Meeting Kane in the Flesh

Posted on Wed Feb 16th, 2022 @ 6:16pm by Commodore Jacob Kane & Lieutenant Didrea Zade

Mission: With Gleaming Eyes
Location: USS Athena
Timeline: MD04 - 0755 hrs
1002 words - 2 OF Standard Post Measure

As expected, the shuttle Nightingale approached Ithaca about 20 minutes after Kane made contact, the small blip of white circling the planet to catch up to the Athena before maneuvering into an orbital flight path next to it. "Alright, the landing site is here," Zade said, pointing to the map they were given as she handed off the controls to a blue shirt. "You'll be working under a Lt. Commander Ki."

Once the officer was settled in, Zade moved away from the front to collect her bag. The cylindrical storage unit held a couple spare uniforms, some casual clothes, some PADDs for reading (if she had time), and the travel products for her hair. She pulled the strap over her head and set it sit diagonally across her back, adjusting the strap so it fit snug.

"Lieutenant Zade to the Athena, one ready for transport." She heard confirmation on the other end and looked around at the science and medical officers. "Good luck down there," she said, before the blue flutter of the transporter beam engulfed her vision. After a moment, the Athena's transporter room appeared with a young man operating the controls.

"Captain, Lieutenant Zade has arrived and will be up shortly," the transporter chief reported into his badge once the Trill materialized.

Finally on board, Zade adjusted the cylindrical bag, making sure it was snug. Alright, check in with the Captain, then go meet the security chief, Zade thought, nodding her thanks to the transporter operator as she exited the transporter room. When the doors shut behind her, though, she looked to the left, then to the right, realizing that both directions looked the same and she didn't know where to go. "Computer, uh... how do I get to the turbolift from here?"

The nearest hall monitor lit up, showing a route from that monitor to the lift with guide lights blinking toward the left. Zade memorized the route before turning left to go down the hall. As she walked down the corridor, she recalled the information given to her from Munro. A planet in Cardassian space with a plague running wild, and the Athena was the only Federation ship there. She was told that she'd get more details when she made contact with the Captain. Reaching the lift, she waited for just a moment before the doors opened, allowing Zade to enter.

"Bridge," she told the lift, watching the doors close. Munro had also instructed her to work with the Athena's security team while she was here. That was her next stop after meeting the Captain, provided he didn't give her something else to do first. Zade stared at the ceiling, mulling over what could warrant a response from the security team. The likely situation would probably be someone trying to steal the medical supplies, but since medical aid was a necessity right now, she could also see fights breaking out while trying to access aid. Throw in the Cardassians, it was bound to be an overall nightmare to manage.

Shortly after, the lift came to a stop at the bridge and the doors opened. Stepping out of the lift, Zade looked around the bridge for the man she talked to earlier. Not seeing a bald head around, Zade then searched for the ready room before approaching it. Straightening her uniform, she rang the chime.

"Enter."

Zade took a couple steps into the room once the doors parted and stopped, her feet about shoulder width apart. Normally she'd cross her hands behind her back, but with her bag in the way she crossed them in front of her, right hand over left. "Lieutenant Didrea Zade, reporting as ordered, sir," she stated.

Kane watched the officer enter. Another Trill security officer, he noted; they seemed to gravitate to the ship. Maybe that was his imagination. Having no personnel file to work with, he was a lot less prepared for the conversation than he usually was, so instead just waited a moment to see how Zade would stand, and where, before he continued. "Lieutenant. Welcome aboard the Athena. I'll assume you've been briefed on our mission; Tensions between the Cardassians and the locals has been building up since we arrived. We just about avoided an insurgency yesterday, but I'm hoping our medical team have the tools they need to work up a cure. Getting that out to the right people comes next, and I'll need as many security personnel as we can muster to make that happen. Are you up to the job?"

"That's the extent of the information I was given," the Trill replied, recalling her briefing from Munro. My guess that the Cardassians would make this difficult seems spot on, she mused. Zade gave a short nod, "I am up to it, sir. I plan to meet with the chief of security next to better understand the situation on the ground." Zade would never admit it out loud, but the air in the room was... tense. Maybe it was because of the mission, or maybe that was the air Kane gave off. The Trill definitely gathered that Kane liked information to-the-point, so she tried to appeal to that for the time being.

"We're...missing a department head at the moment," Kane corrected. "For now your assignment is to support the medical team with their efforts to come up with and then distribute whatever cure they've been working on. The Cardassians have been cordial to this point, but don't expect them to bend over backwards for you."

Zade raised her eyebrows a little. No chief of security, in Cardassian space?? Did something happen during the insurgency Kane mentioned? Maybe someone in the department could clear that up. Recovering her composure, she nodded, "aye, sir."

Kane watched her go with a slightly raised eyebrow. No questions, probably a good thing. Let her figure things out for herself: that was how a good officer learned.