Taking Charge

Posted on Thu Sep 10th, 2009 @ 9:22am by Captain Vorn Krace

Mission: Into a Devil's Heart
Location: Starbase Ronin - CO's Office
Timeline: MD04 1320hrs

Commander Joseph Critchley (NPC) was seated at his desk, waiting for one of his officers to page his office and inform him that Captain Krace was on his way when the blue glow lit a corner of his office. Startled at first, his face settled back into the mask which had become customary over the last couple of days - grim annoyance.

"Figures you'd make an entrance, Captain. Your officer sure knows how to make an exit."

"An exit which I plan to be distinctly shorter-lived than he had planned," Vorn retorted, moving infront of the Commander's desk. "Communications onboard the Iapetus are still patchy while we effect repairs, especially while inside the station's docking bays. I need a direct line to Starfleet Command, can you get that for me, Commander?" Vorn was distinctly aware of his reaction had he been dictated to on his own command in the manner he was dictating to Critchley, but he had no time to nurse the man's ego - he needed to establish himself as the senior officer, and the man in charge of this situation.

The rapidness of the Captain's dive into the heart of the matter had the desired effect, as the station commander stuttered for a moment. "Y-yes, Captain," he began, training automatically taking place over his own feelings as he obeyed an order clearly given. "But I don't like being given orders on my own station!" he managed to get in, as he tapped a few controls on his desk.

"Neither would I, Commander," Vorn conceeded, as he turned towards the monitor on the wall.

The image of Rear Admiral Iluvar appeared on the viewscreen. Behind him, the view of his ready room aboard the Tethys could be seen. =^= Captain, what a pleasant surprise, =^= the admiral said =^= to what do I owe the pleasure of your call? =^=

Vorn raised an eyebrow in a fair imitation of a Vulcan, his only show of surprise. 'I had been hoping for someone a bit more central, but I think this will still work...' he thought to himself.

"Admiral, good to see you again. I'm afraid the call's more business than pleasure. You see, there's been some.... trouble, with my first officer," he began.

Instantly, the admiral's demeanor became more serious. =^= What kind of trouble =^= he asked.

Vorn decided to plunge straight to the heart of the issue. "I need him to be put on the renegade list, Sir. And I need the Iapetus assigned to pursue him."

Iluvar frowned. He looked the captain directly in the eye and said, =^= The severity of this request is...=^=

"Quite high, I'm afraid," the Captain replied. "Before leaving the ship in a stolen shuttle, Peter managed to disable our long-range communications, preventing us from warning anyone of what little he had told us. All we know for certain, is that he has stolen the USS Lincoln, and used the explosion of his stolen shuttle to mask his heading from Starbase Ronin's sensors."

=^= We've got enough on our plate with the escalation in Elyshan activity =^= Iluvar explained =^= We don't need the possibility of an incident out here with a rogue officer. Any indication as to motive or intent? =^=

"Only assumptions and small bits of information. We managed to retrieve someone he enlisted as an accomplice before ejecting her in an escape pod before he reached here. With what we've been able to piece together so far, and what she's told us, I believe he's on some sort of personal vendetta, and that it has something to do with his father, Captain John Brown, of the USS Sierra." Vorn held up a PaDD so the Rear Admiral could see it. "You'll probably have more information than I can get, but I had my CIO look into it. The Sierra's activities have been classified by Starfleet Intelligence, along with a portion of Peter's own records. I don't know what the Sierra's been up to, but I know that Peter has the training and the experience to be a real danger to it, and cause some serious trouble to anyone involved with it."

Again, the admiral sighed. Such events could be trying, even on the best of crews in the best of times. Still, if anyone knew the man best, it would be his fellow shipmates. =^= Very well captain, =^= Iluvar said, =^= You are to make the retrieval of the Lincoln and the apprehension of Mr. Brown your top priority. =^=

Vorn nodded formally, ever aware still of Commander Critchley watching him from his desk, and also the seriousness of the situation. "It already is, Sir," he replied.

Iluvar leaned forward on his desk slightly. =^= You helped my ship and crew out of a tight spot, captain, =^= Iluvar said, =^= And I haven't forgotten that. If you need anything... =^=

Vorn allowed himself to smile at the man on-screen. "I'll make sure you're the first to know if I have any favours to call in," he joked. He was also aware of the effect that knowing that the Task Force Commander owed him one would have on Critchley's opinion of and mannerisms towards him.

=^= Godspeed, captain =^= Iluvar said =^= Tethys out. =^=

As the communication channel closed, Vorn turned his attention back to the station commander. "Now that that is sorted, you now know I am officially in charge of apprehending Peter Brown. I expect the full cooperation of you and your staff, is that understood Commander?" He still didn't plan to give the station CO any room to maneouvre his way into any sort of control of the situation. Though he knew he needed nothing in his way, he felt sorry in part for the man sitting behind the desk with a Chicago accent. He'd clearly had experience, and had come accustomed to having his orders followed on the station, rather than having to follow others.

"Yes, Captain," he said meekly, nodding to emphasise. "I'll make sure my senior staff are made aware of the need to show you and your crew their complete cooperation."

"Good. We won't take up much of your staff's time - I plan to be out of here as soon as we catch scent of Peter's trail. Is there anything else you wanted to speak to me about?" It was the first time Vorn had allowed the commander to have an actual influence on their 'conversation'. But by now whatever he had planned to say to the Captain had fallen to the far reaches of his memory.

"No... no, nothing else, Captain. You may go."

Vorn simply nodded, and left through the doors without a verbal response. As the various station staff wondered how a man could leave a room, but not enter it, he strode directly into the turbolift and ordered it to proceed to docking bay 4.

=^=Krace to Gunning and Li. Please report to the Observation Lounge aboard the Iapetus for 1340 hours. Krace out.=^=

---------
Captain Vorn Krace
Commanding Officer
USS Iapetus

Commander Joseph Critchley (NPC)
Commanding Officer
Starbase Ronin
Played by Captain Krace

&

Rear Admiral Iluvar
Commanding Officer & TFCO
USS Tethys
Task Force 22