Scrap That Plan

Posted on Thu 27th Oct, 2022 @ 9:29pm by

1,656 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: The Hunted
Location: Warp Vessel Nomad Bridge
Timeline: MD 11, 0913

Riko watched the Winter sisters walk away from Nomad, still stunned by their telling her they didn't feel comfortable with some of the things they'd heard in the meeting with Isabella Perry, and had decided not to accompany them as they left this morning. They'd assured her it had nothing to do with her, and they would still be friends, but as she watched them go, it felt a whole lot like one of those deals where a guy breaks up with you and says, "It isn't you, it's me."

She turned to go back into what she already thought of as her ship. She stopped short, seeing Podkayne watching her. Giving the humaniform a small smile, she shrugged her shoulders. "You win some, you lose some."

"I don't really have a firm hold on humanoids, even after working with them for the last two years. I thought they were your friends. Why wouldn't they want to go with us?" Podkayne asked, tilting her head to one side.

Riko put her arm through Podkayne's and led her inside the ship, stopping to close the entrance and lock it. "People who are friends don't always agree on everything," she told the humaniform. "Don't worry about it. I've been around humanoids all my life, and I still don't understand us.

"Another question is, do you have pilot training? Can you fly this little ship?"

Podkayne thought about that. "I don't know until I try. I've only piloted Worker Bees and a few larger work machines. Is there a lesson manual, or a download that will teach me? I'm a fast learner."

"I'll see what I can find," Riko said, "but I think you're going to be promoted to our pilot. You don't get paid any more, though," she laughed. "There is this. There's an AI that can take over in an emergency. We'll let you practice out in space where there's nothing to run into."

Podkayne smiled at her and said, "I'll go see what the computer database has, shall I?" Without waiting for confirmation, she removed her arm from Riko's and headed into the common area on deck 2. Riko looked after her, then shook her head. Nice not to get upset about things that surprised you, like the Winters leaving.

Heading for the bridge, McCord found Isabella working at the main computer. "Got a minute?" she asked. "We have hit a bit of a snag."

Isabella looked up from the star map that currently occupied the screen in front of her. She scanned Riko's face for a hint or preview of what the news could be, but she found that Riko was good at hiding her cards close to her vest. The sign of an excellent poker player.

"I always have a minute for my number one. What you got for me?" She said as she sat back in her chair and kicked her feet up on the console.

"Bad news, I'm afraid, or it may turn out not to be in the long run, but it feels like it right now. The Winters just met me near the exit to the dock. They said they've changed their minds, they don't feel comfortable about going with us, about leaving the remaining sisters to go out on ... well, they said ill-defined missions, though I don't feel that way myself. The upshot is, they are gone, and there's just us and Podkayne. She's looking for database downloads on piloting Nomad, and between that and a little practice, she'll be okay. Plus there's the emergency AI." McCord shrugged her shoulders. She really wasn't worried about Podkayne. In a pinch, Riko could pilot a ship this size herself.

"However, we still need at least one more crewman ... or woman ... to run this ship, even as small as it is. I don't think you and I could handle everything on the bridge in the event of a battle, a chase, an attack, or whatever we might run into out there. Not even with Podkayne piloting expertly. So, you have any deep thoughts about that?" She quirked an eyebrow at her new captain.

Isabella sat there, absorbing everything Riko just said to her. She was a little surprised that the Winters changed their mind at this stage of the game. "Did they articulate to you what exactly would be ill-defined about our missions? Heck, we haven't even had the first mission brief as of yet."

She felt the anger creeping up in her throat and took a deep breath and quickly got her emotions back in check. Again she was surprised, but this time with herself. Isabella was disappointed with her reaction and knew she needed to quickly find new members for the crew stations, but she did want to understand what the sisters meant.

"They weren't very specific, but if I had to guess, based on prior experience with them ... and changes I've seen since the attack on Samurai, and the loss of their sisters ... I'd say February was concerned about something one of us said. You remember she was almost angry a couple of times when we had the meeting? Oh," she stuck her hand in her pocket and pulled out the two bracelets the sisters had returned.

"They handed these to me, too." Riko leaned back against her own bridge station, crossing her ankles. "I think September might have gone with us on her own, she is more relaxed, but February is still in a rage over what happened with her sisters. I don't blame her, and I carry some guilt over not being fast enough in my analysis of the situation. They're never going their separate ways again, though, so with February out, September is also."

"Well, we won't be chasing after them and begging them to come with us." Isabella stood and walked over to Riko and took the two bracelets from her friend. She stared at them for a moment, thinking of who in the galaxy they could get on such short notice. And then it clicked in her mind. Someone who owed her a favor. A favor so big, that they would be willing to risk their lives for this mission if need be. But someone who could utterly rack her last nerve on a daily basis.

"Riko, I have an idea, but you better sit down for this one." Isabela said with that sly grin creeping across her face.

"Uh, oh. That sounds ominous," the second officer said, moving to her chair, taking Isabella seriously. "Lay it all out for me, Commander. Maybe I should sit on my hands, too?"

"Computer, bring up file Verrana Nemis. Security Code Alpha Alpha Beta 12-4." Isabella turned to Riko and gave a bit of hint and preview while the computer pulled up the file. "This is a classified case that I am reading you in on." As soon as Isabella finished speaking, the computer chimed in as if it knew she had just told Riko about the classified file.

=^= "Unable to display requested file. Unauthorized personal present." =^=

"Computer!" Isabella said, "Initiate override Isabella Perry 3445 Delta Theat 1."

=^= "Authorization accepted."

The main view screen of the Nomad came to life with a picture of a Romulan female with long jet-black hair. "Meet Verrana Nemis, my wife!"

Riko's mouth dropped open. "Your wife!" she exclaimed, then repeated it as a question. "Your wife? I don't understand. Uh, she's pretty ,,, in a Romulan sort of way. There has to be more to that story that you haven't mentioned. No way having a wife is a classified issue."

Isabella burst out laughing and took a moment to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. I knew you would be shocked and not quite know what to say.

"O.K., Verrana is a Romulan I helped defect to the Federation. During that process, it was decided that the best way to get us out of Romulan space and territory alive was for us to get married. There was an official ceremony and all. So, technically we are married.

"The problem is, Verrana loves to throw it up to me and use it to her advantage as often as possible. And, she loves to introduce herself as my wife. But, Verrana is a world-class spy and still has deep contacts in Romulan Central Command and the Tal-Shiar. The only issue is ... she tap dances on my last nerve. CONSTANTLY!"

Riko wasn't exactly a stranger to unusual interpersonal relationships, but she thought the woman ... Verrana? Yes, Verrana, would have to be something special for her boss to put up with having that kind of annoyance for very long.

Finally, she said, "I'm not sure even what to say to any of that. I wouldn't ever have guessed you would put up with that kind of behavior, so she must be worth a lot as a resource. Does she have the skills we need for ship's defense? Is she, I don't know," McCord rubbed a hand over her short hair, "clever, sneaky, whatever it takes to evade and escape our enemies?"

"Verrana is a very capable fighter, spy, pirate, you name it and she has a hand in it. The problem is...." Isabella paused a moment to choose her words carefully. "She can be a bit too sneaky. Verrana is not above making a quick buck and, if she can get something going on the side, she will. She wouldn't intentionally sell us out, but if she can make some side Latinum on a deal, she will. But I do trust her, as we have been in some very very difficult situations. Even when I thought I was going to die, Verrana came out of nowhere with the save, when she could have left me to die."

Riko nodded, "That's good enough for me, but I hope you don't mind if I keep an eye on her until I can trust her myself."

 

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