Getting Approval

Posted on Fri Jan 18th, 2019 @ 7:31pm by Captain Gary Taylor & Lieutenant JG Gallia Norris

Mission: Season 2: Episode 3: Determination is not always a good thing
Location: Field Hospital
Timeline: right after "A Plan Forms"
1805 words - 3.6 OF Standard Post Measure

“I’m calling the ship”, Estelle decided. “Hertz to Taylor. Commander, I think we have a lead on Liorga’s position. Would you join us down here, plan her rescue?”

The reply was instantaneous, "Taylor to Hertz. I will beam down to your location shortly. Have any ideas for rescue to be discussed when I get there."

"There are conflicting ideas, I've got high hopes that you'll be able to sort them out", Estelle said over the open channel. She gave Gallia a look that was halfway between worried and annoyed. She really didn't want her friend to get into the thick of things, too.

A humorless chuckle floated back over the com. "I think something can be devised that will please all the interested parties involved." Gary replied keeping his own feelings to himself.

"Please hurry, Commander. Every minute she's in their hands is dangerous", Estelle said.

A moment later the familiar whine of a Federation transporter could be heard along with the rainbow colors. It took a moment for the figure to solidify but when it did Commander Gary Taylor was standing there, A phaser on his hip and a phaser rifle slung over his shoulder. "That fast enough for you Doctor?"

"No, but it'll have to do", Estelle replied honestly. "Anje?" She felt it would be best for the operations manager to quickly go over the details.

Gary looked at her, "Doctor. I know Chief Liogra is a friend of yours and the others but let me assure you that you aren't the only ones concerned." He replied evenly.

"Sir, we've got the potential locations narrowed down to four. Also, we've got a piece of intel that's very helpful." Anje began, "We're looking for pigs. Pigs large enough in size and number to eat a human being."

Gary nodded as he listened to Anje give him a quick briefing. "Pigs?" He questioned then moved on, "Alright that could be a farm or a processing plant." He stated. He looked around, "Who else is in on this little rescue plan?"

"We'll need more than we've currently got, Sir." Anje stated the obvious, "I think we should involve Cdr. Holmes and Lt. Wynter, also Lt. Vaii, we'll need aerial recon. Also, I've considered the chances of the rest of the gang possibly looking for other victims or things to steal here as being too high to ignore. I was hoping we might could press on Lt. Norris to serve as Dr. Hertz's bodyguard until the end of the crisis."

Gary nodded. "Well, Commander Holmes and I have already discussed how to use the personnel we have. Lt Vaii is just waiting the word to give us air cover/high altitude recon. Lt. Wynter is collecting information on the current crisis and the general state of unease among the population. Lt. Norris as Dr. Hertz's bodyguard? May I ask why? Has Dr. Hertz been threatened?"

"No, sir, she's not been threatened." Anje explained, "But we've got a confession from a member of the gang that Chief Liorga is marked for sale in some sort of human trafficking scam. I've got reason for concern that the kidnappers might come back looking for extra product, so to speak, and as such I think Dr. Hertz might make a high value target due to her appearance. Basically, people will still pay for a hot blonde, so an extra layer of security isn't a bad idea in my opinion, Sir."

Gary resisted looking in Estelle's direction as he replied. "Yes, I see your point. Very well. Lt. Norris is assigned as Dr. Hetz's bodyguard. "We need to keep this team small and able to react quickly. Have you gone about getting any security personnel to help in retrieving Chief Liogra?"

"Thank you", Estelle mouthed in Anje's direction. That was one worry off her chest, at least.

"We're ready", Anya said, speaking for both herself and Mona Lott. "And Fernando de la Rosa won't miss this either."

"I still think we should let this one lead me back to their hiding place with the cure", Mona said, hoping she'd get the first officer to agree to the plan. "They think this disease that's making the rounds is terribly dangerous, so I thought we could convince them that the only way to save their lot was me volunteering to bring them the cure. Getting an Orion into their hands should be extra incentive. You can track me, and pounce when I give you the signal."


"Get De La Rosa here. Then we can make plans and get everyone on the same page." He looked at Mona, then at Anje, "Have you got any viridium patches that we can track you with?"

"I've got 'em in ma kit." Gallia said, pulling two out of her handy mini-toolkit, "Aberdeen Express, dinnae leave home without it."

"Very good." Gary answered. He was impressed with the thinking of the group. He knew this was a stressful time for them but they were handling it well and keeping themselves focused on the goal of getting Chief Liogra back safely. He looked at Anje, "These people are going to expect that a tail is sent to follow Mona. So what do you say we give them one that they can track and another they can't?"

"One they can shake?" Estelle asked. "The viridium patch tracking is foolproof, even over large distances. That would be the trail they can't shake. We could send a team after them in one of the argos."

"Yes, the argos are useless enough they're easy to shake, too", Anya agreed. She'd never liked those things. The designers had wanted the things to be able to defend themselves, but they had neither hull armour nor force fields, not even a forward-firing phaser. All it had was a manually operated, rear-firing type IV phaser pulse gun that hadn't even been equipped with a vertical stabiliser, technology that at least humans had had access to for over four hundred years. In Anya's view, it was a miserable failure of engineering, and worse than something she could put together with even minimal effort. Perhaps, once this was over, she should go through the efforts of upgrading their stupid argos so they would become useful?

"An argo is fine", Gary agreed. "For the actual tail we need something a bit more inconspicuous. Like a medical transport. We'll commandeer one when we're ready to move."

"Can't you just beam in a team once you've got her location based on the patch?" Estelle asked.

"If that's my only trail, I'd like three of those patches", Mona said. "I can put at least one where they'll never find it."

"Sure, we could." He agreed with a shrug of his shoulders. "Except how would we know where Mona goes is where the Chief is being held? She could be in an altogether different location. I'd like eyes on her if possible."

Estelle thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes, of course. I'm... not good at this." She realised, now that it had been pointed out to her, that her suggestion wasn't exactly the brightest idea. "No-brainer, actually. I guess mine's not working well right now."

"Maybe we could rig up some kind of spy camera?" Anje suggested, her aunt talked about using them in the old days, the concept was still sound, "Lt. Norris, is that possible?"

"Aye." Gallia nodded, "I'll need some equipment from the ship, but with that I can build anythin' we need. Hell, gimme a commbadge locator chip and I'll put a bloody homing device in it."

"Do you think Commander Holmes is recovered enough to lead the mission?" Anya asked Estelle.

"She said she was feeling up to it, yes", Estelle nodded. "I believe she's interrogating the first prisoner. If only we had a telepath who could extract the information we need..." She looked at Gary. "Do we, Commander?"

Gary gave her a smirk, "I believe Lt. Savar would fall into that category. As a Vulcan he's a touch telepath but he would be able to obtain the information we need."

"I wonder if he'd be willing", Estelle said. "We can't order him to, can we?" She was fidgeting with her tricorder, anxious.

"Isn't he all ready down here on the surface?" Gary asked, "As for ordering of course I can but I'd rather not. Vulcans are highly private of preforming mind melds. Though I believe we have a compelling case for him to perform one."

"With respect, Sir, perhaps a partial Vulcan will do." Anje offered, pushing her hair back to reveal her ears, "I'll talk to whichever one you want me to, we'll get the mindmeld one way or another."

Gary nodded, he couldn't fault the younger officer's desire to help and get her friend back "No offense Anje but can you perform a mind meld? This must be done delicately. We don't want to shred his mind..... if we don't have to.''

"I've done them before." Anje replied, it was a secret she didn't really want to let out, "I can't tell you the details, but suffice it to say I can perform the task."

Gary was silent as he argued with himself. Savar was more than qualified to a meld but Liogra was Anje's friend and he didn't want Anje to feel he was cutting her out of helping. There was also the problem with backlash if something went south with the meld. He wasn't in the mood for finger pointing. He looked at Anje, "I'm sorry Anje, Savar is the better option. We'll have him do the meld."

Fernando had arrived and stood anxiously as idea ideas were being hashed out. Gary tossed him the phaser rifle. "I read your file. I know how good you are. You may need to use it."

"Could we get it done sooner rather than later?" Estelle asked impatiently. This discussion had been going on far too long for her taste. She needed results. It wasn't her place to give orders, and she knew that, but she could maybe poke them a little to speed things along.

"Really Doctor? You must learn to control yourself in situations like this. We will get Chief Liogra back.... safe and sound." Gary answered evenly.

"Sometimes I feel there's a nudge needed to move things along", Estelle said. "I am controlling myself. You have no idea what I'd be like if I wasn't. Hope you'll never find out."

"With your permission, Commander," Gallia began, seeing Estelle was beginning to get frantic, "I'd like to take my protectee and start gettin' the equipment we need to make that spy camera, Sir. I figure the sooner we get it built, the sooner it goes into play, the sooner we get Liorga back."

Gary nodded at Gallia, "Go." He said simply.

-TBC-