STF

Main sim-Deck 1 Conference room

Posted Sept. 28, 2020, 2:36 p.m. by Lieutenant Commander Gravel Mardusk (Chief of Security) (James Sinclair)

Posted by Commander D’Vash Odinson (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Main sim-Deck 1 Conference room

Posted by Fleet Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Main sim-Deck 1 Conference room

Posted by Fleet Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Main sim-Deck 1 Conference room
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
(snip)

“No I am the Captain of the ship. As to why Lt. Commander Bordeaux seems to question things....ever try to work with your spouse,” she let out a small laugh.

“Yes, of course.” Alfo tilted his head slightly. “He is a handsome man. I can see why you keep him around.”

Ian titled his eyebrow at the comment. Handsome or not, he was the one who often lead negotiations like this. It was the job he had been giving, make peace where possible, let Kelly blow up the rest. It’s a shock sometimes Chris didn’t request this ship sooner, her cavalier approach often reminded him of her.

He now looked as if he were addressing both of them. “I don’t presume to know what you are willing to do. If you want… work… I can find you that. If you want a cut of our profits to let us be on our way, I can arrange that too… The other option.. supplies, repairs, and or an alliance… well that is more of a two way street and it appears that you like to keep us at a disadvantage.”

Alfo and the slient Shade.
GM

Revna’s voice was smooth, but low in volume as she spoke and it carried across the room, but they would have to listen carefully. She had often used this voice when a patient was troubled and needed to stop panicking and think. That wasn’t the purpose here, she simply wanted their attention. “You came to negotiate, and so far you have made offers, but no requests. It leaves me wondering what you want, or what you think you can get from us. And as of yet you have offered nothing that is of much consequence to us.” Kelly wanted Billy Bad Butt, well let them think they have nothing the ship needed. They did need repairs, they did need a safe place to do that. But to be the baddest meanest kid on the playground, you had to make sure no one KNEW that. “So what do you want Mr. Alfo? What is it you think you can get from us? And what do you really have to offer?”

Lt. Edman, Counselor

“To leave alive that’s what I want. A friend if you wish to be.” Alfo smirked at the counselor and waved his hands in a grand fashion with a bow. “The lamb does not make demands of the lion. You have us at a disadvantage, your Captain and her advisor has said as much with word, deed, and half veiled threat. If this is actually a fair negotiation, then let us be on our way and I will bid you a good day.” He turned to the Captain. “Are you what you claim to be… Captain… Explorers or those who use force to instill their will?”

Alfo, seizing opportunity offered
GM

Kelly shifted in her seat looking at Alfo. “We have no intention of harming you. You will leave as you came whenever you choose to but,” she said in a neutral tone, “I am most interested in your offer to help us refill our supplies. You mentioned something about alliances and a commercial center,” Kelly asked.

Captain Kelly Bordeaux

“Supplies are easier.” He paused. “Our base of operations… is covert. I’m sure you understand. You could easily pretend to seek an arrangement and instead find our base and capture it. That level of arrangement requires trust.”

“If you could give me a list of your needs. We can continue our discussion.”

Alfo
GM

“We can ask our department heads what they need, I am sure we can find some things you might be able to help…” Ian said with a cautionary tone to his voice. He wasn’t still certain if this was the way to go, but it was the way they were going regardless.

Bordeaux, CDO

Revna was not leaving the dynamic duo of Bordeaux alone to fall into the trap that Alfo was attempting to lead them into, and that was to divide them. Odinson was watching, hopefully he remembered. She moved her hands to her lab and one began tapping out a silent and strange rhythm. Morse Code. They’d used it as children. She requested a list of non sensitive materials for each department and two additional items. A gift for their guests from the captain. The first for Shade, the statue and consummate soldier–a Leatherman multi-tool. And for Alfo. Well Alfo was very concerned with his appearance and he liked “handsome” things. A black horned comb bejeweled with amethyst. It was on her desk in her quarters. Alfo was fond of his hair and he should like the ornate gift. She didn’t know how they would get it to her, transporter perhaps, so that it mysteriously appeared. But the more mystery the better.
Lt. Edman, Counselor

One deck above, D’vash continued to pay close attention to the conversation taking place when he noticed the tapping coming from Revna. He smirked when he realized that she still remembered the Morse Code from all those years ago. In her position, she probably didn’t have much opportunity to use it, where he still found it handy in certain situations. After deciphering the dots and dashes in his head, he send a comm to the quartermaster to either retrieve the items she had asked for or replicate them, then deliver them to Mardusk who waited outside the conference room. It was he that should deliver them to Revna.

“Would you like to come for dinner. You mentioned trust and I can think of no better way to learn to trust someone than over dinner. Unless we are on a time table for you to get back,” Kelly asked looking at Shade and Alfo. “You are more than welcome to invite a few more of your senior staff if you so choose.” Depending if he accepted and who Alfo brought over was who Kelly would invite on her end. Loose lips often sunk ships and she always felt diplomatic functions were easier when food was being served than when it wasn’t.

Captian Kelly Bordeaux

“I feel as if I should invite you to my ship, so that you might enjoy the foods of my sector of space.” Alfo paused as he looked at Shade. “It would be both prudent and imprudent to bring some of my top officers. But you have me and my ship at such a disadvantage already putting my entire command structure in your hands… no matter how noble would be unwise.”

Alfo
GM

After confirmation of the order, he went back to observing Alfo and Shade. Something about the two was causing more suspicion than it should. He had to wonder if they really the officers they claimed to be. Alfo was the mouthpiece, but he occasionally looked to Shade lmost to ask what he was saying was right. Was Shade really the one in charge, letting Alfo pretend so that he could observe and learn. . . .

Odinson (CIO)

“Then dinner at your place,” Kelly immediately agreed. Seeing what they were up against was far better than guessing. She didn’t believe for one second Alfo and Shade were as helpless as he continued to preach against the Atlantis. The also did not have the crew roster so whoever Kelly stuck in a uniform their new friends would have to believe as fact. This meant Odinson and Mardusk could don a security uniform and be armed which was probably far deadlier than anyone imagined. “So how many crew am I allowed to bring over,” she asked not looking anywhere but straight ahead trying not to smirk at the mental images in her mind of Mardusk wearing an Ensign uniform. The man would definitely have to work on the swagger of his stride. No ensign was ever that confident.

Captian Kelly Bordeaux

Alfo paused, surprised that the Captain agreed so readily. Either the Captain was very trusting or very secure in the knowledge that the Atlantis could defeat them at will. “Half a dozen, enough to be social not to many as to be overwhelming.” He spared Shade a sidelong glance, to which Shade almost imperceptibly shrugged.

Revna still had her focus on Shade. Trying to decipher that man was like trying to argue with a brick wall. There was nothing there, well almost nothing. Alfo kept glancing at him for confirmation. Either because he trust Shade’s judgement or to make sure he was playing a part well. She was curious to see their reactions to the captain’s gifts she’d arranged. She had no doubt that they would arrive. She was also very curious to see what Shade’s reaction would be to Kelly agreeing to have dinner on their ship.
Lt. Edman, Counselor

“Your teleportation device… could it return us to my ship as readily as it removed us from the shuttle?” (The pirate ship had polarized their hull - similarly to the tech level of other ships that they had encountered - At the magnitude of polarization it would prevent a transport) “Then we would not have to go through the bother of going to the shuttle.”

Alfo and Shade
GM

Jen cut in through the comms units .. =^= Their ship hull is polarized. Not strong but transporters are a no go through them. =^=
Jen

“It could,” Kelly agreed but wasn’t ready to announce that their polarized hull might cause issues like it did at the starbase with the Lorn, “but your shuttle would just be floating around space. It would make no sense to have you just leave it in space would it Mr. Shade?” Kelly looked at Alfo and then back at Shade for an answer.

Captain Kelly Bordeaux

“The pilot should have returned to the carrier by now, in any regard I would welcome the experience again.” Why the alien was so interested in the transporter device was annoying but not surprising.

Revna was still watching Shade, she was also wondering where her delivery was. She had no doubt Odinson got the message, so where was it? Their guests were getting ready to leave, and they needed that before they did. “If I may, Captain and Mr. Alfo. We did promise that you would be returned in the same manor in which you arrived. You would come by shuttle and would leave by shuttle. That your pilot and shuttle would be allowed to return to your vessel while you were here, and then again we would ensure your safe return on your shuttle. I believe it would be best to keep to our word. We do not need to cause any undo panic among your crew that you suddenly appear and your pilot to panic when you are not returned. We are a people of our word.”

On a hunch, Revna stood and walked about the room, refilling drinks. It would keep them there a bit longer. She half turned, so she could continue to observe their guests, “Captain, with your permission, I will retrieve the items you wanted.” She hoped that Kelly and Ian would just play along. They had no idea what she was up to. She moved over to the door that Mardusk was supposed to be stationed by and rapped softly on it, waiting. Hoping on the other side, Mardusk or someone else had the PaDD with needed materials and the two gifts she had requested.
Lt. Edman, Counselor

The door slid open and the big green bulkhead that was Mardusk was visible against the far wall. An arm reached across the passage and had the PaDD and the other requests. “Everything smooth, Counselor?” he asked with a glance past her into the room, a wary eye on their ‘guests’.

Mardusk, CoS

Revna gratefully took the items. She looked up at Mardusk, her look conveying her thoughts on it. It was quiet, but she didn’t trust their guests. “Appearances are deceiving,” she whispered. With a nod she turned back to the room and walked over to Kelly standing to her right and a half step back. She handed her the PaDD of requisitions she’d ‘requested.’ Revna held onto the gifts to see if Kelly would take them or have Revna or Ian give them to their guests.
Lt. Edman, Counselor

D’vash had begun to wonder if his previous message to Mardusk had been misconstrued or was there a problem finding the items Revna requested. He breathed a sigh of relief when she returned from the door with items in hand.

His gaze then went back to Shade. His gut was telling him that Shade was the real man in charge. He was intently watching waiting for some give away to confirm his suspicions.

Odinson (CIO)

Alfo laughed, it was deep and rich and it sounded a little affected. “Sure, keep your secrets. We came by horse and buggy and we shall leave the same way.” He reached towards his waist and removed an item. The motion was smooth but not aggressive.

=^=Alfo to The Darkness…=^= he paused as he looked at what was clear to be a communication device. He looked over at Shade whose motion was similar. He squinted at his comm device.

“Our communications devices seem to be drained of power.” The looked at the lights. “A localized draining effect… but your systems seem unaffected.”

Shade grunted… “Its only us, isn’t it. Captain Kelly?” He didn’t reach for the energy weapon on his side, in case his action be misconstrued. “It a weapon… a clever one, we think we have a shield but we instead don’t.”

Alfo and Shade
GM

Kelly knew her crew would have been hanging in every word. Jen was in the bridge already a step a head of her preparing for comm lines for the guests to be opened. “As you said we are in need of a few repairs. External communications must be in the fritz. Lemme see what I can do for you.”

Activating her comm badge Kelly used plausible deniability to her advantage. =/\=. Bridge our guests are trying to contact this ship. Can you boost power to the external communications relay to see if we help them get that call through? =/\=

Kelly Bordeaux

“Convenient.” Shade said sharply. “Very.”

Alfo smiled broadly as he interrupted. “I’m certain it was either an error on our part, or a wise precaution on yours. I would suggest that in the interest of fairness. You bring no weapons or communication devices on to our ship.” He opened his hands, “In the interest of fairness… and since we are all friends here.”

Alfo and Shade.
GM

Warning bells went off in Revna’s mind. Oh things just went b.a.d. Alfo might seem genial but it was past that now. And the sharpness of Shade’s voice, the man who hadn’t spoken until now, didn’t escape her either. No weapons, okay that was fair. And if Mardusk and Odinson were going along, she was pretty sure they wouldn’t need weapons. But no communication, well granted they had blocked that, but still, that was a bad idea.

There was no way they would buy the external communications bit. They’d been using external communications to set up this meeting. But with a still calm demeanor Revna spoke softly. “Yes, we are all friends here, Mr. Alfo. I’m sure whatever the problem is they will have it fixed immediately. But while we wait we have for our new friends, a gift.” She took the items she’d asked for and she was tempted to offer the one for Shade first, to see what they would do, but the tension was already high, so taking the ornate comb, black bone with amethyst, she stepped closer to their guests and offered it to Alfo. She turned to Shade offering him the leatherman multitool. She took a single step back and mimicked the bow Alfo had offered earlier.
Lt. Edman, Counselor

“Ahhh…” Alfo started… “Gifts,” He smiled broadly. “You have us at a disadvantage yet again. We did not bring items over for an honorable exchange.” He gave a bow crossing one arm against his chest as he did so. “You are both noble and generous.”

In the passageway outside, Mardusk listened to the exchange and his brow furrowed. Thinking about what that meant, he tapped gis communicator and said =/\= Mardusk to Security. Bring me a half-dozen homing beacons from the armory. And dig me up an old Phase II communicator. Bring it to my location asap. =/\=

Mardusk, CoS

Shade for his part curled his lip slightly as he looked at the leatherman tool. “I wouldn’t presume to take such an… item.”

Alfo continued unabated. “We can exchange gifts of equal preciousness on our own ship and there would be no debt incurred.” The smile disappeared as he looked at Shade and gave him a minute but firm nod.

“I am in your debt.” Shade forced out as he now, encouraged took the tool. “I’m sure it will do whatever it does, well.”

Shade and Alfo
GM

Revna stepped back. She could put them at ease. She could claim that the gift was in thanks for the supplies they were going to help them acquire. But her job here was to be the captains gofer, servant, or yeoman. In appearance anyway. It was up to Kelly and Ian to decide if they wanted to put them at ease, or have them in their debt. The offering of such a simple thing could have so many uses. It was up to the Captain to decide how she wanted to use it now. She still didn’t like how this was going after Alfo and Shade realized their communicators and guns weren’t working.
Lt. Edman, Counselor

“It’s us who are indebted to you. The gifts are our way of saying thank you for your help and generosity with procuring supplies and introductions to others in this area of space. There is no need for reciprocation. A gift is given to say thank you not given in expectation for something to be returned.” Kelly could play the diplomatic game when needed. She didn’t care if Shade was annoyed or not. All she wanted was move this little meet and greet along. The sooner they did the sooner the Atlantis could get the supplies they needed and return home.

Captain Kelly Bordeaux

From his monitoring station one deck above, D’vash realized he had missed an excellent opportunity to gather intel on their visitors. He offered a silent Orion curse under his breath as Revna offered Alfo and Shade their gifts. Had she informed him of the gifts beforehand, he would have had time to plant a bug on one or both of the items.

Can’t blame her, though–it was probably a spur of the moment decision as an offer of good will. It would have been nice to have been privy to their conversation as they headed back to their own ship. The other option would have been to plant a bug while the shuttle was in the bay, but he had missed that opportunity as well.

Damn, too many years in command has made me sloppy. Going to have to work on that, he thought.

The CIO hit his comm badge. =^=Odinson to Nash. I’ve got a job for you. I want you in the shuttle bay so that when our guests shuttle arrives, can you try to plant a listening device on board?=^=

Odinson (CIO)

It was a few kinutes later, but Ensign Hormel arrived and handed the requested equipment to Mardusk in a black shoulder bag. “Here you go, Chief. Threw in a few holdout phasers as well as a pair of tricorders. Didn’t know what was up, but you always tell us to over prepare if we can.”
Mardusk patted the slender young man on the shoulser and said “Good job. Send a security detail to the shuttle bay, surveillance in the guests as they leave. Tell ‘em to keep it low-key, got it?” and Hormel noded and walked away.

Mardusk, CoS


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