Eleventh Hour

Posted on Mon Jul 4th, 2011 @ 5:46pm by Captain Li Hawke & Commander Sakkath & Lieutenant Nick Marcinko
Edited on on Mon Jul 4th, 2011 @ 5:47pm

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: USS Takei Bridge
Timeline: Just Before Departure For Divitia Prime

* * The Bridge Of The USS Takei * *

Li beamed aboard the USS Takei and once the momentary disorientation was past, she nodded to the crewman on duty.

"Good afternoon, Lt. Commander....." He paused, suddenly unsure which name to use to address her and turned a faint pink.

"Hawke is fine, Lewis." Li smiled to him. " Everything shaping up alright for departure?"

The man nodded. "It is, this ship's fit as a fiddle. I was wondering when the spooks would come over to take a look, begging your pardon ma'am."

"This spook is going to have a quick look and then send another over to make the trip with you."

"Very well, I'm sure it will be an interesting trip. And he's on the bridge at the moment."

"I'm sure it will be. And thank you." There was no doubt which he Lewis referred to, and Li departed. She made a quick detour through the small Intell office, leaving a padd for Nick to read once he was aboard, then moved along the corridor to the bridge.

The Takei may have been composed of only two decks. It may have only carried a complement of 3 officers and 12 enlisted. None of this concerned Sakkath.

Two decks, twenty, two hundred. Fifteen crew, fifty, fifteen hundred. He would have been just as diligent. It was the Operations officer in him, or else the Vulcan, or both. He demanded perfection.

He was the eye of the storm on the bridge, seated on the command dais with his fingers steepled as he stared at the main viewer. Starbase 900 orbited slowly while the myriad cosmic bodies of his crew made the ship ready. He had ordered more equipment carried than the cargo bays should rightly contain, but he had anticipated a great many needs that he feared Commander Leroy might not have. He lacked no faith in the human, only had a distinct faith in his own preparation, and knew that anticipating the unknown could make all of the difference.

By launch, the Takei would be the equal of any other ship in the fleet, if not for want of weapons or size or crew, certainly for adaptability. He turned to glance at the dedication plaque. "It's okay to be Takei," it read, a saying he did not entirely comprehend, but that he appreciated nonetheless. It would be okay, to borrow the human phrase, to command this vessel and to do great good in the Delta Quadrant.

As the doors to the bridge hissed open, Sakkath's eyebrows raised. He was surprised, truth be told. He would have expected to feel her approach, but perhaps he was too consumed with the here and now.

He stood. "Imzadi," he stated simply, amidst all of the chaos, and raised his hand in the ta'al. "Peace, and long life."

"I came to see the master at work." She stopped before him, touching her fingers to his. "And to leave some things for Nick that might come in handy. Everything all set to go?"

"As per Starfleet regulations, we might have launched an hour ago," Sakkath admitted, much to the chagrin of those around him as he brushed his fingers to hers. "I am somewhat more demanding. It is, after all, my first command."

Li nodded. "I suspected as much. How soon will you be leaving?" Their conversation was casual, at least to those moving past them on the bridge, but underneath it ran an undercurrent of unease on Li's part that only Sakkath would sense. "I hope that things are easily managed once you arrive."

"Only time will tell," Sakkath admitted. "We shall be departing within the hour, assuming that Commander qeraQ' is also on schedule."

The Vulcan motioned to the door immediately off of the bridge. "Shall we adjoin to my Ready Room?" he said, not without a sense of pride and as a result of sensing the unease in Li's mind.

"If you wish, but I don't want to keep you. I know the Admiral's anxious to get you all underway and frankly, I'm thinking this is all going just a little too easy. Then again, that's me." She turned to follow him through the doors.

The room was small, as was just about everything aboard the Takei, but that did not concern Sakkath. He took a seat behind the desk, an LCARS display glowing bright behind him. A large Kol-Ut-Shan hung on the wall, the only embellishment the Vulcan had permitted himself save for the kal-toh sphere sitting on the edge of his desk and his workstation.

"You may be unnecessarily apprehensive, Imzadi," Sakkath said as he regarded her. "This is a mission of mercy. Engineering a solution to the Divitian crisis is likely to be our greatest challenge."

"I think so too. It's our first real foray into the political game out here and with a race that seems to have a love/hate relationship with its neighbors. It's going to be interesting to see how it plays out and hopefully, that means no funny business while it does." She looked around the room, then smiled at Sakkath. "Congratulations on your command."

=^= Carlos Spicy Weiner to Sparrow Hawk. The eagle is in the nest, I say again, the eagle is in the nest. Over. =^= The transmission ended with a "Ccchhhhh", which was Nick's sad attempt at imitating the old walkie-talkies from Earth's 20th century.

He had just arrived on the Takei and had been directed to let Li know when he'd arrived. And to be honest, it didn't matter to him if anyone around her heard his use of the nicknames he'd given himself and Li. Had Nita been coming--he really wished she had been coming--he would have used one of her nicknames as well: Holly Goodhead or Xenia Onatopp.

The Vulcan, for his part, could only arch his brow, as if appraising the company that his mate chose to keep.

In Sakkath's ready room, Li rolled her eyes and laughed before hitting her comm badge. "I always knew I worked with a weiner. I left some last minute information for you. I am hoping this will be straightforward with no trouble." She smiled to Sakkath, it was clear form her expression that was intended for him as well.

=^= No trouble for me, little lady. =^= Nick replied, trying to sound like an old cowpoke. =^= And tell Captain Vulcan, there, that I'll be up later to drop off some information I've already found on our friends. Also, I'll be on....my.......best.....behavior. Gah! =^= It was obvious that he was struggling to say the last few words, but he'd promised Li, and more importantly, to him anyway, Nenita that he would try very hard to work easily with Sakkath, who probably wouldn't get, nor appreciate, his attempts at humor.

"It would be most appreciated, Senior Chief," Sakkath affirmed over the open commlink. "All things being equal, I would like to see you at Tactical when Intelligence does not command your attention. I understand you are quite... proficient with weaponry," he added, choosing the words carefully.

Li and Sakkath could hear an almost evil laugh coming over the comm. With a very overdramatic flair, Nick responded, =^= More proficient than you know! Muwaaahahahaha!!! *ahem* But...yeah. I'll be there. Carlos Spicy Weiner out. =^=

"An intriguing man," Sakkath stated dryly, before their conversation turned inward.

Travel swiftly, may your mission be successful, and come home safe and sound to me. I was always used to partings before, without a thought, but now it is different. Send word as you can...

Sakkath reached out and pressed his fingers to hers, using some level of Vulcan intimacy to reassure his spouse, and knowing full well that any mission she were required to go on would like prove more threatening than this one.

I shall, Imzadi. No doubt the Admiral will be expecting regular updates on our progress, so you should not go long without knowing our status. I remain confident that our trip will prove a challenge, but pass without undue complication.

The comm chimed, prompting Sakkath to remove his hand from Li's and activate the panel set into his desk. "Sakkath," he stated simply.

=^= "Sir, Commander qeraQ' is inquiring as to our status." =^=

"I will be out presently," the Vulcan replied, closing the channel and standing. "This is where we must bid one another farewell then, Imzadi, though only for a time."

She merely smiled, kissed him gently, and turned to go. "Soon," was all she said.

********

Lt. Commander Li Hawke
Chief Intelligence Officer

&

Lieutenant Commander Sakkath
Commanding Officer, USS Takei

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Senior Chief Petty Officer Nick Marcinko
Infiltration Specialist/Acting Tactical Officer