A Cat's Job...
Posted on Tue Feb 1st, 2011 @ 4:14pm by Lieutenant Jimmy Cooper & Captain Elsie Halliwell
545 words; about a 3 minute read
Mission:
Triad
Location: Ready Room
Timeline: Before the Skirmish with the QAR
ON:
T'kaarch fidgeted with his tail then decisively pressed the ready room's chime. He had sat on his furry laurels for long enough, and he wanted to know more about QAR technology.
“Come in,†Elsie called out, tossing a PaDD casually aside as she glanced up briefly from her work. Seeing T’kaarch, she flashed him a brief smile, nodded mindlessly to the vacant chair on the opposite side of her desk and cleared her throat as a command for him to occupy it. “And what can I do for you, Lieutenant?†she asked, now typing in a few commands on her opened console. “One promotion not enough for you this week?â€
"No, I'm planning a mutiny..." T'kaarch quickly realised the captain usually didn't share his sense of humor, so he quickly swallowed it and went on: "Am I corrrrrect in assuming that you will assemble a boarrrrding party to searrrch the QAR-rr ship?"
Halliwell regarded the bumbling cat before her for the moment, narrowed her eyes at him and shook the throw-away comment off as a usual digression T’kaarch seemed to favour. “I’m not exactly sure what the plan will be when we engage the enemy,†she replied. “But a boarding party will most likely a prudent course of action.â€
"Captain, I would like to volunnteerrr forrr this boarrrding parrrty." He uncharacteristically didn't look away, but direct into Halliwell's eyes. "Ourrr earrrlierrr encounterrr with the QAR-rr was a ship fully manned with hologrrrams... It's not unlikely that this ship will also rrrely on holo technology... which happens to be my specialty." Also, he felt like he had some things to make up after the screw-ups he had made, but he decided against specifying that unprovoked.
Halliwell was by no means an expert on the QAR, their methods or their capabilities but she knew that the cat was correct in his hypothesis. When the Ranger had last (and first) happened upon the enemy, their ship was rife, riddled, with simple but dangerous holograms. Lining every corridor and every deck, Elsie just couldn’t assume that that technology was stolen and stand-alone for that one objective: Starbase 97.
She cleared her throat, paused for a brief moment and silently nodded her head in agreement. Taking out a PaDD, she noted down a few specifics and then downloaded the previous mission details. “I know you were there… and helped, Lieutenant, but brush up on their MO. You’re going to need every advantage you can get if we manage to break through.
"Obviously." T'kaarch nodded. "So... does that mean I can go?"
She fell silent for a moment, PaDD still clutched in hand and then said, “I would have thought that that was obvious.â€
"Thank you, Captain. If you'll excuse me I'll go and get ready!" T'kaarch said nodding and standing up.
Halliwell squinted and then quietly added, "We have to find them first, Lieutenant. Don't pack your bags just yet."
OFF:
Elsie Halliwell,
Commanding Officer, USS Ranger
T'kaarch,
Assistant Chief Science Officer (and Holographic Extraordinaire!), USS Ranger
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