A Short Calm

Posted on Thu Sep 10th, 2015 @ 11:04pm by Lieutenant Commander Leto & Ensign Leela Carter & Lieutenant JG Steve Ware

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: USS Takei

* USS Takei *

“Engage auto-pilot, Ensign Ware, but keep monitoring. You’ll be relieved in two hours,” Leto ordered. She stood and stretched and looked over at Leela. “You hungry? I haven’t had a bite since we left 900.”

"I could eat, yeah." Leela nodded, momentarily thinking more about the long-range scans in front of her than of her stomach. "This is shit, Leto," she muttered. "By these scans, that ship still has over twenty-eight hours on us." She pushed the padd aside.

Leto nodded. “I could not agree more. We are pushing warp 8 but we can only maintain that speed for another seven hours.” She looked down at the panel by her chair and switched to the long range scanner. Nothing yet. She then addressed the other officer on the bridge. “Keep checking long-range scans. If you spot that Orion ship, I want to know immediately.”

“Yes ma’am,” he answered.

“Good enough. Lt. Kendrick will be up here in another two hours, in time to check in before Ware goes off-duty. Ready Leela?”

"Yup," she nodded and moved to the turbolift. When Leto joined her, she said, "Do you know Madhava at all?"

“Not really.” The lift ride down one deck took only seconds. Leto continued as they moved along the corridor to the galley. “I know of her through Six and Vic but I’ve only seen her in passing. Why?”

"Just wondering. I knew of her. She was a freshman at the Academy during my last year," Leela said. "The human and betazoid guys in my class were fascinated by an Orion in Starfleet. A few had bets she wouldn't last the year."

Leto laughed as they entered the galley. “I guess she showed them. Good for her.” She stepped over to a cabinet and opened it. “That’s interesting though. She’s been seeing a Betazoid here. Riley.” Nothing in that cabinet appealed to her so she opened another.

"Yeah. Darwin said he's on the Orion's ship. That guy has had some awful luck lately. Madhava cats around behind his back, he disappears then tries to kill Six, and now...," she frowned, not wanting to think of what Reva might be facing by now. Over two days on a slaver's ship....

Leto was reaching into the cabinet and stopped at Leela’s words. She turned and leaned back against the counter. “Well, if he wants her, he must be willing to stick with it if he’s gone through all that and now rushing to her rescue.” She frowned for a moment. “There was a time when Nick was in Riley’s shoes. It was an awful time for both of us and I came out of it with a whole new appearance even. And...a few other serious complications from an op on Archadia.” She turned back and closed the cabinet, opting for the replicator instead. “There was a time when he wasn’t even able to look at me or even speak to me but we got through it. Maybe they will too.”

"Why did you have to have a whole new appearance?"

“It was an infiltration that went wrong. It doesn’t happen often but it does hit us all eventually. I had to disappear, change my whole appearance and my name. It was that or be hunted down and killed. It was...difficult for Nick for a while.” Leto smiled briefly. “That’s a vast understatement. And on the heels of that, was the Archadia op that was a little too successful. Reva’s playing around is nothing, comparatively speaking.”

"Maybe Riley can see that," Leela shrugged. "Hopefully this slaver doesn't send off a decoy signature. If he does and we pick the wrong trail, we'll lose him."

"I wonder if there will be anything left of him when we get there if that Orion gets there first.” Leto ordered some food from the replicator and sat down at the counter. “I hope so but if he’s laid a hand on her, I may have to ask you to look the other way.”

"You read this guy's file, right? He's got a reputation for providing 'tamed' slaves." Leela looked at Leto, making sure Leto caught her meaning. "So if this Orion hasn't handled the slaver, then... yeah."

Leto put down her fork as she looked back at Leela. “Then I have to ask you something. I know this is basically a Security issue, but they wanted me along. I’d like nothing better than to lock him up for a long time but if it’s necessary, I will do what I have to do. Can you live with that?”

"We all do what's necessary," Leela answered. "Security." She chuckled and shook her head slightly. "Usually, we're just Station Security, not chase after the stolen crewmember security. Darwin wanted to be on this trip."

“I know. Why’d Gilroy turn him down? Not that I’m not glad you’re here.” Leto began to eat once more. “Girl power and all that.” She grinned.

"Oz turned him down. I'm not sure why, but Darwin was a bit overheated about Madhava a week or so ago, so maybe this is a break for him." She shrugged. "Or maybe a break for me - give me a chance to show some mettle."

“Good.” Leto nodded. “For you I mean, not that he was all overheated. I really don’t want to know.” Leto paused and her smile returned. “There is something I do want to know, however. Call me curious, but I have to ask. Are the rumours about you and Ray true?”

"There are rumors?" Leela looked surprised. "What are the rumors?"

“Well, there was the sighting of you two at the Nexus. I heard Ray’s speech hasn’t been that clean since he was in grade school. A few other sightings here and there. And….whistling while he was working. Something’s up. It’s either you or dementia has hit.” Leto grinned once more. “Remember, I hear everything.”

Leela laughed then asked, "Is he old enough for dementia? I mean... he's old, right? But that old?" She shook her head. "He's in his forties?"

Leto laughed out loud. “He’s thirty-two. A year younger than me. So no, way too early for dementia, which leaves the other option. I gotta say, anyone who can get Ray to behave is pretty amazing in my book.”

"Hah. I didn't do anything, just went out on a date with him," Leela smiled good-naturedly. "So if that's all the rumors are saying, then yeah, they're true."

Leto looked her up and down. “Uh-huh. Just a date. Well, whatever it is, I hope it works for you two. Despite all the rough-and-tumble brashness, he’s a good guy. He put his ass on the line for Nico with that admiral, in a big way.”

"Yeah. He's gruff, but ...lovable. How is Nico doing? I know Darwin's had him come around a bit lately."

Leto nodded and rose, moving back to the replicator to order coffee. “He has assisted with Riley’s case. You saw the reports on that I assume? Nico’s doing remarkably well. The revelation of Admiral Azoulay’s actions and finally getting retribution helped tremendously, as have Drusilla and Counselor Swift. I swear that man is a wizard. He’s gotten me through a lot.”

As Leela nodded in acknowledgment, Ensign Ware's voice came over the comm, "Lt. Leto and Ensign Carter, we've received a communication from the Orion ship. They are pursuing at warp nine point five."

Leto looked up in surprise. “Say that again, ensign?” Ware repeated what he’d said. “Acknowledged. Was there anything more? Any word on Lt. Sukotav or Counselor Amani?”

"Uh, no, Ma'am?" Ware sounded unsure. Carter snickered; she could imagine why Ware was wary. "It was a brief burst. Perhaps the majority of their power is going towards shields and engines to keep them at nine point five."

Nodding, Leela agreed, "That's faster than most Fleet ships."

“Thank you ensign, Leto out.” Leta looked back to Carter and nodded. “Crazy fast, and I wonder how long he can keep that up. At that rate, he should overtake Fisher’s ship soon. By the time we get back up, they should have an estimate on how soon we’ll catch up to them. At least they made contact.”

"Yeah. It'd be better if they'd told us when they'll catch Fisher's ship, though." She, for one, would rest easier. She stood and realized she hadn't eaten - she'd watched Leto eat. Fortunately, she wasn't hungry. "Ready?"

“I am.” Leto returned her dishes to the recycler. “Bryce still has an hour before I have to go roll him out of bed. We can go up and watch the scenery.” She led the way out the galley and once more, she and Leela entered the lift. “The calm before the storm I suspect.”

"For Madhava's sake, let's hope it's a short calm," Leela said.

****************
Ensign Leela Carter
Lt. Leto
Ensign Steve Ware
In Hot Pursuit