The Rising Tide

Posted on Sun Jan 30th, 2022 @ 12:54am by Captain Calypso Skyie & Lieutenant JG Jenna Jade & Lieutenant Mark Valleroy & Lieutenant JG Faith Vianelli

Mission: The Dexic Negotiations
Location: Chimera Bridge

It was fifty-two minutes after the terrorists had called. Over an hour and a quarter since the bomb had gone off and Jenna was shuddering at the thought that they would be calling again on the comm. The bridge itself was quiet, the Dexician shuttle had left the shuttlebay a while back and descended to the surface, and it should be landing at any time, but they wouldn't be in time..

The turbolift doors hissed open out of nowhere, but Jenna didn't look at whoever it was that was coming in, even as the slightest hum of an anti-grav chair in movement and the figure out of the corner of her eye.

Calypso, uniform less than perfect, glided into the upper level of the bridge with a grimace. That pain medication was working wonders, but her immobilized arm still ached and her gut was still hurting significantly. At least her leg didn't hurt? She looked around briefly and cleared her throat, "Lieutenant Vianelli, may I have your report please?" She managed to get out.

"Captain, Lieutenant," said the security officer at tactical after Lt. Vianelli had given her report to the captain, "I've been scanning the area around the marketplace where Lt. Valleroy's team beamed down. There's an area encompassing part of a city block where there standard sensor scans can't pick up anything. It's within walking distance of the marketplace, and isn't too far from where Ensign Rouen's transmission came from. It may be where the away team is being held."

Calypso lowered her chin to her chest and thought for a few moments, "Probably is. If we can't get any sort of resolution to a scan, it means we can't scan for biosigns to pick out humans from the Dexicians, clever sort they are..." She raised her head and smiled grimly, "I want an open channel to the planet, no encryption. We're a couple minutes ahead of the hour that they gave you, Faith, let's jump the gun and send a message."

The Operations officer shook her head and sighed lightly. The sight of the execution of that Marine still ran through her head, but what the Captain wanted, the Captain got. "Want a tight-focus on your face, ma'am?"

"Upper body. This Xevar thinks his people killed me, I'm injured, he just doesn't have to know how badly." Calypso settled into her chair, "Open the channel."

"You're live, ma'am." Operations said.

"This is Chimera, attempting to contact Xevar of Dexic, in Dorje." She said firmly, holding her pose in the chair.

A few seconds later, a somewhat grainy image of a Dexician showed on the screen, "Lieutenant Vianelli, you still have... Two minutes before I was going to call you."

"I am not Lieutenant Vianelli." Calypso snapped at him.

The image finally took a look at his own screen, apparently, "No, you're not. Red uniform, three rank tabs? Ah, yes, you must be Commander Skyie, a pity, I thought we'd killed you, but you weren't one of our targets."

Cally raised an eyebrow, "No, but you came close. But that's not why I'm comming you. You have four of my people, I want them back."

"I'm sure you do, Captain, but as I informed the Lieutenant when she said the same thing, you'll get them back only after you leave the star system. Your Lieutenant already got one of your people killed, would you like to try for another?" He cocked his head to the side with the question.

Cally held his gaze for several heartbeats, then shook her head carefully, ignoring the pain even that motion gave her. "No, I don't. I am willing to depart the system, on the same promise of return within thirty days, was it?" She received in return a simple inclination of his head, "But I must have proof of their survival. I want to speak to the Lieutenant in command of the team you hold."

Xevar gave her a curious look as if wondering if she were about to try something foolish, then shrugged, gesturing to one of his people, "Get the one with two rank tabs." He demanded.

Mark was hauled in front of the monitor a few moments later. "Captain," he said simply.

"Lieutenant Valleroy." Calypso nodded at him, "How is your team?"

"Those of us who are still here are hanging in," Mark said, trying to remain calm. "Let Ensign Rouen know he should have come with, even though he doesn't like to travel too far. As it is, let him know I owe him 16 slips of latinum. He could use it to pick up more things for his sparse quarters."

"I'll be sure to let him know when he comes back on duty." Cally nodded to show Mark that she understood his message, "I want you to listen closely, Lieutenant, because I'm going to Echo some words that were said to me a long time ago. Honor the Uniform that you wear, because so long as you honor the Gold you wear, you'll never be alone." She gave a slight smile, "You'll be returned to us safe, Mark, then we'll have a drink together."

[tag Mark]

Xevar grabbed Mark roughly by the shoulder and hauled him up and shoved him back towards the holding cell he'd come from where a pair of his associates roughly pushed him into it again and he took his place in front of the camera again, "There, you've talked to him, he's alive. He'll stay that way if you leave the system, now, or should I bring him back out to make another example for you and your people?"

The smile on Cally's face had faded rapidly as she lost sight of Mark, "Thirty days, Xevar. If you harm any of them or renege on our deal, you'll see me here again. If I'm forced to come back for my people, I'll burn your excuse for a city to the ground to root you and every last one of your terrorists out. You have my word on that, as well."

Laughter echoed across the comm as Xevar acknowledged her, "Thirty days, Commander. Travel well and far." He cut the signal with a gesture and the main screen flickered back to an image of the planet.

Cally went quiet for a few seconds, then nodded, "Helm, turn us around and set a course for Starbase Six-Fourteen. Take us out at half impulse until we clear orbit and go to warp six."

"We're not going to abandon them, ma'am, are we?" The Helmsman complained, "We can't!"

"Lay in the course, Ensign, but hold warp for only twenty minutes before dropping us out and turning us around." Cally grimaced as she turned to glance at the bridge, "We're just buying time for Lieutenant Markova to get into position. In two hours, we're re-entering orbit to distract Xevar." The view on the screen changed as the ship altered course. "We're getting our people back. Today."

Since Cally's arrival on the bridge, Faith had remained silent, edging her way toward the back of the bridge, clasping her hands firmly behind her back. As the order was given to retreat, she looked down at the carpet on the deck, her long hair falling down to frame her face, shielding it from view. She'd made the wrong choice. Every decision she'd made had been wrong. She glanced up as Cally explained her plan and drew a deep breath. "If you don't need me on the bridge any more Ma'am I'll return to sickbay and prepare for injured. I'll need to prepare the morgue as well." The tone of her voice was heavy with guilt.

Cally nodded at the Counselor, understanding what was going through her mind. She, too, had lost men and women under her command and she made a mental note to talk to Faith after they were away from this world. She had the thought that the young woman might attempt to resign and she'd have none of that. "Go ahead, Lieutenant. Just remember, you did the right thing, you handled this just as I would have done. Nothing to be ashamed of."