Survey Says

Posted on 17 Nov 2021 @ 11:11pm by Commander Calliope Zahn & Admiral Zavareh Sepandiyar & Lieutenant JG Rhiannon Hokir & Lieutenant Noah Khoroushi

Mission: M2 - Sanctuary
Location: Obsidian, Civilian Medical Outreach, mountain foothills, outside of Kalara
Timeline: MD 07 (Following "Supply Run")
2514 words - 5 OF Standard Post Measure

Calliope watched the rhythm of the dunes growing larger in the shuttle guidance image. She could only see a corner of it from where she sat. Once again, she was even more bewildered that she could still come and go from the station. she had been absolutely certain that after her trip with Kensworth, any oversight in the system would be closed. If she hadn't be sure before, she was certain now. Corvus had to have intentionally maintained this freedom for her. Calliope felt that gut rush of anger at the thought of Corvus again and this time felt herself evaluating her feeling about her friend. Calliope would have fallen on all the spears for Corvus. Every one of them. But Corvus had her limits. She was more professional and had more respect for fleet brass. This feeling, it was betrayal, a metric rot ton of it. But shoveling down to the end of all that rot there was an unspoken lifeline still attached.

Calliope adjusted her veil over her desert variant uniform. She'd dressed like all the rest of the survey team, and being innocent of any of the context or history with calliope and al Havash, the Team Lead had agreed to have her along as an observer.

Rhian had said she would prefer Calliope's help with the initial delivery verification. Stage two would also involve fabrication, hence the survey team with the initial delivery. If Calliope had tried to ride along with Rhian it would probably have made a stir and halted the entire project, though. She needed to do her best to stay as low profile as possible.

The mountains were casting long morning shadows. Nestled in the shorter peaks outside of the Kalaran Caldera was the little sun-bleached, half sand buried old medical outpost that Calliope had remembered. It was even less impressive from the sky. There were tents in the hills nearby as well. Native ones of woven hair. They stirred in the desert wind. Doctor al Havash must have guests, Calliope thought. Maybe several dozen families. By the time the survey team landed, the supply shuttles were already busy unloading. Calliope held back, remaining in her seat in the shade of the shuttle as the survey team hauled their equipment out and began their scans and samples of the mountain side surrounding Havash's spot.

Finally she fixed the cap and veil and rolled her exposed green hands into the robes. She shuffled out along a narrow trail and observed until she spotted movement of a figure whose gesture best said Rhian, to her. Luckily she was a Betazoid, and so Calliope knew there would be no need to call out.

Betazoids were not made for Deserts. The thought played merrily through Rhiannon's mind as she struggled to catch a breath in the dry, sand-laden air. Even with the veiling filtering the worst, she had a niggling suspicion that she'd be coughing up dust for some time to come. Still, if she spent her time focusing on all the negatives, she was going to miss enjoying this trip, so Rhian tamped it down as her gaze swept over the crowd and settled on a figure not far off her right. It wasn't difficult to weed her way through to Calli's side, and she managed only a short cough to clear her throat before greeting the woman. "This is certainly some place."

"I haven't adjusted to it myself, but I guess I haven't visited enough yet." Calliope said. "From a distance looking at this world, you wouldn't guess there was so much life here."

"I don't have the best skill-level when it comes to desert, but I've done some reading on the way down." Rhian tapped the PaDD inside it's protective carrying case. "Best to know what I'll be dealing with on all the gear."

"How is the delivery going?" asked Calliope. She refrained from asking what her curiosity couldn't help but want to know... for Dr. al Havash's reaction to the glut of supplies.

That was a good question. "Um ... well, it's going. Lieutenant St. John has been a huge help, getting the Admiral's sign-off on equipment and all, though we did have a bit of a hold-up on the station. Apparently someone had tipped off security that all wasn't as it seemed." Rhian shrugged. "Not sure what would give them *that* idea. I made sure I had all my ducks in a row going in. Needless to say Dr. al Havash was a bit overwhelmed." Which, she had to admit, was putting it mildly. "But I've assured him that I'll be keeping a rotating contingent from Operations to assist with maintaining - and overseeing - the equipment so Medical can focus on their tasks without spreading their ranks too thin."

Calliope nodded. "It shouldn't be overly difficult to supply regular follow up. I had already billed maintenance teams for the new surgical and research fabrication being installed, so the environmental controls can be upkept." Dr Al Havash would probably resent all of the uniforms coming and going from her outpost, but she couldn't complain any longer of being without space, support, or resources. "But you might have to get used to overseeing a team here as needed."

"Truth be told, I'm kinda looking forward to all this. Betazed's practically tropical, and San Francisco was anything but this dry. I'm sure I'll have to spend a few weeks in a spa just to get my skin back to normal, but it will be worth it just for the experience."

"Maybe I'll join you. I'm supposed to get more relaxing in." Calliope let a moment pass before she couldn't stand it any more. She had to know. "Who tried to hold up the delivery?"

Rhian frowned. "Some Science Commander ... LCDR Llywd or something like that. Thankfully Naomi had the approvals from the Admiral to hold them off from completely derailing the delivery, though we picked up an ... unanticipated escort on the way down." She shrugged, offering a half grin. "Self-righteous prick, if you ask me. He got under my skin; probably because I was picking up on just how big of an ass he really was. But, the equipment is here and being installed, so I'd say we can call it a win."

Calliope mulled on how a Science officer came to be concerned with the particulars of the delivery and shook her head at herself. It wasn't about her, or al Havash or this Llywd or any of them. "Obsidian needs the win. This planet could really use the help turning things around. Thank you for taking on the task. Especially seeing as it will become a regular management item for your department now. True aid is rarely a once and done thing. Oh sh—"

A couple of figures were coming over the rise in the landscape and Calliope wasn't sure if she should continue on as if they would pass one another or if they were coming with purpose towards herself and Rhian. She decided to take her cues from Rhian who would have an earlier bead on the situation.

One of the figures pointed towards the two of them and the trio shifted to intercept, resolving into the figures of St. John, Commander Llwyd and a new face all being trailed by the security detail. St. John brought them over towards them, trying to smile, but clearly looking terrified.

"Ah, so it's true. Rock bottom does suit you," Doctor al Havash declared tartly, folding her arms by way of greeting Calliope.

"Play nice, Vivian," Llwyd declared.

Al Havash snorted derisively. "We'll see."

Llwyd flashed a patient smile at Calliope, "It's good to see you on your feet, Commander," he said, offering his hand. "You probably don't remember me, but I'm one of the Physician's aboard the Alexander. I helped treat you in the beginning of your... time in Sick Bay," he smiled.

Rhian smiled winningly; for all she wouldn't mind punching Llwyd in the nose for his antics on the way down, she did not sense any overt threat in his - or al Havash's - actions outside of personal history shared. "Your team did a fantastic job at that, sir. I will admit I was the one to encourage Commander Zahn to take some time planet-side as her energy allowed. For all it's not the most ideal of climates down here for my taste, I noted in my research that desert climates tend to have a beneficial effect for the Orion system. "

Unlike Rhian, Calliope bristled, thankfully under the shadow of her desert hood. She all too easily picked up the social cruelty in al Havash's greeting-as-it-were, and immediately observed the familiarity between the two doctors; Calliope puzzled together right away that doctor patient privilege meant very little to either of them in her particular case. Likely they would have considered it 'conferring' as Calliope had initiated with al Havash for the prescription and Llwyd had been one of her many treating doctors. If anything, Llywd's voice rang a bell more so than the name or the face, but even then, the sound of it was familiar only in the way of something once encountered in a dream.

"No, I don't remember you," Calliope said plainly. She accepted the handshake, more out of social courtesy than anything else as she hadn't a real measure of him, besides the trouble he had reportedly made over the supply shipment. She chided herself that she should well be used to the god-like complex every doctor she'd ever worked with on her hospital ship and abroad typically had. Some, Like Dan, and Corduke, and Walker, just had enough self awareness to counter the effect with practiced humility. Calliope glanced over at the younger woman, intuiting that she must be the Admiral's Aide Rhian had been working with. Although she offered a smile, Calliope resisted giving St. John any praise for her work as it would likely put the younger lady in a difficult situation, being smeared with any kind of connection so as to tie all of her good efforts in with the scandal Calliope knew was likely to never really be forgotten. She'd have to figure a way to wear her mark without besmirching anyone else.

"I trust the Operations team has all the equipment sorted and assembled according to regulations," Said Rhian. "I would expect nothing less of them; especially in light of a firmly worded request from the Admiral." Though Dr. Llywd had made no bones about expressing his opinion of the shipments, Rhian had seen the expressions that others on his team had done well to hide from their superior. For all Obsidian Command was within reasonable travel range from the planet, a stiff storm or - deities forbid - another attack could compromise travel, and having a well-established medical base planet-side was simply in the best interest of all involved, whether they realized it or not. As she spoke, Rhian caught sight of a vaguely familiar figure approaching, his lanky form and slight limp marking his identity in her mind. "Lieutenant Khoroushi, I didn't expect to see you down here."

Noah grinned as he caught sight of the acting Operations chief. "I'm here in my Diplomatic capacity, actually. Commanders," he nodded to the two medical practitioners, as well as the woman in the large-brimmed hat beside Lieutenant Hokir. "Lieutenant St. John."

Calliope's eyes narrowed unfairly at the newcomer. She didn't need a diplomat butting into her issues. She had handled far more sensitive matters in her own missions over the years. That this one was her own shouldn't raise the antenna of a diplomat, keen to intervene. Khoroushi's offer seemed to galvanize her previously shaky will to manage her own disaster.

"Doctor al Havash has secured all of the medical equipment you brought down," Llwyd replied. "I believe she has everything she requested and a few extra's," he smiled patiently.

"Without strings attached," al Havash added tartly to Calliope.

Calliope clenched her jaw to keep from defending herself with what she felt to be the truth. She had never said there were strings. She'd been clear about that, even when she was wrong to have asked for her damn prescription. She had little doubt now the route of the rumor that had been her final fall from grace. Certainly she'd set her own self in the noose, but al Havash seemed happy to have kicked the block out from under her. Inhaling, Calliope held her breath with obviously stretched self restraint.

Llwyd glared at Al Havash and she rolled her eyes in acquiescence, folding her arms now with frustration.

"Do you all have further work here on the surface? Starfleet's just sent training on a new therapy through that I'd like to sit through again with Doctor al Havash aboard the Alexander. Will you all be joining us for a ride back?"

"I came with the survey team." Calliope explained. "They will probably be some time yet." She looked between Hokir and St John. They were both very capable and really had no need of her, despite Hokir's invitation for Calliope's assistance, and that made the trip superfluous in a good way. Besides, Calliope reasoned, leaving with the doctors while the Operations chief finished would eliminate rumors that Calliope had anything fishy in the works and ultimately keep Hokir's reputation clear. "I can ride back to the station with you."

"Excellent. Lieutenant, would you mind taking the helm?" Doctor Llwyd turned to St. John. "Afraid I'm more comfortable in a surgical suite than I am in the cockpit of anything." Unlike most, Alwyn had taken more of a crash course in Starfleet as opposed to the years long program most went through, having joined so late in his medical career. Starfleet was eager to have him and only gave him the basic groundwork in order to be an active Officer in the Fleet. He had a long way to go if he wanted to progress a rank further.

"Oh," St. John started, making a half-hearted gestured towards Hokir, "I... well, I... was going to stay with..."

Calliope held up a palm in a gentle pause motion. "There's no need to rush the operations teams here. I can pilot the shuttle, Doctor." She gave half of a wry smile. "I believe the dry air has done me some good and my head is feeling particularly clear." After her last shuttle escapade, leaving the atmosphere and coasting into a shuttle bay sounded rather gentle by comparison. Calliope began down the path towards their shuttle. "I insist."

"Doctor?" Llwyd gestured. Al Havash rolled her eyes and headed down the path and Llwyd followed.

Before Calliope could turn away, Naomi mouthed 'Thank You', then turned to head back the opposite way. There would be other shuttles to get back to Alexander. For now, she wanted to make sure absolutely everything was in order and then, even if just for a couple of minutes, she wanted to take a deep breath and relax.