03-30-2025, 10:34 PM
Leo was nearly finished listing science facts and tactical applications when a large, hulking figure entered the security complex. The newcomer strode to the back of the armory and secured what could only be described as metal claws into a locker.
"Whoever last used the holodeck for survival training left it set on Starfleet survival mode difficulty. Had to restart halfway through to up the difficulty."
He probably hadn’t meant it as an insult, but it still hit like a gut punch. This guy had increased the difficulty—while Leo had barely scraped by at standard settings. While Leo felt a little smaller, Art seemed to be considering his words on neutrinos when the rather hairy person approached and spoke up about his experience on the matter.
Artemis muttered something under her breath, shifting her stance before finally acknowledging the newcomer. “nuqneH.” she said in Klingon to the man before talking to Leo again.
“Alden, this is our CMO if you haven’t met him. Beinn. His people are a part of the Klingon Empire.”
Leo tore his gaze from the monitor and finally looked at the massive figure who had, until now, been just a presence in his peripheral vision. And somehow, he felt even smaller than before. Leo had met Commander Jadaris in the briefing room a little over a week ago, and even for a Gorn, he was large. But now, this, Beinn stood next to him and he towered. Leo observed that the man bore a striking resemblance to Earth’s historical depictions of werewolves in fiction.
“pagh DaH” the man replied before looking down at Leo.
I know basic Klingon. I've used it before. But would he take offense if I butchered it? I need the practice... but if I screw this up, which one should I be more afraid of? d’Tor’an or Beinn?
As Leo’s doubts settled in about his choice of language, the large wolf-like man spoke again. "Lieutenant Cassidy has taken that position. I am just your liaison from Medical Sogh d'Tor'an, and combat medic for the time being. After all, my specialty is battlefield medicine courtesy of the Klingon Academy."
Leo glanced between d’Tor’an and Beinn, his thoughts darting from scientific and tactical speculation to recalling the most basic Klingon phrases. Grateful that Commander Trent from the academy had insisted he choose linguistics for his second Minor, he took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and went for it.
“majQa’. batlh boq jupwI’ ‘oH vum’e’.”
(Very good. It is the honored cooperation of an ally and friend.)
He knew he’d stumbled, missed a word, botched an inflection, but he’d tried. Hopefully, that was enough. Hopefully, he hadn’t just embarrassed himself in front of two senior officers... or worse, shattered his own confidence.
"I thought I read something about the Cardassians also having cloaking devices, but there's very little other than what Pioneer Station reported." The Lieutenant said aloud. This was why experience often outweighed intelligence. Leo was fresh out of the Academy, and the idea of Cardassians having cloaking tech was new to him. But experience only came from learning, so he spoke up again.
“We know that neutrinos can be used to locate cloaked ships, but are we expecting some during the race? The only possibility I can see at the moment for neutrinos would be the area around the temporal particle stream within the system”
Leo pointed to one corner of the large screen, where a heavily magnified image of a ‘white hole’ was displayed, an earlier screenshot from the bridge’s view screen.
“That readout shows Chroniton Particles, but wouldn’t that whole area be flooded with neutrinos too? They’d be easier to pick up on sensors, right? And travel faster and further away from the anomaly than the Chronitons?
Just as Leo finished his sentence, the ship pitched violently, nearly taking some of the security staff off their feet. He barely caught himself against a desk, fingers gripping the edge as a deep, gut-rattling boom reverberated through the walls.
The deck lurched, lights flickered, and then Red Alert sirens shrieked through the security complex. The dim pulsing emergency glow cast jagged shadows over the armoury, pulsing in time with the alarms.
Reports were already coming in. Explosion. Aeroshuttle dock. Fire. Two missing.
Leo barely had time to process it before the next wave of adrenaline hit.
== Tags ==
"Whoever last used the holodeck for survival training left it set on Starfleet survival mode difficulty. Had to restart halfway through to up the difficulty."
He probably hadn’t meant it as an insult, but it still hit like a gut punch. This guy had increased the difficulty—while Leo had barely scraped by at standard settings. While Leo felt a little smaller, Art seemed to be considering his words on neutrinos when the rather hairy person approached and spoke up about his experience on the matter.
Artemis muttered something under her breath, shifting her stance before finally acknowledging the newcomer. “nuqneH.” she said in Klingon to the man before talking to Leo again.
“Alden, this is our CMO if you haven’t met him. Beinn. His people are a part of the Klingon Empire.”
Leo tore his gaze from the monitor and finally looked at the massive figure who had, until now, been just a presence in his peripheral vision. And somehow, he felt even smaller than before. Leo had met Commander Jadaris in the briefing room a little over a week ago, and even for a Gorn, he was large. But now, this, Beinn stood next to him and he towered. Leo observed that the man bore a striking resemblance to Earth’s historical depictions of werewolves in fiction.
“pagh DaH” the man replied before looking down at Leo.
I know basic Klingon. I've used it before. But would he take offense if I butchered it? I need the practice... but if I screw this up, which one should I be more afraid of? d’Tor’an or Beinn?
As Leo’s doubts settled in about his choice of language, the large wolf-like man spoke again. "Lieutenant Cassidy has taken that position. I am just your liaison from Medical Sogh d'Tor'an, and combat medic for the time being. After all, my specialty is battlefield medicine courtesy of the Klingon Academy."
Leo glanced between d’Tor’an and Beinn, his thoughts darting from scientific and tactical speculation to recalling the most basic Klingon phrases. Grateful that Commander Trent from the academy had insisted he choose linguistics for his second Minor, he took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and went for it.
“majQa’. batlh boq jupwI’ ‘oH vum’e’.”
(Very good. It is the honored cooperation of an ally and friend.)
He knew he’d stumbled, missed a word, botched an inflection, but he’d tried. Hopefully, that was enough. Hopefully, he hadn’t just embarrassed himself in front of two senior officers... or worse, shattered his own confidence.
"I thought I read something about the Cardassians also having cloaking devices, but there's very little other than what Pioneer Station reported." The Lieutenant said aloud. This was why experience often outweighed intelligence. Leo was fresh out of the Academy, and the idea of Cardassians having cloaking tech was new to him. But experience only came from learning, so he spoke up again.
“We know that neutrinos can be used to locate cloaked ships, but are we expecting some during the race? The only possibility I can see at the moment for neutrinos would be the area around the temporal particle stream within the system”
Leo pointed to one corner of the large screen, where a heavily magnified image of a ‘white hole’ was displayed, an earlier screenshot from the bridge’s view screen.
“That readout shows Chroniton Particles, but wouldn’t that whole area be flooded with neutrinos too? They’d be easier to pick up on sensors, right? And travel faster and further away from the anomaly than the Chronitons?
Just as Leo finished his sentence, the ship pitched violently, nearly taking some of the security staff off their feet. He barely caught himself against a desk, fingers gripping the edge as a deep, gut-rattling boom reverberated through the walls.
The deck lurched, lights flickered, and then Red Alert sirens shrieked through the security complex. The dim pulsing emergency glow cast jagged shadows over the armoury, pulsing in time with the alarms.
Reports were already coming in. Explosion. Aeroshuttle dock. Fire. Two missing.
Leo barely had time to process it before the next wave of adrenaline hit.
== Tags ==