[Backlog] JDL | Cmdr Archer & Ens Black & Ens Barnes | What Happened To You?

Posted on Sun Apr 5th, 2015 @ 4:41am by Lieutenant JG Teá Black & Commander James Archer & Ensign

2,589 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: A Spot To Kill
Location: Planet Surface

After leaving Archer, Rocky tapped her combadge. "Ensign Barnes to Lieutenant Black. Meet me at guest quarters, please."

"On my way ensign," Teá said pulling out her PaDD and using her communicator she located where she was staying in. After filling in the security officer she headed off, "be there in five." It actually took her less time than she thought knocking on the door, "Barnes it's Black." She called out sliding her PaDD back into her bag.

"Come in," Rocky said as she sat in a chair going over the Intel tricorder and checking what the drones were reporting back to it.

"Ensign," Teá said walking in and taking a seat on the couch, "so how much has Archer told you or how much have you told Archer?" She asked looking at her, "and don't play dumb with me."

"Commander Archer told me to get with you to discuss the matter arranging security for the arrival of Starfleet brass," Rocky responded, looking right back at the other woman and then noticed the missing hollow pip that denoted her rank. "Ensign."

"That secret we had, it's out. And no I didn't say anything, Archer found out and I've been and being punished and I'll most likely be punished seeing as I didn't do my guard duty in my dress whites." Teá said shaking her head, "then again it was a bit hectic in the wee hours of the morning."

"Whatever the case may be, I see that the Commander saw fit to do what he did without my intervention, Ensign," Rocky responded coldly. "I suspect that things will be more authorized from here on out?"

"I can't guarantee that ensign." Teá said, "hell you can't even guarantee that, and if Archer says he can, he's lying."

"Let me phrase that differently, Black," Rocky said as she came to her feet and set the tricorder down. "You aren't going to order me to do anything that isn't authorized by Commander Archer, and I can guarantee that. Now sit down and shut up and lets get these plans formalized before your presence makes me want to remove you forcefully from my room. Do you understand me?"

Chuckling, "I see you grew a pair. That's good. But you should look before you speak, seeing as I'm sitting down." Teá said smirking, "and that works for me."

Rocky rolled her eyes and sat back down. "Now then, fill me in on what's been going on. Commander Waterhouse contacted me and Master Chief Caine and ordered us down here, and made it sound like a first class emergency. Also, fill me in on the Atlantean/Federation/Civonian war as related here, and exactly who is coming that we need to arrange things for."

"The war I don't know much about it. Also don't know exactly who is coming either. As for what's been going on here, the Atlantean's decided to charge our chief engineer, the Cardassian, for crimes against their people just because he's a Cardassian. Apparently the Atlantean's are more xenophobic than the Cardassians." Teá said with a dry chuckle, "so the Commodore decided to agree to stay as long as the Chief Engineer was released and not hurt so the XO and our boss are trying to fix that."

"So you don't know who is coming, much about the war, or anything useful," Rocky said after listening to her. "Is that about right? As for the rest, I made my suggestions to Commander Archer and he shot them down. So how do we go about arranging Security for brass when we have next to no information? I brought four surveillance and tracking drones with me and deployed them already because I thought it was going to be a rescue mission for Commodore Ivanova."

"I would watch that tone ensign, my demotion is only temporary. And things have been a bit crazy and I had my orders to guard the commodore's room so no I haven't been filled in on everything yet." Teá said glaring at the woman.

"Let's get one thing very clear right now, Black. I don't like you and you think I'm a chump because I just came from the Academy," Rocky said with a sneer. "Now let's get down to business and figure out what we can put together. Unless you'd rather put that aside and get your ass beat here and now."

Smirking, "I would love to see that. But you're right about one thing we need to secure things here. So what have you been told?"

"Nothing more than what I've already told you," Rocky said. "Archer said we need to arrange security for the brass. I barely have the layout of the place, haven't spoken to anyone other than him and you, and was under an assumption when I came here."

"Truth be told I haven't really had the opportunity to walk around this place either. So I'm just as lost as you are. This place is a large place." Teá said pulling out her PaDD and showing it to Barnes, "this is what I've been able to put together so far."

Taking the PADD, Rocky looked over it, then picked up her Intel tricorder and transferred the feed from the surveillance drones she had released when she first arrived. "Between that and the updated feed, we should have a good idea of the overall picture of the place, who is going where, and what they're doing. I should have brought more drones, but I have an accessory that will let us get around relatively easily."

"Only place your drones probably won't get in is the throne room here." Teá said, "it's heavily heavily guarded." Teá said taking the PaDD back and tapping a few buttons, "this is the rough dimensions of it was only in there for a short period."

Standing, Rocky pulled her shirt up a bit to reveal the personal cloaking device and the personal transporter, as well as the anti-sensor belt. "I have ways of getting around undetected. I came prepared for an infil and exfiltration."

Shrugging, "I'm sure they have ways for detecting things there not this just warp capable species." Teá said impressed that she brought all of that. Then again she always did enjoy doing assignments without all that tech stuff. "If you get caught with that it's gonna be very very difficult to explain why you have it and why you're sneaking around like that when they've given us free reign to walk around."

"If we have free reign, then they won't need to know, will they?" Rocky said. "Besides, I'm Starfleet and don't answer to them, which means I do not plan on explaining myself to them."

"Honey they could care less who you're. Sneaking around with tech like that are they gonna assume is that you're spying on them. And please tell me you know what foreign powers do to spies." Teá said looking at the ensign.

Rocky just smiled. "If our Commodore is their Queen, they answer to her. Which means that since she is our commanding officer, we outrank them any day of the century. I know all too well what happens to spies. I'm not a spy, however. I am a visiting dignitary preparing to assist in arrangements for more visiting dignitaries. Which means diplomatic immunity is in effect on a public level."

"Just 'cause she said she was staying doesn't make her queen. And when she does become queen she's no longer a Federation citizen nor a Starfleet officer." Teá said, "and none of us have diplomatic immunity on this planet."

"For the moment, she's both," Rocky pointed out. "They're in a stalemate until they officially get what they want."

"Exactly. Which means we're not dignitaries hell to them we're a foreign annoyance and only reason we're still here is because of this stalemate. So like I said sneaking around is not the way to go. I suggest we just ask act curious about their culture, ways of life and if we get caught down the wrong corridor we just say we got lost."

"I say we do whatever we want and act like we weren't told otherwise," Rocky said. "If you act like you own the place, people will be more inclined to believe you do own it."

Shaking her head as she looked at the ensign, "Not with these people. The Atlantean's already do that and they're much more effective with that tact than we could ever be. They'll see right through it but if you want feel free."

"So let's get started on security. What places have you discovered that are off limits so far, and what places seem the most secure that we have access to?" Rocky said as she began to prepare mentally for the job ahead."

"Throne room unless we've been invited to it everything else they haven't stopped us. As for the most secure areas are rooms which is why we've consolidated to this one corridor keeping all us near by. We've been ordered to not walk around alone." Teá said marking the areas on the map, "the next most secure would most likely be the dining hall."

"Then let's set up the dining hall," Rocky said with an evil grin. "It'll be a major inconvenience to the Atlanteans and the brass, but it'll be worth it to us."

"Fair enough. I'll let you tell Archer and I'll grab one of the security officers and head to the dining hall." Teá said.

"In the meantime, keep the link with the surveillance and tracking drones," Rocky said. "Four eyes are better than two."

"Thanks," Teá said walking to the door but stopping, "ensign you're doing a good job but remember you haven't done a lot of field work. You gotta crawl before you can walk."

Rocky gave a devil-may-care grin. "There's no time like the present, is there?" Reaching into her kit, she pulled out a pair of black fingerless gloves and handed them to Teá. "Here. Stun gloves."

Taking the gloves she slid them into the bag, "Thanks." She said with a nod and stepping out into the corridor spotting one of their security officers she called him over and instructed him that they needed to head to the dining hall.

Adjusting her shirt, Rocky tapped her combadge =^=Barnes to Commander Archer. Could you meet me and Lie...Ensign Black in the dining hall please?=^= With that, she headed towards the dining hall herself.

....

Rochelle's Qurters

"Very well, Sir. I look forward to seeing you. Archer, out." James taped the computer closing the commlink. Taking a brief moment for himself, he raised his arms above his head to stretch. The voice of Ensign Barnes broke the silence in the room.

"Barnes to Commander Archer. Could you meet me and Lie...Ensign Black in the dining hall please?"

"The dining hall," James pondered, "What the fuck are they doing in the dining hall?" He hit his commbadge, "On my way." James threw on his uniform shirt and heads for the door.

...

Getting the Commander's response, Rocky looked at Teá "Let's start checking this place out. The Boss is on the way."

As Rocky dealt with getting Archer down here Teá, "okay so problem is going to be keeping the number of security personnel low but still having the room covered. Let alone making sure there's no bugs being planted." Teá said talking to herself looking at the schematic she drew up. The upside of her eidetic memory was her ability to measure out a room just by walking it and getting it down afterwards.

Pulling out her spycorder, Rocky smiled and began to scan the room as she walked along it. "It would seem that the dining room is the least likely place to be bugged, but I'm taking no chances with visiting brass."

With heavy foot falls, James walked through the doors of the dining room, "I hope this is important. I was just about to jump into the shower," James spouted with a stern gaze towards both Ensigns.

"We were preparing to set up the dining room for the visiting officers, Sir," Rocky said as she finished her scans.

"Do you plan on feeding them?"

"Sir it's a room we can easily protect and control who we want to enter and from where." Teá said looking at the commander, "Ensign Barnes informed we'll be having guests and we needed to find the most secure areas and I believe that here and the rooms are the most secure. And if they need to have meetings the rooms aren't exactly designed for that. Whereas the dining room is."

James stopped instantly in his tracks and winced as if he were in excruciating pain. Rubbing his temples, he took a deep breath, “So, let me get this straight. You want to place two of Starfleet’s highest ranking flag officers, one of whom is the Commander in Chief himself, in the same room together?” James paused and folded his hands in front of him, “but not just any room, mind you, the dining room. And, the only reasoning behind your decision, your joint decision, is to make your job easier? We are not in the business of breeding Admirals. It doesn’t work. I’m living proof.” Shaking his head, James turned around, and walked out without saying another word.

"You're correct, Sir," Rocky said. "However, with very little info to go on...." she trailed off as he walked out, then looked at Black. "That went well. Come on...let's go set up the rooms that the rest of you already have. If I have to do this from scratch...it'll be done from scratch."

Grinding her teeth Teá just shook her head wondering how anything ever got done with the concept of need to know always in place. Pulling up her CPaDD she tapped a few buttons, "well according to my manifest the safest rooms would be the two in-between where the commodore is staying and the end of the corridor."

Rocky grunted. "Well, come on. Let's get this dog and pony show on the road," she said with a sigh as she put her tricorder away.

"You with us." Teá said to the security escort and with that Teá followed the ensign out to either what would a second failed attempt or a barely passable feat by them. Again without actually knowing what their exact orders were and also never explained why two of the highest ranking Starfleet officers were coming planetside especially if it was this dangerous.

An hour later, Rocky stepped back and looked at the set up that they had managed to arrange with the two rooms. There were plenty of flaws in it that a professional could exploit, but hopefully the Vindicator crew staying in other rooms nearby would be able to step in and take action should anything go wrong. She looked over at Teá and gave a lopsided smile. "If this isn't good enough, I don't know what is. What do you think?"

Teá truly had to just shrug seeing as they were left in the dark but was given this assignment, "it's gonna be as good as it can be. Especially seeing as we really don't have the authority to order security around."

Commander James Archer
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS VINDICATOR

Ensign Teá Black
Intelligence Officer
USS Vindicator

Ensign Catalina "Rocky" Barnes
Encryption Specialist
USS Vindicator

 

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