messner

Raolin Messner was astonished to hear Van Roy tell him what had happened back on the Qob, how Narn had triggered a secret hoojimawatcha and blown the ship to heck and the crew to this reality. This made things quite complicated, if Narn and Rhoz were both guilty of such disasterous and illegal activities. Messner ran down the dwindling list of command figures.. Bch - Klingon Kawalas - Klingon Narn - criminal Ramjep - Klingon RHoz - criminal Messner.... Okay, Messner is the next highest ranking starfleet officer not under suspicion of being a party to blowing up the ship.. just have to go find him, since he's in charge, technically.. A few moments go by. Holy crap! That's me! Messner started to panic. He'd never been in command before... of anything! He had gotten quite comfortable as an assistant in the security department, and in fact counted on it. He was perfectly fine with risking his own life, but making decisions that would determine the fate of others... that was a whole different story! Part of Messner wanted to run. If he just cowered somewhere then someone else could decide things, and Messner wouldn't have to worry about it.. he wouldn't have to do anything except accept what came about. Plus, it was obvious that Rhoz did not take him seriously. And if RHoz decided to TAKE command, Messner was not sure he would be able to stop him. Besides, Rhoz knew far, far more about engineering and temporal mechanics than Messner hoped to ever know half of.. maybe it would be better with Rhoz in command, anyway... But RHoz had seemingly broken Federation law by participating in the construction of that illegal engine, which resulted in this situation in the first place. However knowledgeable and capable, he was apparently also capable of ignoring regulations and the safety of the crew for his own purposes. This settled it in Messner's mind. Those who had risked everyones lives and caused this mess could not be trusted not to do so again. Especially since soon the ship was going to blow up and they didn't have time to squabble and figure out details. Messner toiled over his lack of knoweldge and experience, trying to figure out how he could possibly succeed now that he'd made up his mind he must lead. After much internal conflict and much time sitting in the captain's chair, sweating, he decided he was just going to have to get advice from people who knew what they were talking about and decide based on his principles and on weighing consequences, without realizing that that's what commanders usually do anyways.

Security Report #11823A Stardate 0306.12 Entered by: Ensign Andrew Magillicutty (NPC Security 1) Re: Phaser priveledges revoked; Doctor Garnoopy I have been observing Doctor Garnoopy for several hours during the course of my post escorting the Klingons, and it is the opinion of this officer that he has been using his phaser with undue judiciousness and irresponsability. Despite standard practice for medical personel, he has been carrying a Type-II hand phaser apparently taken from Deck 12 weapons locker L-4 for several hours now, and has removed it from his holster several times and fired it twice. Once in sickbay at the wall, after which he was in fact warned against irresponsible weapons discharge, and a second time on the bridge, when a Klingon jumped on top of him. He was in fact being assaulted, but I deemed it unneccessary for him to have fired a point blank shot while three security officers were present. I was, in fact, moving to pick the Klingon off of him, after motioning for Ensign Carter (NPC Security 2) to move to a covering position, since another potentially hostile Klingon was also present. Doctor Garnoopy paniced and did not properly assess the situation before acting, resulting in serious injury to one of the Klingons. As per security protocol 13, section 4, I have returned the aforementioned weapon to its weapons locker and temporarily revoked Doctor Garnoopy's weapons access pending a review of the situation by department chief, with the recommendation of a weapons conduct course, responsibility tests, and possibly a psychiatric evaluation. End report #11823A.

"I hate quantum mechanics!" -O'Brien For not the first time today, Raolin Messner wondered what the heck was going on. Bits of his A-reality memories were coming back to him.. although he wasn't thinking about it so they came back as impressions and attitudes rather than memory of specific instances. This was, however, confusing Messner, whose memory-less instincts and attitudes were quite different, having come from reality B. In reality B, Messner had eventually, despite his expectations, become a decent security officer and even got promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade due to his good technical skills with weapons and general loyalty. However, without facing the challenges of living with Klingons and being so far from home, he had come out quite a pansy. He generally played it safe and got by okay, but never developed much sense of self-sufficience, pride, or courage ((think Picard in "Tapestry" heh)). So the universe (and Messner) was quite surprised when, faced with 3 charging Klingons, Messner charged right back at them with a growl on his lips instead of running or taking pot shots. Now Messner was trying not to think about why the heck he had done that, trying instead to concentrate on how to get 3 angry Klingons to the brig without having them kill any of the security officers, and without having to stun them for a couple days worth and physically drag them there. Messner was wondering about several other things, too, in the back of his mind, now that he had a moment to think. For instance, why were they fighting with these Klingons' ship anyhow? He couldn't recall anything about the political history of the past 7 years, but he had a definite impression in his head that the Federation was still at peace with the Klingon empire. And what the heck had caused so many people, including perhaps these Klingons, to lose their memories, and why only back to a certain point? Perhaps most of all, why did he have vague notions of personally knowing these Klingons whom he'd never met before? 'Errrggg... too confusing... must concentrate on duties...' he thought.

I can't think of a good reason right now for using a poll :) , but I wanted to use one anyways to see what its like... ??? soooo, a poll on polls was the only obvious option! :laugh: I also want to use some of these smilies. :wink:

Messner was wondering around the corridors of a ship. But what ship was it? Messner groaned, falling against the wall in confusion. "What the heck is going on..?" he wondered aloud. "Oh, yeah.. the Qob.. of course.. I have duty pretty soon." Messner's senses came back to him. For some reason he had been particularly groggy this morning and was wondering down the hall outside his quarters without being fully awake. He stretched and yawned, and slapped himself across the face. "Aaah, that's better. Wow, for a minute there, nothing made sense at all." FLASH * FLASH * FLASH "all..." Messner heard himself say, but suddenly he couldn't figure out why he said that, or what scentence it might have been the end of. He thought about this for a moment, before realizing that he couldn't figure out any aspect of what was going on!! He looked around and saw what looked to be the turbolift of a starship, not the starbase he thought he was on. Had he just been transported? Why is this ship on red alert while docked at starbase in deep Federation space? Suddenly there was a sound of a distant explosion and the ship lurched violently, throwing him out of the door of the recently stopped turbolift and onto the bridge of the ship. Everything looked to be in the heat of battle. What the hell was going on?? Messner tried to force himself to calm down. "Come on Raolin, just stay calm and remember your training. You probably bumped your head and lost your senses, but you still have a job to do..... uh, but what is that job?" He braced himself against a console that was more modern than any he remembered seeing and took stock of himself. He was carrying a phaser rifle... and wearing his sword on his back, and had just arrived on the bridge. But he couldn't remember ever being posted as security. All he could remember was lots of menial jobs in the academy. During this battle situation he must have been nonessential personnel drafted for extra firepower in case they got boarded! "Okay, Raolin, just stay focused and alert and you can get the bump on the head treated later." He looked around the bridge skeptically. What the heck was this place, and who were all these strange people?!?

Raolin Messner woke early, and with some time to spare, he sat in his quarters and read Hagakure, Book of the Samurai for quite a while. He'd been reading a chunk here and there for some days, and was almost finished with it now. Hagakure is essentially a collection of sayings and wisdoms. Some passages Messner pondered for a while, and others he payed only small attention to. Some he decided he would never understand, and of these some he came to this conclusion about after a long time and some of them after no time at all. Eventually Messner realized his next duty shift was coming up and prepared to leave. He'd heard that something was wrong with the Captain and Commander, but he didn't yet know what. He was on his way out the door, when suddenly he found himself scrolling back through to a previous chapter until he stopped at a certain passage. He read some if it out loud to himself.. "A man is a good retainer to the extent that he earnestly places importance in his master. This is the highest sort of retainer.... It is further good fortune if.. one has wisdom and talent and can use them appropriately. But even a person who is good at nothing and exceedingly clumsy will be a reliable retainer if only he has the determination to think earnestly of his master. Having only wisdom and talent is the lowest tier of usefulness." He paused for several seconds with a pondering, meaningful, cinematic look on his face, until finally he turned away and strode determinedly out the door. He went about his routine fairly normally for a short time, but still had this passage in the back of his mind when he soon learned that the HoD and RawI' had both been infected with some desperate condition. When he happened through the MRF on patrol and saw his commanding officers prostrate on biobeds, he stopped and looked on with increasing concern. Just as he was going to force himself back out on patrol, though, they both vanished into thin air. After several moments of utter anger and confusion, Messner determined he would be able to determine the best way to help from the meH, and rushed there. Messner stalked around the meH anxiously, awaiting some instruction, but still managed to catch much of the conversation Ramjep was having with an alien on the viewscreen who seemed to be responsible for the dissappearances which Messner was so concerned about. He took in much information from the exchange, but the most important parts that he understood were that these aliens did not have any concern for his commanders' lives, and that they would have to be forced into giving them back. Messner just about jumped out of his skin when the idea was brought up of taking a shuttle in to rescue them, and very well could have viscerally popped right there on the meH if he had not a few moments later been assigned to the rescue party. He got to the shuttle bay as fast as he could, and would have dashed into space by himself if they had not a few moments later departed with all accounted for. At this point Messner's training and mental discipline kicked in finally, and as he realized he couldn't do anything further until they got through the shield barrier and to the right location, he calmed himself in favor of formulating a plan. The only problem was that he had no information on the situation they were entering, and he was the only security officer on the team, and he had no idea how heavily guarded the facility might be that they were invading amidsts countless enemy reenforcements. Messner was perplexed for half a moment, when the furthest passage he had read that morning came back to him suddenly and clearly. "When one has made a decision to kill a person, even if it will be very difficult to succeed by advancing straight ahead, it will not do to think about doing it in a long, roundabout way. One's heart may slacken, he may miss his chance, and by and large there will be no success. The Way of the Samurai is one of immediacy, and it is best to dash in headlong." This blended together in his thoughts with a bit he had read quite a while ago, but which was just as vivid in his mind, "A real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death." "Dash in headlong...." Messner mumbled to himself, but noone heard him. As Rhoz worked at punching through the planets force field, Messner punched the coordinates into the transporter system for the room that his commanding officers were in. His mind became a sildent void; his anger was a flame licking at the edges; his concern was countless fists pounding at his concentration; his fear was ten thousand feet of water pressing his void from all sides, threatening to crush him to oblivion. Not too long ago, one Ensign Messner, freshly promoted from cleaning duty, would have been crushed. There would have been a warm puddle of liquid on the shuttle deck, at the very least, the alternative being a cold puddle of security officer. But though he wouldn't believe it himself, Messner's trials with friends, enemies, beasts, and crewmates had hardened him. His friends from the alpha quadrant would hardly recognize the resolute man who now stood as unswaying as an ancient statue as he drew his phaser. Rhoz broke through the field. "Dash in headlong...." Messner pressed the panel next to him as he leveled his phaser at the future.. at whatever may come. He barely made out the beginning of someone saying "what are you..." as he dematerialized. He rematerialized in a room which appeared to be a lab at first sight. The only person immediately in his view had his back turned, but was apparently an alien like that on the viewscreen, and was apparently a guard judging by the sidearm strapped to his chest, and Messner was not going to try to take prisoners. Just as the guard began to turn to see the source of a noise, he fell limp from a phaser stun in his back. Messner stepped back and calmly swept his view and phaser in a circle around him in search of enemies and already searching for possible cover from counter-attack. As he finished his complete circle he came back around to face the room's only door, just as another guard came onto the scene with his weapon already drawn. Messner aimed. The guard aimed. Messner's fear was only playing before. Now it clenched around him with all its might. Of course, he had been in battle before. He had faced great fear before. And most of the time he had managed to act, or at least react, in spite of it. But in this instance, it simply did not touch him. His Captain and Commander were on the line, and Lieutenant Senior Grade Raolin Messner was simply beyond fear. It was that one instant that made the difference. Messner's mind was set. The guard blinked. Messner fired first, and the guard fell to the ground, dropping his weapon and releasing the trigger which had already been pressed half way down. Messner remained perfectly still and poised for a few seconds. Spiders sized him up for building webs on, and birds pondered good spots for nests. Then he finally tapped his communicator and started to tell the rest of the shuttle that the room was clear, but even as he said it the others besides Rhoz transported in near him. He checked Bch and K'Walus for pulses and breathed a heavy sigh of relief to find them both. Then he positioned himself in the doorway and kept watch so as to keep out of the way of the rest of the team. The coast looked clear, and he was starting to relax ever so slightly, when he spotted several (and I mean SEVERAL!) guards moving just beyond a transparent window of sorts down the hall. As the first of them came around a corner, he was shot down, and Messner prepared for battle and death. "No matter if the enemy has thousands of men, there is fulfillment in simply standing them off and being determined to cut them all down, starting from one end." However, perhaps luckily for the guards, though more likely luckily for Messner, as the beam dissipated from that first shot, he and the rest of the team were beamed back to the shuttlecraft and to safety. "If one were to say in a word what the condition of being a samurai is, its basis lies first in seriously devoting one's body and soul to his master."