Communications Down

[Special Envoy Bryson Kavanaugh]

Brice stood on the bridge with Lara and the two heads of the Evadnian delegation as he stared at the viewscreen before him. He could see the planet, and the strange haze that now covered what had been a clear day.

"Someone explain what's going on!" He barked out, not caring that he was not truly the captain of this ship. "We can't have lost all communications with the planet. There has to be something we can do!"

Brice and the delegates had only just re-met in the conference room when word had reached them that all communications with the planet were now down. The reactions from the delegates was evidence enough that this was a bad situation.

Knowing that war could very well be on the horizon since they could not reach their leaders, Brice was concerned. As were all the others with him.

"Someone get us some answers!"

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[Vice Admiral Lara Rell]

“Duty Officers to the bridge”

She hit her com on the command chair and summoned the commander of the Marine detachment. "Colonel Richards, we need you up here too." She didn’t much care if the Evadnians had a phobia about other species. Some of the senior people they needed were members of the federation that didn’t all look like they did.

She moved to the ops station and some things came back to her as she looked over the Ensign’s shoulder. She knew she was much slower that an officer well versed in this station but she could tell they were in the midst of an…

“Ion Storm!” she was angry. In their coddling of the delegates they had allowed this thing to sneak up on them.

She looked at Brice. “I suggest you take them back into the room if they don’t want to see… others.”

“Communications are down as are transporters.” Officers started arriving on the lifts and she shooed the delegates.

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[xLieutenant Korris]

Korris, who had been on the bridge the moment the Evadnians arrived, had found it hard to not want to clench his fist, knowing these people were so prejudicial against those different from them. He refrained, knowing his duty always came first.

Keying up various commands, he initiated scans of the field, scans of the planet, and tried to break through the communications problem.

Nothing. He heard the Captain issue the order to move the delegates out, and Korris couldn't have been more pleased. Get those pricks off the bridge, he thought with a grumble, and let us do our jobs.

Just then, a crackling sound came through. "Sir, we have something!" He called out and quickly keyed up the sounds. "It's garbled. Only a few seconds and most is not able to be heard." Korris instantly played the partial message for all to hear.

"Fear (static)....revolt (more static)....help....dead.....war." And the message ended with what sounded like weapon fire. The bridge remained silent as the message died down.

"There is nothing else. We can't even pick up the static now. It's as though the world below is simply silent." Korris turned and gazed as his captain and quickly swept his gaze over all those on the bridge, waiting to hear any response.

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[Special Envoy Bryson Kavanaugh]

Brice quickly headed Lara's suggestions and ushered the delegates out with a team of security officers.

"Take them to the quarters we designated. Keep them there for now," he told the officers. Then turning to the delegates he spoke, "You'll be safe in the quarters we've set up for you and you won't have to worry there about the various differences among our crew. You can contact me from there at any time. Now go."

And then the message came through. It sounded like their worst fears had come true.

Instantly the two delegates started yammering away. The first delegate stopped Brice, "We do not need to be hidden away. We would like to remain and help if possible." He looked over to Lara and then back to Brice. "We will not interfere. We know your peoples are different. Let us stay and help if we can. Those people down there are our people and we need to help them."

As soon as the first delegate finished speaking the other joined in, "Yes, please. We know our people are not as accepting of your differences. We struggle with such change. But, we want to work with you to save our world, and..." the man looked to his fellow leader, his brother, "hopefully, bridge the gap that spans our peoples." The words were meant for more than just the difference between the Evadnians and Starfleet, but between the factions that stood now facing one another.

Brice actually blinked, taken aback by the quick change in both men's attitudes. What in the world was going on? Now the two men were talking. It was good talk, but not something Brice had time to dwell on while what sounded like war raged on the planet below them. He looked to Lara. It was, after all, her bridge. If she deemed it acceptable, the delegates could stay, otherwise he would personally escort them to their quarters and try and get as much information out of them as possible.

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[Vice Admiral Lara Rell]

She couldn't necessarily believe what she was hearing from the delegates but if they'd decided race didn't matter then she'd take them a their word.

"Very well" she said and nodded to Captain Kavanaugh "If our friends will behave themselves, they are welcome on my bridge" then she spoke directly to the delegates.

"I will not accept your condescension to any of my crew. They are professionals and will be treated as such."

She turned back to her half Klingon operations officer. "Lieutenant Korris, any additional information you were able to make from that?" she asked

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