Perceptions Part 1

Posted on Mon Mar 14th, 2022 @ 8:43am by Captain Maia Sterling & Ambassador Amanda Blake & Lieutenant Steve O'Carroll & Lieutenant Commander Robert Hendon & Lieutenant Commander Havri Belbre & Lieutenant Kasey Tanger & Lieutenant Isabelle Raal & Captain Karyn Somers & Lieutenant Marina Tanger

Mission: The Riixian Insurection
Location: Betazed Ruling Council Chambers
Timeline: 239502.27

The Federation Starship Leto assumed a standard orbit around Betazed. Captain Sterling and Lieutenant Tanger along with the ambassadors from both the Federation and Betazed delegation boarded the Leto's diplomatic shuttle and flew down to the ruling council chambers of the Betazed government. They were in full dress uniform and were received by the Riixian guard and escorted to the Betazed diplomatic corps leadership introductions were made. Robert kept towards the back of the group.

"Welcome to Betazed, You're service honours us. I am chief attendant Lianna Reglusi of the fifth house. The council is currently in high-level security deliberations. However, they will attend shortly." The Attendant said.

"I am Captain Maia Sterling of the Federation Starship Leto, This is Federation Ambassador Amanda Blake, Her husband Captain David Blake and this is my Chief Diplomatic Officer Lieutenant Kasey Tanger. We are here to speak on behalf of Betazed remaining in the United Federation of Planets." Maia said.

Isabelle stood to the rear of the group feeling something of a spare wheel, she had diplomatic training and experience but Kasey was the main diplomatic lead. Though being half Betazoid made being on home soil all the more special.

Maia waved over to Lt Raal to come forward.

"This is my Chief Counsellor Isabelle Raal." Maia said.

"Captain, may I be excused, I see an ambassador on the other side of the room, I need to have a word with." Tanger requested Sterling. He was receiving a telepathic message specifically from this ambassador.

"Alright Lieutenant just don't disappear on me," Maia said.

[Tag] Officers and Ambassadors.

Tanger headed across the room to find an elderly Betazoid shrouded in a hooded robe. Telepathically Tanger reached out to the old man. The old man was sort of in a trance and only thought the words 'I am the omega of this age and the alpha of the next age.' Tanger was surprised that on a planet full of telepaths no one else was getting the focused thoughts from this man. Tanger was also scanning the elderly man with a tricorder and there were no ill readings. Tanger reached out telepathically once more. He got the same over and over. However, Tanger felt that he was being distracted from something else in the room.

=/\= Tanger to Raal =/\=

Marina was mingling when Kasey’s voice came over the comms. =/\= Raal here, go ahead Kasey. =/\=

=/\= Do you sense any abnormal emotions? or for that matter anything that would be out of the ordinary? =/\= Tanger asked of the half Betazoid Counselor.

Looking around the room T’Mia let her mind’s ‘walls’ down enough to get a good sense of the room.

=/\= I’m not sure what ... =/\= she paused as her head turned towards the man Kasey was standing near. =/\= Very definitely from the man you’re stood close to, he’s ... going over and over. Wait ... =/\= She looked around. =/\= another man is standing to the rear of the room, he’s going over and over the same thing! =/\=

=/\= Thank you for some reason I am only picking up on the thoughts of this man. =/\= Tanger then realized that maybe this was a diversion or a trap of some kind. =/\= I bet the Caliphate have figured out how to focus on an individual's frequency and thus lock out the mind to others. I am not sensing any other minds in the room other than this guy who appears un-phased by our conversation. You not being a full Betazoid are not appearing on the radar of the group. Let the Captain know that maybe other key Betazoids may be affected and they have not realized it yet since they are regularly used to drowning out the background thoughts. Mention that likely all the cloaked and hooded people in the room are here to divert the minds of the key officials to cause an issue. I am headed back to you and the captain. =/\=

Marina nodded. =/\= Understood Kasey =/\= Making her way across to Maia she offered a polite smile. “Captain can we talk? ... in private.”

"Of course Lieutenant", Maia said walking off with her.

“Captain, Kasey, and I have reason to believe something is going on. There are telepaths in the room who are purposely blocking other telepaths and empaths.”

"That makes sense. The caliphate would surely use other telepaths to try and use the mind control they have mastered. perhaps the telepaths are here to block those signals. The council knows we were not able to neutralize the caliphate completely", Maia said.

Marina shook her head. "I don't think they're here to help Captain. Just the opposite, I think they're here to cause trouble."

"Understood Lieutenant, We are here as diplomats perhaps it would be best if you reported them to embassy security," Maia said.

Marina nodded. "Aye Captain I'll do that."

After Tanger had given Raal a chance to talk to the captain, he noticed the cloaked man was now intently staring at him directly in the eyes. Tanger had this uneasy feeling about him. For a moment Tanger felt a familiar presence but that passed and now he was only able to read this cloaked figure's mind. He also felt compelled to open his mind up for a deeper mental probe. He was fighting that part with all his might as this person was mentally strong. Tanger was almost frozen in place as this was occurring.

"Mr Tanger are you alright?" Maia asked.

Lt. Tanger was unable to respond to the Captain as his mind was not freely his own, it was being used to retrieve data about Starfleet's mission to Betazed. The cloaked man was doing a deep dive into Tanger's mind. This was also happening to other individuals who were considered valuable to the Caliphate in the means that the data collected would shift the power back into their hands.

Ambassador Saagu came walking over. "Sorry for my late arrival. I was getting all the latest updates that my office had and maintains. I have copies for anyone wanting them. It is still a bad situation going on right now."

"Has the assault on the Caliphate's main base begun Ambassador Saagu?", Maia asked.

Marina stood for a moment a sudden sense that she hadn’t felt before made her look around. Her eyes fell on Kasey, seeing him standing as though frozen. “Kasey!” She rushed over her Caliphate training overruling her Starfleet Officer instincts as she blocked the intrusion into Kasey’s mind. “Get the hell away from my brother!!”

Ambassador Saagu replied, "It has Captain and they are receiving a lot of resistance as I expected. I heard a report that the Caliphate weapon is down but unconfirmed at this time. So far there are no reports of any federation casualties but you know how sketchy reports are when they are fighting. The personnel keeps their heads in the game to prevent any surprises Captain."

Do you see these people around us staring into space? Lieutenant Monroe says they are up to no good. Perhaps they are receivers. What I wouldn't give for an energy dampener right now. Be on the ready. If they try something it will no doubt be a psionic attack, Ambassador Saagu." Maia said.

After Monroe stepped in and added a third mind to the mix, Tanger was able to reconstruct walls in his mind to block out any more of his mind from the undercover operative. "You almost broke my mental fortress but I know you did not get what you wanted," Tanger stated to the cloaked man. "You are now under arrest and Tanger then pulled a small hypospray from his pocket and injected the cloaked man, who was then no longer able to establish a mental connection to anyone as Tanger have him a dose of the blocking agent used on the other Caliphate members already caught by the Federation.

"Thank you, Marina, you saved me from being hacked," Kasey told his sister and he looked towards the captain. "Ma'am, we need to seal this room and keep these people secure and get the meeting started as soon as possible. Maybe even have a forcefield erected in a frequency that will dampen all telepathic abilities and do this all verbally until we know what awaits us." Tanger stated to the Captain.

Yes, I already have a forcefield in effect around these chambers it's probably why they seem to be having trouble overpowering people." Maia said. "Still, they are dangerous", Maia added.

Standing next to her brother Marina looked around as she heard voices mentally whispering her name, they were trying to lure her away from Kasey's grounding, and protective influence. Trying to block them out was proving difficult, especially after the training they all shared. She massaged her temples before looking to Sterling. "I'm sorry Captain, I need to get out of here!", Marina said.

Why don't you go into the chamber it's more protected, Mr Tanger perhaps you should go with her to save your strength," Maia said.

Marina looked at Kasey, "Whatever you think is best, I'll go wherever you need me to go."

"I will do that Captain, and hope it is the best move for all involved." Tanger replied.

While under normal circumstances, Tanger would have been strong enough to do this delegation justice, he was weakened by the mental attack, and now his sister who used him as a means to ground herself was also being influenced by the attack. They needed to get out of the room and yet he had locked down until they could figure out what was going on. "Captain, we need to get those that are not being targeted to focus their efforts on those that are being targeted so help them fight off the Caliphate who are in the room," Tanger stated as he moved with his sister to a back corner of the room to attempt to find some means to allow himself to refocus on what to do next.

Marina nodded as she settled into a quiet corner away from where the focus of the Caliphate members was. “Thank you, Kasey, I’ll be fine here. Go, and be careful, Marina said.

End of Part one

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A post by:

Captain Maia A Sterling
Commanding Officer
USS Leto NCC-80916

Lt Angelina Brannon
Chief Security Officer
USS Leto NCC-80916

Lieutenant Kasey Tanger
Chief Diplomatic Officer
USS Leto NCC-80916

Lieutenant Marina Monroe
Infiltration Specialist
USS Leto NCC-80916

Lt.Cmdr Dr Robert Hendon
Chief Medical Officer
USS Leto NCC-80916