Cascade – Calling All Counselors!
by Commander Karen Villiers & Lieutenant JG Ronan Larel
Post Details
The incident in the hangar bay shook Karen but she could not it deter from the investigation. With a practiced eye she had studied the documents that the Romulan born Intelligence Officer had provided her. A reference in that text had led her to a little known paper she had been able to located a copy of in the database of the Romulan Embassy. It did not make for promising reading.
Next she reviewed all crew records. They needed telepaths, plural. One alone could not do it. There were three registered on the crew and currently on the station; an empath named Mrin Caraway, Administration (Human Betazoid), Ensign Kaelin, a doctor (Deltan) and Kiya Praxis, Engineer (Betazoid). Some of the many Vulcans might be able to assist later on, but as touch telepaths they were no use for locating a being that could project and shield itself.
If Karen was right what they needed simply did not exist on Deep Space Five - a strong telepath with the ability to find what they were looking for, communicate with it and bring it under control with the support of the others.
I've a bit more to add here but we can start on the JP part below. This is the message that will be broadcast.
Her heart heavy with fear Karen wrote the following communique, asking for it to be broadcast to all Starfleet vessels within a day's travel.
::MISSION BRIEFING::
A ship drifting near Deep Space Five has been identified as a Yevadian vessel, its hull bearing the scars of attack. There appear to be no survivors.
The ship itself is now quarantined in a secure internal bay undergoing a painstaking examination by scientists, anthroplogists and engineers as we try to learn what happened and to learn more about this little known Beta Quadrant race.
What we do know is that the Yevadians have a divided society comprised of allied and hostile nation states that deify the rare telepaths who occur among them. Telepaths are taken upon discovery and trained through to adulthood as peacemakers, warleaders, rulers and religious leaders depending on the innate aptitudes of each child – in essence they become as living Gods with the power to act on their whims using their long-honed telepathic skills to control and guide the wider population.
In our investigation we have discovered that there is one of them alive. Traumatised by the attack on her ship, she has fallen into a catatonic state and taken refuge in her own mind. We believe that it was a child in training as a War-leader, one who is out of control and capable of projecting her emotional trauma onto the population of the station.
Our hypothesis is that in her panic she set her own people against the attackers, and then unable to distinguish friend from foe, against one another.
Our fear is that the population of Deep Space Five will suffer the same grisly fate as the missing crew.
::BRIEFING ENDS::
Ronan had just come on duty and was heading towards his office, when his combadge beeped. Tapping it he heard "Lieutenant Larel, please report to my ready room immediately."
The voice of Captain Neilsen was enough to stop him in his tracks. "Acknowledged sir. On my way." Moments later he walked into the ready room and without speaking was handed a padd. Reading it, he looked up at Neilsen and said "Sir? How can I help? Yes I am a telepath, but this may be a bit out of my experience."
The older man frowned and said " You are also a trained and experienced trauma specialist. I believe you are a good fit for this situation." Indicating the chair across from him he said "Sit. I'm going to contact the station and get more information." Tapping his combadge he said "Bridge, open a secured priority one channel to Starbase Deep Space 5. Attention Commander Karen Villiers."
The message sent, Karen leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, she did not know if this solution would work. Was she endangering others by even attempting it? The easy route would be to tow the ship into unexplored space and set it adrift - Hell, maybe that was what happened in the first place. Were the unfortunate occupants just trying to rid themselves of an insoluble problem.
Her head jerked up at the sharp pip pip of the comm. She hadn't expected a response so soon. If it was a response.
"Villiers here," she said as the screen morphed from the United Federation of Planets seal to the face of a man in a captain's uniform. He was greying at the temples, "Can I assume that you are responding to my call for assistance, Captain?" she asked.
Captain Roger Neilsen was not one to mince words. "Your assumption is correct. I have an officer who is a strong telepath and a trained trauma counselor." Gesturing for Ronan to come around the desk, he added " This is Lieutensnt Junior Grade Ronan Larel. I believe he will be suitable for your situation." As he spoke, he could tell she was a bit shocked at his speed in answering her message, so he added "I can tell you're a bit surprised by the swiftness of my response young lady, but I was led to believe this was a serious situation, and I am not one to waste my time."
Karen raised an eyebrow and at the same time repressed a wry smile, she couldn’t remember when she had last been ‘young lady’ed. “Captain, Lieutenant,” she said in greeting, “Please don’t make a rushed decision. This is a potentially life-threatening venture, and not to be taken lightly. Let me tell you what you might be getting into before you decide.”
Casting a look at Neilsen before he responded, Ronan said "If you believe I can help, I'm willing to try." He was about to add more, but then the Commander spoke.
It was time to reveal where the diaries loaned to her by Rhiana had led her. “About sixty years ago the Yevadians sent an envoy to the Romulan Empire to deliver a warning. Expansion was threatening to encroach on their system, and the Yevadians wished to stop it. Sceptical of what they had heard members of the Senate demanded that the Yevad demonstrate what they claimed. The envoy agreed. There is a record of the demonstration of the power of the Yevadians located in the Senate library, since that demonstration the Romulans have given the Yevadian system a wide berth and formed an exclusion zone in that sector.”
Nodding, Ronan said "So as you said Commander, this could be a life-threatening mission, but there is a lot at stake is there not?" He didn't know where the sudden shot of bravery and confidence had come from, but knew it was for real.
"One of our crew is of Romulan origin. She made diaries that recorded the events available to us. The diary explains that Telepaths are rare in this society, perhaps one in four million, and with a population at the time of around 7 billion there were about thirty of them, each trained from discovery according to its aptitude, spread throughout the shifting nations. The diary records that the host envoy explained how it was that the Yevad made war.
“Each nation is headed by a War Leader and at least one Peacemaker. When opposing armies meet, the War Leader will stir its own forces into a frenzy before they attack. At the same time the allied Peace Maker will attempt to calm the frenzy that the other side is trying to create in order to give its allied War Leader the advantage. When this occurs the advantaged War Leader is able to turn the enemy army on itself – the War leader of the enemy will suffer “feedback” as its troops go insane resulting in the ultimate death of the losing war leader. Once that happens, the Peacemakers of both sides join forces, first to quell the melee, and then to calm the victorious War Leader who otherwise would destroy itself and others.
“The two warring sides are then united under the victor and the Peacemakers. Though the War Leaders have tremendous power, without the Peacemakers they will be destroyed as the War Leader loses the ability to reason and sees only the instinct to destroy.
“The Yevadians made it clear that the rival War Leaders were pledged to unite to repel any attempt to invade. The Senate delegation were then shown the site at which a Klingon party had recently made such an attempt. Neither Empire is believed to have tried since.
“From our research the only conclusion is that somewhere on the ship we have discovered there is a Yevadian War Leader. It is influencing the mood of the population and has resulted in the death of one of the crew. We have two options, we can set the ship adrift and hope that the Yevadians never discover that we cast one of their Gods into space, or we can attempt to locate it and take on the role of Peacemaker. If we succeed, and can return the God to Yevad the Federation may finally be able to learn more about this isolated culture, and have the beginnings of a wider peace.”
Ronan had leaned against the desk as the commander gave them the exhasustive information. His sudden rush of courage vanished, and the task ahead of him seemed overwhelming. Taking a breath to calm himself, he looked up at her face on the screen and said "So what exactly would my role be in the mission? I have to admit, the situation seems rather overwhelming."
"I've been through our crew records and whilst we have a number of Vulcans aboard, they are touch telepaths. We have no-one with the skill to locate the presence if it is on board, and no-one with the ability to coax it out. A couselor and a telepath in one, working with one of our doctors who is a Deltan might stand a chance of success, others will be on hand to assist in bringing it under control. We won't force you to do this, Lieutenant, its entirely your decision," though there was nary a Starfleet officer who having the skill would refuse.
Casting a glance at Neilsen, Ronan said "I want to help Captain. With your permission of course."
Neilsen frowned, which was his normal response to most things and said "If that's your choice Lieutenant, I will approve the transfer. I suggest you start getting packed as soon as possible." Turning back to the commander, he said "Well there you go Commander, you have your officer. I will have the transfer orders to you within the hour and our ship will rendezvous at the station in 12 hours. Is there anything further Commander?"
"Nothng else Captain. Thank you for your co-operation, and Lieutenant, thank you for your dedication. I will meet you on arrival," Karen said. It was a step in the right direction.
Off
by Commander Karen Villiers & Lieutenant JG Ronan Larel
Post Details
| Title | Calling All Counselors! | |
| Mission | Cascade | |
| Author(s) | Commander Karen Villiers & Lieutenant JG Ronan Larel | |
| Posted | Thu Feb 28, 2013 @ 2:03pm | |
| Location | USS Horatio / Villiers Offce | |
| Timeline | SD71, 11:00 |
Next she reviewed all crew records. They needed telepaths, plural. One alone could not do it. There were three registered on the crew and currently on the station; an empath named Mrin Caraway, Administration (Human Betazoid), Ensign Kaelin, a doctor (Deltan) and Kiya Praxis, Engineer (Betazoid). Some of the many Vulcans might be able to assist later on, but as touch telepaths they were no use for locating a being that could project and shield itself.
If Karen was right what they needed simply did not exist on Deep Space Five - a strong telepath with the ability to find what they were looking for, communicate with it and bring it under control with the support of the others.
I've a bit more to add here but we can start on the JP part below. This is the message that will be broadcast.
Her heart heavy with fear Karen wrote the following communique, asking for it to be broadcast to all Starfleet vessels within a day's travel.
::MISSION BRIEFING::
A ship drifting near Deep Space Five has been identified as a Yevadian vessel, its hull bearing the scars of attack. There appear to be no survivors.
The ship itself is now quarantined in a secure internal bay undergoing a painstaking examination by scientists, anthroplogists and engineers as we try to learn what happened and to learn more about this little known Beta Quadrant race.
What we do know is that the Yevadians have a divided society comprised of allied and hostile nation states that deify the rare telepaths who occur among them. Telepaths are taken upon discovery and trained through to adulthood as peacemakers, warleaders, rulers and religious leaders depending on the innate aptitudes of each child – in essence they become as living Gods with the power to act on their whims using their long-honed telepathic skills to control and guide the wider population.
In our investigation we have discovered that there is one of them alive. Traumatised by the attack on her ship, she has fallen into a catatonic state and taken refuge in her own mind. We believe that it was a child in training as a War-leader, one who is out of control and capable of projecting her emotional trauma onto the population of the station.
Our hypothesis is that in her panic she set her own people against the attackers, and then unable to distinguish friend from foe, against one another.
Our fear is that the population of Deep Space Five will suffer the same grisly fate as the missing crew.
::BRIEFING ENDS::
Ronan had just come on duty and was heading towards his office, when his combadge beeped. Tapping it he heard "Lieutenant Larel, please report to my ready room immediately."
The voice of Captain Neilsen was enough to stop him in his tracks. "Acknowledged sir. On my way." Moments later he walked into the ready room and without speaking was handed a padd. Reading it, he looked up at Neilsen and said "Sir? How can I help? Yes I am a telepath, but this may be a bit out of my experience."
The older man frowned and said " You are also a trained and experienced trauma specialist. I believe you are a good fit for this situation." Indicating the chair across from him he said "Sit. I'm going to contact the station and get more information." Tapping his combadge he said "Bridge, open a secured priority one channel to Starbase Deep Space 5. Attention Commander Karen Villiers."
The message sent, Karen leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, she did not know if this solution would work. Was she endangering others by even attempting it? The easy route would be to tow the ship into unexplored space and set it adrift - Hell, maybe that was what happened in the first place. Were the unfortunate occupants just trying to rid themselves of an insoluble problem.
Her head jerked up at the sharp pip pip of the comm. She hadn't expected a response so soon. If it was a response.
"Villiers here," she said as the screen morphed from the United Federation of Planets seal to the face of a man in a captain's uniform. He was greying at the temples, "Can I assume that you are responding to my call for assistance, Captain?" she asked.
Captain Roger Neilsen was not one to mince words. "Your assumption is correct. I have an officer who is a strong telepath and a trained trauma counselor." Gesturing for Ronan to come around the desk, he added " This is Lieutensnt Junior Grade Ronan Larel. I believe he will be suitable for your situation." As he spoke, he could tell she was a bit shocked at his speed in answering her message, so he added "I can tell you're a bit surprised by the swiftness of my response young lady, but I was led to believe this was a serious situation, and I am not one to waste my time."
Karen raised an eyebrow and at the same time repressed a wry smile, she couldn’t remember when she had last been ‘young lady’ed. “Captain, Lieutenant,” she said in greeting, “Please don’t make a rushed decision. This is a potentially life-threatening venture, and not to be taken lightly. Let me tell you what you might be getting into before you decide.”
Casting a look at Neilsen before he responded, Ronan said "If you believe I can help, I'm willing to try." He was about to add more, but then the Commander spoke.
It was time to reveal where the diaries loaned to her by Rhiana had led her. “About sixty years ago the Yevadians sent an envoy to the Romulan Empire to deliver a warning. Expansion was threatening to encroach on their system, and the Yevadians wished to stop it. Sceptical of what they had heard members of the Senate demanded that the Yevad demonstrate what they claimed. The envoy agreed. There is a record of the demonstration of the power of the Yevadians located in the Senate library, since that demonstration the Romulans have given the Yevadian system a wide berth and formed an exclusion zone in that sector.”
Nodding, Ronan said "So as you said Commander, this could be a life-threatening mission, but there is a lot at stake is there not?" He didn't know where the sudden shot of bravery and confidence had come from, but knew it was for real.
"One of our crew is of Romulan origin. She made diaries that recorded the events available to us. The diary explains that Telepaths are rare in this society, perhaps one in four million, and with a population at the time of around 7 billion there were about thirty of them, each trained from discovery according to its aptitude, spread throughout the shifting nations. The diary records that the host envoy explained how it was that the Yevad made war.
“Each nation is headed by a War Leader and at least one Peacemaker. When opposing armies meet, the War Leader will stir its own forces into a frenzy before they attack. At the same time the allied Peace Maker will attempt to calm the frenzy that the other side is trying to create in order to give its allied War Leader the advantage. When this occurs the advantaged War Leader is able to turn the enemy army on itself – the War leader of the enemy will suffer “feedback” as its troops go insane resulting in the ultimate death of the losing war leader. Once that happens, the Peacemakers of both sides join forces, first to quell the melee, and then to calm the victorious War Leader who otherwise would destroy itself and others.
“The two warring sides are then united under the victor and the Peacemakers. Though the War Leaders have tremendous power, without the Peacemakers they will be destroyed as the War Leader loses the ability to reason and sees only the instinct to destroy.
“The Yevadians made it clear that the rival War Leaders were pledged to unite to repel any attempt to invade. The Senate delegation were then shown the site at which a Klingon party had recently made such an attempt. Neither Empire is believed to have tried since.
“From our research the only conclusion is that somewhere on the ship we have discovered there is a Yevadian War Leader. It is influencing the mood of the population and has resulted in the death of one of the crew. We have two options, we can set the ship adrift and hope that the Yevadians never discover that we cast one of their Gods into space, or we can attempt to locate it and take on the role of Peacemaker. If we succeed, and can return the God to Yevad the Federation may finally be able to learn more about this isolated culture, and have the beginnings of a wider peace.”
Ronan had leaned against the desk as the commander gave them the exhasustive information. His sudden rush of courage vanished, and the task ahead of him seemed overwhelming. Taking a breath to calm himself, he looked up at her face on the screen and said "So what exactly would my role be in the mission? I have to admit, the situation seems rather overwhelming."
"I've been through our crew records and whilst we have a number of Vulcans aboard, they are touch telepaths. We have no-one with the skill to locate the presence if it is on board, and no-one with the ability to coax it out. A couselor and a telepath in one, working with one of our doctors who is a Deltan might stand a chance of success, others will be on hand to assist in bringing it under control. We won't force you to do this, Lieutenant, its entirely your decision," though there was nary a Starfleet officer who having the skill would refuse.
Casting a glance at Neilsen, Ronan said "I want to help Captain. With your permission of course."
Neilsen frowned, which was his normal response to most things and said "If that's your choice Lieutenant, I will approve the transfer. I suggest you start getting packed as soon as possible." Turning back to the commander, he said "Well there you go Commander, you have your officer. I will have the transfer orders to you within the hour and our ship will rendezvous at the station in 12 hours. Is there anything further Commander?"
"Nothng else Captain. Thank you for your co-operation, and Lieutenant, thank you for your dedication. I will meet you on arrival," Karen said. It was a step in the right direction.
Off