Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Pawl Batario (Chief Engineer) in Crossing the Klingon Border – Bridge

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Kastarak (First Officer / Navigation Officer) in Crossing the Klingon Border – Bridge

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Pawl Batario (Chief Engineer) in Crossing the Klingon Border – Bridge
Posted by… suppressed (8) by the Post Ghost! 👻
As the USS Chernov silently glided across the Klingon border, Kastarak stood at his station on the bridge, his eyes fixed on the navigation console. The ship’s Romulan cloaking enveloped them in an invisible shroud that defied detection. Kastarak’s mind raced with conflicting emotions. On one hand, he marvelled at the efficiency of the Romulan technology, appreciating its ability to render them completely undetectable. On the other, he felt a deep-seated unease at relying on equipment created by a species and culture he harboured an aversion towards. He pushed these thoughts aside, focusing on maintaining their course through Klingon space.

Suddenly, a sharp beep cut through the silence. Kastarak’s eyebrows rose in surprise as he realized it was an incoming hail. His logical mind immediately began analysing the impossibility of the situation. How could they receive a hail while cloaked? It defied all known principles of cloaking technology.

Kastarak’s fingers flew over his console, attempting to trace the source of the mysterious transmission. His mind raced through possible explanations – a malfunction in the cloaking device, an unknown Klingon detection method, or perhaps something even more sinister.

“Report! How is this possible?” Kastarak ordered, his voice a little quicker and a little louder than usual, perhaps a hint of stress. “By all logical reasoning, we should be undetectable.”

As he worked, Kastarak couldn’t help but wonder if their reliance on Romulan technology had somehow compromised their mission. The irony of potentially being undone by the very device meant to protect them was not lost on him.

Kastarak, Lt Cdr
First Officer and Navigations Officer

Chris was in his own trance smiling at the clever deception that they had made while going over into Klingon space. But the hail bright him out of his revelry. “Maybe we’re not as clever as I thought.”. He mattered to himself. While his First officer was handling the situation he pressed his own com channel up.

[O] Lieutenant Symar report to the bridge at once and on the double! [O]

Looking over towards Kastarak. “I need to get something out of my office real quick. I thought about this occurrence but not this soon. I’ll be right back.”.

He ran into his office and came out a minute later holding up a Romulan Commanders uniform and a box. “Have Symar put this on as soon as he comes in. He’ll be on the bridge for that. The others can still wear their Starfleet uniforms. But have them put these on.”. Her handed the box to Kastarak. Inside was plastic Romulan ears that will go over their own ears.

“I know. I don’t want to offend you all but this has to be done. You can answer the hail but not put it on viewer until I am back into my office. They will recognize me. Depending on who they are but the Klingons will. Ok. Answer the hail.”

Captain Chris_Taggart
Captain USS_Chernov

William groaned at the ears as he put them on, he’d been hoping his days of putting on a Romulan disguise were over. He quickly put them on and used a small device to fit them together with his skin seamlessly. Once that was over he ran a check on the hail to see if he could identify it. “It would be logical to assume that Romulans can track or at least contact their own through cloaks, this will likely be an unsecured channel”

CSO, 2O

Dawson had been on edge the entire time they moved across the border. He couldn’t help being reminded of the stealth and ambush training sessions, not to mention a few missions when he had had to rely on the hope that he was properly concealed. Everytime he felt like a child hiding under the covers, hoping the monster couldn’t see them.

Then the hail came in.

Dawson was at tactical and immediately readying for a fight. This was not meant to be happening. How could something hail an invisible ship? When Taggart came about with the ears, Dawson raised an eyebrow but attached the prosthetics. He had a vague idea of what the captain was planning but was worried about how they would pull it off.

Lt. Q Dawson, CWO

For Kastarak, the whole situation of cosplaying Romulans on the ship was unwanted. He understood the logic of it, however, but he did not wish for this to happen in any situation. While the others might see the fun in it – Kastarak did not . Even if he hadn’t been Vulcan, the pain of the loss of his homeplanet made any feeling of the Romulans bad to him. As a “good” Vulcan, he did his best to repress it, but the unwanted memories and feelings flaired up again, intrusively. While zoning out for a while, someone answered the hail “on screen” (Kastarak wasn’t sure who), and Taggart’s decision to cosplay had been a good one, for lo and behold, a native Romulan in flesh and blood (or as much as you might see on a screen, with a Romulan bridge behind them), was there.

The voice of the male figure on the ship, along with his visage on the screen, proclaimed:

“This is the Imperial Romulan Ship Vorta Vor. I am commander Vartiek. Identify yourselves.”

Kastarak, Lt Cdr
First Officer and Navigations Officer

Kastarak had donned the Romulan uniform. He recognized it, perhaps they had salvaged it from the Romulan ship they used to traverse into Klingon territory the last time. It was still a stiff, uncomfortable uniform.

He grinned, attempting a smile of pride, as he answered the hail.

“I am Darak, commander of the former Federation sharship Chernov. I have named it Rovarran. My crew took hold of it a few weeks ago, when the Chernov swerved into the neutral zone. The Federation crew are prisoners of war. We are travelling in Klingon space to map it. What are you doing here?”

The answer was swift.

“Impressive, Darak. We too are on orders mapping Klingon space. Let’s tailgate one another, yes? And dinner. I’d like to see your nice trophy of a Federation ship.”

Kastarak did not like the idea of twinning with the Romulan ship for the rest of the route. He did not also like the idea of being boarded by Vartiek and his people. However, he was not actually the commanding officer, so needed a way to get out of the conversation without it appearing suspicious to the Vorta Vor.

“I should like that very much,” Kastarak said, smiled widely again, considering he had no other option. His creativity had already taken a bad turn. There was no more creative energy left in his neural veins… He really needed the call to fail. He could not find a logical way out of this situation.

Symar sat at his conosle, keeping a stern face, names flashing through his mind as if to see if this Vartiek character seemed familiar.

-Lieutenant Symar: Chief Medical Officer-

Dawson tensed. They had barely crossed into Klingon space and were already hitting unforeseen hurdles. What is a Romulan Ship doing out here? Dawson kept his head down and focused on tactical, seeing if he could trace the hail to where the romulan ship was hiding. Clearly, they could find them, so he should be able to do the same, otherwise, they’d be at a severe disadvantage if the captain’s plan didn’t work.

Lt. Q Dawson, CWO

Dawson’s thoughts went in the right place. Since the Vorta Vor could track the cloaking tech on the Chernov, it was entirely logical that the Chernov could do the same. If Dawson adjusted the spectral analysis of the Chernov’s own gravitational lensing by accounting for warp bubble – as well – as the energy distortions caused by cloak, he’d be able to cross-reference the similar data to find the Vorta Vor on the map. Knowing that it’s close enough to be communicated with without making use of subspace signals, and seeing little lag on the communication, it would mean the ships would be less than 0.05 AU from another.

William put on his most neutral expression, he’d already done this once before, he assumed since Symar was given a uniform that he’d be the one to speak unless Kastarak would take that role.

CSO, 2O

Pawl kept quiet as he worked at the engineering station, going through everything to ensure the cloak and all the other systems were working properly. And not giving them away. He still hasn’t seen any problems.

[[Lt_Jg ]] [[Pawl Batario]]
[[Chief_Engineer]] [[Uss_Chernov]]

Kastarak tried reaching Pawl’s thoughts. Pawl, please do something to kill the call. Make it seem like a malfunction. We can’t keep this going. Please Pawl…

Kastarak, Lt Cdr
First Officer and Navigations Officer

Pawl stopped and froze felt like an eternity. Some familiar thoughts started coming from Kasarak to him. As he felt the urgency of the officer wanting a distraction or cover as to kill the communications channel. Pawl started to create interference as the signal and popping noises now could be heard on the communications channel. As Pawl continued to create issues to help cut the channel looking as if it was a malfunction possibly a natural phenomenon. Pawl did what he could do to cut the channel and the channel finally cut out. Pawl was going to speak but avoided the temptation. As he communicated back to Kasarak ~All done sir!~ As he did not turn to face the viewer or Kasarak at that time. But He would no he got the message.

[[Lt_Jg ]] [[Pawl Batario]]
[[Chief_Engineer]] [[Uss_Chernov]]

“I can’t say I know anything about this Vartiek person,” Symar said regretfully, not really paying attention to what was going on around him.

-Lieutenant Symar: Chief Medical Officer-