Posted by Captain Iphigenia Henao (Captain) in Alt Timeline: Vendorian Briefing - Days before Lieutenant Nyman’s Arrival [Tag Lt. Cmdr. Magnusson]

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Adam Magnusson (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Alt Timeline: Vendorian Briefing - Days before Lieutenant Nyman’s Arrival [Tag Lt. Cmdr. Magnusson]

Posted by Captain Iphigenia Henao (Captain) in Alt Timeline: Vendorian Briefing - Days before Lieutenant Nyman’s Arrival [Tag Lt. Cmdr. Magnusson]
Posted by… suppressed (10) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Captain Iphigenia’s curiosity raced through her mind as she made her way to the meeting room aboard the Leviathan. Simultaneously, she sent a comm call to Lieutenant Commander Magnusson, who had informed her days earlier about the impending arrival of a new officer—a member of an extraordinary species known as the Vendorians. Fueled by her eagerness to learn more, she was resolute in gathering as much information as possible to ensure a seamless integration of this unique individual into their crew. “Lieutenant, when you have a moment, I would like to speak with you regarding the arrival of our new Chief Counselor. Please meet me in the briefing lounge on Deck 23.”

Henao, CO

=^=Acknowledged=^= came the gruff reply over the comm channel. Seven minutes later the short Intelligence chief arrived, hands clasped behind his back “Captain” He said as he entered the room “Interesting new member of the crew” He said, unusually conversational for him, although he tended to be so when alone with the Captain.

CIO

“Indeed,” Captain Iphigenia replied with a nod, appreciating Lieutenant Commander Magnusson’s presence. “I hope you have been well, Adam. You have been very quiet of late.” She walked around the briefing table and stood by the chair she intended to sit in as she continued, “The arrival of the Vendorian Chief Counselor is undoubtedly intriguing. As you know, I’m always eager to learn more about new species and their unique abilities.”

Adam inclined his head, he unclasped his hands from his back revealing that he held a standard PaDD “I suspected as much” He didn’t respond to the comment about having been quiet.

Taking a seat at the briefing lounge table, Iphigenia motioned for Magnusson to join her. “Before I meet our new crew member, I’d like to know everything we have on the Vendorians. I must admit, up till this point, I had never heard of such a species. Have you encountered them on any of your missions? I think the only thing I was able to ascertain from Starfleet archives is their ability to shapeshift, which, if I am honest, concerns me a bit.

Henao, CO

“I’m not surprised, there have only been a handful of occasions where they have interacted with the Federation at large, you can find references in the Enterprise 1701 records under then Captain Kirk, I have the necessary files here” The First file was labeled under “The Carter Winston Incident” We don’t know that much about the Vendorians at least culturally but for the longest time the Federation deemed them to be psychologically unfit to partake in wider galactic affairs, they are probably the first proper shape-shifter species that was engaged in hostile intelligence work against the Federation that we are aware of. In my personal opinion unless they choose the correct person their abilities don’t allow for any long-term operations, they mimic and then adopt the personality traits of the ones they mimic.”

Adam indicated the next portion which was the known histories and the aforementioned Federation denouncement of the Vendorian “Our new counselor has offered to be implanted with a monitoring chip which you, the first officer, Security Chief, and Myself should have access to but beyond that I think that some leeway should be granted.” He said in his usual calm tone “As far as I’m aware I’ve never met a Vendorian in the course of my duties but their usages as spies for the Romulans were not uncommon at least back in the day, since the Romulus disaster we’ve heard little about them being used. I have reached out to some people I know who have met one of the Vendorians but I have yet to hear back from them.”

CIO

Iphigenia listened as Lieutenant Commander Magnusson laid.out all the information he’d obtained on the Vendorians. It was times like this she was truly appreciative of her CIO and his ability to gather intelligence. She nodded thoughtfully, acknowledging the Federation’s limited interactions with them and historical concerns about their psychological fitness. “I appreciate the information, Adam. The Carter Winston Incident and their potential as Romulan spies do raise security concerns,” she replied, considering the implications.

“Shapeshifters have always raised such concerns but biology rarely beats science” Adam answered.

With a slight frown, she added, “Implanting a monitoring chip is a necessary and cautious approach, and I agree that we should grant some leeway to the new counselor. Prioritizing security while giving them a chance to prove their intentions is crucial.” She paused, then said, “Let’s stay vigilant and keep an open mind as we welcome our new crew member. I think the CMO should have access as well. He will need to familiarize himself with their anatomy for proper medical care.”

Adam inclined his head but refrained from speaking, he felt the Captain had more to say.

Iphigenia gestured for Magnusson to continue, showing genuine interest in any further updates from his contacts who have encountered the Vendorians. “I’d love to hear from anyone who has had a firsthand encounter with them. Any additional information we can get will be great. Do you know the level of hostile intelligence infiltration the Vendorians did for the Romulans? Not that it will impact my judgment of Lieutenant Nyman. I am just curious.”

Henao, CO

“We can never truly know a thing like that no more than we can about other intelligence work but they have been more careful regarding their use for the past century, a potential declaration of war is a good deterrent for most people. Overall I don’t think the Vendorians were too damaging, nothing compared to the Changeling threat during the Dominion Cold War and beyond.”

CIO

Iphigenia nodded, her expression serious. “Agreed, the Changeling threat was a far greater challenge. Let’s hope that Lieutenant Nyman’s intentions are genuine and that we can build a trusting relationship with him. I guess we cant do much more than to continue monitoring the situation closely and adapt our approach as needed. Thank you, Adam, for your thorough analysis. Your insights are invaluable to our crew’s safety.”

Henao, CO

Adam inclined his head as he was wont to do “I recommend keeping an open mind regarding Nyman, he’s been through Starfleet Academy and gained enough status to be able to be assigned to the Leviathan, paranoia, mistrust, and caution are my job territory” There was almost a hint of amusement in his tone at the end but his stony expression revealed no emotion.

CIO

She nodded in agreement with him. “You are right,” Iphigenia replied with a smile, acknowledging his expertise in matters of security. “I will certainly keep an open mind and give Lieutenant Nyman a fair chance. As you said, he has earned his place on the Leviathan. His backgroundmay even to usefulto us at some point” With a final nod, she concluded, “Are you planning to meet with him when he boards. I would love for you to test out his chip.”

Henao, CO

Adam slowly shook his head “I don’t think I’ll physically meet him to start with, perhaps shadowing him for a few days testing the chip out” he said considering “I occasionally shadow new crew members, It’s an interesting exercise to tail someone on a Starship, equal parts difficult and easy. Especially when you can manipulate the internal systems.”

CIO

Iphigenia welcomed Adam’s suggestion, stating, “Shadowing him sounds like a solid plan. It will provide us with valuable insights into his behavior and the chip’s integration. Moreover, it’ll help us gauge his reactions in various situations.” A moment of silence followed, during which she recalled another matter she wished to address. “Did you know we now have three or four cadets on board? How did we end up with cadets? I was under the impression we were meant to receive more experienced officers. Personally, I strongly believe the Leviathan is ill-suited for cadets.”

Henao, CO

Adam pressed his lips into a line, a clear sign of disapproval with the decision in question “I agree, some might argue that it’s easier to shape the officer we need than try to bend a more experienced officer” He didn’t show what he thought of that argument “I am looking into the decision to see if it came from any of the detractors from the program within the service, there is still an unofficial dislike of secret organizations within the service.”

CIO

Iphigenia let out a loud sigh and rolled her eyes so hard they begin to hurt as she furrowed her brow. “I am not going to lie. I do not understand the reasoning. We should at least be consulted with before they are assigned. Saoir said they just started showing up with assignment orders. I’ve always held reservations about throwing cadets into the crucible of active missions. The Leviathan operates in a realm of complexity and danger that’s hard to replicate in training simulations. We need officers who can make split-second decisions without hesitation.”

Iphigenia stood here, hands clutched tightly behind her back. “In any case, we’ll have to make do with what we have.” She said reluctantly. “Hopefully, they’ll rise to the occasion.”

Henao, CO

Adam inclined his head “There should be ample opportunity for them to receive the correct experience, it would also give me an opportunity to weed out the” He paused as if looking for the correct word “troublemakers and ill-qualified younglings” He spoke simply and his tone didn’t change but there was a viciousness in the words, something between the lines that implied that he would weed them out no matter the opportunity

CIO