"Research"
(Previous Post: Mark's 'Looking,...')
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Setting: USS HATHOR, Uxtar's Quarters
After an hour of debating, formulating ideas, dismissing a lot of them, and a brief heated discussion the Hirogen hunter stood and stretched his back.
"This is getting us nowhere," he growled tossing the PADD onto his bunk, "we are no more further then we were when we started."
"I agree," Ensign Stormwind replied, "but you have to admit some of our thoughts have merit."
"But as you have repeatedly said everything's illogical," Uxtar said.
"I am simply remaining true to who I am. Not taking anything away from your tactical skills..."
Uxtar waved him off. "Pitying me *isn't* a good idea my friend."
"It wasn't pity I was looking for," Derek replied.
"There has to be something we're missing. Something we're overlooking." Uxtar said pacing back and forth and he stopped.
"Something wrong?" Derek asked.
"What if we're looking at this the wrong way?" Uxtar replied tapping his finger on the PADD, "you're a pilot, I'm a tactical officer..."
"I fail to see your point" Stormwind said.
"I'll show you. Come on," Uxtar said exiting his quarters with the HATHOR FCO in tow.
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"So... how is she?" the HATHOR executive officer asked his CO as she sat at her desk in her quarters on the ANUBIS. David could see that the HATHOR CO looked worried.
[/\] Physically she's here, [/\] Serenna replied,
[/\] mentally she isn't. And there's no telling when
Enaii will regain consciousness. [/\]
David frowned. "How's the captain doing?"
[/\] Sabrina is fine David. She's made of tougher stock
than most of us know. [/\]
"I know that Serenna, but how *is* she doing?"
[/\] She's fine David. But what can you expect? The
mission was a success... in some ways. [/\]
"Meaning?" David asked his CO.
[/\] How's the ship coming along? [/\] Serenna asked her XO. David saw a look on her face that said the questions about Enaii and Sabrina was over for the moment. And Serenna could see the expression on David's face. As much as she wanted to explain what Captain Rikar had said, it was best she didn't. If Sabrina wanted David to know then she'd tell him.
"The ship is fine. It's my ass I'm more concerned with," the HATHOR XO/CEO said.
[/\] What does your posterior have to do with anything? [/\] Serenna asked.
"Since we've joined Koniki's merry little band, there hasn't been a time that we've taken a ship out without returning home with slight or no damage. Jack is going to flip and I'll get drummed out of the engineering corps for sure."
[/\] I'm pretty sure Commander Foley will do no such
thing. But if he does and like I've said before, you
look good in red David. [/\] Serenna said with a nod.
"That's for you and Sabrina. I'm an engineer... but
thanks for the vote of confidence. So, will you be
returning anytime soon?"
[/\] Scared of command Number One? You were so adamant
about me getting some rest. [/\]
"Yes," David replied narrowing his eyes at his captain,
"rest here... not sneak off and beam over to the
ANUBIS."
Serenna panned the image off her face to reveal her
quarters, [/\] I promised you I'd get some rest, and
you see where I am? [/\]
David shook his head, "You COs... really know how to
push your luck," he added with a grin.
[/\] Captain's perrogative Lieutenant. You'd do
yourself justice not to forget that. [/\]
"Aye sir," David replied and Serenna closed the connection. The HATHOR's XO exited the ready room back to the bridge to find the FCO and security chief standing at the ready room doors.
"Lieutenant," Derek said, "we have been looking for you."
"The two of you should be resting," the XO/CEO said, "what are you doing back here so soon?"
"There was something we wanted to discuss with you sir," Uxtar replied.
"I'm listening," David replied.
"Derek and I have been discussing the Imperians latest attack and how easily the ANUBIS thwarted them," Uxtar said.
"The ablative armour," David replied.
"All of the available sensor data we collected on the
Imperians, the IMPs are designed to breach the hulls
of ships and deliver the Imperian inside, I am just
trying to understand why after having encountered the
ANUBIS and its ablative armor they pulled back without
even trying a second offensive."
"I told him when you chip your tooth on something, you
tend to stay away from it. After having feasted on the
soft underbelly of the Cardassians they found the
ANUBIS' hardened shell less savory."
David nodded and chuckled at Ensign Stormwind's curt
observation. It was hard to believe that he could go
from a stoic Vulcan to human so quickly.
"Interesting way of putting it Mr. Stormwind," David replied, "but that's what the AA was designed for. To keep unwanted guests out as well as provide a mask for the ANUBIS without expending too much energy using shields."
"That's where my point lies," Uxtar said, "of course we
don't have the ablative armour like the ANUBIS, but
the HATHOR's armour is just as strong..."
"Aparently not," Derek said hefting his eyebrows up his
forehead and Uxtar glaring at the FCO.
"So we were both curious to know your thoughts sir."
Uxtar said completing his thought.
"What I think?" David said.
"Yes sir," Uxtar replied, "with you being an engineer and all."
"Ensign Uxtar believes that our points about the
Imperians we came up with in his quarters could be
finely tuned with a engineer's perspective."
David leaned on the doors to the ready room. "There
are many ideas that come to mind, but I really haven't
had the time to sit down and piece my way through it.
I too have been thinking about that as well."
"We'd like to know what you came up with" Uxtar replied.
"Well for one, the HATHOR isn't a heavy cruiser like
the ANUBIS... so common sense dictates you don't make
the ship any heavier than it has to be. Besides... I
don't think we could have pulled off the flips, dips,
and stopping on the dime like we did thanks to some
expert piloting."
Derek nodded. "Thank you sir."
"Back to your ideas," Uxtar said looking at the XO and
nudging Stormwind in the ribs.
"That's basically it... for now. I know that Elan has an
Imperian on the ANUBIS and I'm going to dig into it
when we get home. I'll be damned the next time we
cross paths with those bastards we won't be caught
with our proverbial pants down... if I have anything to
do with it." the HATHOR XO/CEO replied, "now... is
there anything else?"
"Actually there is," Uxtar said, "not trying to disobey
your orders Lieutenant, but is there something we can
do up here?"
"Or... or on the ship?" Derek added.
"Restless?" David asked.
"Very," the CSecO and FCO replied in unison.
David tapped his commbadge, "Dawson to engineering."
There was some static and then it cleared, =/\= Ken
here Boss. =/\=
"Good to see you got the internal comm system working."
=/\= I aim to please Boss. =/\= the HATHOR's aCEO replied
"How are the repairs to the navigational relays coming
along?"
=/\= Well to borrow a phrase out of the book of Dawson
terminology, those some bicks are a pain in my... =/\=
"*If* you don't want yours kicked Mr. Yates I'd advise
you to not finish that line of thought." David replied
and heard laughter over the comm.
=/\= Sorry Boss. Been waiting for the perfect
opportunity to use that. If you could send some extra
people it would speed things up nicely down here. =/\=
"I'm sending you two. I want those relays completed
before we get home. Understood?"
=/\= I'm on it Boss. Record time. =/\=
"I'm counting on you Ken. Dawson out," and he closed
the channel and looked at the junior officers, "well,
what are you waiting for? You wanted something to
do... now get off the bridge."
"Aye sir," both Uxtar and Derek said and nodded in
unison as they exited the bridge. David returned to
the command chair to finish up on some earlier
paperwork as the aft image of the ANUBIS was on the
view screen.
====================================
as
Lieutenant David Dawson
and
Executive Officer/Chief Engineer
"A Starfleet officer... that's all I am and that's all I'll ever be." 2006 post #134
Stardate: 60342.1600
Setting: USS HATHOR, COs Ready Room
Stardate: 60342.1615
Julian Knight (d_dawson_1@yahoo.com)
Chief Engineer
USS ANUBIS NCC 18501
USS HATHOR NCC 74211
- Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko,
Commanding Officer of the Federation Spacestation Deep Space 9
