Go Fetch! (MISSION START)

Posted on Mon Jun 17th, 2024 @ 5:25pm by Captain Rueben Gregnol & Executive Officer Jake Ford & Chief Engineer Michael Burnstein & Captain Kaylin Jaal
Edited on on Mon Jun 17th, 2024 @ 5:30pm

Mission: Shackles
Location: SS Mary Rose - Captain's Office
Timeline: MD-01
1188 words - 2.4 OF Standard Post Measure

"Another call from the delightful Captain Jaal?" Jake sighed as he entered Gregnol's office. A sidelong glance told him Burnie had beaten him there by seconds. The screen was already lit up with the Romulan Captain's amused expression. Immediately Jake felt his cheeks redden a shade. "Uh...I mean..."

"How wonderful to see you too, Mister Ford. How's that dear partner of yours?" The pointed comment from the Romulan Captain only served to deepen Jake's embarrassment; obviously she was taunting him about her insider knowledge of his relationship as well as giving that slightly innocuous flirtation that had been there since they'd met.

"Sorry..." Jake grumbled, trying to look anywhere but the screen.

"As I was saying," Kaylin continued. "It's a remote cache, and should be a long way clear of any Tal Shiar attention, but...I've learned to never imagine anything is too far out of their reach if they so desire. It's a simple retrieval; the medical supplies stashed there by my contact are needed on a fringe world that's had an outbreak of Arcturian Fever. They'll cope for a while, but time is something of a factor."

Gregnol had been just about to ask for more information when Ford had walked in. He offered a sympathetic smile, Kaylin had started the call sooner than he had expected which had left Jake arriving a minute or so late. Gregnol coughed to bring it back to him to save the other man anymore embarrassment as he listened to the reason why they were being sent to a world clear of hopefully both the Tal Shiar and Starfleet. “Da…Arcturian Fever is nasty.” He sighed knowing that time was a factor but they could manage.

"Yeah," Burnie agreed. He'd never had it, but that was down to hyper protective parents on earth and CMOs in Starfleet that he sometimes imagined kept things like Arcturian fever at bay by pure force of intimidating personality. "The damage is all repaired, so we should be able to make best time to retrieve that cache and deliver it."

"Can you tell us more about the planet that we are going to and the space around it other than remote and clear of Tal Shiar?" Gregnol wondered not looking up but looking at the planet information. It was all well and good having the data but the woman had the inside information on it all and could actually give a feel of the land.

"Not much. It's an old waystation. The planet has an ionic atmosphere that plays hell with transporters, and it's deliberately out of the way so nobody goes looking for it," Kaylin smirked. "I don't think any of our people have been there in almost 18 months."

Burnie puffed a breath. "Ionic will play hell with sensors too. I hope you have a precise location for the cache. Any info on potential hazards on the planet would be good too."

Gregnol rolled his eyes finally realising why they were being sent as it was not quite as simple as it first seemed. They had shuttles compared to the FRS Thrai which made them the fetcher. “18 months is a very long time too.” Gregnol sighed.

"I have as precise a location as you are likely to get out of anyone," Kaylin responded, both cryptically and with enough humour to allow Burnie to appreciate. "We're reasonably confident the supplies are still there, and as with many things in the former Star Empire, built to last." The Romulan paused, glancing offscreen momentarily. "Signal me once you have made the collection. We'll be standing by for the hand-off and delivery to the colony that needs them. And try not to fall into any more of those spacial anomalies your ship seems so fond of tripping over..." she added, signing off before anyone could even argue.

"Eh. She does have a point..." Jake rolled his eyes. "We do tend to bump into things."

“When they send us to places.” Gregnol said not at all bothered by Kaylin’s views on what they had gotten up to in the past when the last four months had been so quiet. He shifted to a slump into the chair not convinced that this mission from the Fenris Rangers m was not a fools errand or chasing ghosts. Surely there had to get batter supplies closer or at the very least in a planet more accessible. “Reasonably confident leaves a lot open for things to go wrong.” Gregnol decided looking at the pair. The relationship between them was becoming easier now that things had settled on the ship.

"Well now you've absolutely jinxed it!" Jake sighed, mocking exasperation. "I'll get Kali to set the course. Will take a few days, it's out of the way a little."

"Like we've ever needed a jinx for stuff to go wrong," Burnie tossed back with an eye roll. "I'll go get working on enhancing some transport enhancers to take down for back-up."

"Yeah unfortunately we do have a habit of getting in trouble but I do think that is because we do not ignore the things around us and get involved in the universe." Gregnol was not at all embarrassed about the road he had travelled so far.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Burnie said as he headed for the turbolift.

"Michael before you go... I have a question about Nollel." He said scratching the back of his neck. He had been thinking about it for a while since Trades had left a couple of months back. He needed to get someone in place for operations properly but he also did not want to upset a marriage with his wishlist candidate for the spot.

That stopped him in mid-step. "Nollel? What do you need to know?"

"Well, you know how we have been without an operations lead. If I offered it to her do you think she would take it? And if I did would it affect you both?" He did not want to upset the balance but he did need to get someone in that role that actually knew what was going on especially going into this.

Burnie froze with a moment of apprehension - Erica had been Ops Chief - but shook off the hesitation as superstition. It only meant he knew there'd be no problem on his end with being married to the person running Ops. And Nollel would be good at it; she might not be a programming prodigy but she had a natural for logistics and managing issues. "I think you have to ask her if she wants it, but I don't see it causing any issues in our relationship."

Gregnol noticed the man freezing for a moment and wondered if he was making an error. He glanced at Jake for a moment before Burnie seemed to reset and speak. "Good. I will but I just wanted to check on your opinion first." he hated doubting why he did not have family as department heads but he was starting to get desperate to keep the operations running properly. "But I guess we shall go fetch the supplies."