06-12-2026, 09:44 PM
Ameen paused for a fraction of a second, his expression completely unreadable as Midshipman Cortez rapidly and awkwardly backpedaled his suggestion to digitally enhance the Captain’s physique. Then, a warm, genuine chuckle broke through Ameen's stoic command presence.
"Relax, Midshipman," Ameen said, offering Pedro an easy, forgiving smile. "I take no offense. In a purely tactical sense, your reasoning is sound—many species respect physical dominance. However, if we attempt to project an illusion of ourselves as physically imposing Apex Protectors, we are setting a trap for ourselves."
He turned his attention to Amila, softening his tone just a fraction to acknowledge her creative thinking without endorsing the risk. "A holographic disguise is a brilliant piece of espionage, Lieutenant Ra'an, but we don't know their salutes, their chain of command, or the subtle nuances of their musical language. The second we hit a wrong note—literally or figuratively—they will recognize the deception. A genetically engineered super-soldier who realizes they are being lied to is going to immediately classify us as a threat."
Ameen looked around the room, making eye contact with Keti, Singer, and the rest of the science team.
"Starfleet Command is breathing down our necks. In less than eight hours, a heavy cruiser is going to arrive to take custody of these people. I am not going to hand over twelve highly lethal individuals to another crew without knowing exactly how they react to waking up. But we are going to do it honestly. We will show them we are unarmed, we will use Cortez's musical frequencies to explain we pulled them from the ice, and we hope they are willing to listen."
Ameen gave Amila a firm nod, gesturing toward the turbolift.
"I'm all ears regarding your language breakthrough, Lieutenant. You, Cortez, and A'kilees walk with me and brief me on the way." He looked back at the remaining officers. "Lieutenant Keti, Ensign Singer—lock this lab down and secure the data. The rest of you, with me. Let's go meet our guest."
== Next post: Holodeck ==
"Relax, Midshipman," Ameen said, offering Pedro an easy, forgiving smile. "I take no offense. In a purely tactical sense, your reasoning is sound—many species respect physical dominance. However, if we attempt to project an illusion of ourselves as physically imposing Apex Protectors, we are setting a trap for ourselves."
He turned his attention to Amila, softening his tone just a fraction to acknowledge her creative thinking without endorsing the risk. "A holographic disguise is a brilliant piece of espionage, Lieutenant Ra'an, but we don't know their salutes, their chain of command, or the subtle nuances of their musical language. The second we hit a wrong note—literally or figuratively—they will recognize the deception. A genetically engineered super-soldier who realizes they are being lied to is going to immediately classify us as a threat."
Ameen looked around the room, making eye contact with Keti, Singer, and the rest of the science team.
"Starfleet Command is breathing down our necks. In less than eight hours, a heavy cruiser is going to arrive to take custody of these people. I am not going to hand over twelve highly lethal individuals to another crew without knowing exactly how they react to waking up. But we are going to do it honestly. We will show them we are unarmed, we will use Cortez's musical frequencies to explain we pulled them from the ice, and we hope they are willing to listen."
Ameen gave Amila a firm nod, gesturing toward the turbolift.
"I'm all ears regarding your language breakthrough, Lieutenant. You, Cortez, and A'kilees walk with me and brief me on the way." He looked back at the remaining officers. "Lieutenant Keti, Ensign Singer—lock this lab down and secure the data. The rest of you, with me. Let's go meet our guest."
== Next post: Holodeck ==