JDL ~ Lt Calhoun & PO3 duPont & PO2 Drax ~ "Asato Ma Sad Gamaya"
Posted on Tue Mar 17th, 2015 @ 9:29am by Lieutenant Nya Calhoun & Petty Officer 2nd Class Drax
2,617 words; about a 13 minute read
Mission: A Spot To Kill
"Don't mess with the terminal, the connection won't come through clear!" the gruff voice of Drax, the Tellarite paralegal, barked at the young woman sat at the desk. "You know you'll break it... you always br.." he stopped when he saw the death stare from the bronze-skinned lieutenant.
"My brother is an engineer you know... I did pick up some things from him, Drax". Lieutenant Nya Calhoun said slowly. She glared at her short companion in the legal offices they occupied, a glint of playful mocking dancing in her deep purple eyes. "Now, we just need to connect this back up and..." she let out a small yell as the console screen flickered as it sparked. "Don't even... just... don't" she said firmly not looking at the Tellarite across the table.
"But you broke it... I told you, I said leave it alone because you'd break it. You know why you broke it right? Because you're not Quentin... you know law and negotiation not computers and encrypted connections. You know if you've messed this up that's it.. career over" Drax started itching for a good argument with his friend.
Nya glared at him and ran her hand through her long dark hair, pushing it back behind a pointed ear, and raised a single brow that any Vulcan would have been proud of. "Seriously?" she sighed shaking her head. "Can you be professional for one second?" she continued.
"I am professional... you're the one breaking the..." Before Drax could really get into an argument the console beeped.
[Incoming Connection] .... [Link Established]
Clearing her throat and taking a deep breath, Nya spoke, "Calhoun here... duPont, all ok down there?" she asked worried for the NCO she'd been working with previously before the line had been abruptly severed.
"The sea witch got the drop on me in the library," Cecil grumbled, settling down in a garden. If there was a silver lining to what had happened, it was getting handed the information Admiral Red had about the Atlantean laws. "Though we've had some brass blow through, one had a care package you may find of interest." With a quick flick of his fingers, the data started to upload to the ship.
Drax bustled over from his chair and pushed himself in front of Nya who exclaimed as her chair was moved. "Let me see!" He growled. The Tellarite started muttering to himself about regency acts and precedent.
Nya cleared her throat, "please forgive my assistant, he's a little over zealous in his legal research and sometimes forgets his place," she said glaring at Drax. "I hope you're ok... From what I've heard the Atlanteans aren't the most friendly," she said shifting uncomfortably and trying to get a better look at the screen. "What have you been able to find out about their constitutional law?" She asked flicking through the first batch of his notes on her PADD. She resigned herself to the fact the terminal had been lost to Drax.
Cecil made a face, dropping the PADD to his lap, and glanced around. The garden was still empty — he'd managed to find a sliver of privacy. When he looked back to his trusty PADD, the Tellarite's piggish face still filled the half of the screen that had the encrypted channel displayed, and Cecil sighed.
"There's a council and parliamentary vote to contend with, and something about them being voted in for life-" Cecil started when his PADD chirped at him, and the whole screen blinked out for a moment before it started flashing through schematics quickly.
The Tellerite ignored Cecil and his comments as he was quickly tapping at the terminal pulling up the initial notes. "I'm sure I've seen this somewhere," he muttered to himself.
Nya rolled her eyes and pushed him out the way as she navigated back through the notes. "Here! The council have lifetime peerage — the seat is vacated on the death of the occupant and elections are held for the successor... How antiquated... Seems like this Council have the majority of the legislative power and... Hmm now that's interesting!"
"Why do you always do that? You always say things are interesting, and waste the breath you could be using to just say the thing you want," Drax commented.
"Will you stop, we're on a call... Every time, I swear... What I was going to say was that..." Nya paused and crumpled her nose again noticing the screen was black and the connection dead once again. "Think she came back?" Nya asked lowering her voice as if she was worried she could be heard.
"I think you broke it," Drax said simply.
Nya frowned and shot Drax a look before slapping her palm against the computer. "Computer? Hello? Hello Cecil?" she called out.
"You honestly think hitting it will be the solution? Are you sure your brother is an engineer?" Drax quipped.
"Quiet!" Nya exclaimed as she sighed and hoped Cecil hadn't been caught by the Atlantean again.
Cecil tapped the side of the PADD, confused, and tried to reopen the encrypted comchannel only to find he couldn't get the PADD to respond; there was too much data running into it. It was then he recognized what he was looking at, it looked similar to the schematic that Kyym had pushed his face into earlier, but a lot more detailed. He grinned, not sure where it came from, but somewhere deep inside he hoped it was their missing CO.
When the PADD finally finished the forced download, he re-initiated the comlink, and flicked through the data on the rail gun defense system as he waited for the connection to link up again.
"I didn't break it, Drax, now be quiet and let me think! I swear you're always making things..." Nya paused as the link was established once again. "Cecil! What happened?" She asked, concerned that their conversation had been discovered.
"Did Nya break it? She's always breaking things," Drax said, butting in with an argumentative yet playful quality to his voice.
"We got a data dump, may be a trump card. I need to get it to Waterhouse," he explained. The urge to break the laws of physics and reach through the com channel to flick the Tellarite on his snout was growing in Cecil, but he'd have to settle for planning to ask Waterhouse's brother later for a holographic com extension to do just that — the idea of surprising Drax with a holographic flick at a later date put a smile on Cecil's face. "Ivanova seems the sort to send schematics to the rail gun keeping us pinned down, right?" He dropped his voice to ask this, looking around suspiciously.
Nya shot Drax a warning glance as she turned her attention back to the screen and brushed some stray hair behind her perfectly pointed ear. "The... Commodore isn't with you?" Nya said with some confusion in her voice. She took a deep breath; this was her first ship assignment and so far she felt as if she'd been thrown in the deep end. "I'm really not sure... But I've found something that could help; the Regency Act allows for a monarch to select their own porter... Or advisor if you will. I think this means... They don't have to be elected for life like the rest of the council. Does that mean anything to what you're observing down there?" She asked.
"I believe Admiral Red mentioned something along those lines, also something about a regent to act on her behalf on the planet? I'm glad you've found the actual law she's referencing, so we can figure out how to get those people to comply and let Ivanova leave," Cecil returned with a sigh. He glanced around nervously again, he was convinced that even though they weren't so good at actually sneaking around, they somehow were watching him. "Ivanova made a run for it earlier, that's why the sea witch surprised me and it took a little bit to get connected again... she wanted me to play messenger, then followed me right in to confront Waterhouse and the brass on her own. At least Waterhouse and Archer seemed to be aware of the situation, so she didn't get that satisfaction. If it was Ivanova who sent me that data, it means she's okay at least and we just have to get to her."
Nya nodded and bit her lip a little on hearing the details regarding the Commodore. "Well, let's hope she's safe," she said mulling over the legal documents spread across the desk on numerous PADDs. Drax was in the background muttering something about the legal age of when a person could take the throne being 14 and how absurd it was a 14 year old could rule a planet. Nya shook her head again. "Ok... So in order for the Commodore to be able to leave, we can get someone appointed as Regent, her stand in monarch who rules in lieu. But we also need to build the legal argument for what is happening being illegal... Here's something... In all the constitutional texts there's no reference to the Queen ever having to step foot on the planet... Her porter is also supposed to be someone the Queen selects herself..." She paused and clapped her hands loudly, a grin shooting across her face. "What role is that ... Sea witch... Playing?"
"Drama queen," Drax quipped, before a PADD was thrown in his general direction and clattered against the table.
"As far as I can tell, the sea witch," Cecil started, then paused. He cleared his throat as he realized that his anger had gotten the best of him. "Ambassador Kyym seems to have been serving as a chief advisor... Is that the porter or the regent?" He shook his head, as if it didn't really matter. "So while we're trying to get to Ivanova, and bring her back safe, we need to also be working on getting candidates to replace Kyym, right?"
Nya frowned a little and flicked through PADDs like a bat out of hell. She was muttering to herself as she did so, the odd Latin word or piece of legal jargon being audible. "I know it's here somewhere," she eventually said.
Drax scoffed and shuffled off the chair and moved towards her holding the PADD that she had thrown in his general direction. "I've got something you want," he sung at her.
Nya flicked her head and shot him a look those, deep purple eyes bearing into her paralegal. "Thank you," she said through gritted teeth, wondering what Cecil must think. "So, the regent is the person the Queen leaves to rule in her absence, they have to be over 14... As we discussed. The Porter seems to be just that, the right-hand so to speak. But that person has to be appointed by the ruling monarch and can change with each incumbent ruler. So if this Ambassdor has appointed herself... She's breaking the law!" Nya said with an accomplished grin.
"I believe that train wreck, Mikkal, was porter for the previous Queen, and he was supposed to continue to hold the post until Ivanova selected someone. Given what happened with him, I would guess that someone else would step into his place until Ivanova named a permanent one? Which could mean that Kyym had a legal loophole?" Cecil shook his head. "Regardless of if she's broken the law or not, if Ivanova says she wants to name someone else, she can't stop it... right?"
Nya mused for a moment as she listened to Cecil talking about the previous occupant of the porter position. "Well the statute does not appear to allow for a porter to be self-appointed; there might be case law on the subject but I suspect we're on a fairly tight schedule with this. Breaking the law or not, you're right — the law is clear on this — as soon as the monarch appoints a porter, that's final. No one else has any say in the matter."
"Is there anything saying the porter has to be Atlantean? Or could she appoint whoever she likes... for example, me?" Cecil made a face as he considered what level of extra work he might be volunteering himself for, but if it got Ivanova safely off this planet, he'd take it on if she wanted him to.
Nya crumpled her nose at the question and looked behind her to Drax. "Did you find anything on that?" She asked.
"That's right, I'll do all the work and you can have all the credit, same as always," Drax muttered as he shifted on his chair and rifled through PADDs.
"He's not normally this confrontational," Nya said scowling a little at her friend.
"Yes I am."
"No you... Oh not now!" Nya exclaimed.
"Here it is, the legislation in question... Nope... Nothing says the porter has to be a citizen of this world... The law is silent on if they have to remain on the planet... But essentially, a case can be made based on the statute that you could fill the role should the Commodore pick you," Drax said slowly.
"While I probably am not the best pick, it's good to know she can select someone who is not Atlantean, and if for some reason she selects me, I will do my best," Cecil returned. "For now, I need to get this information about the defense to Waterhouse..." He paused, remembering that Archer had lead a team out to start the search. "Though perhaps more critically, I should reach out to Archer so he knows where to look. Then follow up with Waterhouse to inform her of what you've told me, as well as what information I've received."
Nya nodded slowly, "I'm sure you'd be just fine. Ok, we still have a few leads to follow up on here with all this information. Once we've sifted more, I will send it you", Nya confirmed. "Good luck Cecil", she added with a small reassuring smile.
"Thank you, likewise to you... especially keeping your paralegal in hand," Cecil returned, cutting the channel before the Tellarite could respond to the attack. The yeoman quickly tapped his combadge, "Commander Archer, this is Petty Officer duPont."
"Go ahead, duPont," came the reply. Was that a horse he heard in the background, Cecil thought to himself and shook his head. There were certainly worse ways to get around on this planet.
"I just received a data packet, looks like it may have come from Ivanova," Cecil explained, flicking at his PADD to pull up the specifics again. "It came from the mountain range west of the city, maybe 10 miles or so out.”
“Thank you, Petty Officer. Send it to me. Archer out.”
Even as the comchannel cut, Cecil couldn't help nodding — not that Archer would see it, it was still instinctual. It only took minor effort to send the all the information on, highlighting what Cecil felt would be most useful; location of the weapon, the placement of the entrances into its silo, and enough of the specifications to allow them to verify that it was offline, as the original data packet had indicated it would be.
He knew Ivanova and Waterhouse both trusted Archer, so he'd have to trust that he'd be able to bring the Commodore back safely. For now Cecil had to bring Waterhouse up to speed, so that hopefully Ivanova wouldn't be returned to total chaos.
=/\= End Log =/\=
Lieutenant Nya Calhoun
Judge Advocate
USS Vindicator, NCC-78213-E
Petty Officer 2nd Class Drax
Paralegal
USS Vindicator, NCC-78213-E
Petty Officer 3rd Class Cecil duPont
Commodore's Yeoman
USS Vindicator, NCC-78213-E
RSS Feed