Freedom (part two)
Posted on March 10th, 2015 by T'Lira

“Wait, when did we get a cadet?”

Ensign Nedal Taerys sighed and played with her earring as she favored Ensign Patrick Thompson with one of her famous eye-rolls.

“Pat, she was assigned three weeks ago, when we first got the assignment for the cadet cruise. Besides, considering they came aboard yesterday, how did you not know?”

He shrugged, “My attention has been focused on the war, not a bunch of snot-nosed cadets.”

“Don’t let those Vulcans hear you call them snot-nosed,” Taerys replied, gesturing to the pair of Vulcan cadets conferring about something or another.

“What do I care?” Pat chuckled, “Until they get some actual experience, they’re all snot-nosed. End of story.”

Taerys sighed and continued to scan her new lab project and see if it would actually work.

[=]

T’Lira noticed that a pair of ensigns were flicking glances at her and Sorak and chatting a bit. She didn’t overmuch mind. Perhaps they could be of assistance.

“I do not understand the results of this scan,” she quietly told Sorak, “These readings are abnormal to an extreme degree.”

Sorak lifted an eyebrow as he doublechecked her scans of local space.

“These spacial disturbances are indeed highly irregular for this region and political climate. I am unfamiliar with the base readings.”

The Bajoran ensign noticed their little conversation, gently pushed her human comrade away and walked over.

“How are you two finding everything on the Freedom?” she asked. T’Lira remembered that her name was Ensign Nadel and she had an elder sister also in Starfleet. Where she had heard that, she could not recall.

“Quite well,” she answered, “I am having difficulties with these readings. They are highly illogical.”

Nadel looked amused as she took a look at the readings, but her faint grin disappeared when she saw the readings and her face paled.

“Oh dear Prophets, please don’t let this be what I think it is…” she murmured as she tapped her commbadge, “Nadel to Patricks. Sir, can you run a scan of local space? I’m seeing something really wierd down here…”

A faintly annoyed voice answered, “Nadel, this better not be you getting paranoid and religious again.”

“Hey, it wasn’t me that found these strange readings. One of the cadets did. Just scan it, please, sir.”

“Fine,” Patricks sighed. After a few minutes of silence, he replied with, “Tell those cadets to follow every order they’re given!”

“What?” Nadel asked, “What is-”

“The readings. They’re Jem’Hadar battleships.”

At that very moment, the Red Alert klaxon started to wail, with a voice announcing that all personnel were to report to battle stations, this was not a drill, repeat, this was not a drill.

T’Lira and Sorak exchanged a look and turned to a panicked-looking Ensign Nadel.

“Orders, sir?” Sorak asked, both Vulcans fully understanding that they were in the middle of their first battle as of right now.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five