Breathing Underwater

[Angel Ryder]

TAS KItea

Romulan Republic Border -

Kicking her boots off as she walked into her ready room, Vice Admiral Angel Ryder let out an annoyed groan and shimmied out of her uniform skirt and pulled off her jacket and let them drop to the floor. Within moments her under shirt and under wear were tossed off as she walked into the sonic shower of personal bathroom and set it on medium.

"What pure and utter bullshit." Angel grumbled as she closed her eyes and let the sonic shower work.

Earlier --

"You can't be serious?" Sub Commander Sol'ela said as she looked at Ryder.

"I am... there was a ship that was linked to Bellatrix that landed out here." Angel said as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Look at your sensors... I'm not making this up. That's why we diverted this way."

"But how? They've been avoiding us for weeks." Sol'ela replied and closed her eyes. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt for you to investigate, but in a shuttle, that leviathan you're in is going to intimidate the local guard."

"Kitea is a friendly ship." Angel chirped back.

"With about two dozen torpedo launchers and a dozen phaser banks on every hard port... you're a warship Admiral."

"Of discovery. That IS her name, in Maori." Angel responded with a sly wink.

"Riiight..." Sol'ela rolled her eyes. "Just keep her where she is. You don't need it for a ship that barely blipped my sensors."

"I'll take the Captain's Yacht... " Angel said as she saluted her over the holographic comm. "Thank you Sub Commander..."

"You just keep rubbing it in... I think I liked your 'other' Ang'Jhu better..." Sol'ela replied with a chuckle. "Need anything further contact me... before there's a firefight over one of our more populated areas."

[Becky Sandoval]

Knowing Angel as she thought she did, Becky assumed her CO would be seeking a shower. While she allowed Angel her space Becky ordered the preparations for the Captain's Yacht so that it would be ready to launch as soon as the Admiral wanted it to. "Oh, Laforge make sure the yacht has spare EVA suits, and skin armor. Oh and check the emergency rations."

"For what ma'am?" The chocolate skinned engineer asked. "The Kitea is practically a brand new ship."

"All the more reason to make sure there ARE rations and they aren't damaged. Spare phaser and projectile weapons Master-at-Arms," Becky said to one of the enlisted security officer."

"Aye ma'am," the NCO said and turned to bark orders to his subordinates."

After making sure the Captain's Yacht was being fully prepped she made he way back to the bridge and pressed the door chime outside Angel's ready room.

[Angel Ryder]

"Come." Angel said as she brushed her hair in the full length mirror, still covered by a towel with a bottle of lotion sitting on the counter. "Don't mind the undress... " she said and put her brush down and sat on a small stool and used a modified phaser to shave her legs. "Can you believe this? I mean, there's an enemy ship we know crashed and they're acting like I'm crazy? I'm pregnant, I'm not nuts..." she picked up the brace that as soon as she wrapped it around her torso, extended and wrapped itself around her growing belly and supported her back before pulling on a longline bra that protected her chest and belly. "Even though my husband thinks my pregnant ass should be sitting in her our quarters for the next 3 months... I fought a war pregnant last time."

Taking a cleansing breath she sighed. "We need whatever intel we can get on Bellatrix's clones and how they function. This ship may be a key piece to ending their threat." Angel closed her eyes and shook her head. "While I'm gone, you're in command. Or until Nathan finally fucking makes it back from his survey mission."

[Becky Sandoval]

"No ma'am. I'm going with you. I need someone to watch your back that I trust, and there's no one else I trust than myself. The Captain's Yacht will be ready for launch in a few minutes."

[Angel Ryder]

"What would I do without you Becky?" Angel said as she pulled on her tactical pants and a black tactical shirt. "Although that does mean we're leaving Kitea in command of someone other than us for the first time." she pulled off her rings and bracelet and put them into a small box and slid on a couple of black metal rings over her index and ring fingers and pulled on a pair of gloves. "Why the hell did my husband HAVE to lead a survey team? Do you think he doesn't want to be around me?" she closed her eyes and clenched her fists. "God I hate these hormones... I'm either ready to kick someone's ass, cry, or get super jealous. I swear these are my last kids. I am not having more after this. Why did I make our anniversary date like right during my 'fertile' time of month?" she laughed and slid into a pair of boots and slid a spare type one phaser into the wedge heel compartment and then opened a drawer and gave herself a hypospray in the neck. "Let's hope this mission doesn't last longer than the 'anti-preggo nutso' shot I just took. Or you're going to wish you stayed aboard Kitea. Even I can't stand myself right now."

[Becky Sandoval]

"You wouldn't have anyone to watch your back while you run off doing something idiotic and pregnant just to humor the Romulans, whom I will remind you are founding members of the Alliance. I would have told them to pound sand."

[Angel Ryder]

"And my late alternate did manager set up the defenses here. I find it utterly hilarious that her system works better than the brand new defense tech that the Romulans just had installed and this cobbled together thing she set up is more accurate. Guess I'm a genius technician no matter what reality." Angel said and pinned her hair up. "By the way, I think your daughter is looking forward to being there when I have the twins. Or it's really messages passed on by Grandma Tess... 'are you eating right?' 'are you taking your supplements?' 'have you practiced your breathing?' 'Are you sure you'll be back on Terra Alpha in time?'. That last one cracks me up... because I am hoping we'll be back within the month and I'll have a full month and a half before I'm due to relax before Trinity has her next month. Big Aimee owes me 'oh c'mon twins don't run in the Sandoval family...' says the woman who had twins. They run in my family."

Taking a last look at herself and grabbing her tricorder and a set of tactical HUD glasses, she looked at Becky. "Do you need anything? Ever since you lost those extra couple pounds from those Borg implants, you kinda fit into more of my stuff."

[Becky Sandoval]

"Twins do not run in the Sandoval family," Becky said. "As a general rule, but weird things do happen. No, I'm good. Anything that comes up that I need I should be able to replicate." She pressed a couple of buttons on her buffer band and a rather large camping backpack materialized. "I keep a go bag just for these circumstances. I have to say these buffer bands sure are handy. In my reality I would have to go to my quarters or beam it to where I need it." She pressed some more buttons and the go bag returned to the band. "As far as the implants go... some of them I actually miss. I broke my femur a few months back when you were off the ship. It was a jump I had done dozens of times before with no problem... I'm far more fragile now. But, it is nice to not have to worry about those implants suddenly deciding to Borgify me again."

[Angel Ryder]

"You need more calcium and more full body training. Although it's nice knowing that you won't make me a Borg if I hug you too tightly." Angel said and winked her eye. "I still feel like... every time I look at this ship, at having you and half my husband's old crew... is this really my life? I've got my father's old Fleet position... even if I feel like I'm breathing underwater. I'm either amazed that I'm doing it... or I'm wondering... am I actually breathing?" she sighed. "I was blessed in my life to have skills and people and opportunities... and yet I want to do it all. Mother. Starship Captain. Fleet Admiral. Designer. Engineer. Musician. Artist. "

[Becky Sandoval]

"I don't have a reinforced endoskeleton. You adapt, and for the few that are actually in a position that they are actually good at they excell and everyone benefits."