Out of The Loop

Posted on 14 Oct 2017 @ 6:23pm by Lieutenant Commander Sheela Swiftpaws
Edited on on 24 Oct 2017 @ 3:17pm

1,188 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: S02 Episode 3: When Realities Collide (Incidentals)
Location: Hydransz System HQ
Timeline: Prior to Mission 4 Launch

[ON]

Sheela gave a small squeak/growl as she realized she had missed the departure of the Tomcat. As far as she knew since had discretely left the ship without informing anyone. She watched the Tomcat take off from the bridge of the cloaked Intel ship.

"Squee.. Iz definitely in trouble." Sheela spoke softly without remorse to herself and then turned to face the Ships Commander and her boss. "Looks like Iz gonna be here awhile."

The two Commanders looked at each other and shrugged. "Go see the QM for a berthing spot. Miss Swiftpaws." The Ship Captian spoke up as he turned his attention back to running his ship.

Sheela and her Boss left the bridge together. Once in the turbo lift. "I'll run interference as much as possible with the Tomcat Commander."

"No worries. Iz have no rank to worry about. Just something the Captain pinned on mez to make mez more acceptable to the crew." Sheela spoke softly as she leaned against the railing in the turbo lift as it sped through the ship.

The Commander mulled that over for a bit in silent reflection. "Still it could look back with the rest of the ship if nothing happened to you." He watched her out of the corner of his eyes.

"Iz will deal with it when the time comes." Sheela shrugged it off as there wasn't much she could do about now. "What's in the planning now that wez are making a serious dent in this system?"

The Intel Commander nodded, knowing she was right. What happened, happened. "After the main battle. We've weakened the hold on the Hydranesz System so it is easy pickings with key ground battles."

Sheela nodded as she took mental notes to her stop. "Iz let yooz know mez room assignment." Departing the Turbo Lift.

The Intel Commander nodded to her departing back. He shook his head. He hated to be in her shoes. Knowing how tight Marine and ship crews were.


A few hours later, Sheela was in her cubbyhole of Quarters. A bed along one wall, Closet next to her bed at the opposite from the doorway and just enough room to move without hitting the bed or the wall. Mounted at the foot of the bed was a voice-activated wall monitor/computer system for personal usage with room underneath it for her feet.

"Squeeeah!" Sheela muttered as she looked the room over. Not even a bathroom, which was down the corridor passed several doors leading to other transient quarters like hers. "Home sweet home!"

She turned to face the door quickly when it opened unannounced. Seeing it was the Commander, her boss. "Two the briefing room, now." He took off with Sheela scrambling after him.

"What's going on?" Sheela asked catching up with him as they moved up the corridor to the turbo lifts.

"USS Tomcat disappeared and all ships that are available been ordered to the area where it disappeared," Commander spoke as they entered the turbo lift. "Deck 2." He snapped as soon as they cleared the closing doors to the lift.

"Yooz know the Tomcat had cloaking ability.." Sheela spoke softly so he could hear, but not the mics that listened in for orders.

He froze momentarily, then looked at her with a thoughtful expression. "Interesting." As the lift came to a stop and the doors opened, preventing farther conversation as they departed.

Sheela followed his cues and remained silent as they moved to the conference room and entered. She took a seat next to him, looking over the assembled Senior Officers of the ship.

The ship's Captain spoke up and laid out the orders to his crew of the new orders from Command. When he was finished, her boss spoke up. "Look for Tachyons that is emitted by a cloaking device. Just in case of Klingon, Romulan origin."

The Science Officer nodded as he made note of what to look for in addition to the usual search parameters. "What about the rumoured Fleet Cloaking Devices?" He spoke up, looking at his Captain, then to Sheela's Boss, briefly.

"Cover all bases." Ship's Captain spoke and directed his steely gaze at her boss. "If you care to enlightened us on the Federation Starfleet's Cloaking device."

Her boss leaned back in his seat. "That is why I brought Miss Swiftpaws to the briefing. She's familiar with the Tomcat capabilities. She should be able to assist you in the search. Grant her supervised access to the bridge to work closely with your Science Officer."

Captain just glared at her boss with his steely gaze. "She isn't even fleet." He grumbles with menace. "There are too many sensitive equipment pieces for having everyone and their pet mouse to be on the bridge. She can give my Science Officer the specs of the Tomcat's Device."

Sheela rolled her eyes at that as her Boss spoke up. "She's not an Engineer and didn't have access to that type of info. But she knows what to look for."

"Then what did she do all this time aboard the Tomcat? Eat cheese doodles and flirt with the crew?" Captain snapped at her Boss as everyone eyes bounced between the two holding the conversation.

"Secondary Bridge Communications Officer," Sheela spoke into the silence.

Her boss looked at Sheela with a growing smile of pride at the resourcefulness of his Agent. She was resourceful, to say the least.

"What?!" Captain and a few of the other officer blurted out in amazement. Then the Captain continued alone. "How you managed that?" Looking at Sheela.

"It was either that or waste manpower in keeping an eye on mez as Iz roamed the ship at mez leisure between missions," Sheela spoke softly, meeting stare for stare with the Captain.

"A Civilian on a Marine controlled Fleet ship?!" Chief of Security spoke up, looking at Sheela, thoughtfully. "This ought to be good."

"Iz was given a fleet rank in acting status," Sheela spoke with a bit of pride. "Not too many Civilian Contractors can achieve that."

"Science Officer. Meet your new assistant. She comes on the bridge when you do. Leaves when you do." Captain leaned back in his seat, looking smug at the turn of events.

"Aye Aye Sir." Science Officer spoke, nodding his acceptance. "0800 hours at Alpha shift start. And might as well come with me to bridge when we're released from here, Miss Swiftpaws. What your Tomcat Rank?"

"Lieutenant Commander." Sheela smiled softly at the Science Officer. "Yooz ain't gonna make wear the pips?"

"Only if you want to." Her Boss spoke. "But it would ease your presence on the bridge if you did."

Sheela nodded as the meeting broke up and headed for their duty stations. Sheela followed along with the Science Officer to the bridge, pausing long enough to replicate the pips.

The ship was speeding through space when Sheela and the Science Officer reached the bridge and moved to the Science Station. She looked around the bridge. It was smaller than most bridges of the fleet ships but highly functional for it purpose.

[OFF]

Lt. Cmdr. Swiftpaws
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Tomcat

 

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