By Small and Large Degrees

 Episode Name:  By Small and Large Degrees

   Written By:  Eidolon

         Cast:  Eidolon, Foster, Harris, Hurley, Nuvar, Patton, 
                Shamash, Starfleet and Valentine.

  Produced By:  Starfleet

  Directed By:  Eidolon

     Aired On:  Sun Jan 16 00:17:25 2005

     Stardate:  54683.6

Time: Sat Jan 15 20:11:49 2005

Stardate: 54683.2

"Captain's log, Stardate 54683.2, Lieutenant Robert Harris recording." Harris pauses to lean back in the command chair, his eyes scanning the various stations before continuing. "Thomas Paine has been dispatched to intercept a Breen ship that's been emitting an anomalous energy signature. Given its proximity to the Neutral Zone, Starfleet has tasked us with watching for any signs that the Breen might be wooing... or are being wooed by the Kassus faction within the Romulan Empire. End log."

Rob shakes his head once before lifting his gaze to the viewscreen. "Mister Hurley, get Commander Ghorev for me. Mister Patton, prepare to depart. All other stations, report status."

Starfleet has arrived.

GAME: Starfleet is joining this location.

Starfleet boards the turbolift as the double doors slide open.

Starfleet has left.

Shamash, from his station at the Science console, mentions while looking over his shoulder to the Big Chair: "Science station checks, all green, Lieutenant, setting systems to scan for other Breen activity, updating the systems to allow for specific readings" He then occupies himself with the console again.

Valentine sobers and reports crisply, "Engineering showing green lights across the board, sir. Full power at your command." Tommy being a very good ship, and all.

"Tactical, all green and ready to go. Full complement of torpedoes and phasers ready to blow whatever is necessary out of the sky," Foster replies. He sounds completely serious too. Hey, even his face is serious. Maybe he really IS serious.

Patton seems to be really happy as he sits at the helm. "Everything is good to go here sir." He looks back towards Foster for just a moment.

. o O Valentine thinks, "The Breen. This should be be interesting, to say the least."

. o O Foster thinks, "Breen. I could do without them, that's for certain. So could have millions of people on Earth."

As soon as was requested of her, Hurley is at work hailing her own station on the station in a cheerful tone, as contrasted by the dark undertones of the other reports. "Station 4-1-9, this is USS Thomas Paine requesting to speak with Commander Ghorev." After a brief pause, she glances over towards Harris. "Commander Ghorev is on the comms, Sir. On-screen?"

Harris nods to Hurley. "Yes, please, Ensign." When Ghorev appears on the viewscreen, Harris offers a nod. "Requesting permission to depart, sir."

Valentine doesn't glance up from her console. She's busy working and shunting power to its best efficiency.

Nuvar sits back in her seat beside the command chair, watching the busy efficiency of a Starfleet bridge, though the slight smile on her lips fades at the first mention of the Breen. She glances toward Caleb as she speaks up, nodding slightly at his report. Evidently she believes her teammate is serious, and is in wholehearted agreement with him.

. o O Patton thinks, "First time undocking from this station, you better not screw this up."

Foster settles down at the Tactical station, absently going over current stores. Let Green have her Type I's, Type II's, Type IIIc's, Projectile Grenades, flashbangs and stun grenades. He'll take the BIG guns any day.

Patton starts pressing some buttons at his console, "Helm ready for departing procedures sir."

After checking computer systems, Hurley turns with a smile to look towards the Command Pit and Viewscreen, silent at the moment.

Ghorev nods from his chair in the station's operations center. "Permission granted. Fleetspeed, Thomas Paine." The screen then returns to the external view offered by the sensors.

"Release docking clamps, aft thrusters at one-quarter, port and starboard at stationkeeping," Harris orders quietly. "When we're clear to navigate, set course for the Neutral Zone, warp eight. Engage." He turns to Shamash and Nuvar with that. "We don't know what exactly the problem is with the Breen vessel. I want both of you to coordinate with Mister Valentine as soon as we're in close sensor range -- we don't want any nasty surprises."

"No, that is something i hope to avoid as well, Lieutenant Harris. Suprises that is", Shamash responds then seeks out Valentine and inclines his head to her with a slow nod of silent understanding.

Valentine glances over her shoulder as she hears her name and lets the rest of Harris' comment coagulate in her brain. She nods her understanding to Harris, then to Shamash. Her gaze goes to Nuvar, and she offers an encouraging smile, before turning back to watch her engine power levels.

Nuvar glances around the bridge, visually identifying the officers in question and nodding easily. "Understood, sir. We'll figure out what they're up to."

. o O Valentine thinks, "Wonder if Rob's still ticked off at me. Gods, I hope not. Shoulda let him get a few more bruises in."

Foster comments, "Breen have been known to use cloaks." Do they ever! "Who would you like watching for them, sir?" All right, that was a bit more respectful, matching the serious tone of his voice.

Patton stops smiling as he starts to concentrate. "Docking clamps released, aft-thrusters at one-quarter." He looks up and watches both on the screen and at his console as the ship starts to clear the station.

The Thomas Paine clears the station, her running lights coming online as she swoops underneath the docking arm. The impulse engines light, and she rockets away from the station, angling upward before stretching to an impossibly long length and vanishing into faster-than-light speed.

Several hours later, the Paine drops from warp velocity near (but not -too- near) the Breen vessel. Thankfully, it's not one of their large destroyers, but appears to be a fighter-sized vessel.

Harris leans forward in the chair, his features growing grim. "Shields up, yellow alert. Full sensor sweeps, science. Mister Hurley, hail them. Mister Patton, avoid them, but don't look like you're avoiding them."

<CONTEST> Shamash contests his Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Nuvar contests her Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

GAME: Foster spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Foster (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Impossible and Fails!

Shamash's fingers dance over the console "Already on it.... Area is free of other detectable encroachments, the Vessel does not derivate in design from those on file... Localizing the source of the readings to be the ship's cloaking technology, Sir."

Valentine glances briefly toward the viewscreen, then back to her console. "Sir, if you could put those readings on a continuous feed to my station, I'd appreciate it," she requests.

"Not reading any indication of other cloaked vessels," Foster responds, his hands running over the controls as the scanners do their work.

"Already there, Lieutenant." Nuvar chimes in as her fingers fly over the console beside her. "Looks like... phasing technology, sir. Very reminiscent of experimental phase cloaking technology that was experimented with back in the '50's."

Patton nods to Harris. "Aye sir, avoid without avoiding."

"Aye, Sir," Hurley chimes from her station, opening frequencies immediately with a standard Starfleet hail. By the sound of her tone towards the Breen vessel, this is just another day in the life of a friendly fleeter - nothing too exciting, nothing out of the ordinary. She doesn't /look/ uneasy, and she certainly doesn't /sound/ uneasy.

Perhaps Hurley should have been uneasy, after all.

The Breen ship turns as if to flee as her hail goes out, turning its backside to the Thomas Paine and accelerating to high-impulse speeds. As it starts to move away, a strange blue ripple starts from the center of its hull and rapidly explands outward. The leading edge of the wave impacts the Paine in a matter of seconds, the blue washing across the bridge, followed by the darkness of unconsciousness.

After several moments of silence, Harris coughs and pushes himself off the deck. "Status, all stations," he mumbles before clearing his throat and repeating himself in a much stronger tone.

Shamash accesses the sensor logs and just ..frowns. "According to the that got recorded while we were out, the wavefront appears to have been a phase distortion. Internal sensors record no residue of any kind and it appears to have caused no phyiscal damage" Eyes go to Valentine as if to confirm the state of the ship with a questioning glance. Back to Harris: "I can only assume at this time, that this might have been caused by a malfunction at the attempt of activating cloak, Lieutenant.

<CONTEST> Foster contests his Computer (Research) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Valentine, crumpled on the floor, looks up and around dazedly. "What-" Harris' voice brings her more sharply into focus, and it's only noting that everybody else on the bridge seems to have been inflicted as well that keeps her from blushing hard at having falling asleep at the switch. Grabbing at a bulkhead, she pulls herself back up to check her readings. "Engineering normal," she nods at Shamash, then toward all the sensor watchers, "Where's the bloo- Breen ship?"

Nuvar picks herself up off the floor and shakes her head to clear it as she dutifully returns to her seat and console, fingers flying over it as she tries to figure out what just happened. "Sir, the Breen appear to be fleeing at warp 7, on a direct course toward the Riley Convergance." She flicks a gaze toward Foster to gauge his reaction to that tidbit as she adds, "Respectfully respect we give chase, and quickly, before they get there."

Foster, having somehow managed to end up UNDER the tactical station's console, reaches up with a single hand and pulls himself back into his seat. He's quiet for a few moments after that, apparently accessing the computer for something. When he speaks up, he says, "In the five minutes we were out, it does not appear there was any attempt to board us." He frowns at the mention of the Riley Convergence, and almost appears to be about to say something else, but he doesn't.

. o O Foster thinks, "Technically, involving that place would probably place OIC in either my hands or Nuvar's, probably Nuvar's, but if she doesn't think of it, I'm not going to call her on it. Rob's got personal issues with that place."

Patton, like everyone else, picks himself up on the deck and slows the ship down. He starts to enter more commands as he asks, "Riley Convergence?"

Hurley slowly pushes herself off her console, blinking in confusion as she readjusts her headset and looks around to reorient herself. She runs a quick check on computer and comms systems and reports as ordered, "Operations is... good, Sir."

Harris settles back into the chair. "You don't want to know, and I don't think I could tell you anyway, Mister Patton. Persuit course, warp 9." He turns to the science duo. "I want to know -exactly- what happened. Maybe it's not a cloak, but a weapon. As for the Convergence, let's just hope we beat it there." Then to Valentine. "Tara, reconfigure the main deflector for filtering out heavy particles, and reinforce our shields. We're going to have some nasty visitors." Is that the voice of experience talking?

<CONTEST> Shamash contests his Computer (Research) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

GAME: Nuvar spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Nuvar (claiming advantage) contests her Computer (Research) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

"Not good." Shamash mentions, beginning his summary with the timehonored words that simply sound better than ~uh oh~. "This wavefront was indeed a phase distortion, Sir. It... has shifted our alignment out of syncronization with the normal space time continum..." he tips more, and yes. it gets better. "Our modulation is off norm far enough to be... only a shadow in this universe. Quite possibly we have lost our ability to interact with normal space."

Valentine quirks an eyebrow at the warp order, and changes her priority screens around so she can keep an eye on engine power and stress levels. "Aye, sir," she responds to the orders, a trifle fiercely. They ain't a-gonna hurt her fellow crew members or Tommy if she's got anything to say about it. Fingers fly rapidly over her console. "Suggest going to red alert, sir?" At Shamash's comment, she shoots an alarmed look toward the science officer.

. o O Valentine thinks, "Oh God. Not again."

Nuvar's lips tug downward as she listens to Shamash's report, but she doesn't offer anything further. Evidently, she's got nothing.

Foster clarifies for Patton, "Ensign, information about the Riley Convergence is beyond your Security Clearance." But not his, apparently. "Sir, respectfully request weapons hot, in case they try to hit us again with whatever that was." He, then, as well, shoots a look of horror at Shamash as he adds, "Maximum speed for the Brilliant class is Warp 9.2, unless Ensign Valentine can give us more." And it sounds like he has no doubt that she can. "If we're out of phase, maybe they won't be able to hit us. Which means we can get there before they can. And, hopefully, fix the problem."

. o O Hurley thinks, "A shadow? Well, it could be worse, I suppose. How, I have no idea, but I'm *sure* it could be worse. We can fix this, I'm sure. I think. No, we can fix this."

Patton quickly complies with the order given. "Aye sir, course set, engaging." He presses the buttons, bringing the ship to the correct heading while increasing speed again. The second that the ship reads the correct heading he activates the warp drive.

Hurley lifts an eyebrow at Shamash's report and turns to look between Harris, Shamash and Nuvar. She doesn't look worried quite yet. Curious, but not worried. Afterall, *someone* needs to remain optimistic.

As the Paine leaps into warp, the colors on the bridge take on a darker tone, as if the light in the room dimmed a bit.

Harris takes a breath. "That all depends on if we figure out how to get back -into- phase, Mister Foster," he points out softly. "Which, undoubtedly, Misters Shamash and Nuvar will be able to do for us. In the meantime, I want suggestions on how we stop a physical ship when we're not able to affect it at all. Mister Hurley, dump all of our logs and sensor readings to our destruct buoy, just in case. Mister Patton, maximum warp. Mister Valentine, I'll take all the power you can give us." He pauses for a moment more.

Harris says, "Computer, red alert."

The computer acknowledges Harris with a bleep.

The red alert klaxon sounds throughout the ship.

<CONTEST> Valentine contests her Shipboard Systems (Engineering) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Shamash focusses on his console tapping up several different datastreams and subvocalizing commands to analyse them. At the mentioning of the buoy, his mouth twitches slightly and he mumbles somthing not addressed to anyone.

Shamash whispers to himself, "If the buoy does not become realigned by itself all of a sudden, tht might be pointless... or... this is simply a time limited effect in which case.... i have a lead to follow. hm."

<CONTEST> Nuvar contests her Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

. o O Hurley thinks, "If.. we're out of phase and thus not able to interact with our universe.. how will anyone be able to access the buoy and draw data from it?"

Valentine nods a little, most of her attention and her energy on her engines. "Ensign Patton," she calls, "You can push it to Warp 9.5, but we won't have to run it for long." She looks over her shoulder, her fingers never stopping. "Lieutenant Harris..." She hesitate. A quick glance toward Hurley, then back to him. "Maybe we can 'jerk' ourselves out of the out-of-phase phase."

"You assume, Caleb, Lieutenant, that /they're/ not out of phase, too." Nuvar mutters as she studies the long range scans, hoping to determine just that. "It's a phasing cloak that I detected earlier. That means that, when working properly, it's /supposed/ to send them out of phase. Just because it backwashed on us doesn't mean it didn't work on them, too." She pauses, then, frowning at her sensor readings. "Though it looks like they're in phase with normal space. Argh. That's going to make our lives a whole lot more difficult."

. o O Foster thinks, "C'mon, guys. Get us back in real space so I can blow these buggers to tiny little bits of Kingdom Come." He pauses even in his own thoughts and blinks. "Geez, I didn't know I was so damned upset with them."

"Logic dictates that if that weapon could knock us here, it can probably still reach us here, if perhaps not as completely," Foster explains in terms of his reasoning. But the point is moot - red alert brings all phaser arrays and photon torpedo launchers to partial standby, with one torpedo armed. In short, weapons hot.

Patton nods to Valentine, "Thank you ensign." He presses buttons bringing the ship up beyond it's normal max, to 9.5...

Clearly not pleased with the pessimistic tone from Harris, Hurley turns back to her station and does exactly as instructed, pausing only momentarily to consider her console. With a shrug, she prepares the buoy, then glances over her shoulder towards Valentine, then the science team and Harris, "Is there anything I can possibly help look up?"

The Breen ship is rapidly overtaken and passed by the Thomas Paine, then left far behind. In a matter of moments, the communications console starts to chirp with a warning message. "The Riley Convergence has been classified a Level Three navigational hazard by Starfleet Command. Entry into his area of space is forbidden."

Harris glances at Valentine. "I'm all ears, Mister Valentine." Then he turns to Patton. "Bring us out of warp on the edge of the Converegence, Mister Patton, and prepare an intercept course for the Breen ship. Do -not- cross the defined boundary unless I give that order."

GAME: Nuvar spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Nuvar (claiming advantage) contests her Space Sciences (Subspace Field Dynamics) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Shamash contests his Computer (Research) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

GAME: Patton spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Patton (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Flight Control) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Shamash has apparently made some progress on his research as suddenly a message flag appears on Valentine's console. "Lieutenant Harris, provided the Breen craft can still target us in our current state, I wish to point out that we have the theoretical possibility to further shift our phase variance to either direction. With this, we could bascially spoof their weaponry at least slightly. The same principle can also be used to match physical objects from our ship with their variance, however i do not see any chance of success for beam weaponry currently." a nod to Valentine "I have sent appropriate data to Ensign Valentine."

Valentine gives three quick taps at her console, then leaves it, to rapidly head for the mission CO. Valentine whispers to Harris, "The alternate universe travel device we have on the Paine, the one we used to rescue Chris. It tosses us into non-phase for a second, then back into phase. If we fire it up, go there, and flip back here, maybe it'll get us out of this." She hesitates. Valentine whispers to Harris, "Or, very very low chance of success, I can try to get it to do the same thing without flipping between universes." The engineer looks up abruptly at Shamash's report, and speeds back to her console to take a look. ''Sonofa- Sir. Confirmed. I can remodulate the torpedoes, and we /should/ be able able to hit 'em with it. If that's what you want to do, sir.''

Something about what Valentine said seems to have struck a chord with the TRT Science gal, who busily hunches over her console, brow furrowed as she runs through a series of calculations and simulations. "Sir! I think I have something. I believe, if we set up a quasi-polar fluctuation emitter with a posi-modal ray interlock, we should be able to contrive a controlled implosion in the warp core that should pull us back into phase." She pauses, frowning down at her readouts again, and then adds, "There is another option... but I don't think that it would leave us in very good condition to fight the Breen, if it comes to it. We could reconfigure the deflector dish to emit an anti-chroniton pulse... but no one's going to thank me for it, afterwards. It's going to hurt. Really, Really Bad."

. o O Valentine thinks, "A controlled implosion in the- That's what a warp core /is/, dearie. Still... Hmmmm."

Foster nods at Shamash's comment, as if he's already come to the conclusion that the phasers would be rather useless, which is why he's been keeping them on standby, "If you can send me those variations, I can see if I can reprogram the torpedoes accordingly. Weapons systems aren't exactly ... well, let's be honest, they aren't anywhere NEAR my forte."

. o O Shamash thinks, "the new gal Nuvar came to almost the same conclusion as I did. I should try to get to know her better, she is quick witted.... Wonder if i can invite her for a coffee or something later."

Patton doesn't respond immediately by voice, but he does exactly as ordered. To someone looking at the ship's placement in space, Patton seems to pull the ship out at the last minute, but he pulls out and plots the course. "Aye sir, out of warp. Intercept course ready for your orders."

. o O Patton thinks, "I don't want to know what would have happened if I waited too long to drop out of warp..."

Harris frowns. "Mister Foster, work with Mister Hurley on our weapons systems and the destruct buoy -- I want to be able to launch torpedoes and the buoy. Mister Valentine, given the suggestions by yourself and Mister Nuvar, I want you to choose one and get to work on it. Mister Shamash, Mister Nuvar, work with Mister Valentine. Mister Patton, keep an eye on the Breen. When they're fifteen minutes from here at their present speed, I want you to move to intercept. Let's get to work, people."

<PROVE> Harris has the merit of Sexy at 2.

<CONTEST> Harris (claiming advantage) contests his Command (Starship) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Dramatically Fails!

<PROVE> Nuvar has the merit of Synergy at 3.

<CONTEST> Shamash (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Shamash has already turned back to his console, then after a while states calmly as he enters copies the data towards Valentine with a cc to Nuvar "We are out of alignment with a reflection adjustment of 0.848 nanothaum per 10 by the power of minus four seconds. Use the acyclic number for compensation back to the zero line of normal space"

<CONTEST> Valentine (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Engineering) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Valentine cocks her head, listening, even as she runs through some rapid calculations on her console. "Damn," she breathes, then she heads swiftly back down toward Nuvar, beckoning to Shamash. "Lieutenant," is aimed at Nuvar, "Enter code GV-419-9408. And when the purple starts flashing, stand by." SHe glances back up at Harris. "Going for the universe transfer, sir."

Nuvar casts a brief 'well, /duh/' look toward Harris before turning to the others and getting down to business, sending copies of her subspace field flux calculations and simulation results to Shamash and Valentine, her work seamlessly integrating with theirs as they begin to work together on the problem. She nods sharply at Valentine as she enters the code. "Just out of curiosity....." she says as she inputs the data, "Which option did you choose? Is this going to set up the warp field, or the deflector?"

Foster flashes a smile down at Hurley, if perhaps a slightly nervous one at how somehow... unnerving that set of orders were. He shakes it off, and asks, "Care to join me up here?" Then he stares at Valentine. "You're going to use that? I just got OFF the floor." He's joking, but then, that's his own command style. "Go for it, Tara. I *know* you can do it. I know we *all* can do it."

<PROVE> Foster has the merit of Sexy at 2.

<CONTEST> Foster (claiming advantage) contests his Command (Starship) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Patton nods, "Aye sir, ready to intercept."

Hurley returns Foster's smile with one of her own bright ones. Nervous? Never. At least she won't show or admit to it. "I would love to," she comments slyly, sliding off her seat and moving to stand just behind Foster. "Though, I have to admit, I'm not very.. acquainted with weapons systems. Sure, keep them running and make sure they *can* run, but.. hmm. How about I just not push buttons?"

Harris watches Valentine carefully, keeping his attention that-a-way. Apparently he's interested in what she's chosen as well.

. o O Harris thinks, "I must be getting old."

Shamash's work on this particular detail has been done, trowing himself at the next problem already though at least partly concentrating on the live datastream.

"Neither," Tara Valentine tells Nuvar grimly, and heads back to her own station to rapidly enter codes into her console. "You know what's coming, Caleb. The rest of you, hold on to your butts with both hands. Lieutenant Harris, we're good to go whenever you give the word."

Nuvar frowns, her brow furrowing as she opens her mouth to voice an objection... then thinks better of it, closing her mouth and watching for the tell-tale Valentine told her to keep an eye out for.... while quietly double-checking her own figures once again, so that there are other options ready, just in case.

GAME: Foster spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Foster (claiming advantage) contests his Systems Engineering (Weapons) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Foster (claiming advantage) contests his Systems Engineering (Environmental) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

"How about you work on the buoy, and I'll work on the weapons," Foster says, after Tara's comment. "Hopefully it won't be necessary." His face suddenly lights up and his hands shift to a different set of controls, blurring rapidly. "Computer, increase oxygen production levels to one part in two and maintain until after transition is complete. And, as Tara said, hang onto your behinds, as this is gonna get rocky."

Hurley eyes Foster a moment. "Last I checked, I only had *one* behind. Singular." A grin spreads across her lips and she accesses a nearby terminal herself, keying in commands to release the already-prepared buoy on voice command. She glances up and softly states to Foster, "It's ready. Voice Command. And my butt is prepared this time." The last comment is accompanied by a glance in Valentine's direction, hands firmly clasped on the console in front of her.

"Alright, then." Harris clears his throat, turning to face the viewscreen. "All hands, brace yourselves. Mister Valentine: engage."

GAME: Valentine spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Valentine (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Engineering) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Shamash, arms outstreched to the console, does as suggested. Head half turned now towards the rest of the bridge crew before his attention wavers back to the sensor readouts. Always a fascinating display for a scientist.

The proverbial switch is pressed. The colors start to fade out, and it's as if the entire universe needs to sneeze -- everything attenuates, then starts to squeeze in as if trapped in tunnel vision, squeezing down to a point -- and that's when things get really weird.

Ghorev is here, all of the sudden. In the command chair. "Pull up the readouts on those particles, and let me see how much damage we could be in for."

Laco sits at the science station. "We could try raising shields, Commander. I don't know how effective it would be, though."

Harris is, suddenly, at the helm. "Commander.... if the Exeter is in its own time, aren't we required to help them? What if the Jem'Hadar ship is the time traveler? What if we're in 2293?" He's on the edge of tears. "They wear the same uniform, Commander! I mean... we can't just let them die out here. Not again."

And then, everything snaps back to normal -- and everything is returned to the way it should be, with everyone in their proper places.

Valentine holds onto her console, more for moral support than anything else. She stares at it, hard, and doesn't look a bit surprised at Ghorev and Laco and what-have-you... and then she digs back in at her console to check systems when normality returns. "Status," she snaps.

. o O Valentine thinks, "Ghorev. Of /course/. Who else would show up in a nightmare."

<CONTEST> Foster contests his Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Nuvar was, clearly, not expecting that. She doesn't know what she /was/ expecting, exactly, but.... that wasn't it. "What the hell--?!" she exclaims, halfway rising from her seat as Harris turns into a big blue guy, and back. As things return to 'normal', she slowly sits back down again, and begins to call up data on her console. "Ahh.. anyone care to tell me what just happened?"

Foster was, apparently, braced for just this effect, though not the result. After all, from what he's been led to understand, the Andorians no longer exist in the Mirror Universe. So that tells Foster more. It doesn't take him long to figure out what he's seeing, and when he comes out of it, he's staring at the back of Harris' head. He reaches over to Hurley's arm to get her attention, and then shakes his head at her. He doesn't know exactly how Christine will react to Rob Harris' reaction, whatever it may be, but now is not the time. All he says is, "Weapons hot. I have target lock."

. o O Foster thinks, "Oh man, Rob."

Patton started holding on right before the jump. He's watching wild-eyed as all the weird-freaky time things start happening. After that unique 'trip', he looks down and says, "Target almost in range, will engage when ready."

In that brief moment, Harris' pleading snaps Hurley's attention towards the helm, where Patton should be, and jaw-drops at the reaction displayed by the displaced Harris and can just barely respond to Foster's reassurance, which somehow manages to keep her oriented. When everything snaps back to normal, she mouths with narrowed eyes focused on the pilot's seat, 'Exeter.' Slowly, she brings her gaze around to the Command area once again, considering Harris quietly before Valentine's snappy order at her own console takes her out of her reverie. Eyes fall back on the console in front of her and she gradually lifts one of her hands to run a systems check. "Normal. Everything looks normal," she says with a haunted undertone.

. o O Patton thinks, "That's it, no more herbal coffee for me before I go out on missions."

"Mister Patton, engage your intercept course. Maximum warp. Engage." Harris' voice is soft. "Mister Foster, hold your fire until I give the order. Mister Hurley, hail the Breen vessel again, tell them to drop from warp velocity and stand by to be boarded."

"Fascinating...", a short remark from Shamash, "phase realignment successful." a smirk "We are back."

. o O Valentine is elated. It worked! Her friends are safe...

. o O Valentine feels Well, more or less...

Valentine, for one very brief millisecond, lets her expression suffuse with relief, then she digs back into her work, tapping at her console for energy depletions due to the transfer, and what she's got left to work with.

Foster's response, other than to give Hurley's arm one more reassuring squeeze, is a snappy, "Aye, aye, sir. Weapons at ready station."

Patton nods and says, "Aye sir," as he presses the buttons, making a final course adjustment before bringing the ship to maximum warp.

Hurley settles back into her seat and opens hailing frequencies once again. This time, however, the hail isn't nearly as friendly as before, and consists of more forceful advice to the Breen vessel. "This is Starfleet vessel, USS Thomas Paine, hailing. You are hereby ordered to drop from warp and stand by to be boarded. You will acknowledge this hail." There is no please, there is no friendliness. The Ensign is still recovering from the cold, dark scene on the bridge earlier, and the chilling haunted tone is a direct result.

The Breen vessel, confronted with a weapons lock, and an angry hail, not to mention a Starfleet ship that appeared from -nowhere-, does the smart thing. It drops from warp speed, lowers its shields, and surrenders promptly. The security crew from the Paine takes the Breen crew into custody, and the fighter in tow before the ship departs for home.

The Riley Convergence and its ghosts are left to seethe in space, waiting for more adventurers to come near.

<CONTEST> Foster (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Succeeds!

"Captain's log, supplemental. With the capture of the Breen vessel and its crew, the Paine is returning to Station 419 with another successful mission under its belt." Harris glances around the bridge again, his tone softer than when the ship left dock. "I would like to note a special commendation in this log for Ensign Tara Valentine, Lieutenant Junior Grade Alyna Nuvar, and Lieutenant Junior Grade Agrim Shamash; were it not for their dedication to duty and quick thinking, the Thomas Paine might still be stuck in that half-existance brought upon us by the Breen." He pauses for a moment, then adds, "The ghosts of the past still rest on our horizon. The potential for abuse of the Riley Convergence has been discovered by those who would use it against us; undoubtedly, Starfleet and Timefleet must find a way to keep it protected from our enemies. End log."

Shamash is looking at the log from the transition most of the way back to the station, having found another curious tidbit of information to analyse. That... and theories on Breen technology.

Valentine just gives the bulkhead nearest her station a pat, smiling a bit, as she delves over the log of the Breen's ship. Good job, Tommy.

Nuvar sighs and resigns herself to the knowledge that no one is going to fill her in on what happened, and turns her attention, as well, to the sensor logs. Maybe she can glean something from there. And if not.... she can always grill Foster at PT in the morning. Such is the life of a Timefleeter.

Foster is working an inordinate amount of time on the sensor logs himself, starting from the time they move to meet the Breen ship, through the boarding, and on the way back to 419. Finally, within a couple of minutes of arrival, his worried brow eases and he lets out a sigh of relief.

Patton is smiling, just having fun now that all the weirdness is done. He's just finishing up his job at his first successful run of piloting the Paine. Yeah, it's a little different, but he's definitely enjoying it.

Hurley, in the meantime, brings the program to release the buoy on voice command offline. No sense in risking accidental launch of it, afterall. She's uncharacteristically quiet for the entirety of the trip back until it's time to hail the station for incoming warning and intention to dock announcement.

The Thomas Paine drops from warp and moves to her docking collar to be secured.

Safe.

Sound.

Home.