After Action Report

Posted on Fri Sep 25th, 2020 @ 3:53pm by Lieutenant Kevan Dash & Senior Chief Petty Officer Mason Malone

Mission: The Shadow of Arachne
Location: Security Office
1112 words - 2.2 OF Standard Post Measure

It had taken a little before Mason had time to report to sickbay as he'd first taken their prisoner to the brig. Mason felt no pity for the Bolian, even if he could somewhat understand why he'd done it. He wasn't so sure if he wouldn't do the same, if Alex and Angelique were abducted. It made him realize that when this was over he should reserve some time to call her.

But first he had to swing back to the office, and report on what had happened. And with Lieutenant Sar no doubt busy, that made Kevan his direct superior. "Sir?" he queried as he approached his friend's office. "Got a minute?"

Mason had called him 'sir', Kevan noticed. That was new. Normally he'd been using his first name. Then again, after the last time they'd crossed paths maybe the relationship had cooled a bit.

"Mason," he responded with a nod. "Did you get the prisoner locked away?"

A fleeting hint of confusion crossed the younger man's face as he was addressed by his name. "Yes sir," he answered, "safely locked away in a cell and I made sure he has nothing to harm himself with." The Bolian had seemed desperate somehow and Mason was afraid he might do something to hurt himself, so just in case he had removed any items the man had on him and put them in storage for safe keeping. He held out a PADD towards Kevan. "I didn't get a great many details on him though, all that is a fact, is that he's Bolian and definitely not assigned to this ship." He gave a breath's pause then added a simple, "sir."

"At least he's somewhere we can keep an eye on him. He said something about other devices. Do we have any clues?" Kevan wondered, poking at the PADD with his finger.

"No but I believe Lieutenant P'rel will be leading an interrogation so hopefully something comes of that. Do you want to look into the origin of the device that was discovered in Phaser control?" He paused. "I mean, together, see what we can uncover? There had to be some clues on the device itself, hadn't there?"

"You're thinking that we might be able to use it to find any others? Yeah, that's not a bad idea." Kevan motioned for them to return to the main section of the security offices, where the bomb - he assumed it was a bomb, at least - had been stored in evidence. "You're the lead investigator," he nodded with the faintest of grins. "Investigate."

A faint grin, well that was something and he'd make do with it. Mason offered a similar smile in return as he walked around the device. "It doesn't really look like something that might explode, does it?" he asked, "have you taken any readings of it yet? Tried to pull it apart?" He beckoned the man over, pointing at some kind of access port. "Looks like it might contain some kind of programming. Maybe we should enlist the chief engineer's help on this?"

"What chief? He was taken out in the explosion," Kevan shrugged. "We're relying on the Assistant Chief. Keating, I think?"

"Oh..." Mason pondered on that for a moment. "Well she'll want a report of our findings anyway won't she?" He bit his lower lip in thought. "When I saw you in engineering, I was glad to see you're alright," he admitted, without looking up to meet his eyes. Instead, he looked down at his freshly healed hands, which still felt a little tender.

"Yeah. You too." He felt awkward answering that. "You, uh...hurt your hands?"

Mason nodded slowly. "Yeah... lost my balance when I was up near the warpcore, got a bit singed. Doc's taken a look and he's healed it well..mostly. Now it's just a little tender. That Bolian, he didn't hurt you did he? After you took him down?" He bit his lip for a moment as he looked up, studying him. THe tension was almost palpalble between them. "So this explosive device... shall we go have a look?" he finally offered in the hope of breaking the tension.

"Nah, I'm okay. I got the drop on him...yeah, let's maybe run a few scans for anything exotic, something we can trace if it's elsewhere in the ship?" Kevan suggested.

Again the man nodded, moving towards the device which was displayed on one of the desks, safely kept behind a containment field. "It doesn't look like anything familiar," he commented as he flipped open his tricorder, "at first glance it certainly isn't Starfleet unless it's some kind of newly developed thing we haven't seen before." He circled around it a few times. "Picking up traces of Bolian and Human DNA, and something that we'll have to run through the database for identification."

"Right, let's keep on that. We're being hunted by Breen warships, so we should start with them and other former members of the Typhon Pact," Kevan suggested.

"You think the Tholians or Tzenkethi might be involved? I don't see Romulans getting involved, they can't afford to be divided any more than they already are." Mason walked over to one of the consoles, initiating another scan. "I'll scan for them anyway, this could take a few hours." He paused. "Want to come and get something to eat while the scan runs?"

"Hours..." Kevan sighed. The Breen would likely have caught up to them in far less time than that. "There must be some faster way of finding out. Maybe P'rel will have better luck in interrogating Commander Brill." He shook his head, then looked at Mason. "Something to eat might be worth it; we don't know when the next disaster is going to hit."

"I'm sorry Kev, I can't speed up a diagnostic, I'm not an engineer. Let's hope she does have more luck, though interrogation isn't everything either. Someone can be conditioned in a certain way to not reveal anything." He lightly, and somewhat hesitantly touched his arm. "What would you like to have? My treat."

Kevan noticed the touch on his arm but didn't react. In fact it made him hesitate. This wasn't really the time or place for that conversation, and he might need a drink or two first. "Just...whatever." He shrugged noncommittally. "Whatever you're having."

"Steak and fries," Mason beamed, resisting the urge to just drag him along to get there faster. "And a nice cold beer to go with it." Since it would be synthehol - in his case - he didn't see an issue with having one while being on a meal break. "Let's go."