue haired woman was. He was was sure she was not human at all but everyone else ignored the signs or they acted like it was not important enough when it really was to him if he was going to trust them all.

“Earth dwellers live all over the universe,” Indigo commented passing the coordinates to Kyrnn not quite meeting his gaze as he did so.

“I guess they do,” Gregnol answered looking at her carefully trying to see what was under the service. He glanced around at everyone trying to work it all out.

"Charming." Kaylin rolled her eyes at the human's nostalgic notions. "Prepare the ship," she said to her Reman companion, finally letting him leave. She turned back to Gregnol. "This is becoming a habit, Captain Gregnol. Your crew seem incapable of keeping out of trouble." Her lips curled.

“Well, it allows you to keep up the facade of heroes.” The man answered. “And one of the reasons why we were to assist you in the greater good. We do our but just like you all.” He answered back the long standing debate the Romulans liked to have. “But let’s not forget this week was only successful as I got shot at repeatedly so I say it is more one to two on the payback scales hmm?”

"If you wish to keep a record I'm sure we can set up a more formal log," the Romulan remarked. "But I would actually have said that this more equates to a level of trust rather than a counterbalancing of favours owed. More simply: our arrangement so far has been one of mutual assistance. Given more recent events...perhaps there are opportunities for our objectives to align more directly?"

Knowing the remark was partially directed at him, a not-so-subtle hint at common knowledge that he'd like an excuse to see more of Liha, Taev cocked an eyebrow, but refused to take the bait and comment.

“I believe that might be more appropriate than mutual assistance and where we have been heading for a while. You need a bigger ship and we want a better purpose than cargo runs as we’ve discussed before and why I went through my crew around possibly weak links.” Gregnol said softly as he watched Indigo go off to follow Krynn.

Kaylin fixed him with a stare. Were she thinking like a Tal Shiar infiltrator, this is exactly how she might have done it; ease your way into trusted status before making an overture. However, there was mounting evidence against that. Not least Taev's validation of Liha, a member of Gregnol's crew. That gave reasonable credence to Gregnol's status.

"You are speaking of equal terms," she concluded. "Of becoming Rangers. Like us. And even if that was not what you meant, it is where this leads to. I should be clear with you, Captain Gregnol, that this path comes with great risk to you personally and to your people. It should not be a choice made out of fear or desperation."

“I do not believe I show fear of desperation easily. I do the right thing as does my crew. I thought we had shown that by dropping everything to help you when your part of the railroad failed.” Gregnol countered looking at the Romulans that were left. Was this indeed how they thought of him after all that he had done to prove that he wanted to help them? That their cause was not worth it for him and more importantly his crew.

"You're misunderstanding my intent," Kaylin said, rising to her fullest height, which was still smaller than he was. His comment about the Railroad felt like a challenge, but she pushed past that. "Each of us became Fenris Rangers because we saw our homes pillaged, our families kidnapped or murdered, our Empire...which many of us took pride in...dissolved and shredded by the Tal Shiar." She pursed her lips. "Understand: our motivation comes from a desire to rise above the betrayal of those that would call us leaders. We choose to fight for those that suffered the indignities that were forced upon them..." The Romulan tempered herself, aware that she was about to launch into an impassioned and fiery speech. "Captain. You have aided us beyond simple friendship. You have been a true ally to our cause." She glanced at Taev just momentarily, sensing that he might have something to say, but she wouldn't hear it before she made her pitch. "Captain Gregnol. We would like to offer you and your crew a place. As members of the Fenris Rangers. Formally."

He might not have an empire ending story but he had been captured and sold into slavery and kept there despite Starfleet Intelligence knowing he was there and using it to their advantage. "Good, and maybe one day I will tell you my own story and my own motivation," Gregnol said holding out his hand as a sign of friendship or whatever this alliance was not quickly becoming. He would share when he found out exactly what was going on with Indigo.

The Romulan, knowing how significant the humans found the handshake as a gesture, took his hand and shook once. Firmly.

"Then let it be done," she said, with an air of finality. "Come. Let us find that ship of yours, and welcome our new allies into the fold."