Ever Feel Like You're Being Watched?

Posted on Wed Sep 10th, 2025 @ 9:36am by Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson & Commander Kyle Reece

Mission: Season 6: Episode 6: Conglomerate
Location: USS Elysium, Main Bridge
Timeline: MD 1 / 1700 hours
1266 words - 2.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Kyle was down in the security chief's office...his office, again...sitting behind the desk that had just been relinquished by S'hib. He shook his head in silent regret. How had things gone so wrong, so fast? Had he missed the signals? Was he that rusty in this particular field that he was so blind to the trouble that had befallen his home? Looking up at the ceiling, he silently beseeched the Elysium to tell him where he had failed her. Back when he was a young lieutenant, and the Elysium had been under the command of Admiral Sharr, he had felt that he was the best at what he did. What had changed?

He still felt a strong pain of failure, in regards to the whole issue with Lia. When they had first shared those fish and chips, after the Greene Incident, he had seen in her the fire for the job that he had once felt himself. He had found a friend in her. Then, after they found themselves lost out here, in this far distant galaxy, everything seemed to just fall to pieces, no matter how hard he tried to hold it together. There has been so much death, so much loss, so much pain. He wondered how much more the ship could take.

As he was lost in his thoughts, his computer beeped an alert. The sound brought him back to the present instantly, and he sat forward, working the interface. After the whole issue with the church and the various other threats they had experienced as of late, he had set up a program, with the long range sensors. To give him a warning, should something unusual be detected.

Something odd had just been recorded. After looking over the readings, Kyle tapped his commbadge. "Commander Reece to Commodore Lalor-Richardson."

==Ready room==
Phoenix had been going through paperwork when the call came through. "Yes Commander?" She asked hitting her own badge.

Over the tiny speaker in her commbadge, Kyle's voice could be heard saying, =/\=Forgive the interruption, Ma'am, but I was wondering if I could come up to see you? The ship's long range sensors just picked up an odd reading. Before I expound upon it more, I'd like to show you the readings first.=/\=

"Of course," The Commodore replied.

=/\=Thank you, Ma'am. I'll be up shortly. Reece out.=/\= The comm channel then went dead as he terminated the call.

Phoenix continued to work on paperwork, filing reports.

Less than ten minutes later, the door chime to her ready room dinged, indicating that there was someone waiting outside, on the bridge.

"Come," Phoenix said and the doors opened for him. She looked up from her papers. "Commander." She waved him in. "Please have a seat."

Kyle made his way inside and lowered his large frame down into one of the two empty chairs positioned in front of her desk. As he handed a small data chip over to her, he spoke. "On this is the information that the sensors recorded, thirteen minutes ago, Ma'am." He waited for Phoenix to load the chip into her desk computer, and activate the holo imagery, displaying what the long range sensors had detected.

"The image is of the massive nebula that we just passed through, about an hour ago. If you magnify sector seven, you'll see what I mean."

The Commodore's eyes narrowed. She studied the image. "I don't suppose that comes with an ID?" she asked looking up at him. "Because that is making my hair stand up."

Kyle let out a breath as he responded. "While the computer can't get an exact identification, what it was able to piece together is that the ship...is using a Romulan cloaking device. Now, whether it's tech that the Th'laia stole from the Alpha Quadrant, or a ship that's stranded here as well, I don't know yet. What I do know is that, whomever they are, they are on a parallel course with us, shadowing us."

"Romulan?" she bit her lip. "It is .. possible. It could be the Romulans themselves. We have had run ins with a rogue element from the Empire. If they were caught in the same accident as us..."

Kyle shrugged slightly. "I dont have definite proof yet, Ma'am. So far, it's more a theory that seems to fit a few minor facts. Something is definitely following us, that something is working very hard to remain hidden from our sensors, and when our sensors did detect an oddity, there were similarities to what our records show to be the kind of energy being used to hide a Romulan vessel. Any other questions about the situation would only be answered with conjecture."

Phoenix bit her lip. She considered it. "Gods help us if it is them. Can you gauge the size?"

Kyle took a couple beats to consider what few facts, and his own experience, we're telling him. Finally, he spoke. "In my opinion, Ma'am, from what the sensors are showing me...I'd say it's either a heavy destroyer or warbird class of vessel." He paused again as he reached back in his memories. "If I remember correctly, a warbird had been shadowing us, across the border, when we were on our show the flag mission, right before we ran into that filament. Perhaps they became caught by it to?"

Phoenix nodded. "Maybe ... possible allies? If it is the not GSN Havrah.. then maybe they could be allies."

Kyle looked at his Commanding Officer, an arched right eyebrow, as he asked, "You have history with that particular ship?"

Phoenix nodded. "Yes. Gary, Lia and a former chief of flight, Liselle and I went on vacation, and they took us prisoner ... It was not fun. They were the first 3 crew I had to add to my 'crew i have seen naked' list." She looked up. "It was horrific. I almost drowned."

Kyle nodded thoughtfully as he listened. "Of all the adventures I've been on, that has not been one yet," he grinned slightly, trying to add a little levity to the topic. He then got serious again as he continued digging for information. "If I may, Ma'am, should it be the ship you think it is, what can you tell me about her and her commander?"

"i know very little about her. The commander. Gary would know more. She has major beef with him, to be honest, I always got the impression that while Gary was the Target and Lia and Liselle were also targeted because.. well Gary and Lia and then there was a possibility of Gary and Liselle, I was unexpected baggage." Phoenix said. "They separated me fairly early on. I think I was just a decoy."

Hearing this, Kyle nodded again. "Then I'll reach out to Gary, ask him what he knows. Any information that we can discover about our shadow, the better defended we will be."

Phoenix nodded "Commander. Just to Captain Taylor. No need to worry anyone else."

Kyle nodded, a slightly confused look on his face. "Understood, Ma'am."

"Look, not many of the crew who were there are here now. But there is a bit of... trauma from it. I want it kept quiet until we know more."

His features clearing, Kyle nodded again. "Yes, Ma'am.. I'll stick to whatever I can find in the computer memory." The last thing he wanted to do was cause any more trauma to his shipmates.

The two spent a few more minutes speaking, then Kyle thanked the Commodore for her time, repeating that he would keep things quiet.

~OFF~