Captain Elric - Earth Spacedock, Operations
Captain Elric, a human and tactical officer, entered Operations aboard Earth Spacedock. His ship had been near-destroyed in a fire-fight with Na'kuhl, so he was awaiting re-assignment. Approaching the command ring, he nodded to Commander Allura, an Aenar and the station's Operations department head, who was at a console, working.
"Any word for me?" Elric asked, to Allura's consequently shaking head. "Well, I did do the Picard-ramming-ship-saucer-first thing, so it might be a while."
---
Admiral's Office
Elric was soon called into the Admiral's office, where Quinn handed him a PADD with mission details. "You're to join Captain Jade and Alternate Nat in acquiring proof of a suspected invasion from the Mirror Universe. Connect with them on what's going on."
"An invasion? That's serious. Yes, Admiral."
---
Infirmary
Elric wandered into the medical aid center, where patients and staff were in and out. There, he saw Nat and Krystal.
The Captain walked over. "Oh, hello. Sorry to interrupt. I'm Captain Elric of no starship in particular. I was assigned to assist in your mission. What's going on? You two look concerned."
Nat turned to Elric. "They're assigning captains who have had no involvement now. Welp, we're doomed." He relaxed a bit. "Just kidding. Captain Nat of no starship at all, probably. You know Admiral Nat? I'm an alternate version of him. A non-crazy one, luckily. As for the captain here..." He turned back to Krystal. "Could the nanites be capable of reproducing as to prevent removal? Maybe mirror Nat lied? Maybe he left another nanite and is doing this on purpose to get you out of the way?"
"Don't know," Krystal replied before turning to Elric. "Krystal Jade, U.S.S. Lexington."
"Nice to meet you two. As for me," Elric began. "I suppose the fact I nearly destroyed my last ship in a Na'khul battle kind of freed me up here. I got 'em though."
"Yea... well... I got rep for getting all the weird assignments," Krystal replied with a shrug.
"In your universe, maybe. In mine... well, I guess I--" Nat was stopped when he saw 11 of 14 walk in, coming over and handing Nat a PADD, then walking out without even saying a word.
"Alternate universe, huh? I imagine my counterpart is constantly on some adrenaline-running, high octane mission, like, all the time," Elric surmised.
Krystal again pushed herself up as if she was going to jump off the biobed to Nat's disapproval. "Nat, we've got a potential invasion in a week or so," Krystal said. "We don't have time for me to be poked with stuff to figure out what's going on."
"How bad is your condition, Captain Jade?" Elric asked.
"I feel fine right now," Krystal replied, unaware of the fact her right hand was enveloped in a light blue energy field. A nearby Medical Tricorder was also surrounded by an energy field of the same color.
"Whoa! Are you doing that?" Elric pointed to Jade's enveloped hand.
Krystal then saw her appendage, right before the medical tricorder floated over and landed in her hand. The glow dissipated shortly after that. "What... the frak... was that?"
"Some kind of telekinetic power? I'm impressed," Elric said.
Krystal looked at the tricorder. "Maybe this was a contengency plan? On the off chance I had to face off against someone with powers?" she said. "Probably can only do so much though, but it would still be quite a surprise. The only problem is... I don't know how to use this."
"Perhaps you won't know until you really need it," Elric figured. "Until then, you could test your abilities?"
"Maybe. But we still have a problem to deal with," Krystal replied as she got off the biobed.
Nat replied. "Yes. The mirror Alliance."
---
Admiral's Office
Later, Nat found Sarah and then they arrived at Admiral Quinn's office. "Sir, we have reason to believe that mirror Nat is planning to attack during the meeting with his alliance. We need to prepare."
Admiral Quinn nodded. "I'm already setting up large fleet 'patrols' in the core systems, but I have a feeling we're going to need more than that if they turn hostile."
Nat replied, "We considered the possibility of modifying ships to generate anti-tachyon pulses that would send their ships back to their universe, but we don't have any ships that can generate that amount of power. That said, I'd recommend we start making those modifications to our starbases immediately, starting with Earth Spacedock."
"Sounds like a good idea to me," Quinn replied. "Dismissed."
---
Infirmary
Nat arrived in time to find several nurses sprawled out on the deck, and Krystal being held at gunpoint by an Agony Phaser being held by the doctor, and a blue barrier protecting Krystal.
"As I have tried to explain, you're not going anywhere," the Doctor said in a dark tone.
Nat pulled out his phaser and pointed it at the doctor. "Put the phaser down, now."
"I think not," the doctor replied. "Admiral Leeta would be very interested in this... creature. Someone who's powers will in time rival those bestowed upon her by the Pah Wraiths themselves? Something like that can't be allowed to oppose her."
Krystal reached out, and a blue glow formed around the doctor's leg.
Nat aimed his phaser, set for stun, at the doctor, and fired. The blast struck the doctor square in the back. A personal shield flared up, and he staggered, but turned and aimed at Nat. Krystal made a wild sideways throw gesture, and the doctor suddenly had his feet taken out from under him, giving Nat an opening.
Nat lunged at the doctor and pinned him to the ground. "Start talking. Now."
Elric aimed a phaser from behind, backing Nat up.
"I'm not afraid of you," the doctor said as he continued to try and work something in his mouth. He seemed to be getting frustrated though with his lack of success.
"Problem, doctor?" Nat asked, knocking the doctor out with a swift hit over the head.
"It looks like he was fiddling with something in his mouth?" Elric observed. "A device, maybe?"
Krystal kept looking at her hand. "Poison tooth maybe," she said. "Oldest trick in the book."
"Classic," remarked Elric as he watched the security guards apprehend the unconscious Doctor. "By the way, Nat, how'd that meeting go?"
"Yeah, he took my recommendation that we modify our Starbases to emit anti-tachyon pulses, to protect them from anyone from the mirror universe."
A young Ensign Graff Elliot Sandara next arrived in the Infirmary. He noticed the scent of ozone and saw several security guards dragging an officer in a medical uniform out the door. Thoroughly weirded out by now he stepped inside. "Pardon me, I was told to deliver this PADD to sickbay." Graff handed over the PADD to Nat while looking at Krystal. "Ma'am! I studied the Lexington's voyages at the academy. The Iconian war, True Way, Captain, your ship is one of the most talked about ships!" Graff said with an incredulous look.
"Any mention about how I threw my ship at the Na'khul and nearly blew it to pieces last week?" Elric asked. "Well, ex-ship."
Graff looked and Elric and smiled awkwardly, "Sorry sir, I haven't been keeping up with the news lately." Graff turned his attention back to Nat. "Sir, is there anything on that PADD?"
Nat looked at the PADD. "Evidently not, but if it's classified, it may be hidden."
"I have experience in both local and alien decryption, including Starfleet Intelligence protocols. Quinn even cited me as an expert once, though I think he was just trying to get me to do more work. If there's something on that PADD he wants us to have unofficially, I can find it."
Nat handed the PADD over to Elric who got to work at a nearby console. "Go for it."
Graff looked at Elric and Nat with a confused stare, "Sirs, is there something here that I'm not being told about? With all do respect sirs, I do have a level 6 security clearance. My rank besides, I just was assigned to the U.S.S. Chamberlin as her fist officer. Captain Tritten thought that I was right for the job. The assignment was honestly a surprise. I guess I just did really well on the test scores."
Nat replied. "Well, I guess that works." He turned to Elric. "Anything?"
Elric had been working through the PADD until he was able break through the protection. "It appears to be recovered data on some alien artifact. How it relates to our mission, I'm not sure. I'll have to study what's on here."
Nat looked at Elric. "Does it resemble a medallion?"
"The data behind the protection itself appears to be fragmented. Though, part of what it depicts could be interpreted as a medallion, but possibly part of a larger whole." Elric glanced over at Nat. "Wait. Why'd you suggest that?"
"Apparently The Infamous used some kind of anti-Q medallion against some Q on ESD before he was captured. I figured they got the medallion and that they thought we could use it against Admiral Nat." Nat replied.
Graff looked around, obviously confused.
Elric nodded. "Perhaps the Ensign and I should be briefed on some things."
"Probably should be somewhere more comfortable than sickbay," Krystal suggested. "My ship. My rules. Crew Lounge to meet up, then we can go to my Ready Room. Figured the junior officers might feel more comfortable with a more public location to start."
"Very well," replied Elric. "As soon as I can, I'd like to investigate the aformentioned data on this medallion further. In the meantime, I'll see you on the ship."
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