Conversation

Posted on Tue Sep 20th, 2022 @ 4:16am by Lieutenant Mark Valleroy & Lieutenant JG Faith Vianelli

Mission: Pirates! (Or Yo Ho Ho And A Bottle Of Yum)
Location: Chief Counselor's Office

Mark finished up going over the plans with the captain, then headed down to the chief counselor's office. Upon arrival, he pressed the door chime, and upon entering, he said, "Hey, just wanted to give you an update on some of the plans for when we engage the pirates. Specifically, how the plans affect your daughter and the other civilians on the ship."

Faith sighed softly. This was something that had been weighing heavily on her mind. Her daughter. More specifically, Briella's safety while the ship was under attack. "Do you have a plan to keep them safe?" she asked quietly, an almost hopeful undertone in her voice.

"Yes," Mark assured her. "Besides the general plans to try to end it all as quickly as possible and to implement countermeasures in case of any boarding activities, we're looking to place the civilians into the schoolroom and place a security detail there directly as part of the protection. Though there is the option being considered of placing them in the security center on Deck 8, as it is also in one of the more secure part of the ship."

The counselor remained silent for a moment, contemplating over the plans that had been laid out. "I know we don't want to consider it, but how do either of those locations play out of we get boarded?" she finally asked quietly. "I mean, I know no one wants that to happen, and I know it's a worst case scenario, but if the ship gets boarded..." She drew a slow and steady breath. "I've read some of the reports on previous skirmishes with these Pirates. There definitely doesn't seem to be any honour among these thieves."

"The captain and I just went over our plans one last time. Part of the discussion was on how to avoid being boarded in the first place. Being boarded is not something any of us wants. But in case it does happen, fortunately the schoolroom is located well away from the main hull, which is deliberately done in most classes of starships to keep civilians safe if something either natural or artificial strike the ship that could cause a hull breach. It's also felt that the pirates may avoid that area, as they often seem to be engaging in either hit and run tactics, with the intent of grabbing as much cargo as they can before running away. If they want the ship as a whole instead, they're more likely to concentrate on vital areas of the ship first - the bridge, engineering, etc. We'd also put some sensor scramblers in there to mask lifesigns and make the room seem abandoned, in case any of the pirates get the idea of trying to take hostages. The security center would be easier to defend, but would be a more likely target, as the area can be used to coordinate defensive measures and is also by the ship's armory and torpedo storage."

The knowledge that, even though there had been plans put in place to avoid it, there was still a contingency for if the ship was boarded was not a thought that brought comfort to Faith. Quite the opposite. The knowledge send a shiver of cold dread through her body. Absently she reached her right hand toward her left wrist and rubbed it gently, distractedly. "I see," she finally said quietly. It was unsettling that they were entering a hostile, potentially devastating situation and she couldn't be there to comfort her daughter, to protect her. It was a feeling that didn't sit well with her at all. "I guess that will have to do then. How bad do you think this is going to get?" she asked, watching him carefully.

"Hopefully this will be over quickly," Mark said. "The last thing anyone wants to begin with is a long, drawn-out battle to begin with. I also have a vested interest in making this ends quickly. Well, two specific ones. I do not want to say that it will be over quickly, but I will do everything I can to make sure that it ends absolutely as soon as possible."

Faith looked away for a long moment before turning her attention back to him. "Thank you," she said softly. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"Hey, there's nothing to be sorry for," Mark said.

"I didn't say it earlier, I guess I was a little ashamed of everything? But thank you, for everything you did to help me and Briella, and I'm sorry I disappointed you," she finally explained. "If anything is going to happen, I want to make sure I've said everything I need to before it does."

"I want you to know you have not disappointed me at all," Mark said. "I'm not a parent myself, but I am an uncle, and if I had been faced with similar circumstances...well, I'm not sure how I would have reacted. But one thing I do know is that there are people - my fellow crewmembers among them - who are always there to help me if I need it."

Faith smiled faintly and nodded. "I will remember that in the future," she responded, glancing at the image of her daughter sitting on the desk before shifting her gaze back to Mark. "I think I might go spend a few minutes with her, you know, before we engage. Just in case. Thank you, for letting me know what's going on. I'm glad that everyone is being looked after."