"Team Discussion"
Previous Post: "From Dead Quiet"
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Stardate: 60299.0948
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Section C, Level 4, FoodCourt
Looking at the way the Enaran held himself as he sat down; the Romulan/terran hybrid could tell that there had been something weighing heavily on the mind of the Marine. Having been in the ANUBIS' morgue and seen all of the names displayed on the doors had made the COO sensitive to what the MCO likely felt since several of those listed had belonged to *his* department.
During her time as head of the Sec/Tac department, the Romulan/Terran hybrid had lost a few good men, and as much as she knew that this was one of the hazards of the job, it had in no way diminished the sorrow of losing one of your own. Glancing into the eyes of Pravat, the COO saw the reflection of these feelings and sympathised with the MCO. After all those who had returned to NEW ALEXANDRIA in the cold storage of the ship's morgue had been members of *her* crew as well.
Thinking it best to not broach the subject at this time, allowing for Pravat to deal with the feelings he felt on his own terms, the Romulan/Terran hybrid tried to stir the conversation onto another path. "Have you been contacted by anyone from the base in regards to certain upgrades to the BARRACUDA and SPHINX? Apparently those two crafts are supposed to get some sort of remote drone installed and integrated into the sensor systems."
Looking at the CSciO who had returned her attention to the stone given to her by Lt. Onison, Pravat shook his head. "That's the first I hear of it, but even if they do install some remote sensor device on the BARRACUDA and SPHINX it won't change the way my troops handle things."
Inwardly sighing, the Romulan/Terran hybrid thought that no matter what she would say next the MCO would likely find a way to bring it back on the general subject that she had been trying to avoid. It was now clear that the scars suffered by Pravat through the lost of some of the Marines under his command ran deep and that there had been nothing anyone could say of do to make it better.
While taking bite out of his breakfast, the MCO continued to observe the CSciO who was entirely consumed by the stone she held with such care in her hands. Believing that he had been more than patient, Pravat finally asked about the item in the hands of the Shillian. "You know, I have seen Ferengi look at brick of gold-pressed latnium with less interest than you are showing for that stone. What is so special about it?"
Never taking her eyes off the stone in question, the CSciO explained the significance of the item in her possession in a way that was truly hers and hers alone. "This is the Mind Stone, the last and most important of three pieces of the artefact that Ens. Summers had been sent after. Actually I have not yet been able to confirm that the stone is what Lt. Onison claimed it to be but from what I have been able to tell by the shape, size and markings on the stone, this could very well be the item than we had been looking for and that attracted such a high volume of attention from the other races we encountered around TOLAR IV. I will need to perform a few basic tests to confirm the identity of the stone followed by an in-depth research into the Mind Stone's alleged powers, but I think that by the time I have complete all of these I will have found that the efforts will have been worth while."
Looking unconvinced by the claim that the stone in the CSciO's hands had been worth all that they had endured, Pravat sighed and took another bite from his breakfast, unable to hide in any way the pain that he still felt. It would take some major work for the MCO to be persuaded that the stone Maya admired with such vigor was worth the lives of those who had not returned.
Wishing that the Shillian had been paying a little more attention to the discussion between the COO and MCO, the Romulan/Terran hybrid cringed as she listened to the longwinded explanation given by the CSciO. Thinking as the ANUBIS' Ops and second officer meant she had to keep the whole of the mission in perspective, something that the COO could not blame the scientist for not having done.
Becoming silent, the three officers feel back into their own thoughts as each contemplated the events that had happened and the results of these events from their own unique perspectives, trying as best as they could to make it all make sense.
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Serena Switt {serena1141@yahoo.com.au}
Lieutenant Serenna
Chief of Operations / Second Officer
USS ANUBIS
2005 post #052
