The Ivory Tower

Posted on Wed Nov 3rd, 2021 @ 11:14pm by Commander N'Garzi Zora & Lieutenant Commander P’rel M.D & Lieutenant JG FalenvralLi Zh’kyhrihr & Lieutenant Kevan Dash

Mission: With Gleaming Eyes
Location: Shuttlebay/Ithaca II
Timeline: MD-02
3742 words - 7.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Zora studied the PADD that the quartermaster had handed to her. It was a full list of the equipment that they would be bringing to the planet in order to find the cause of the mystery illness. She had wanted to transport everything down but apparently sensitive equipment and transporters weren't always the best mix. Something about the ionised atmosphere made beaming the bulky gear a bit more temperamental or some other jargon. If Zora was being honest, she hadn't been paying full attention, her mind on the mission at hand and her role within the mystery that lay ahead. Plus she trusted her officers, if they said that she couldn't use the transporter and had to use a shuttle instead, she didn't question it, she just wanted to get on with it. Cutting to the chase, she believed was the old human expression. She was rather fond of that one, though she had no clue what it meant.

"Zora to Lieutenants P'rel, Dash and Zuh-kai-ree-her," no that didn't sound right at all, she thought to herself. Hopefully the commlink would go the right officer. Despite all of her years as a linguist and communications officer, the Andorian language continued to elude her, it was highly frustrating. "Please report to the shuttlebay for away team duty."

—
Staring intently at the PADD in her hand, the Vulcan Lieutenant read through the file headings whilst reclining in a lounging chair in her quarters. She was intent on discovering how all of this linked together, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was missing something. Something from the past which was calling to her distantly, though she couldn’t quite hear it yet. “Rondac...” she murmured to herself, looking at the main menu headings in her directory. Her irritation was rife when her comm badge came to life, disrupting her chain of thought mostly but also riled at being summoned so abruptly. Grabbing her comm badge, she pulled it from her tunic and threw it across the room, hearing it tumble away into some recess of furniture. She was going to connect these dots, she had to.
—

A few minutes later two out the three officers had assembled. She tried to contact P'rel a few more times but with zero luck. Clearly the Vulcan was too busy to follow the chain of command, a problem for a later day. "Thank you for being so abrupt," Zora said sincerely. "We will be taking a shuttle down to the surface to meet with one of the local leaders, hopefully we'll be able to shed some light on this mystery. Lieutenant," she turned to face the Andorian woman, "you have the helm. Save any questions for the journey, let's get moving," she said, eager to get underway.

Li's mouth was already open by the time the Commander said to save any questions so she shut it before nodding and stepping into the loaded shuttle to begin preflight checks. The shuttle was linked to Athena's latest scans of the planet, so she used that to plot a quick route to the newly cleared site on the northern edge of the developed area of the colony world. This she knew. This she was comfortable with. No mutinies, no getting locked in a leaking cargo bay. Just a fly a nice, modern, Federation shuttle from here to there.

"So what's the deal with the shuttle?" Kevan asked, checking his hand phaser while looking around at the equipment. "Is something likely to explode if knocked?"

"Only if you get trigger happy Lieutenant," Zora responded as she made her way into the shuttle followed by the other two. Zora took a seat next to the Andorian woman, in the co-pilot chair, not that she had any desire to take over the controls. "Get underway as soon as your checks are done Lieutenant..." Zora didn't want to butcher the young woman's name again and so hoped she would help her out.

Hearing the Commander's voice linger on her rank, Li glanced over while prepping the shuttle. "Li, ma'am." She shrugged, realizing that the pronunciation of her surname had been a bit strangled over comms. "Andorian names don't perfectly map onto the standard Starfleet uses. Some of us do use our full clan name as though it were an Earth European surname but, if someone were to call out for Zh'kyhrihr where I grew up, about a quarter of everyone around would think you were talking to them. I gather it's similar even on Earth in Vietnam. When half of everyone's named Nguyễn, first names are more useful even in formal settings."

Zora nodded in understanding. She had spent some time with an Andorian ambassador who had pretty much said the same thing. "Understood, Lieutenant Li."

After a few more taps on the console and a brief pause during which she glanced back just to double-check that everyone was on board, Li said, "Shuttle is sealed and we are clear for launch." She then eased the shuttle up from the deck and guided it smoothly through the bay doors.

As the small craft expertly left the ship Zora turned to half face the man in the back and Li in the pilot seat. "I didn't get a chance to introduce myself, I am Commander Zora and I'm the new first officer onboard. I am looking forward to working with you both. I have read your records but they can be so impersonal, I'm looking forward to knowing the people behind the record. Did any of you have any questions about our mission or more importantly, our roles within this mission?"

After a few moments of silence Zora decided to continue with her plans. She put her hand on the back of Li's chair. "Once we hit the lower atmosphere, please slow to one-third speed. I would like to get some arial scans while we have the opportunity to do so. Trigger," she now faced the young Trill officer, "I want as much tactical data as we can gather. Also look for any recent ion trails or maybe something that seems out of place here."

"Understood," Li said, turning to the man in the back. "Anything in particular you want a good look at? I can't imagine they'd complain too much about us taking a slow, oblique course toward our landing on the first trip down. Maybe even circling the landing area before we set down just to be sure we have a good read on it."

"Getting a look at the perimeter is a good start," Kevan suggested. "Cardassians aren't particularly subtle when it comes to showing strength. We get a look at how well maintained their compound's defenses are, it'll give an indication of where their garrison is likely at."

"Good idea Lieutenant," Zora said to Kevan. "Coordinate with Li, we'll get as many scans as possible before landing."

Li pulled up the imagery Athena captured from orbit and drew her finger across it in an arc that seemed to her like it would give a view of the perimeter. "So if I come in here, bank starboard and follow this path until I circle back and land here? Will that give you the angles you need?"

"Perfect. If you want to buzz their tower and scare the hell out of them, I certainly wouldn't complain," Kevan winked.

"Easy Lieutenant, we're here to make friends not start an interstellar incident," Zora said with a glint in her eye. "Lieutenant Li, your course looks perfect proceed as planned."

"Awww," Li moaned. "I was just getting all excited to test their reflexes." She followed their perfectly normal, if unnecessarily looping, course along the outer edge of the settlement, coming back around and lazily approaching the landing field from just about 45 degrees off their initial vector.

After a few moment Zora seemed happy with all the data they had recorded. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary but they hadn't had much time to go through it all properly, that was for the sensor buffs on the ship to do. "Lieutenant Dash, please send all of the sensor readings back to the Athena. Li, take us down," she ordered.

The shuttle slowed and began to descend vertically. "The site's pretty primitive. I imagine we'll have some dust up our skirts but I anticipate a smooth landing in 3 - 2 - 1. . . " the sound from outside the shuttle rose slightly as dirt peppered the hull then the hum of the engines faded and all was quiet. "Touchdown. Welcome to Ithica II." She swiveled to the XO and asked, "Did you want me to stay and secure the shuttle for your return or is this just a drop-off?"

Zora mused at Li's skill and expertise at the helm, the shuttle barely rocked as the it touched the ground, and she had the feeling that Li could have completed that maneuver in her sleep. "No we will secure the shuttle and then you'll be coming with me to meet the Administrator. I think a second pair of eyes on the situation would be wise, and I think you're a good second pair to have around Lieutenant, wouldn't you agree?"

She felt her pulse surge in the face of another away mission. Flying was home for Li. It was comfortable. Not always safe, but deeply familiar. Even when things went wrong, she could usually figure out why and at least had some clue what to do about it. So far her experience with the sorts of missions that involved leaving the comfort of her ship had left her feeling very much not in control and out of her depth. But then she hadn't requested assignment to a starship so that she could just keep flying shuttles, had she? She tried not to let too much of her apprehension show. "As you wish, Commander." She turned back to the console. "Initiating shut down and systems lockout while we're gone."

"Ought to be secure," Kevan nodded. "No way the Cardassians are going to be fooling around with our shuttles, but we'll keep an active security sensor on just in case. Where to now, Commander?"

Zora pressed the controls that activated the back door ramp. "We should be meeting the Administrator here. Ah, I believe this is her now." As the door continued it's descent Zora could see the slim frame of a Cardassian woman approaching the small craft. She was tall and slender and had an air of authority about her. She was being followed by an older looking Cardassian who purposely stayed a few feet behind her as she walked. Zora couldn't help but wonder what punishment he would receive if he stepped out of line?

"Starfleet," the Cardassian woman said in a brash voice. "We expected you sooner than this."

"My apologies," Zora said as she stepped out of the shuttle, closing the gap between the Cardassian woman and herself. "We needed to get some sensor readings, this was the perfect opportunity."

The Cardassian raised an eyebrow but didn't comment further. "I am Administrator Sitem Rize, I am in charge of the civilian populace. This is my aide Tas Keisgak. Come, we have much to discuss," and she turned on her heel and headed back in the direction she came.

Zora was used to the dominating personalities of Cardassians and so paid this cold behavior no mind. She turned to the two officers and gave them a half smile. "Dash, start unloading the equipement, then come and find us. Li, you're with me."

Zora, along with Li, followed the two Cardassians into a small building. The first thing she noticed was the heat; the Cardassians love of heat wasn't shared by everyone and Zora was among those who preferred a cooler environment. The second thing she noticed, was the armed guards that stood sentry at the entrance to the building. Zora knew that Cardassians took their security measures very seriously but it did seem odd that a civilian administrator would need armed guards. What was happening on this planet?

The group went up a few flights of winding staircases and then down a long corridor. The building they were in appeared to be much older than one you would expect. There was a sense of grandeur about it, but not in the usual way. It didn't appear to be full of technology as you may expect, but more as if it was built centuries ago and maybe restored to a state that tried to highlight the original features and time period. The corridors were lined with solid wood panels and what looked like expensive artwork, though art was subjective. The floors were a solid marble-like material and the ceilings were high and highly decorative. The building definitely predated the Cardassians arrival on the planet.

The four people went through the solid wooden doors at the end of the corridor and entered into a magnificent office. It was round in shape, had stone arches and the same marble-like material fashioned into ten feet high pillars that held up the carved ceiling. Zora understood why Rize would use this as her office, even if she was against the way the Cardassians had most likely appropriated it.

"I will join you shortly," Sitem Rize said, eyeing them both, looking for any tells that she could use to get an advantage in their encounter. "Tas will get you both a drink."

"Water will be fine," Zora said.

Li looked at Tas and said, "Yeah. Water would be great. The colder the better." She tugged at her collar. Andorians, despite their icy homeworld, were quite capable of dealing with hot environments. She'd never found them comfortable though.

The two Cardassians left the room and Zora turned to Li. "Initial thoughts Lieutenant?" She asked in a hushed voice.

It had been hard not to gawk as they followed the path through the facility, but Li allowed herself to do so now. Staring up at the carved ceiling. "Awfully fancy for some little mining colony the Cardassians can't be bothered to support, isn't it? I was half expecting prefabs or something. Not this."

"Agreed," Zora said as she let her eyes roam the room and take in all of its beauty. "I know Cardassian like to flaunt their triumphs but this building is beyond over the top. Can you take some discreet scans? I'm not sure what I'm expecting to find but something feels out of place here, wouldn't you say?"

Keeping an eye on the door, Li pulled out her tricorder and held it unobtrusively at arm's length. She continued to stare at her surroundings, wandering through the room, letting the device gather data. Glancing at the readouts, she frowned, then turned to face the door with the tricorder behind her, still recording. "I don't, uh. . . I'm not an archeologist or historian or anything but I know some of the basics here. The Cardassian expansion into colonies like this has only been going on for about a hundred years, right? Or two? Not 800."

"800 years?" Zora questioned, but before she was able to finish her sentence, the door flew open and Rize appeared. The Cardassian stopped in her tracks and eyed Li, the tricorder still in her hand.

"Take your scans Lieutenant," the Administrator said cooly. "I know you Starfleet officers love your scans and information. Maybe when you're done, you would care to join us," she added as she indicated to the solid wooden desk and the two chairs that were awaiting the two officers.

Zora gently nodded to Li and then she took one of the seats. As she did so, Tas glided in, carrying a tray with a jug of water and three glasses. He poured out the drinks and placed them in front of the people assembled, he then took his place standing behind his superior.

"To business then," Rize said, no hint of an apology or explanation for her swift disappearance. "Your captain had a meeting with Gul Dara who I imagined downplayed the situation we are currently facing."

"And what is the situation?" Zora asked, taking a drink of water.

Rize studied the federation commander for a moment before answering. "The reason you are here, on Ithaca II," she said simply, offering no further explanation.

"The civil unrest," whispered Tas, so quietly Zora wasn't sure if she had imagined it. Though, considering the look he received from Rize for speaking out of turn, Zora was certain she had heard correctly.

"Civil unrest?" Zora questioned, looking at Li who's expression seemed to mirror her own.

"That's not exactly the wording I would have used," Rize said, her cold eyes still lingering on the older man, "however, it is an apt one nonetheless."

"We were under the impression that this was a humanitarian mission," Zora said, keeping her voice steady. "To help with the illness that is affecting the people."

"It's all one of the same thing." Rize replied, once again offering no further information for the Starfleet officers.

Zora eyed the two Cardassians, taking note of their tone and body language. She decided not to push further with her questions, sometimes giving someone space to elaborate was the best course during a difficult conversation. This was a tactic she had used a lot in the past, Cardassians didn't like direct questioning and maybe this way they would offer some more information on the matter.

Li finally took her own seat. There was probably someone on Athena who would jump at the chance to make an intensive study of the structure they were in, she'd certainly found herself in conversations with officers who specialized in less interesting things, but this was far outside her own expertise. Beyond the apparent age of the carvings, she wasn't learning much from the data she'd collected. She had been following the conversation though. "Because," she offered, "the Metis reached out directly? Overstepped their station?"

"There has been an uneasy alliance between the Cardassians and the natives of this world for some time," Rize continued ignoring the Andorian, "but the past few years have been troubling. The military officials here like to think they have everything under control, but they don't deal with the people as we do. They sit in their ivory towers, away from reality."

Zora couldn't help but scrutinise the very room they were sat in, it screamed of 'ivory tower privilege', not that she vocalised this thought. She wanted to ask why the Gul would downplay this entire situation, but Zora had spent enough time with Cardassians to know the answer to that. "So you don't believe the illness is a coincidence?"

"Do you?" Rize asked. "There have been rumours of factions appearing, some wanting unity, the others do not." She waved a Cardassian PADD as she said this, Zora had no idea where it had appeared from.

"Why involve us? Why Starfleet?" Zora asked.

Rize smirked. "I didn't, but you are here now and could prove very useful. Cardassian politics can be very... intricate. Starfleet can have a more scientific approach."

Reaching out slowly, Li picked up her glass of water as unobtrusively as she could and took a sip. Some kind of outbreak was bad enough, but at least it seemed concrete. Point the right scientists at the problem, fly them around, watch their backs, and it was the sort of thing you could solve. Politics though? Cardassian politics at that? She stayed quiet and looked at her Commander.

Zora took another sip of water as she thought about everything she had learned. Her reverie was interrupted but the sudden sound of a heavy wooden chair, she looked up to see Rize on her feet.

"Duty calls," Rize said simply. She met the eyes of the El-Aurian and held her gaze, as though trying to work out if the Starfleet officer was ready for the task that lay ahead. "I hope your scientists are up to the task Commander." As she spoke, she very slowly, and very purposely put the PADD she was waving earlier down on the desk, her eyes still trained on Zora. "I will send someone to escort you out. I'm sure we will speak again soon."

With no further word, Rize marched out of the room, followed by the older man, once again making sure his steps were purposely behind hers.

Zora watched the pair leave and waited until the door was closed. She stood up and picked up the PADD. "Looks like we have a present," she said to Li. Zora pressed a few buttons on the PADD and it sprung to life. It was full of information about the people and groups on the planet. "Thoughts?" She asked as she skimmed the information.

After another sip of the tepid water she'd been provided, Li sighed. "Well, my first thought is to wonder what exactly they mean when they say the Metis were primitive when they got here. I mean, they make it sound like they were sheltering under rocks, scratching in the dirt for food, and howling at the moon for entertainment, but this place wasn't built by or for the Cardassians. Maybe they were pre-warp, but I wouldn't call them primitive." she waved at the carvings on the walls around them.

"As for the divide between the military here and the colonial leadership? Whatever 'Unity' is supposed to mean? I dunno. I'm not sure it changes much for us, does it? Maybe in a broad 'what does it mean for the Federation' sort of way, but in terms of our mission here, regardless of how anyone's getting along? There's still an outbreak, whatever the source, whatever the reason we got the call. Just more reasons to keep our head on a swivel, but being on a Cardassian colony world was reason enough for me."

Zora studied the Andorian, smiling. "You'll go far Lieutenant," she said encouragingly. "You're right, it doesn't affect our immediate mission, we're here to provide aide and to the best of our ability we will do just that. However, it's always vital to know all the players involved, especially when dealing with Cardassians, and now we're a step closer," she said indicating the PADD in her hand.

"Let's find our favourite security officer and head back to the ship," Zora said as she pulled at the collar on her uniform. "Don't know about you but I'm missing the coldness of space right now."